There was no applause to greet Neville. Instead there was a buzzing, like a swarm of bees. Some students had gotten to their feet to look over towards the Gryffindor table. Dudley too was frozen in place. He was stunned that he had been picked, but Neville too? Since when were there four champions allowed?
"Neville Longbottom, up here, please!" Dumbledore called.
Dudley had seemingly been forgotten about. Slowly, and stumbling slightly, Neville came forward. He looked as baffled as Dudley felt.
"Through the door, Neville, Dudley," Dumbledore said. He wasn't smiling.
Dudley led the way through the door out of the Great Hall and found himself in a smaller room, lined with paintings of witches and wizards. A handsome fire was roaring in the fireplace opposite him. He had a thousand questions for Neville, and he felt that Neville had the same.
Krum and Fleur Delacour were stood near the fire. They weren't speaking and looked strangely impressive silhouetted against the frames.
"Vat is this?" Krum demanded as the two approached.
Dudley didn't speak. He didn't know what to say.
There was a sound of scurrying feet behind him, and Ludo Bagman entered the room. He took Dudley by the arm and led him forward.
"Extraordinary!" he muttered, squeezing Dudley and Neville's arms. "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen...lady," he added, approaching the fireside and addressing the other three. "May I introduce - incredible though it may seem - the third and fourth Triwizard champions?"
"Third and fourth!" Krum exclaimed. His surly face darkened.
Fleur Delacour, however, tossed her hair, smiling, and said, "Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman."
"Joke?" Bagman repeated, bewildered. "No, no, not at all! Dudley and Neville's names just came out of the Goblet of Fire!"
Krum's thick eyebrows contracted slightly. Fleur frowned.
"But evidently zair 'as been a mistake," she said contemptuously to Bagman. "They cannot compete. They are too young."
"Well...it is amazing," said Bagman, rubbing his smooth chin and smiling down at them both. "But, as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure. And as their name have come out of the goblet...I mean, I don't think there can be any ducking out at this stage...It's down in the rules, you're both obliged..."
The door behind them opened again, and a large group of people came in: Professor Dumbledore, followed closely by Mr. Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape. Dudley heard the buzzing of the hundreds of students on the other side of the wall, before Professor McGonagall closed the door.
"Madame Maxime!" said Fleur at once, striding over to her headmistress. "Zey are saying zat zees little boys are to compete also!"
Somewhere under Dudley's numb disbelief he felt a ripple of anger. Little boy? He was taller than she was.
Madame Maxime had drawn herself up to her full, and considerable, height. The top of her handsome head brushed the candle-filled chandelier, and her gigantic black-satin bosom swelled.
"What is ze meaning of zis, Dumbly-dorr?" she said imperiously.
"I'd rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore," said Professor Karkaroff. He was wearing a steely smile, and his blue eyes were like chips of ice. "Two Hogwarts champions? I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions - or have I not read the rules carefully enough?"
He gave a short and nasty laugh.
"C'est impossible," said Madame Maxime, whose enormous hand with its many superb opals was resting upon Fleur's shoulder. "'Ogwarts cannot 'ave two champions. It is most injust."
"What I want to know," Snape said in a slow voice. "Is how Dursley and Longbottoms became the Hogwarts champions. They are under 17, and if they is the best this school has to offer …"
"That will do, Severus," Dumbledore said, sharply.
Dudley balled his hands into his fists. Hating Snape.
"We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, his steely smile still in place, though his eyes were colder than ever. "Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools."
"It's no one's fault but Durlsey's, Karkaroff," said Snape softly. His black eyes were alight with malice. "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for Dursley's determination to break rules. He has been leading his friends, Longbottom included, into trouble since he got here. No doubt Dursley is the brains … so to speak … behind it all-"
"I saw that will do, Severus," Dumbledore said, sternly.
Snape went quiet, though his eyes still glinted malevolently through his curtain of greasy black hair.
"Neville, Dudley, did you both put your name in the Goblet of Fire?" Dumbledore said, calmly.
"No, Professor," Dudley said.
Beside him, Neville shook his head, furiously.
"I tried—but your age line worked," Dudley said. "I didn't get through—ask Ron and Dean. They were with me!"
"Did either of you ask an older student to put it into the Goblet of Fire for you?" said Professor Dumbledore.
"No," said Dudley vehemently.
"Ah, but of course 'e is lying!" cried Madame Maxime. Snape was now shaking his head, his lip curling.
"He could not have crossed the Age Line," said Professor McGonagall sharply. "I am sure we are all agreed on that -"
"Dumbly-dorr must 'ave made a mistake wiz ze line," said Madame Maxime, shrugging.
"Dumbledore, you know perfectly well you did not make a mistake!" said Professor McGonagall angrily. "Really, what nonsense! Dudley and Neville could not have crossed the line himself—indeed, I took points from Gryffindor because Dudley tried and failed last night! And as Professor Dumbledore believes that he did not persuade an older student to do it for him, I'm sure that should be good enough for everybody else!"
She shot a very angry look at Professor Snape.
"Mr. Crouch...Mr. Bagman," said Karkaroff, his voice unctuous once more, "you are our - er - objective judges. Surely you will agree that this is most irregular?"
Bagman wiped his round, boyish face with his handkerchief and looked at Mr. Crouch, who was standing outside the circle of the firelight, his face half hidden in shadow. He looked slightly eerie, the half darkness making him look much older, giving him an almost skull-like appearance. When he spoke, however, it was in his usual curt voice.
"We must follow the rules, and the rules state clearly that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the tournament."
"Well, Barty knows the rule book back to front," said Bagman, beaming and turning back to Karkaroff and Madame Maxime, as though the matter was now closed.
"I insist upon resubmitting the names of the rest of my students," said Karkaroff. He had dropped his unctuous tone and his smile now. His face wore a very ugly look indeed. "You will set up the Goblet of Fire once more, and we will continue adding names until each school has two champions. It's only fair, Dumbledore."
"But Karkaroff, it doesn't work like that," said Bagman. "The Goblet of Fire's just gone out - it won't reignite until the start of the next tournament -"
"- in which Durmstrang will most certainly not be competing!" exploded Karkaroff. "After all our meetings and negotiations and compromises, I little expected something of this nature to occur! I have half a mind to leave now!"
"Empty threat, Karkaroff," growled a voice from near the door. "You can't leave your champion now. He's got to compete. They've all got to compete. Binding magical contract, like Dumbledore said. Convenient, eh?"
Moody had just entered the room. He limped toward the fire, and with every right step he took, there was a loud clunk.
"Convenient?" said Karkaroff. "I'm afraid I don't understand you, Moody."
Dudley could tell he was trying to sound disdainful, as though what Moody was saying was barely worth his notice, but his hands gave him away; they had balled themselves into fists.
"Don't you?" said Moody quietly. "It's very simple, Karkaroff. Someone put Dursley and Neville's names in that goblet knowing they'd have to compete if it came out."
"Evidently, someone 'oo wished to give 'Ogwarts two bites at ze apple!" said Madame Maxime.
"If that was the case," Snape said. "Then they would select two more talented students than Longbottom and Dursley. They are possibly the most inept …"
"Severus!" McGonagall snarled, her face furious.
"That will do!" Dumbledore said, sounding angry for the first time. "Alastor, proceed."
"Who?" Dudley asked, then realized it must be Moody. He felt foolish for not realizing that Mad-Eye could hardly be his real name."
"It's simple," Moody said. "Dumbledore believes Dursley and Neville, that should be good enough for anyone. Which leaves only one possibility—somebody else put their names into the Goblet."
"Yes, and …" Karkaroff began, but Moody continued, speaking over him.
"It take a powerful bit of magic to confound the Goblet into forgetting there were only three schools entering," Moody said. "I expect they entered Longbottom under a fake school."
"And Dursley?" Snape asked.
"That could be achieved many ways. A vanishing charm on the Goblet, so that any entrants from Hogwarts disappear. Even the same again—confunding the Goblet into forgetting Hogwarts competes and entering Dursley under a new school. There are many ways it could be done. Even a powerful enough memory charm on the Goblet, causing it to forget all entrants except Dursley," Moody said.
At the mention of memory charms, Dudley immediately thought of Lockhart. Could it be him? Dudley dismissed the thought immediately. Lockhart had been nowhere near the school.
"And why would someone go to such lengths?" Snape asked, his eyes glinting.
"To kill them," Moody growled.
Neville let out a tiny squeak of fear. Dudley's gave a small jolt himself. Moody had said it so bluntly and coldly.
An extremely tense silence followed these words. Ludo Bagman, who was looking very anxious indeed, bounced nervously up and down on his feet and said, "Moody, old man...what a thing to say!"
"We all know Professor Moody considers the morning wasted if he hasn't discovered six plots to murder him before lunchtime," said Karkaroff loudly. "Apparently he is now teaching his students to fear assassination too. An odd quality in a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dumbledore, but no doubt you had your reasons.
"Imagining things, am I?" growled Moody. "Seeing things, eh? It was a skilled witch or wizard who put the boy's name in that goblet."
"You seem to have given this a great deal of thought, Moody," said Karkaroff coldly, "and a very ingenious theory it is - though of course, I heard you recently got it into your head that one of your birthday presents contained a cunningly disguised basilisk egg, and smashed it to pieces before realizing it was a carriage clock. So you'll understand if we don't take you entirely seriously..."
"There are those who'll turn innocent occasions to their advantage," Moody retorted in a menacing voice. "It's my job to think the way Dark wizards do, Karkaroff - as you ought to remember...
"Alastor!" said Dumbledore warningly.
Moody fell silent, though still surveying Karkaroff with satisfaction - Karkaroff's face was burning.
"How this situation arose, we do not know," said Dumbledore, speaking to everyone gathered in the room. "It seems to me, however, that we have no choice but to accept it. Both Neville and Dudley have been chosen to compete in the Tournament. This, therefore, they will do..."
"Ah, but Dumbly-dorr -"
"My dear Madame Maxime, if you have an alternative, I would be delighted to hear it."
Dumbledore waited, but Madame Maxime did not speak, she merely glared. She wasn't the only one either. Snape looked furious; Karkaroff livid; Bagman, however, looked rather excited.
"Well, shall we crack on, then?" he said, rubbing his hands together and smiling around the room. "Got to give our champions their instructions, haven't we? Barty, want to do the honors?"
Mr. Crouch seemed to come out of a deep reverie.
"Yes," he said, "instructions. Yes...the first task..."
He moved forward into the firelight. Close up, Dudley thought he looked ill. There were dark shadows beneath his eyes and a thin, papery look about his wrinkled skin that had not been there at the Quidditch World Cup.
"The first task is designed to test your daring," he told Dudley, Neville, Fleur, and Viktor, "so we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard...very important...
"The first task will take place on November the twenty-fourth, in front of the other students and the panel of judges.
"The champions are not permitted to ask for or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tasks in the tournament. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands. They will receive information about the second task when the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests."
Mr. Crouch turned to look at Dumbledore.
"I think that's all, is it, Albus?"
"I think so," said Dumbledore, who was looking at Mr. Crouch with mild concern. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay at Hogwarts tonight, Barty?"
"No, Dumbledore, I must get back to the Ministry," said Mr. Crouch. "It is a very busy, very difficult time at the moment...I've left young Weatherby in charge...Very enthusiastic...a little overenthusiastic, if truth be told..."
"You'll come and have a drink before you go, at least?" said Dumbledore.
"Come on, Barry, I'm staying!" said Bagman brightly. "It's all happening at Hogwarts now, you know, much more exciting here than at the office!"
"I think not, Ludo," said Crouch with a touch of his old impatience.
"Professor Karkaroff - Madame Maxime - a nightcap?" said Dumbledore.
But Madame Maxime had already put her arm around Fleur's shoulders and was leading her swiftly out of the room. Dudley could hear them both talking very fast in French as they went off into the Great Hall. Karkaroff beckoned to Krum, and they, too, exited, though in silence.
"Dudley, Neville, I suggest you go up to bed," said Dumbledore, smiling at both of them. "I am sure Gryffindor are waiting to celebrate with you, and it would be a shame to deprive them of this excellent excuse to make a great deal of mess and noise."