Hogwarts: I will not become the Dark Lord

“Severus, I truly thank you for your suggestion.” Dumbledore’s voice was firm and clear. Snape closed his mouth upon hearing this, but the gaze that shone through his greasy black hair still flickered with gloom and hostility towards Harry.

“Jerry, Harry, tell me the truth, did you put your names in the Goblet of Fire?” Professor Dumbledore asked the two seriously, his voice gentle and calm.

“Absolutely not.” Harry replied quickly, keenly aware that everyone’s eyes were focused on him. Snape, lurking in the shadows, let out a disdainful snort, clearly skeptical of Harry’s answer.

“Me neither!” Jerry also shook his head, his tone without the slightest hesitation.

“Then, did you ask an older student to put your names in the Goblet of Fire for you?” Dumbledore continued to press, as if he hadn't heard Snape's interruption.

“No, Professor Dumbledore!” Harry’s voice carried a hint of anxiety, eager to prove his innocence.

“I’m even less likely to!” Completely different from Harry, who was anxiously trying to explain himself, Jerry was very confident and assertive, “If I really wanted to do that, I wouldn’t be secretive about it!”

Karkaroff, listening to Jerry’s words, couldn’t help but rub his arm, which was still numb from the earlier shock, a sneering smile curving at the corner of his lips.

“Mr. Crouch, Mr. Bagman,” Karkaroff’s voice became smooth and ingratiating once more, “As our neutral judges for this Triwizard Tournament… uh… surely you also find the current situation extremely inappropriate, wouldn’t you?”

Ludo Bagman gently dabbed his round face with a delicate handkerchief, then turned his gaze to Barty Crouch Sr., who was standing at the edge of the firelight.

Barty Crouch Sr.’s figure was half-hidden in the shadows, the half of his face not illuminated by the firelight appearing particularly sinister, as if the traces of time were infinitely magnified at this moment, making his face reveal an ominous, skeletal oldness.

However, when Barty Crouch Sr. spoke, his voice still maintained its usual coldness.

“We must strictly adhere to the established regulations,” Barty Crouch Sr.’s voice echoed in the room, “The regulations clearly stipulate that any wizard chosen by the Goblet of Fire must participate in the competition of the Tournament, this is undeniable.”

“Hey, Barty is absolutely right, I completely agree.” Mr. Bagman interjected at the right moment, a bright smile blooming on his face, as if the problem had been solved easily. He turned to face Karkaroff and Madam Maxime, acting as if the matter was settled and unchangeable.

“Then we Durmstrang should also add two more contestants to make it fair!” Karkaroff was clearly unwilling to let it go, his voice losing its previous smoothness, his smile also fading away, replaced by a gloomy and dissatisfied expression.

“Mr. Karkaroff, if I may be frank,” Ludo Bagman shook his head, “The Goblet of Fire has just completed its task and has been extinguished. It will only reignite when the next Triwizard Tournament arrives.”

“A fix, this is simply a fix! I will report this to the International Confederation of Wizards!!”

Karkaroff, hearing Ludo Bagman’s words, was furious, “We went through so much preparation and negotiation, and in the end, such a mess still occurred! I really want to take my students and leave Hogwarts immediately!”

“Karkaroff, you still only know how to bluster!” A rough and powerful voice rang out from the doorway, with a hint of anger, “You can’t leave, Viktor Krum must compete, all of them must compete. As Professor Dumbledore said, the champions chosen by the Goblet of Fire are bound by a magical contract.”

Moody limped into the room, each step accompanied by the heavy thud of his right foot. He slowly walked towards the fireplace, his eyes sharply scanning everyone.

As soon as Moody’s words fell, the entire room fell into a dead silence.

“Moody, don’t make such sensational remarks so casually!” Ludo Bagman reminded him.

“Everyone knows that if Moody fails to catch six people trying to harm him before lunch, he feels like he’s wasted the morning.” Karkaroff deliberately raised his voice, his words full of sarcasm, “Now it seems that he is not only so suspicious himself, but also instills this anxiety in his students, constantly suspecting that someone will harm them. As a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, having such a mindset is truly rare, Professor Dumbledore.”

“Are you questioning me for fabricating things out of thin air?” Moody roared, “My intuition has never been wrong! The one who put this child’s name in the Goblet of Fire is by no means an ordinary person!”

“To make the Goblet of Fire make a mistake, to forget that the Triwizard Tournament only involves three schools and only selects three champions, requires casting an extremely complex Confundus Charm! Karkaroff, your past…”

“Alastor!” Dumbledore interrupted Moody’s speech at the right moment. Although Moody closed his mouth, his gaze still glared fiercely at Karkaroff, and Karkaroff also returned him with a resentful look.

“We don’t know the reason why the Goblet of Fire chose these five,” Dumbledore looked around at everyone in the room, his tone calm and firm, “But in my opinion, we have no other choice but to accept it.”

“Of course, if any of you have other brilliant ideas, I am willing to listen in detail, with rapt attention.”

Dumbledore’s gaze fell on Madam Maxime, expecting her response. However, Madam Maxime only glared ahead resentfully, remaining silent. Her dissatisfaction was not an isolated case, many people around her had expressions of displeasure and confusion on their faces.

Snape’s face was equally gloomy, revealing his inner annoyance; while Bagman seemed completely different, rubbing his hands together, his eyes flashing with excitement.

“Then, everyone,” Bagman said very excitedly, “It’s time to provide guidance to our champions, isn’t it? Barty, perhaps you can begin the explanation!”

Barty Crouch Sr. seemed to wake up suddenly from deep thought, he slowly took a few steps forward, stepping into the soft and warm circle of firelight. At this moment, he looked particularly haggard, the shadows under his eyes were deep, and his wrinkled face was almost transparently white, like a piece of thin paper.

“The first task aims to hone your courage and daring,” Barty Crouch Sr.’s gaze swept over Jerry and the others one by one, “Therefore, we have decided to maintain its mystery and not reveal it in advance. Facing the unknown without fear is an indispensable quality for every wizard!”

“The task is scheduled to take place on November 24th, and will be held in the presence of all the school's teachers, students, and the judging panel.”

“During the competition, the champions must cope independently and must not seek or accept any form of assistance from their respective mentors. The only thing you can rely on is the wand that has accompanied you in your growth. After the first task is successfully completed, the details of the second task will be revealed. Given the difficulty and duration of the competition, the champions will be exempt from participating in the end-of-year exams for this academic year.”

“Wait,” Jerry interrupted Crouch’s narration, raising his question, “So, we can use our own wands?”

“That’s natural,” Ludo Bagman strolled up to Jerry with a smile, patting him on the shoulder, “Mr. Green, boldly use the spells you know!”

Jerry glanced at the chubby gambling addict Ludo Bagman with great disdain, then leaned closer to Fleur inconspicuously.