The next day, as the first rays of sunlight struggled through December's heavy clouds and illuminated the Great Hall, a long-brewing storm finally broke.
The noticeboard in the Great Hall had never been so crowded.
The crowd was like slugs subjected to endless Engorgement Charms, layer upon layer, packed so tightly that nothing could get through.
"Make way! Let me see! Merlin's pants!"
"Stop pushing! My wand's going to snap!"
A "Notice on the Establishment of the Hogwarts Wisdom and Prestige Comprehensive Points Board," personally issued by Sirius Black, director of the Academic Affairs Office, had been firmly affixed in the most conspicuous spot.
Every letter shimmered with a faint magical glow, ensuring that no one's spit or fingerprints could stain it.
The students craned their necks like a flock of hungry nestlings, chewing through the parchment's outrageously complicated rules one word at a time.
An increasingly loud buzz erupted in the Great Hall.
That sound mingled initial confusion, subsequent shock, and finally, when a Ravenclaw seventh-year thoroughly grasped the rules with a shriek of "So that's how it works!"-
The buzzing instantly turned into an unprecedented, almost insane excitement.
"Merlin's beard! You mean those of us who aren't Champions can now directly influence the competition's outcome too?" a Hufflepuff fifth-year shouted, his face flushed red.
"That's not all!" The person beside him grabbed his robes and added excitedly, "Look here, wisdom points can also be exchanged for borrowing privileges in the Restricted Section! I've wanted to read Advanced Curses Studies for ages! And there are vouchers for Professor Snape's private potion ingredients!"
"Votes for Krum and Pheobe count triple? That's insane! What does that mean?"
A Gryffindor girl covered her mouth.
"Doesn't that mean we'll get triple the return if we vote for Champions from the other schools?"
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