Chapter 555: Champion

"What do you mean what are we going to find out?"

"Look out the window!" said Harry suddenly.

They quickly turned their heads. Outside the hut, Hagrid had just straightened up and turned around. If he had blushed before, it was nothing to what he was doing now.

Standing up very cautiously, lest Hagrid discover them, they looked out the window and saw that Madame Maxime and the Beauxbatons students had just exited the carriage, clearly about to leave for the party as well.

They couldn't hear what Hagrid was saying, but he was talking to Madame Maxime with a rapt expression and misty eyes.

"He's going up to the castle with her!" said Hermione indignantly. "I thought she was expecting us!"

Hagrid didn't even look toward his hut. He walked off across the grounds with Madame Maxime, and the Beauxbatons students followed them, trotting to keep up with his massive strides.

"He likes her!" said Ron in disbelief. "Well, if they end up having kids, they'll break a world record. I bet any baby of theirs would weigh about a ton."

A few minutes later, they left the cabin and closed the door behind them.

It was surprisingly dark outside. Wrapping their cloaks more tightly around themselves, they set off down the sloping lawn.

The subject was still Hagrid, and no one could believe it.

"I have to admit, those French girls are great, and no wonder Hagrid is fascinated."

"Yeah, especially the two sisters of veela descent, their names are Fleur and Gabrielle, right?".

"Hum, this is what you guys think?!" Hermione said contritely, but her eyes were fixed on Ivan, who was silent.

Ivan shook his head unconsciously. It seemed to him that Hermione had been unusually sensitive since the night before.

Had she found something? or what was the misunderstanding?

This was bad enough; those girls really were a pain in the neck!

When they arrived at the lake, the Durmstrang group had just gotten off the boat.

Viktor Krum was walking alongside Karkaroff, and the other Durmstrangs were trailing behind them.

Ron was watching Krum eagerly, but Krum wasn't looking around and didn't see them.

When they entered the candlelit Great Dining Hall, it was almost full of people.

The goblet of fire had been moved. It now stood in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the teachers' table.

Fred and George, clean-shaven again, seemed to have taken their disappointment rather well.

"I really hope it's Angelina," said Fred as Ivan, Harry, Ron, Colin and Hermione sat down.

"Me too!" said Hermione breathlessly. "Well, we'll soon find out!"

The Halloween banquet seemed to last much longer than usual. Perhaps because it was the second feast in two days, they didn't seem to crave the extravagantly prepared food as much as they normally did.

Those present in the Great Dining Hall kept craning their necks, with expressions of impatience on every face.

They stirred and stood up from time to time to see if Dumbledore had finished eating.

They simply wanted the plates to clear and to hear who had been selected as champions.

At last, the golden plates returned to their original pristine state, and there was a sharp spike in the noise level inside the Hall, which died down almost instantly as Dumbledore stood up.

On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone.

Ludo Bagman was smiling and winking at several students. Mr. Crouch, however, seemed quite disinterested, almost bored.

Ivan saw his eyes linger on Moody for a moment, then Snape, then Karkaroff and Dumbledore, with a look of undisguised hatred.

After confirming through the Marauder's Map, Crouch was currently the most likely to be an imposter; his son in disguise.

Of course, he could also come disguised as someone else, which was hard to check.

It was impossible for Ivan to look at the Marauder's Map all the time, who was not omnipotent.

With an enchanted name, like Caresius, or with magical protection, like the big Durmstrang ship, the Marauder's Map would work, but the name would not be marked.

In fact, no matter who Barty Crouch Jr. was, Ivan was prepared. He had already spoken to Caresius about it and had confirmed that he would get the necessary help.

If the other party followed the original plan, he would sneak into the maze at the last moment. If there were any changes, he would also be able to adapt to the circumstances at that time.

When necessary, Dumbledore would certainly make moves, and he would not let things get too far off track.

"Attention, please. The Goblet of Fire is almost ready to make its decision." Dumbledore said, gesturing downward. "I calculate that one more minute is needed. Now, when the names of the champions are called out, I ask you to please go up to the top of the Hall, walk along the pentagram table, and proceed to the next chamber, where you will receive your first instructions." He indicated the door behind the pentagram table, and they all looked that way.

Dumbledore pulled out his wand and gave a great sweeping motion with it.

Instantly, all the candles, except those inside the carved pumpkins, went out.

The Great Dining Hall was suddenly in a state of semi-darkness, and the goblet of fire was now glowing brighter than anything else in the entire Dining Hall, with a glowing brightness and a bluish whiteness to the flames almost painful to the eyes.

Everyone was watching, waiting; some people kept checking their watches.....

Without warning, the flames in the cup suddenly turned red again. Sparks began to fly. The next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, and a piece of charred parchment flew out of it.

Everyone in the Great Dining Hall held their breath and looked at the note.

Dumbledore picked up the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it in the light of the flames, which had returned to bluish-white.

"The Durmstrang champion," he read in a loud, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."

In an instant, a storm of applause and cheers swept through the Hall.

"No surprises!" shouted Ron.

Viktor Krum rose from the Slytherin table and slouched toward Dumbledore. He turned right, strode around the pentagram table and disappeared through the door into the adjoining room.

"Bravo, Viktor!" thundered Karkaroff, so loud that everyone could hear him, even above all the applause. "I knew you were destined to be a champion!"