Ch. 23: Triwizard Cup Champions

As Wormtail left, Jon remained secluded in his room until the cloak of nightfall beckoned him from his bed.

Naturally, Hogwarts Castle strictly forbids nocturnal wanderings in its corridors. While this rule doesn't explicitly apply to teachers, Jon had already aroused Snape's suspicion once during daylight hours. A midnight stroll would be challenging to justify.

Thus, he employed the Disillusionment Charm to cloak himself. This tactic, while effective, had its drawbacks. If discovered, his actions would be even more difficult to explain. His objective for the night was the Goblet of Fire. Regardless of whether he used the Disillusionment Charm, his actions would be hard to rationalize.

After casting the Charm, Jon's form vanished, and as long as he moved subtly, he would remain undetected. He stealthily exited the dormitory, navigated several twists and turns, and arrived at the Goblet of Fire.

The Goblet's blue flame continued to flicker. Jon produced the parchment bearing Harry Potter's name, which he had prepared earlier.

To deter underage students from entering their names, Dumbledore had cast a protective spell around the Goblet of Fire. However, this was no obstacle for Jon, who had gleaned the solution from Barty Jr.'s memories.

Jon dropped the parchment into the Goblet of Fire. If all went according to plan, Harry would be chosen.

Having accomplished his task, Jon retreated to his room.

***

The day of the Triwizard Champions announcement arrived, and the auditorium was teeming with students from Hogwarts and the two visiting schools.

On the stage, the Goblet of Fire continued to burn with its magical blue flame, seemingly never extinguishing.

"Please, take your seats!" Dumbledore gestured, his hands sweeping the room.

Once the students settled, Dumbledore addressed the crowd, "The moment we've all been waiting for has arrived! The selection of our champions!"

With that, he approached the Goblet of Fire, his hand brushing against its rim.

As Dumbledore withdrew his hand, the Goblet's blue flame morphed into a peculiar pink hue. With a sudden burst, the flame reverted to its original blue, and a piece of parchment soared out.

"The champion of Durmstrang is Viktor Krum!" Dumbledore announced.

Applause filled the room as Krum stepped forward to shake hands with Dumbledore. The headmaster patted him on the shoulder, signaling him to step aside.

The process repeated for the other schools, with Fleur Delacour representing Beauxbatons and Cedric Diggory for Hogwarts.

Amidst the cheers, the three champions stood together, signifying the Triwizard Tournament's competition would be among them.

"Excellent, our three champions have been selected!" Dumbledore declared, "But in the end, only one will etch their name in history, only one will hoist this championship cup! This cup of victory!"

As Dumbledore spoke, Barty Crouch unveiled a cloth-covered trophy and placed it on the stage.

"The Triwizard Champion Cup!" Dumbledore spun around, pointing to the trophy.

Applause!

The cloth was whisked away, revealing a gleaming trophy that resembled a work of art, eliciting a thunderous applause.

At this moment, Professor Snape, standing beside Jon, seemed to sense something amiss. He furrowed his brow, his gaze fixed on the still-burning Goblet of Fire.

Dumbledore, too, appeared to sense the anomaly. He turned to the Goblet, only to see the flames roaring once more.

He approached the Goblet hesitantly, and as the flame turned pink again, another parchment emerged.

The room fell silent as a fourth name appeared from the Goblet of Fire, an unprecedented event.

Whispers filled the room as students speculated about the unexpected development.

Dumbledore retrieved the parchment, reading the name aloud in disbelief:

"Harry Potter!"

The room fell into stunned silence.

"Harry Potter?!" Dumbledore scanned the student seats for Harry.

Harry sat frozen in his seat, his face a mask of disbelief.

He didn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire, how could this happen?

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore's voice echoed through the hall.

Hermione, seated next to Harry, nudged him, "Go, Harry!"

Harry remained motionless.

"Go, Harry!" Hermione urged, giving him a gentle push.

Finally, Harry rose and walked towards Dumbledore, accepting the parchment.

Under the astonished gazes of his peers, he joined the other champions by the Triwizard Cup.

"He's a cheat!"

"He's not even seventeen!"

Whispers turned into shouts as students voiced their disbelief and dissatisfaction.

***

After being selected, Harry made his way to Dumbledore's office, where the chosen students were required to gather first.

Upon sensing Harry's arrival, the office door swung open automatically. Still in a daze, he stepped inside to find several teachers engaged in heated argument.

"It's unjust!"

"I protest!"

"What are you insinuating?!"

"No matter how you look at it, this appears prearranged!"

"Enough! I can't think clearly anymore!"

"Everything seems suspicious!"

"I object!"

"Harry!" Dumbledore exclaimed upon seeing him. He rushed over anxiously and grasped Harry's shoulders, shaking them vigorously. "You didn't put your name in the Goblet of Fire, did you?"

"No, no!" Harry responded, horrified.

"You didn't ask an older student to put your name?" Dumbledore pressed seriously.

"No, sir!" Harry answered truthfully.

Madam Maxime pushed aside the chandelier obstructing her view and declared sternly, "He must be lying!"

"He's telling the truth!" Jon retorted immediately. As the schemer, it was only natural for him to defend Harry now.

"The Goblet of Fire is an extremely powerful magical object. Deceiving it would require an exceptionally strong enchantment! Fourth year students don't possess that level of skill," Jon reasoned convincingly.

Still, some were determined to argue with him.

"You seem to have given this a lot of thought, Mad-Eye!" Karkaroff approached Jon aggressively.

Undeterred, Jon responded ominously, "It was my job to think like a dark wizard, Karkaroff. Surely you haven't forgotten."

"This bickering won't help, gentlemen!" Barty Crouch interjected sharply.

Dumbledore then proposed, "You decide, Mr. Crouch!" As head of the tournament, the final verdict rested with Barty Crouch.

After careful consideration, Barty concluded, "We must adhere to the rules. The Goblet of Fire's selection is bound by a magical contract."

He turned to face Harry and continued solemnly, "Mr. Potter has no choice. From this night forth, he is...the Triwizard Champion!"

All eyes, including Jon's, fixed upon Harry. But no one noticed the fleeting look of relief that crossed Jon's face.

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