After the wand inspection concluded, Mr Ollivander stepped aside and carefully organised his notes.
Meanwhile, Ludo Bagman cleared his throat, his round face beaming as he tried to draw everyone's attention.
"All right, ladies and gentlemen. Excellent wands, excellent Champions!"
His voice was loud and enthusiastic.
"Now, I believe everyone is eager to learn more about the Tournament itself!"
As he spoke, he turned towards Barty Crouch, whose expression remained stiff.
"Perhaps Barty should announce the detailed schedule for this year's Triwizard Tournament?" Bagman suggested, making an inviting gesture.
However, Barty Crouch's lips were tightly pressed together and his jaw was tense.
"No, Bagman," he replied sharply. "That falls under the authority of your Department of Magical Games and Sports. Do not push everything onto me."
Bagman's smile faltered for a moment before quickly returning, though it looked somewhat strained.
"Ah, of course, of course! Then I shall explain it myself!"
He laughed, attempting to cover his embarrassment.
Turning back to the Champions and judges, he puffed out his chest once more.
"Then allow me to make the announcement!"
He waved his arms dramatically, building suspense.
"Champions! You will face three tasks in this Tournament!"
He paused and looked around at each tense young face.
"These three tasks are designed to test different qualities in every Champion!"
"The first will test your courage!"
"The second will test your wisdom!"
"And the final task," he continued, raising his voice, "will be the ultimate trial of strength! Not merely magical strength, but strength of will and determination!"
The Champions held their breath, waiting for him to reveal more.
Instead, Bagman spread his hands and gave them a helpless smile.
"However, to ensure absolute fairness and... entertainment value, the exact nature of each task must remain strictly confidential. It will only be revealed on the day the task begins!"
A wave of disappointed whispers and murmurs immediately swept through the room.
Only Harry, Ron, and Hermione felt a growing sense of dread.
It couldn't really be a dragon!
Harry groaned inwardly, though the more he thought about it, the more convinced he became.
What better way could there be to test someone's courage than making them face a dragon?
Bagman seemed completely oblivious to the Champions' disappointment and continued in his booming voice.
"So, ladies and gentlemen, remember this! The first task, the trial of courage, will begin promptly next Tuesday morning! It will take place in Hogwarts' floating arena! All Champions should rest well and prepare themselves!"
The moment he finished speaking, the reporters who had been waiting on the other side of the room surged forwards like Nifflers spotting Galleons.
Cameras and Quick-Quotes Quills surrounded the Champions like an array of weapons.
"Over here, Champions! Look this way!"
"Please stand a little closer together!"
"Mr Krum, could you smile? Yes, just like that... well, not smiling is fine too."
"Miss Delacour, flick your hair, please. Yes, beautiful!"
The reporters chattered incessantly, directing the Champions and arranging them into the most photogenic poses.
Harry felt like a puppet as he was pushed and pulled into position beside the Champions from the other schools.
Camera flashes went off continuously, dazzling him.
To everyone's surprise, the person most resistant to being photographed was Viktor Krum.
He frowned deeply, his usual sullen expression now resembling a form of self-defence.
Faced with reporters who kept asking him to change his pose and expression, Krum remained painfully stiff, moving almost mechanically and looking nothing like a celebrated Seeker prodigy.
"Mr Krum, please relax a little," one reporter advised helplessly. "These photographs will be published all over the world and will appear in newspapers back home. Your family and friends will see them, so you ought to present yourself properly. You can't treat this so casually!"
At those words, Krum's tense jaw seemed to loosen slightly. He reluctantly turned as instructed, though his expression still looked as if someone owed him a large sum of Galleons and had refused to repay it.
Harry sympathised deeply, though he was not doing much better himself. His face was beginning to ache from smiling.
The torturous photo session finally ended amid chaos.
Headmaster Dumbledore invited the judges to join him for a drink at the Three Broomsticks, but Barty Crouch once again refused stiffly.
"I must return to the Ministry," Crouch said solemnly. "Although matters here have been settled, there is still a great deal to do there, and Weatherby cannot manage the office alone."
"Oh, Barty, stay for one drink," Ludo Bagman urged.
Crouch shook his head firmly and bid everyone farewell.
"Write to me if anything arises. I am leaving now."
After his departure, the Champions and their Headmasters also left the staff room under Dumbledore's guidance.
The Hogwarts professors then gathered together once more.
"Courage... I expect the task will involve facing something terrifying!" Professor Flitwick squeaked, worry evident in his voice.
Snape's lips twitched slightly, his black eyes glancing towards Harry, who was speaking quietly with Ron and Hermione.
"Courage is Gryffindor's speciality. It seems Mr Potter will finally have an opportunity to demonstrate his celebrated bravery. Let us hope he does not disappoint us."
Professor McGonagall ignored Snape's sarcasm and turned her gaze towards Hermione.
"Miss Granger," she called sternly.
Ron saw Professor McGonagall's serious expression and immediately seized the opportunity to abandon his two friends, slipping quietly away.
Hermione hurried over.
"Professor McGonagall?"
"Have you been especially busy lately? Why was your most recent assignment not completed to your usual standard?"
Professor McGonagall picked up a roll of parchment from the table and drew out Hermione's essay, which was covered in dense, neat handwriting.
Hermione immediately looked distressed and began explaining in a low voice.
While she was speaking, a sudden commotion erupted at the doorway.
A figure rushed into the room, his black hair slightly dishevelled and his handsome face filled with anxiety.
It was Sirius Black.
His gaze swept quickly across the room, immediately found Harry, and he crossed the distance in several long strides.
"Harry!"
Sirius seized Harry by the shoulders and examined him from head to toe, his voice urgent.
"Are you all right? I heard at home that you were chosen as a Champion. What exactly happened? Why didn't you write to me?"
Warmth surged through Harry at the sight of his godfather, though the barrage of questions left him somewhat dazed.
"I did write, Sirius!"
He hurriedly explained.
"I wrote the very night my name came out of the Goblet of Fire. But Hedwig's been angry with me these past few days. She's been sulking and refusing to deliver the letter. I tried several times, but she just turned her back on me, so I had to wait for her to calm down before..."
Sirius paused, clearly not having expected that explanation.
Some of the tension left him, though his brow remained furrowed.
He put an arm around Harry's shoulders and lowered his voice.
"All right, forget the letter for now. Tell me everything, and don't leave out a single detail. I have a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling."
Then he turned towards the professors in the staff room.
"May Harry leave now?"
Professor McGonagall nodded, but before she could answer, a cold voice spoke instead.
"I was just about to ask the same question," Snape said sarcastically. "When are the two of you leaving? This is the staff room, not your sitting room."
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