Chapter 543: Welcoming Ceremony

Obviously, Fred and George weren't going to tell anyone anything.

"Fred, George, do you guys have any ideas about the Triwizard Tournament yet?" asked Harry. "Have you guys thought about trying to enter yet?"

"Of course we've thought about it. I asked Professor McGonagall how the champions are chosen, but she wouldn't tell me," said George bitterly. "She merely told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon."

"I wonder what the tasks will be," Ron said thoughtfully. "I'm sure we can do them. We've done dangerous things before..."

Ron followed Harry in first year to defeat Voldemort, and in second year he fought in the Chamber of Secrets with the basilisk.

In the first half of last term, he was also involved in rescuing Sirius, and in the final moments defeated Peter Pettigrew.

In the second half of the term, he went with everyone to explore the centaur colony in the Forbidden Forest, in search of the Philosopher's Stone left behind by Gryffindor.

Any of these things were more dangerous than the Triwizard Tournament, and Ron and his friends had plenty of experience in this regard.

"Yeah, it's really cool, but you didn't do it in front of a panel of judges, did you?" said Fred, "McGonagall says that the champions get points based on how well they did the tasks."

"Who are the judges?" asked Harry.

"I don't know."

"The Ministry of Magic officials will be the judges," said Ivan, as he helped himself to porridge.

At Ivan's words, everyone turned their heads and looked at him in great surprise.

"This is obvious, isn't it?" explained Ivan. "The Ministry of Magic has rarely planned such a large-scale event. It is impossible not to show up. I think one of the judges will be Mr. Crouch, or the Minister of Magic himself, Fudge."

"Percy must know, but he won't tell us anything."

"Yes, I really want to know, who else will be the judge?"

"The Headmasters of the participating schools would no doubt be members of the judging panel." Hermione continued.

This time, everyone looked at her, rather surprised.

"You've never read a book?!" Hermione explained. "All three were injured during the Tournament of 1792, when a cockroach that the champions were supposed to catch ran amok."

Hermione pulled a thick copy of Hogwarts history out of her bag, and flipped to the center page. "It's all written here, I remember this passage."

"Do you always carry this book in class?" Harry asked in surprise.

Hermione's Hogwarts history book, it didn't seem light.

"Since I recently had to check some information, I read it again. There is a lot of important historical data in it," Hermione said, "although, of course, this book is not entirely reliable. A revised History of Hogwarts would be a more accurate title. Or A Very Biased and Selective History of Hogwarts, which glosses over the more unsavory aspects of the school."

"What are you talking about?" asked Ron puzzled.

The others were equally confused, but they all soon knew what he was going to say next. It was again about the house elves.

"House elves!" said Hermione, her eyes sparkling. "Not once, in over a thousand pages, Hogwarts History, does it mention that we are all in cahoots with the oppression of a hundred slaves!".

They fell into an unspoken silence and stared at their plates.

Fred and George seemed suddenly very interested in their bacon. They were the only ones who had refused to buy a S.P.E.W. badge. At the end of breakfast, Hermione was still tirelessly telling Ivan about the current progress of the Elven Platform for the Defense of Workers' Rights.

In a word, there was a pleasant sense of anticipation in the air that day.

No one was very attentive in class, as they were much more interested in the arrival of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang people that afternoon. Even Potions and Divination were more bearable than usual, and that was half an hour shorter.

When the bell rang early, Ivan, Colin and Ginny hurried up to Gryffindor Tower. They found that Harry, Ron, Hermione and other young wizards had already returned. They donned their cloaks and rushed down to the hall.

The Heads of House were ordering their students into lines.

"Weasley, straighten your hat; Creevey, tuck your shirt into your pants." spat Professor McGonagall at them. "And you, Miss Patil, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair."

Parvati frowned and removed a large ornamental butterfly from the end of her braid.

"Follow me, please," said Professor McGonagall, "First years to the front...no pushing..."

They descended the steps and lined up in front of the castle.

It was a cold, clear evening. Twilight was falling and a pale, transparent moon was already shining over the Forbidden Forest.

The moonlight was exceptionally bright, in interdependence with the castle, creating a beautiful and fantastic scene.

All the teachers and students of the school stood in front of the door, and the ghosts slowly hovered over everyone.

Ivan, Colin and Ginny followed the other third years in the third row, behind them were Harry, Ron and Hermione.

He saw Colin's younger brother Dennis positively shivering with anticipation among the other first years.

"It's almost six!" said Ron, looking up the driveway leading to the front doors.

"How are they coming? the train?"

"I doubt it," Hermione said. "The Hogwarts Express is coming from London. They can't meet there."

"How, then? brooms?" suggested Harry, looking up at the starry sky.

Hearing what he said, Colin looked up as well.

"They won't, from that far away."

"A Portkey?!" suggested Ron. "Or they could Apparate, maybe those under seventeen are allowed to do so, wherever they come from?"

"Ron, you can't Apparate within Hogwarts grounds, how many times do I have to tell you?" said Hermione impatiently.

The young wizards excitedly scanned the dark grounds, but nothing was moving. Everything was still, silent, as always.

The irrepressible buzzing slowly began to sound through the crowd, and everyone felt cold and hungry.

Just as everyone was about to lose patience, Dumbledore called out from the back row, where he stood with the other teachers.

"Aha! If I'm not much mistaken, the Beauxbatons delegation is coming."

"Where?" said many students impatiently, all looking in different directions.

"There!" shouted a sixth year, pointing over the forest.

There was something big, much bigger than a broom.

In the silver moonlight, they could see it hurtling across the deep blue sky, flying towards the castle, getting bigger and bigger.