"I can't believe it—all the Wizarding schools are actually here!" Terry said excitedly as they stepped onto the stairs. "I mean—it's just so cool, isn't it?"
"I'm more curious—if Hogwarts were to visit another school for a tournament, what kind of transportation would we use?"
Michael mused, "It'd definitely be something unusual…"
"Maybe the Hogwarts Express," Padma said expressionlessly as she walked past them.
"Oh, come on, Padma," Michael replied, annoyed. "Where's the fun in that?"
"From the perspective of students at other schools, it might still look pretty impressive," Wade said, stroking his chin.
"I'd want something more special," Anthony chimed in. "Steam trains are everywhere."
"How amazing would it be if we arrived in the mythical chariot of the sun god?" Michael said dreamily. "Or maybe riding the abyssal beast Leviathan... the kind of entrance that would scare everyone into submission!"
Pfft—
Somewhere in the crowd, someone let out a light laugh—not mocking, just genuinely amused by his comment.
Wade looked toward the sound and saw a few Slytherin and Ravenclaw students walking past. Each seemed to be chatting with their companions, making it hard to tell who had laughed.
Michael, meanwhile, blushed slightly and said, "Of course… the outcome of the competition will still come down to skill…"
After passing through the entrance hall and entering the Great Hall, they saw that students from the other schools had already taken their seats. The four long tables were much longer than usual, enough to accommodate everyone.
On either side of the Ravenclaw table sat students from Beauxbatons, Mahoutokoro, and Salem. Durmstrang and Koldovstoretz were seated with Slytherin, Ilvermorny and Castelobruxo with Gryffindor, and the remaining three schools with Hufflepuff.
The headmasters and professors from each school sat at the staff table. The front row was reserved for the eleven school heads, and two additional rows were added behind them for the other professors.
Gasps of surprise echoed among the students. As students from the visiting schools unwrapped their scarves or removed their cloaks, many realized that some of them were actually famous individuals—like Viktor Krum, the Quidditch star from Durmstrang, or the student from Uagadou who casually transformed into a leopard in front of everyone.
Not to mention the breathtakingly beautiful girl at the Ravenclaw table: her cascading silver hair sparkled in the candlelight. Many boys stared at her dumbfounded, as if everything else had slipped from their minds.
Dumbledore stood at the center of the staff table and smiled as he looked over the students. Gradually, the Great Hall quieted down.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts, and—most especially—our honored guests,"
Dumbledore said cheerfully, "It gives me great joy to welcome you all to Hogwarts! Now, please enjoy our dinner!"
As always, his speech was brief. The moment he finished speaking, the platters on the long tables filled up with food, just like usual—but this time, there were many foreign dishes included as well.
Wade casually picked out a few tasty-looking items and had barely started eating when he felt someone's gaze drifting in his direction. He looked up and saw Antoine raising a goblet to him from afar.
Wade smiled and nodded back. As he turned his eyes away, he was surprised to see that Michael wasn't staring dreamily at the silver-haired girl, Fleur, as expected, but was instead quietly focused on cutting a piece of roast meat.
Two figures passed by in the corner of his vision. Wade glanced over and saw Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch Sr. from the Ministry of Magic entering the Great Hall.
They greeted and spoke briefly with each headmaster, then took the two empty seats that had been reserved for them.
Behind Bagman, Professor Trelawney—rarely seen in the Great Hall—stood like a ghost and glared at his back with such intensity that her resentment seemed almost tangible.
Meanwhile, Bagman calmly sliced into a steak and chatted cheerfully with the Headmaster of Uagadou, as if he'd completely forgotten that some of the victims of his gambling schemes were right here in this very school.
Outside the castle, Wade and the other students had waited for nearly two hours. They were starving, and now most of them weren't even bothering to talk—just devouring food to satisfy their hunger.
Once everyone was full, the golden tableware magically refreshed itself, and Dumbledore rose once again. His eyes swept across every upturned face, and the hall fell instantly silent—even the candles seemed to stop flickering.
"Dear friends, tonight we have witnessed the gathering of eleven great wizarding schools—for the first time in history, we sit together under one roof, united for a grand event!"
"At this very moment, we are history!"
The Great Hall erupted into thunderous applause. Just the thought that tonight's scene would one day be recorded in wizarding history was enough to make many students tremble with excitement—even if their own names would never be mentioned.
When the applause faded, Dumbledore went on to introduce each school's headmaster, along with Bagman and Crouch, and then began to explain the format of the tournament.
The Triwizard Tournament had once spanned seven centuries, and this new Inter-School Magic Tournament retained certain traditions from it—
—for instance, the selection of each school's champions via the Goblet of Fire, and the format of three tasks spaced across the academic year. The specifics of each task would be kept strictly secret until just before they began.
Given that some schools admitted students at younger ages, and considering the varying definitions of "adulthood" across countries, this time the tournament would have no age restriction, and the number of participants would far exceed previous years.
A rough wooden goblet stood on the table with blue-white flames flickering inside it. It was the Goblet of Fire.
"Each school will have three champions. If you wish to compete, write your name and school on a piece of parchment and drop it into this goblet," Dumbledore explained.
"You have 24 hours to enter. Tomorrow night—on Halloween—the Goblet of Fire will choose the three students who best represent each school!"
"Finally, I must remind every student considering entry—this is no game. This is not a simple House Cup contest! Even though we will have a team of Healers from St. Mungo's standing by, and elite Aurors providing protection—the danger is still real."
"So before you decide to enter, think carefully about the risks. Only put your name in the Goblet if you are absolutely certain you wish to compete."
"Now, I believe it's time for bed. Good night to you all."
The hall was filled with the sound of chairs scraping back as students stood up and began to head for the exits. Chatter buzzed around them.
"Did you hear? Three students from each school—we all have a chance!"
"I don't think we've learned enough… The old Triwizard Tournaments used to end in death…"
"I'm definitely entering. I will be chosen!"
Amid the surging crowd, Wade quietly slipped away and headed to an empty classroom off to the side where few people ever passed. A few moments later, he heard the door open.
Antoine strolled in with a smile, casually closed the door behind him, and cast a Soundproofing Charm.
"What are you doing here?" Wade asked. "And how did you even sneak into Salem?"
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