Krestena Black: Book 4

The Announcement

Krestena's POV

The sorting ceremony has ended. Colin's younger brother Dennis joined Gryffindor. Then during the feast Nearly Headless Nick let slip that house elves work here. Which made Hermione refuse to eat, saying it was slave labor. She wouldn't even ate her favourite dessert when Ron offered it to her.

Any way it's time for Dumbledore's welcoming speech. The new DADA still hasn't shown up. I guess they couldn't find one after my uncle. Which sucks, Uncle Remus could still be teaching. Dumbledore was giving his usual speech about banned items and forbidden areas. Until he said "it is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year".

"What!" Harry and I shout. I look over to Cedric, who looks to shocked to speak. Poor Cedric this was his last chance to get the quidditch cup before he graduates.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts..." Dumbledore continues to say.

But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers table.

So he finally arrived, our new DADA teacher. "May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? Professor Moody" Dumbledore announces. Moody, as in Alastor Mad-eye Moody? The best auror in the world? Moody sat down in the empty sit next to Dumbledore's.

"As I was saying, we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months. An event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year" he announces.

"You're joking!" Fred shouts. The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively.

"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley. Though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer. About a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar" Dumbledore says. Professor McGonagall clears her throat. "Er - but maybe this is not the time" he states.

"The Triwizard Tournament well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves. So I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely" Dumbledore states. "The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities - until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued" he explains.

"Death Toll" Hermione whispers looking alarmed.

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament, none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger" Dumbledore assures us.

"See Hermione, nothing to worry about" I tell her smiling.

"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money" Dumbledore states.

"I'm going for it" Fred tells us and I frown. I'm not going for it. I have more then enough many and I don't care about the glory of winning.

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts. The heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older - will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion. I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen" Dumbledore explains.

"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!" he tells us.

I run over to Cedric pulling him away from the crowd. "Are you going to enter?" I ask him.

"Maybe" he tells me.

"I'll support you if you choose to enter and are chosen. Just be careful out there ok" I tell him.

"Of course" he assures me and kisses me gently. "Sit with me to morrow at Breakfast?" he asks me.

"I would not miss it for the world" I tell him. We then go our separate ways. Luckily the twins and Lee arrived at the portrait when I did. They knew the password, which was 'bladder-dash' and I did not.

A/N

Picture above of Dumbledore and picture on the external link of the movie & book version of Alastor Moody (you choose which one you prefer).