Hogwarts, the Great Hall during the evening feast.
Filch was about to have his moment of glory.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the castle's caretaker carefully placed the box he was holding onto the table of the guest of honor. After a slight bow, he quietly left the scene.
"I know many of you are curious—curious about how the three champions will be chosen. But what I want to say is that the entire selection process will be conducted by the most impartial selector..."
At this point, Dumbledore paused briefly before gently tapping the ornate box three times with his wand.
The box began to melt away, like a wax figure under intense heat.
A simple, unremarkable-looking goblet emerged from the melting remnants.
"A fair selection! The champions of the three schools will be fairly chosen by the Goblet of Fire!"
"Now that the Goblet of Fire is lit, the Triwizard Tournament is officially underway, and it is irreversible!"
Boom!
As Dumbledore finished speaking, a bright and dazzling blue-white flame suddenly erupted from the Goblet of Fire.
"Those who wish to participate, or are interested in participating in the Triwizard Tournament, please write your name and school on a piece of parchment after the feast and throw it into the Goblet of Fire."
"I will give you twenty-four hours to think it over. The Goblet of Fire will be placed in the Entrance Hall tonight..."
Dumbledore's serious blue eyes swept across the Great Hall as he spoke these words.
"Finally, I must remind everyone—once your name is selected by the Goblet of Fire, there is no turning back, and no regrets!"
When the greatest white wizard of the 20th century spoke seriously, no one dared to ignore his words. Even the most mischievous students, including George and Fred, behaved remarkably well.
Dumbledore seemed pleased with the effect. After scanning the room again, he continued speaking:
"If you are fortunate enough to be selected as a champion, you will form an unbreakable bond with the Goblet of Fire. Every champion must persevere to the end—unless you die in the process!"
The mention of "death" made everyone in the Great Hall sit up straight. At that moment, not only the young wizards of Hogwarts but also the students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang showed expressions of deep thought.
Ino's eyes also reflected contemplation, but his thoughts were different from the original story. The age restriction had been lifted.
This seemed more reasonable. As a high-level alchemical artifact, the Goblet of Fire would never select an unworthy representative. If that were the case, the Triwizard Tournament, with its centuries-long history, would be a joke.
In the original story, concepts like age and responsibility were likely just excuses.
If a first-year student were truly selected, it would only mean one thing: that this first-year student had surpassed everyone else at Hogwarts in overall ability.
To not send this student to compete and instead choose someone else might be the real act of irresponsibility.
After all, the Goblet of Fire's selection was fair.
...
The removal of the age restriction was a small change in the story.
However, following this change, Ino's mind revisited his previous speculations.
Peeling back the layers, it seemed that everything in the original story had indeed occurred right under the headmaster's nose.
Using the age restriction as bait, monitoring the castle with its portraits, and then watching as Barty Crouch Jr. tampered with the Goblet of Fire—all of it was done to save Harry, or perhaps to let Voldemort destroy his own Horcrux.
However, a Black Swan event had occurred after all, catching even the wise Dumbledore off guard.
Cedric's unexpected death.
No matter how well-thought-out a plan might be, it would always have its flaws, like the Time-Turner and the Philosopher's Stone—anything made by humans is inherently incomplete.
But as the headmaster, Dumbledore's love for the castle and its students might have been greater than many could imagine.
Perhaps this event, weighing on Dumbledore, became the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Because he could have prevented it all, if only from the very beginning...
This incident might have been what led to Dumbledore's mental breakdown, causing him to confront his long-suppressed guilt and sorrow, leading him to impulsively touch the Resurrection Stone.
...
At the same time.
As Ino was lost in thought, Dumbledore began explaining the relevant details.
Three tasks, five judges with fair scoring, and the topics of glory and prize money.
Glory and prize money—when Dumbledore finished speaking, the atmosphere in the Great Hall grew excited, dispelling the previous somber mood.
Gryffindor Table.
"Harry! A thousand Galleons! That's a thousand Galleons! Merlin's socks, just imagine how heavy that must be all together..."
Ron was so excited he could barely breathe. He desperately wanted to have his own vault of gold.
Bill and Charlie had jobs now, Percy was an intern but visibly more respectable, and George and Fred were... inexplicably wealthy.
Ron knew them too well—if they could afford to give him two Galleons for pocket money, it was safe to assume George and Fred had at least two thousand Galleons in savings.
When he thought about it, Ron realized that he was the poorest in the Weasley family, even poorer than Ginny.
In the past, when the entire family was poor, it didn't matter. But now that he was the only one still poor, the contrast was deeply painful.
In fact, among the students present, aside from a few who remained calm, the majority were just as excited as Ron.
A thousand Galleons was a fortune for many people, even entire families.
...
Head Table.
Dumbledore let the students celebrate for a few minutes before raising his hands in a calming gesture.
As the noise in the Great Hall gradually subsided, he spoke slowly:
"Alright! Everything that needed to be said has been said. The rest of the time is yours! Before you leave, I must say one last thing: the decision of the Goblet of Fire is final!"
With Dumbledore's final words, the professors and guests began to leave, including the two high-ranking Ministry of Magic officials, who quickly exited the hall.
Amusingly, Barty Crouch Sr. looked as pale as if he had lost too much blood, and nearly stumbled as he left.
But no one paid much attention to the Head Table at this point. All eyes were on the Goblet of Fire.
...
As the adults left, the atmosphere in the Great Hall turned lively again.
The chatter and excitement would have been enough to blow the enchanted ceiling off if not for the magic holding it in place.
Ino smiled as he watched the scene before him. This was the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as he imagined it—a castle filled with laughter.
He lightly tapped the table, and a glass of freshly squeezed grass juice appeared before him, a small display of the castle's powers.
Just as he lifted the glass, he heard a somewhat awkward greeting beside him.
"Hello! That... your performance the other day! It was great!" Krum said with a faint smile.
Krum had recognized Ino long ago. The rhythmic song from the World Cup match had left a deep impression on him.
"Thank you! Your Quidditch skills are impressive too." Ino responded with equal friendliness to the kind exchange.
After a brief conversation, Krum sat down. He had wanted to greet Ino the previous day but hadn't found the opportunity. Today, he hadn't run into him during the day either.
"Are you going to enter the Triwizard Tournament? I think you'd easily become Hogwarts' champion."