The Champions
The Dining Chamber was crammed when the time came for the Goblet of Fire to pick the three candidates, but there still wasn’t room for everyone. It helped that the Dining Chamber was made of glass, so the latecomers could be seen lining the walls and trying to listen through the windows. Every window was open, despite the icy cold outside, but with so many inside everyone there was more than enough warmth inside.
Ginny squeezed her way onto the stage next to the Goblet, which was sitting on its wooden chest as before. Around her were seated the other heads and the three judges: Beatrix Holombec, Morris Eeylops and Benjamin Sandberg.
She had to persuade everyone in the Chamber to sit down, so at least everyone could see something. She couldn’t remember Dumbledore’s words from last time, but nor could anyone else she spoke to. Nor was there any handy little gauge on the side of the Goblet to tell her how many pieces of paper it held; She just had to hope there were enough entries in there.
The three judges assured her that the Goblet would be ready to disgorge its answers on the stroke of seven o’clock. So, two minutes to go. She used her wand to douse the Dining Chamber lights, and then the only light was the bright blue flames from the Goblet.
Sandrin Krum had a seat right at the front, below the raised stage. A smile played on his lips, and he raised an eyebrow at her when she accidently caught his eye. He seemed very confident that he would be chosen.
She didn’t need to call for silence; The entire room was eerily quiet. “When each champion’s name is called,” she said into the silence, “I would ask they please come up to the raised stage here. Please feel free to cheer them,” she added.
She’d spoken in French, she realised, so she repeated her words in English, and Sendulla rose briefly to say something in German as well.
Then silence. The Goblet of Fire continued to produce its blue-white flames. Perhaps we’re too late, she thought. We’ve missed our slot for this year, and that’s it for three or more years…
Amazingly, the quiet remained. No-one seemed prepared to break the silence, even in whispered remarks to their neighbour.
The light in the Dining Chamber changed abruptly. It was darker now, and deep red. She pulled out her wand, in case she needed light to read the names. The Goblet was sending up sparks now, brightening the entire room.
And what happens if I don’t catch the piece of paper? she asked herself nervously. That’s going to look really good.
The Goblet shot a column of red flame high into the air, and she flinched. She looked up, wildly. High above her she could see a charred piece of parchment. It seemed to want to stay up there, but the flames turned back to blue, and the fragment grudgingly tilted, and fell slowly, milking its audience.
At last she could reach out and catch it. It was still hot. The edges were still glowing, so she held it gingerly between finger and thumb.
What happens if I don’t know which school the name comes from? But she could read the name, written in heavy black ink, and she could recognise it.
“The champion for Durmstrang is Chloe Langenberg!” she called out.
A triumphant shout, then cheers, and people were calling out, and clapping. She could see a stir halfway down the hall, and she could recognise Chloe striding happily along the hall.
Fortunately, perhaps, Chloe didn’t see Sandrin Krum’s expression as she walked past him. He looked fiercely angry. He folded his arms instead of applauding her. Several other male Durmstrangs around him – his Quidditch cronies, she realised - looked equally displeased, either because Sandrin hadn’t been chosen, or they hadn’t, and they were talking to each other in animation.
Chloe trotted onto the raised stage and held out her hand to Ginny. Ginny swapped her wand to her other hand, dropping the piece of parchment in the process, and shook her hand with pleasure. Chloe was an impressive prefect, and would probably make an excellent champion.
But Ginny nearly dropped her wand as well when an ecstatic Chloe drew her into a bear hug. Ginny had to push herself free, her cheeks hot, convinced she was looking a fool now – Chloe was much taller than she. Chloe turned and held up her fist to the audience in the room, acknowledging the applause. Sandrin and his allies still look angry, Ginny could see.
The flame in the Goblet turned red again, and she put her arms up to quieten everybody, but she was left with her arms in the air, as everyone had already quietened in anticipation. The sparks lit Sandrin Krum’s face as he looked up in awe at the red flames.
Another surge of red, volcano-like, and a second piece of parchment was a speck above the tower of flame. Chloe took a step towards the Goblet, as if she was about to catch the parchment himself, but Ginny put her hand on the girl’s middle and pushed her firmly backwards. Chloe gave her a quick grin of realisation and apology and stepped away, her eyes back on the falling parchment.
Ginny caught it, and as she did she felt a strange spurt of sorrow that her own name could never appear from the Goblet of Fire…
“The champion for Beauxbatons,” she called, “is Jehanne Blavier!” She realised she’d shouted the name in her excitement, but nobody objected, and the cheers were easily the equal of those for Sandrin. She could see Jehanne standing and walking towards the raised stage. Hands were reaching out to her, shaking her hands, briefly squeezing her arms. She embraced and kissed several pupils, and her eyes were gleaming as she climbed onto the stage.
Ginny couldn’t stop herself hugging the girl either, who laughed in her ear as Ginny did so. Jehanne stepped back and acknowledged the cheers from the room, then stepped back, turned and shook Chloe’s hand, saying something unheard to her. Chloe responded cheerfully in her turn.
Already the Goblet was spitting sparks and red flames, and a surge of red shot into the air. Ginny could see the little piece of parchment now, and its descent seemed even slower now. She could see Jehanne make some laughing remark to Chloe; McGonagall’s face was a mask. Was even she nervous?
Ginny resisted the temptation to leap high in the air to snare the smouldering parchment, and made herself wait until it was in reach.
“The Hogwarts champion is… is Caroline Moore-Hexham!” she announced.
There were a few cheers amidst the applause, but there were mutters as well. Surely Moore-Hexham was a popular choice? Ginny scanned the room for sight of the girl, but no-one was standing. Then she realised that there was a slender, immobile figure framed in the doorway. Ginny waved her forwards, and eventually the girl was moving towards her. It was definitely Caroline. The light was blue-white again, and Ginny could see her more clearly. The girl didn’t look triumphant, and she seemed pale even in the cold light of the Goblet of Fire.
Eventually she reached the raised stage, and slowly ascended the steps. But instead of approaching Ginny, she made for McGonagall. She knelt clumsily beside her and whispered in her ear.
McGonagall was shaking her head, saying something. Ginny watched as Moore-Hexham’s head turned to look at the room full of people, in fear and worry. She turned back to McGonagall for confirmation, then stood, her face set. She reached out her hand to Ginny, stiffly, and it was like shaking hands with a statue.
The room slowly filled with applause, and Jehanne’s and Chloe’s hands came up to acknowledge this, and cheers arose, but Caroline Moore-Hexham kept her hands by her sides, looking unemotionally out at the audience.
Eventually Ginny put her hands up to call for silence. “Congratulations,” she said, feeling foolish. “Congratulations to our three champions, who are now…”
“Wait!” The word was shouted from just below her. Sandrin Krum was standing now, his expression angry.
“What’s wrong, Krum?” Sendulla called out from behind Ginny.
“You know what’s wrong,” snapped Sandrin. “It’s obvious what’s wrong!”
“I’m sorry you weren’t chosen, Sandrin,” said Sendulla, wearily. “But the Goblet made its choice…”
“No!” shouted Sandrin. “It is simpler than that! Three champions – Three girls! No men! We must draw again! Fairly, this time!” There was a rising murmur around the hall. Sandrin had spoken in French, Ginny realised, and a good deal of the voices were translating his words into German and English.
“The Goblet of Fire made its choice,” insisted Sendulla. “There is no rule that says one or more must be male!”
“Unfair!” cried Krum, and to Ginny’s dismay other voices took up the cry, and they were beating on the tables on every chant.
McGonagall was on her feet, looking angry. She tried to say something, but it was drowned in the noise. “Quiet!” Ginny yelled, in French, then in English, and the noise slowly subsided.
“There have been many Triwizard competitions with all-male champions!” McGonagall proclaimed. “It is entirely reasonable to have all-female champions instead!”
But Sandrin and his cronies weren’t appeased. “Fix!” someone called, and others joined in.
“Silence!” Ginny yelled, but no-one paid any attention this time, partly because large numbers of female pupils were yelling angrily at Sandrin and his followers. Ginny used her wand to let off a loud bang, and the noise eventually subsided. She looked around at the judges to see if they could resolve the issue. She could see they were talking urgently amongst themselves. Beatrix Holombec rose rapidly to her feet, but changed her mind, hauled Sandberg to his feet and pushed him forward.
Sandberg looked unenthusiastic about being the centre of attention, but spoke clearly in German. Krum and the others around him looked annoyed, but didn’t shout back this time.
“What did he say?” Ginny asked Sendulla.
Sendulla shrugged. “Nothing world-breaking,” he said. “Simply that the Triwizard rules are plain, there is no rule insisting that one champion must be male, and that complaining wasn’t going to change that. We need to continue. You need to announce the arrangements for the first task.”
The room was quieter now, with only a buzz of comment around the Chamber. Ginny held up her hand until there was silence.
“The first challenge will be held in nine days’ time,” she announced, “on Saturday 15th February, starting at one o’clock in the afternoon. We will confirm the location before then.” She had to drag her notes out of her robe pocket. “Champions please be ready for midday to receive your final instructions. And… that’s it for now. But before you go, another hand for your champions!”
She nodded meaningfully to Jehanne Blavier, who happily led the way down the steps, accepting congratulations from people down the aisle, followed by Chloe Langenberg, and trailing behind, Caroline Moore-Hexham marched down between the chairs, not looking to left or right.
Ginny turned to McGonagall, who was in close conversation with Sendulla and Morris Eeylops. McGonagall caught her eye and turned towards her.
“As you may guess,” she said, “Miss Moore-Hexham is adamant she did not put her name into the Goblet of Fire. She wanted to withdraw, but I explained that was not possible.”
“Like last time,” said Ginny, numbly.
McGonagall shook her head. “Not at all,” she said. “Caroline is the valid Goblet of Fire choice for Hogwarts. But it was a surprise to me,” she added. “She’s been here less than a year. How is she expected to compete with much more experienced candidates? If there’s any shenanigans here, it’s with the selection procedure the Goblet used. None of us are experts on the Goblet. Someone more experienced may be able to shed some light here, but anyway that’s academic. We have our champions, and we have to go ahead on that basis.”
“And we can ignore Sandrin Krum and his friends?” Ginny asked.
“We have enough problems already,” said McGonagall, dryly. “We don’t need to go looking for more.”