Time was like the stockings Merlin had taken off: gone before you knew it.
Many more days had passed since the Champions were selected.
That afternoon, the sun shone brightly.
"P-Professor..." A first-year Hufflepuff Wizard ran breathlessly to the entrance of the Third Greenhouse outside the Castle.
"What is it, Mr. Cauldwell?" Professor Sprout stopped what she was doing and looked gently toward the entrance.
"Well, Mr. Bagman asked me to fetch Su Er Bones upstairs in the Castle. All the Champions have to go. A reporter from the Daily Prophet wants to take their photographs." As he spoke, the young Wizard cast an envious glance at Su Er among the students.
Su Er rose from his seat, his expression calm. Unlike the little badgers gazing at him enviously, he felt none of the excitement of being in the newspaper.
"Thank you for letting me know, Owen." Su Er thanked the young Wizard who had fetched him and walked into the room under his excited gaze.
It was a rather small classroom. Most of the desks had been pushed to the back, leaving a large open space in the middle. Three desks stood side by side in front of the blackboard, covered with a long piece of velvet.
Behind the three velvet-covered desks stood five chairs. Ludo Bagman sat in one of them, talking to a witch in magenta robes whose hair was arranged in elaborate, stiff, oddly shaped curls.
The two Champions from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons had already arrived. Krum stood in a corner looking gloomy. When Su Er entered, he glanced up at him before lowering his head again.
Pheobe was tossing her long hair and posing in front of a potbellied man.
The man held a large camera that was giving off a little smoke.
They