The elder from the Eastern delegation stroked his beard thoughtfully. "We don't particularly care either. Our students are here to learn and experience Western magical traditions. We have no star athletes like Viktor Krum, so we're not expecting to dominate! We'll agree to whatever Mr. Karkaroff suggests."
Karkaroff's face darkened.
Damn them all. One after another, they were refusing to help him.
Looking at Dumbledore, Maxime, and the Eastern elder all diplomatically withdrawing from the argument, Karkaroff felt utterly exhausted. He genuinely wanted this championship for Durmstrang.
Just as Karkaroff's expression grew increasingly grim, a voice rang out.
"Since you're so concerned about Erwin, why don't you call him here and ask for his opinion directly?"
Karkaroff's body trembled.
"Grindelwald, Your Excellency!"
Grindelwald regarded him coolly. "You're becoming less of a proper headmaster with each passing year. Durmstrang has no shortage of warriors, yet you don't even have the courage to face a student? How can you lead others like this? Erwin isn't unreasonable. You can talk to him. Yes, his strength is considerable. If Erwin participates in the Tournament, the outcome would indeed be a foregone conclusion."
Karkaroff nodded quickly. "You're right, Your Excellency. I lacked courage."
Grindelwald waved a dismissive hand. "Then, Albus, summon Erwin. He probably hasn't gone to bed yet."
Dumbledore didn't need to say anything. Snape was already heading for the door.
The conference room fell silent. Everyone waited for Erwin to arrive.
Meanwhile, in Erwin's dormitory, he stood by the window, holding Ebony. A glimmer of starlight shimmered in his hand, and with each breath, Ebony absorbed the celestial energy. A moment later, the small snake let out a satisfied sound.
Erwin asked quietly, "Can you still absorb more?"
Ebony chirped affirmatively.
Erwin chuckled. "Don't be greedy. Absorbing that power once is enough for you to digest for a long time. It's fortunate you're doing this while Lady Ravenclaw isn't around, so it won't affect you. Don't always think about consuming her soul fragment. Although I'm not particularly sentimental, Lady Ravenclaw has helped me considerably. There are many things she doesn't know, and I don't want to harm her. The same goes for you."
Ebony chirped again, rubbing its head against Erwin's chest affectionately.
Erwin smiled, stroking its scales. "Alright, you little troublemaker."
"Karkaroff is still the same Karkaroff," Erwin murmured. "Have you noticed anything unusual, Ebony?"
Ebony shook its head.
"None of the other Durmstrang students smell of Polyjuice Potion?"
The snake shook its head again.
"That's strange," Erwin said. "Where has my old teacher gone? There hasn't been a single Death Eater presence at Hogwarts."
Just as Erwin was pondering this mystery, he heard footsteps approaching. He waved his hand, and the door swung open. Snape stood in the doorway.
"Erwin, come along. Dumbledore wants to see you."
Erwin's clothes transformed into formal robes as he walked out. "Is this about them wanting me to withdraw from the competition?"
Snape nodded.
Erwin chuckled. "If I'm not mistaken, it was Igor Karkaroff who suggested it, and the others refused to support him, correct?"
Snape confirmed, "Karkaroff is afraid of you. He knows very well that no one is your match. If you participate, it would be a complete massacre, so he wants to ban you."
Erwin said calmly, "I already knew that would happen."
Snape looked at him. "So what do you think? Want to have some fun with this?"
Erwin shook his head. "It's not particularly interesting. The Tournament isn't really that meaningful to me. If I participate, it would indeed be unfair to others. However, it's impossible for me to simply withdraw without conditions. Let's go first. I plan to make this Tournament a little different."
Snape nodded, not asking anything further. He'd find out soon enough. Moreover, Snape had only one principle: whatever Erwin wanted to do, he would support it. Who cared about anything else?
Erwin and Snape Apparated directly into the Headmaster's office, then walked to the conference room and pushed open the door. Inside, everyone was waiting. Seeing Erwin enter, they instinctively stood up—even Dumbledore and Grindelwald.
Dumbledore said with a smile, "Erwin, you're here. Everyone has been discussing the Tournament because of you."
Erwin suppressed an eye roll. He felt annoyed just looking at Dumbledore now. He already knew about Dumbledore's forgery of Snape's letter. To forge his godfather's signature—Erwin genuinely wanted to throttle him for that.
Erwin greeted everyone politely, and after they all sat down again, Dumbledore said, "Erwin, you should know why we've called you here. Tell us your thoughts."
Erwin looked at the nervous Karkaroff and smiled. "Headmaster Karkaroff, don't worry. I'm not unreasonable. I know that if I participate, it wouldn't be fair to the others. So, I won't enter this year's Triwizard Tournament."
Hearing this, even the usually composed Maxime and the Eastern elders breathed visible sighs of relief. Karkaroff's face instantly broke into a smile. He was about to speak, but Erwin continued.
"However, it wouldn't be fair to me to withdraw so easily. So, I have a condition."
Karkaroff's heart skipped a beat. He didn't know what condition Erwin would propose, but as long as Erwin withdrew from the competition, he felt that almost anything was acceptable.
Erwin said, "I don't think it's truly fair for each school to choose just one champion. If I'm not mistaken, you all have your own plans, don't you? The magic of the Goblet of Fire isn't actually that complicated. Whether it's Headmaster Karkaroff, Headmistress Maxime, or the Eastern elders, you all have ways to ensure the Goblet selects the person you want. For example, Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour, and Sunny Finch. Correct?"
The three remained silent, but their silence was answer enough. They tacitly agreed. Actually, this was something they had discussed beforehand. The Tournament was fraught with danger. Ordinary students were just there to be eliminated. Only the most outstanding students could complete the entire process.