Chapter Seventeen - Allison

                                    

                                          
"What?" I gasp. "I was going to try out for the team."
                          
Dumbledore continues, "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 enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -"
                          
But at that moment, there's a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall bang open. A man stands in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black travelling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swivels towards the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashes across the ceiling. He lowers his hood, shakes out a long mane of grizzled, dark grey hair, then begins to walk up towards the teachers' table. A dull clunk echoes through the Hall on his every other step.
                          
He reaches the end of the top table, turns right and limps heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crosses the ceiling. The lightning throws the man's face into sharp relief and it's a face unlike any I've ever seen. It looks as though it's been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what a human face is supposed to look like and is none too skilled with a chisel.
                          
Every inch of skin seems to be scarred. The mouth looks like a diagonal gash and a large chunk of the nose is missing, but it's the man's eyes that make him frightening. One of them is small, dark and beady. The other is large, round as a coin and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye is moving ceaselessly without blinking. It rolls up, down and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye. Then it rolls right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all I can see is whiteness.
                          
The stranger finally reaches Dumbledore. He stretches out a hand that's as badly scarred as his face. Dumbledore shakes it, muttering words I can't hear. The stranger sits down, shakes his mane of dark grey hair out of his face, pulls a plate of sausages towards him, raises it to what's left of his nose and sniffs it.
                          
"May I introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," says Dumbledore brightly, into the silence. "Professor Moody." None of the staff or students clap except Dumbledore and Hagrid. Both put their hands together and applaud, the sound echoing dismally into the silence and they stop fairly quickly.
                          
Dumbledore clears his throat again. "As I was saying," he says, smiling at the sea of students before him, "we are to have the honour of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event which has not been held for over a century. It is my great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."
                          
"You're JOKING!" says one of the Weasley twins loudly. The tension that has filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly breaks. Nearly everyone laughs and Dumbledore chuckles apprehensively. "I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he says, "though, now 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 -"
                          
Professor McGonagall clears her throat loudly. "Er - but maybe this is not the time...no..." says Dumbledore. "Where was I? Ah, yes, 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.
                          
"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. There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the Tournament, none of which have been very successful," Dumbledore continues.
                          
"However, our own Departments of International Magical Co-operation 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. 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 Hallowe'en. An impartial judge will decide which students are the worthiest to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."
                          
Everyone starts whispering excitedly, but Dumbledore speaks again, and the Hall quiets once more. "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," he says. "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" - Dumbledore raises his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at the words - "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."