From Dumbledore's explanation, Sean gradually gained a clearer understanding of the Four-School Friendship Tournament.
The tournament actually began earlier than the Triwizard Tournament.
In the Triwizard Tournament, the champions were chosen on Halloween night, October 31st, and the first task didn't begin until November 24th.
The Four-School Friendship Tournament was different.
The six representatives from each school would be chosen by the end of the first month of the school year, and the competition itself would begin on October 10th.
As for why there were six competitors—
the participants were selected from second-year through seventh-year students, excluding first-years.
The best student from each year would be chosen.
Next year Sean would be a second-year, and frankly speaking, no one in his year could compete with him.
He had already left his peers miles behind.
Still, the tournament would last a very long time.
If he participated, it would consume a huge portion of his personal time.
Seeing Sean hesitate, Dumbledore said gently,
"All the professors unanimously recommended you for the second-year position. Are you unwilling to represent Hogwarts and bring honor to the school?"
"It's not that I'm unwilling, Professor," Sean replied.
Then he suddenly asked something practical.
"By the way… what's the reward for winning this tournament?"
"The winning team will receive 20,000 Galleons," Dumbledore answered.
"Professor, I'm willing!" Sean said immediately with a serious expression. "I will gladly contribute my strength to Hogwarts."
Just think about it—
The Triwizard Tournament only offered 1,000 Galleons as the prize after risking life and limb.
This tournament offered 20,000.
Even if six people split it, the reward would still be far greater.
Sean's financial situation was… nonexistent.
His uncle Hearn was just a cook at the Leaky Cauldron who loved drinking and saved no money.
Pocket money simply wasn't a thing.
Old Tom, the owner of the bar, already showed great kindness by letting Sean live there and eat for free.
Over the years, the only money Tom had given him was 20 Galleons before Sean enrolled at Hogwarts.
It was no exaggeration to say Sean was completely broke.
Sean's future plan was simple.
By the time he graduated, Harry would probably have defeated Voldemort.
At that point, Sean wanted to open a wizard pub in London.
For that, he needed startup capital.
And twenty thousand Galleons sounded like an excellent beginning.
"Professor," Sean asked cautiously, "if I participate next year… does that mean I don't have to attend other classes?"
"If you can still achieve Outstanding in all your assessments during the first month of school," Dumbledore said with a smile, "I will grant you the same privilege."
Sean was secretly delighted.
Dumbledore was clearly giving him a back door again.
If he reviewed the second-year material a little during the summer, getting six Outstanding grades wouldn't be a problem.
After Sean left the headmaster's office, several other students entered one after another.
They were the candidates recommended by professors from third year to seventh year.
Among them were several faces Sean recognized.
Although Dumbledore hadn't explained the full rules of the tournament, Sean could already guess.
Since six people would participate, there must be team competitions involved.
If possible, Sean preferred to keep a low profile.
He didn't want to steal the spotlight from older students and create tension within the team.
As he walked back to the Slytherin common room, Sean hummed a tune under his breath.
"Playing along with your performance while pretending not to see…"
At that moment, Cedric Diggory, who was heading toward the nearby Hufflepuff common room, happened to hear him.
Cedric walked over.
"What song was that?"
"A Chinese song," Sean replied casually.
Cedric looked surprised.
"You know Chinese? I've heard it's extremely difficult. I tried learning it myself once… but I gave up. I'd rather listen to Professor Binns's History of Magic lectures."
Sean smiled mysteriously.
"Actually… I'm a Level-10 Chinese enthusiast."
Cedric watched Sean walk away, even more impressed than before.
That summer, after returning home, Cedric even picked up a children's book for learning Chinese pinyin.
The next day, Sean went to the library again.
This time he was genuinely reading.
He borrowed a book from the public section and sat quietly for half an hour.
"A Brief History of the Eleven International Wizarding Schools… this is actually pretty interesting," Sean muttered.
"For casual reading, the library isn't bad."
He treated the book like a magazine and read it with surprising enthusiasm.
The book listed the world's major magical schools:
Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in FranceDurmstrang Institute in ScandinaviaKoldovstoretz in RussiaMahoutokoro in JapanUagadou in UgandaCastelobruxo in BrazilIlvermorny in the United StatesThe Sanctum Tribunal in the BalkansNarmada School in India
But when Sean reached the section on China—
he nearly fell out of his chair.
"Blue Xiang?!"
"Please tell me that's not that Blue Xiang."
He quickly read further.
"Blue Xiang Academy of Magic—exact location unknown. It is said to stand atop a towering mountain somewhere in inland China. Although its founding history is not as long as the other ten schools, its large student population has steadily increased its international reputation in recent centuries."
Sean stared at the page in disbelief.
He never imagined the Chinese magical school would have that name.
This book had just given him a very strange piece of knowledge.
After that shock, Sean focused on the three schools participating in the upcoming tournament.
Castelobruxo, located deep within the Brazilian rainforest, had buildings resembling ancient temples from mythology.
Uagadou, in Uganda, was the only magical school in Africa recognized by the International Confederation of Wizards.
It accepted students from across the continent.
Uagadou wizards were famous for wandless magic, because wands only became widespread in Africa during the last century.
Although the school later adopted wand-based teaching methods like European schools, wandless magic remained a traditional advanced elective.
Ilvermorny, in the United States, had been founded in the early 17th century by Irish immigrant Isolt Sayre and her Muggle husband James Steward.
Its teaching methods closely resembled those of Hogwarts.
"Uagadou wizards might have some interesting tricks," Sean thought.
He felt particularly curious about the magic of the ancient African continent.
Among the eleven schools, however, the oldest was actually the Balkan institution known as The Sanctum Tribunal.
Before the 2nd century, it had been called Sanctuary.
It was later renamed.
Legend said that the dark wizard Herpo the Foul had graduated from Sanctuary before turning to dark magic and murdering many of his former classmates.
Some of the magical power within the Wizard's Heart Sean possessed might very well have come from a Sanctuary graduate.
"A Brief History of the Eleven International Wizarding Schools, huh?"
A voice suddenly spoke.
Sean looked up to see Charlie Weasley standing beside his table.
Charlie glanced at the book in Sean's hands.
"I suppose you'll be the second-year representative in next year's Four-School Friendship Tournament."
"I heard from my younger brothers that you're practically a legend among their year."
"What a pity you weren't sorted into Gryffindor."
Dumbledore clearly hadn't announced the tournament yet.
If Charlie already knew about it, that meant he must have spoken privately with the headmaster as well.
"So," Sean asked quietly,
"are you the seventh-year representative, Charlie?"
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