Hogwarts' Golden Glory

Everyone stood up at the same time, and the sound of the chairs being pushed back was like a muffled thunderclap.

The foyer was packed. Students from the four colleges, the Durmstrang delegation, and the Beauxbatons delegation filled every inch of space. Some were standing on tiptoe, some were clinging to shoulders, and some were riding on each other's necks—Professor McGonagall sternly stopped the last one.

The blue-white flames of the Goblet of Fire danced in the center of the crowd, illuminating every excited face.

Dumbledore stood beside the Goblet of Fire, flanked by Karkaroff, Madam Maxim, and several Hogwarts professors. Moody stood at the very edge, his prosthetic eye swirling wildly, scanning everyone.

"Now," Dumbledore's voice echoed in the hallway, "the Goblet of Fire is about to make its choice. Before it selects its champion, I give you one last reminder—the chosen one must abide by the rules of the game. Once a name is uttered, it has magical binding force, and no one can go back on their word."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire room.

"Let's begin."

The flames in the Goblet of Fire suddenly changed color.

The blue and white had turned red, like burning blood. Sparks flew, landing on the gold thread with a sizzling sound. Everyone held their breath for a moment.

The first parchment flew out of the flames.

Dumbledore caught it, unfolded it, and read aloud: "The champion of Durmstrang is—Victor Krum!"

A deafening cheer erupted in the Durmstrang area.

Krum stood up expressionlessly, his dark gray eyes sweeping across the crowd—pausing briefly on Kane—before turning and heading towards the small room to the side. His steps were the same as when he first arrived at Hogwarts, each step perfectly timed, as precise as a metronome.

"Krum! Krum!" Durmstrang's students shouted.

The second parchment flew out.

"The warrior of Beauxbatons is—Fleur Delacour!"

The girls in Beauxbatons screamed and clapped, their voices so shrill they could shatter glass.

Furong stood up gracefully, her long, silvery-white hair flowing like a waterfall in the candlelight.

Instead of heading straight to the room, she turned towards the Slytherin table first.

She's looking for Kane.

Kane stood at the very front of the Slytherin crowd, his grey eyes calmly watching her.

Furong nodded slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips. Then she turned, her long robes billowing behind her, and walked toward the room to the side.

Hermione's lips pressed into a thin line.

The third parchment flew out.

Everyone held their breath.

"The champion of Hogwarts is—Cedric Diggory!"

The Hufflepuff table erupted in cheers, applause, and whistles.

Cedric stood up, a shy smile on his handsome face, and waved to the surroundings.

"Cedric! Cedric!"

"This is what Hogwarts should be like." Ron finally smiled with satisfaction. "An outstanding senior, a recognized talent, no—"

He didn't finish speaking.

Because the flame in the Goblet of Fire changed color again.

It didn't change from blue and white to red; it changed from red to a deeper red, almost black.

The sparks no longer sputtered out, but erupted like fireworks.

Everyone's smiles froze.

Dumbledore's expression changed. A sharp glint flashed in his blue eyes.

The fourth parchment flew out of the flames. It didn't float out slowly, but rather sprang out with a "poof," as if it had been spat out by something.

Dumbledore caught it and unfolded it.

He was silent.

The foyer was so quiet you could hear the flames burning.

"Harry Potter," Dumbledore said, his voice not loud, but each word clear as if carved by a knife.

Quiet.

Then a thousand voices exploded at the same time.

"What?"

"Harry Potter?"

"He's only thirteen years old!"

"impossible!"

"He cheated!"

"How did he do that?"

All eyes turned to Harry at the same time.

Harry stood there, pale-faced, his lips parting and closing slightly. He wanted to say, "I didn't sign up," but the words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single sound.

Ron's mouth gaped open, and he forgot to close it.

Hermione gripped Harry's sleeve tightly.

Draco was taken aback at first, then a gloating smile appeared on his lips, but the smile only lasted for a second—because Kane glanced at him.

Draco composed himself.

"Silence!" Dumbledore's voice echoed through the hall like thunder. His blue eyes, usually so gentle, now held an unusual sternness.

The foyer fell silent. But the whispers continued, like the buzzing of mosquitoes on a summer night.

"I didn't sign up," Harry finally said. His voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the quiet hallway heard him.

"Is this my name?"

Dumbledore unfolded the parchment and showed it to everyone. It clearly read: Harry Potter.

Karkaroff of Durmstrang was the first to speak. His voice was sharp and angry: "This is unfair! Hogwarts has two champions? This violates the rules of the game!"

"The rules state that each school can only have one warrior."

Mrs. Maxim's voice was deep and powerful, her azure eyes filled with skepticism, "Unless—someone cheated."

Professor McGonagall stepped forward: "Hogwarts students wouldn't do such a thing."

"Then how do you explain this parchment?" Karkaroff pointed at the Goblet of Fire. "The Goblet of Fire can't be wrong!"

All eyes were shifting between Dumbledore, Harry, and the Goblet of Fire.

The atmosphere in the lobby was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring.

Just then—

The flame in the Goblet of Fire changed color again.

It didn't change from red to black, but from black to a color that no one had ever seen before—silver white.

The flames no longer flickered, but flowed like mercury, forming swirling eddies at the rim of the cup.

Everyone was stunned.

Karkarov's mouth opened and closed again.

Mrs. Maxim's eyes widened.

Professor McGonagall gripped her wand tightly.

Dumbledore's expression changed from stern to—shocked.

The silvery-white flames suddenly shot up, like a burning sword. The entire hall was illuminated as bright as day, and even the spider webs in the corners were clearly visible.

The fifth parchment flew out of the flames.

It seemed to "grow" from the deepest part of the silvery-white flames, rising slowly from the flames like a flower in bloom.

The parchment was also a different color. It wasn't ordinary white or pale yellow, but silver, with golden edges, and the writing on it was dark red, like congealed blood.

Dumbledore took the parchment.

He wasn't surprised by this parchment.