Chapter 229: Chapter 229: "The Goblet of Fire"
"The moment has come," Dumbledore announced, his eyes twinkling as he surveyed the sea of expectant faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. Before we bring in the casket, allow me to explain the procedure for this year."
He introduced Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Bagman, perhaps due to his fame as a Beater or his more affable appearance, received notably louder applause.
Dumbledore continued, "Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly on the tournament arrangements. They will join myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime in judging the champions' efforts."
At the mention of "champions," the Hall grew even quieter if that were possible. Dumbledore, noting the heightened attention, smiled and called for Mr. Filch to bring in the casket.
Filch approached, carrying an ancient, jewel-encrusted wooden chest. As he placed it before Dumbledore, excited whispers rippled through the Hall.
"The champions will face three tasks throughout the year," Dumbledore explained, "testing their magical prowess, daring, deductive skills, and ability to cope with danger."
A charged silence fell over the Hall at the mention of danger.
"Three champions will compete, one from each school," Dumbledore continued calmly. "They will be marked on their performance, with the highest total after the third task winning the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."
Harry was a little surprised by the rule of the person with the highest total winning the cup. Wasn't it the one who reached the cup first who won? This made Harry curious: was the third task changed later to make the competition more exciting, or to make it easier for Junior to whisk Charles away?
With three taps of his wand, Dumbledore opened the casket and extracted a large, roughly hewn wooden cup brimming with dancing blue-white flames. He placed it atop the closed casket, clearly visible to all.
"Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours to submit their names," Dumbledore explained. "Write your name and school clearly on a parchment and drop it into the goblet. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will select the three it deems most worthy."
He continued, "To prevent underage students from yielding to temptation, I will draw an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire. Nobody under seventeen will be able to cross it."
Dumbledore's tone grew serious. "I must stress that this tournament is not to be entered lightly. Once selected, a champion is bound by a magical contract to see the tournament through. There can be no change of heart. Be absolutely certain you are prepared before entering your name. Now, it's time for bed. Good night to you all."
As the students began to disperse, excited chatter filled the air. Reggy turned to Harry, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "An Age Line! Surely it could be fooled by an aging potion, right? Is that how you're going to help the Weasley twins enter?"
Harry smirked. "No, an aging potion won't beat Dumbledore's age line. I have a much simpler solution. You'll kick yourself when I show you later."
"Why all the secrecy?" Reggy pressed. "Why not tell me now?"
"It's easier to demonstrate," Harry replied, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Besides, I want to wait until everyone's tried their various methods to bypass the line. It'll be more entertaining that way."
Reggy sighed dramatically. "Fine, have it your way. Just make sure I'm around when you reveal your grand plan."
Roger, who had been quiet until now, chimed in. "Where do you think the visiting students will be staying, Harry?"
"In their transport, of course," Harry answered. "The Beauxbatons carriage and Durmstrang ship are plenty big enough. Why? Hoping to bunk with Krum?"
Reggy gasped in mock offense. "Roger! Are you ending our friendship to sleep in the same room as Krum? I never thought our bond was so fragile!"
Roger rolled his eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. I was just curious. I didn't want them staying with the Slytherins - that would make those snakes unbearable."
"Weird priorities, mate," Reggy chuckled. "Most boys would be more interested in where the Beauxbatons students are staying, not Durmstrang."
"Enough! I don't like where this is going," Roger exclaimed, his face reddening. "Let's head back to our dorms. I want to be up early to watch all the excitement tomorrow."
Harry and Reggy shared a laugh as they followed a hastily retreating Roger. As they left the Great Hall, they witnessed a brief altercation.
Karkaroff and his students had exited at the same time as the golden trio, and the Durmstrang headmaster immediately recognized Charles Potter by the wand-shaped scar on his forehead.
Before Karkaroff could say anything, however, Professor Moody appeared, causing the Durmstrang headmaster to beat a hasty retreat. It seemed Karkaroff had no desire to face the infamously paranoid ex-Auror.
As they continued towards their dormitory, Harry's mind wandered to the new ring on his finger. If anyone looked closely, they would notice that the Potter Heir ring on Harry's hand had changed into a much more regal-looking ring with the Potter emblem on it.
This was the Potter Lord ring. When he had turned seventeen on October 12th, the first thing he did was rush to Gringotts to undergo the Potter Lordship test. Unlike his father James Potter, Harry had passed the test successfully and was now proudly the new Lord Potter.
He had unlocked all the vaults and properties of the Potter family but had not yet explored them. He was waiting for the holidays before going through the Potter assets. Frequently missing from school would lead the professors to suspect something was amiss, and Harry didn't want to cause himself any unnecessary trouble.
His birthday, other than the claiming of the ring, had been a low-key affair. A small gathering with his friends and receiving gifts from them and his family was pretty much it.
The transition to adulthood in the wizarding world had brought no dramatic changes - no physical transformations, no sudden surge in magical power. In many ways, Harry remained unchanged, save for the added year and the weighty ring on his finger.
As the new Lord Potter, however, Harry had gained himself a seat on the wizarding governing body, the Wizengamot. Harry would now have to learn his way around that place. Arcturus had promised to provide a comprehensive briefing during the holidays, a prospect that filled Harry with a mix of anticipation and trepidation.
Harry had not paid much attention to things other than gaining strength over the years. It was good to learn how the wizarding world and the ministry functioned.
But all this was for later. The topic at hand was the champions' selection tomorrow and the chaos that was going to cause. Harry was a little excited to watch everything happen in front of his eyes. He would have fun seeing everything play out as a spectator.
Harry had decided against interfering with Voldemort's plans for Charles, at least for now. His brother had the support of their parents and Dumbledore, after all.
As Harry climbed into bed that night, his mind buzzed with anticipation for the coming days. Playing around with the events of the Tournament was going to be fun.
Chapter 230: Chapter 230: "Submitting Names to the Goblet of Fire"
The morning after the arrival of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang dawned with an air of excitement. Students rushed to the Great Hall, eager to witness the spectacle of name submissions for the Triwizard Tournament.
A sizeable crowd had already gathered around the Goblet of Fire, its blue-white flames dancing hypnotically. Every few minutes, a brave soul would step forward, parchment in hand, to submit their name for consideration.
Harry knew that the more secretive candidates had likely entered their names the previous night, away from prying eyes. He couldn't help but wonder if Barty Crouch Jr. had already slipped Charles's name into the goblet for the nonexistent fourth school. Harry mused that the tampering to allow four schools instead of three must have been done earlier. Unlike the fake Moody in the canon with his all-seeing magical eye, Crouch would never have had a chance to modify the goblet secretly while it was at Hogwarts.
As Harry and his Ravenclaw dormmates arrived at the Great Hall, they found the rest of their friends already present. Cedric, Angelina, and Roger stood together, a mix of nervousness and excitement on their faces. They had all agreed to enter their names as a group.
However, before they could proceed with their plan, a commotion near the age line caught everyone's attention. Fred and George Weasley, accompanied by their friend Lee Jordan, were preparing to make their attempt at entering the tournament.
Cedric turned to Harry, curiosity in his eyes. "What do you think they're up to?"
Reggy smirked knowingly. "Most probably having a go at the age line with an aging potion. Their plan was no secret. Everyone knows."
Harry's eyes twinkled with amusement. "It won't work, but I'm expecting some entertainment."
The crowd, which included the Golden Trio, watched with bated breath as Fred stepped forward.
"Ready?" he said to the other two, quivering with excitement. "C'mon, then — I'll go first —"
Fred pulled out a slip of parchment bearing the words "Fred Weasley — Hogwarts." He approached the edge of the line, rocking on his toes like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot drop. Then, with all eyes upon him, he took a deep breath and stepped over the line.
For a split second, it seemed to have worked. George let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred. But the next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle as though thrown by an invisible shot-putter.
They landed painfully ten feet away on the cold stone floor. To add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both sprouted identical long white beards.
The entrance hall rang with laughter, even Fred and George joining in once they'd gotten to their feet and seen each other's beards.
"I did warn you," said a deep, amused voice. Everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore emerging from the Great Hall, his eyes twinkling as he surveyed the twins. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."
The crowd began to disperse as Fred and George set off for the hospital wing with a howling Lee. Now it was time for Harry's group to enter their names.
Cedric went first, his entry earning a loud cheer from the Hufflepuffs in the hall. Angelina followed, receiving an even louder ovation from the boisterous Gryffindors. Roger was next, garnering polite applause from the Ravenclaw table.
Suddenly, the hall fell quiet. All eyes turned to Harry. Everyone knew he was 17 and eligible to enter, and the whole school hoped he would. They knew their odds of winning the cup would be very high if the dueling champion participated.
Under the expectant gaze of the entire hall, Harry walked up to the goblet, easily stepping over the age line. He dropped the slip of parchment bearing "Hadrian Potter - Hogwarts" into the blue-white flames.
The reaction was immediate and deafening - cheers erupted from every Hogwarts table, a unified roar of support that took even Harry by surprise.
Cedric nudged Harry, a hint of envy in his voice. "I'm jealous. You have the whole school rooting for you, Harry. While I only had my loyal Puffs."
Harry grinned mischievously. "If you want to be famous that badly, Ced, I have some ideas. I assure you, you'll easily surpass my popularity if you follow my plan."
Cedric's eyes widened in alarm. "No, I'm not jealous. I don't like the look on your face. I know what that means."
Harry's shoulders slumped in mock disappointment. His idea was to have Cedric dress up in some fashion show-style clothes from the Muggle world would have to wait another day. He was certain that Cedric was born to be a model. The show would have been a hit. Unfortunately, his friend wouldn't even listen to the plan.
After the excitement died down, Harry's group settled at a table for their meal. The relaxed rules due to the tournament allowed them to sit together, enjoying each other's company as they watched more people, including students from the other schools, entering their names.
As they finished eating and prepared to leave, they were accosted by the Weasley twins, who had returned beardless but still determined.
Their meal was interrupted by the return of the now beardless Weasley twins. "Oi, Harry!" Fred called out, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Our beardless benefactor!" George chimed in.
"The man with the plan!" they chorused together.
After some playful banter, the twins pressed Harry for his promised help in entering the tournament. Harry sighed dramatically. "You know, there was an easier way all along. All you had to do was ask a senior to enter your names for you. That way, the age line wouldn't be a problem."
This revelation shocked not only the twins but also those around them.
Reggy frowned. "Is this possible? Then who would the contract bind, the person whose name is entered or the person entering them?"
Harry shrugged. "I'm not too sure since the goblet is old and no one has a complete idea of how it works, but I'd guess that the contract would bind the person who wrote the name on the parchment, not the person who entered it."
Fred and George immediately set off, asking every of-age student they knew if they would enter their names. Most people, however, were hesitant due to the uncertainty about who the contract would bind.
"No luck, Harry," Fred reported glumly.
"Seems no one's keen on potentially binding themselves to a magical contract," George added.
"Bunch of spoilsports, the lot of them," they grumbled in unison.
"Any other tricks up your sleeve?" Fred asked hopefully.
Harry smiled. "No need to be disappointed. I'll demonstrate an easier way."
He took out an empty piece of paper, rolled it into a ball, and standing in front of the goblet but outside the age line, he aimed and threw the paper directly into the fire. The flames lit up red before returning to normal.
"Merlin's saggy left—" Fred began.
"—sock!" George finished. "That's brilliant!"
Fred and George tried but found their parchments too small or their aim lacking.
Harry chuckled. "Did you two forget you had magic? Try the first-year spell."
The twins' faces lit up with understanding. With a flick of their wands, their parchments floated in the air. After a few wand movements, the parchments were over the fire, and they let them fall. Their names were finally entered, and the twins celebrated exuberantly.
As Lee Jordan entered his name the same way, the twins enveloped Harry in a bone-crushing hug.
"Our hero!" Fred exclaimed.
"Our savior!" George added.
"Our ticket to eternal glory and a bag full of Galleons!" they chorused.
As they released him, Fred wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "We're not worthy of your genius, oh Great One."
"We shall erect statues in your honor," George declared solemnly.
"Name our firstborns after you," Fred nodded.
"Or at least our first successful product," George amended with a wink.
Harry laughed, shaking his head at their antics. "Just try not to cause too much chaos, alright?"
The twins gasped in mock offense. "Us? Cause chaos?"
"Perish the thought, dear Harry," Fred said, placing a hand over his heart.
"We're models of decorum and propriety," George added, attempting to look innocent and failing spectacularly.
With final dramatic bows and profuse thanks, the twins sauntered off.
Cedric, ever the voice of reason, expressed his concerns. "Harry, is this okay? Now maybe young students will enter their names, or someone might enter their junior's name."
Harry reassured him, "I've already considered everything. The cup is designed to choose a worthy champion for each school, not someone at random. So I'm sure the cup would only choose amongst us adults. The younger students wouldn't fit the criteria. It's safe."
Reggy still looked worried. "I hope so. I don't want you to be in any trouble."
Harry shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not my fault they left behind such a glaring weakness. Some professors already saw what happened just now. Maybe the headmaster will come up with something to fix this loophole."
With that, Harry and his group left the hall, leaving chaos in their wake as more and more people entered their names using Harry's method.
However, it didn't last long. Harry later heard that a few minutes after they left, Dumbledore arrived and fixed the loopholes Harry had exposed. He transformed the age line into a shield that wouldn't allow anything to be thrown at it and stationed Moody near the cup to ensure no one was entered unwillingly.
As the day passed, anticipation built for the Halloween feast and with it, the choosing of the champions. Harry found himself looking forward to the evening's events.
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