Since the beginning | Deamus |

(fourth year) Ch. 35 The Party

"So, Léo," the three of us (Dean, Léo, and I) were walking to the Room of Requirement where a welcoming party was being hosted by the Weasley twins, "does Beauxbatons look like Hogwarts? I've never seen any other schools before."

Léo didn't have to give much thought before answering. "Oh no, it's prettier. Newer too."

When Dean and I raised our eyebrows in mock astonishment Léo quickly corrected himself. "Not that Hogwarts isn't pretty! Beauxbatons is just very beautiful. With light walls and winding stairs. There's no stone or headless ghosts."

"Don't worry, we weren't offended." Dean added on. "Just surprised is all. The only people who speak badly about the castle is first years who have to stay in the Dungeons."

Léo stopped in his tracked and stared at us with a mixture of horror and fear. "Students stay in dungeons?!"

I snorted and patted him on the arm as a way to reassure him. "They aren't really dungeons. That's just what we call the lower levels, where the Slytherin dorms are."

This didn't really seem to calm him down but he at the very least seemed to try and forget it.

"Slytherin is one of your school's houses right?"

"Yup! Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff." I say with pride. "Do they have houses at Beauxbatons?"

"Three. Bellefeuille, Papillonlisse, and Ombrelune!"

"Merlin those sound hard to pronounce," Dean exclaims.

"Not any harder then yours!" Léo laughs. "How are you even supposed to say that Hiffle house. Hiffle puf or something like that."

"Point taken."

We arrive to the tapestry of the trolls and I pull the two, who were still arguing about how to pronounce the Houses, to a stop.

"We're here!"

"Here?" Léo looked around confused. "Where's the room? Is it concealed by magic or are you just lost?"

I grinned. It was not everyday I got to introduce someone to the not-so-well-kept secrets of Hogwarts.

"It is concealed by magic. Just stand here."

I left Dean and Léo over by the tapestry and started to lace back and forth. I concentrated as hard as I could on the party. I even tried to think about the Weasley twins stupid faces that I knew were on the other side of the wall. Lucky for me and for Léo who probably would have thought I was full of shit if the door didn't appear, the great wooden door appeared against the wall.

A banner saying Welcome! In both English, poorly written French, and what I could only assume was the main language wherever Durmstrang was. As soon as the door took form, the sounds of the party boomed out to us.

The Room was huge. As large as a ballroom with practically all three schools squished into it. There was no furniture that I could see, only a sea of bodies dancing along to the music that seemed to be coming from the walls itself. A large table that ran the length of the room was filled with everything from cakes to alcohol. Of course that was where I wanted to go first. It was almost impossible to decipher any faces in the crowd, and the ones I recognized I immediately forgot.

The whole room smelled like alcohol. Sweat and the heavy scent of future hangovers hung thickly in the air. It was definitely not my favorite type of atmosphere, but there was no way in hell I would miss the chance to eat all of those sweets.

"Come on!" Léo grabbed Dean and I by our hands and dragged us into the crowd. He was grinning ear to ear and laughed whenever we bumped into someone. Even though I never liked big crowds, the way that Léo was enjoying it made me enjoy it too.