Chapter 196
From morning until evening, many Hogwarts students attempted to break through the spell set by Albus Dumbledore. Even a few students from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Durmstrang Institute were eager to prove themselves in the same way.
However, most of them failed. They couldn't even reach the Goblet of Fire.
While several Durmstrang students were still trying, Igor Karkaroff sat at the long table, slowly sipping from a glass of rum he had brought with him. But as one student after another failed, his expression darkened. In the end, he could no longer hold back and erupted, scolding them harshly and without any courtesy. His words were so severe that none of the students dared lift their heads.
Perhaps remembering that this was not his own school, Karkaroff eventually restrained himself and stopped. Still, the chill in his eyes did not fade. It was easy to imagine that those unfortunate students, who had "disgraced" their school in his eyes, would face consequences once they returned.
It was also worth noting that Harry Potter from Gryffindor managed to submit his name into the Goblet of Fire through his own efforts. Unfortunately, it happened around noon, when most students were away for lunch. Only a handful of people remained in the hall to cheer and applaud for him.
After that, several more students stepped forward.
From Slytherin, a few tried their luck. From Gryffindor, the Quidditch Chaser Angelina Johnson. And from Hufflepuff, Cedric Diggory.
All of them succeeded.
Each time a parchment slipped into the blue-white flames and sparks of red burst outward, cheers rose from their respective houses.
One after another, students stepped forward to try.
No one knew exactly when it began, but the floor near the entrance of the Great Hall started reflecting a faint golden glow. The setting sun cast its final light. Evening had arrived.
When the last eager student finally accepted defeat, shook his head, and stepped back across the red boundary, a deep bell rang in the distance.
Six times.
It was six o'clock in the evening.
The banquet was about to begin, and the champions would soon be chosen.
From that moment on, students and teachers poured into the hall. Some hurried anxiously, afraid of being late, while others walked in at a leisurely pace, completely at ease. The Weasley twins, for instance, were now fully absorbed in Malfoy's commission and showed little interest in the Goblet's selection.
Under the guidance of their headmasters, the students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang entered in orderly fashion and took their seats.
Those paying close attention would notice that a few Durmstrang students were missing. Most likely, this was Karkaroff's punishment. It also showed the confidence he placed in his favored student—Viktor Krum. After all, if the chosen champion were absent when the Goblet revealed its selection, it would be extremely awkward.
In any case, all students from the two visiting schools had already submitted their names the previous night.
Soon, the sun sank completely below the horizon, and the last trace of gold vanished. The Great Hall was illuminated entirely by candlelight, now nearly full.
The protective spell around the Goblet had been lifted. Under the supervision of Professor McGonagall, Filch carefully moved it to the space in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the staff table.
At this moment, every student was focused on the final result. Whispers filled the hall as they speculated about who might be chosen.
"Maybe it'll be Cedric," Hermione Granger said at the Gryffindor table.
She was used to thinking logically. Recently, she had been busy with S.P.E.W. and hadn't paid much attention to the Goblet of Fire. Instead, she found herself wondering whether organizing the tournament had increased the workload for the house-elves, and how many extra hours they must be working to prepare such elaborate meals.
Hogwarts clearly didn't follow any kind of eight-hour workday to protect house-elf rights, she thought to herself, unconsciously applying Muggle labor laws to their situation.
"It'll be him. I can accept that—as long as it's not someone from Slytherin representing Hogwarts. That annoying Malfoy even put his name in," Ron Weasley muttered, tapping his knife and fork against the table.
He had tried to register alongside Harry, but failed. After only a few steps, he'd been completely unable to move and had no choice but to retreat.
"Of course, it'd be best if Harry gets chosen," he added sincerely.
"Thanks," Harry replied quietly.
No one noticed that his hands had clenched into fists beneath the table. Hidden by his robes, his legs were trembling slightly.
"I… I hope so too," Hermione said after a moment, forcing a small smile.
"I still don't get why that girl would like him," Ron muttered gloomily.
If Fleur had chosen Cedric as her guide that day, he wouldn't have minded as much. But she had chosen Malfoy—and had even seemed rather proactive about it.
Ron stabbed a piece of lamb with his fork and shoved it into his mouth, chewing hard, as if trying to vent his frustration.
Perhaps it was because there had been banquets two days in a row, but the students showed far less enthusiasm for the food this time. Nearly everyone kept craning their necks toward the staff table, their faces tense with anticipation. Some even stood up repeatedly, trying to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating.
But the old headmaster seemed in no hurry at all. He ate slowly, chatting casually with the other two headmasters, as though deliberately keeping everyone waiting.
At last, after what felt like an eternity, the golden plates cleared themselves and returned to their spotless state. The noise in the hall swelled—only to fall silent again the moment Dumbledore stood.
On either side of him, Igor Karkaroff and Olympe Maxime looked just as tense and expectant as the students. Ludo Bagman beamed cheerfully, winking at students from different houses, while Barty Crouch Sr. wore a dull, almost bored expression.
"Well, the Goblet is about to make its decision," Dumbledore said calmly. "I think it will take about a minute. Now, listen carefully—when a name is called, I want that student to come forward, walk past the staff table, and go through the door behind me—" he gestured to the door at the back, "—where they will receive preliminary instructions."