"I can't believe all the magic schools are here!" Terry exclaimed excitedly as he stepped up the stairs. "I mean—it's so cool, isn't it?"
"I wonder what kind of transportation Hogwarts would use if we went to other schools for a competition," Michael mused. "It'd definitely be something out of the ordinary…"
"Maybe the Hogwarts Express," Padma said impassively, walking past them.
"Come on, Padma," Michael grumbled. "What's the fun in that?"
"Well, it'd probably still seem pretty spectacular to people from other schools, wouldn't it?" Wade said, rubbing his chin.
"I want something more special," Anthony chimed in. "Steam trains are everywhere."
"How great would it be if it were a mythical chariot of the sun god!" Michael said dreamily. "Or the Leviathan, the abyssal beast… it would scare everyone into submission just by showing up!"
Pfft—
A soft chuckle rippled through the crowd; it wasn't mocking, just genuine amusement at his words.
Wade looked in the direction of the sound, seeing some Slytherin and Ravenclaw students passing by, each chatting with someone next to them. It was impossible to tell who had laughed.
Michael, however, blushed slightly and said, "Of course… the outcome of the competition still depends on skill…"
After passing through the antechamber and entering the castle, they saw that students from other schools had already found their seats. The four long tables were much longer than usual, enough to accommodate everyone.
On either side of the Ravenclaw table sat students from Beauxbatons, Mahoutokoro, and Salem. Durmstrang and Koldovstoretz were at the Slytherin table, Ilvermorny and Castelobruxo at Gryffindor, and the remaining three schools at Hufflepuff.
The headmasters and professors from the various schools were at the staff table. The front row consisted of the eleven headmasters, with two additional rows behind them for the other professors.
Gasps rippled through the student body as students from other schools removed their scarves or cloaks. Many discovered that some well-known figures were among them, such as Viktor Krum, the Durmstrang Quidditch star, and a Uagadou student who publicly transformed into a cheetah.
Not to mention the breathtakingly beautiful girl at the Ravenclaw table, her cascading silver hair shimmering in the candlelight. Many boys stared at her open-mouthed, as if they'd forgotten everything else.
Dumbledore stood in the center of the staff table, a smile on his face, looking at the students. The Great Hall gradually quieted down.
"Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, ghosts, and—especially—our distinguished guests," Dumbledore said with a beaming smile. "It is with immense pleasure that I welcome you to Hogwarts! Now, please enjoy our dinner!"
The Headmaster's speech was as brief as ever. As soon as he finished speaking, the plates on the long tables were piled high with food, as usual, including many foreign dishes.
Wade casually picked a few tasty items. Before he had eaten much, he felt a gaze frequently drift towards him. He looked up and saw Antoine raise his goblet, signaling to him from afar.
Wade smiled and nodded. As he shifted his gaze, he was surprised to see that Michael wasn't staring raptly at the silver-haired girl, Fleur, but was instead focused on cutting a piece of roast meat.
Two figures flitted across his peripheral vision. Wade looked over and saw Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch from the Ministry of Magic entering the castle. They shook hands and conversed with the headmasters one by one, finally taking their seats in two pre-reserved empty chairs.
Behind Bagman, Professor Trelawney, a rare sight in the Great Hall, stared fixedly at his back like a vengeful spirit, her resentment almost palpable.
Bagman, however, calmly cut a steak and exchanged a few words with a smile with the Uagadou headmaster next to him, as if he had completely forgotten about the victims of his gambling schemes in that school.
Wade and the others had waited nearly two hours outside the castle and were ravenously hungry. Most of them didn't have a chance to speak, simply stuffing themselves with the delicious food.
After they had eaten their fill, the golden cutlery gleamed anew, and Dumbledore stood up again. His eyes swept over every upturned face, and the Great Hall instantly fell silent; even the candles seemed to stop flickering.
"My dear friends, tonight, we witness the gathering of eleven great magic schools—for the first time in history, we sit together in this hall, participating in a grand event!"
"At this very moment, we are making history!"
A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted in the Great Hall. The thought that this very scene would appear in future magic history books made many students tremble with excitement, even if their own names wouldn't be mentioned.
After the applause died down, Dumbledore introduced the headmasters of the various magic schools, as well as Bagman and Crouch, and then explained the competition's procedures.
The Triwizard Tournament had continued for seven centuries. This magic school league, in some aspects, carried on the traditions of the past—
For example, using the Triwizard Cup to select a Champion from each school, and the competition having three tasks, held at different times throughout the school year. The specific details of each task would be kept completely secret until just before it began.
Considering that students from some schools enroll very early, and the standards for "adulthood" vary across countries, this competition would not restrict the age of participants, and even the number of participants would far exceed previous tournaments.
A rough wooden goblet stood on the table, with blue and white flames flickering within it. This was the Triwizard Cup.
"Each school will produce three Champions. Students wishing to compete for Champion should write their name and school on a piece of parchment and throw it into this goblet," Dumbledore said. "You have twenty-four hours to sign up. Tomorrow night, on Halloween, the Triwizard Cup will choose the three Champions best suited to represent each school!"
"Finally, I want to remind every student participating in the competition—this competition is not a game, it is not a normal House Cup competition! Even though we will have a team of healers from St. Mungo's on standby and the most elite Aurors providing escort, danger still exists."
"Therefore, before you decide to participate, you must carefully consider the dangers involved before acting! Only if you are absolutely certain that you wholeheartedly want to participate should you put your name into the Triwizard Cup."
"Well, I think it's time for everyone to sleep. Good night."
The sound of chairs scraping filled the hall as students began to leave, and various discussions broke out simultaneously.
"Did you hear that? Three people per school, we all have a chance!"
"I don't think we've learned enough yet… there were often deaths in previous Triwizard Tournaments…"
"I'm definitely going to enter. I know I can be a Champion!"
Amidst the surging crowd, Wade quietly slipped away from the group and went to an empty classroom in a less frequented side area. A moment later, he heard the sound of the door being pushed open.
Antoine walked in with a smile, closed the door behind him, and cast a silencing Spell.
"What are you doing here?" Wade asked. "And how did you get into Salem?"
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