Cedric Diggory's figure disappeared behind the heavy wooden door.
The Great Hall erupted.
Hufflepuff students were celebrating wildly, nearly losing control in their excitement. Cheers, whistles, and pounding feet filled the air like crashing waves.
Dumbledore stood before the staff table with a warm, satisfied smile.
When the noise finally began to settle, he raised his hand to conclude the ceremony.
"Alright, alright! Now that the three champions have been chosen, I believe—"
BOOM.
A sudden explosive crack cut him off.
Every head snapped back toward the Goblet of Fire.
The flames, which should have calmed, suddenly erupted again.
But this time something was wrong.
The fire burned violently, twisting into a dark crimson mixed with black, as if something sinister was struggling inside.
The Goblet trembled violently.
A piercing metallic shriek echoed through the hall.
Powerful magical waves rippled outward, distorting the air.
The cheering stopped instantly.
A cold realization spread through the hall.
Something was very wrong.
The Fourth Parchment
The flames surged upward into a towering pillar.
Then—
A fourth parchment burst out.
It spun slowly through the air, trailing sparks and the smell of burning paper.
Dumbledore's smile had vanished.
Almost instinctively, he caught the parchment.
When his eyes landed on the name written in familiar magical ink—
The greatest wizard of the age froze.
For the first time, the calm blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore were filled with pure shock.
His hand trembled.
The Great Hall fell into suffocating silence.
Everyone sensed it.
Something historic had just happened.
After what felt like an eternity, Dumbledore raised his head.
His voice came out slow… heavy… and strained.
He read the name.
"Lucian… Thornwick."
The Hall Explodes
The silence shattered.
"What?!"
"He's not even seventeen!"
"This is cheating!"
"Two champions for Hogwarts?!"
Igor Karkaroff roared first.
His finger stabbed toward Dumbledore.
"Two champions! You planned this from the beginning!"
Madame Maxime also stood, her expression cold with fury.
"Dumbledore, I demand an explanation!"
"This is an insult to Beauxbatons and Durmstrang!"
Dumbledore said nothing.
Instead, he led the other headmasters into the small chamber behind the staff table.
The Argument
Inside the cramped room, Karkaroff exploded.
"This is a fraud!"
"You expect us to believe this nonsense?"
Madame Maxime added coldly:
"We came here for a fair tournament. Not a staged farce."
"Two champions violates the sacred traditions of the Triwizard Tournament!"
Dumbledore's eyes hardened.
"I did not place Lucian Thornwick's name into the Goblet."
"No student or professor could have done it."
"The Age Line was set personally by me."
Karkaroff sneered.
"Of course you'd say that."
Just then—
Thanks. Thanks.
A wooden leg struck the floor.
Mad-Eye Moody limped into the room.
His magical eye spun wildly.
"Arguing won't change anything," he growled.
"Tell me one thing, Dumbledore."
"That boy's name came out of the Goblet, correct?"
"Yes, but—"
"Then there is no 'but'."
Moody's voice cut through the room like a blade.
"The Goblet forms a binding magical contract."
"If his name was chosen, he must compete."
"Breaking that contract carries consequences none of you want."
The room fell silent.
Everyone knew he was right.
Outside in the Great Hall
Meanwhile, outside…
Hundreds of eyes had locked onto one place.
The Gryffindor table.
Lucian Thornwick.
He sat calmly.
As if none of this concerned him.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin.
Then casually lifted his goblet and swirled the remaining pumpkin juice.
No panic.
No anger.
Only quiet composure.
Like a man sitting peacefully indoors while a storm raged outside.
Fleur Speaks
The door opened.
Fleur Delacour stepped out first.
Her gaze swept the hall, noticing the strange atmosphere.
Then she saw Lucian.
The boy everyone was staring at.
She tilted her head slightly, blue eyes amused.
"Oh là là…"
"So Hogwarts has two champions now?"
Her lips curved into a teasing smile.
"And one of them is… this interesting little boy?"
The words weren't openly hostile.
But the tone carried obvious superiority.
The hall instantly erupted again.
Hogwarts Defends Lucian
"You don't know what you're talking about!"
A Gryffindor senior jumped up angrily.
"When a troll invaded the castle—Lucian handled it!"
"When the Basilisk threatened the school—Lucian stopped it!"
Hermione stood as well, face flushed with emotion.
"His potion knowledge amazed even Professor Snape!"
"He created entirely new spells!"
"His power has nothing to do with age!"
Another student shouted:
"And the Dementors! At the Quidditch match!"
"He purified over a hundred of them with a single spell!"
"You outsiders have no idea who you're talking about!"
For once, all Hogwarts houses stood united.
But the Durmstrang table burst into laughter.
A tall student with a hooked nose mocked loudly:
"Did you hear that?"
"They say this kid defeated a Basilisk and destroyed a hundred Dementors!"
"Merlin's beard—have Hogwarts students started inventing fairy tales now?"
Beauxbatons girls giggled behind their hands.
To them, it sounded ridiculous.
Just desperate excuses.
Lucian Understands the Plot
Lucian ignored the argument entirely.
His gaze drifted toward the Goblet of Fire.
Calm.
Cold.
Understanding dawned in his mind.
So that's it.
After repeated failures…
Voldemort had changed targets.
Instead of Harry Potter—
He had chosen Lucian Thornwick, the unpredictable variable.
The Philosopher's Stone.
The Chamber of Secrets.
Again and again, Lucian had ruined his plans.
Of course Voldemort would try to pull him onto the center of the board.
And the Triwizard Tournament—
A stage filled with danger and "accidents."
Lucian smiled faintly.
What a predictable scheme.
The Final Announcement
The door opened again.
Dumbledore and the others returned.
The hall fell silent.
Dumbledore stepped beside the Goblet.
"I swear upon my honor," he declared firmly,
"Lucian Thornwick did not submit his name."
"He did not cross the Age Line."
"He did not cheat."
Hogwarts students straightened proudly.
But Dumbledore continued.
"However…"
"The Goblet of Fire creates a binding magical contract."
"Once a name is chosen… the champion must compete."
"If the contract is refused…"
He paused.
"The consequences could range from permanent loss of magic… to death."
The hall froze.
There was no way out.
Dumbledore looked directly at Lucian.
His voice became solemn.
"Therefore…"
"I must announce…"
"This year's Triwizard Tournament will have four champions."
And just like that—
The fate of the tournament…
And perhaps the entire wizarding world—
Changed forever.
~~--------------------------
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