The Sixth Champion, Tom!

Half of the steak was still on his plate. Moody impatiently stuffed the whole piece into his mouth, chewed it casually a couple of times, and swallowed it. During this time, his eerie blue eye kept staring at Karkaroff beside him. The spying gaze made the Headmaster of Durmstrang feel like he had thorns in his back and was extremely uneasy.

Moody wiped his mouth with a cloth, took out his Curved Flask, took a big gulp, and burped at Karkaroff, his mutilated face clearly showing disgust and offense.

Crouch, dressed in an elegant robe, turned his head and whispered, "Don't do that, Alastor. Headmaster Karkaroff has already proven his merits to the Ministry of Magic."

"Oh, I'd almost forgotten." Moody's rough voice was full of sarcasm. "More than a decade ago, at the Wizengamot, our kind and righteous Headmaster Karkaroff revealed the names of the other Death Eater ..."

Karkaroff's face was deathly pale, his hand gripping the fork trembling uncontrollably. "I... I've made contributions to the Ministry of Magic, Mr. Crouch, we've reached an agreement..."

Crouch raised an eyebrow and smiled gently, "Yes, sir, we have reached an agreement."

Moody chuckled coldly, "Betraying his comrades in exchange for avoiding punishment, what a clever fellow."

Karkaroff didn't dare to say much; all he wanted now was for the banquet to end as soon as possible... no, he hoped the entire Triwizard Tournament would end as soon as possible.

Why did Dumbledore hire this guy as a professor, and what could this guy teach young wizards?

How to incapacitate someone in the most effective way? How to obtain intelligence without using Veritaserum? How to torture criminals without leaving scars?

Furthermore, why Crouch is gentle and polite, even more terrifying? It's as if a giant python is hiding under that skin, ready to devour its prey. Isn't he always the most rule-abiding?

"That's right. Making the right choice based on the circumstances is what a smart person does." Crouch looked at the Potions Master sitting next to him. "What do you think, Severus?"

"Please call me Snape, Mr. Crouch."

Snape remained expressionless. He understood Crouch's meaning; Crouch was on the list of Death Eater that Karkaroff had revealed. "Besides, this is between you two. I'm just Potions Master at Hogwarts now."

"What a pity, Severus. I always felt that your talents were more than this," Crouch said with great regret.

Snape gave him a deep look but did not reply.

In stark contrast to the somber atmosphere here, the other seats in the High Table were filled with lively conversation. Dumbledore's dry jokes and Bagman's amusing anecdotes complemented each other, prompting Madam Maxime to frequently raise her glass.

Everyone was happy, except for Professor Flitwick, who was covering his nose, while Hagrid's strong cologne made him dizzy...

As the banquet drew to a close and most people had eaten and drunk their fill, Dumbledore stood up amidst the nervous yet expectant gazes of the young wizards.

"Attention everyone, the Goblet of Fire is about to make a decision."

Dumbledore waved his hand around, and silently, the torches on the walls went out, leaving only a few scattered candles casting a faint light in the entire Great Hall, plunging the huge room into a state of semi-darkness.

The blue-white flame in the wooden cup flickered incessantly, then suddenly burst into a brilliant light, swelling several times in size, instantly becoming the brightest light source in the Great Hall.

Without any warning, the blue-white flames suddenly turned into a dazzling red, and several clusters of blinding Mars burst out.

Crackling and popping!

Flames spewed out, and a piece of parchment, half charred, flew out.

Everyone in the Great Hall held their breath as the note fell into Dumbledore's hands. He glanced at it and announced in a clear and forceful voice, "The Durmstrang Champion is Viktor Krum!"

Applause and cheers instantly filled the Great Hall. Krum stood up from the Slytherin table, his expression still gloomy, and at Karkaroff's prompting, walked toward the side door to the right of the High Table and entered the room.

"That's fantastic, Viktor! I knew you were destined to be Champion!"

Karkaroff's loud cheer was heard by everyone, but it sounded a bit weak and lacked staying power. Ron muttered to himself, "That's not surprising at all, considering Krum..."

As if sensing the applause and conversation gradually subsiding, the Goblet of Fire turned red again a few seconds later, and two charred parchment strips sprang out of the goblet.

"The Champion of Beauxbatons— " Dumbledore voice, "Is Phoebe Delacour!"

Amidst the commotion, the radiant young woman gracefully rose, tossed her silver hair, and walked lightly from the Ravenclaw table.

"Pickley Gravis, the Champion of Ilvermorny!"

Amidst the deafening clamor, Gravis was somewhat dazed. As he got up and walked toward the stage, he vaguely heard Bute's congratulations.

After the two entered the next room, the Great Hall fell silent again, but the excitement surging within the silence was almost tangible. Loren could feel the burning breath and gazes of the young wizards.

All the young wizards in their black robes knew that it was now the Hogwarts Champion' turn...

Flames leaped high into the air, and amidst everyone's expectant gaze, Dumbledore raised his right hand. "The Champion of Hogwarts is Cedric Diggory!"

A deafening roar of cheers instantly filled the Great Hall. The Hufflepuff wizards jumped around, screaming and stomping their feet... Cedric greeted everyone he knew with a bright smile, and it took him a long time to walk from his seat into the Champion's room.

Once the commotion finally subsided, Dumbledore said with a smile, "Alright, now our four Champion have been chosen. I know I can completely trust all of you, including Beauxbatons, Ilvermorny, and the other students of Durmstrang; you will all give your all to support your Champion..."

A hissing sound suddenly interrupted his words, and everyone noticed the Goblet of Fire flickering abnormally behind them.

The red flames that should have been extinguished reignited, Mars crackling and flying everywhere. A long tongue of fire suddenly shot into the air, carrying out two more pieces of parchment.

Dumbledore seemed to instinctively reach out and catch the parchment, staring at the name written on it.

Everyone in the Great Hall was waiting for Dumbledore.

After a brief silence, Dumbledore and said in a deep voice, "Hogwarts, Harry Potter!"

There was no applause; the Great Hall was completely silent.

All eyes were fixed on the boy with the lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead, their gazes filled with disbelief. A buzzing sound began to fill the Great Hall, like the swarms of angry bees.

The adult wizards in the High Table had complex expressions; some were sizing up Harry, some were sizing Dumbledore, but only Bagman's eyes revealed joy.

An underdog... a dark horse... odds!

A series of words flashed through his mind, eventually transforming into a golden, round object.

"Galleons..."

Bagman murmured unconsciously, suppressing the joy of laughing out loud, and asked in a deep voice with an urgent expression, "Headmaster Dumbledore, what is the other note? Read it aloud as well."

One more upset means so many more Galleon...

"..."

Seeing that Dumbledore didn't react, Bagman hurriedly stepped forward, snatched the note from his hand, and exclaimed joyfully, "The sixth Champion is Tom Gaunt, Azka- Azkaban?"

As the voice faded, it was as if a cold wind had swept through the Great Hall, and all the discussions fell silent.

Moody's eyes darted around like a spinning top, as if they might pop out of their sockets at any moment. Several Hogwarts Head of House of the House of Secrets had spied on him in the Chamber of Secrets and knew exactly what the name meant, and a chill ran down their spines.

Headmaster Fontana looked bewildered. "Isn't this the professor I recruited last year? He broke the law and was imprisoned in Azkaban?"

Crouch, a knowing smile playing on his lips, took the note from Bagman and examined it closely, turning it over and over as if it were something interesting. He then turned it over, gripped it tightly, and whispered something in Dumbledore's ear.

"Quiet!" Dumbledore seemed to have made a decision, and shouted again, "Harry Potter! Harry! Come here!"

Harry sat there blankly, his mind a little overheated.

"Go ahead," Hermione urged softly, and Loren gently nudged him.

Harry was completely stunned. Amidst the scrutinizing gazes of the crowd, he stiffly walked along the long table and into the doorway.

"Students, let me continue what I was saying earlier. I believe you will all give your all to support your respective school's Champion. By cheering on the Champion, you will also make a great contribution to this event..." Dumbledore's voice was steady and powerful. "Although there have been some unexpected events in the Champion selection, please trust us, the event organizing committee, and the referee team. We will handle these matters well."

"Now, please leave in an orderly manner under the guidance of your respective college Prefect... Our professors will also guide students from other schools."

Before leaving, Loren glanced at the High Table and met Dumbledore's deep blue eyes. Loren's upright posture faltered, and he shrank back.

They were confident and assertive, but inwardly guilty.

"He must have found another way to cross the Age Line, right?" Ron asked with a forced smile as they followed a group of people up the spiral staircase.

"I suspect it wasn't the Invisibility Cloak. Invisibility Cloak could cover both of us. It must have happened last night. He even said today that no one would have seen anything... Hey, he's really clever, unlike me..."

He tried his best to sound relaxed, but the disappointment in his eyes was impossible to hide.

"Yes, you really do look like a fool right now, Ron!" Hermione said angrily. "You won't even say his name. What, are you going to call him Potter when you see him later?"

Loren opened his mouth, but then stopped himself from speaking.

"Pour out some of those Every-Flavour Beans stuffed in your head, and think about it: Harry's name and Voldemort's name appearing in the Goblet of Fire at the same time! What does that mean—"

Hermione paused here, turned around and saw Loren looking guilty, and almost without thinking, she understood what was going on.

The little Witch stared wide-eyed in disbelief, then angrily smacked him on the shoulder.

"Bang!"

Loren rubbed his shoulder and gave a gentle smile.

Hermione glared at him irritably and grabbed his hand, dragging him toward a corner of the lounge.

"Come with me. We need to get this straight today! What are you really thinking...?"

Ron watched the two bewildered people walk away, shook his head, and began to ponder Hermione's words, his expression gradually becoming serious.

The small, not-so-spacious room was filled with glittering gold utensils, and wizard portraits hung on both walls. The fireplace was burning brightly.

Viktor Krum, Phoebe Delacour, Pickley Gravis, and Cedric sat silently around the fire, watching the flames rise, their crimson glow dancing on their faces, casting long shadows behind them.

Harry stood at the doorway, hesitant to go in.

A flurry of footsteps sounded behind them, Ludo Bagman came up first, grabbing Harry's arm and rattling off at lightning speed. "This is incredible! Absolutely incredible! Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you, however unbelievable it may seem, this is the fifth Champion of the Triwizard Tournament!"

The four Champion had different expressions. Krum and Phoebe seemed a little unhappy, Cedric smiled at Harry despite his confusion, and Gravis remained noncommittal.

Harry looked at him, and for some reason, he felt that Mr. Bagman seemed quite pleased with him becoming Champion.

The headmasters, professors, and Crouch arrived one after another. After a pointless commotion, Dumbledore looked at Harry and asked slowly and deliberately:

"Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire, Harry?"

Many thoughts flashed through Harry's mind in an instant: Voldemort's name, Bagman's strangeness, the Goblet of Fire... He had a lot to say, but seeing Dumbledore's calm face, Harry suddenly calmed down and just shook his head.

"No."

Did you ask an older classmate to help you put your name into the Goblet of Fire?

"No."

Harry seemed to understand something. So this was another way to do it. George and Fred must be regretting it now.

"He's lying! Hogwarts can't have two Champion, that's incredibly unfair!" Maxime's head bumped against the candle-lit chandelier, his massive chest heaving with rage. "What does this mean, Dumbledore?"

"You must put the Goblet of Fire back on the table, and I think my other students need to re-enroll!" Karkaroff's expression was extremely grim. "If you can't do that, Durmstrang will never participate in the competition again!"

Headmaster Fontana frowned, still thinking about his Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor.

"A bluffing threat, Karkaroff!" Moody roared, his eyes fixed on him. "You must participate in the competition, they all must participate, it's bound by the Magical Contract!"

"But..."

After a chaotic commotion, everyone present reached a consensus: Harry was not capable of exceeding the Age Line, and someone else was responsible for putting his name in the Goblet of Fire of Fire.

Whether the person meant well or ill was unclear... Ultimately, the decision rested with two Ministry of Magic officials.

Bagman rubbed his smooth chin and looked at everyone. "Yes... it is indeed surprising, but as you know, the age limit, as an additional safety measure, was only implemented this year. Now that his name has been mentioned in the Goblet of Fire... I mean, now that we've come this far, we can't back down. It's clearly stated in the rules, and you must abide by them."

Crouch nodded, his expression serious. "We must abide by the rules, which clearly stipulate that anyone whose name comes out of the Goblet of Fire must participate in the Triwizard Tournament."

"But--"

"My dear Madam Maxime, if you have another solution, I am all ears."

Dumbledore waited a moment, but Maxime just glared at him angrily, so he continued gently, "We don't know how this situation came about, but it seems to me that we have no choice but to accept it..."

Bagman rubbed his hands together and said with a smile, "Alright, let's start coaching the Champion."

"Please wait a moment!" Headmaster Fontana, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke. He asked tentatively, "So, what about the other note?"

Crouch's eyes gleamed, and he paused for a moment before saying, "I will immediately inform the department and have the Aurors begin investigating this name. I will give you a satisfactory answer before the competition ends."