Fleur Delacour's proposal was undeniably gracious, and it was likely to win the favor of most spectators.
Michael Corner was one of them. A faint smile played on his lips as he gazed at the "Revealing Projection Screen" with something like infatuation. "Wonderful! Fleur's suggestion is really great!"
Anthony Goldstein nodded in agreement. "It is indeed a good suggestion. Fleur Delacour is a clever person."
"Oh?" Michael came back to his senses and instinctively asked, "Why?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Anthony countered. "Don't forget, we can all see how the Champions are performing."
"This is the Five-Wizard Tournament! The selected Champions represent their respective schools... What did Victor Krum say?"
"He said he wanted to duel Wizet fairly and squarely, and that whether he won or lost, he would not join the other Champions in ganging up on Hogwarts' Champions."
"Didn't you immediately revise your opinion of him when you heard Victor Krum say that? Maybe you even thought to yourselves... Durmstrang might not be so bad after all?"
"Hiss! That really does seem to be the case!" Terry Boot stroked his chin. "I did think that... though Karkaroff is still utterly reprehensible!"
Anthony continued, "I imagine the other Champions would feel similarly. Fleur Delacour was probably just the quickest to react, realizing that this could be used..."
"Don't say 'used'..." Michael said with some displeasure. "That sounds so awful!"
Anthony raised an eyebrow but offered no explanation. "Since Victor Krum's words could improve your opinion of Durmstrang—"
"Wouldn't Fleur Delacour's proposal improve your opinion of Beauxbatons? Besides, Beauxbatons has been performing well all along, so it would certainly have an even better effect."
"Now that you put it that way..." Chris Moen finally caught on. "Fleur Delacour's proposal... really does seem to have turned a disadvantage into an advantage!"
"Don't