A short while later, the banquet drew to a close amid the lively atmosphere. The house-elves seemed to sense the anticipation in the air, causing the desserts on the plates to disappear quietly at just the right moment.
Dumbledore once again turned to face the assembled staff and students, and the Great Hall immediately fell silent.
"Friends and students," Dumbledore's voice rang clearly throughout the hall, "the end of the feast means that the true highlight of this evening is about to begin. It is my great honour to announce that this year's Seven Champions Tournament officially begins now!"
Applause and cheers erupted at once. The Hogwarts students were particularly excited, and many nearly leapt from their seats.
Dumbledore waited for the noise to subside before continuing.
"First, allow me to clarify several points. The purpose of this Tournament is to promote communication and understanding between different magical cultures. Therefore, throughout the semester in which the competition takes place, and yes, this will be a long and exciting journey lasting until the end of the school year, representatives from every participating school will have the opportunity to attend lessons alongside Hogwarts students, study together, and engage in deeper exchanges."
This announcement sparked excited murmurs throughout the hall, though it was not necessarily good news for every student.
"Secondly, as encouragement and compensation for the competitors," Dumbledore continued, "the Hogwarts Champion will be exempt from all examinations this school year."
"Whoa!"
A tremendous gasp rose from the Hogwarts tables, and many students' eyes lit up.
"And," Dumbledore added, his voice carrying just the right hint of temptation, "the ultimate winner will receive a trophy symbolising honour, as well as a prize of one thousand Galleons!"
"One thousand Galleons!"
Ron's eyes widened as though they had turned into Galleons themselves. He grabbed Harry's sleeve.
"Harry! Did you hear that? One thousand Galleons! Every time I hear that number, I feel like my heart's going to burst!"
Hermione frowned in disapproval.
"Ron! Is money all you can think about? That's not the point. The point is that it's extremely dangerous. During the Tournament of 1792, a Basilisk broke free and went on a rampage. Three Headmasters were injured."
"I know, I know it's dangerous," Ron interrupted distractedly, his gaze drifting as he clearly began to daydream. "But... it's one thousand Galleons..."
He lowered his voice, wishful longing creeping into it.
"Fred and George said they got hold of some Ageing Potion. Do you think that if we..."
Hermione whipped her head around, her hazel eyes blazing with anger.
"Ron Weasley! You're not seriously thinking of cheating with that ridiculous Ageing Potion, are you? Not only would it break the rules, but the Potion's side effects alone could make you suffer terribly! I'm warning you, stop thinking only about the money!"
Ron's face immediately reddened.
"I was only saying," he mumbled. "And it's not as though money is all I think about..."
Hermione's expression softened slightly, and her tone became less severe.
"Becoming a Champion would certainly be glorious, but it would also mean facing enormous danger."
"Yes, a Champion gets glory, no homework, no exams..." Ron continued muttering, clearly not having abandoned the fantasy altogether.
Hermione's expression began to darken again. Seeing this, Harry hurriedly intervened before the argument could flare up once more.
"All right, Hermione. Ron was only talking..."
At that moment, Filch approached Dumbledore, panting as he carried a jewel-encrusted wooden chest. He carefully placed it on the table.
The Great Hall instantly fell silent, and every eye was drawn to the magnificent box. Even Ron temporarily forgot his dreams of Galleons.
Dumbledore gently opened the lid, revealing a deep-blue velvet lining upon which an ancient wooden goblet rested in silence.
"Many of you may already know that the one responsible for selecting the Champions is an impartial judge."
As he spoke, Dumbledore reached for the wooden goblet.
"It is the Goblet of Fire."
His voice carried a solemn, ceremonial weight as he lifted the goblet from the box and placed it before him.
The cup itself looked ordinary, like a roughly carved wooden vessel, but blue-white flames danced within it.
"Every student who wishes to become a Champion must write their name and school on a piece of parchment and place it into the flames."
He looked around, his gaze passing over every young face filled with eagerness or tension.
"Tomorrow night, the Goblet of Fire will select the students it considers most worthy to represent their respective schools. One from each school, making seven Champions in total."
He paused, and his tone became exceptionally grave.
"I must repeat this and ask every one of you to remember it clearly. Once chosen by the Goblet of Fire, you will be bound by the contract and required to complete every task in the Tournament. This is no longer a matter of personal choice, for it involves an ancient magical contract that cannot be broken."
His sharp gaze swept across the entire hall.
"Therefore, before submitting your names, please consider carefully whether you are truly prepared to face everything that lies ahead."
The weight of his words fell like a bucket of icy water, sobering many students who had been dazzled by the prize money and glory.
At the staff table, Mr Chang from the Kunlun School of Magic was speaking quietly with Professor McGonagall beside him, while the young man and woman seated a little farther away turned towards each other and whispered in Chinese.
They clearly assumed that no one in this foreign place could understand them, and their manner became noticeably more relaxed.
Ye stared intently at the goblet and its dancing blue-white flames before whispering to Xue beside him, "Should we... try as well?"
His voice carried a mixture of curiosity and encouragement.
Xue's gaze also rested on the Goblet of Fire, though her tone was hesitant.
"We're old enough... but our teacher only allowed us to come and observe. Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"
"It's a rare opportunity," Ye replied, gently nudging her elbow with a sly smile. "Even if we submit our names, we might not be chosen. And besides... we're already here."
The two whispered a few more words and seemed to reach an agreement.
Then, perhaps realising that their conversation might have been somewhat impolite, they both turned towards Sagres, who had been watching them, and offered slightly embarrassed, apologetic smiles.
Sagres remained expressionless, like an elder calmly observing two young people chatting excitedly, and gave them a slight nod, his movements natural and composed.
He had traveled the world and knew most of the languages, he clearly heard every word, but said nothing.
Instead, he casually shifted his gaze back towards the Goblet of Fire in the centre of the Great Hall, as though he had heard nothing at all.
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