章 92: The Goblet of Fire

"How do you know?" Colin asked.

"Didn't you saw how much the Headmaster of Durmstrang was favoring Krum, like a prince. Of course he's going to participate." Chris replied casually.

As they recrossed the entrance hall with the rest of the Hogwarts students heading for the Great Hall, Chris saw Lee Jordan jumping up and down on the soles of his feet to get a better look at the back of Krum's head. Several sixth-year girls were frantically searching their pockets as they walked —

"Oh I don't believe it, I haven't got a single quill on me —"

"D'you think he'd sign my hat in lipstick?"

"Want a autograph Ginny?" Chris said grinning.

"Yeah right. Let me remind you, I'm all done with celebrity craziness." Ginny said rolling her eyes.

Chris chuckled but then an idea pop up in her head.

"Colin! I know how you're going to get unexpected gold." She said suddenly.

"What?" Colin asked surprised.

"Where is your camera?" Chris asked.

"In my room. Why?"

"Go and get it fast. Go go." Chris said hurriedly and pushed Colin.

Colin ran towards the Gryffindor tower.

"What're planning now?" Ginny asked.

"C'mon we need to talk to Professor McGonagall." Chris said and dragged Ginny with her.

The students from Beauxbatons had chosen seats at the Ravenclaw table. They were looking around the Great Hall with glum expressions on their faces. Three of them were still clutching scarves and shawls around their heads.

Luna waved at them from the Ravenclaw table.

"Save three sits for us." Chris said to Luna as they walked straight towards the staff table.

"Professor McGonagall! Professor McGonagall!" Chris called as she came close to her.

"Not now Norton. You can see we're middle of something important." Professor McGonagall replied sternly as she was guiding Mr Filch, about the setting of the chairs.

"It's really important Professor. Or else we wouldn't be bothering you." Chris said quickly. "Just one moment."

"Fine. What's it?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Professor, so many guests are here and it's the beginning of Triwizard Tournament so it's special too." Chris said smiling. "So I was thinking, it'll be nice to capture this moments in pictures. Don't you think?"

"What? Pictures? And this was so important?" Professor McGonagall said hotly.

"Of course it's important Professor." Chris replied confidently. "If the moments pass now, we will miss lots of important pictures related to this Tournament."

"No Norton, I don't think that's a good idea....." Professor McGonagall said with dismissing tone.

But suddenly someone interrupted her from behind.

"I z'ink iz's a lovely idea."

Professor McGonagall turned and saw Madame Maxime.

"Isn'z iz Dumbly-dorr?" She called Dumbledore.

"What's it Minerva?" Dumbledore asked curiously, noticing Chris and Ginny.

Chris explained her idea about taking pictures, "The most important ones like, the Headmasters and Headmistress standing together or the champions pictures can be for each school and the students can buy the others, the way they like."

"Very good idea indeed, Christina." Dumbledore beamed. "And if Madame Maxime like the idea too then there is no problem, I guess. Professor Karkaroff?"

"I've no problem." Karkaroff replied.

"Great then. Christina you've my permission." Dumbledore said smiling.

"Thank you Professors. Thank you Madame Maxime." Chris bowed.

"But who's going to take the pictures, Norton?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"We've a very exceptional person for that Professor. Colin Creevey, Gryffindor." Chris replied.

"Creevey? Are you sure?" Professor McGonagall asked skeptically as others turned to sit.

"Absolutely Professor. Colin is very talented in this. I promise you, he'll not disappoint." Chris said smiling.

McGonagall nodded, "Remember it's about Gryffindor pride."

Chris nodded and left with Ginny.

"What's going on?" Colin asked as Chris and Ginny sat on the Ravenclaw table. "I brought the camera, now?"

"Take pictures of the Headmasters and Headmistress together. Take pictures of the students. Do what you always wanted to do." Chris said grinning.

"What?" Colin looked happy and surprised at the same time.

"Chris have talked to Professor Dumbledore, you'll take lots of pictures, give the important ones to school and sell the others. Everyone liked the idea." Ginny explained.

"Really? Are you two serious?" Colin asked cheerfully.

"No time to waste Colin. Start taking pictures." Chris said smiling.

And with a determined smile, Colin nodded and got up from his seat to take pictures.

The teachers were startled for a moment but soon all of them smiled. Of course except Professor Snape. They students smiled as well after few pictures.

"Is z'at your friend?" A girl from Beauxbatons asked Ginny.

"Yes." Ginny replied with a smile.

"Z'ats nice. Will 'e zake a pictures of ours?" The girl asked.

"Sure, why not?" Chris replied.

"Z'ank you." The girl said and turned to her friends.

"Well that was rude." Luna said.

"Who cares? I'm just planning to get golds for Colin. It's business, Luna." Chris said grinning.

The Durmstrangs were sitting on the Slytherin table. Few Slytherins eagerly asked Colin to take few pictures of them with Victor Krum.

"Do you think Colin will be okay with the Slytherins?" Ginny asked anxiously, as few Slytherins cornered Colin.

Chris noticed, Colin replied something confidently and walked back to them, grinning.

"What happened?" Chris asked him.

"They were asking when they'll get the pictures and was trying to scare me to give them the pictures quickly." Colin replied.

"And what did you said?" Ginny asked.

"I said they can take the pictures from Chris, next week." Colin said grinning.

"Good idea." Chris smirked. "I'll see them."

Dumbledore get to his feet.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and — most particularly — guests," said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

One of the Beauxbatons girls still clutching a muffler around her head gave what was unmistakably a derisive laugh.

"What's so funny in this?" Luna whispered.

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

He sat down, and Karkaroff lean forward at once and engage him in conversation.

The plates in front of them filled with food as usual. The house-elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there was a greater variety of dishes in front of them than Chris had ever seen, including several that were definitely foreign.

Some of the Beauxbatons girls finally grinned, seeing some French dishes.

"The House-elves really out did themselves, didn't they?" Ginny said looking at the foreign dishes.

"What's that?" said Colin, pointing at a large dish of some sort of shellfish stew that stood beside a large steak-and-kidney pudding.

"Bouillabaisse," said Padma. "It's a French dish."

"Nice." Colin said taking it on his plate and offered Chris some.

"No thanks, I'm happy with my roasted chicken." Chris replied.

That girl from Beauxbatons who had laughed during Dumbledore's speech. She had finally removed her muffler. A long sheet of silvery-blonde hair fell almost to her waist. She had large, deep blue eyes, and very white, even teeth.

She got up from her seat and looked around the Ravenclaw table.

"Everything alright?" A Ravenclaw boy asked.

"Bouillabaisse. Do anyone 'ave some?" She asked.

Colin and Padma looked up, who were eating that thing.

"The bowl will be refilled as soon as you finished it." Chris replied.

"O' " she again looked around.

"Colin pass her the plate, if you're finished." Chris said.

"Sure." And Colin went pink as he tried to pass the plate towards the girl. "Here."

"You 'ave finished wiz it?" She asked smiling.

"Ye.. yeah.." Colin smiled awkwardly.

The girl took the dish from Colin and finally sat down.

"What's wrong with you Colin? I never saw you like this?" Luna asked.

"Must be a Veela." Ginny whispered.

Chris looked around and saw maximum boys have same expressions like Colin. She focussed on the girl and realized her aura was a little less than the Veela in Quidditch World Cup. Suddenly Chris noticed two persons entering the Great Hall. It was Ludo Bagman and Mr Crouch.

Chris elbowed Ginny and Ginny looked, when they took their sits on the teachers table.

"They're going to judge the tournament too?" Ginny asked surprised.

"Thank God we're not allowed to participate or else, I'm sure, Mr Crouch would've gave me zero in every task." Chris shrugged.

Ginny laughed.

When the second course arrived they noticed a number of unfamiliar desserts too.

"I'm trying new desserts. Are you?" Ginny asked grinning.

"Maybe." Colin said.

"We can." Luna replied.

"Do we've to?" Chris asked.

"Oh C'mon." Ginny said as she gave the dessert to Luna, Colin and Chris.

Padma took some as well, and they ate it laughing together.

Once the golden plates had been wiped clean, Dumbledore stood up again. A pleasant sort of tension seemed to fill the Hall now. Chris felt a slight thrill of excitement all around the Great Hall. Everyone was leaning forward, staring at Dumbledore with great concentration.

"The moment has come," said Dumbledore, smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation" — there was a smattering of polite applause, Ravenclaws clapped the most but Chris didn't join them, neither did Luna, as she didn't like Crouch either, after hearing the story about Winky — "and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

There was a much louder round of applause for Bagman than for Crouch, perhaps because of his fame as a Beater, or simply because he looked so much more likable. He acknowledged it with a jovial wave of his hand. Bartemius Crouch did not smile or wave when his name was announced.

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."

At the mention of the word "champions," the attentiveness of the listening students seemed to sharpen. Perhaps Dumbledore had noticed their sudden stillness, for he smiled as he said, "The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."

"The what?" Ginny asked.

"Just wait. We'll see." Chris replied.

Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old. A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching students; Colin chuckled as he saw Dennis actually stood on his chair to see it properly, but, being so tiny, his head hardly rose above anyone else's.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," said Dumbledore as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways … their magical prowess — their daring — their powers of deduction — and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

At this last word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore went on calmly, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue-white flames.

Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete. To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," said Dumbledore, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line. Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."