The three of them clapped a few times, finding the applause echoing in the silent hall seemed lonely, and wisely put their hands down.
The others seemed stunned by Moody's strange appearance, staring at him without blinking.
Moody appeared indifferent to everyone's lukewarm reaction.
He ignored the large jug of pumpkin juice in front of him and instead reached into his traveling cloak to pull out a curved bottle, taking a big gulp.
As he raised his arm to drink, his cloak, dragging on the ground, lifted a few inches, and Harry saw a few inches of a carved wooden prosthetic leg underneath a claw-like foot.
"It seems his legs aren't very agile," Hermione, who never liked Professor Moody, commented.
"He was an old Auror," Ron said, looking at Moody with some reverence, "My dad often tells me about him. He may have a temper, but he was indeed a formidable Auror... You know? Many Death Eaters hated him to the core but could never kill him—look, the scars on him are left by those Dark Wizards, and the ones who scarred him..."
"Are all dead?" Hermione asked.
"Some are dead, some are in Azkaban, some are lying in Saint Mangos for life," Ron shrugged.
Harry looked again at Kakaroff and Moody.
These two... They seem to have a story...
Curiosity stirred inside Harry's mind. What kind of fate was it?
As Moody hobbled toward the staff table, he gave Kakaroff a profoundly deep look as he passed by.
The false eye not only stopped spinning but stared fixedly at Kakaroff along with its owner.
After a while, Moody snorted coldly and moved to sit in the position reserved for the Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Seems like he didn't like Kakaroff either.
"Looks like Professor Moody doesn't like Headmaster Kakaroff, and Headmaster Kakaroff doesn't like him either," Hermione said in a low voice beside them, then realized: "Oh! Could it be that Headmaster Kakaroff was once a Dark Wizard? So Professor Moody, who once worked as an Auror, doesn't like him?"
"Not necessarily," Ron speculated, "You know, Durmstrang does not prohibit students from studying Dark Magic. Maybe Professor Moody has a prejudice against Headmaster Kakaroff because of this?"
"Your guess is not without possibility," Hermione pondered, "but... I still want to know why exactly—"
"Being curious is not always a good thing, Hermione," Ron said in a low voice, "I wouldn't want you to be handed over to Durmstrang by the Ministry of Magic as a diplomatic gift."
"How could that be?" Hermione snorted, "I just want to seek the truth..."
"If you're wrong, that's fine, but if you actually discover something, it might not end well."
Ron exaggerated as he spoke: "You shouldn't just investigate anything, what if you find something?"
"That's not wrong," Hermione nodded in agreement, "What if finding something turns out to be impolite?"
Finally, Dumbledore said a few more words, then moved to the last part of the welcome banquet.
Singing the school song.
It must be admitted that Hogwarts' unique school song choir truly opened the eyes of students from the other two schools.
The fact that everyone held to their own melody was something unimaginable even in their imaginations.
After everyone had finished singing, Dumbledore wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes.
"Music, it's truly enchanting," he said, then once again addressed everyone: "Alright, it's already late, it's important that you walk into class tomorrow morning spirited and clear-headed... Go to bed! Quickly!"
"Additionally," Dumbledore added again: "Students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang can follow the Class Prefects of their chosen academy to the dormitory, where temporary dormitories will be assigned to them."
The students followed the Class Prefects of their respective academies to their common rooms.
"Who do you think will be Hogwarts' Warrior in the end?" Fred asked George and the others, "I think it should be someone from Gryffindor, like—I think it should be someone from seventh year."
"Not quite possible," George said with a serious face, "If Dumbledore hadn't said that, then the Warrior might be chosen from six or seventh-year students; but since Dumbledore has already said that students under seventeen can participate in the Triwizard Tournament, it means... he actually hopes Harry will participate in the Triwizard Tournament—hey hey hey, Harry, what do you think?"
Suddenly mentioned, a question mark floated out of Harry's head, and then he very adeptly said: "Though I do not seek the position, I still take bringing glory to the school as my duty; if the only way to benefit the school is to become the Warrior, then I must take up the responsibility, completely abandoning my personal interests."
Everyone: ...
Goodness, how did you get so slippery?
"Seems like Harry doesn't mind being Hogwarts' Warrior," the twins laughed, "Alright, if you want to be Hogwarts' Warrior, then we both announce our withdrawal, and Gryffindor's glory will be inherited by you."
"This glory I will not enjoy alone," Harry said with a demeanor as steadfast as standing in a Dragon position.
The twins immediately playfully knelt on one knee, posing as if offering up a crown.