bioinnovel Chapter 293 This is what professionalism is all about.
Chapter 293 This is what professionalism is all about.
Chapter 293 This is what professionalism is all about.
The tense atmosphere in the temporary rest room escalated to another level.
Mrs. Maxim, who was standing in front of Fleur, instinctively gripped her wand.
Fortunately, Belvina quickly looked away and ignored Fleur's repeated interruptions.
Mrs. Maxim, who had been terrified, finally breathed a sigh of relief and slowly released her grip on the wand.
At this point, Professor Moody nearly roared, "Can't you even see that someone wants Porter to die because of this?!"
If Belvina's sarcastic remarks were an implication, then Professor Moody's were an explicit statement, almost calling Mrs. Maxim a pig-brain.
After Professor Moody finished speaking, silence quickly enveloped everyone, and a sense of tension and unease spread like a virus.
Dumbledore remained silent, Professor McGonagall looked worried, Snape had a gloomy expression, and Cedric Diggory kept fiddling with his hair.
And then there's Harry, who looks at Belvina, hoping to get a different answer from her.
But Belvina didn't refute him, and Harry finally realized that the person who made him a champion might not have been Belvina.
However, the most flustered person present was not Harry Potter himself, but Durmstrang's headmaster, Igor Karkaroff.
"That's impossible, absolutely impossible!" Karkaroff instinctively wanted to deny it. "We all know that if Moody doesn't discover that six people are trying to kill him before lunch, he'll feel like he's wasted the whole morning!"
Igor Karkarov spoke loudly, as if only in this way could he dispel the panic in his heart and confirm that Professor Moody was just being paranoid.
This is all Alastor Moody's imagination. Nobody wanted to harm Harry Potter. Nobody, absolutely nobody!
Karkarov thought to himself.
He looked at Dumbledore, then at Belvina, hoping to get their support, but neither of them stood up to refute him. Finally, Karkaroff looked at Barty Crouch, then at the former Director of the Department of Law Enforcement.
"Alastor, you shouldn't have said that," Barty Crouch said. "By saying it so directly, you might alert them."
Karkarov, who had just ascended to heaven, was suddenly plunged back into hell, his face extremely pale, as if he had lost his parents.
"What's the harm in saying it outright? The killer is among us," Professor Moody said. "Among us newcomers. Igor Karkarov!"
That shout nearly scared Professor Karkaroff out of his wits; he looked utterly dejected, as if he wanted to swear an oath.
"Olim Maxim!" Moody said again.
Mrs. Maxim's expression changed drastically, and she demanded sharply, "Are you doubting me!"
"Barty Crouch!" Professor Moody ignored Mrs. Maxim and looked at Barty Crouch.
Finally, Professor Moody glanced at Snape again, but ultimately did not name the Potions Master.
"And me, Alastor Moody." He pointed to himself and continued, "We newcomers are the prime suspects; any one of us could be the murderer of Porter!"
As he spoke, Professor Moody glanced at Belvina, knowing full well that she still harbored suspicions about him.
"You're talking nonsense!" Mrs. Maxime retorted loudly. "You say someone is plotting to murder Potter? What evidence do you have? I will file charges with the Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizarding Arts!"
"Go ahead and sue," Belvina pointed at Dumbledore. "The president of the International Confederation of Wizards is standing right here. Go ahead and sue."
"You!" Madame Maxim was speechless with anger and could only point angrily at Belvina.
Dumbledore said calmly, "Belvina, watch your words." Upon hearing this, Belvina shrugged and spread her hands.
He then said to Professor Moody, "Alastor, don't jump to conclusions, and don't look at others with suspicion."
Alastor Moody snorted in dissatisfaction and said, "The Goblet of Fire is an ancient magical artifact. Potter couldn't have fooled him. It's only possible that a highly skilled wizard influenced the Goblet of Fire's judgment."
"You mean the Confusion Charm?" Barty Crouch asked. "Someone used the Confusion Charm to influence the Goblet of Fire, making it believe that there are four schools participating, and that Mr. Potter—he is the only student from the fourth school—has registered."
As he spoke, Barty Crouch looked at the panicked Karkaroff, seemingly questioning the former Death Eater.
In desperation, Karkarov turned to Belvina for help, hoping she would step forward and prove his innocence.
"I agree with you," Professor Moody said to Batty Crouch. "This is not something a student can do; it's only a possibility."
It could only be people like us.
As he spoke, he scanned his suspected targets one by one with his magic eye: Barty Crouch, Igor Karkaroff, and Orim.
Maxim.
Alastor Moody's suspicions were not without merit, and Belvina wholeheartedly agreed, though she never doubted Mrs. Maxim.
First, let's talk about the professors at Hogwarts. The one with the shortest tenure is Belvina herself, so she certainly wouldn't doubt herself. The other professors have been in office for many years, and if they wanted to take action, they would have done so long ago, instead of waiting until today.
Excluding the professors already employed at Hogwarts, the only ones worth suspecting are the newcomers.
Alastow Moody's tenure lasted only two months, and he was attacked before the start of the school year, raising suspicions.
Igor Karkaroff was once a Death Eater; he might have suddenly switched sides, so he's questionable.
Orim Maxim, she is not suspicious, but since she is an outsider, she should be considered a suspect.
Finally, there's Barty Crouch, who seems the most flawless, only occasionally acting a little strange, but Belvina finds him the most suspicious.
Therefore, Belvina had been secretly observing Barty Crouch, keeping a close eye on his every move.
"Absurd!" Madam Maxim sneered. "Just because we've arrived at Hogwarts, they suspect us of plotting to murder Potter? Utterly absurd!"
The previously loud and boisterous Fleur Delacour dared not interrupt again, and could only cower behind her principal, voting with her body.
Mrs. Maxim continued, "I've been with my children since last night, you can ask them anything. If you don't believe them, you can ask Hagrid, he can testify for me too."
The imposing Mrs. Maxim approached Moody, her enormous figure casting a shadow that completely obscured him.
She continued, "You can search as much as you want, and ask as much as you want, but—" her tone suddenly turned sharp, "if you can't find anything, we'll meet at the International Wizarding Federation!"
Seeing Mrs. Maxim's stance, an uneasy Karkaroff licked his lips and echoed her, "Me too, Professor Moody, you can investigate however you want."
Then, Karkaroff turned to Belvina and continued, "By the way, Miss Blake can testify that we chatted together today!"
After receiving a disapproving look from Belvina, Karkaroff said to Professor Moody, "But if you can't find anything out, then you'll have to meet with the International Wizarding Federation, Professor Moody."
"Are you threatening me?" Professor Moody said in a fierce tone, his bright blue magic eye stopping its rotation and staring intently at Igor Karkaroff.
Upon hearing this, Karkarov took a deep breath, barely suppressing the urge to unleash a torrent of curses.
Why can Maxim meet with the International Wizarding Federation, but I can't? This is discriminatory treatment!
"Alastor!" Dumbledore warned, protecting Igor Karkaroff from Moody's rage and lest he beat Principal Durmstrang to a pulp.
Professor Moody snorted again, glared back two steps, closed his normal eye, and left only his bright blue demonic eye to continue observing the crowd.
Belvina, having failed to overturn the table, spoke again, saying to Madam Maxim and Karkaroff, "Both professors have seen it; someone is plotting to harm Harry Potter, so I propose that the Triwizard Tournament be cancelled."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Maxim and Karkaroff immediately looked at Dumbledore.
The meaning is very clear: Are you going to do anything about her or not? Are you just going to let her run wild?
"You decide!" Barty Crouch also turned his gaze to Dumbledore. "You are the master, it is most appropriate for you to decide."
If no one else were in the temporary lounge, Igor Karkaroff would have loved to kneel down and beg Dumbledore not to call off the Triwizard Tournament.
No one wanted the three-way battle to continue more than Karkaroff. He was counting on Viktor Krum to win and for the championship to bring him back to glory!
A tense silence fell over the makeshift lounge once again, as everyone waited for Dumbledore to make his decision.
After a long silence, Dumbledore addressed everyone gathered in the room: "It's come to this, and we have no choice but to accept it. Cedric and Harry have been chosen for the Goblet of Fire, and they must participate."
With a final decision, the three-way battle was not called off. Igor: Kakalo was overjoyed, and although Maxim was dissatisfied, he did not raise any further objections.
Alastor Moody continued to turn a blind eye, Professor McGonagall looked tense, and Snape looked annoyed.
But Barty Crouch, once again out of the loop, stood stiffly outside the glow of the furnace, half in light and half in shadow.
"Belvina, continue," Dumbledore said.
Belvina waved, signaling the four warriors to gather around her.
The three boys arrived quickly, while the only girl, Fleur Delacour, seemed somewhat reluctant and dawdled.
"The first project is to test your courage," Belvina said. "Human beings' greatest fear is the fear of the unknown, so I won't tell you the specifics of the first project."
Cedric and Harry nodded; they were already used to Belvina's style and didn't find anything strange about it.
Viktor Krum's mature-beyond-his-years face revealed no emotion, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking; Fleur Delacour, though dissatisfied, could only suppress her discontent because she remembered the glance Belvina had given her earlier.
Then, Belvina rambled on about some nonsense related to the Triwizard Tournament.
For example, Warriors are not allowed to ask for or accept help from teachers, no matter what form of help they receive.
For example, a warrior's only weapon is the magic wand in his hand; the only thing they can rely on is the magic wand.
Finally, Belvina said something useful: "The first event is scheduled for November 24th."
Good luck to you.