Through the students' combined efforts, the imps were turned into pieces of candy one after another, gradually disappearing altogether.
Tver had thoughtfully prepared two kinds of candy.
One was cheap fruit hard candy. It hurt more when thrown and was specifically meant for the imps to hurl at the students.
The other was tastier and more expensive soft candy, which only dropped after an imp was defeated.
By the time all the candy on the floor had been picked up, the students had barely had a chance to talk about their brave showing. The smiles on their faces had yet to fade, and some were still rubbing heads that ached slightly from being hit, when Dumbledore announced that the feast was about to begin.
A welcome banquet had been held just the night before. Even though tonight's food was still excellent, it no longer held the students' attention.
If not for the imps providing a round of fun beforehand, they would probably have been distracted much earlier.
The students ate ravenously to restore the energy they had just spent, occasionally leaning close to friends to whisper about the Goblet of Fire placed on the bench in front of the staff table.
The flames within the Goblet of Fire continued to glow steadily. Sitting there, it somehow felt less like a decoration and more like the Sorting Hat, as if it were waiting to announce a decisive judgment.
Sensing the students' growing restlessness, Dumbledore stood up promptly when the time came.
At the same moment, the food on every plate vanished.
"I imagine you can hardly wait. To be honest, neither can I."
Laughter immediately spread through the hall, easing some of the tension on the students' faces.
"However, we must wait just one more minute. Before that, I need to remind you that once I announce the Champions' names, no matter who you are and no matter how pleased you may be, you are to go into that room."
Dumbledore pointed toward the small door high up in the Great Hall, set behind and to the side of the staff table.
"You will receive some initial guidance there, along with a bit of information about the First Task."
With that, he drew his old wand and gave it a broad, casual sweep.
Instantly, all the candles and torches went out one by one, save for the dim ones glowing inside the great pumpkins. The Great Hall sank into a half-lit, half-shadowed gloom.
Then the Goblet of Fire suddenly flared, bright tongues of flame leaping upward. Blue-white fire surged like rising demons, as though ready to pass judgment on everyone present.
The blazing light illuminated the entire staff table. Tver, his face shifting between light and shadow, stared at the Goblet of Fire in thought.
"It's been hit with a Confundus Charm… but it's far too strong," Tver muttered, his expression strange.
The traces of the Confundus Charm were actually quite subtle. In fact, the longer the spell had been in place, the fewer remnants it left behind.
Still, he had known from the start that Barty Jr. would tamper with the Goblet of Fire. Judging from the outcome, he could sense that something was off.
More than that, the charm was powerful enough that it wouldn't just be able to force Harry in as the Champion of a fourth school. It could have made the entire trio eligible if it wanted to.
Was the extra magical output simply for the sake of insurance?
At that moment, the flames inside the Goblet of Fire abruptly turned an ordinary red, as if some accelerant had been thrown in. A single tongue of fire shot upward, flinging a half-charred piece of parchment into the air.
Dumbledore caught it deftly. By the bright glow of the flames, which had already shifted back to blue-white, he read aloud the name written on it.
"The Champion of Durmstrang is Viktor Krum!"
Honestly, it would have been more surprising if the Champion had been anyone other than Viktor.
Applause and cheers swept through the Great Hall at once.
Viktor rose calmly from the Slytherin table and made his way toward the top of the hall, looking thoroughly unenthusiastic.
As though it hadn't been him begging Tver to spare him just that morning.
When he passed Tver, he shot him a smug wink.
As if to say: See? This is what I can do.
"Fantastic, Viktor!" Amid the thunderous applause, Karkaroff sprang to his feet, excitement blazing across his face. "I knew it. You're destined to become the next Tver!"
"Viktor only needs to be himself," Cynthia spoke up in his defense. "He's not anyone's appendage or shadow."
The atmosphere in the Great Hall was completely ignited. Everyone was eagerly discussing who might be chosen next, but in the very next moment, that excitement was abruptly cut short.
The flames of the Goblet of Fire turned red again.
This time, with experience on their side, everyone fell silent, watching as the flame-wreathed parchment flew out and was caught by Dumbledore.
"The Champion of Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!"
Once again, an entirely unsurprising choice.
Fleur rose gracefully. This time, she neither concealed her striking features nor hid her silvery hair. With a light flick, she drew every gaze in the hall before gliding away from the Ravenclaw table.
Unlike Viktor's selection, however, the Beauxbatons students reacted quite differently.
Two girls who hadn't been chosen buried their faces in their arms, shoulders trembling. The rest wore resentful expressions, casting sidelong glances as Fleur passed by.
Only Gabrielle clapped happily for her sister.
It seemed even a Veela couldn't charm everyone.
After Fleur followed Viktor into the room, a rare silence settled over the Great Hall.
Most people held their breath, staring at the Goblet of Fire with gazes hotter than the flames themselves.
They watched as the fire turned a deep crimson, waiting for Dumbledore to read out the name on the parchment.
"The Champion of Hogwarts is…" Dumbledore paused, lifting his head from the slip with a mischievous look that made the students itch to rush forward and snatch it from him.
"Cedric Diggory!"
Before Dumbledore could even finish speaking, the Great Hall exploded with cheers a hundred times louder than before. The Hufflepuff table was especially jubilant. This was the first time their house had produced someone so celebrated.
Cedric was pulled to his feet, his handsome face lit with a brilliant smile. He nodded to the students and professors offering encouragement as he made his way toward the room.
The applause was so overwhelming that Dumbledore had to raise his voice several times before the noise subsided even a little.
"Very good. Now that the three Champions have been selected, I can certainly feel your enthusiasm for all of them. No matter which house they come from, we all look forward to seeing what they will show us in the upcoming tasks—"
Dumbledore suddenly froze.
Not just him. Everyone present, except for Tver, froze with him.
The flames in the Goblet had turned red for the fourth time.
Sparks continued to crackle and scatter as a long tongue of fire shot upward. Under everyone's stunned gaze, it spat out a fourth piece of parchment.
Dumbledore frowned, his long arm catching it almost on instinct.
He unfolded it.
His eyes widened instantly. For the first time in front of the students, he looked visibly unsettled as he lifted his head and searched the crowd.
After a long moment, he finally called out loudly, "Harry Potter."
The fervor from before vanished in an instant. Everyone stared at Harry with strange expressions, trying to read something from his panicked face.
But there was nothing there except pure confusion.
"Go on, Harry. As a Champion, you must also go into that room," Dumbledore said, his voice sounding distant even to himself.
Only after Harry disappeared stiffly through the door did Dumbledore take a deep breath and turn back to the students.
"Well, this is our first time participating in a competition like this. A few oversights are only natural. There's no need to worry. Once we've discussed and worked out a—"
His words were cut off yet again, his expression turning indescribably complex.
The Goblet of Fire flared for the fifth time…