After all the Durmstrang students had finished registering, the Beauxbatons students in their pale-blue robes stepped forward next.
At their head was Fleur Delacour, her breathtaking face hidden behind a scarf. Judging from the lack of resistance among the other Beauxbatons students, it seemed they had already accepted her as their school's champion.
Perhaps that explained why Fleur had been so confident earlier, boldly provoking Draco...
As for Hogwarts, the host school, its students naturally weren't about to let the visiting schools have all the attention.
Under the expectant gazes of the young wizards, Harry Potter—well, the wizard next to him, Cedric Diggory—stood up first and walked toward the Goblet of Fire.
The trust placed in Cedric, and the way all eyes followed him, made Harry—watching from so close—quietly clench his fists.
Along with excitement, a faint envy stirred in his chest.
If I became the Champion… would she look at me differently? Maybe even…
Harry's mind drifted, and his gaze wandered unconsciously to the girl standing beside Cedric Diggory.
If he became Champion, would he be able to…
Popularity, skill, and age eligibility.
Very few wizards met all three.
Though each House had their own favorite candidate, most of the school agreed that Cedric Diggory was indeed the most suitable champion for Hogwarts. Of course, if there were no age restriction, the outcome would be far less certain.
The truth was obvious from how several students kept sneaking glances at Draco.
Compared to Cedric Diggory, Draco—who had single-handedly blocked an Auror's surprise attack—was clearly a cut above in ability. Without the age limit, he might very well have been this year's Champion.
But unfortunately, there was no "if."
And the ones who felt this was unfair were not Draco himself, but Pansy and Hermione.
Even Goyle and Crabbe looked unwilling to give up. In their eyes, their boss was the one most fit for the title, not anyone else.
"Boss lady, what if we sneak over tonight? That way no one will notice."
"Brilliant idea! Let's do it!"
Pansy rolled her eyes so hard she nearly saw the back of her skull.
If it were that easy, she wouldn't be this stressed.
After shooting Goyle and Crabbe a glare, Pansy turned her attention to Granger.
"We've still got time, but the important thing is the age restriction. What do you think, Granger? Any ideas? Or were there similar rules in previous Triwizard Tournaments?"
"First we need to figure out how the Goblet determines a wizard's age. And you saw it too— I really don't believe Dumbledore left it unprotected."
"So…"
"For now, we wait."
"Wait?"
Following Hermione's gaze, Pansy spotted the Weasley twins huddled together, whispering suspiciously as if plotting something.
...
Seeing the two of them, Pansy nodded thoughtfully. "So that's it… letting other people try first?"
"Exactly. There are people who care even more than that idiot Draco, so we can watch first and act later. Like you said, we still have time."
In truth, even wizards who didn't know the Weasley twins well could tell from their every move that they were plotting something.
They weren't even trying to hide it. Clearly, they had a plan of their own...
But just as they were quietly waiting, Pansy and the others suddenly realized something: Draco—who should have been sitting at the table—was gone.
"...Parkinson, have you seen Draco?"
"He was just— Wait! Where did he go?!"
"No idea. He was here a moment ago, how did he suddenly— Found him!"
"When did he sneak over there?"
"Who knows..."
Seeing that familiar silhouette, Pansy and Hermione exchanged helpless looks.
Somehow, their constant worrying made them feel like complete fools...
...
While Pansy and Hermione were discussing, Draco had already slipped silently toward the Goblet of Fire.
Some wizards did notice him, but the moment they saw he wasn't holding any parchment, they lost interest and looked away.
In their minds, even Draco wouldn't be able to break the rules Dumbledore had set in place.
Fleur Delacour, however—who had just stepped down from the platform—never once took her eyes off Draco. Perhaps she was waiting to see whether that arrogant boy would manage to throw in a parchment after all.
But as everyone could see, Draco held nothing even resembling parchment, nor did he show any intention of registering.
So he really is just an arrogant man, huh.
Seeing that Draco clearly wasn't planning on entering, Fleur felt an unexpected flicker of disappointment.
With no desire to linger, she turned and left, perhaps already in a foul mood...
Draco, unaware of how others interpreted his actions, was now half-kneeling on the floor. His fingertips traced the golden line with slow precision. The way he focused so intently made a nearby young witch watching him blush.
"So that's it. This barrier is formed using Ancient Runes… that's how it maintains itself for so long?"
"Then, what's its actual effect?"
Delicate golden runes reflected in Draco's gray eyes, their shapes intricate and tightly woven.
His serious expression made Pansy and Hermione, who had just caught up to him, freeze in place. The complaints that had been ready on their tongues died immediately.
They knew Draco. Once he entered this state, disturbing him was absolutely not an option.
Though they had no idea what, exactly, he'd noticed...
Ancient Runes.
Magical writing left behind from ages long past, imbued with unique power.
This was only the second time Draco had ever seen a wizard weave runes directly into a spell.
The first time...
Had been in the study at Malfoy Manor—a room only the head of the household was permitted to enter...
...