By the time the three of them returned to the Great Hall, Dumbledore finally announced that dinner could begin.
Kasenhis picked up his knife and fork, instinctively ready to unleash his signature Whirlwind Big Mouth Technique—then suddenly remembered there were foreign guests present tonight.
…Fine. For the sake of appearances, he'd eat slowly. Just a little bit of face-saving courtesy.
The meal went by neither too fast nor too slow. No one was drinking, boasting, or making small talk—it was purely about filling stomachs.
Soon, when Dumbledore had made sure the last student had finished eating, he clapped his hands. The leftover food vanished from the tables in a swirl of magic. Then he turned his gaze toward Kasenhis and the two Ministry officials.
Kasenhis blinked. To be honest, he and Dumbledore didn't exactly have chemistry.
But it seemed the other two did—because Ludo Bagman immediately stood up, left the hall, and used a Levitation Charm to carefully float the Goblet of Fire in through a side door from the corridor.
Kasenhis rubbed his chin. Ah. So that's how it broke in the first place.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore stepped up to his cute little owl-shaped podium.
"Many people have asked me…"
Kasenhis silently muttered in his heart, No one asked you anything, old man.
This kind of self-directed speech always made him feel like the next line was going to be, 'This space reserved for advertisement.'
"…how the Triwizard Champions will be chosen," Dumbledore continued.
"That's it—the Goblet of Fire. A precise piece of alchemical equipment that will choose those worthy of the title of Champion. All you need to do is write your name and your school on a slip of paper and toss it in."
At that moment, a Hogwarts student raised his hand. "Professor Dumbledore? Just… toss it straight in?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Not yet." He lifted his wand and gave a casual flick—SWOOSH! Instantly, the Goblet erupted into brilliant blue flames.
"Now," he said, "you may place your names inside."
No sooner had he finished than two familiar redheads at the Gryffindor table—Fred and George Weasley—were already itching to move.
Dumbledore quickly added, "Ah, yes. The age limit is seventeen. Any witch or wizard under seventeen should give up on the idea. To that end, I will be setting up an age line."
But before his words had even finished echoing through the hall, the twins had already leapt into action. Sprinting along the top of the table, they activated the alchemical devices strapped to their backs. With a roar, two turbine-like engines burst to life on their shoulders, launching them straight toward the Goblet in a blur of smoke and sparks.
In perfect unison, they dunked their crumpled papers into the Goblet with a dramatic slam dunk motion.
Dumbledore, who'd watched the entire thing unfold and wasn't too worried—since he doubted the twins would actually be chosen—merely raised an eyebrow and shrugged at Professor McGonagall.
She, however, revealed the true nature of the lion within. Taking a deep breath to keep her composure in front of the guests, she didn't even bother with her wand. With just a twitch of her fingers, an enormous wave of magic swept across the hall, catching the twins midair and dragging them helplessly to stand before her.
"Gentlemen," she said coolly, "I believe I'm owed an explanation."
As Professor McGonagall's voice fell, Dumbledore finally cast the Age Restriction charm.
A glowing ring of magic encircled the Goblet of Fire, radiating waves of power—not only could it block anyone underage, it could even detect paper slips thrown in by those sneaky enough to try from a distance. In short, no one was going to treat the Goblet like a basketball hoop or the Age Line like a three-point line anymore.
"That's all, everyone. Dismissed," Dumbledore said with a smile, clearly amused by the twins' impromptu performance.
The moment Kasenhis heard he was free to go, he naturally stood up—not to return to his office, but to the kitchens. He planned to grab some food first; after all, eating in front of guests always made him feel a bit restrained.
When he came back to his office with a paper bag filled to the brim, he saw someone already waiting patiently on the sofa.
"Oh, Cedric. You done eating? Want some more?" Kasenhis called out casually.
Cedric quickly stood up. "No, I'm full… actually, maybe just a little more." He said it naturally, taking a pumpkin pie from the bag and taking a bite.
"So," Kasenhis said, tearing open the paper bag to make the food easier to reach before sitting down on the sofa. Two bottles of healthy fruit juice floated over and landed neatly in front of them. "What's up?"
"Professor, what do you think of me?" Cedric asked.
"You're doing great. Why?" Kasenhis replied, a brow raised.
"Professor, I want to be a Champion!" Cedric said seriously.
"To be a Champion, you should've just thrown your name into the Goblet of Fire. Coming to ask me first isn't really your style—you're usually a lot more confident than that," Kasenhis said, raising an eyebrow.
"I mean… Professor, what if I get chosen as the Hogwarts Champion but can't win against the other two schools?" Cedric asked.
"Ah, so you are confident. You've already assumed you'll be chosen," Kasenhis nodded. "If the Goblet picks you, that means you're the most suitable choice—Hogwarts couldn't have a better representative. Even if you lose, you'll still be our pride…"
He paused, then added, "Of course, you'd better make sure you keep yourself alive. That's what matters—not trading your life or sanity just to get a few more points."
"Professor, it's not that I'm afraid," Cedric said, looking slightly embarrassed. "It's just… maybe it sounds petty, but when Durmstrang and Beauxbatons came to our school, they basically showed off right in our faces. I might be from Hufflepuff, but I still have my pride."
"…Your face… why's it turning red like a teapot on the boil?" Kasenhis blurted out instinctively.
"Huh?" Cedric looked confused.
"It's nothing," Kasenhis waved it off. "What I mean is—that kind of feeling you have is normal. Anyone without it wouldn't be human. You're fine, Cedric. You couldn't turn bad even if you tried."
Cedric let out a sheepish laugh, "Heh… heh…"
Kasenhis chuckled too, then squinted his eyes. "Alright, I see what this is. You came here because you want me to give you special training."
Cedric straightened his posture, face regaining its seriousness. "Please, Professor—teach me!"
_________
(～￣▽￣)～Read 12 Chapters ahead:
Patreon: Dragonel