What was the Goblet of Fire?
Legend in the Wizarding World held that the Goblet of Fire was a drinking cup Merlin had once used. Others said it was an alchemical invention Merlin had created to choose the Knights of the Round Table for King Arthur.
Some even said it was Merlin's barbecue grill.
Used to select contestants for the Triwizard Tournament, it looked like a rough wooden goblet with blue-white flames dancing inside.
Students who met the entry requirements could drop slips of parchment bearing their names into the Goblet of Fire.
When it chose the Champions, the flames would turn red and spit sparks, producing slips bearing their names. From that moment, an unbreakable magical contract bound the Champions to see the tournament through.
Of course, magic could influence the Goblet of Fire. In the original timeline, Barty Crouch Jr. had befuddled it with a powerful Confundus Charm, making Harry the fourth Champion.
But now Barty Crouch Jr. had failed to sneak in disguised as Moody, and Voldemort had given the task to Karkaroff. This time, Will was included too. Karkaroff's head ached. How was he supposed to pull all that off?
It might have been manageable if this Triwizard Tournament were being held at Durmstrang. That was his home ground, after all. But it was being held at Hogwarts, where the headmaster was Dumbledore, the strongest white wizard of the age, known as the White Wizard.
Voldemort really had given him a difficult job. Karkaroff glanced toward the Slytherin table and watched the thin, silver-eyed boy eating cod. That kid hardly looked capable of competing in the Triwizard Tournament.
Watching the silver-eyed boy chat idly with the girl beside him, Karkaroff thought with contempt, He'll probably die in the tournament...
He was wondering whether Voldemort would hold