Chapter Fourteen
"Oh my gods!" Daphne said, "I can't believe it!"
Harry and Draco nodded in agreement.
"I knew he was young but not that he was still in school young!" Draco said as they made their way into the great hall and sat down.
They had to push past a large group of sixth year girls, fighting over a lipstick for some reason.
The Durmstrang students were standing slightly awkwardly in the doorway, not sure where they were meant to sit. The Beauxbatons lot had already taken seats on the Ravenclaw table. Harry glanced over and saw Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw Seeker, talking happily with a girl with very long silvery blonde hair, who was clutching her scarf around her neck.
"Over here." Pansy said, waving over the Durmstrang students.
They looked very pleased to be offered a seat. Harry saw Ron standing next to the Gryffindor table looking very disappointed.
"Thank you. Ve are very grateful." one of the girl students from Durmstrang said.
They stripped off their layers of furs and sat down. They were all a rough looking lot, even the girls were clearly well muscled and their hands were worn from hard work.
"Nice to meet you." Draco said, holding his hand out for them to shake. Krum took it first and gave it a firm shake followed by the other students.
"I am Viktor, Viktor Krum, this is Birgitta Ericsdottir and Agne Thurstan." He said gesturing to two blonde girls, "and this is Havelock Poliakoff." he said, introducing a weedy looking boy as they took their seats, the other students had sat further down the table, "And you are?"
"I'm Draco Malfoy, this is Daphne Greengrass, Pansy Parkinson and Harry Potter." Draco smiled.
The Durmstrang students eyes flicked to Harry's forehead. Harry gave them an awkward smile.
"Yeah, it's me." Harry told them.
Birgitta and Agne started whispering to each other in another language, before giving them a small smile.
"Sorry." Agne said, "Ve have always 'eard stories of you."
Harry shrugged, "It's OK. I'm used to it."
"You too, huh?" Krum gave him a smile.
Harry grinned and glanced up to where Filch, wearing his mouldy old tailcoat in honour of the occasion, was adding two chairs either side of Dumbledore's.
"I wonder who else is coming?" Daphne asked, "There should be only two more people."
"I think it vill be the other judges." Poliakoff said, "This is very fine." he said, holding up the golden plates, "Ve have nothing this this at home."
"What's it like there?" Pansy asked.
Krum shrugged, "It is cold. Ve have a lot of hard lessons outside to build strength. Ve have a castle as vell, but not as grand as this."
"Sounds lovely." Daphne smiled, "Hogwarts can be very overwhelmingly big at times."
The students had all taken their seats in the hall now and the teachers where filling onto the top table. As soon as Madam Maxime entered the hall all the Beauxbatons students jumped to their feet and stood respectfully looking up at her, arms folded behind their backs.
Several of the Hogwarts students sniggered at the sight of them but the Beauxbatons students clearly didn't care. They didn't sit down until Madam Maxime had taken her seat on Dumbledore's left side.
Dumbledore however stayed standing and waited until the hall fell quiet.
"Good evening ladies, gentlemen, ghosts and, most particularly, guests," Dumbledore said, smiling warmly at the visiting students, "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable. The Tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast. I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"
He sat down and Harry watched as Karkaroff leaned forward, straight away to talk to him. The dishes before them filled with food as they always did.
Harry was impressed, it was very clear that house elves had put in the extra effort to show off for their guests. Along side all of the normal dishes there were several that where distinctly foreign. A large dish of fish stew stood beside a silver plater of steaks.
Harry helped himself to black pudding, eggs and chips. He placed a small spoonful of peas on the side of his plate so he could at least pretend to be healthy.
Daphne was chatting excitedly to one of the blonde girls from Durmstrang, all of whom had taken helpings of the fish stew with large chunks of bread and butter.
Pansy nudged him in the ribs and pointed to the top table where two more people were taking their seats, one was Ludo Bagman and the other was Barty Crouch. They had moved and said a few quiet words to Dumbledore before sitting down and taking part in the feast.
Once the first course had been cleared away there were several strange looking puddings in amongst the normal ones.
Harry filled his bowl with treacle tart and profiteroles. His stomach was trying to explode out of his trousers towards the end of the meal but it all tasted amazing.
"Rommegrot?" Havelock asked.
"Sorry, what?" Harry asked.
"He vants the rommegrot." Viktor said, pointing to a bowl of porridge.
"Oh right, sorry." Harry happily passed it over.
"Ve aren't used to so much choice." Birgitta smiled, "Ve only have one choice at most meals, vell two, eat it or don't."
Draco shrugged, "Normally we don't have this much either. Can I try some of that?" he said, pointing to the rommegrot.
Agne nodded and spooned some into his bowl.
"It's good." Draco smiled, "Tastes really creamy and sweet."
"It's very good vith strawberries." Agne said.
Once the golden plates had been cleared away, Dumbledore stood up again and raised his hands for silence.
"The moment has come," said Dumbledore, smiling at the students, everyone listening intently, "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation, before we bring in the casket,"
Harry, Draco, Pansy and Daphne looked at each other confused before turning their attention back to Professor Dumbledore.
"I just want to clarify the procedure which we will be following this year. But firstly let me introduce, for those of you who do not know them, Mr Bartemuis Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Co-operation."
There was a smattering of applause for Mr Crouch, who raised a hand in recognition.
"And Mr Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."
There was a much louder round of applause which Ludo clearly enjoyed. Harry wasn't sure if it was because he was much more well known or because he was simply more likeable looking.
"Mr Bagman and Mr Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff and Madam Maxime on the panel which will judge the champions' efforts."
At the mention on Champions the attention in the room doubled. Harry could feel the hair on the back of his neck prick up with excitement.
Dumbledore noticed the change and smiled, "The casket, then, if you please, Mr Filch."
Filch, who had been standing quietly in the corner of the room, now moved forward carrying a large wooden chest. It was clearly very old, with precious jewels encrusted over the aged wood.
Dumbledore let the room stew for a moment before clearing his throat to speak again, "The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr Crouch and Mr Bagman."
Filch carefully placed the large wooden chest on the table in front of Dumbledore and stood back.
Dumbledore nodded to him and turned his attention back to the hall, "And they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways… their magical prowess, their daring, their powers of deduction and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."
Harry leaned over to Draco, "No problem for any of us then." he grinned.
Draco smirked and nodded. He was so disappointed that they weren't going to be allowed to enter, not that he thought for a second his mother would be happy about his risking his life for a fancy cup.
"As you know, three champions compete in the Tournament," Dumbledore continued, "One from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they preform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector… the Goblet of Fire!"
Dumbledore took his wand and calmly tapped, three times, on the lid of the wooden chest. It creaked open, letting Dumbledore reach in and carefully lift out a rough looking wooden cup. It would have seemed like a let down after the jewel encrusted chest, if the cup hadn't been filled with brightly dancing blue and white flames.
Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the cup on top of it so that everyone in the hall could clearly see it.
"Anyone wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment, and drop it into the Goblet." Dumbledore announced. He looked very striking, his sharp face highlighted by the dancing flames. He looked very much like a man you didn't want to cross, "Aspiring champions have twenty four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the Goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The Goblet will be placed in the Entrance Hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete. To ensure that no under age students yield to temptation, I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the Entrance Hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line."
Dumbledore waited for a moment to let this information sink in. There were a lot of disappointed looks from students around the hall. Harry could see the Weasley twins, heads bent low with Lee Jordan, whispering about something.
Dumbledore looked around the hall, "Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this Tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the Tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the Goblet constitutes a binding magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become champion. Therefore, please be sure that you are whole heartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the Goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Goodnight to you all."
Harry stood up and stretched, he was a bit stiff from sitting so long and felt very full. Karkaroff wondered over and smiled fondly at Krum.
"How are you doing Viktor? Did you eat enough? Should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?" Karkaroff asked, almost lovingly.
"I vould like some vine." Havelock grinned.
Karkaroff turned to him, all sign of affection vanished in a second, "I wasn't offering it to you Poliakoff. I see you managed to spill food down your front again, disgusting boy."
Harry saw several of the Durmstrang students grit their teeth and roll their eyes once Karkaroff wasn't looking.
"As I said, come alo…" he caught sight of Harry's forehead and stopped.
"Harry Potter, sir. Pleasure to meet you." Harry said after a second, trying to break the tension.
Karkaroff shook his hand limply, "Well I..."
A hand appeared on Harry's shoulder. He turned round to see Severus standing protectively over him, "I see you met my son, Karkaroff." he hissed.
Karkaroff's face hardened, his eyes flicking to Snape's left forearm for a second, his nasty smile returned to his lips, "I wasn't aware you had a son Severus, just a daughter. I thought he was James Potter's boy."
Harry felt Severus's fingers dig into his shoulder.
"Severus is the only Dad I remember," Harry said, forcing a smile, "I'm proud to call him my father."
Severus smiled to Harry, touched at the comment.
Karkaroff gave a small nod, "Well, we should be getting back to the ship."
"Is there a problem here?" A rough voice said, as Professor Moody limped over.
Karkaroff's face drained of colour, "YOU!" he gasped.
"Me." Moody replied, "Now unless you have anything nice to say to Potter, I suggest you move along."
Karkaroff swept off without another word, his students following in his wake. Harry smiled thanks to Professor Moody.
"Thanks. He seemed to have lost the power of thought at the sight of this." Harry joked, pointing to his scar.
Moody snarled, "Never had much thought to begin with, trust me." Moody was still watching Karkaroff with his magical eye, Harry was sure of that; there was a look of utter disgust on his face.
