In the Hogwarts Headmaster's office, the atmosphere was like a string stretched to its limit, fragile and taut.
The warm fire crackled. Most of the portraits of former headmasters on the walls were dozing, while a few pretended to have their eyes closed, their ears pricked as they curiously observed the strange stillness in the room.
Silver magical instruments spun tirelessly, puffing out wisps of smoke, but their gentle humming only made the silence feel heavier.
There were four people in the room, yet they seemed to inhabit four separate worlds.
Cedric Diggory, the newly crowned Triwizard Tournament champion, sat in a chair.
He looked exhausted and had not yet had time to change out of his champion's robes, which had been torn in the maze.
There were still several scrapes on his face, but his eyes were bright, filled with the excitement of victory and a lingering trace of bewilderment.
Fleur Delacour leaned elegantly by the window, her brow slightly furrowed.
Every so often, she glanced at the silent figure in the corner, a hint of sympathy and concern in her eyes.
In the corner, Viktor Krum stared at the floor without a word, like a gloomy statue.
His powerful body was rigid, his fists clenched as though he were suppressing tremendous anger and humiliation.
The headmistress of Beauxbatons, Madame Olympe Maxime, paced anxiously around the room, her towering figure making the whole office feel rather cramped.
Even Fawkes edged toward the back of his perch.
"This is an absolute disgrace!"
Unable to bear the silence any longer, Madame Maxime stopped pacing and growled in her booming voice.
"To abandon his own students like this... this isn't merely cowardice. It is the ultimate insult to the title of headmaster!"
Pheobe quietly agreed:
"Yes, Madame Headmistress, it's unbelievable."
"He's a