Chapter 434: Participation Qualifications (Edited)

A thousand gold galleons was a huge prize that even a pureblood family like the Malfoy's couldn't easily ignore, so apart from Fish, who had already made up his mind to participate, most of the students were thinking of signing up.

Although most of them knew that they were unlikely to be chosen as Champions, but....

There was no entry fee anyway, so what if they were chosen?

So the whole Great Hall filled with noise again, with excitement reflected on everyone's faces, especially the Weasley twins, who were already talking about signing up themselves.

Not just the two of them, but at every table in the school there were people looking at Dumbledore greedily or whispering excitedly to their neighbors.

Then Dumbledore spoke again and the Great Hall fell silent once more.

"I know you are all eager to win the Triwizard Tournament for Hogwarts," he said, "But the competing schools and the Ministry of Magic have agreed to set an age limit for this year's competitors. Only students over the age of seventeen, that is, seventeen or older, can register for consideration."

Before he finished speaking, the unqualified students below angrily protested one after another, and the one who shouted the loudest was Fish....

"It's not fair nya! Obviously those people can't beat Fish!"

?(? `Д′?)?

Fish jumped on the table, shouting with his hands in the air, and received a lot of support from the surrounding students.

"That's right, we refuse to accept it!"

"Why can't we participate!"

With Fish leading the way, more and more students joined the protest.

Compared to the indignant Fish and the others, the young wizards who had turned seventeen were delighted....

They didn't trust themselves to compete against Fish, who had beaten everyone at Hogwarts, but now that Fish probably couldn't compete due to his age, wouldn't this be their chance?

Dumbledore seemed to have seen it coming, he smiled and let the group have their way for a while before holding out his hands and giving them a squeeze to calm them down.

"We believe this measure is necessary, as the tournament is still a difficult and dangerous event, and no matter how many precautions we take, it will be impossible for students in grades below sixth and seventh to handle it. But..."

Dumbledore raised his voice and continued, "We have also prepared a test for those students who think they are capable of competing, but do not make the age line, and as long as they can pass this test...by whatever means, then they can go ahead and register you."

He smiled and said another way to register, shushing Fish and the others who had wanted to make a scene.

"What's the content of the test?!"

George asked aloud, he was so depressed now, he and Fred would be seventeen next April and they had almost been disqualified.

"I can't tell you now," Dumbledore said as he kept his mouth shut. "I'll tell you about the tests when the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang delegation arrives in October."

He skipped the question and moved on to the other two schools.

"The students from those two schools will be with us for most of the academic year. I know that they will all be warm and friendly during our foreign guests' stay here, and that they will all support the Hogwarts Champion wholeheartedly once he is finally chosen."

Dumbledore clapped his hands and made his final remarks, "Well, it's late now, and it's important that you all come to class tomorrow morning fresh and clear-headed. off to bed! Hurry!"

Dumbledore sat up and turned his face to speak to Mad-Eye Moody. The Great Hall clicked and thumped as the students rose to their feet and exited through a double door into the foyer.

"What do you think the test will be about?"

The question of the registration test was, of course, the most discussed topic, and Fish was no exception.

"I don't know, but Fish is going to win anyway!"

(●`?′●)

Fish replied confidently.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to..." Ron was already backing away, "I'm mediocre and I couldn't beat many people in the dueling club to begin with, so whatever the test is, I don't think I'll be able to." He said with a bitter smile.

Without being on top of or getting into Gryffindor recklessness, Ron had a relatively clear idea of his own abilities.

Neville shuddered as well.

"I hope that test isn't too torturous," he said reluctantly, "I'm sure my grandmother wants me to take it. She's always telling me that I should defend the family honor, so even if she knows I won't pass it, she'll make me try."

Harry thought about his own results and felt a little apprehensive, but he was better than Neville and Ron in the sense that he was a good fighter and had learned the Patronus Charm, but it was nothing compared to Fish.

So the idea of becoming Champion crossed his mind, and then he decided to scrap it....

Although he wanted to be the Hogwarts Champion and be adored by everyone, especially Cho Chang, Harry knew his capabilities.

Unlike the discouraged Harry and the others, George and Fred had no such worries, their grades weren't very good either, but they still had the confidence to try out for the selection, so the two of them had already started discussing how to pass the test.

"I think the so-called test shouldn't just be a simple battle," Fred said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin and looking sideways at Fish. "If it's just a competition to see who can fight, go for Fish, there's no point in beating him over the head."

Fish's fighting prowess was well recognized throughout the school, and even the seventh-grade seniors didn't think they could beat Fish in a head-to-head match.

George nodded in agreement, the twins could be trusted to exploit loopholes and find them.

"I think the key to the test is still the 'seventeen' limit," he said, "Perhaps we could try an Aging Potion?"

"Or maybe a test of some knowledge that is only mastered in sixth or seventh year," Fred added as an aside, "We could go borrow notes or something from the older students... No, maybe it's easier to just write and ask Percy." "

The two didn't speak very loudly, but they didn't try to speak softly either, so everyone around them could hear their discussion.

Harry and the others, who had given up, had renewed hope, they weren't as good as Fish in a fight, but if it was a test in something else, then it was another story....

The group had completely forgotten that Fish had come second in his grade in last year's final exams.

On the other hand, Fish, who had been confident, was once again not happy.

"Are you still studying? isn't this addressed to Fish nya?!"

? (? `Д′?) ?

Everyone at Hogwarts knew that the cat hated reading books.

"Fish is going to go ask Albus and Minerva about that nya!"

The determined and resolute cat broke away from the group decisively, turned and ran towards the Great Hall, before Hermione could speak to dissuade him, he had already disappeared.