Chapter 290 Welcome Dinner
So fast!
Bruce thought that it would take some time for the representatives from other schools to arrive, but he didn't expect it to be so soon.
The entire castle suddenly became busy and everyone was busy.
The next day, when Bruce went downstairs for breakfast, he found that the auditorium had been decorated overnight.
There were huge silk banners hanging on the walls, one for each of the Hogwarts houses. Behind the staff desk hung the largest banner with the Hogwarts crest: a lion, eagle, badger, and snake linked together around a large letter H.
On this day, the air was filled with a joyful feeling of anticipation, and for the students, every moment was extremely torturous.
Finally, it was night. Bruce entered the auditorium and found countless owls flying overhead. A group of choir students, each holding a big toad, were having their final rehearsal.
Next to this group of student choirs is the Owl Choir in formal attire.
Katoom, in a tuxedo and holding a baton, was hitting a little owl on the head.
"What are you doing?" Bruce walked over and asked.
"Don't talk to me, it really piss me off."
Katum cursed and poked the forehead of the little owl in front of him, "It's just a few lyrics, and you can't remember them at all!"
The little owl shrank his neck and dared not say a word.
Finally, after Katoom had criticized all the owls one by one, he followed Bruce back to the Hufflepuff table.
"What a bunch of idiots!" He was still sulking.
Bruce found out what was going on, and Katum also had a sudden inspiration, seeing how lively the castle was, and wanted to bring his brothers out to hang out, and do a whole chorus show or something.
But that group of owls might not have any talent for chorus, and their combined cooing sounds sounded like a death announcement.
I wonder if other schools that arrive later will have any misunderstandings when they hear this kind of welcoming music.
"Okay, don't be angry."
Bruce patted Katum on the back and said, "You look more like a funeral when you look so miserable."
"shut up!"
Soon, the hall was full of people, and some students were organized by their class leaders to go outside the castle to welcome the school delegation.
Bruce sat in the hall, listening to the chatter around him.
He knew how the two schools, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, would arrive, with carriages and huge ships, which must have been a carefully planned appearance.
But what about the other four schools?
This is what Bruce is focusing on now.
Soon, a cry of surprise was heard and all the students in the hall stood up, scrambling to look outside.
As expected, just like in the original book, a giant pink and blue carriage pulled by twelve silver-maned horses flew over. It was the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic from France.
Then, a large ship rose from the Black Lake, and Durmstrang Academy also arrived.
When the two houses appeared, they caused a commotion among the Hogwarts students. Dumbledore and the teachers greeted them, and the delegations from the two schools took their seats one after another.
"It looks like we are the first." Madame Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons, said in a deep voice.
She was a very tall woman, Dumbledore's height only came up to her waist, and according to herself, she looked like this simply because her frame was naturally larger.
"You Bubbastons are indeed impeccable in etiquette."
Durmstrang's headmaster, Karkaroff, smiled and said, "But we're not doing too bad."
Karkaroff is a tall and thin man with three-dimensional features. He always has a smile on his face, revealing his yellow teeth.
But behind that smile, Bruce could clearly see the undisguised indifference in Karkaroff's eyes.
This is still a two-faced person.
"I wonder who will come next," said Dumbledore.
Soon the answer was revealed.
Suddenly, a breeze blew from afar, mixed with desolate and lonely music, like the melody of a guzheng and a bamboo flute, melodious and mysterious.
A six-pointed star magic circle suddenly appeared outside the castle, like a door, and a white flag protruded from the magic circle.
Soon after, more and more people walked out of the magic circle.
You can tell from the costumes that this is a magic house from Japan.
The students were dressed in traditional Japanese clothes. The boys wore black hunting robes, and the girls were dressed as shrine maidens in white clothes and red skirts.
They all wore specially made wooden clogs, and with every step they took, the clogs made a crisp sound as they hit the ground.
"Tsk, tsk."
Katum suddenly said, "Why does it look like a funeral?"
"Don't talk nonsense." Bruce scolded in a low voice.
The teachers and students of the magic institute entered the castle. At this moment, many paper cranes rose up in their team. Those paper cranes flashed soft light and flew in the castle.
A paper crane flew to Katum, and the owl kicked it and stepped on it.
"You still say I'm talking nonsense." Katum said dissatisfiedly, "Look, they have started to scatter paper money."
Bruce was keenly aware that this guy's dissatisfaction was actually completely feigned.
Katoom is happy now.
The funeral choir he prepared finally came in handy.
At this time, the principal of the magic institute walked in front of the team. He was wearing a black hunting robe, a black hat on his head, and a sword and a magic wand hanging between his belt. It was a very standard Onmyoji outfit.
The headmaster looked like a very serious man, and despite Dumbledore's warm welcome, he remained unsmiling.
"Welcome, Mr. Ashiya, welcome to Hogwarts!"
"It seems that we are late. We are really sorry." Ashiya Michito shook hands with Dumbledore. This was the only non-Japanese etiquette he could accept. As for hugging or kissing on the cheek, he could not accept it at all.
"Not too late, not too late!" Dumbledore said with a smile, "There are still three schools to go to."
Ashiya Michito nodded and took a seat under the guidance of Dumbledore.
The witches from the Institute of Magic sat at the long Hufflepuff table. Bruce could feel that his classmates were all peeking at them, and they were very interested in these witches from the East.
Katoom paced across the table, raised a wing, and greeted a little witch.
"Deduct a few bucks from you!"
Bruce heard Owl say this in broken Japanese.
The little witch had never seen such an owl before, and she was a little scared, so she leaned against the senior student on the other side.
"Don't scare others here!"
Bruce pulled Katum back and said unhappily, "Weren't you just looking down on Japanese wizards?"
"Are Japanese wizards and Japanese women the same thing?" Katum said with his neck stiff.
Bruce was completely annoyed by his self-righteous attitude.
After a while, the Ouagadougou School of Magic in Africa and the Castrobus School of Magic in South America also arrived.
The students of Ouagadougou are a group of strong wizards dressed in animal skins, a style that is totally incompatible with the European-style castle of Hogwarts.
Their arms are bare, and their dark muscles are smeared with colorful paints, which form mysterious tribal totems.
They held huge bone staffs in their hands, struck the ground and danced, chanting ancient spells. The drumbeats were like the heartbeat of the earth, full of power.
Katoom once saw a video of the Maori war dance on the Internet. The mysterious feeling was similar to this one.
The style of Castrobus School of Magic is even more unique.
The South American students wore exaggerated feather headdresses, and the girls wore dance dresses decorated with gems and sequins, as if they had just rushed here after attending the carnival.
When they appeared, they were standing on a strange-shaped skateboard, gliding all the way from the horizon.
Later Bruce found out that the name of this skateboard was called Rainforest Frog Skateboard.
There are four frog-like structures at the bottom of the skateboard, which are made of elastic magic rubber. They can be transformed into wheels, springs and even gliders, allowing it to move freely on any terrain.
The two schools arrived at the same time, and Dumbledore welcomed the two headmasters to their seats.
He spoke quietly with a few principals, then stood up and announced to everyone.
"Everyone, I just received news that Ilvermorny College encountered some... problems and cannot arrive today."
He blinked his eyes. "This is indeed a little unexpected for us, but it doesn't matter. At least our dinner party can start earlier!"
"After the banquet, the Tournament will begin," said Dumbledore. "I now invite everyone to eat and drink as much as you can, just like at home!"
There was a sudden murmur at the scene, and no one knew what was going on in Ilvermorny.
Are they abstaining or something?
"It's really rude of an American magic school to do this."
Katum suddenly said, "Bruce, as an American, don't you want to make any comments on this?"
"What's there to comment on?"
Bruce shook his head. What did the affairs of Ilvermorny have to do with him? He shouldn't get involved just because they were all from America, okay?
It's clear that they are not part of the same world as America.
The dinner started, but everyone was obviously not focused on eating and drinking. They were all thinking about what would happen after the dinner.
But one thing has to be said.
Today is the most sumptuous dinner in the history of Hogwarts.
Because it’s French food.
……
After the dinner, Dumbledore stood up again, and an atmosphere of excitement and tension spread in the hall.
The old headmaster began to explain the rules of the Seven-Powerful Tournament, and under everyone's expectant gaze, he took out a rough wooden goblet from the box that Filch was holding.
"Over the next year, we will have a total of four competitions."
Dumbledore said, "And the heroes who will participate in the competition will be selected by this referee!"
He placed the goblet in the most conspicuous position, with a blue flame burning in the goblet.
"Every student who wants to run for the Warriors must write his name and school name on a piece of parchment and throw it into this goblet,"
Dumbledore said, "Aspiring warriors have twenty-four hours to register. Tomorrow night, the Goblet will select the name of the student it thinks best represents the seven schools.
"In order to prevent students who are not old enough from being tempted, I will draw an age line around it. Anyone under the age of seventeen will not be able to cross this age line."
"Pfft."
Katum suddenly laughed.
This so-called age line is actually useless, because Dumbledore himself knows that there is a huge loophole here.
You can ask an older classmate to help you put your name into the Goblet of Fire.
For example now——
Katoom looked towards the Ravenclaw table, where Ravenna was concentrating on the blue pudding in front of her.
A woman who is over a thousand years old is definitely old enough.
(End of this chapter)
