𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐍 (2) || 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘶𝘴 𝘓𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘯

𝐈𝐕. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬

With Dumbledore's words, the doors to the hall opened once again, and a tight formation of ladies waltzed through the entrance, their sky blue robes were striking, and each step was graceful yet perfectly planned. The girls stopped twice to smile in the students directions from in-between the house tables before continuing on in the direction of the staff table.

Edith had to admit, they were gorgeous. A perfect picture of grace and youthfulness delicately placed into a body of students. Butterflies and doves crested with a silvery blue glow sprouted from each girl's hands, fluttering upwards and bursting into more sparks and shimmers.

A tall woman strode behind them, although maybe tall wasn't enough of a word to describe the woman's height. She was taller than Hagrid. Edith sat on a chair at one of the highest parts of the hall, and she still had to look up when the woman stopped beside Dumbledore, letting the man take her hand in greeting.

The girls' all bowed, and the hall rose in cheers and claps (particularly the male part of the student body, but Edith could see a fair few females cheering just as loud) at the spectacular show they had just witnessed.

Edith clapped along, as did Professor Sprout and Professor McGonagall.

"And now, our friends from the North! Please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang, and their High Master, Igor Karkaroff!"

The students attention was once again drawn to the doors of the hall when a collection of boys came through, donning brown robes with black boots, twirling staffs that spat sparks, thumping the end on the ground every so often in unison. They marched up the hall, and then set off in a run. Surrounding students gasped and stood to have a better view.

A few boys at the front did a handspring, still twirling their staffs in time with a chant that was coming from all of them.

More figures marched through the door. A young man with a brown, furry coat and a hat, along with an older man wearing a similar thing, only his was white with black fur.

But it was the last figure that caught Edith's attention. A woman marched behind Karkaroff, a half smile peaked through her lips. She wore a long jacket with sleeves that hugged her arms, and her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, streaks of silver shone from underneath the blonde strands. A fur wand-holster could be seen strapped to her trouser thigh.

Her eyes were a colour similar to ice, a freezing tone of blue that almost took Edith's breath away when the woman looked up at her from across the hall mid-stride.

Her smile seemed to widen, if only by a fraction.

As quickly as it had happened, the woman glanced away again, stopping beside Karkaroff when he shook Dumbledore's hand. The Headmaster turned to the woman, and she mouthed words that Edith couldn't hear, she shook Dumbledore's hand, and he returned the gesture.

Karkaroff placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding her to a seat that had been placed at the opposite end to the table that Edith sat.

The entire school had also taken notice of Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker from the Quidditch Cup, who had entered the hall ahead of Karkaroff and the woman. Students muttered with excitement at the sight of the boy, who to his credit, didn't give the gawking fans any attention, simply sitting down beside his own classmates at the extended end of the Slytherin and Gryffindor house tables. The Beauxbatons were placed at the end of the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff ones instead.