"I'll wait for you inside."
Fleur whispered softly into Link's ear, then finally let go of his hand and quickly slipped into the small room next door.
During this whole process, the sparse applause in the Great Hall also faded away completely.
Everyone was staring at Fleur and Link in utter shock, and some of the resentful glares that were originally aimed at Fleur even shifted over to Link.
Even up on the staff platform, Dumbledore and Madame Maxime wore complicated, thoughtful expressions.
Link didn't dare look to see what Emily's reaction was at this moment. He silently shoved the remaining half of a pumpkin pasty into his mouth and chewed hard.
"When did you hook up with her?"
John happened to pop out at just the right moment, asking in a low voice, wearing a sly, mischievous grin.
Not just him, Cedric, Rolf, and a whole bunch of others were all crowding in, eagerly waiting for his answer.
But Link still didn't say a word. He only threw them a universally recognized gesture of disdain.
Pfft!~
The flames in the Goblet of Fire shifted once more from blue to red and spat out another slip of parchment.
The sound immediately pulled everyone's attention back.
Looking at the contents of that slip, a brilliant smile bloomed across Dumbledore's face.
He cast a deep look in Link's direction before raising the slip high and announcing, "Hogwarts' Champion, Link Flamel!"
In an instant, all those complicated, ambiguous gazes surrounding Link vanished, replaced by deafening cheers.
Every single Hufflepuff student was shrieking and stomping their feet. Up on the staff table, Hagrid was furiously shaking a thin, wizened old man beside him and bellowing, seemingly trying to explain his connection with Link.
Even further along, the corners of Snape's mouth twitched up into the faintest, nearly imperceptible smile.
Link had no time to join in this celebration. He deftly slipped away from the open arms of John and the others and all but bolted through the crowd toward the little side room.
The small room next to the Great Hall seemed to be something like a trophy display chamber. Both walls were lined with magical portraits of all kinds, and at the far end a fireplace blazed with roaring flames.
As soon as Link entered, every face in the portraits turned toward him.
When they saw he was dressed in Hogwarts robes, the magical portraits erupted into cheers, just like the people outside.
Fleur and Krum were both gathered near the fire, keeping a noticeable distance apart and remaining silent, as if on guard against each other.
Hearing the sound of Link's arrival, they both turned their heads. Fleur, more excited than even the portraits, practically bounced toward him, about to throw herself into his arms again.
But this time Link wasn't letting her succeed. With a flick of his fingers, two Impediment Jinxes shot out, blocking her in front of him.
"What are you doing?"
Link snapped angrily. "Do you have any idea what people outside are thinking right now? I have a fiancée!"
Fleur froze for a moment, then a misty veil of tears once again glazed over her silver-bright eyes.
"I... I was just too happy, that's all." She lowered her head, twisting her hands together, and said in a wronged voice, "I'm… I'm sorry."
That sight reminded Link of earlier in the hall, when Fleur had been left alone trying to celebrate without a partner.
His expression softened a little, and he sighed, "Fine, fine! I'll forgive you this time! But later you must explain things clearly to Emily with me!"
At these words, the mist instantly cleared from Fleur's eyes. In a heartbeat her face lit up with a bright smile.
She leapt forward, grabbed Link's arm with both hands, and laughed, "Don't worry, everything will be fine. I'll just tell her it's our French custom. You know how passionate French people are!"
At this point, Link knew full well that her earlier display of sorrow was most likely an act, deliberately playing pitiful to soften him up. He bared his teeth in frustration, shook her hands off, and went over to the fireplace to warm himself.
That scene in the Great Hall just now had scared him into a cold sweat.
Leaning against the mantel was Krum, lips twitching as if he wanted to say something, watching Link and Fleur chat so animatedly that he seemed to want to cut in as well.
After a while, he finally forced out, with some difficulty, "Harrow."
The accent was very strange. Another one who didn't really speak English.
Link judged silently, giving him only a slight nod. He hadn't forgotten John's grudge.
Fleur sidled over again with a cheeky grin.
This time she was smarter, no reckless touching, but she stayed very close, chattering away non-stop.
It was clear she was still brimming with excitement and was just venting it this way.
Link half-heartedly humored her. After a while, sounds came from the doorway.
Harry poked his head in cautiously. His already pale face looked even paler in the glow of the fire.
Link's expression darkened immediately.
"What? Are they asking us to go back to the Hall?"
Fleur beamed at Harry, mistaking him for a messenger.
Harry looked awkward.
His gaze drifted instinctively toward the one person in the room he knew best, Link. But he met Link's face, shadowed and especially grim.
Harry froze on the spot.
Outside, hurried footsteps approached. Bagman pulled Harry by the arm, dragging him from the doorway into the center of the room.
"This is incredible! Gentlemen, and lady," Bagman said, visibly thrilled, rubbing Harry's arm while addressing the three of them, "as unbelievable as it seems, please allow me to introduce…the fourth Champion of the Triwizard Tournament!"
He repeated the words again in Bulgarian, and when Krum finally understood, his expression turned even uglier than Link's.
Fleur, tossing her long hair (Link caught a waft of perfume as it nearly brushed his face), smiled sweetly and said, "Oh! What a funny joke, Mr. Bagman."
"Joke?" Bagman looked puzzled. He shook his head. "No, no! Not at all. Harry's name just came out of the Goblet of Fire."
"This is clearly a mistake! He can't compete, he's far too young!"
Fleur persisted, but just then the doors burst open again.
Dumbledore and the other heads and professors all filed in.
"Madame Maxime! They're saying this little boy is to compete too!"
Fleur shouted loudly, as if spotting a savior.
Madame Maxime strode forward quickly, seething with anger. Her vast bosom under black satin rose and fell violently.
"What is the meaning of this, Dumbledore?"
She suppressed her fury as she spoke.
Her towering figure, under the firelight, cast an enormous shadow that engulfed Dumbledore and the others opposite, making her seem truly menacing.
"I too would like to know, Dumbledore," Karkaroff sneered in turn.
"Hogwarts gets to have two Champions? I don't recall anyone telling me that was possible. Or did I just not read the rules carefully enough?"
"Impossible."
Madame Maxime's large, jewel-laden hand landed quite naturally on Link's shoulder. "Hogwarts cannot have two Champions."
"This is unfair not only to Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, but also to Link. This honor belongs to him alone!"
Her behavior made it seem as if she and Link were close, but her tone carried an undercurrent of sowing discord.
Link frowned and briskly shrugged off her hand.
Then Snape stepped out from the shadows. His serpent-like eyes locked on Harry as he said coldly, "On this, I agree. Harry must absolutely not compete in the Triwizard Tournament. It is unfair to everyone."
"Thank you, Severus."
Dumbledore's firm tone made Snape close his mouth again. "Harry, did you ask an older student to put your name into the Goblet for you?"
"No!"
Harry answered without a shred of hesitation. But right after, Snape sneered again, "And who would believe you? A habitual liar!"
From there, Karkaroff and Snape practically performed a duet of mockery, with Madame Maxime chiming in now and then.
The gist was the same, Harry must not compete.
But that, of course, was impossible.
Everyone present knew the Goblet bound its Champions through a magical contract. Once chosen, a Champion had to compete. There was no backing out.
So the real aim behind Karkaroff's and Maxime's loud protests was only to pressure Dumbledore into compensation.
That compensation could be allowing their schools an extra Champion, or perhaps giving their Champions certain advantages in the competition.
Unfortunately for them, it was clear Dumbledore wasn't planning to give them anything.
After all, Link, Krum, and Fleur had already signed the Goblet's contract. The Tournament had to proceed.
Seeing this clearly, Link turned his eyes toward the still-silent Harry and old Barty Crouch.
Harry was trembling all over in agitation, eyes flashing with anger. His gaze was fixed mainly on Snape and Karkaroff.
Of course, Link guessed Harry now felt a flicker of resentment toward everyone in the room, including himself.
Sighing, Link stepped forward and said, "The Goblet was tampered with, that's why Harry became a Champion. But I believe, absolutely, that the culprit was not Harry!"
At once, all the arguing in the room ceased.
Everyone turned strange, meaningful eyes toward Link.
At length, Dumbledore asked, "What do you know?"
"A Confundus Charm. Someone used a very advanced Confundus Charm on the Goblet. It tricked the Goblet into believing there were four schools competing this time. And the extra, fake school had only one student, Harry Potter. That way, Harry was guaranteed to be chosen."
Link stepped into the middle of the group and said solemnly, "But it is impossible that Harry did this. He simply cannot cast such a powerful Confundus Charm."
At his words, both Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall nodded. Though Karkaroff and Maxime's expressions didn't change, inwardly they had to admit Link's reasoning made sense.
As for Harry, he was on the verge of tears, his eyes shifting from blame to gratitude as he looked at Link.
Thank heavens, finally, someone who believed him tonight.
"If it wasn't Harry, then who?" Ludo Bagman rubbed his chin and muttered.
Everyone's eyes swung back to Link.
"That's easy enough to guess, isn't it?" Link gave a faint smile.
"You all claim the Tournament has been reformed, its dangers greatly reduced. But if one or two Champions happened to die, nobody would really be surprised, would they?"
"I think some sinister fellow wants to use the Tournament as an opportunity to get rid of Harry."
At this, Dumbledore and the rest all changed expressions.
Link's gaze slowly swept across every face in the room.
He hadn't mentioned how Arkham had kept watch by the Goblet all night yesterday.
That meant the tampering had to have been done before the Goblet was brought to Hogwarts.
And in that period, only three headmasters, Ludo Bagman, and Barty Crouch had access to it.
The mastermind was among them.
"Enough. I'll report this to the Ministry for further investigation," Dumbledore said to everyone. "But as for the Tournament itself, we must now accept that there will be four Champions. Therefore…"
"But Dumbledore..."
"My dear Madame Maxime, if you have another solution, I'm all ears."
Dumbledore waited. Maxime only glared angrily, saying nothing.
Many others were dissatisfied as well.
Snape was even more furious. But Link wasn't surprised. From the start, Snape had seen through the nature of the situation, his sharp words had been to try to prevent Harry from competing and falling into a trap.
Too bad he'd failed, only drawing scorn on himself.
The only surprise was Karkaroff. His face was dark, but he remained oddly calm, not like his earlier bluster.
"Well then, shall we continue?" Ludo Bagman looked positively gleeful, rubbing his hands. "Time to brief our Champions, isn't it? Barty, will you explain?"
Old Barty Crouch, who had been lurking in the shadows, raised his head as if just waking from deep thought.
Now that Link was close enough to see, he realized in just a few months Crouch had grown visibly older and weaker, spiritless and withered.
Like a walking corpse, Crouch rasped, "The first task is designed to test your courage. Facing the unknown is a key quality of a wizard, so we will not tell you what it is."
"The first task will take place on November 24th. During the task, Champions may not request or accept help from their teachers. Your only weapon will be your wand."
"After the first task ends, we will inform you about the second. In addition, since the Tournament is so demanding and lengthy, Champions will be excused from the end-of-year exams."
"So then, wish you all a pleasant competition."
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