Alex battled silently to prevent herself from yawning, a battle she thought she was winning until she was halfway down a staircase, at which point she had to stop for fear of stumbling, or worse, hitting a false step. One hand moved to cover her gaping mouth while the other pinched the bridge of her nose, cutting it short, and when her hands fell away, her lips were pursed in irritation at her fatigue. While she'd had a few exceedingly late nights, and a couple of sleep free nights, in order to ensure she understood the topics she'd missed and prepare for the imminent exams, yawning before the hours had reached double digits was ridiculous.
 
When she continued her journey, after a moment to make certain it was just the one yawn, her step was considerably more vigorous, making an unpleasant tapping noise against the stone flags, and it was only a few stops before her pace subsided to be significantly quieter. Even at the reduced pace, Alex reached the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom quickly enough, and she paused to push her hair behind her ear and offer Gracie a silent curse. What was the good of having a vice-president if she refused to accompany Alex to the dragon’s den, so to speak? She sighed theatrically for the benefit of the absent, before ascending the steps to the office two at a time and rapping smartly on the door.
 
Without giving sufficient time to answer, Alex opened the door enough that she could look in to check that the professor was, indeed, present and not, for example, out collecting mushrooms in the Forbidden Forest, or whatever it was that Professor Storm preferred to do in his free time. Not that collecting mushrooms was in any way an inferior use of time, it would merely be surprising if it transpired that Professor Storm collected mushrooms.
 
Sticking  her head through the gap, she gave the Professor a smile, "Good evening, Professor Storm. I was wondering if you had a moment?" She suspected she would require considerably longer than a moment of his time, assuming that the moment had a defined magnitude, which it didn't.

"Carstairs, do come in."

The office was warm, a glow rose from the fireplace and lantern on the desk spilled a warm yellow pool onto the desk. A folded copy of that day's Daily Prophet was placed atop a short pile of standard class textbooks, and another was open for reference as the Professor marked third year work on household pests. It was an unfortunate required subject for the younger students, domestic safety, not very dark, but something that they'd almost all use in their life.

The Duelling Club President stepped inside his office and he motioned for her to shut the door behind her to keep in the warmth.

"Something on your mind?" The Professor asked, setting down his quill, placing one hand over the other on the desktop and giving Alex his attention.

Not sure if she was disappointed or relieved at the lack of mushrooms in Professor Storm's office, or possibly neither, Alex opened the door enough that she could fit through, examining the office a second time with undisguised interest.

Alex wedged her foot between door and frame at the last possible moment, preventing a thump but making her toe throb. She crossed over to the desk, shifting her weight onto one leg, "Slant and I," and it would never cease to be strange referring to some people by their surnames, without so much as a title to adorn them, "had an idea, for duelling club."

Also strange was the way Professor Storm's expression, although she couldn't identify anything abnormal about it, made her feel ever so slightly uncomfortable, enough that her fingers were twisting and untwisting behind her back and she halted in her speech, trying to work out how she should present the idea.

"We wondered if we could hold a slightly more formal duelling tournament," Alex explained, "which wouldn't technically be a duelling club activity, but it would still be duelling."

"Slightly more formal?" The Professor questioned, "That's one way to eliminate the competition for the Tetra-Wizard, certainly, Carstairs!" He was amused. The Hogwarts Duelling club was something he kept an eye on due to the subject he taught, but in reality several of the staff were often involved to help referee or explain tactics. It was a lot better than the popular tales of Professor Lockheart during Potter's time.

"Not so formal in that its a fight to the death, I hope?" Ignan continued, adding more quietly "Even if I could see Durmstrang taking you up on that."

It hadn't been too unusual for there to be the odd death at Durmstrang. Usually one of the dregs, an oberteil a little too excitable over their new skills, a head injury or a broken neck. Not pretty, not good to deal with, but a risk in that culture, sadly.

The Deputy Headmaster gestured to the chair before him for Alexandra to sit.
"Do explain the system you propose to use. I'm assuming you've researched the possibilities before approaching me?"

Why was it always Durmstrang? Probably the "we were left on mountain tops as babes to prove that we are not worthless weaklings" vibe the Durmstrangers gave off, which the Beauxbatons students hadn't quite achieved, though not for want of trying, and the Salemites would be foolish to try. It was still annoying, even if Alex did think that Hogwarts would be improved if a few of its students had been left on mountain tops at birth.

"I did consider presenting it as an effective method of culling the student population, but decided against it, sir," Alex half smiled, although she did think that it would be the Durmstangers who ended up dead, if only through force of numbers.

Refraining from raising her eyebrows- Professor Storm was, after all, a professor Alex  nodded, "I assume that we," and why Alex was using we she couldn't explain, unless it was her subconscious already trying to shift responsibility for the event to Ignan, "would introduce extra regulations to prevent anything too… permanent resulting from a duel, on top of standard international rules."

"I assume that we would introduce extra regulations to prevent anything too… permanent resulting from a duel, on top of standard international rules."

Ignan steepled his fingers, and smirked at Carstairs in the way that could make you feel ever so slightly more uncomfortable for being alone in an office with him. He particularly enjoyed doing that to the first years. Carstairs however, was made of sterner stuff.

"Is that the royal we, you and Slant, or... your Professor?" He asked rhetorically, drawing back his chair and scouring the bookshelves behind the desk a moment for the volume on duelling rules and variations. Wouldn't do to go and produce a set of rules that were rather more lethal than intended, unless it did mean obliterating the other schools. No, wouldn't be proper, undoubtedly.

"We might," Ignan suggested, flicking open the book and consulting the content, "consider timed bouts, with judging panel, or small platforms upon one must remain balanced throughout. Shorter, neater, less chance of the hospital wing filling with a line of unconscious bodies. Pity, but perhaps practical." The Professor found the page he was looking for, and smoothed the paper before looking up at Alex.

"Had you had any thoughts yourself?"

Alex did not appreciate the intimidation tactic, which was uncomfortably reminiscent of her Father, and while she realised that it was exactly the purpose of such an action, her hands, hidden safely behind her back, clenched into fists, "An ambiguous we," she replied, her tone a little sharper than strictly polite, her gaze moving to the books Professor Storm was searching through while she deliberately unfurled her fingers.

"Had you had any thoughts yourself?"

"Yes," she agreed, "tightening regulations about the finish of a duel seems prudent," and something that really shouldn't have any need to be expanded upon, but since running duelling club was an education in the boundless stupidity and proclivity to violence of teenagers, Alex didn't think that taking chances was a sensible option, although the steadying influence of professors would probably decrease injuries extraneous of duelling. Hopefully, too, it would encourage a general reduction in stupid behaviour, but that was less than likely.

"Perhaps concerning the incapacitation of one of the duellers?" Alex suggested, since that had proved itself to be an area that needed special attention during club meetings.

"Tightening regulations about the finish of a duel seems prudent, perhaps concerning the incapacitation of one of the duellers?"

"Quite." Ignan replied, "Disarming being the most obvious incapacitation, and probably the least lethal. Durmstrang may have some wandless talent among its number, they tend to hold that card close to their chest if they've been taught it, considering the tournament." He dropped the book, open onto his desk.

"Failing that, unconscious? Or perhaps they must be disarmed while conscious?" Georg, the charms professor here would have been the better at suggesting such things - he duelled for competition. Ignan had only done it to arrest and fight unregulated bouts to do injury or worse.

"This would run from January term? Yes? Open class, or might you limit the entry? With the Tournament being open to the older years, I have a feeling the younger members of the club would be interested in taking a stand, perhaps against their own age and ability?" He sat back down in his chair and sat back, staring thoughtfully across the office.

"Quite a bit of planning, Carstairs, are you not considering resubmitting yourself to the Goblet next term?"

Professor Storm's point was one Alex generally agreed with, "But sometimes people end up incapacitated but still armed, in duelling club, and given the variety of situations, preparing for every eventuality would be extremely difficult, while vaguer rules leave room for creative interpretation." In other words, no matter what was done to prevent it, people would still be stupid and indulge their desire for violence outside of regulated parameters.
 
"Perhaps age categories?" shr suggested instead, mouth twisting to suggest that she wasn't particularly fond of the idea. Ideally, she didn't want anyone below the age of… oh, fourteen at the absolute minimum, in a duelling tournament, as while the difference in age was scant it still marked a considerable improvement in ability in duelling and controlling one's temper. Enough of an improvement that running the event wouldn't be too torturous.
 
It was against her best efforts that her whole posture tensed at the mention of the Goblet, turning away from Professor Storm stiffly, "I am considering it, Sir, do you think it inadvisable?" It had been so frustrating to have been so close, and then for the chance to have been wrenched from her- of course the loss of pressure was pleasant enough, but compared to what she'd missed, the pressure was inconsequential. Obviously she would listen to any concerns that Professor Storm had, but Alex doubted they would change her course of action.
 
"Apart from the possibility of the duelling competition, that is."

"But sometimes people end up incapacitated but still armed, in duelling club, and given the variety of situations, preparing for every eventuality would be extremely difficult, while vaguer rules leave room for creative interpretation."

"True." The Professor agreed thoughtfully, "Perhaps you need a human referee, impartial, not from either student's school, or altogether independent from the schools. Categories seems most logical, rather than completely alienate the younger years, as per the Tournament. Never too early to learn a sharp lesson in poor shielding, hmm?" The corners of his mouth curled, the question somewhat rhetorical, Carstairs being duelling president would be perhaps its strongest supporter.

"I am considering it, Sir, do you think it inadvisable? Apart from the possibility of the duelling competition, that is."

She had turned away from him, and he frowned, surprised at the action.

"I think it is entirely advisable Carstairs." The Defence Professor assured her. "The Goblet has chosen you once, and I am sure it will not hesitate to choose you again. The question is rather more do you feel able to meet its expectation?" Seated again at his desk he leant forwards, putting his elbows on the desktop.

"You would have my full support, if you did."

It had taken Alex halfway into one session of duelling club, if that, to decide that if you couldn't block a basic spell, or at least move out of the way, you probably needed to have the sense knocked into you, so her nod in response was accompanied by a smile of agreement. The suggestion of a judging panel was a well-considered one, and would helpfully prevent favouritism, or at least even it out.

"The question is rather more do you feel able to meet its expectation? You would have my full support, if you did."

It wasn’t one she’d considered, but it was easy enough to answer, “The Goblet chose me,” which meant that she had to be capable, because that was why the Goblet was used. Obviously, it wasn’t a perfect method, but it was one that she chose to believe the worth of. After all, the champions chosen thus far had generally performed to task, and if it had chosen Raine it couldn’t be far from the mark.

Of course, having support expressed by Professor Storm was encouraging as well – in some ways more so, because a slip of paper with your name written on it didn’t allow for comprehensive analysis of one’s abilities. “Thank you, sir,” she smiled, relieved at the endorsement.

And that was something else, Alex had looked into the Goblet when she’d first heard about the Tournament and she still had no idea how it functioned. Descriptions were typically limited to something along the lines of picks the most worthy of the applicants or some other frustratingly vague description. “I was curious; does the Goblet know what the task is? Or is it simply that it picks whoever it judges to have the best chance overall, the task notwithstanding?”

“I was curious; does the Goblet know what the task is? Or is it simply that it picks whoever it judges to have the best chance overall, the task notwithstanding?”

Carstairs asked a very particular question.

"To my understanding," The Professor responded after a moment of consideration, "the Goblet is but an impartial judge[1], and its motives are not entirely known to us. Certainly it has not been disclosed to the Hogwarts staff. We're told very little, in actuality, and often we're told very vague details."

The older wizard's expression was apologetic in response to not being able to accurately answer her question.

"Secrecy is abundant this time round. I have a contact in the Department of International Magical Co-Operation who informs me even the employees are often mis-informed of the details of the tasks, creating decoys to check for leaks. However, that is all part of the game, is it not?" He asked with a shrug, corner of his mouth curling.

"In my opinion, I believe it doesn't know of the tasks, but simply chooses those it believes can prove their mettle whatever lies ahead."

1.	HP Wiki: Goblet of Fire

Alex’s eyebrows lifted, surprised that knowledge of the tasks was so carefully guarded. It was, no matter how grandiose, only a competition between schools - although the scale and prestige did make it rather more than just that, becoming a reflection upon the ministry’s competence as well... Hmm, perhaps she shouldn’t have been surprised.

For the most part, Alex was satisfied by her answer: it was doubtful that anybody knew, and even if somebody did, they would be unlikely to share the information. It wasn’t an ideal conclusion to reach, but not knowing precisely how the goblet worked wasn’t anything that she would lose sleep over. It was enough to know that it worked, and that no matter its reasons, she had been chosen.

“So we can’t expect any hints about the next task,” she said instead, smiling slightly, although she hadn’t anticipated any - Professor Storm had far too much integrity to tell a possible competitor anything, even if he did know, which he presumably didn’t. “Thank you, Sir,” she added belatedly, but since it had been made very clear that there was little point in asking further questions about the Tournament, and she had fulfilled the purpose of her visit, she should probably leave and make a stab at her Arithmancy homework. “I’ll look further into the possibilities for a competition,” she promised, moving towards the door.

“I hope you have a nice evening Sir,” she added, pausing before she quitted the room, “Thank you for your time.”