Chapter 355: Goblet of Fire, a Difficult Request
Adrian smiled and raised an eyebrow at Aaron, then calmly walked to the front of the stage.
Barty Crouch stood up, cleared his throat, and said, "Allow me to introduce Adrian Klein, the final judge of the Triwizard Tournament, and the most unique one."
"Miss Klein was jointly recommended by the magic Council and the International Confederation of Wizards. She is not responsible for scoring the champions but will record the competition process to ensure sufficient fairness and impartiality."
Clap! Clap! Clap!
A very warm applause erupted in the Great Hall.
"The three tasks for the champions this year have been carefully scrutinized and will take place at different times throughout the school year."
"Mr. Crouch, Mr. Bagman, and Miss Klein have made the necessary arrangements for each task. They will test the champions' magic talent, courage, reasoning ability, and ability to overcome danger."
"Professor Dumbledore, may I have the Goblet of Fire brought up?"
"Of course, Miss Klein." Dumbledore smiled slightly, then looked at Filch, who was standing in the corner. "Mr. Filch, please bring up the box!"
Filch nodded and motioned for a few people to place a large, golden, tower-shaped wooden box, inlaid with jewels, in the center of the platform.
Dumbledore's wand lightly tapped the box, and the golden wooden box slowly melted away, revealing a roughly carved wooden goblet.
The cup was over a meter tall and looked unremarkable, but a blue-white flame burned within it.
"The Goblet of Fire." Dumbledore looked at the cup, sighed for a moment, and then said in a deep voice, "Students wishing to enter the Tournament should write their names on a piece of parchment and throw it into this goblet."
"The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall, accessible to all students who wish to enter. The entry period is twenty-four hours. Tomorrow night, the Goblet of Fire will select the names of the eligible students."
"Additionally, to prevent underage Wizards from succumbing to temptation, I will set an age line. No one under fourteen years of age will be able to cross it."
"Now, I invite Miss Klein to provide further explanations."
Adrian walked up to the Goblet of Fire and gave Aaron a meaningful smile, which made him feel uneasy, recalling the scene he had divined in the crystal ball.
Although he didn't know what would happen next, it certainly wouldn't be very friendly to him.
"The Triwizard Tournament, a competition between three schools, aims for friendly exchange among young Wizards."
"The age of fourteen is merely a condition for entry. However, those truly qualified to be selected are exceptional talents, very few in number." Adrian said, looking at the crowd below, her eyes full of amusement. "Many of you may be eager to try, wanting to pursue this eternal glory."
"You might believe you have the ability to complete the challenge, and even if you fail, it doesn't matter, because there will be no danger to life."
"However, I must remind everyone that 'no danger to life' does not mean 'no danger'. Klein will ensure that participants do not die during the competition, but that is all she can do."
"Missing limbs, mental instability, permanent coma are all within acceptable limits... The most serious outcome might be something you can compare to a Dementor's Kiss."
As her words fell, a large portion of the Wizards who had intended to sign up immediately gave up.
No danger to life, but a fate worse than death was more terrifying than death itself.
Dumbledore showed a satisfied smile. He knew the Hogwarts students too well; they might not take his warnings as Principal to heart, but Adrian Klein's few words were enough to deter many.
Indeed, Harry and his two friends exchanged glances, and a hint of fear could be seen in each other's eyes.
Draco's face paled slightly, and his resolve to sign up wavered.
But some students who had already planned to sign up were unmoved; a few words couldn't shake their confidence. The Weasley twin brothers even showed a defiant smile.
"Finally, the Goblet of Fire is a magic contract, and those chosen have no right to withdraw."
"So... I advise you all, sign up with caution."
As the feast drew to a close, the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students, led by their Principals, returned to their carriages and giant ship, and the Hogwarts students also left in succession.
Aaron didn't move, because he knew someone would definitely come looking for him.
Sure enough, after Adrian exchanged a few words with Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagman from the Ministry of Magic, she slowly walked over.
"Surprised? Unexpected? Moved?" Adrian sat down opposite Aaron, and couldn't help but laugh at his serious posture. "I put aside my work specifically to come to Hogwarts to host this Triwizard Tournament, why do you, as my younger brother, seem so unhappy?"
"No, no, Big Sister's arrival naturally fills me with surprise, unexpected joy, and emotion." Aaron chuckled, then tentatively asked, "May I ask, can I not participate in the Triwizard Tournament?"
"What do you think?"
Aaron's face twitched slightly, and he closed his eyes in Pain!. "I knew it, but why?"
"Because of Clea." Adrian said very directly, "I told you before that I would watch your performance. If you perform well, I will help you gain more time, but if you don't, I will unhesitatingly side with her."
"So, for your own sake, don't disappoint me!"
"Heh heh!" Aaron helplessly patted his forehead. "But aren't you worried about what will happen if your younger brother, me, falls?"
"You won't. You are no weaker than those upper ClassWizards now."
"What if, I said what if."
"Then there's no need to worry." Adrian said confidently, "Klein also had some involvement in the creation of the Goblet of Fire."
"The descendants of the Klein family can modify the contract to a certain extent, ensuring the participants' souls are immortal."
"And as long as your soul is still there, Uncle Gines can definitely bring you back."
"How thoughtful." Aaron sighed, picked up Abey, and stood up from his seat. "I will participate. I hope you don't forget your promise, Big Sister."
"Wait a moment." Adrian stopped Aaron. "Just signing up is too boring!"
Aaron's heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition arose. He quickly said, "I will win the championship."
"I don't doubt your ability, but an already known answer is a bit uninteresting."
Gollum!
Aaron couldn't help but swallow. "Sister, what do you want me to do?"
"It's simple." Adrian snapped her fingers. "The Triwizard Tournament has three tasks. You can only pass each task last. If you can win the championship under such circumstances..."
"Wait, isn't that asking for the impossible?"
"If I'm at the bottom of every stage, it would be strange to get a high score."
"That's your problem." Adrian patted Aaron's shoulder. "As Gaius's most outstanding bloodline in a hundred years, you can definitely do this."
"Also, there's an additional condition."
"This is my first time participating in hosting such a grand event. I don't want any major accidents, understand?"
Aaron's mouth twitched, and he nodded blankly.
Leaving the Great Hall and returning to the common room, Aaron sat on the sofa in a daze.
"System, open the task panel."
"[Participate in the Triwizard Tournament; Task completion reward 2000 magic points, no penalty for task failure. Host, do you accept?"
"Accept." Aaron said bitterly. At this point, he had no other choice.
"Gaius." Neller led the way over, followed by several older Slytherin students, both male and female.
"I'm not in a good mood, speak quickly if you have something to say."
"Uh... that... isn't your sister one of the judges?" Nellerscratched his head awkwardly. "If possible, could you reveal some inside information?"
Aaron was stunned for a moment, looking at the expectant faces of the few people, he realized they all wanted to sign up for the Triwizard Tournament.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Adrian didn't tell me anything."
"No way! You're her younger brother." A sixth Class girl said suspiciously.
"Senior, please clarify one thing before speaking." Aaronrolled his eyes and said, "I am Gaius, she is Klein. In other words, I am not her biological younger brother."
"Is that so?" Neller pondered, then continued, "If there's any inside information..."
"I'll tell you."
"Thank you."
Neller sent away the older Wizards, then hesitated for a moment before asking, "Aaron, is your sister currently single?"
Pfft!
Aaron couldn't hold it in and spat out half of the drink he was holding.
"You're interested in her?"
Neller nodded, blushing. "It's not just me, many people are interested in her, but her aura is too strong, almost like a queen. None of us have the courage to approach her directly."
"Understood, understood." Aaron nodded solemnly, then looked at him with slightly sympathetic eyes. "Given that you, Prefect, have looked after us all these years, I'll give you a piece of advice: give up!"
"Give me a reason." Neller said, unconvinced.
Aaron looked at his face and hesitated for a moment. "I don't want to hurt you, but with all due respect, your face doesn't meet her aesthetic standards at all."
Upon hearing this, Neller felt his heart being sharply pierced.
He had a clear understanding of himself; although not bad, he wasn't at the level of being exceptionally handsome or dashing.
"Adrian shouldn't be that shallow, should she?"
"That's true. For my sister, looks are just a bonus; the most important thing is strength."
"Then I..."
"You still can't." Aaron said bluntly, "You can't beat her."
Neller:... "You have so little confidence in me?"
"It's not a lack of confidence, it's a fact." Aaron shrugged. "You can't beat me, and I can't beat her."
He said this with complete sincerity. Without retracting his thought form, Aaron estimated that even if he used all his trump cards, he could only fight her to a mutual destruction.
"Is it really that exaggerated?"
"Heh heh! My sister's talent is the highest among us, and her combat experience is extraordinarily exaggerated. If our magic levels were consistent, she would definitely win."
"So don't have any improper thoughts. At least, there shouldn't be anyone in these three magic schools who is worthy of her."
Neller:...