The Forgotten Twin

Chapter 14

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and — most particularly — guests," said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

One of the Beauxbatons girls still clutching a muffler around her head gave what was unmistakably a derisive laugh.

"No one's making you stay!" Delilah whispered, glaring at her.

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

He sat down, and Delilah saw Karkaroff lean forward at once and engage him in conversation.

The plates in front of them filled with food as usual. The house elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there was a greater variety of dishes in front of them than Delilah had ever seen, including several that were definitely foreign.

She poked at a black pudding.

"What is that?" she asked.

Draco shrugged.

"I don't know, but it looks barely edible."

Delilah nodded, put a tiny bit on her plate, and tried it.

"Wow, it's actually pretty good." She added more.

"I'll take your word for it."

The Great Hall seemed somehow much more crowded than usual, even though there were barely twenty additional students there; perhaps it was because their differently colored uniforms stood out so clearly against the black of the Hogwarts' robes. Now that they had removed their furs, the Durmstrang students were revealed to be wearing robes of a deep blood red.

Hagrid sidled into the Hall through a door behind the staff table twenty minutes after the start of the feast. He slid into his seat at the end.

"So what is Durmstrang like?" Delilah asked Krum.

He shrugged.

"Much different, we have a smaller castle but very large grounds. Good for Quidditch."

Draco looked excited at the mention and started a rather boring conversation about Quidditch. Even Krum seemed a little bored, he was probably used to being asked those questions, the way his responses seemed robotic.

After a few minutes of boring Quidditch questions, Ludo Bagman and Mr. Crouch entered the hall, taking the two extra seats.

Then the second course arrived, bringing a change of subject.

"So the Tournament has three tasks, but isn't there a weird activity just before the second? A dance of some sorts," Draco said, glancing sideways at Delilah.

Krum grunted.

"That will be interesting," Delilah replied, glad of the subject change.

Before they could continue talking, the golden plates had been wiped clean and Dumbledore stood up again. A pleasant sort of tension seemed to fill the Hall now. Harry felt a slight thrill of excitement, wondering what was coming. All of the Durmstrang students leaned forward, staring at Dumbledore with great concentration.

"The moment has come," said Dumbledore, smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket —"

"A casket? Is there a dead body or something?" Delilah asked.

Draco shrugged.

"— just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation" — there was a smattering of polite applause — "and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."