In the dimly lit room at the back of the hall.
Upon seeing Harry, Ino immediately offered comfort.
He had no other choice, as mentioned before, unlike in the original storyline where the Horcruxes were destroyed within a certain timeline, in this altered version, except for the diary, none of the other Horcruxes were destroyed until after Voldemort's resurrection.
In the Triwizard Tournament, Voldemort used Harry's blood to resurrect himself, breaking Lily's protective charm and establishing a connection with Harry.
However, things were different now.
Before Voldemort could establish a connection with Harry, three Horcruxes, including the diary, had been destroyed ahead of schedule. Moreover, Trelawney's prophecy, whether true or not, had already made everyone vigilant.
...
At the same time.
After hearing Ino's comforting words, Harry visibly relaxed.
The heavy emotions that had been weighing him down seemed to dissipate significantly.
"Thank you, Ino," Harry nodded slightly. "You're right, and Professor Dumbledore, he will handle everything."
"That's right! Don't worry," Ino said, seeing Harry relax. He decided not to dwell on the matter further, leaving the rest of the comforting to Dumbledore.
"But this place is really too dark, they couldn't even bother to install a magic lamp—Brighid!"
Ino chuckled, changing the subject, and gently called for his phoenix.
With a flash of orange light, Brighid appeared, resembling a small magical lamp, filling the room with a warm and cozy glow, dispelling the previous gloom and heaviness.
Seeing the phoenix, Harry also felt a wave of relief.
As for the other two people in the room, Krum remained unchanged, still wearing his usual honest smile, while Fleur showed a more obvious reaction, resting her chin on one hand and staring unblinkingly at the phoenix.
At that moment, voices could be heard approaching from outside the room.
"...Albus, I need an explanation."
"Yes, I'll give you an explanation..."
It sounded like a dispute, but before they could listen carefully, the door to the room was opened again.
As the door swung open, Ino turned his head to look.
People started entering the room one by one—Dumbledore, Madam Maxime, Karkaroff, two Ministry officials, Professor McGonagall... and a calm-faced Snape.
"Harry! It's alright, child! Leave everything to us," Professor McGonagall, upon entering the room, immediately walked over to Harry.
"Thank you, Professor! I feel much better!" Harry's voice was low, perhaps due to his voice changing or his low spirits, it always sounded a bit soft.
This ordinary response caused Snape's steps to suddenly halt.
As the most observant person in the room, Ino naturally noticed this subtle change and couldn't help but slightly smile.
But soon, that smile vanished as a pair of hollow eyes appeared in his line of sight. Snape silently approached and then casually sat on a chair beside him.
Ino turned his head, focusing on Brighid perched on his shoulder, the orange feathers distinct and clear.
All these changes happened within a matter of seconds.
In the room, Karkaroff spoke up again, "I'm waiting for your explanation, or else! I'll deeply regret coming to Hogwarts. This so-called fair Triwizard Tournament is clearly unjust!"
After Karkaroff finished speaking, although Madam Maxime remained silent, she nodded slightly, signaling her stance.
At fifteen feet tall, even sitting down, Madam Maxime was hard to miss, so her subtle nod was noticed by everyone in the room.
Seeing someone support him, Karkaroff grew more confident.
In contrast, Dumbledore's figure seemed somewhat frail.
...
Ino watched as the headmasters quarreled.
Even though he knew it was all part of the plan, he still couldn't stand Karkaroff's sarcastic remarks, even if this time Karkaroff had a valid point.
"Professor Karkaroff!" Ino slowly stood up and walked toward the headmasters.
This action temporarily silenced the argument in the room. Dumbledore, naturally, turned around with a smile.
On the other side, Madam Maxime also nodded in acknowledgment. She was willing to show respect, especially considering the potential of becoming colleagues in the future.
Of the three headmasters present, two had shown their attitudes through their actions. Even if Karkaroff was reluctant, he had no choice but to pause his complaints and see what Ino had to say.
"Professors, here's what I think: The decision of the Goblet of Fire is final; Harry must participate in all the competitions!"
Ino spoke calmly. Although his words were directed at the three headmasters, his gaze remained fixed on Karkaroff.
However, the usually loud-mouthed Karkaroff strangely did not respond this time. Instead, he adopted a polite listening posture, as if waiting for Ino to finish speaking.
This unexpected reaction seemed unusual to others, but Snape found it completely understandable—Ino's elegant robes, the Slytherin-green trim, his graceful demeanor, and calm tone...
Everything about him suggested authority, not to mention the phoenix on his shoulder. If Karkaroff dared to contradict him, that would have been more surprising.
...
On the other hand.
Ino, though unaware of Snape's thoughts, responded to Karkaroff's politeness with a smile.
He knew well enough that this situation was Dumbledore's fault from the start. No matter how justifiable his reasons, the fact remained that Hogwarts was the first to break the rules, and being in the wrong meant they were in the wrong. No argument could change that.
Trying to force Karkaroff to back down or using strength to make him submit would be akin to trampling on Hogwarts' thousand-year reputation and spitting on it afterward.
To avoid such a scenario, Ino spoke again:
"Professors, here's my suggestion: As Professor Dumbledore mentioned, the Goblet of Fire scores are decided by five judges. Since Hogwarts has an extra participant, why not take the average score of both Harry and me as the final result?"
"I believe this would demonstrate the fairness of the Goblet of Fire, as it is supposed to be a fair competition."
As he spoke, Ino looked toward the three headmasters. Madam Maxime sat alone due to her height, while Dumbledore and Karkaroff remained standing.
To strengthen his argument, Ino shifted his gaze past the three, focusing on the burning candelabrum on the wall.
He raised his hand and snapped his fingers, and the candelabrum split into two small flames, which floated through the air.
Under everyone's gaze, the flames transformed into snowflakes, and as the snowflakes touched the ground, two high-backed chairs bearing the Hogwarts crest materialized out of thin air.
"Professors! Please, have a seat."
Ino bowed slightly and then returned to his previous position.
Everything was in place now. He was confident that among those present, no one would fail to recognize the significance of what he had just done—wandless, wordless magic, a floating charm, elemental transformation, and Transfiguration.
Such a display of skill left little room for Karkaroff to continue his defiance. Even if he was stubborn, Madame Maxime likely wouldn't support him anymore.
However, aside from Harry, no one in the room failed to recognize the mastery displayed.
Professor McGonagall, in particular, wore an expression of pride. Transfiguration played a significant role in the magic just demonstrated.
...
At the same time.
With the appearance of the two high-backed chairs.
The expressions of the three headmasters varied—Dumbledore looked pleased, Madame Maxime showed admiration, and Karkaroff resembled a defeated rooster, silent and resigned.