Chapter 546: Confused Harry

Harry sat there blankly, aware that everyone in the great hall turned to look at him. His whole body was numb, he must be dreaming.

He must have heard wrong.

There was no applause, just the buzzing sound of bees in the hall.

Some students stood up to get a good look while he stayed in his seat.

At the top table, Professor McGonagall stood up, passed by Ruth Bagmon and Professor Karkaroff, and whispered hastily to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Dumbledore leaned into his ear and frowned slightly.

Harry turned around and spoke to the other three people. The entire Gryffindor table on his side looked at him with their mouths wide open.

"I didn't put the name through," Harry said blankly. "You know I didn't."

Ron and Hermione also stared at him blankly, knowing of course that Harry didn't put his name in at all.

"Of course we know." Fan Lin said quickly, "But your name has already appeared. If Dumbledore has any arrangements, just abide by them and I will help you."

"Okay." Harry nodded. Fan Lin was still reliable, although he still looked confused.

Over at the highest table, Professor Dumbledore straightened up and nodded to Professor McGonagall.

"Harry Potter!" he shouted again. "Harry! Please come here!"

"Go." Fanlin whispered, and Hermione pushed Harry gently.

Harry stood up, almost falling over the hem of his pants, as he passed between the Slytherin and Hufflepuff tables. The road seemed endless and the top table seemed out of reach.

He felt hundreds of eyes watching him. And each pair of eyes seemed like a searchlight. The buzzing gets louder and louder. It felt like an hour passed before he reached Dumbledore and felt all the teachers' eyes on him.

"Well... through that door, Harry," said Dumbledore, without smiling.

Harry walked forward along the teacher's desk. Hagrid was sitting at the other end. He didn't wink at Harry, wave, or do any of his usual greetings.

He was completely stunned. He, like everyone else, stared at Harry as he walked by. Harry walked out of the Great Hall and found himself in a small room filled with portraits of wizards and witches. Facing him was a stove, and the fire was burning brightly.

As soon as he entered, all the faces in the painting looked towards him, and he saw a withered witch coming from herself, flying into a nearby wizard with a walrus beard, and whispering in his ear.

Viktor Krum, Cedric Diggory and Fleur Delacour were sitting around the fire, reflecting the light of the fire. They gave people a strange impression.

Krum was hunched over the mantelpiece in deep thought, separated from the other two. Cedric stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the door, while Fleur Delacour looked around and threw back as Harry entered. hair.

"What's the matter?" she asked. "Do they want us to go back to the hall?"

She thought Harry was here to deliver a message, and he didn't know how to explain what had just happened.

He could only stand there, looking at the three players, and found that they were astonishingly tall.

There was a rush of footsteps behind him, and Ruth Bagmon entered the room. He held Harry's hand and walked forward.

"How unusual!" he muttered, twisting Harry's arm. “It’s really unusual!

Gentlemen...ladies. he added, approaching the fire and speaking to the other three: "Allow me to introduce - somewhat unbelievably - the fourth contestant in the Triwizard Tournament." "

Viktor Krum straightened up. Looking at Harry, his arrogant face darkened, and he remembered that the little wizard's friend was at the Quidditch World Cup.

Cedric looked from Bagmon to Harry in confusion. It seemed as if he doubted whether he heard what Bagmon said correctly. Fleur Delacour shook her head and said with a smile, "Ugh, what a ridiculous joke, Mr. Bagmon."

"A joke?" Bagmon repeated, a little confused, "No, no, it's not a joke at all. The flaming goblet just gave Harry's name."

Fleur frowned. "But that's obviously wrong," she said contemptuously to Bagmon. "He can't compete. He's too young."

"Hmm...it's quite strange," Bagmon said, stroking his smooth chin and smiling at Harry. "But, you know, the age limit was a special safety measure that was added just this year. His name coming out of the cup... I mean under the circumstances, I don't think withdrawal is out of the question.

These are the rules, you have to... Harry just does the best he can -"

The door opened again, and a large group of people walked in: Professor Dumbledore, followed by Mr. Crouch, Mrs. Maxim, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape.

Harry heard the hum of countless students on the other side of the wall as Professor McGonagall closed the door.

"Madame Maxime!" Fleur immediately walked towards her principal, "They said this little boy also wants to compete!"

Something in Harry's paralyzed, paranoid mind was filled with rage, little boy?

Indeed, Madame Maxime looked quite tall compared to Harry's short stature. Her graceful head touched the wax-lit chandelier, and her wide black satin dress also bulged under the forehead.

"What does this mean, Dumbledore?" she asked with a cold face.

"I want to know too, Dumbledore," Professor Karkaroff also said. His smile was cold and his eyes were cold. "Hogwarts has two contestants. I don't remember anyone saying that the host school can have two contestants. Did I not read the rules carefully enough?"

He laughed harshly.

"That's impossible," said Madame Maxime, laying her large, opal-studded hand on Fleur's shoulder. "There can't be two contestants in Hogwarts. That would be too unfair."

"Dumbledore, we all believe that your age limit can prevent young people from signing up." Karkaroff still had the same cold look, but his eyes were colder. "Otherwise, of course we will bring more candidates from schools and the scope will be wider."

"This is all Potter's fault, Karkaroff," Snape said gently. His dark eyes sparkled with evil. "Don't blame Dumbledore for Harry's insistence on breaking the rules, he's been causing trouble ever since he got here."

"Thanks, Severus," Dumbledore said firmly.

Snape was silent, but his eyes still shone evilly through his greasy black hair.

(He wants to be your dad, boy!)

Professor Dumbledore looked at Harry, and Harry looked at him, trying to decipher the professor's eyes behind his half-moon lenses.

"Harry, did you put your name into the burning goblet?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

"No," Harry replied, knowing everyone was watching him closely. In the dark, Snape snorted softly, obviously impatient and distrustful.

Professor Dumbledore ignored Snape and continued, "Did you ask any students older than you to help you release it?"

"No!" Harry reacted strongly.

"Well, of course he is lying!" Madame Maxime said, and Snape was shaking his head and twisting his lips.

"There is no way he has crossed the age line." McGonagall said sternly, "I believe we all agree -"

"Dumbledore must have got the age line wrong." Madam Maxime shrugged.

"Of course, that's possible," Dumbledore replied politely.

"Dumbledore, you are not mistaken. You know this very well." McGonagall was very angry.

"What nonsense! It is impossible for Harry to cross the age line himself. As Professor Dumbledore said, he did not ask any older students to help him release it, but it is impossible to say that any kind-hearted person did it for him." She said very angrily. He glanced at Professor Snape.

"Mr. Crouch, Mr. Bagmon," Karkaroff said glibly, "you are imposing objective sanctions. You must also think this is the most unreasonable."

Bagmon wiped his face with a handkerchief. The face is round and childish. He was looking at Mr. Crouch, who stood outside the circle of fire, his face hidden in the darkness. The darkness made him look much older and made him look like a skeleton.

He spoke, his voice as slow as usual, "We must abide by the rules. The rules are clearly written. Anyone whose name comes out of the burning goblet must participate in the competition."

"Barty knows the regulations very well." Bagmon smiled and turned to Karkaroff and Mrs. Maxim, as if this matter was over.

"I insist that my other students sign up again." Karkaroff changed his glib tone, without a smile, and his face was full of ugliness, "You put out the burning goblet again, and we continue to throw names in it. It's only fair that we have two contestants from each school, Dumbledore."

"But, Karkarov, that won't work," Bagmon said. "The flaming goblet has just been extinguished and will not burn again until the next game begins."

"Then, Harry will not be able to participate in the competition!" Karkaroff said. "There have been so many meetings and so many negotiations and concessions. I never thought this would happen! Now I almost want to leave."

"Karkov, stop making unnecessary threats." A voice sounded from the door. "You can't leave your players alone now. He still has to compete, and they all have to compete. As Dumbledore said, there are A binding magical contract. Convenient, huh?"

Moody had just come in. He limped toward the fire, making a loud clang with every step he took.

"Convenient?" Karkaroff said. "Moody, I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

Harry could see that he was trying to be aloof and pretend that he had no idea what Moody was talking about, but his fisted hands betrayed him.

"Really?" Moody said quietly, "It's simple, Karkaroff, someone put Potter's name into the cup and he knew that once chosen, Potter would have to compete."

"Obviously, someone wants Hogwarts to have a better chance of winning," cried Madame Maxime.

"I agree with you, Madame Maxime." Karkaroff bowed to her. "I will lodge a protest with the Ministry of Magic and the International Council of Wizards."

"If anyone has a reason to protest, it's Potter," Moody growled. "The funny thing is, I didn't hear him say a word."

"What does he have to complain about?" Fleur Delacour said, stamping her feet. "He got the chance to compete, didn't he? For weeks, we all hoped to be selected to compete. For the honor of the school, for the prize of one thousand gold coins. This is an opportunity that many people dream of."

"Someone might want Harry dead for this," Moody growled.

The words just fell. There was dead silence in the room.

Ruth Bagmon seemed really nervous. He walked around uneasily, "Moody, you old man, what are you talking about?"

"We all know that Professor Moody will feel that the morning has been in vain if he has not found six plots to kill him before lunch." Karkaroff said loudly. "Obviously he is teaching his students to also fear assassinations. . Dumbledore, this is a strange move to offend us. Of course, you have your reasons."

"You say I made it up?" Moody yelled, "Don't you understand? Huh? Some highly skilled wizard put the child's name into the cup..."

"What evidence do you have?" Maxim waved his hand. "Because he deceived a powerful magic thing!" Moody said, "It would take a very strong spell to confuse the goblet and make it forget that there are only three schools participating. I guess he put Potter's name on The fourth school, making sure he's the only one in that category."

"Modi, it seems that you have thought about it a lot." Karkov said coldly, "Of course, this theory is quite clever. I heard that you recently used a beautiful cup as a birthday gift as a gift. The cleverly packaged lizard eggs were smashed, so you should understand that we don’t take your words seriously.”

"Some people always want to take advantage of unrelated events," Modi retorted in a threatening tone.

"It's my business to think of those insidious wizards, Karkaroff - you should remember..."

"Alastor!" Dumbledore warned.

Harry didn't know who he was talking to for a moment, but later he realized that this was Moody's real name.

Moody remained silent, but still looked at Karkaroff proudly, who was already furious.

“How could this happen, we, Bhutan Bodo, told those in the room. “In my opinion, we have no choice but to accept the facts. Cedric and Harry have both been selected to participate, so they have no choice but to..."

"Dumbledore - but -"

"Dear Madame Maxime, if you have any good suggestions, I am all ears."

"If, according to Moody, the magic is powerful enough to deceive the wizard in the Goblet of Fire, I think there is someone in Hogwarts who can do this besides the professors here."

Everyone was stunned. Except for the professor, there were only students.

"What a joke, bypassing Dumbledore's age line and then deceiving the Goblet of Fire requires a powerful confusion spell. I don't remember teaching such a student..." Snape said contemptuously, he felt Madame Maxime was talking nonsense.

"No, Severus, there is still someone among the students at Hogwarts who can do it..." Dumbledore gave Madam Maxime a deep look.

"I think we need to invite him..." (To be continued)