Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, Barty Crouch, along with Durmstrang's Karkaroff and Beauxbatons' Madame Maxime.
Before the door closed, the buzzing discussions from the Great Hall drifted clearly into the room.
Like a child who had been wronged, Fleur walked over to Madame Maxime's side.
The proud Madame Maxime was obviously very dissatisfied as well. She loudly questioned both Dumbledore and Barty Crouch.
Likewise, Karkaroff was equally displeased. He directed his accusations straight at Hogwarts, claiming that Hogwarts had cheated by having two contestants in the tournament.
Madame Maxime and Karkaroff kept talking without pause, loudly complaining about how unfair it was and demanding that the selection be held again.
Snape, unable to distinguish friend from foe, dumped all the blame onto Harry.
Dumbledore ignored them. Instead, he asked Harry several questions to confirm that Harry had not used any method to place his name into the Goblet of Fire.
"He's lying!" Madame Maxime shouted.
The towering headmistress slapped a hanging lamp clean off its chain. After all, it wasn't her school's property, so she felt no sympathy for it.
"He couldn't possibly have crossed that Age Line," Professor McGonagall said sternly. "I'm sure we all agree on that."
"Then Dumbledore's line must have been faulty," Madame Maxime said with a shrug.
"Of course, that is also a possibility," Dumbledore replied politely.
Eda suddenly walked over to Professor McGonagall's side.
"Forgive me, Madame Maxime," she said. "Why don't we have Professor Dumbledore draw another Age Line and let the four of us champions try again? Make it twenty years old this time. Then we'll see which of the four of us can cross it. What do you think?"
If Dumbledore drew a new Age Line with an age limit above every champion's age, whichever school's champion failed to cross it would be the one left embarrassed.
"You..." Madame Maxime was momentarily speechless.
She knew perfectly well there was nothing wrong with Dumbledore's Age Line. She was simply using the situation as leverage, hoping to secure some advantage for Fleur during the tournament.
Eda shot Snape a fierce glare.
No wonder Slytherin never knew who to side with. The upper beam wasn't straight, so naturally the lower beam was crooked. Their Head of House was exactly that sort of person.
Professor McGonagall immediately grabbed Eda and pulled her behind herself, afraid Eda might say something unpleasant.
Professor McGonagall knew Eda all too well. If she suddenly got into one of her sarcastic moods, there was no telling how cutting her words would be.
"The professors are speaking. What are you butting in for? Who do you think you are?" Karkaroff roared. "Is this how Hogwarts teaches its students?"
Professor McGonagall tightened her grip, refusing to let Eda jump back out.
"You don't need to know how Hogwarts teaches its students," Professor McGonagall said. "Don't worry. You'll find out who she is soon enough!"
Dumbledore looked at Barty Sr and said, "You decide, Barty."
"We must abide by the rules," Barty Crouch said. "The regulations clearly state that anyone whose name is produced by the Goblet of Fire must compete in the Tournament."
But Madame Maxime and Karkaroff refused to let the matter rest. They threatened to appeal to the International Confederation of Wizards and even used withdrawing from the Tournament as leverage.
Professor McGonagall kept a close eye on Eda, not allowing her to interrupt despite how much she enjoyed arguing with people. The situation seemed to be developing in a direction unfavorable to Hogwarts.
Just then, the thump, thump of a wooden leg striking the floor echoed through the room.
Moody had arrived.
"Stop bluffing, Karkaroff!" Moody roared as he limped toward the group. "Don't tell me you don't understand what a magical contract is! Besides, this is to your advantage, isn't it?"
"To our advantage?" Karkaroff said. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean, Moody."
Karkaroff seemed somewhat afraid of Moody. His tough attitude was little more than an act.
"Harry Potter is only fourteen," Moody said. "It's obvious someone wanted him to compete."
"That gives Hogwarts two chances to win, making their odds of victory even greater!" Madame Maxime said.
"Hah.. hahaha.." Moody suddenly laughed.
It was a laugh full of contempt.
"Oh, surely not. Surely you're not saying your students can't even beat a fourteen-year-old Harry Potter?"
Eda also looked toward Moody.
That scar-covered face was filled with sarcasm and mockery.
Still, Eda felt something was off.
She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.
"The person who has the most right to complain hasn't said a word," Moody said gruffly. "Yet the two of you just keep talking. Hmm. That's interesting!"
"The three of you are competing for your schools' honor and your own glory. But Harry... it's obvious that someone wants him to die in this Tournament!"
After he finished speaking, an extremely tense silence filled the room.
They had argued for so long, each trying to secure advantages for their own school, yet no one had stopped to spare a thought for Harry Potter.
Then again, he wasn't a student from their school.
Even if he had been, there was no guarantee they would have shown any concern.
Take Snape, for example.
Of course, it was also possible that Snape's acting was simply good enough that no one had noticed.
Everyone in the room knew Harry could not have placed his own name into the Goblet of Fire.
The fact that he had been selected as a champion was clearly the result of some conspiracy.
Yet, in the face of their own interests, they had all chosen to ignore that conspiracy.
Karkaroff wanted to argue back, insisting that this was nothing more than Moody's wild imagination.
Madame Maxime likewise wanted Moody to provide evidence instead of making baseless claims.
The three of them descended into another heated argument, leaving everyone else unable to get a word in.
"Enough!" Dumbledore said calmly.
"If any of you has a better solution, I am willing to listen with an open mind. If not, then keep your mouths shut and accept the outcome."
...
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