Becoming a champion did not win everyone's goodwill.
Apart from Durmstrang's champion, Viktor Krum, whose selection had been what everyone at his school wanted, the other champions had all attracted some jealousy from their schools and fellow students.
This seemed particularly obvious at Beauxbatons and Nagudinnaf.
The two beautiful champions from Beauxbatons seemed to have become isolated overnight, with the other Beauxbatons girls distancing themselves from them, deliberately or otherwise. Harry could not help remembering how those girls had wept prettily the previous night after learning they could not become champions.
Harry heard from Hermione that she had overheard Beauxbatons girls complaining several times in the corridors-they had spoken French, which Harry could not understand, but Hermione could.
"Several Beauxbatons girls said that Pheobe was one thing, but why did Elizabeth have to compete with them for the title of champion? She didn't need it at all."
Even an academic prodigy like Hermione had no more resistance to rumors and gossip like this than any ordinary young girl. She positively sparkled as she talked about it.
Things were even more obvious at Nagudinnaf. Harry had heard them making snide remarks about their two champions, Markov Horton and Shen Yalan.
Speaking ill of people behind their backs was not a good thing, but remembering how often he did it himself, Harry felt rather embarrassed about judging them from the moral high ground.
By comparison, Ilvermorny had the best situation among the six visiting schools. Corvinus seemed very popular at school, and everyone acknowledged his abilities.
Meng, meanwhile, seemed to be something of a troublemaker.
She kept mocking the older students who had failed to be selected as champions, and although they glowered at her, Harry could sense that they were not truly angry.
The atmosphere was very much like that within