The looks of fear and disgust on the faces of the young wizards were plain to see, but Alastor Moody, his walking stick still on the floor, did not hold back at all. His magical eyes swept the room with impunity, and he was surprised to see a young wizard who dared to meet his gaze.
Ivan didn't seem to mind being stared at by a strange magical eye. In fact, he looked at it with interest.
If he was not mistaken, this "Moody" in front of him was a fellow disguised by Barty Crouch Junior with Polyjuice Potion.
Yvonne was struck by the audacity of Barty Crouch Junior!
It must be noted that Dumbledore was a master of Dementor, being able to read the thoughts of others simply by looking at them.
This meant that Barty Crouch Junior's cover could be blown at the slightest whim!
Ivan, of course, was well aware that the professor did not pry into other people's thoughts unless it was about an important plot or something to do with Lord Voldemort.
Not to mention the fact that Moody was an experienced legendary Auror who could use Dementor without being detected, so Dumbledore was less likely to get inside his old friend's head before Moody gave himself away.
Perhaps Barty Crouch Junior had seen this coming and, coupled with his confidence in his acting skills, decided to take the risk!
While Ivan was examining Moody, the other man looked away and made his way to the dais.
Dumbledore shook hands with Moody with his left hand, exchanged a few words, and then invited him to sit in an empty seat to his right.
Moody didn't hold back, sitting down and pulling over the plates of food that had been left for him.
He first sniffed it nervously, then poked it with his pocket knife. Finally, he poked the end of a sausage and ate it.
Dumbledore, who seemed to have long been accustomed to Moody's nervous demeanor, quickly turned to the crowd and cheerfully announced that this was the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Alastor Moody!
There was only a smattering of applause from the audience, who were so stunned by Moody's looks and actions that they simply stared at him.
Perhaps realising that everyone was not in a good mood, Dumbledore changed the subject.
"Ah… let's move on! There will be no Quidditch Cup this school year, but instead we will be honoured to host another very exciting event!"
"It has not been held for over a century, and I am pleased to say that the Triwizard Tournament will be held at Hogwarts this year!"
Dumbledore's tone was not high, but it was like throwing a boulder into a lake, causing huge waves in everyone's hearts.
No one was even paying attention to the new Professor Moody anymore. Fred Weasley stood up in excitement and exclaimed.
"Oh my God! You've got to be kidding me! That's impossible!"
Some of the lesser witches and wizards who were aware of this were both excited and incredulous, and Dumbledore reaffirmed this claim, explaining how the Triwizard Tournament came about.
To put it simply, it was founded over seven hundred years ago to promote communication between Europe's top three wizarding schools!
In the past, it was held every five years, and the rule was that each school would choose a champion to compete in some dangerous and exciting magic. The champion who scored the most points and won would receive great glory for themselves and their school!
However, due to the sheer number of deaths, the Triwizard Tournament was cut short, and with the combined efforts of many parties, the Triwizard Tournament was finally able to resume!
"The Triwizard Tournament…" Ivan murmured, rubbing his chin.
He saw this as an opportunity to gain Legend Points, although he had not yet decided whether he would participate or not. Unlike Harry, he did not have Crouch Junior's help tampering with the Goblet of Fire, and even if he did manage to get his name into it, the Goblet of Fire might not choose him.
While Ivan was deep in thought, Dumbledore finished telling him about the Triwizard Tournament.
The atmosphere in the Great Hall became heated, and many of the young wizards and witches became restless, each wanting to be Dumbledore's champion of the house!
"We're in!" George and Fred were ecstatic, especially when Dumbledore announced that the winner would receive a thousand Galleons!
"I wonder what the champion will choose, a lucky draw?" Ron was tempted, both by the glory and the Galleons.
However, Ron had some self-awareness. If he were to be judged by his academic results, he would definitely lose!
Only by drawing lots would there be the slightest chance of…
"Come on, Ron, it's too important a game to be played in such a perfunctory manner! Professor Dumbledore would never allow a bad champion to represent Hogwarts and disgrace the school!" George did not hesitate to shatter Ron's fantasy.
"Probably a duelling ring to see who's the best fighter!" Fred suggested a slightly more plausible theory, as such a match seemed dangerous according to Professor Dumbledore.
"Doesn't that mean we don't have a chance?" George looked at Ivan, who was sitting to the side, in distress. He had seen Ivan cast spells before. If they really fought, no one in school would be his match!
"Will you be in the Triwizard Tournament, Ivan?" Fred asked quickly.
"If I'm chosen!" Ivan replied with a shrug.
"Then we don't have a chance, do we?" George and Fred sighed. They both felt that if Yvonne was going to run, they probably wouldn't.
To their despair, Dumbledore soon announced the selection of participants!
"I know you are all eager to win the Triwizard Tournament for Hogwarts, but for security reasons, the participating schools and the Ministry of Magic agree that there should be an age limit for this year's competitors!"
"We will only allow students over the age of seventeen!" Dumbledore's face was grim.
"It's not fair!" George and Fred shouted in unison, their hopes dashed by Dumbledore's words, as they were seventeen years apart.
Ignoring George and Fred's protests, Dumbledore raised his voice and announced that the measure was designed to protect the champions, as the Ministry of Magic did not believe any wizard under the age of seventeen would be able to cope with dangerous events!
Ivan remained calm throughout. He was well aware of the rules of the game, so he was not emotionally disturbed.
Dumbledore then announced the end of the feast and ordered the Prefects of the various Houses to return to their dormitories with the new students and their students.
The Triwizard Tournament was the talk of the town, and Ivan joined in.
When they returned to the dormitory, Ivan stopped Hermione, who was about to return to her room, and pulled her aside.
"Hermione, come out when it's ten o'clock!"