The Halloween feast seemed to stretch on endlessly. People in the Great Hall kept glancing around, their faces filled with anxious anticipation. Everyone was restless, frequently standing up to check if Dumbledore had finished eating—they were desperate to finish their plates and find out who the champions would be.
At last, the golden plates cleared themselves, and the noise in the hall swelled. Then, Dumbledore rose to his feet, and the hall fell silent instantly. On either side of him, Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked just as tense and expectant as everyone else. Ludo Bagman wore a broad grin, while Amelia Bones watched Dumbledore with a composed expression.
# Dumbledore: "Well, the Goblet of Fire is about to make its decision."
Dumbledore said,
# Dumbledore: "Now, when the names of the champions are announced, I would like them to come to the top of the hall, walk along the staff table, and enter the room next door—"
He gestured toward a small door behind the teachers' table.
# Dumbledore: "—where they will receive their initial instructions."
# Harry: "I really hope it's Angelina."
Harry whispered.
# Hermione: "Me too!"
Hermione said, holding her breath.
# Hermione: "Ah, we'll know very soon!"
On the stage, Dumbledore drew his wand and made a sweeping motion. Instantly, all the candles in the hall went out except for those inside the pumpkin lanterns, plunging the hall into a semi-darkness. The blue-white flames in the Goblet of Fire grew dazzlingly bright, then suddenly turned red. A tongue of fire shot into the air, and from it emerged a piece of parchment with charred edges.
# Dumbledore: "The champion for Durmstrang!"
Dumbledore announced in a clear and powerful voice,
# Dumbledore: "Viktor Krum."
# Ron: "Well deserved!"
Ron shouted, clapping enthusiastically. Applause and cheers swept through the hall. Viktor Krum rose from the Slytherin table and walked up to the staff table, entering the room next door.
# Karkaroff: "Brilliant, Viktor!"
Karkaroff roared, his voice cutting through the loud applause in the hall.
# Karkaroff: "I knew you were destined to be a champion!"
The applause and chatter gradually subsided. Now, everyone's attention was once again focused on the Goblet of Fire. A few seconds later, the flames turned red again, and another piece of parchment shot out, propelled by the fire.
# Dumbledore: "The champion for Beauxbatons!"
Dumbledore announced,
# Dumbledore: "Fleur Delacour."
# Harry: "It's her, Ron!"
Harry exclaimed.
Fleur stood up gracefully, tossing her silvery hair, and walked lightly between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables before entering the small room at the corner of the hall.
The hall fell silent once more, this time filled with an almost tangible excitement. Now it was Hogwarts' turn…
The Goblet of Fire turned red again, sparks flying as a tongue of flame shot high into the air. Dumbledore reached out and caught the third piece of parchment from the tip of the fire.
# Dumbledore: "The champion for Hogwarts,"
He announced loudly,
# Dumbledore: "is Cedric Diggory!"
The cheers were deafening. Every Hufflepuff student was jumping up and down, screaming and stomping their feet, as Cedric walked past them, beaming, and headed toward the room behind the staff table.
The flames in the Goblet of Fire returned to their blue-white hue. Orli clapped and cheered along with the crowd, feeling an unprecedented sense of relief: the champions had been chosen! Harry wasn't one of them! Voldemort wouldn't be able to come back now!
# Dumbledore: "Excellent!"
Dumbledore said cheerfully once the noise had finally died down.
# Dumbledore: "Well, now that our three champions have been selected, I trust that you all—including the students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang—will do your utmost to—"
His voice suddenly stopped. Following his gaze, Orli stared at the Goblet of Fire, where the flames had once again turned red.
No!!!!
Orli screamed silently in her mind, biting down hard on her teeth.
Dumbledore, seemingly on instinct, extended a long hand and caught the fourth piece of parchment that had shot out of the Goblet of Fire.
No, no, please, no!
Orli nearly bit through her lip.
He held the parchment aloft, staring at the name written on it for a long moment. Everyone in the hall was watching Dumbledore and the slip of parchment in his hand. Then, Dumbledore cleared his throat and read aloud—
# Dumbledore: "Harry Potter."
————————
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...
🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters?
🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world?
✍️ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?
✨patreon.com/DarkGolds