In the original timeline, Ludo Bagman would have played a role here, but Erwin had already dismissed him. The man's presence or absence made no difference; he was utterly useless. With his rejection, the timeline shifted, and Voldemort's absence meant Barty Crouch Jr. stayed hidden as well. This saved Barty Crouch Sr. from a great deal of trouble, though it was a pity for Percy Weasley. He had been desperate for the referee position to gain experience and climb the Ministry ladder, but that opportunity was now gone.
Inside the referees' room, Igor Karkaroff slammed his hands on the table, his voice booming. "This is a targeted attack! Hogwarts and the exchange delegation are conspiring against Durmstrang! They are targeting my students!"
With Grindelwald and Erwin absent, Karkaroff's confidence had soared. The exchange instructor sat calmly, stroking his beard and ignoring the outburst entirely. Dumbledore, however, looked weary.
"Igor, sit down. Don't be so agitated."
"I will not sit!" Karkaroff retorted angrily. "You must give me an explanation today! This is clearly a premeditated scheme to undermine Durmstrang. You fear Viktor Krum's power, so you've united against him!"
Dumbledore rubbed his temples. The noise was becoming unbearable.
"Calm down, Igor. Let us discuss this rationally."
"There is nothing to discuss! I demand an explanation!"
"Fine," Dumbledore sighed, playing his trump card. "I shall call Erwin to speak with you. He was in charge of the arrangements."
The effect was instantaneous. Karkaroff stiffened, his bluster evaporating. He coughed twice and sat down with a thud. "Talking is fine, I suppose. There is no need to trouble Erwin. He must be busy. Perhaps I... overreacted."
Dumbledore and Olympe Maxime exchanged glances, both rolling their eyes. The exchange instructor continued to contemplate dinner, while Barty Crouch Sr. was already snoring in his chair. He had arrived at the tournament expecting significance, only to find himself utterly redundant. Since Erwin ran everything, Crouch had resigned himself to sleeping through the proceedings.
Meanwhile, in the Headmasters' Dormitory, Erwin sat at his desk, sipping coffee and observing the monitor. He watched the movements of the Hogwarts and exchange teams with amusement. He could guess what Charlotte and Sunny Finch were planning. Durmstrang was in a bad spot, isolated and unaware. Unlike Beauxbatons, they hadn't bothered with intelligence gathering, leaving them blind to the pincer movement forming against them.
At the entrance to Durmstrang's common room, Sunny Finch and Charlotte crossed paths. Tension spiked instantly. Contestants drew their wands; the exchange students held talismans between their fingers. Young wizards watching from a safe distance held their breath.
"They're going to fight!"
"Obviously. Keep it down, we're trying to watch."
"Who wins?"
"Hogwarts, obviously. I'm impartial."
"I bet on the exchange students. Their magic is different. Look at those formations!"
"Is this the final showdown? I'm getting excited."
Just as the atmosphere reached a boiling point, Charlotte and Sunny Finch suddenly smiled.
Sunny Finch stepped forward. "What a coincidence! You're here for Durmstrang as well?"
Charlotte nodded politely. "Please, you go first."
"There are four fragments," Sunny Finch replied, eyeing the door. "Let's split them. Two for you, two for me."
"Agreed," Charlotte laughed.
Sunny Finch didn't waste time. She didn't knock. She leaped into the air, wielding two massive hammers that materialized in her hands.
"I'll handle the door!"
Before anyone could react, the hammers slammed into the heavy wooden doors. The wood didn't just break; it exploded. Splinters flew, and the Durmstrang students inside jumped out of their skins.
Erwin, watching from his monitor, calmly picked up a notebook and a self-inking quill.
December 15th. Sunny Finch destroyed a wooden door. Estimated value: eleven Galleons.
Broken property had to be paid for. Even a child knew that.