After a few minutes, the boys more or less came to their senses. Like many of the boys, Ron was dreaming with a goofy smile, picking at his food aimlessly. The girls glanced disgruntledly at the boys, at the veela, and with surprise at those of their friends who suddenly realized a sudden interest in the veela.

"I guess," Hermione smirked, glancing at girls like that. "Veela's charm doesn't affect people by gender." ​​

"Yeah, I see it's a day of discovery for a lot of people."

Barty Crouch Sr. and Ludo Bagman joined the professors during dinner.

When the plates were empty, Dumbledore spoke again, introduced Crouch and Bagman to everyone, and Filch finally brought out the casket with the goblet in it. It was placed on a separate pedestal next to the high table. Dumbledore talked about how to apply - throwing a piece of paper with your name and school into the goblet. The Headmaster promised to shield the goblet with some sort of Forbidden Line from encroachment by those under seventeen. Anyway, that was the end of the feast, and we all went to our common rooms.

For the usual discussion of the day's results, Hermione and I settled down on an inconspicuous sofa in the common room, where everyone else was doing exactly the same thing - discussing the results. But I didn't feel much like talking, so I rested my head on Hermione's lap, and we just listened to the others talk.

"Are you still thinking about trying it?" the girl started stroking my hair.

"Absolutely. It would be an interesting experience."

"Very dangerous. We do not know what the trials will be and what will await the champions there."

"That's no reason to say no, especially not the fact that I can get around the defense. A forbidden line - what nonsense. It would be better if he named the spell."

"Ha-ha-ha," Hermione laughed tinklingly, burying her fingers in my hair.

"So I'll be breaking down the defenses tomorrow."

"Do you know how?"

"I have no idea."

***

From early in the morning until late in the evening, students of the three schools who came and went from the Great Hall could observe a curious scene. A young blond boy in black pants and a turtleneck with the sleeves rolled up and a wand sheath on both forearms, spinning around the Goblet of Fire with unwavering tenacity and enthusiasm, with a wand in each hand. He sometimes sent faintly visible jets of magic from the wand in his left hand, which immediately spread over the dome of the invisible protection - only a blue, glowing line on the floor signaled its existence. Sometimes the boy would make passes with the wand in his right hand, drawing symbols, piercing the invisible dome, causing various light and noise reactions in it. Sometimes the guy would walk around the protection, swiping along with one wand, making the protection visible. Sometimes he would stand still for half an hour, pondering.

It was a day off, and some of the students sat at the tables, watching the guy, some even placing bets. Those who came to throw their name watched the action with a chuckle for a few seconds, went through the defense, and threw a piece of paper into the goblet, causing a little flash of already burning blue flame in it.

So the whole day passed, and in the evening, when all the students and the teachers began to gather in the hall for the announcement of the results, Headmaster Dumbledore came up to the guy.

"If you're going to continue, Mr. Knight," the gray-bearded, tall man in the purple robe said with a smile. "Then you have twenty minutes left."

"Got it," the guy replied without taking his eyes off his actions, and the Headmaster sat down at the high table, reaching for the sliced fruit that immediately appeared.

"We did it!" came a shout from the entrance, and the joyful twins ran into the hall. "We made a potion!"

To the general applause, the twins ran up to the line around the goblet.

"And how are you doing?" they asked the guy synchronously.

"Almost done."

"Well, good luck to you. We have everything ready."

Taking out two vials of potion, the twins uncorked them, drank them, waited, smiled at each other, and took a piece of parchment from their cloak pockets, and jumped the line at the same time. No one noticed as the boy, Max Knight, smiled.

"We did it!" cheered the twins, to whom nothing happened. Headmaster Dumbledore, the other teachers, and guests of the school only smiled.

"Nope," Max remarked but continued to shower the defense with various magical moves.

"Yes, yes," grinned one of the twins, and they both threw their names into the goblet.

The flame flared up, as it should, and the twins were already celebrating success, but then two tongues of red flame burst out of the cup and crashed into the red-haired twins, throwing them out of the Forbidden Line. The boys began to turn gray quickly, growing a beard and long hair. Standing up from the floor and looking at each other, the twins started a mock scuffle, to the delight of the students, and after a couple of minutes, grabbing their backs, to even louder laughter, they sat down at the Gryffindor table.