The Thestral carriage stopped in front of the castle's oak gate. Fred, George and Lee Jordan got out one after another. They held up their wands and umbrellas to block the rain from above their heads, and looked with interest at the group of students who were rushing towards the stone steps in the heavy rain.
Albert pulled up a Hufflepuff girl who accidentally fell to the ground, and walked into the castle with Shanna who was waiting for him nearby.
"I read in the newspaper that something happened at the World Cup." Sana frowned as she looked forward at the students pushing each other and screaming.
"Something bad has happened." Albert picked up his wand and tapped the water bomb that Peeves had thrown, turning it into a deflated balloon. "Okay Peeves, stop messing around here."
"Nosy little devil!" Peeves made a rude gesture to Albert, chuckled, and took out two water bombs from somewhere and threw them at the most crowded area of the crowd. Then he flew away with a weird laugh amid screams.
"Peeves is still as bad as ever." Sana looked at Peeves's back as he left and shouted to the students who were soaked to the skin, "Go into the auditorium. Don't crowd here."
"How did you do it?" a boy couldn't help but ask.
"What do you have to do to make Peeves obey you?"
Albert turned his head to look at the boy with light brown hair and a thick Irish accent.
As we all know, Peeves doesn't buy into anyone except the Bloody Baron and Dumbledore.
"I can't make Peeves obey me." Albert shook his head and said, "Go in, the sorting ceremony should be starting soon."
The auditorium is still the same as before, and the school has decorated it specially for the banquet to welcome the new semester.
The house tables were already full of chattering students, and Fred, George, and Lee Jordan had reserved an empty seat for him. When Albert and Shanna went over, the Weasley twins were talking to Angelina and Alicia about the Quidditch World Cup final.
"I'm starving." Lee Jordan grabbed his knife and fork and stared at the golden plate in front of him. "I really hope they can do the Sorting Ceremony soon."
"I was nearby at the time." Arya spoke gloomily about the night of the World Cup riot. "Those evil guys wearing hoods and masks controlled four poor Muggles and set fires everywhere. All the tents in that area were burned. I don't know what the people in the Ministry of Magic were doing, and they didn't intend to compensate for the financial losses at all. My father was so angry that he sent a howler letter to Fudge. He thought it was the Ministry of Magic's fault. There were Ministry of Magic officials nearby at the time, and no one stopped the riot at all."
"I know a little about this matter," George shared what he knew with everyone, "Percy told me that many wizards lied about their property losses in an attempt to get money from the Ministry of Magic. After registering, the Ministry of Magic found that they had to pay a large sum of Galleons, so they decided not to do anything..."
George's voice was drowned out by the thunder outside the castle, and a forked streak of lightning flashed across the ceiling above everyone's heads.
At the entrance of the auditorium, Professor McGonagall led the first-year students into the auditorium. When they were crossing the lake, they were soaked by the heavy rain and shivered all over. The style of the first-year student was different from others. He was wearing Hagrid's moleskin coat and looked very excited, as if he had just won the Quidditch game.
The freshmen stared blankly at the worn-out wizard hat placed on the triangular stool in front of them.
The moment the Sorting Hat started singing, the freshmen were stunned and the auditorium gradually became quiet.
After a song of the Sorting Hat that had never been heard before, the familiar Sorting Ceremony officially began.
It was a very boring ceremony. As a prefect, Albert needed to spend time memorizing the new members of Gryffindor House.
However, the boy wearing Hagrid's cloak brought some novelty to Albert. He was telling people how he fell into the lake and was rescued by a giant squid.
"It seems that our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor hasn't arrived at school yet." George touched Albert with his arm and pointed to the empty seat in the teacher's seat.
"Maybe, I'm late for something."
"Does anyone know what kind of grades are required for the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's advanced class?" Shanna was a little depressed because she only got a good grade in Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"As long as you get a good grade in most courses, you will be allowed to take advanced classes." Angelina consoled, "Thanks to Albert for giving us extra lessons last semester, this semester's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor will definitely be surprised to find that there are a group of people who have reached the level of taking advanced classes."
"I hope we can have a great professor. What we can learn from this course depends entirely on the professor's teaching level." Arya thought that the poor level of Defense Against the Dark Arts was entirely the professor's fault. "If we have another idiot like Lockhart, I don't think it would matter whether we have to take the advanced class or not."
"Don't worry, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor this semester is a very powerful guy. He is said to be a retired Auror." Lee Jordan, who was gnawing on a chicken leg, happily shared the good news with everyone.
"What courses do you plan to take?" Sana asked Albert who was eating.
"The initial five courses, as well as ancient magic runes and arithmetic divination." Albert swallowed the pork chop in his mouth and took a big sip of drink before speaking.
"By the way, I haven't congratulated you on winning two world awards yet." Angelina raised her glass to Albert.
"And a Third Class Order of Merlin." Shannah also raised her goblet.
"To sum up, you have won four heavyweight championships." Alia also raised the goblet to Albert, "Maybe, you can win another Triwizard Championship."
"I can guarantee that Albert is definitely a genius in the history of Hogwarts who can reach that level before graduation." Fred and George also raised their glasses. "You should be recorded in "Hogwarts: A History of the School."
"Cheers to our genius," Lee Jordan said with a smile.
Just then, there was a deafening thunder outside and the door of the auditorium was slammed open.
A strange man appeared at the entrance of the auditorium and immediately attracted everyone's attention.
A forked bolt of lightning streaked across the ceiling, illuminating the stranger's face. It was a scarred veteran with scars of war still remaining on his face, making him look particularly hideous. But the most striking thing about this man was his eyes.
Yes, fake eyes.
One of the stranger's eyes was fake, and it was moving up and down and left and right, making people feel very uncomfortable.
"I suddenly understand why he was nicknamed Mad-Eye." Fred muttered softly.
"It's indeed suitable." Lee Jordan nodded in agreement. "Perhaps we can learn a lot of useful knowledge this semester."
"What do you think?"
George is asking Mad-Eye Moody if he's fake.
"I don't know, but it should be a magic eye with special effects." Albert looked at Moody with interest, thinking about how to study the technology of the magic eye. The technology of seeing through disguise, invisibility, hidden magic and strange perspective is actually very useful. "
The others seemed stunned by the stranger's appearance and stared at him intently.
Moody seemed indifferent to everyone's reactions. He walked straight to Dumbledore and shook hands with him as if he were an old friend. The two of them whispered a few words, and at Dumbledore's gesture, Moody sat in the empty seat on his right.
Dumbledore happily introduced the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to everyone, but except for him and Hagrid, almost no one in the hall applauded the new professor.
Moody didn't care about it at all. He pulled over a plate of sausages and ate them with the knife in his pocket, as if the cutlery on the table was coated with poison.
Due to his years of experience as an Auror, Moody could instinctively use his magic eyes to observe the students in the auditorium.
"What do you think he's drinking?"
When Albert saw Moody take out a curved wine bottle from his travel cloak and take a big sip, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.
"It certainly wasn't pumpkin juice," Fred surmised.
"I don't think it's pumpkin juice either," George agreed immediately.
"Of course it's not pumpkin juice." Lee Jordan exchanged glances with his friends around him, and they all felt that Moody was indeed suspicious.
If you don't know, it's normal to think that there is wine in it, but the four of them are suspicious of Moody's identity, so the curved bottle may not contain wine.
"What are you talking about?" Angelina was confused by what the four people said.
"Okay!" Dumbledore looked at everyone with a smile, "I have a few announcements to make."
No one really cares, the notices are basically the same every year: Filch's forbidden items. No one is allowed to enter the Forbidden Forest. Students below the third year are not allowed to visit Hogsmeade. "
"I am also very sorry to inform you that there will be no House Quidditch Tournament this year." Dumbledore waited for the noise to die down before continuing, "I am very pleased to tell you that the Triwizard Tournament will be held at Hogwarts this year. The headmasters of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will lead their carefully selected competitors, and the ceremony to select the champion will be held on Halloween."
After hearing that "In addition to winning honor for their school, individuals can also receive a bonus of one thousand Galleons," many students lit up and their faces showed "I want to participate."
After all, who would give up honor and wealth
There was a sudden whisper in the hall, with countless students fantasizing about becoming Hogwarts warriors.
"I know you are all eager to win the Triwizard Tournament trophy for Hogwarts," said Dumbledore. "This summer, we have done a lot of work to ensure that every champion will not be in danger of life. However, the participating schools and the Ministry of Magic have agreed that only students over the age of seventeen are allowed to register. Because the events of the Tournament are still difficult and dangerous, no matter how many precautions we take, students below the sixth and seventh grades will not be able to cope with them."
Some people protested angrily after hearing what Dumbledore said.
However, Fred, George and Lee Jordan tried hard not to laugh out loud, as they all thought those who were protesting angrily were stupid.
"What's wrong with you?" Angelina asked confusedly.
"stomachache."
"There is only one warrior!" Arya said meaningfully.
"Ahem." Albert told Alia to shut up and not attract fire.
They understood.
Yes, there is only one warrior. As long as Dumbledore is in his right mind, he will definitely make Albert a warrior.
Who can compete with Albert
"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will arrive in October and spend most of the school year with us." Dumbledore had to raise his voice. "I know that you will be warm and friendly to the foreign guests during their stay here, and will support the warriors of Hogwarts wholeheartedly."
"I know you are all eager to win the Triwizard Tournament trophy for Hogwarts," said Dumbledore. "This summer, we have done a lot of work to ensure that every champion will not be in danger of life. However, the participating schools and the Ministry of Magic have agreed that only students over the age of seventeen are allowed to register. Because the events of the Tournament are still difficult and dangerous, no matter how many precautions we take, students below the sixth and seventh grades will not be able to cope with them."
Some people protested angrily after hearing what Dumbledore said.
However, Fred, George and Lee Jordan tried hard not to laugh out loud, as they all thought those who were protesting angrily were stupid.
"What's wrong with you?" Angelina asked confusedly.
"stomachache."
"There is only one warrior!" Arya said meaningfully.
"Ahem." Albert told Alia to shut up and not attract fire.
They understood.
Yes, there is only one warrior. As long as Dumbledore is in his right mind, he will definitely make Albert a warrior.
Who can compete with Albert
"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will arrive in October and spend most of the school year with us." Dumbledore had to raise his voice. "I know that you will be warm and friendly to the foreign guests during their stay here, and will support the warriors of Hogwarts wholeheartedly."
Dumbledore ended the dinner in a controversial row and sent all the students back to bed.
"Actually, I think their quarrel is meaningless." Professor McGonagall shook her head after the students left.
"I think so too. The champion of Hogwarts must be Albert." Hagrid said firmly.
"It seems that the warrior of our school has been selected." Moody, who was talking to Dumbledore, raised his eyebrows slightly.
"To be honest, I'm a little worried that other schools will demand that Mr. Anderson be banned from participating in the competition on the grounds that Albert is the winner of this year's Barnabus Finkley Gold Medal for Excellent Spellcasting." Professor Flitwick also felt that it was a bit bullying for Albert to participate in the Triwizard Tournament.
"Mr. Anderson is also a student of Hogwarts. It makes perfect sense for him to become a warrior and participate in the competition." Professor Sprout suddenly looked forward to the reactions of other schools.
Listening to the professors' opinions on the matter, little Batty suddenly felt that the situation was a little bad.
However, it's even worse.
"That guy is definitely a fake."
In Albert's dormitory, the foursome were discussing whether Moody was real or fake. The thing in the curved bottle was definitely a compound potion.
"What do you think is the purpose of the other party disguised as Moody and coming to school?" Fred asked the question first.
"His target might be Harry."
"Why?"
"Anything that is unexpected can be attributed to someone else, for example, the other party actually came to murder Harry," said Fred.
"Murdering Harry? That's absolutely the stupidest way to do it."
"Albert, what do you think?"
"I don't know, but it might be related to Harry," Albert said, "if Moody is really fake."
"Can you predict it?"
cannot.