The Four Champions
"Look, it's the Durmstrang students!" Hermione exclaimed as she saw the students from the other school approaching from where they had anchored their ship.
Leading the group, Viktor Krum walked with firm steps, closely following Karkarov. The Durmstrang headmaster had a cold expression and a clear look of discomfort on his face; bandages protruded from his neck, proof that he had spent the night in the infirmary, which explained his foul mood.
However, upon spotting Einar not far away, Karkarov's eyes widened with a mix of surprise, fear, and anger. Even so, he forced himself to maintain his composure, lifting his head proudly while trying not to look directly at him.
Meanwhile, Ron could barely contain his excitement at having Viktor Krum so close. However, the famous Bulgarian Seeker didn't even glance at him; instead, he cast a brief, apprehensive look at Einar before following his headmaster.
When they entered the Great Hall, Einar headed straight to his seat at the professors' table, while the other three joined their classmates.
"Oh, Einar! Where have you been?" Hagrid asked upon seeing him, suddenly remembering his friend's absence.
"You left me in your hut, along with the other three," Einar replied with an amused smile.
"Oh… right… sorry, I forgot," Hagrid said, scratching his head in embarrassment.
At that moment, Flitwick arrived, accompanied by other professors, and upon noticing Hagrid, his eyes sparkled with interest.
"Hey, Hagrid, what a great suit! Where did you get it?" he asked eagerly as he took a seat next to Einar. "It looks fantastic on you."
"Oh, it's not mine. Einar lent it to me," Hagrid responded cheerfully, pleased that more people were noticing his attire.
"You can keep it," Einar said casually. "I have plenty of clothes anyway," he added, thinking to himself, Dren used to get new outfits in the past… though I never asked where he got them from.
"Are you sure?" Hagrid asked, a little hesitant.
"Yes. Consider it an apology for sending you flying the first time we met," Einar added with a teasing smile.
"Flying?" Hagrid repeated, not understanding what he meant. It seemed he had completely forgotten about that incident. Or rather, he had literally forgotten. To him, his first meeting with Einar had been when Dumbledore asked him to take him to Diagon Alley.
As Einar chatted animatedly with the professors, time passed quickly until Dumbledore stood up. Beside him, Karkarov and Madame Maxime also rose to their feet.
"It seems the time has come to select the champions," Dumbledore announced, immediately capturing everyone's attention. "When the Goblet of Fire spits out your name, you must proceed through that door and wait."
The elderly headmaster pointed to a door beside the professors' table, and an excited murmur spread through the Great Hall. All eyes turned to the Goblet of Fire, whose blue flames began to intensify.
Suddenly, the flames turned a bright red and shot a charred piece of parchment into the air. An expectant silence filled the hall.
Dumbledore caught the parchment and read aloud:
"The champion of Durmstrang will be… Viktor Krum!"
The students and professors erupted into applause and cheers of excitement.
Viktor stood up at the Slytherin table, while Karkarov, more excited than Krum himself, roared proudly:
"Bravo, Viktor!"
The Bulgarian Seeker, with his characteristic calm demeanor, strode forward with firm steps and disappeared through the designated door.
The anticipation grew as everyone turned their attention back to the Goblet of Fire.
Once again, the flames flared a deep red before launching another parchment. Dumbledore quickly caught it and announced:
"The champion of Beauxbatons is… Fleur Delacour!"
The beautiful young woman, who had left many students dazzled on the day of her arrival, rose gracefully with a proud smile. She walked elegantly toward the door through which Viktor had disappeared, leaving behind a trail of admiring gazes and, in some cases, tears of disappointment. A couple of Beauxbatons girls sobbed at not being chosen, while other students murmured in discouragement.
But the tension in the hall escalated as Fleur crossed the door, for now, it was time to select Hogwarts' champion.
The silence deepened.
The Goblet flared red once more before spitting out the third parchment. Dumbledore took it and proclaimed firmly:
"The champion of Hogwarts is… Cedric Diggory!"
A wave of jubilation swept through the Hufflepuff table. Its students stood up, cheering enthusiastically, while the other houses also applauded, though with a hint of disappointment at not being chosen. The cheers lasted so long that Dumbledore had to patiently wait for the celebrations to subside.
Finally, the elderly headmaster smiled and resumed speaking:
"I am happy that all the champions have now been chosen. I hope that the three schools will support their champions with all their""
However, before he could finish, the Goblet of Fire flared red once again.
The Great Hall fell into a deathly silence as, to everyone's astonishment, another parchment was ejected from the flames.
Dumbledore caught the paper in the air, a faint glimmer of surprise in his eyes. The entire hall remained utterly silent, waiting for his words.
"Harry Potter," he announced.
The impact was immediate. A murmur of disbelief rippled through the Great Hall as hundreds of eyes turned toward the young Gryffindor. Harry, more confused than anyone, blinked in shock.
Einar, from his seat at the professors' table, observed the scene with a frown. His gaze lingered on Dumbledore for a moment before shifting to Harry, who looked genuinely bewildered. This made no sense.
The air was heavy with tension. No one applauded.
"I didn't put my name in," Harry exclaimed, turning to his Gryffindor classmates. "You know that!"
Meanwhile, McGonagall and Dumbledore were whispering to each other, but Einar didn't need to hear them to understand the nature of their discussion.
He sighed.
"Come, Harry," he called, drawing everyone's attention.
Harry stood up cautiously, feeling the weight of the stares drilling into him. Einar noticed the hostility on some students' faces and clenched his jaw.
"Professor, I didn't put my name in the Goblet," Harry declared firmly, raising his voice so everyone could hear. "I don't want to compete."
Einar smiled slightly.
"I see. So, you want to withdraw from the Tournament?"
"Yes," Harry affirmed without hesitation.
Dumbledore intervened immediately.
"Please, Harry, join the other champions," he ordered in a serious tone.
Einar turned his head toward him.
"Sorry, Headmaster, but it seems there's been a mistake," he replied calmly. "Harry doesn't want to compete."
Dumbledore maintained a serene expression, but his gaze hardened.
"The Goblet of Fire has chosen him, and as I mentioned before, once a wizard's name is selected, a magical contract is automatically activated."
Einar raised an eyebrow.
"A contract?" he murmured, glancing at the Goblet. "I see... but as a professor, I can't allow a minor student to compete. So, we'll resolve this in the simplest way possible."
He stood up from his seat and walked toward the Goblet of Fire with calm steps.
"We'll simply... destroy it."
The impact of his words made the Great Hall erupt in exclamations. Ludo Bagman nearly choked.
"You can't do that!" he exclaimed, visibly shaken. "The Goblet of Fire is an ancient, invaluable artifact! It has been used for generations of wizards!"
Einar shrugged.
"So what?" he asked indifferently. "You were the ones who imposed the rule against underage participants. The Ministry of Magic, which is supposedly here to protect wizards, is violating its own rules."
He locked eyes with Ludo. The man swallowed nervously.
"Even if you wanted to, you couldn't do it," Barty Crouch interjected with a mocking sneer. "The Goblet of Fire is protected by multiple enchantments. It would be best if you stopped spouting nonsense."
Einar smiled.
"Breaking things is my specialty."
Without further warning, he extended his hand and grabbed the Goblet. His muscles tensed as he applied sheer force to the ancient artifact.
Crack.
A sharp sound echoed through the hall. Crouch paled as a thin crack formed on the wooden surface. An instant later, an invisible barrier shattered like glass.
Silence filled the room.
"Stop!" Crouch shouted, his voice trembling. "If you destroy the Goblet, you'll be in serious trouble with the Ministry!"
Einar ignored him.
"Professor Einar," Dumbledore intervened gravely, "we don't know if destroying the Goblet would free the champions from their contract. It could be even more dangerous."
Einar detected something in his gaze... a calculating glint that disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
"Huh..." he murmured to himself. "This old man… could it be…?"
Before he could continue his train of thought, a voice rose from the crowd.
"Professor, don't do it!"
It was a Hufflepuff student.
"We don't want Cedric to be in danger. If Harry is a champion, then let him compete!"
Quickly, other students joined in.
"That's right! Harry's a Gryffindor, he can handle the trials!" Fred Weasley shouted.
"We appreciate your concern, Professor, but don't get yourself in trouble," added a Ravenclaw student.
Einar narrowed his eyes. Dumbledore remained calm, but now he saw it clearly.
So this was what he wanted…
Harry clenched his fists.
"Fine," he declared. "I'll compete."
Einar looked at him in silence for a few seconds. Then, he placed the Goblet back in its place and turned to Harry.
"Alright. But if I remember correctly, champions are allowed to skip classes to train, right?"
Ludo Bagman hesitated, casting a furtive glance at Dumbledore before nodding.
"Y-Yes... they have special privileges to prepare."
Einar smiled coldly.
"Good. Harry, you won't be attending classes. From now on, I will personally oversee your training."
His words caused murmurs among the students.
Dumbledore leaned forward slightly.
"Professor Einar, I understand your concern, but Harry is still a student. He must attend his classes like everyone else."
Einar turned to Ludo.
"Is that true?"
Ludo hesitated for a moment, but under Einar's piercing gaze, he stammered,
"N-No... it's not necessary. He only needs to show up for the trials..."
Einar nodded.
"Perfect. Cedric is one of my best students; I know he'll be fine. But Harry, in comparison, barely knows a few spells."
Immediately, the students grasped the logic behind his words and nodded in agreement.
Dumbledore narrowed his eyes.
You turned my own strategy against me…
"Come on, Harry. I'll take you to the other champions," Einar said.
As he led Harry out of the Great Hall, Einar noticed a small detail before leaving.
For a brief moment, Dumbledore had clenched his fist.
He said nothing. But he smiled faintly.
Old man… I've had battles of wits with Daedric Princes who have lived far longer than you. Though, I suppose it's better to focus on figuring out who put Harry's name in the Goblet… I hope it wasn't you, he thought as he glanced at Dumbledore.