The banquet officially came to an end just as Tver finished his fourth serving of milk jelly, and the plates reverted to their original clean and orderly state.
To be honest, Tver had always thought that the most impressive thing about Hogwarts was the food-transportation magic left behind by Helga. Every time it activated, it precisely transferred all food and scraps back to the kitchens, never taking so much as a single square of chocolate that a student intended to keep.
It could even tell when Tver tried to secretly save a biscuit for later.
For magic on such a massive scale to maintain that level of precision, its sophistication could already be said to surpass even the teachers' proudest Fiendfyre Shield. Of course, the two were fundamentally different, so it was hardly a fair comparison.
While Tver's thoughts wandered, Dumbledore stood up once again.
"I imagine many of you have been looking forward to this. But before the Tournament begins, you may have noticed that we have two additional guests with us tonight."
"Ms. Cynthia Vasyka, Head of the International Magical Law Office of the Department of International Magical Cooperation."
Cynthia rose elegantly to her feet. Her youthful, striking appearance contrasted sharply with her status as a senior Ministry official, drawing waves of astonished murmurs from the hall. The applause, however, was sparse at first, only growing enthusiastic after Tver took the lead in clapping.
"Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."
This time, the applause was far more spirited. Bagman's past as a Quidditch player earned him no small amount of goodwill, not to mention his approachable demeanor.
"For the past several months, the Department of International Magical Cooperation and the Department of Magical Games and Sports have worked tirelessly on this project," Dumbledore announced. "It is thanks to their tremendous efforts that the Triwizard Tournament has been revived."
"Therefore, these two guests will join the headmasters of our three schools to form the judging panel and evaluate the performances of the Champions!"
At the word "Champions," the students immediately pricked up their ears, forgetting all about Cynthia. Seeing this, Dumbledore smiled slightly.
"Mr. Filch, if you would bring the box forward."
Filch, who had been waiting in the corner of the Great Hall for some time, appeared holding a large, jewel-studded wooden box. It looked distinctly old. At Dumbledore's call, he hurried over to the staff table and carefully placed the box on the table in front of him.
"The events of the Triwizard Tournament have already been decided. There will be three tasks in total, spanning the entire school year."
"These tasks will test the Champions' intelligence, courage, strength, and more. Even if you think I'm being repetitive, I must still remind you—"
Dumbledore's voice suddenly rose as his gaze swept across the Great Hall with overwhelming pressure.
"The Tournament tasks are extremely dangerous. Even with every safety measure we can possibly take, we cannot guarantee that the Champions will emerge alive and unharmed!"
The hall fell instantly silent. The excitement and anticipation on the students' faces stiffened, replaced by uneasy looks as they glanced at one another, no one daring to speak.
Dumbledore paid no attention to the atmosphere, as though he had not just delivered those words, and calmly walked over to the box.
"Each school will select one Champion to represent it. That means we will choose three Champions!"
"And these Champions will be selected by the absolutely fair and impartial Goblet of Fire!"
He drew his wand and lightly tapped the box three times. Responding to his magic, the lid creaked open slowly. Dumbledore reached inside and withdrew an unremarkable cup.
It was a large wooden goblet, roughly carved and poorly finished, so crude that it would have been dismissed as shoddy even for a child's toy.
Yet inside it danced a mysterious blue-white flame.
Powerful contract magic…
Tver studied the Goblet of Fire with a strange expression.
Judging from the fluctuations coming off the cup, it was actually somewhat similar to the teacher's Protego Diabolica.
The difference was that the flames within were not Fiendfyre, but Gubraithian Fire, Dumbledore's specialty.
Unlike Fiendfyre, which was infamous for its overwhelming aggression, Gubraithian Fire was known for its gentle yet persistent nature. That said, it would be a mistake to assume it was weak. In truth, it was still a flame capable of devouring anything in its path.
In a sense, Gubraithian Fire was simply a more controllable version of Fiendfyre, one that burned longer and more steadily.
Tver could barely manage this spell himself, and only just. If he wanted to reach the same level of control he had over Fiendfyre, he would need to find someone and properly seek their guidance.
Just as Tver was mentally plotting how to wring a bit more knowledge out of Dumbledore, a wave of noise pulled him out of his thoughts.
Dumbledore had finished explaining the Age Line and the selection process and had formally announced the end of the banquet.
"I should be heading out," Cynthia said with a weary sigh, lowering her voice to speak to Tver before standing up. "Once the list is announced tomorrow, I'll come back. The Ministry is a bit… chaotic right now."
"You've had it rough," Tver replied quietly. "You might also consider reaching out to some of the neutral figures. People like Arthur Weasley may seem unremarkable, but taken together, they carry real weight within the Ministry."
"I'll give it a try," Cynthia said, nodding thoughtfully as she rose.
"You're leaving already, Madam Cynthia?" Bagman asked, his face flushed red.
It was rare for him to run into both Professor McGonagall, who actually understood Quidditch, and Professor Trelawney, who enjoyed a drink. The group had clearly put away quite a bit of alcohol together.
"There's still a lot waiting for me back at the Ministry," Cynthia replied. "And you? It looks like you'll be staying here a while longer."
Bagman immediately recalled the strange, tense atmosphere at the Ministry. With his network of connections, he had long sensed that something was off.
Especially this Cynthia in front of him. She looked harmless enough, but she was anything but simple.
He quickly wiped the grin from his face and nodded with a touch of respect.
"Yes. We're planning to talk a bit longer."
Cynthia did not respond further. People like Bagman were neither easy to win over nor inclined to openly oppose her. To put it bluntly, he was the Ministry's version of Lucius, someone who simply followed the prevailing tide.
After exchanging farewells with Dumbledore and the others once more, Cynthia was the first to leave the Great Hall.
It was as if that departure served as a signal. The professors and guests at the staff table began standing up one after another, and aside from those who intended to keep chatting, everyone made their way toward the exits.
A small incident occurred along the way.
Karkaroff noticed Harry and was met with a vicious warning from Moody, leaving the exchange tense and unpleasant.
The sight reminded Tver of something. The headmaster of his alma mater had once been a bona fide Death Eater.
That, in itself, was hardly surprising. Back when Voldemort's power was at its height, many wizards fascinated by Dark Magic gravitated toward him, hoping for a more permissive environment in which to conduct their research.
Those people and Voldemort had merely been using one another. Loyalty had never entered into it.
Only Karkaroff had openly and explicitly joined the Death Eaters, even though he regretted it not long afterward.
Unfortunately for him, Voldemort had never tolerated people who tried to play both sides.