Under Dumbledore's lead, a round of not-very-enthusiastic applause rang through the Great Hall. The students' minds were all on the upcoming Champion selection.
"They will join me, Mr. Kamba, Madam Maxime, Madam Piqueri, and Mr. Karkaroff to form the referee panel and judge the Champions' performances."
The moment Dumbledore said the word "Champions," the students' expressions instantly sharpened with focus.
He did not keep them in suspense. With a wave of his Wand, he conjured a stone platform, then stretched out an arm with a face full of smiles and called toward the doors of the Great Hall, "Mr. Filch, please bring the box up!"
The students' gazes shifted to Filch. Filch was holding a wooden chest, one inlaid with jewels, its style looking extremely ancient.
Quite a few students, stuck in bad positions, had no choice but to stand up just to get a clear look at what the wooden chest actually looked like.
Filch walked all the way over, and the students whispered among themselves all the way along.
Once the jeweled wooden chest was placed on the stone platform, the students stopped their discussions with remarkable tacit understanding and waited for Dumbledore to continue. The entire Great Hall became extremely quiet.
Dumbledore raised his Wand. "I must make things clear... The Five Champions Tournament consists of three tasks, which will take place at different times throughout the academic year..."
"The three tasks will test the Champions in many ways... not only their Magical Ability, but also their courage, wisdom, and ability to adapt on the spot..."
He tapped the jeweled chest three times with his Wand. With a burst of creaking, the jeweled chest opened in response.
Inside the jeweled chest was a wooden goblet. Its bowl was slightly larger than a person's head, and its stem