Draco pulled his gaze away from Harry Potter and watched with interest as Dumbledore appeared, followed closely by the headmasters of the other two Wizarding Schools, both of them looking utterly flustered and irritated.
It was obvious they were far from pleased that Hogwarts had two champions. To them, the arrangement was blatantly unfair.
In contrast to their anger, the Hogwarts professors—including Dumbledore—wore nothing but solemn expressions. Not even the faintest hint of delight at their increased odds showed on their faces.
If anything, none of them seemed happy about the outcome.
The situation was slipping out of control...
"What is the meaning of this, Dumbledore?" Madame Maxime demanded as she strode to stand beside Fleur. Nearly as tall as Hagrid, she was visibly furious.
If Draco becoming a champion had amused her, now all she felt was the indignation of someone who'd been deceived. There was no way she believed Dumbledore had known nothing about this.
"I'd like an explanation as well, Dumbledore. Two champions from Hogwarts? I don't recall being informed that the host school was allowed two champions. Is this some new rule?" The headmaster from Durmstrang chimed in, his icy blue eyes sharp as shards of frost.
Under their questioning and pressure, Dumbledore simply looked toward Harry Potter, who had been staring at him since he entered. The brief exchange of glances made Draco tap his fingers lightly against the armrest. Just as he wondered what Dumbledore would do, the old wizard finally spoke in a steady, even tone.
"Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, Harry?"
"No."
"Did you ask someone else—someone who met the age requirement—to put it in for you?"
"No!"
Dumbledore sounded perfectly calm, but the disbelief on the surrounding faces, combined with Snape's blatant sneer, only made Harry grow more agitated.
Draco could tell he didn't seem to be lying.
But that kind of mild questioning wasn't enough to satisfy Maxime and the others...
"He's definitely lying!"
"Harry couldn't have crossed the Age Line. I believe that, and surely everyone else does too—"
Minerva McGonagall, who had been about to speak up for Harry, suddenly stopped mid-sentence. Something had occurred to her, and her stern expression went rigid.
She remembered the other issue.
Besides Harry Potter, Draco had also broken the age restriction.
If the matter of the fourth champion hadn't occurred, Draco's case would be the one under scrutiny right now.
Looking at Draco Malfoy—who sat there as if none of this had anything to do with him—the deputy headmistress felt a headache creeping in...
...
Even after Dumbledore and the others left the Great Hall, most of the wizards still hadn't recovered from the shock that Harry Potter had become the fourth champion.
It wasn't until the Halloween feast was about to begin, when Harry appeared at the champions' table looking slightly dazed, that everyone finally accepted it wasn't a dream—it had actually happened...
"The fourth champion..."
"Is that supposed to be good news?"
"I suppose so. One more chance, after all."
Their words were polite, but the tone was anything but friendly.
The Hufflepuff badgers in particular felt deeply betrayed. Their glares at Harry Potter were filled with resentment. To them, Harry was the scoundrel who'd stolen Cedric's rightful place.
And truthfully, not all of the Gryffindor lions could accept it either.
After all, Harry Potter hadn't said a single word about it to them...
"You even managed to keep it from us, haha."
"Ron, don't tell me you didn't know about this either?"
"Uh..."
Finding their little brother's expression far too entertaining, the Weasley twins wasted no time teasing Ron Weasley about the whole thing.
Apparently, even the ever-cheerful twins weren't pleased with Harry Potter's actions.
While everyone else kept their eyes on Harry, Hermione stood to the side in surprisingly good spirits. This should make things much easier for Draco.
Watching Draco up on the platform, Hermione's lips lifted slightly. She could hardly wait for the feast to end so she could talk to him—there were so many questions she wanted to ask.
Noticing her gaze, Draco arched a brow, as if he'd already grasped the meaning behind her look.
Who would've guessed Potter would end up a champion? Let alone that Dumbledore wouldn't oppose it.
Thinking back to how Dumbledore had managed to persuade every wizard present, judges included, Draco shifted his attention to Harry. The boy's expression was frozen, his movements stiff like a puppet. Clearly, the Chosen One had heard the murmurs from below.
And Snape's teeth-grinding was loud enough that Draco could hear it clearly even from across the room...
...
Though it was called a Halloween feast, it was closely tied to the Triwizard Tournament.
Jolted awake from his deep contemplation, Barty Crouch finally pushed himself to his feet.
From Draco's seat, Crouch looked utterly worn down—deep shadows under his eyes, wrinkled skin pale and thin as parchment.
What happened to him? How did he end up like this?
Draco rubbed his chin, puzzled. When they'd run into each other at the Quidditch World Cup, Crouch hadn't looked anything like this...
Before Draco could think further, Barty Crouch's weary voice filled the hall.
"The first task is meant to test your courage. We won't tell you what you'll be facing, because being willing to confront the unknown is an essential quality for a wizard... a very essential one."
"The first task will be held on November 24th, in front of your fellow students and the judges. During the event, the champions may not request or accept any assistance from the professors!"
The details that followed eased the doubts lingering in most of the young wizards' minds.
After all, no matter who the champions were, the Triwizard Tournament was fascinating. And most wizards were realistic enough to know that even if the selection were done all over again, the role of champion would never fall to them.
More importantly, it was clear Dumbledore had no intention of changing anything....
...
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