Chapter 29:

When they had finally gotten back to their campsite, Narcissa ushered them all inside quickly. "Somethings going to happen tonight, I need you two to make sure you have your wands out, and stay in the woods alright?"
Calypso nodded nervously, still not understanding what was going on as she followed Narcissa back into the woods. "Where's everyone else?"
Narcissa squinted around in the darkness. "Altaira and Leta should be just over there, and Theodore- yes there they come."
It seemed like all the children of death eaters had gathered together in one spot before all the adults left them.

Altaira sighed and sat down. "Does ANYONE know what's going on?"

"They've planned a big parade" explained Theo, waving his wand so lights burst out of it.

Another boy whom Calypso had never seen before nodded. "This place needs a good cleaning of muggles"
She vaguely agreed but didn't say anything.

Draco sneered, "About time. Father's been saying the Dark Lord would return for ages. Today's the year I expect?"
An older girl nodded, "Obviously. They wouldn't risk something big otherwise"

Altaira rubbed her palms together nervously, "So….how was the match?"
They talked together for a few hours before the screaming started. Just through the gap of the trees, they could see a group of masked figures- death eaters- suspending muggles in the air. As they trampled across the campsite, more and more figures stepped out to join them.

The death eaters were smashing everything in their path and occasionally setting things on fire as ministry officials ran from every direction to halt their progress.

Calypso sneered at them, "let them try. You've never realized just how many managed to slip through your fingers have you?"

As they moved their way, one of the older kids stood up. "We should move. Come on, everyone to the left!"

They all ran through the trees and suddenly, they stopped in a clearing.
"Draco-" Calypso gasped as she noticed he was missing.

One of the kids, Justin, cursed, "He's Malfoy's brat isn't he?"
Calypso and several others nodded.

"Then we have to find him"

"I'm right here," said a smug voice from behind them.

Everyone glared at Draco, "Where were you?"
"I saw Potter and the mudblood."

Justin sighed, "No running off now! Everyone stay here"

They just sat in silence for a while before somebody came staggering into the clearing.

Everyone leaped up, their wand's out.

Justin called out nervously, "Who's there?"
When there was no reply, he gestured for everyone to back up before, without warning, someone cried, "MODSMORTE!"
Justin's eyes widened. "That's the dark mark. They've killed someone! Everyone get away, the ministry will be here any second now!"

Calypso nodded with the rest of the group and followed Theo left to go deeper into the woods.

"Do you think they killed someone?" asked Altaira and Leta breathlessly.

Theo looked at them, "No...No I don't. It didn't even half to be a death eater that did it, it could've been a ministry official that was using it to scare off the ralliers. Haven't you noticed that they stopped after it was conjured?"
Calypso frowned, "but why?"
He tapped his wand impatiently, "think about it, everyone- except your parents- they worked very hard to keep out of Azkaban when the Dark Lord lost power and told all sorts of lies about him forcing them to kill and torture people. I bet they'd be even more frightened than maybe even mudbloods to see him come back. We denied we'd ever been involved with him when he lost his powers and went back to our daily lives. . . . I don't reckon he'd be over-pleased with us, do you?"

"Oh…" Calypso said quietly. "Well, where is everyone now?"
Theo looked around into the darkness, "No clue. Do any of you have really happy memories?"
Leta shrugged, "Why?"
"To cast a Patronus. Or if anybody has an owl that would be great too"
"Oh… what's the incantation?" Altaira asked.

"Expecto Patronum"
Altair nervously raised her wand and concentrated on a happy memory. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
When nothing happened, she tried again, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
This time, a silver blob appeared from the tip of her wand.

Theo sighed, "Maybe pick a happier memory, does anyone else want to give it a try?"

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" shouted Leta. Surprisingly, a small fox appeared.

Even Theo looked taken back. "Oh- uh tell it to lead…"
"Narcissa Malfoy" offered Calypso.

"Yeah...tell it to lead Narcissa Malfoy to us"
Leta nodded and looked at her Patronus nervously, "Lead Narcissa Malfoy to us?"
The fox jumped up and down in the air twice before leaping off in between trees.

"Wow.." Altaira whispered. "How'd you do that?"
Leta shrugged, "It just has to be a really happy memory I guess?"

"That's right" agreed Narcissa as she and a few other witches ran into the clearing. Narcissa took Calypso and Draco's hands, "Good idea, the Patronus, now come."
With a turn, they apparated away back to Lestrange Manor first, where Calypso was dropped off, then away again.

A few moments later, her mum appeared. "Hello dear! What a great night it's been hasn't it?"

Calypso glared at her as the scent of whisky count her attention. "You're drunk aren't you?"
"Oh no dear not at all...did you see the dark mark that was cast in the sky, it was like-"
"ALRIGHT!" Calypso interrupted, "c'mon, let's get inside and sleep. It's three in the morning now"

The next morning she was strangely awoken by her mother.

"We have to go to Diagon Alley today" she muttered as she transfigured herself into Narcissa. "I'll take you now...there's only a week before school starts again"

Calypso stared at her mum, (now Narcissa). "Isn't this a little risky?"

"No! We're leaving now right after you've had some toast." she shoved some buttered toast into Calypso's hands resulting in her eating as she was pulling on robes.

"Alright alright. I'm done!" Calypso shrieked after Bellatrix had attempted to shove the fifth piece of toast down her throat.

Her mum laughed before pulling her out of the house and disapparating.

A few hours later, they had gotten all of their school books and were walking towards Madam Malkins for dress robes.

"I don't see why I can't just wear your old ones" complained Calypso as she was dragged around the shop by 'Narcissa'.

"Because it's mine" scoffed her mother.

Calypso ended up picking a mint gree chiffon dress with flowy short sleeves and a wrap-around top whilst the bottom hung freely to the ground.

After paying, the apparated back to Lestrange Manor.

The rest of the summer break passed quickly and before she knew it, it was time to go to King's Cross for a new school year.

"Bye dear, send me an owl if the Dark Lord's returned!"
Calypso nodded as she touched the portkey Lucius had created for her to transport her to the train station.

When she arrived at King's Cross, the rain was soaking down, harder than ever, as she boarded the train with Celestia who was also in the parking lot.

"Are 'ou fine? I 'eard w'at 'append at zee Cup"

Calypso nodded, "yeah"

"And 'ow about Z'eo?"
"Theo's fine" Calypso reassured her, "Us and a bunch of others were all together."
"Zat eez great. Do 'ou want to sit toge'zzer?"
Calypso shrugged, "Sure, let's find Daphne…"

When they had finally found the others, they stowed their luggage away before walking back out to find Adrian.

"Hi Adrian", he was walking down the pathway with another boy, Cassius Warrington.

Adrian hugged Calypso before introducing her to his friends, "You've met Warrington? He's the new Quidditch captain."

"Oh- hello, are you not on the team this year?"
Adrian shrugged, "My parents want me to focus on other things, but Warrington's an amazing chaser."
Cassius nodded hesitantly before waving goodbye, "come on Adrian, the seats will all be full by now"

"Bye then" Calypso waved as she walked back down to the aisle to find Draco, Daphne, Theo, and Celestia.

Once the train had gotten moving, Theo pulled out his little half-time turner and started fidgeting with it and casting different complicated spells on it.

Daphne sighed, "How was the world cup?"
"It was fine I guess…" but of course, Draco couldn't resist the opportunity to show off, "We were in the top box, they're the best seats in the whole stadium you know, and-"
"No, not that" Daphne interrupted, "What about the thing that happened afterward. Were any of you part of it?"
Calypso shook her head, "Everyone was together- supposed to be at least" she added, with a pointed look at Draco.

Draco glared at her, "Yeah, but we got to see Krum up close, and my father invited him over to our Manor and-"
"And he refused" I finished. "What did you do over the summer, Daphne?"
"But-"

"We went up north near Durmstrang," Daphne said loudly, "My father had to sort out something there so it turned into a family vacation I guess"

"Father considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know. He knows the headmaster, you see. Well, you know his opinion of Dumbledore — the man's such a Mudblood-lover — and Durmstrang doesn't admit that sort of riffraff. But Mother didn't like the idea of me going to school so far

away. Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students learn them, not just the defense rubbish we do. . . ." Draco said, shifting the attention back to him

(well mostly, Theo was still focused on the time turner) and Draco seemed to take it as a personal challenge for Theo to look at him for he kept talking loudly for the remainder of the ride.

The rain became heavier and heavier as the train moved farther north. The sky was so dark and the windows so steamy that the lanterns were lit by midday.

"Father says that the headmaster there, Karkaraoff, used to be-"

The lunch trolley came rattling along the corridor, and Calypso bought a large stack of Cauldron Cakes to bribe Draco with for him to shut up.

Around mid-afternoon, Draco got ready to make his annual trip to Potter, Granger, and Weasley. "You guys coming?"
Celestia shook her head as she rested her head on Theo, falling asleep.

Calypso stood up, "I'll go with you"

"Same" agreed Daphne. "Let's go"

They pushed open the compartment door just as Weasley was bragging to Longbottom and Finnigan about being in the top box. Just like Draco.

"We saw him right up close, as well," Weasley was saying, "We were in the Top Box —"

"For the first and last time in your life, Weasley." Draco sneered, interrupting his rant.

"Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy," said Potter coolly.

"Weasley . . . what is that?" said Calypso, just noticing a sleeve of something with moldy lace.

Weasley made to stuff the robes out of sight, but Calypso seized the sleeve and pulled.

"Look at this!" said Draco in ecstasy, holding up Weasley's robes, "Weasley, you weren't thinking of wearing these, were you? I mean — they were very fashionable in about eighteen ninety. . . ." Daphne said, doubling over, laughing. "Are you trying to match with the mudblood?"

"Eat dung!" said Weasley, the same color as the dress robes as he snatched them back out of Draco's grip.

Draco howled with derisive laughter; and Calypso had to hold on to Daphne to prevent herself from falling onto the floor in laughter.

"So . . . going to enter, Weasley? Going to try and bring a bit of glory to the family name?" asked Draco once they had calmed down a bit.

"There's money involved as well, you know . . . you'd be able to afford some decent robes if you won. . . ." added Daphne not so helpfully.

"What are you talking about?" snapped Weasley

"Are you going to enter?" Calypso repeated, slower in case they were deaf.

"I suppose you will, Potter? You never miss a chance to show off, do you?" asked Draco.

"Either explain what you're on about or go away, Malfoy," said Granger testily, over the top of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4.

Calypso smiled gleefully, "Don't tell me you don't know?" she said delightedly. "You've got a father and brother at the Ministry and you don't even know? My God, we knew about it ages ago . . . heard it from Cornelius Fudge."

"But then, Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry. . . . Maybe your father's too junior to know about it, Weasley . . . yes . . . they probably don't talk about important stuff in front of him. . ." reminded Draco.

Laughing once more, they walked out of the compartment and almost fell sideways. "Oh...oh my god. Draco! You're so mean- oh..god" and Calypso broke into laughter again.

At last, the Hogwarts Express slowed down and pulled into the pitch-black station in Hogsmeade. As the train doors opened, there was a rumble of thunder overhead.

Artemis hooted madly until Theo cast an impervious charm on the cage, but the poor thing was still EXTREMELY upset. And by upset, Calypso meant biting and squawking at everything around her.

The rain was now coming down so thick and fast that it was as though buckets of ice-cold water were being emptied repeatedly over their heads.

"Hey"

Thank Salazar that Adrian had an umbrella. "Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah"

A hundred carriages stood waiting for them outside the station. They climbed into one of them with Cassius and Daphne, the door shut with a snap, and a few moments later, with a great lurch, the long procession of carriages was rumbling and splashing its way up the track toward Hogwarts Castle.

Through the gates, flanked with statues of winged boars, and up the sweeping drive, the carriages trundled, swaying dangerously in what was fast becoming a gale.

Leaning against Adrian, Calypso could see Hogwarts coming nearer, its many lighted windows blurred and shimmering behind the thick curtain of rain. Lightning flashed across the sky as their carriage came to a halt before the great oak front doors, which stood at the top of a flight of stone steps. People who had occupied the carriages in front were already hurrying up the stone steps into the castle.

When the carriage finally lurched to a stop, Warrington- bless him- held out the umbrella for them as everyone else got off and ran up the front steps into the safety of the Great Hall.

"Thank god-" started Daphne, but she was interrupted as Peeves lobbed a giant water balloon in their direction.

People all around them shrieked and started pushing one another in their efforts to get out of the line of fire.

Calypso glared upwards and saw, floating twenty feet above them, Peeves the Poltergeist, a little man in a bell-covered hat and orange bow tie, his wide, malicious face contorted with concentration as he aimed again.

"PEEVES!" yelled an angry voice. "Peeves, come down here at ONCE!" Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress and head of Gryffindor House, had come dashing out of the Great Hall; she skidded on the wet floor barking, "Peeves, get down here NOW!", straightening her pointed hat and glaring upward through her square-rimmed spectacles.

"Not doing nothing!" cackled Peeves, lobbing a water bomb at several fifth-year girls, who screamed and dived into the Great Hall. "Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeeeeeee!" And he aimed another bomb at a group of second years who had just arrived.

"I shall call the headmaster!" shouted Professor McGonagall. "I'm warning you, Peeves —"

Peeves stuck out his tongue, threw the last of his water bombs into the air, and zoomed off up the marble staircase, cackling insanely.

"Well, move along, then!" said Professor McGonagall sharply to the bedraggled crowd. "Into the Great Hall, come on!"

Calypso, hanging onto Daphne so she didn't slip and die, followed the rest of the crowd through the marble doors.

The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast. Golden plates and goblets gleaned by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in midair. The four long House tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils. It was much warmer in here.

They all sat down and a little later, the Bloody Baron came out to greet them. "Hello, hello. Welcome"
Calypso waved to the Slytherin ghost before settling herself on the benches. "When's the Sorting going to start?"
"Don't know" he said gruffly. "The house-elves were running mayhem, so even after the Sorting, the feast may not be served."
Daphne sighed and tapped her wand against her leg, drying everyone up.

Calypso looked at the staff table where about five seats were empty. "Where's the new DADA teacher?"
"Not here yet" Adrian explained, "Apparently Dumbledore got Mad-Eye to teach this year…"

"Who?"
"Moody, he's a crazy ex-auror."

"Oh." Calypso wasn't anxious to have him as a professor, ex auror or not.

Soon, the Great Hall fell quiet and Professor McGonagall led a group of first-years into the castle. Calypso felt a pang of sympathy for them, they were all soaked from head to toe and looked as if they had swum across the lake rather than rowed.

"Don't worry about them" Adrian said, noticing Calypso's wince. "If they get into Slytherin, we can dry them up"

Professor McGonagall now placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first years and, on top of it, an extremely old, dirty, patched wizard's hat. The first years stared at it. So did everyone else.

For a moment, there was silence. Then along tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat broke into song:

A thousand years or more ago,

When I was newly sewn,

There lived four wizards of renown,

Whose names are still well known:

Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,

Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,

Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,

Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.

They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,

They hatched a daring plan

To educate young sorcerers

Thus Hogwarts School began.

Now each of these four founders

Formed their own house, for each

Did value different virtues

In the ones, they had to teach.

By Gryffindor, the bravest was

Prized far beyond the rest;

For Ravenclaw, the cleverest

Would always be the best;

For Hufflepuff, hard workers were

Most worthy of admission;

And power-hungry Slytherin

Loved those of great ambition.

While still alive they did divide

Their favorites from the throng,

Yet how to pick the worthy ones

When they were dead and gone?

'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,

He whipped me off his head

The founders put some brains in me

So I could choose instead!

Now slip me snug about your ears,

I've never yet been wrong,

I'll have a look inside your mind

And tell where you belong!

The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting Hat finished.

Professor McGonagall was now unrolling a large scroll of parchment.

"When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool," she told the first years. "When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table.

"Ackerley, Stewart!" A boy walked forward, visibly trembling from head to foot, picked up the Sorting Hat, put it on, and sat down on the stool.

"RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat.

"That's fine...he seems nice enough" whispered Calypso.

Stewart Ackerley took off the hat and hurried into a seat at the Ravenclaw table, where everyone was applauding him. Calypso could see Celestia wave to him as he sat down.

"Baddock, Malcolm!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

Calypso cheered with the rest of the group and hugged Malcolm as he sat down next to Theo. "Dry him off" she hissed at Theo, who shrugged and waved his wand a bit, all the water evaporation off.

"Branstone, Eleanor!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Cauldwell, Owen!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Creevey, Dennis!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"
Calypso sighed, "Dang."

The Sorting continued; boys and girls with varying degrees of fright on their faces moving one by one to the three-legged stool, the line dwindling slowly as Professor McGonagall passed the L's.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the Sorting Hat closed shut once more. This year, there were only 3 new Slytherins, about a bazillion Hufflepuffs, a few Ravenclaws, and about 10 Gryffindors.

After McGonagall carried off the sorting hat, Professor Dumbledore got to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his arms opened wide in welcome.

"I have only two words to say to you," he told them, his deep voice echoing around the Hall. Tuck in. "

The empty dishes soon magically filled with mashed potatoes, gravy, fruit, desserts, steak, and much more.

When the puddings too had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet again.

The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard. "So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."

The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched.

He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below the third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

Most of the Great Hall just stared at Dumbly, too appalled to speak.

Calypso nudged Adrian, "Then you dropping out won't have any effect"

"Yeah, I guess"

Dumbledore went on, "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy — but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts —"

But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak.

Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling.

He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table. A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore

"Oh my god-" Calypso whispered as another flash of lightning illuminated the man's face. "Is that Mad-Eye"

Adrian nodded soundlessly next to her as everyone stared at Moody's face.

It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening.

One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye — and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head so that all they could see was whiteness.

The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbledore shook it, muttering words that nobody could hear.

He seemed to be making some inquiry of the stranger, who shook his head unsmilingly and replied in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side.

The stranger sat down, shook his mane of dark gray hair out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it.

He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students.

"Uhhh," said Calypso awkwardly, breaking the silence.

A few students around her laughed nervously as Dumbledore returned to his place.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody."

It was usual for new staff members to be greeted with applause, but none of the staff or students clapped except Dumbledore and the half-breed, who both put their hands together and applauded, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and they stopped fairly quickly. Everyone else seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him.

Moody seemed indifferent to his less-than-warm welcome. Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he reached again into his traveling cloak, pulled out a hip flask, and took a long draught from it. As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, and Calypso saw, below the table, several inches of a carved wooden leg, ending in a clawed foot.

Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"As I was saying," he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"YOU'RE JOKING!" shouted one of the Weasley twins and Calypso shook her head. "That's what I thought when Draco told me…"

Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively. "I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar . . ."

But what Dumbledore had heard, Calypso guessed they would never know as Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.

"Er — but maybe this is not the time . . . no . . ." said Dumbledore, "where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament . . . well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities — until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

"Death toll…" said Adrian thoughtfully. "Interesting"
Calypso glared at him, "INTERESTING?!"

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful. However, our departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger. The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."

Calypso looked at Adrian, "Are you going to enter?"
He shook his head, "No, I just dropped out of Quidditch, you think my parents would be too pleased with me entering another dangerous sport?"

Daphne nodded appreciatively, "You should listen to him more. How many times have I told you that Quidditch is-"

But then Dumbledore spoke again, and the Hall quieted once more.

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age — that is to say, seventeen years or older — will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This"

— Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words—

"is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below a sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion."

"I don't think that's going to stop anyone" whispered Daphne. "Who's going to enter anyway?"
"Warrington probably" Adrian answered. "Look at him"
Indeed Cassius was looking intently at Dumbledore.

"I, therefore, beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen," Dumbledore said, "The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"

Dumbledore sat down again and turned to talk to Mad-Eye Moody. There was a great scraping and banging as all the students got to their feet and swarmed toward the double doors into the entrance hall.

"So are you going to enter?" Calypso asked Warrington once they had left the Great Hall.

He shrugged, "probably. Can you imagine what would happen if a Gryffindor or Hufflepuff became champion?"
"Yeah…" agreed Adrian. "I reckon you should. You were planning for Quidditch anyway but it's canceled."

Cassius seemed to be considering it as they climbed into the Slytherin common room.