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Chapter 588: Triwizard Cup
Chapter 588: Triwizard Cup
Hermione's words did little to break Ron's romantic fantasies. He remained stubbornly convinced that Fleur might have some sort of affection for him.
Halfway through the banquet, the doors of the Great Hall opened again, and two wizards in suits walked in.
They made their way to the magic podium, shook hands with Dumbledore, and then took their seats at the teachers' table, drawing little attention from the crowd.
Except for Ivan, who couldn't take his eyes off them from the moment they entered.
"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch, what are they doing here?" Harry asked, glancing over curiously.
"Which one is Crouch?" Ivan inquired.
He remembered that in the original timeline, Bartemius Crouch had been controlled by Voldemort's Imperius Curse. In the absence of any leads now, Crouch might be a good starting point for investigation!
"The tall, thin one with the graying hair is Crouch, and the other is Ludo Bagman!"
It wasn't Harry but Ron who answered Ivan, finally tearing his gaze away from Fleur. Perhaps it was because Fleur hadn't responded to his longing looks for so long.
Ivan nodded and looked back at the teachers' table. Crouch was sitting next to Dumbledore, engaged in a pleasant conversation with the old professor, showing no signs of anything amiss.
But Ivan knew that the Imperius Curse could almost perfectly control a wizard, making their behavior indistinguishable from their usual selves.
There were only two flaws in this magic!
First, a skilled Legilimency Master could detect the abnormality by searching the person's memories, revealing the inconsistencies.
Second, a wizard with strong willpower might be able to break free from the spell's control. For example, in the original timeline, Barty Crouch and his son managed to do just that!
Ivan's extensive knowledge came from his time in Knockturn Alley, where he had studied the Imperius Curse to control Notte.
The first flaw was practically unsolvable, but fortunately, Legilimency Masters were rare. Ivan had simply kept Notte at home, minimizing his outings.
The second issue was easier to manage. To prevent Notte from breaking free, Ivan had assigned two Werewolf Wizards to watch him constantly and regularly reinforced the Imperius Curse on Notte.
Despite this, Ivan was still troubled. While he suspected that Crouch was an Undercover Agent controlled by Voldemort, he lacked sufficient evidence to accuse him.
Crouch was the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation and a highly respected figure known for his integrity. Dumbledore trusted him immensely.
Moreover, with the butterfly effect, even the real Mad-Eye Moody had appeared at the school. It was uncertain whether Crouch was under Voldemort's control as in the original timeline. Making a mistake could have severe consequences!
The Imperius Curse's strength lay in Voldemort's ability to control anyone in the school!
The only solution would be for Dumbledore to use Legilimency in the Great Hall to read everyone's memories and identify the controlled Undercover Agents.
But given the old professor's character, he would only resort to such measures as a last resort.
Ivan considered doing the investigation himself, but his Legilimency skills were far from that level!
He estimated that he would need to advance his Legilimency to at least level six to discreetly probe most people's thoughts through eye contact.
Just as Ivan was thinking, Dumbledore, who had been talking with Crouch, stood up and walked to the front of the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe you have all had your fill, haven't you?" Dumbledore's loud voice echoed throughout the Great Hall.
The young wizards put down their knives and forks. Although some food lovers still wanted to continue enjoying their meal, they were even more eager to hear what Dumbledore had to say next.
"Looks like it's time!" Dumbledore took in the expressions of the crowd, then waved his wand again, and the messy long table instantly returned to its pristine state.
Dumbledore continued, "Now, I will talk about the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament!"
Hearing the old professor mention the Triwizard Tournament, everyone sat up straight, a mix of excitement and tension spreading through the Great Hall.
Dumbledore then changed the subject, pointing to Crouch on his right and introducing him. "Allow me to introduce two new guests, some of you may not know them. This is Mr. Bartemius Crouch, the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation at the Ministry of Magic!"
Crouch nodded at the crowd, and the Great Hall filled with scattered applause.
Dumbledore then introduced Ludo Bagman on his left, thanking both of them for their tireless efforts over the past few months to revive the Triwizard Tournament.
"They will join me, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime to form a panel of five referees to judge the Champions' performances."
Dumbledore clapped his hands, signaling for Filch to bring up the box.
"What box?" Harry whispered, his curiosity piqued.
Ivan, aware of the inside information, still turned to look at Filch.
Perhaps to participate in this important occasion, the usually unkempt Filch had tidied himself up, at least changing into a new robe. He was holding a large wooden box inlaid with jewels, his expression solemn, as if he were carrying a noble relic.
The young wizards craned their necks, eager to get a better look.
Dumbledore continued, "Each event of this year's Triwizard Tournament has been carefully reviewed. There are three events in total, designed to test the Champions' abilities in various aspects, such as their magical talent, courage, and reasoning skills, among others."
"After each event, the referees will award points based on their performance. The scores from the three events will be added together, and the Champion with the highest total score will win the Triwizard Cup! As for the selection process for the Champions..."
While Dumbledore was speaking, Filch had already walked to the magic podium and carefully placed the box on the table in front of him.
Dumbledore drew his wand and tapped the lid of the box three times. The box slowly opened, revealing a crudely carved wooden goblet.
Dumbledore pointed his wand at it, looking at the gathered crowd, and spoke clearly, "The selection process for the Champions will be conducted by the most impartial selector, and that is... the Triwizard Cup!"
As Dumbledore spoke, a surge of blue-white flames erupted from the goblet's mouth...
(End of Chapter)
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