Before Elle knew it, she was back on the train going to Hogwarts, curled up in Fred's arms as she caught up with all of her friends on the Hogwarts Express. She had finally reunited with Luke and Olivia who she hadn't been able to see all summer, and she realized how badly she had missed them... and how close they have gotten.
"So what did you two get up to this summer?" Fred asked Luke and Olivia.
"We hung out a lot. Liv's parents worked a ton so we were able to just hang around and go to the beach a lot." Luke said, not so subtly wrapping an arm around Olivia's shoulders.
"The beach? What beach?" Jackson asked.
"Liv has a beach at the back of her house." Luke told them as Elle nodded, a small smirk growing on her face.
"Luke, I've been meaning to ask, why didn't you end up going to the world cup?" Elle asked him.
"I mean, you dodged a bullet but we were expecting you there." Jackson laughed.
"Oh, yeah my Dad and I were supposed to go but he had to work and Liv's family brought me with them on vacation." Luke told them.
"Interesting..." George said with a big smirk on his face.
"Where'd you guys go?" Elle asked.
"Florida, it was nice and hot." Olivia said, the tan glowing on her skin.
"Seems like you two spent a lot of time together...." Jackson teased the new couple as their faces went a tad red.
"We did." Luke nodded.
"So did these two, every day." George said, pointing to Elle and Fred with a laugh.
"You two were there too!" Elle argued to George and Jackson.
"Fair." Jackson nodded as the trolley came by.
"Anything from the trolley dears?"
"Oh yeah! Hold on please!" Jackson called out, digging through his backpack for all the galleons Ben and Mary gave him, his face lighting up like a kid in a candy store as the rest of his friends laughed.
//
Once they were all back in the great hall, Dumbledore had started his speech by sharing the rules and rambling on before he started to say something actually interesting.
"All right now students! I have some good news and bad news to share with you. For starters, there will be no quidditch cup this year." Dumbledore said as everyone started yelling out in protest.
"This is bullshit!" Ell heard Oliver Wood yell, knowing he is very passionate about the game.
"Enough!" Dumbledore yelled out before continuing. "However, we will still have games as more of a fun way to let out stress instead of a major competition. Every winner from each game will be awarded house points. Anyways, this is due to an event that will begin this week actually, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teacher's time and energy but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts-"
But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder, and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled towards the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark grey hair, and then began to walk up towards the teacher's table.
A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily towards Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling.
The lightning had thrown the man's face into a sharp relief.
The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbledore shook it, muttering something. He seemed to be making some kind of inquiry of the stranger who shook his head unsmiling and replied in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to an empty seat on his right-hand side.
"May I introduce our new Defence against the Dark Arts Teacher," said Dumbledore brightly, into the silence, "Professor Moody."
It was usual for new staff members to be greeted with applause or unusual for them to show up a month into classes, but none of the staff or students clapped except Dumbledore and Hagrid. Both put their hands together and applauded, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and they stopped fairly quickly. Everyone else seemed to be transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him.
Dumbledore cleared his throat again.
"As I was saying," he said smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "We are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event which has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year,"
"You're joking!" Fred loudly called out.
The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively.
"No I am not joking Mr. Weasley," he said, "Though I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar –"
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.
"Er – but maybe this is not the time... no..." said Dumbledore. "Where was I? Ah, yes, the Triwizard Tournament... well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely. The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago, as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry – Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years and it was generally agreed to be the most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities – until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the Tournament was discontinued."
"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the Tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which have been very successful. However, our own Departments of International Magical Co-Operation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that, this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger."
"The Heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang have already arrived, and on Friday we will have the Champion Selections. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand galleon personal prize money."
Eager though I know all of you will be able to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an agreed restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age – that is to say, seventeen years or older – will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This" – Dumbledore raised his voice slightly for several people had made noises of outrage at these words – "is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the Tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below Sixth and Seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion." His light-blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over to Fred and George's mutinous faces. "I, therefore, beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen,"
"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be staying with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. Here are the new students now!" Dumbledore spoke, as the doors flew open showing the Durmstrang students as they walked in, one of them even breathing fire it looked like at one point. The girls admired how attractive the boys looked before they took a seat at the end of the Slytherin table.
Not too long after, the Beauxbaton girls strutted in, doing a little dance down the aisle before Dumbledore instructed them to sit at the extension on the Ravenclaw table.
"We welcome you Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students! We will all treat everyone like friends and get to know one another. Now Hogwart students, head to class while we sort out our new students. Chop chop!" Dumbledore spoke, dismissing the four houses.
The friends all walked back to the Gryffindor common room, all chatting about the Triwizard cup.
"That's bullshit! I can't believe you have to be bloody seventeen to enter!" Fred raged on loudly in the hall as George agreed with him.
"This is going to be a long year." Elle huffed out to Olivia as they both nodded in giggles.
//
Later that night after most of their friends had said goodnight and returned to their own rooms, Elle, Jackson, and Luke all sat in Luke's new private room.
"Nice room Luke, how'd you manage to get this?" Jackson asked him, flopping down onto his bed as Elle sat in the chair opposite the bed.
"I'm a prefect and in line to be the head boy next year. It has its perks." Luke laughed, sitting down on the window ledge as the three all sat around together.
"The three of us hanging out, just like old times, hm?" Elle said, sighing happily.
"Yeah, it's nice. Especially since you're always with loverboy." Luke teased her as she groaned.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry if I haven't been a good friend to you guys since being with Fred. I've been distracted." Elle sighed out, feeling bad about leaving her friends out.
"No Ellie we're kidding, we're happy for you." Luke said, turning to look at her as Jackson nodded.
"And it's the same with Luke and Olivia. You both have relationships and I have.... I have George." Jackson said as the three all laughed out.
"Yeah, what's going on between you and Liv anyway Luke? You two official?" Elle asked as he shrugged.
"Not yet, we have just become really close this summer and I really like her." Luke said.
"Well, it's about time you make a move." Jackson teased him as Luke threw a pillow at him.
"Shut up. So, tell me about the world cup?" Luke asked as Elle and Jackson shared a look.
"The actual cup was fun, everyone was so into it." Elle said as Jackson nodded in agreement.
"But that night, shit went crazy. Death Eaters attacked and everyone ran, trying to get away but we all got separated and my Dad of all people found me and threw me to the ground. Then Elle came and saved the day." Jackson said as Elle smiled proudly.
"And then we ran into a forest and found Cedric." Elle said as Luke raised his eyebrows.
"Cedric, hm? How's he?" Luke asked her.
"He's fine, why do you ask?"
"Well dating Liv I hear things about the other Hufflepuffs... especially Cedric." Luke said.
"And what did you hear?" Elle asked him.
"That Cedric likes you." Luke revealed as she shook her head.
"You sound like Fred. No, Cedric used to like me. Now we are just good friends." Elle said as the two boys nodded, not knowing what to say.
"Anyways, back to the world cup, how did it feel to see your Dad Jack? I mean, aren't Elles parents going for custody?" Luke asked him.
"Yeah, yeah it was weird for sure. I hate him so much but whenever I see him I just get paralyzed with fear. Mary and Ben have filed for it but I'm not sure what's going on with that. Do you know Elle?" Jackson asked her.
"No idea but I'm sure they will figure it out. My Mum loves you, Jackson, you're like another Mackin kid now." Elle laughed out as Jackson nodded, a large smile on his face.
"I know, I'm lucky for them. Well, all of you but Mary and Ben really changed my life. It's also cool to have like two older brothers with Chris and Nathan."
"Better they bug you than me." Elle laughed out.
"To be honest with you guys, I've sort of felt distanced from you two ever since Jackson moved in with you Elle but this was nice, exactly what I needed. No matter what, no matter what relationships we may be in, the three of us are all I need. I love you guys." Luke said out as Elle's heart swelled, truly lucky to have the two best friends anyone could have.
"Awe Luke, just because he lives with me now doesn't make you any less a part of the trio. You'll always be our best friend." Elle said, standing up to walk over to Luke to pull him off his seat into a hug as Jackson also stood, Jackson, wrapping his arms around the two as well.
//
After a few hours of Elle, Luke, and Jackson catching up, Elle made her way towards her dorm and entered to see her roommates already asleep. She quietly got dressed in her pajamas before slipping into her own bed. She laid down to try and fall asleep as she tossed and turned, not being able to find a comfortable spot in her bed as she let out a huff, slipping out of bed and putting her slippers on, exiting her room.
Elle made her way through the common room and up to the boy's side of the tower, quietly opening the door and slipping in, careful not to wake anyone. She made her way to Fred's bed, picking the blanket up as she crawled into bed with him.
"Ellie?" Fred sleepily mumbled out.
"I couldn't sleep on my own. Move over." Elle whispered back as he let out a small laugh, moving over so she had room to lay down. Elle laid down beside him, cuddling into his side as he wrapped his arms around her. The two drifting off to sleep together, excited to both be back at Hogwarts for their 6th year.