Splintered Heart ♱ Remus Lupin

𝖝𝖛𝖎𝖎. we are the champions

The Rosier girl had only ever seen one person as large as this woman in her life, and that was Hagrid; she doubted whether there was an inch difference in their heights. As the woman stepped into the light flooding from the entrance hall, she was revealed to have a handsome, olive-skinned face; large, black, liquid-looking eyes; and a rather beaky nose. Her hair was drawn back in a shining knob at the base of her neck. She was dressed from head to foot in black satin, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and on her thick fingers.

Dumbledore started to clap; the students, following his lead,broke into applause too, many of them standing on tiptoe, the better to look at this woman.Her face relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. Dumbledore,though tall himself, had barely to bend to kiss it.

''My dear Madam Maxime,'' he greeted. ''Welcome to Hogwarts.''

''Dumbly-dorr," said Madame Maxime in a deep voice. "I 'ope I find you well?''

''In excellent form, I thank you," said Dumbledore. 

''My pupils," Madame Maxime introduced, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her. 

A dozen boys and girls,all, by the look of them, in their late teens, had emerged from the carriage and were now standing behind the giant. They were shivering, which was unsurprising, given that their robes seemed to be made of fine silk, and none of them were wearing cloaks — a few had wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads, staring up at Hogwarts with apprehensive looks on their faces.

'''As Karkaroff arrived yet?" She asked. 

''He should be here any moment,'' Dumbledore assured. ''Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?''

''Warm up, I think,'' she decided. ''But ze 'orses —''

''Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," Dumbledore informed. ''The moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other — er — charges.''

''My steeds require — er — forceful 'andling," Madame Maxime told Dumbledore, looking as though she doubted whether any Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts could be up to the job. ''Zey ar every strong . . .''

Dumbledore smiled. ''I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job.''

''Very well,'' she replied, bowing slightly. ''Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?''

''It will be attended to.''

''Come,'' Madam Maxime said imperiously to the Beauxbatons students, and the Hogwarts crowd parted to allow the French to pass up the stone steps.

Everyone stood, shivering slightly now, waiting for the Durmstrang party to arrive; most people were gazing hopefully at the sky. For a few minutes, the silence was broken only by Madame Maxime's huge horses snorting and stamping. But then —

A loud and oddly eerie noise was drifting toward them from out of the darkness: a muffled rumbling and sucking sound, as though an immense vacuum cleaner were moving along a river bed . . .

''The lake!'' Lee Jordan yelled. ''Look at the lake!''

From their position at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds, they had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water — except that the surface was suddenly not smooth at all.Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center; great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks — and then, out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been pulled out of the lake's floor . . .