Erwin paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
The reaction was exactly as he predicted. Chaos erupted. The audience, the contestants, the professors, and the Ministry officials all gasped in horror.
They could hear the cruelty in the rules.
"For three months, you are free to compete," Erwin stated coolly. "Use any means necessary to obtain map fragments. Any spell is permitted, save for the Killing Curse. The other Unforgivables? Acceptable. You are all on the cusp of adulthood, about to enter the wizarding world. You need to know how cruel it can be."
The professors and Ministry officials remained stoic. They had already been briefed.
Times have changed.
Erwin had a war to prepare for, and the threat from across the ocean was growing. Comfort was no longer a luxury the wizarding world could afford.
Erwin wanted them to understand that war was coming.
They had to be ready to fight to the death.
In a real battle, no one would show mercy based on age or skill.
Erwin wanted soldiers, not flowers raised in a greenhouse.
"The rules are set," Erwin declared. "I declare the Tournament open! Oh, one last thing—the live broadcast began the moment I stepped up. It is being watched by the entire wizarding world. Good luck. Remember, this Tournament is brutal. I am not holding back. If you are careless, you will die."
Erwin raised his hand. A phantom of the Goblet of Fire rose, burning with blue flame.
Then, the thirty dragons took flight, scattering in different directions.
Screens of light flared to life inside the Hogwarts common rooms, tracking the contestants and the dragons. A massive screen materialized in the Great Hall. Simultaneously, wizards in Diagon Alley, the Cavendish Building, and magical communities across Germany, France, America, and beyond tuned in.
Erwin had turned this into a global spectacle.
Satisfied, Erwin retreated to his dormitory.
Old Tom was waiting for him there.
"Master."
"Yes," Erwin nodded. "You and your men stay at Hogwarts. Watch the contestants. Ensure no one actually dies."
"Already done, Master," Tom replied smoothly. "My men arrived yesterday. The perimeter is secure."
Erwin nodded. He had his own private screen here, ready to observe.
His eyes scanned the monitor, fixating on a specific figure.
Soon, Professor... we will see if my hypothesis is correct.
The four school teams were scrambling to gather.
Hogwarts was at an immediate disadvantage; the visiting schools were housed together and could mobilize instantly. The Hogwarts students were scattered across the castle.
The four common rooms buzzed with activity.
But Charlotte had planned ahead. She had anticipated the chaos and set a rendezvous point: the open grounds where they took flying lessons.
Unable to Apparate, she transformed into a wisp of purple smoke and drifted to the castle entrance.
(Hogwarts restricted Apparition, but not flying—a loophole Erwin had no intention of fixing.)
Ten Hogwarts champions assembled.
Despite their speed, they were already behind. The other three schools were on the move, hunting for dragons immediately.
"Captain Charlotte," Cedric asked, "Do we hunt the dragons now?"
Charlotte paused, then shook her head.
"No. The rules imply the dragons are manageable for a group. The real threat isn't the creatures—it's the other students. Stealing fragments is easy; keeping them is the challenge."
The others nodded. It made sense.
Well, most of them understood.
Harry Potter, however, stood off to the side, looking utterly lost.
Who am I? What is happening?
He was completely bewildered by the strategy.
Why can't anyone just say what they mean?
Fortunately, no one was expecting much from him. Harry's role had long since shifted from "protagonist" to "team member," mostly serving to round out the roster.
"I say we go smash a few dragons first," Cedric suggested, his usually gentle tone sharpening into something much more ruthless. "Then we hunt the others. We're the strongest team, after all."
Charlotte looked at him, surprised.
Right... I forgot. Everyone at Hogwarts is a little unhinged.