0522 Conclusion

The tension in the room reached a fever pitch as Karkaroff threw his question to the two high-ranking officials from the British Ministry of Magic. Ludo Bagman, his face alight with barely contained excitement, seemed ready to burst with his eagerness to express his views. However, upon catching sight of Watson's expressionless face, Bagman suddenly fell silent. He then cautiously looked towards Barty Crouch.

Hermione immediately turned her gaze to Crouch, not expecting her fate to lie in the hands of this Ministry official she disliked.

Barty Crouch stood just outside the circle of warm firelight with half his face hidden in shadow. He looked somewhat strange, the shadowed half making him appear much older, almost skeletal. Yet when he spoke, it was still as stiff as always.

"Bryan is correct, Hermione Granger has no other choice, and we are bound by the ancient rules that govern this tournament. The stipulations regarding the Goblet of Fire are explicitly clear - any individual whose name emerges from its flames is magically bound to compete, regardless of the circumstances."

"Well, that settles it then!" Bagman exclaimed, his face splitting into a relieved smile as he turned eagerly toward Karkaroff and Madame Maxime. His expression showed that he believed the matter had been resolved as neatly as a well-executed Quidditch play, though the tension in the room said otherwise.

Karkaroff seemed to have absorbed the essence of Crouch's tone, but twisted it to suit his own purposes. His voice was no longer smooth and ingratiating, but became harsh and sharp. The smile that had been plastered on his face throughout the confrontation vanished, replaced by barely contained fury. Veins bulged on the back of his tightly clenched fist, his knuckles turning white with the force of his grip.

"If it must be so!" Karkaroff spat, his words dripping with venom. His cold and calculating eyes swept across the room before settling on Bryan. "Then we must proceed with the only logical solution! Bring forth the Goblet of Fire once more! We will continue adding names until each school has two champions competing. That is the only impartial resolution, Watson!"

"I'm terribly sorry, Karkaroff," Bagman, caught off guard by this sudden shift in the conversation, looked distinctly uncomfortable. His eyes darted between Bryan and Dumbledore, seeking some indication of how to respond. When neither wizard immediately spoke, Bagman cleared his throat nervously and his words tumbled out awkwardly, like a student unsure of their answer. "But I'm afraid that's simply not possible. The Goblet has already extinguished itself - it won't reignite until the next tournament cycle begins..."

A heavy silence fell over the room, broken only by the soft crackling of the fire. Fleur, her silvery hair gleaming in the firelight, turned her piercing gaze towards Bryan. Her expression was a mixture of curiosity and frustration, clearly wanting to gauge his reaction to this latest development.

Viktor Krum, his heavy brows furrowed in concentration, looked towards Hermione. He had formed a good impression of this witch from Hogwarts during their brief encounter on the night of the World Cup final. On the night of the World Cup final, she had dared to stand against dark wizards who were much more powerful than her in the box, which was enough to prove her bravery.

Cedric as Hogwarts' official champion, seemed somewhat lost in the chaos that had erupted around him. He stood slightly apart from the others, his expression showing a mixture of confusion and concern. It was clear that in the heat of the argument over Hermione's unexpected selection, Cedric's own position as champion had been nearly forgotten.

Karkaroff, his face flushed with anger, broke the silence with a furious outburst. "Then mark my words - Durmstrang will withdraw from all future tournaments!!" he roared, his voice rising to a near-shout. "We've had so many meetings, Watson, after all those negotiation and compromises, I never expected something like this to happen! I'm half inclined to leave right this instant!"

"The gates of Hogwarts are always open, Karkaroff. You're welcome to leave at any time, but your champion must stay—" Bryan said coldly, "Just as I cannot stand idly by while Miss Granger risks being reduced to a Squib by the Goblet's contract backlash, the same protection extends to Mr. Krum."

Karkaroff's face, already flushed with anger, turned an even deeper shade of red. He stared hard at Bryan; his yellowed teeth bared in a snarl of frustration. When he spoke, his words came out in a hiss, dripping with barely contained rage. "You're threatening me, Watson! I swear by all that's magical, I will file a formal complaint with the Confederation. Don't think your position as Vice President will shield you from the consequences of your professional failures!"

The tension in the room reached a breaking point, only to be shattered by a new voice that roared from the doorway, accompanied by the distinctive sound of a wooden leg striking the stone.

"Empty threats, Karkaroff!" Moody's gruff voice cut through the tension. He limped towards Karkaroff, his magical eye whirling in its socket as he fixed both of his eyes on him. "You won't abandon this tournament, and we all know it! I've been listening to you whine as if you're the biggest victim in this affair, while the true victim hasn't uttered a single word in her own defense!"

Moody's wooden leg made a loud, rhythmic thunking noise with each step as he approached. Karkaroff, faced with Moody's intimidating approach, instinctively took a step back. Then, realizing that all eyes were upon him, he forced himself to step forward again, his face showing anger.

"I'm afraid I can't understand what you mean—" Karkaroff said, trying to muster his dignity. "Aren't Durmstrang and Beauxbatons victims? And who is this 'true victim' you speak of?"

"Oh, I know precisely what thoughts lurk in that head of yours!" Moody's voice boomed through the chamber. "You still cling to the suspicion that someone from Hogwarts deliberately planted Hermione Granger's name in the Goblet of Fire, hoping to double their chances of victory!"

Madame Maxime, who had been watching the exchange with growing impatience, finally interjected. "Isn't that the case?" she said irritably, tilting her massive chin up.

Moody showed unexpected restraint in addressing Madame Maxime's interruption, though his contempt for the argument was palpable in his voice.

"Everyone in this room knows full well that Miss Hermione Granger is just an underage witch. If someone truly intended to give Hogwarts an additional advantage, why would they choose someone who appears to have such slim chances of victory?"

Moody's mismatched eyes both normal and magical, were fixed on Karkaroff with intensity. His scarred face twisted into a terrible smile that made several people in the room shift uncomfortably. When Moody spoke again, his voice had taken on a dangerous edge.

"In my view, there are only two possibilities. Either the perpetrator who did this has a deep grudge against Miss Granger and wants her to die in these tasks, or..." He paused, letting the tension build before continuing, "Miss Granger is just an innocent person caught up in this. The true target is Hogwarts itself— someone wants to see us embroiled in scandal and controversy. After all, what could be more damaging to Hogwarts' reputation than having two champions, only to see one perish in the tournament?"

The blunt assessment sent a chill through the room. Hermione felt her scalp tingle with fear, and she was aware of Professor McGonagall's grip on her arm tightening protectively. McGonagall's face, illuminated by the flickering firelight, was etched with worry as she turned towards Dumbledore and Bryan.

"Albus, Bryan, should we—" McGonagall began, her voice tight with concern. "Think of alternative methods to safely remove Hermione from the champion's position?"

Karkaroff had clearly understood what Moody was implying. He was prepared to refute loudly, but McGonagall's words made him quiet for a moment. If there really was a way to get this annoying girl who was obviously a Mudblood out of the tournament, that would be best.

"There might be a way—" It was Dumbledore who broke this tense silence, his words sending a shock through the group.

Was there really a method to release Granger from her champion status without destroying her magical abilities? If so, what had they been arguing about all this time? Had Dumbledore simply been observing their arguments with silent amusement?

Even Bryan's brow moved imperceptibly.

"If we can reach unanimous agreement to destroy the Goblet of Fire," Dumbledore continued calmly, "then the magical contract's backlash would cease to exist. Miss Granger could safely withdraw from the tournament tasks, while we can recognize the legitimacy of the other three champions."

Dumbledore's eyes settled calmly on Bryan as he finished speaking.

Bryan's eyelid twitched and he understood Dumbledore's meaning.

Destroy the Goblet of Fire- one of the most ancient and powerful magical artifacts in existence?

The very idea seemed outrageous. Karkaroff, who had been the most vocal throughout the evening, fell into a stunned silence. In his mind, he thought Dumbledore must surely be joking. The Goblet of Fire was not just an extremely valuable magical artifact, but a historical relic of immense significance. Neither the Ministry of Magic nor the International Confederation of Wizards would ever agree to its destruction. And yet, if Dumbledore were to insist...

Moody's magical eye, which had been whirling ceaselessly throughout the confrontation, seemed to freeze in its socket at Dumbledore's unexpected proposal. He had never imagined that his speculation would lead to such a drastic suggestion.

The tense silence was broken by Barty Crouch, who straightened his hunched body for the first time that evening. His voice, when he spoke, was sharp and authoritative. "I absolutely forbid it—" He didn't look at Dumbledore, but instead stepped out of the firelight and stared at Karkaroff with a frightening gaze.

"The Goblet of Fire is a precious artifact that has been passed down for many centuries. I will not permit its destruction the first time it has fulfilled its purpose in generations. The Ministry of Magic absolutely and explicitly rejects this proposal!"

Karkaroff was frightened by Crouch's gaze. He was full of grievances, his lips quivering a few times, seemingly trying to explain that he wasn't the one who proposed the idea.

Crouch, his voice brooking no argument, continued. "If you think it's unfair, Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, then we'll all agree that Hogwarts' final score in the competition will be the average of Cedric Diggory and Hermione Granger's individual scores. That's the final solution, and everyone must participate in the competition!"

"Following your own logic, Karkaroff," Moody interjected with a wickedly triumphant smile, "it's actually Dumbledore who should be raising objections now, isn't it? No one would reasonably expect an underage witch to excel in this competition. Hogwarts now bears the burden of a competitor who will be dragging them down in the overall standing!"

'Dragging them down'... Even though Hermione's heart was filled with so many worries right now, she still found a moment to be angry at Professor Moody's words.

After Crouch's declaration and Moody's pointed observation, Dumbledore and Bryan's gazes met briefly, before they looked away.

Bryan, his voice calm and measured, broke the tense silence. "Hogwarts has no objections—"

"Excellent!" Bagman exclaimed; his cheerfulness seemingly immune to the room's tense atmosphere. "Now, how shall we explain this situation to the public?"

Bryan's response was swift and decisive. "New rules for the Triwizard Tournament—" he said, casting a brief glance at Bagman. "The host school can have two champions."

His gaze then shifted to Karkaroff, whose face was once again flushing with anger.

"This condition can be retained as a precedent, Professor Karkaroff," Bryan added with just a hint of sarcastic humor. "I hope this will keep your fighting spirit high when its time to determine the host of the next Triwizard Tournament—"

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