Everyone's heart tightened.
Mr Chang's brows drew together. At last, he turned to the assembled Headmasters.
"I ask you all to forgive my student's reckless actions. I stake my own reputation on the promise that Jingxue will not win this Tournament, nor will she claim the trophy or prize money."
His meaning was perfectly clear. The Headmasters considered it for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Even Karkaroff raised no objection, tacitly accepting the addition of another contestant.
"Don't worry, Mr Chang. It's quite all right," Ludo Bagman said with a smile. "Barty and I both welcome the participation of the Kunlun School of Magic, don't we, Barty?"
Barty Crouch's expression looked rather strange. He opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something, but in the end, he merely nodded in silence.
Mr Chang let out a breath of relief.
Seeing this, Dumbledore turned to the students below and gently explained the situation.
"In order to encourage exchange between different magical schools, the judging panel and organising committee have decided to add a temporary place for a contestant from the Kunlun School of Magic. I believe Kunlun's unique magical arts will not disappoint you..."
Before the elderly Headmaster had even finished speaking, however, the flames within the Goblet of Fire suddenly turned crimson once more.
Sparks crackled and burst from the goblet as a long tongue of flame shot into the air, carrying another piece of parchment that slowly drifted down.
This time, even Sagres frowned.
He glanced suspiciously across the staff table and found that everyone wore the same bewildered expression.
Even Barty Crouch, who had previously looked half-asleep, craned his neck and stared curiously at the parchment in Dumbledore's hand.
Moody's scarred face, however, remained expressionless. He seemed to have grown accustomed to the eventful feast and no longer displayed any surprise.
Every eye turned back towards Dumbledore.
This time, when the elderly Headmaster read the name on the parchment, his expression immediately became grave.
"Who is it this time?" Ron asked curiously.
"Is there a ninth participating school?" Harry wondered aloud.
He stared fixedly at Dumbledore, thinking that the Headmaster's method of announcing the results was truly testing everyone's patience.
At last, Dumbledore lifted his gaze from the parchment.
Harry quickly sat up straighter.
He knew the answer was about to be revealed, but another question suddenly arose in his mind.
Why is Dumbledore looking at me?
The thought had barely crossed his mind when Dumbledore's voice rang clearly throughout the Great Hall.
"Harry Potter!"
Harry stared blankly ahead. He could not understand why Dumbledore had called his name at that moment.
The surrounding whispers gradually faded.
Harry looked around in confusion and realised that everyone was staring at him strangely.
Then he understood.
Dumbledore had not called his name without reason. His name was written on the parchment.
Harry sat frozen in his seat, his blood seeming to turn to ice, as though he had been struck by the most powerful Full Body-Bind Curse.
Ron's eyes widened in astonishment, while Hermione frowned with worry.
"Harry, please go into the adjoining chamber."
Dumbledore's voice remained calm, but the eyes that usually twinkled with amusement no longer held the slightest trace of a smile.
Under countless gazes filled with surprise, suspicion, and scrutiny, Harry finally rose like a puppet and walked mechanically towards the adjoining chamber.
The moment he disappeared through the door, the suppressed murmur in the Great Hall surged like a rising tide.
Professor McGonagall abruptly stood from the staff table, her face pale, and hurried to Dumbledore's side. She spoke to him urgently in a low voice, her hands trembling slightly.
However, the commotion did not last long.
The blue flames that had been burning steadily within the Goblet of Fire flickered weakly several times before going out completely with a soft poof.
The visiting Headmasters at the staff table could no longer remain calm.
"This is utterly absurd!"
Karkaroff was the first to lash out, his voice as cold as a winter wind.
"We agreed to admit an additional school in the name of promoting exchange. That does not mean Hogwarts may have two Champions!"
His usual hypocritical smile had vanished, replaced by undisguised anger.
"You owe us an explanation, Dumbledore! The rules of the Goblet of Fire cannot make an exception for Hogwarts alone, not even as the host school."
Madame Maxime leaned her towering figure slightly forward.
"Igor's words may be blunt, but they are not unreasonable."
She tried to maintain her composure, but her voice carried unmistakable displeasure and coldness.
"Each of our schools has only one Champion. That is the basis of fairness. Hogwarts occupying two places upsets the balance and is profoundly unfair to every other contestant brave enough to participate. Forgive me, but I cannot accept this result."
"Did the Age Line you placed not prevent anyone under seventeen from entering, Dumbledore?"
The Thunderbird Headmaster's snow-white brows drew together, his voice filled with doubt.
"That boy is clearly underage."
"This is most likely Potter's doing, Headmasters," Snape interjected quietly, seizing the opportunity to impose his own judgement of Harry upon everyone present. "You should not blame Dumbledore. Potter must have insisted on breaking the rules. Ever since he entered this school, he has repeatedly violated them..."
"Thank you for your analysis, Severus," Dumbledore interrupted calmly.
Snape immediately fell silent, though his black eyes still gleamed with schadenfreude.
"I give you my word," Dumbledore said, his gaze slowly passing over everyone before settling on Karkaroff and Madame Maxime, "that I knew nothing of this matter and would never condone any student breaking the rules."
He took a deep breath, solemnity settling over his aged face.
"We now face a difficult choice. Either we forcibly strip a young Wizard of his qualification and risk the backlash of the magical contract, or we accept this extraordinary result and do everything possible to ensure absolute fairness in the tasks that follow."
"Fairness?" Karkaroff scoffed sharply. "The starting line is already uneven. Where, exactly, is this fairness you speak of?"
Aram Kofiat, the Headmaster of Ukarlo, gently shook his head, his long braids swaying with the movement.
"For now, I can accept this as an error made by an ancient magical artefact. However, the integrity of the competition cannot be compromised."
The beautiful Headmistress of Uagadou agreed succinctly.
"Indeed. Two Champions from one school is illogical."
Even the usually aloof Headmaster of Castelobruxo raised an objection.
"Dumbledore, this is undoubtedly a difficult matter. Consider how others will view it. They will assume Hogwarts used its position as host to secure special privileges. To protect the reputation of the Tournament, I also believe the boy should be disqualified."
Mr Chang sat to one side with a slightly awkward expression.
Under the circumstances, he could not speak in support of either side and could only remain silent.
His gaze lowered, as though he had suddenly taken great interest in the grain of the wooden table before him.
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