Enemies Walking the Same Path – Part 2/2
"Mr. Black. We are the only ones in the Ministry who have the freedom to operate in this tournament. Dumbledore kindly agreed to take a position as—" before Crouch could continue, Sirius looked at him even more coldly.
"I am not interested. Leave, or we simply cancel the tournament until you bring someone else," Sirius said, staring straight into his eyes.
That left almost everyone present in shock.
"Mr. Black, please calm down for a moment and think this through…" McGonagall could not help standing up to try to calm Sirius, as this was neither the time, nor the place, nor the proper way to bring his grievances to the table.
"I am thinking this through. I am the Headmaster, and I have full authority to expel unwelcome individuals," Sirius replied, looking at his former Head of House with a serious, icy expression, so firm that even she was forced to fall silent.
Crouch frowned deeply, his anger clearly visible in his eyes as he clenched his hands tightly. He had not considered, even for a second, that Sirius would have no hesitation in breaking protocol. He had expected complaints, yes, handled behind closed doors. Being confronted in front of everyone was something his pride could not tolerate.
"So you would rather cancel a tournament that cost a great deal of money to both the Ministry and the school, simply because of your pride?" Crouch asked, his tone sharp with disdain.
"Of course I would. After all, I have more than enough money to cover any losses," Sirius replied arrogantly, slamming his hand against the table and effectively shutting Crouch up.
"Wow, this is actually pretty interesting," Daphne commented, holding a bowl of popcorn in her hands. Still, after taking a bite, she lightly touched her stomach, glaring at the bowl as if it were her greatest enemy that night.
Harry watched her for a moment, shaking his head, before turning his attention to the professors' table, where Selene had an identical bowl. That was when he noticed an invisible creature seemingly handing another one to Astoria.
It was Laki, the Greengrass family's elf. And, to Harry's surprise, that discovery held his attention far more than his godfather's argument. At last, he had found the answer to something that had always bothered him: exactly where those bowls of popcorn were coming from.
"It's Professor Dumbledore," Hagrid said quietly to Sirius, as if trying to ease the tension.
"Yes, I know. I know very well," Sirius replied calmly, staring directly at Dumbledore. The old man returned the look with a faint trace of apology in his eyes, but Sirius was not buying it at all.
The atmosphere sank into complete silence. Everyone shifted their gaze between the new Headmaster, the former Headmaster, and Crouch, who was simmering with humiliation and anger.
Until the sound of the door opening once again drew everyone's attention.
"Mmm… that's Dad," Daphne said, looking at the newcomer.
Edward walked in calmly under everyone's gaze and approached Sirius, whispering something that only he could hear.
Sirius stopped looking at Crouch and Dumbledore and immediately turned toward Edward, as if seeking confirmation. Then, both of them cast a brief glance toward Dumbledore and Crouch before Edward quietly left again.
Crouch did not understand the meaning behind those looks. Dumbledore, on the other hand, frowned for a brief moment before returning to his harmless, elderly appearance.
"Fine. Whatever," Sirius said, turning toward the students. "The Triwizard Tournament begins now," he announced, as if everything that had just happened had been nothing more than an illusion.
That left everyone in shock, including Dumbledore, Crouch, and Ludo.
"We have worked tirelessly to prepare everything over the course of several months," Sirius continued, gesturing toward Ludo and the other two. "We, the headmasters of the three schools, are meant to serve as the judges who will award points to the competing champions. Keep in mind that, although every effort will be made to ensure this is a safe competition," he added, briefly glancing at Dumbledore, "there are still risks involved, and those who wish to become champions must be willing to accept them. Now, Filch, bring the cup," he finished, as if eager to be done with it all.
At the same time, Harry wanted to know what Edward had said to convince his godfather so easily, especially for him to say nothing more about Crouch and Dumbledore. Harry himself was certain that Sirius would not have stopped until he had expelled both of them from the castle.
Filch entered carrying a rather ancient box, its surface covered with gemstones embedded all around it. He placed it on the table before opening it.
"Normally, there would be three tasks, spread across different points of the school year. But we decided to change that, and now there will be four, with a few additional elements added to increase the excitement," Sirius said with a smile. "These tasks will test your magical abilities, your daring, your intelligence, and how you face danger head on," he added, sliding his hand into the box resting on the table.
"And as you know, only one champion will be selected per school. The one who earns the most points from the judges will be the one… well, will be the champion," Sirius continued, finally pulling out what had been inside the box.
"And the champions will be chosen by an impartial judge: the Goblet of Fire," he said, lifting it so everyone could see. It was a roughly carved wooden goblet, something quite ordinary at first glance, were it not for the fact that it was filled to the brim with a pale blue white flame that seemed almost liquid.
"The process is simple," Sirius explained as he walked toward the center of the Great Hall. With a swift flick of his wand, he cast a spell, and a pedestal began to rise slowly from the floor until it stood before him, where he placed the goblet. "You write your name clearly along with your school, and tomorrow night, on Halloween, the goblet will return the names of those deemed worthy to represent their schools. It will remain here all night. And to ensure that no one under the age of fourteen gives in to temptation or excitement," he added, looking directly at Wanda.
She stared back at him, a hint of irritation crossing her face at being singled out, but as a professor, she knew there were moments when she had to act. She raised her hand gently, and a transparent red dome formed around the goblet.
"Anyone under fourteen who crosses the line will turn into something grotesque," Sirius said with a dangerous grin, causing many students to widen their eyes in unease.
"They simply will not be able to pass," Wanda corrected from a distance, dampening Sirius' fun slightly.
"Well, that works too," he replied casually. "I almost forgot. Once you place your name in the goblet, a binding contract comes into effect. You cannot back out, and you will have to compete, so you had better think it through carefully."
"Now, get lost and go to bed," Sirius said, officially ending his speech as he turned to look at Crouch and Dumbledore, his wand still in hand.
That caused the atmosphere to shift from excitement back into an uneasy tension once more. However, Sirius simply walked toward the exit without doing anything else.
"Harry, you have to admit your godfather has style. He is pretty cool… sometimes," Daphne commented.
"Too much drama," Harry replied, standing up and heading toward the dormitories with the others. Even so, he could not help glancing one last time at Dumbledore and Crouch.
Many questions began to form in his mind. Why they were there, why Sirius had decided to let them stay, and, above all, what Edward had said to make all of this happen.