Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Audiobook by Stephen Fry

“he is going up to the fortress with her!” said Hermione indignantly. “I thought he was ready for us!”

with out a lot as a backward glance at his cabin, Hagrid was trudging off up the grounds with Madame Maxime, the Beaux­batons scholars following in their wake, going for walks to hold up with their colossal strides.

“He fancies her!” said Ron incredulously. “well, in the event that they grow to be having youngsters, they may be setting a world file ­ bet any child of theirs would weigh about a ton.”

They let themselves out of the cabin and shut the door behind them. It was surprisingly darkish outside. Drawing their cloaks extra carefully round themselves, they activate up the sloping lawns.

“Ooh it is them, appear!” Hermione whispered.

The Durmstrang get together was once walking up toward the castle from the lake. Viktor Krum was once running part via part with Karkaroff, and the opposite Durmstrang pupils have been straggling along at the back of them. Ron watched Krum excitedly, but Krum did not look around as he reached the front doorways just a little ahead of Hermione, Ron, and Harry and proceeded by way of them.

When they entered the candlelit great hall it used to be close to full. The Goblet of fireside had been moved; it was once now standing in front of Dumbledore’s empty chair at the teachers’ table. Fred and George ­ clean­shaven once more ­ looked as if it would have taken their disappointment rather well.

“Hope it is Angelina,” said Fred as Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down.

“So do I!” mentioned Hermione breathlessly. “good, we will quickly know!”

The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than traditional. Possibly for the reason that it was their 2nd feast in two days, Harry failed to appear to fancy the extravagantly all set food as a lot as he would have on the whole. Like every body else within the corridor, judging through the continually craning necks, the impatient expressions on every face, the fidgeting, and the standing as much as see whether or not Dumbledore had finished eating but, Harry comfortably wanted the plates to clear, and to listen to who had been chosen as champions.

At long final, the golden plates returned to their usual spotless state; there was once a sharp upswing in the level of noise inside the corridor, which died away virtually immediately as Dumbledore acquired to his feet. On both aspect of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime regarded as worrying and expectant as any person. Ludo Bagman was once beaming and winking at various scholars. Mr. Crouch, however, looked quite fed up, nearly bored.

“well, the goblet is just about ready to make its choice,” mentioned Dumbledore. “I estimate that it requires yet another minute. Now, when the champions’ names are

known as, i would ask them please to come up to the top of the hall, walk along the staff desk, and go by means of into the subsequent chamber” ­ he indicated the door behind the staff desk ­ “where they’ll be receiving their first instructional materials.”

He took out his wand and gave a first-class sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those throughout the carved pumpkins have been extinguished, plunging them right into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of fireside now shone more brightly than anything in the entire corridor, the glowing vibrant, bluey­whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, ready. . . . A couple of individuals saved checking their watches. . .

“Any 2d,” Lee Jordan whispered, two seats faraway from Harry.

The flames within the goblet turned instantly red once more. Sparks began to fly from it. Subsequent second, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it ­ the entire room gasped.

Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm’s length, so that he might read it through the light of the flames, which had grew to become back to blue­white.

“The champion for Durmstrang,” he read, in a strong, clear voice, “will likely be Viktor Krum.”

“No surprises there!” yelled Ron as a storm of applause and cheering swept the hall. Harry noticed Viktor Krum rise from the Slytherin table and slouch up towards Dumbledore; he turned proper, walked along the staff desk, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.

“Bravo, Viktor!” boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that every person would hear him, even over all the applause. “Knew you had it in you!”

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone’s concentration was focused once more on the goblet, which, seconds later, grew to become pink all over again. A 2d piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by means of the flames.

“The champion for Beauxbatons,” said Dumbledore, “is Fleur Delacour!”

“it can be her, Ron!” Harry shouted because the woman who so resembled a veela bought gracefully to her ft, shook again her sheet of silvery blonde hair, and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.

“Oh appear, they are all dissatisfied,” Hermione mentioned over the noise, nodding towards the remainder of the Beauxbatons social gathering. “upset” was once a little of an irony, Harry thought. Two of the ladies who had now not been selected had dissolved into tears and had been sobbing with their heads on their arms.

When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the aspect chamber, silence fell once more, but this time it was once a silence so stiff with pleasure you could practically taste it. The Hogwarts champion next…

And the Goblet of fire turned red over again; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the 0.33 piece of parchment.

“The Hogwarts champion,” he referred to as, “is Cedric Diggory!”

“No! ” mentioned Ron loudly, however no person heard him besides Harry; the uproar from the next desk was once too quality. Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his well beyond them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber behind the lecturers’ desk. Indeed, the applause for Cedric went on see you later that it was once some time before Dumbledore might make himself heard again.

“pleasant!” Dumbledore called fortunately as at final the tumult died down. “well, we now have our three champions. I’m certain i will be able to rely upon all of you, including the rest students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions each ounce of aid you could muster. By using cheering your champion on, you’ll contribute in a very real ­­”

but Dumbledore all of a sudden stopped speaking, and it used to be obvious to every person what had distracted him.

The hearth in the goblet had simply became pink again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot all of the sudden into the air, and borne upon it was once a further piece of parchment.

Robotically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a protracted hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared on the title written upon it. There used to be an extended pause, for the period of which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his arms, and everybody within the room stared at Dumbledore. After which Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out ­ “Harry Potter.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN ­ THE 4 CHAMPIONS

Harry sat there, aware that each head within the satisfactory corridor had turned to seem at him.

He was shocked. He felt numb. He was once most likely dreaming. He had no longer heard effectively.

There was no applause. A buzzing, as if of indignant bees, used to be beginning to fill the hall; some students had been standing up to get a greater look at Harry as he sat, frozen, in his seat.

Up on the top desk, Professor McGonagall had got to her feet and swept previous Ludo Bagman and Professor Karkaroff to whisper urgently to Professor Dumbledore, who bent his ear towards her, frowning quite.

Harry turned to Ron and Hermione; past them, he saw the long Gryffindor table all watching him, openmouthed.

“I failed to put my title in,” Harry mentioned blankly. “you already know I failed to.”

each of them stared just as blankly back.

At the prime desk, Professor Dumbledore had straightened up, nodding to Professor McGonagall.

“Harry Potter!” he called again. “Harry! Up right here, for those who please!”

“Go on,” Hermione whispered, giving Harry a mild push.

Harry received to his ft, trod on the hem of his robes, and stumbled slightly. He spark off up the hole between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. It felt like an immensely lengthy walk; the highest desk failed to seem to be getting any nearer in any respect, and he might feel hundreds and thousands of eyes upon him, as though each and every had been a searchlight. The buzzing grew louder and louder. After what gave the look of an hour, he was once proper in front of Dumbledore, feeling the stares of the entire teachers upon him.

“well.. . Through the door, Harry,” mentioned Dumbledore. He wasn’t smiling.

Harry moved off alongside the academics’ desk. Hagrid was once seated correct at the finish. He did not wink at Harry, or wave, or supply any of his normal indicators of greeting. He appeared thoroughly astonished and stared at Harry as he handed like every body else.

Harry went by means of the door out of the first-class corridor and found himself in a smaller room, lined with art work of witches and wizards. A good-looking fireplace was once roaring within the fire opposite him.

The faces in the pictures became to look at him as he entered. He noticed a wizened witch flit out of the body of her photo and into the one subsequent to it, which

contained a wizard with a walrus mustache. The wizened witch began whispering in his ear.

Viktor Krum, Cedric Diggory, and Fleur Delacour were grouped around the hearth.

They appeared strangely impressive, silhouetted against the flames. Krum, hunched­ up and brooding, was once leaning against the mantelpiece, somewhat apart from the other two. Cedric was once standing with his hands behind his back, staring into the fire.

Fleur Delacour looked round when Harry walked in and threw again her sheet of long, silvery hair.

“what is it?” she said. “Do zey want us again in ze corridor?”

She idea he had come to supply a message. Harry didn’t understand how to provide an explanation for what had simply occurred. He just stood there, watching at the three champions. It struck him how very tall all of them had been.

There was a sound of scurrying ft in the back of him, and Ludo Bagman entered the room. He took Harry through the arm and led him ahead.

“exotic!” he muttered, squeezing Harry’s arm. “absolutely wonderful!

Gentlemen. . . Lady,” he brought, coming near the fireside and addressing the other three. “may I introduce ­ amazing though it should look ­ the fourth Triwizard champion?”

Viktor Krum straightened up. His surly face darkened as he surveyed Harry.

Cedric regarded nonplussed. He regarded from Bagman to Harry and again once more as though definite he have to have misheard what Bagman had stated. Fleur Delacour, nevertheless, tossed her hair, smiling, and said, “Oh, vairy humorous shaggy dog story, Meester Bagman.”

“shaggy dog story?” Bagman repeated, bewildered. “No, no, on no account! Harry’s title just got here out of the Goblet of fireside!”

Krum’s thick eyebrows gotten smaller moderately. Cedric was still watching with courtesy bewildered. Fleur frowned.

“but naturally zair ‘as been a mistake,” she said contemptuously to Bagman. “E are not able to compete. ‘E is too younger.”

“well. . . It’s amazing,” said Bagman, rubbing his tender chin and smiling down at Harry. “but, as you know, the age limit was best imposed this year as another protection measure. And as his name’s come out of the goblet.. . I mean, i don’t think there may also be any ducking out at this stage. . . . It’s down within the principles, you’re obliged. . . Harry will simply must do the quality he ­­”

The door at the back of them opened again, and a tremendous team of people got here in: Professor Dumbledore, followed closely by way of Mr. Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape. Harry heard the buzzing of the hundreds and hundreds of pupils on the other part of the wall, earlier than Professor

McGonagall closed the door.