"However, before you begin submitting your names, I must give a special reminder to our Durmstrang students,"
Karkaroff swept his gaze over the Hogwarts and Beauxbatons groups, then glanced at the Goblet of Fire before continuing,
"Although this Tournament has guaranteed absolute safety, it is still not child's play. Do not rush into it recklessly. This concerns not only the honor of your school, but also your own personal safety. Once a champion has been chosen by the Goblet of Fire, they must see the competition through to the end, no matter what happens in the meantime."
"The guests who have come from Hogwarts and Beauxbatons this time are all carefully selected prodigies, the very finest students each school has to offer..."
Quite a few Hogwarts and Beauxbatons students could not help grinning at that.
"...They have already prepared themselves to become champions, and to bear both the glory and the risks that come with the Tournament. But as for our own students—that is, all of you—some of you are still too young, too inexperienced. Whether in knowledge or physical ability, you may find it difficult to stand against the tasks ahead. And although the Goblet of Fire will choose the most suitable champion, its standards are not always predictable. Sometimes it may place value on certain unrealized potential, even if the one who possesses that potential does not yet have sufficient strength..."
"The act of placing your name into the Goblet is, in itself, the formation of a binding magical contract. Once you become a champion, you may not change your mind. Therefore, think very carefully before you act. Make sure that you truly and wholeheartedly wish to enter the competition, and that you also have the ability to bear the risks it brings, before casting your name into the Goblet."
"Well then—"
He looked with satisfaction across the utterly silent hall, then nodded at the expressions on his students' faces, some thoughtful, some eager.
"With that, I declare tonight's feast concluded. You may all return and rest now. Good night."
With that, he sat back down and began conversing once more with the two headmasters beside him, leaving the Goblet of Fire sitting there completely unguarded, as though he was not worried in the slightest that his students would casually toss their names into it.
As the headmaster who had run this school for many years, Karkaroff had a rough idea of what kind of level his students were at. In other words, he more or less knew which students had a chance of becoming champions, and which ones had absolutely no possibility whatsoever.
And there was another reason as well.
Throughout the history of the Triwizard Tournament, it had already been proven that the host school's advantage lay precisely in the fact that all of its students were allowed to enter. After all, the Goblet of Fire was directly connected to the castle consciousnesses of the three schools, and the person it chose would inevitably be the one that castle consciousness believed had the greatest chance of bringing it victory. Because of that, there had indeed been many cases in history where previously unknown students suddenly became champions, then used certain special talents of their own to snatch victory in astonishing fashion...
Of course, there were even more cases where non-elite students became champions only to be crushed throughout the entire Tournament—or even lose their lives.
That was why Karkaroff still felt the need to issue a special warning to his own students.
"...Say, do you think we should toss our names in right now?"
Among the Hogwarts group, someone already looked unable to contain themselves any longer. Their eyes remained fixed on the Goblet of Fire burning with blue flames as they asked the companions around them.
"Uh, wouldn't that be a bit inappropriate? The three headmasters are still right there..."
"No, look at Beauxbatons! They're already going!"
Hearing that, everyone turned their heads at once, and sure enough, the Beauxbatons students in their elegant pale-blue clothes had all risen to their feet. They went around the Durmstrang students in red robes, headed straight for the dais, said something to Madame Maxime and Karkaroff, and after receiving their approval, formed a line before the Goblet of Fire...
"Then let's go too."
Someone on the Hogwarts side stood up on the spot, and a whole string of others immediately got to their feet as well...
"Ken?"
Cedric and Baron also stood, then noticed that Avada was still sitting there blankly, as though his brain had crashed. They could not help poking him on the shoulder in confusion.
"Aren't you going?"
"...Huh? Going where?"
Avada gave a sudden start and sprang to his feet, looking exactly like a student who had been caught daydreaming in class by the professor.
"To sign up. Put your name and school into the Goblet of Fire."
Baron pointed in puzzlement at the already-moving Hogwarts line.
"What were you thinking about so hard?"
"...Nothing. Just a small issue."
Avada shook his head, casually conjured a small slip of paper and a quill with his wand, wrote down Ken, Hogwarts, then clenched it in his hand and followed the others.
It was no wonder his reaction had been so slow. On the one hand, over at Leach University, he and Professor Belby had been discussing a rather complicated issue, which had diverted a fair amount of his mental energy there. On the other hand, he was still trying to piece together the full truth behind this Tournament.
From the way things looked now, Karkaroff seemed to have no problems at all. His mental state while speaking had been entirely natural, and when exchanging words with the other headmasters, he had shown no sign of nervousness or unease. If he were truly involved in that plan capable of killing Dumbledore, then even if he could maintain a flawless outward disguise in front of such a powerful wizard, there should still have been at least some trace of tension deep inside.
And the other major issue was still Barty Crouch Sr.
Even throughout Karkaroff's long speech, he had not seemed distracted in the slightest, nor did he appear to be concerned about anything else.
He really did not know that Barty Crouch Jr. had escaped.
Why?
His method of controlling Barty Jr. had been to cast the Imperius Curse personally, while also assigning his house-elf to keep strict watch. Logically speaking, those safeguards should have been enough to ensure that Barty Jr. could not stir up any trouble under his nose. Even memory modification seemed unlikely—after all, he had imprisoned Barty Jr. for nearly ten years. To erase all memories related to him during that period would have been an enormous undertaking...
Still, that possibility could not be ignored either. In a moment, when he went forward to drop in his parchment, he would have to use that brief chance to get close to old Barty and carefully observe his spiritual power, to see whether there were any traces of tampering.
He only hoped those few seconds would be enough to confirm the situation.
And so he joined the Hogwarts line behind the Beauxbatons students, advancing at almost an ordinary walking pace. After all, each person only needed to throw one slip of parchment into the Goblet before leaving, without lingering. Very soon, he reached a distance close enough to carefully observe Barty Crouch—who was currently speaking with a Durmstrang professor beside him.
"At first glance, there doesn't seem to be any problem..."
He only had a few seconds near the teachers' dais. After dropping his name into the Goblet of Fire, he did not show anything unusual, and simply returned to the train together with his friends in a group.
(End of Chapter)