Marauders - Always - Part One

CXXXIX: The Welcoming Feast

"They do," Viktor said, speaking for the first time in several hours. He felt several of his fellow Bulgarians turn to look at him. "I greet only gentlemen with handshakes. You arrived to the table mocking that poor woman which is not gentlemanly at all."

One of the boys next to Draco Malfoy snickered and Draco shot the boy a sharp look and he stopped instantly, flushed, and looked down. 

Draco stared at Viktor, but if he was waiting on an apology, he wasn't soon to get it.

Viktor turned his eyes down to the gold place setting once again.

The dinner was a spread of varied foods that seemed to have no end and the warmth of them rose up, the scent was heady and delicious. There was a lot of talking and laughter among the Hogwarts students at all four of the tables as they ate, and a lot of eyes were turned toward the Slytherin tables, looking directly at Krum all throughout the dinner. 

Like Cedric Diggory and Herbert Fleet were doing.

"Bloody hell," Cedric whispered.

"Blooooooodyyyyy helllllllll," agreed Herbert Fleet.

"I can't believe he's here," Cedric said.

"I can't believe he's a student," Herbert said.

"There's no way he's not going to be their champion," Cedric observed.

Herbert shook his head, "Yeah, no way."

"Nobody's going to beat him," Cedric said.

"You are," Herbert replied.

"No I'm not."

"Yeah you are!" Herbert replied, and he turned from looking at Krum to looking at Cedric. "You really bloody are."

"I'm really bloody not!" Cedric argued, "I can't do half the things that Viktor Krum could! The man is a bleeding living legend. He's played in the World Cup! There's no way I could possibly have his skill and not to mention his strength. That guy's bicep is bigger 'round than my whole head, I'll bet, Herbert."

"You'll have Oliver Kent training you soon! Anything Krum knows, Oliver's taught him, yeah? So you'll know it, too. You'll make Krum sorry he sacked Oliver Kent!" Herbert hissed under his breath - for this was still a secret between the pair of them. Oliver had agreed to meeting them the very next day - Halloween. "Besides that, half the challenge of the tourney will be based on smarts and you've got loads of them!" 

"Of smarts?" Cedric asked.

"Yeah! Loads of smarts!" Herbert said. "His bicep might be large but that's not where he keeps his brain. And look at that, his head's just average size." Herbert looked at Cedric. "In fact, if you count hair, your head's bigger."

Cedric's brows came together with confusion at this and he turned to Herbert with question but by that time Dumbledore had stood back up and all three of them looked up at the podium. Roger turned and hurried back to the Ravenclaw table.

"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 --"

Herbert's head turned 'round to face Dumbledore so fast that it nearly spun off of him.

"What'd he just say?" Cedric asked. 

"Did he just say casket?" Herbert said, "I think he did. Oi, enough people die they get a special tourney casket???"

Cedric shifted nervously.

"-- just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year," Dumbledore was continuing on, despite the hisses and whispers going up all over the room at the word casket.