The "trick" that Professor Sprout had reserved for her own student was, of course, Tom. As a teacher, Sprout understood the importance of the volunteers. By chance, Tom Yodel was also brought by her to the Forbidden Forest. Therefore, she knew where Tom was.
This was an extremely important source of information! She immediately gave this news to Cedric to facilitate his challenge.
Tom Yodel had the largest gold fragment in his possession, and by obtaining it, he could undoubtedly score very high with the judges. Most importantly, Tom had an extremely strong ability. If Cedric could recruit him for his team, the competition would be practically won.
Professor Sprout thought that, as a student of Hogwarts, Tom Yodel would definitely show favoritism toward Cedric. Adding him to the team was a sure thing.
Did her revelation of this information not imply an indirect victory for Hogwarts?
Thinking about this, Professor Sprout smiled.
She guided Cedric to the location of the Quidditch Pitch. The main gate of the stadium had disappeared, replaced by a tent.
"The other two champions should already be inside. Mr. Bagman is also there; he will explain the rules and provide you with the necessary items... Good luck." The middle-aged woman embraced Cedric like a mother would embrace her child before a long journey.
Somehow, after being embraced by his head of house, Cedric felt the tension inside him mysteriously disappear. Calmly, Cedric lifted the tent's curtain and entered.
The light inside the tent was not very good, and Cedric took a few seconds to adjust to the dim illumination. He saw Fleur Delacour sitting in a corner of the tent, her face pale and haggard. Krum, on the other hand, was standing by the tent's exit with his arms crossed, looking gloomier than usual.
As for Bagman, he was sitting on a round stool in the center of the tent, with a somewhat absent expression. Cedric noticed that he wasn't wearing his old Wimbourne Wasps uniform today. This was strange since Ludo Bagman always used to wear his uniform on festive occasions to show off his past glories.
When Bagman saw Cedric enter, he stood up and gestured for the competitors to approach him.
"You're all here now. I'm going to explain the rules of the first challenge..." Bagman spoke without energy, his dispirited appearance was like someone who owed a lot of money to someone else.
In the Great Hall, the young wizards were excited about Professor Sprout's arrival and Cedric's departure; they knew the competition was about to begin. Shortly after, the four headmasters returned to the Great Hall. The directors ordered the students from their respective houses to form rows and head to the Quidditch Pitch.
When the excited young wizards arrived at the field, they realized that it had changed a lot. The stands for the four houses were connected and occupied half of the field. On the opposite side of the stands were three large boards. At the top of the stands, there was a row of chairs, which seemed to be for the jury members.
Although the stands were no longer divided, the students still sat according to their house in designated areas. In each area, there were only students from one house. Only a few Hufflepuff students ventured into the territory of other houses to meet their friends and watch the tournament together.
Shortly after the young wizards from Hogwarts arrived at the field, the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons also entered. Seeing the arrangement of the field, they were also momentarily stunned, but then they sat down as usual, as they used to do during dinner.
Once the students entered the field, the judges also joined Dumbledore in the box. Seeing the crowded heads below, Dumbledore showed a satisfied smile. He extended his wand and cast an amplification spell on himself.
"Please, let the champions enter the field." Dumbledore's voice resonated throughout the field, and the three champions in the tent entrance heard it as well.
The three of them advanced with stiff steps, carrying the supplies provided by the Ministry of Magic. They lifted the tent curtain and emerged. Their hearts were beating rapidly; Cedric only wanted to hug Professor Sprout one more time to calm down quickly. However, the increased heart rate wasn't entirely negative; Krum got even more excited. As a professional player, he was an expert at using nervousness to his advantage.
In the center of the field was a not very high platform, and the three champions ascended it in unison.
Once the three of them were stable, the platform began to rise gradually until it stopped at a height of twenty feet above the ground. This height matched the height of the stands.
After the platform stopped rising, exclamations were heard in the field. The reason for the exclamations was that a layer of mist appeared on the three boards behind Cedric and his companions, and then their figures appeared on the boards, as on a large Muggle screen. With the help of the screens, everyone present could see every detail on the faces of the three champions.
"Students, I announce that the first event of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!" Dumbledore's words ignited emotions throughout the place, and everyone applauded and cheered to welcome the return of this ancient tournament.
"I have a magical bracelet made of gold." Dumbledore's next words made the audience fall silent.
Everyone closed their mouths and listened curiously as Dumbledore told a story.
"This magical bracelet was shattered into countless fragments and fell into various corners of the Forbidden Forest. The mission of the three champions is to venture into the forest and collect them. The tournament will last until this same time tomorrow. Of course, if any of the champions collects all the fragments and restores the magical bracelet ahead of time, the tournament will also end earlier. The judges will evaluate the champions based on their performance at the end of the tournament. I want to emphasize that the champion who collects the entire magical bracelet will have an advantage in the second challenge of the Triwizard Tournament."
Although there was a reward for collecting the magical bracelet, no one in the place believed that anyone could fully restore it. After all, even if one piece was missing, it couldn't be said to be fully restored. Competitors with no chance of winning would probably do their best to prevent this from happening.
"Of course, during the course of the tournament, the champions can harness the power of the Forbidden Forest. Many brave students have already entered the forest. After overcoming their trials, the champions will obtain various rewards, such as fragments, treasures, and even the guardians themselves."
"The champions are ready," Dumbledore's gaze landed on the three champions, "They will be transported to the Forbidden Forest to search for the legendary magical bracelet!"
The tip of his wand emitted a burst of fireworks, and the first event of the Triwizard Tournament began.