Dumbledore's earlier speech had been interrupted by the ceiling's "rebellion" and Moody's arrival. Only after Moody had sat down did he return to his previous topic.
"As I was saying before I was interrupted, this school year, we will have the great honor of hosting a truly splendid competition. It has been a long time since this event was last held-more than a century, I believe. At least, I have never had the chance to see it. I am delighted to tell you all that the Triwizard Tournament will be held at Hogwarts this year."
"You're joking!" Fred Weasley exclaimed almost immediately.
All the other young wizards froze for a moment before erupting into an uproar. Many of those who had been staring either at the Weasley who had gone to Slytherin or at Moody, who had suddenly appeared with his frightening looks, were instantly drawn to this new topic.
Harry and the others had already learned about the Triwizard Tournament on the train, but they had not mentioned it to anyone else.
As a result, not many students actually knew that they would be hosting the tournament this year. But among those from wizard families, very few had never heard of the event itself.
The Triwizard Tournament was an indispensable part of the legendary tales of their childhood.
In response to Fred's disbelief, Dumbledore nodded, smiling. "I am not joking, Mr. Weasley. Still, since you mentioned jokes, I did happen to hear a very amusing one over the holidays. A troll, a hag, and a leprechaun all went into the same tavern..."
"Albus..." Professor McGonagall reminded him quietly from beside him.
As his longtime colleague, Professor McGonagall knew her headmaster's talent for painfully cold jokes all too well. It was raining today, and the temperature inside the castle had