The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix Part Three

CXXXVIII: It's KRUM!

It was the day before Halloween. The castle was sparkling. Filch had been working tirelessly. The banners flew high on the towers and the entire student body was packed onto the steps of the castle and spilling down onto the grounds in long lines.

It was a cold, clear evening; dusk was falling and a pale, transparent looking moon was alreadu shining over the Forbidden Forest.

Hermione stood beside Harry, carefully keeping him between herself and Ron, whose stupid face was staring down the drive that led to the front gates, checking his watch repeatedly. "Nearly six," he said stupidly for about the thirtieth time since they'd followed Professor McGonagall out of the castle.

"Dennis Creevey looks like he's going to pass out," Harry snickered, elbowing Ron and pointing at the tiny first year across the grounds, who was shivering violently with anticipation.

"Blimey, I'd be embarrassed to be that excited about anything like this," Ron said, "Imagine being such a little git you shake over the arrival of some nutters from another school like that? Oi he needs to sort himself out!" 

"Yeah," Harry laughed.

Hermione shook her head with annoyance. Why did everything Ron do have to annoy her so much? Why did she have to like it? 

"How d'you reckon they're coming? The train?" Ron asked, glancing 'round at Harry and Hermione.

"I doubt it," said Hermione.

"How then?" Harry asked, then, looking up at the starry sky, he suggested, "Broomsticks?"

"I don't think so," Hermione said, "Not from that far away..."

"Yeah what'd'ya reckon they flew all the way from France and -- where the hell is Durmstrang anyway?"

"Bulgaria," Hermione answered. "Honestly, don't either of you read?"

Harry laughed, "Not as much as you do," and Ron rolled his eyes.

"A portkey?" Ron suggested. "Or they could apparate. Maybe you're allowed to do it under seventeen where they come from?"

"You can't apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds, how often do I have to tell you?" asked Hermione impatiently.

"Oh read that in your book, too, did you?" Ron jabbed.

"Yes, Ronald, I did actually, thank you very much, and you really ought to --"

"Guys, c'm'off it," Harry groaned. He wished they'd hurry up, he was tired and it was getting cold as the sun set behind the trees, and he was honestly quite sick of the bickering Ron and Hermione seemed to be constantly at lately. He sighed as his eyes scanned the darkening grounds, wishing that the bloody delegations would just arrive already so they could go inside and get some dinner... Dinner always cheered Ron up, and the whole castle had smelled of the feast the house elves were preparing in the kitchens all day.

Suddenly, Dumbledore was pointing to the horizon. "Aha!" he said jovially, "Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

"Where?" said many students eagerly, all looking in different directions. A cacophony of confusion ensued until suddenly Herbert Fleet shouted out, "THERE!!!" and pointed out over the forest. More chaos filled the air as students started speculating on what the great big mass in the sky they were seeing was  - people were guessing dragons and cars, meteors and flying houses, all shouting over one another... and as the giant black shape skimmed over the tree tops of the Forbidden Forest, the lights shining down from the castle caught it and Hermione gasped.

"Oh how fascinating!" she said.

It was a gigantic, powder-blue horse-drawn carriage - like something out of a storybook, Hermione thought, remembering the story of Cinderella and her coach which turned into a pumpkin. A dozen winged horses, all palominos, were reigned to the coach which was so big that each of the horses had been engorged to the size of a small elephant.