Chapter 198
"Ridiculous!"
Igor Karkaroff could no longer suppress his anger. He slammed his palm heavily against the armrest of his chair, venting his frustration.
At this moment, everyone involved with the Goblet of Fire had gathered in the small room Albus Dumbledore had mentioned. The space was crowded, the walls lined with wizard portraits, and a large fireplace burned brightly opposite the door, making the room uncomfortably warm.
It matched the tension in the air perfectly.
"Anger won't solve anything, Karkaroff," Dumbledore said, his expression slightly more serious than before. Yet to the other two headmasters, it still felt somewhat restrained.
"Of course you're not angry," Karkaroff snapped. "After all, the extra champion is from Hogwarts. This benefits you greatly. No wonder you're so calm—this was clearly planned from the beginning."
They had already been arguing for quite some time.
After Harry Potter's name had come out of the Goblet, the hall had first fallen into stunned silence—then erupted into chaos. There had been no applause, only a loud buzzing, like a swarm of angry bees. Students had stood up, trying to get a better look at Harry, who sat frozen in his seat.
Ron Weasley had stared at him, mouth wide open. "Oh my god… this is amazing! A fourth champion!"
Hermione Granger, however, had frowned instinctively. Something about it didn't feel right.
Meanwhile, Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum had been inside this very room. Hearing the commotion outside, they had nearly gone out to see what was happening, only to be stopped.
Now, back in the present—
"I cannot accept this either," Olympe Maxime said sharply as she rose from her seat. Her tall frame straightened, her head nearly brushing the chandelier, and her chest rose and fell with agitation.
"It is unfair for one school to have two champions."
Her gaze shifted toward Harry in the corner, filled with faint disdain.
"And moreover… I do not believe that this student has the ability to participate. Dumbledore, are you certain he will survive such a competition?"
Harry clenched his fists and took a step forward, ready to argue—
But Dumbledore spoke first.
"The two Hogwarts champions entered their names through legitimate means. That is beyond dispute," he said calmly. "The only possibility is that something is wrong with the Goblet itself."
"Oh?" Karkaroff sneered. "It just so happens that this 'problem' benefits you. Why is it that Beauxbatons and Durmstrang do not have two champions? I demand that my students be allowed to submit their names again. Relight the Goblet! Keep adding names until each school has two champions—that would be fair, Dumbledore."
"Then allow me to ask you something, Mr. Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied, his tone unusually firm. "The spell I placed on Hogwarts students does not interfere with the mind, nor was it applied to the Goblet itself."
Karkaroff fell silent.
"Ridiculous… ridiculous…" His voice grew hoarse, and he wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
Inside, he was panicking.
Damn it… how was I discovered?
"Professor Karkaroff?" Madame Maxime studied him briefly before turning back to Dumbledore. "If you already noticed something, why didn't you point it out immediately? This puts your students at a disadvantage."
"I believe such a situation can also serve as a test," Dumbledore said. "Champions chosen under these conditions may prove even stronger."
"So the bravest and strongest students at Hogwarts are these two fourth-years?" Maxime said coldly.
"Then your standards of teaching are truly disappointing."
The atmosphere in the room tightened further, like dry tinder waiting for a spark.
"I have a suggestion," Malfoy spoke up suddenly.
Every head turned toward him.
"The root of the problem is fairness," he said calmly. "Yes, having two champions gives Hogwarts an advantage. But if that's the case, we can simply remove that advantage."
He shrugged slightly.
"Mr. Karkaroff's proposal isn't feasible. Once the Goblet is extinguished, it cannot be relit until the next tournament. As for me—I was forced to participate by my father. If I could withdraw, I wouldn't mind leaving. But the Goblet has already formed a binding magical contract. There's no turning back."
"Then what do you propose?" Madame Maxime asked. Her tone was neutral—she still remembered his help before.
Malfoy nodded slightly.
"We impose restrictions. That alone would restore relative fairness."
"For example—Hogwarts champions receive information about each task later, while Beauxbatons and Durmstrang champions receive it earlier."
"That's an excellent idea!" Ludo Bagman interjected quickly.
"I'm sure neither of you want this rare and prestigious event to turn into a farce. You've brought your students from afar—you wouldn't want that, would you? And as he said, the fact that there are four champions now is irreversible."
"I will consider it," Madame Maxime said, lowering her head thoughtfully.
Karkaroff's expression turned even darker.
"what do you think?" Maxime asked softly, calling Fleur closer.
"I have no objection," Fleur said lightly, glancing at Malfoy with a faint smile before turning her gaze toward Harry with open disdain. "But I do worry… if that boy is already lacking ability, adding restrictions might simply get him killed."
"I don't mind either," Viktor Krum added.
Karkaroff's face grew even gloomier.
"Well then, it seems we have a consensus," Bagman said, rubbing his hands together. "Excellent! Shall we proceed? We've already wasted quite enough time."
He glanced toward the others.
"We still need to brief the champions, don't we? Barty—why don't you handle it?"