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After reading the Daily Prophet and hearing the news about the Death Eater raid that had happened at the Quidditch Cup, Noel hadn't been sleeping. She would wake up crying from nightmares. Remus had taken residents in her bedroom, sleeping on a cot so he could get to her faster. Her eyes had been permanently bloodshot from the lack of sleep.
Remus was growing worried by the minute not knowing how to help. He didn't want to give her dreamless sleep or a calming drought, because it could cause her negative side effects, one of them being that she wouldn't be able to go to be naturally without taking a vial before bed.
"Noel, school starts tomorrow, do you want to start packing?" He asks gently, already hauling her trunk over to her bed.
Noel packed silently, her books, quills, inks, some more potion supplies, as well as her clean pressed school robes. "Here you have to fold the dress like this so it doesn't crease." Remus instructed and put the dress on top of her trunk.
"Why do we need a dress?"
Remus frowned, "Uh, I don't know, but your supply list said that you need dress robes." He shrugged.
Noel slumped back on the bed, closing her eyes, "I'm tired."
"You can sleep, I'll wake you up tomorrow so we can get to the station. Here I'll bring you some chamomile tea."
Drowning the hot tea in one go and burning her throat in the process Noel slumped back and finally fell asleep peacefully.
The next day they got up early and ready. Needing to Apparate to the station.
"I'll be working in the library, good paying and it's muggle so they won't see that I'm registered." Remus said after Noel asked what he will be doing now that she's going to school. "Mrs. Lane is nice and won't say anything that I have sick days, I already talked to her about it."
"That's good, maybe you'll get to read some more books."
London was cold and rainy, pulling her cloak tighter around her, Noel bid goodbye to her dad and climbed onto the red train, hoping she'll get some shut eye.
Climbing into an empty compartment she pulled her hood on, blocking the train lights. She leaned against the cold window and closed her eyes, listening to the mumbling chatterer and laughter that filled the station. She heard Harry, Ron and Hemione walking down and opening the compartment door.
They were talking in hushed excited voices about the changes in Hogwarts this year. She could also hear Crookshakes purring and Pigwidgeon shrilling excitedly.
She uncovered her face, keeping the hood on and greeted them, "Why are you whispering?" she asked, mildly, startling them.
"Merlin Noel, I thought you were sleeping." Hermione gasped.
Ron undid his trunk, pulled out his maroon dress robes, and flung them over Pigwidgeon's cage to muffle his hooting. "Bill and Charlie kept saying that something was happening at Hogwarts, but won't tell us anything."
Noel looked at the dress robes now on display, "Are those..." she trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"We don't talk about it." Ron said hotly. Noel put her hands up in difference. "You look dreadful," Ron said, as he looked at the state Noel was in.
Noel simply stared at him, offering no comment at how tactless he was. She could feel Harry barring his eyes at her, she turned to look at him and his face was painted with worry, "I've been ill." She supplied. Before Harry could say anything Hermione shushed them and they listened.
"... Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know. He knows the headmaster, you see. Well, you know his opinion of Dumbledore — the man's such a Mudblood-lover — and Durmstrang doesn't admit that sort of riffraff. But Mother didn't like the idea of me going to school so far away. Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually learn them, not just the defense rubbish we do. . . ."
Hermione got up, tiptoed to the compartment door, and slid it shut, blocking out Malfoy's voice.
"So he thinks Durmstrang would have suited him, does he?" she said angrily. "I wish he had gone, then we wouldn't have to put up with him."
"Durmstrang's another wizarding school?" said Harry.
"Yes Harry, there are 3 others that I know of, Durmstrang Ilvermorny and Beauxbatons" Noel told him, as she pulled a book out.
"I think I've heard of it," said Ron vaguely. "Where is it? What country?"
"Well, nobody knows, do they?" said Hermione, raising her eyebrows.
"Er — why not?" said Harry.
"There's traditionally been a lot of rivalry between all the magic schools. Durmstrang and Beauxbatons like to conceal their whereabouts so nobody can steal their secrets," said Hermione matter-of-factly.
"Come off it," said Ron, starting to laugh. "Durmstrang's got to be about the same size as Hogwarts — how are you going to hide a great big castle?"
"Hogwarts is hidden," Noel said with a duh tone. She started to read, 'Wuthering Heights'
"But I think Durmstrang must be somewhere in the far north," said Hermione thoughtfully. "Somewhere very cold, because they've got fur capes as part of their uniforms."
"Ah, think of the possibilities," said Ron dreamily. "It would've been so easy to push Malfoy off a glacier and make it look like an accident. . . . Shame his mother likes him. . . ." the others laughed.
As time passed the rain grew heavier and the sky grew darker, by mid afternoon the lanterns were already lit. For lunch Harry bought cauldron cakes to share.
Several of their friends looked in on them as the afternoon progressed, including Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom.
Noel was growing tired of quidditch talk so she ended up getting out of the compartment and went to go find one of her friends Luna Lovegood, who she found sitting with Ginny. "Hi Luna!" she said excitedly and jumped to hug her.
"Hello Noel." Luna said lightly, the three girls stayed in the compartment for the remainder of the train ride. Luna had more charms so they occupied themselves making jewelry as they talked about their upcoming school year.
By the end of the train ride Noel had new earrings and a bracelet made from yarn. She told Luna to wait for her when they went to the carriages so they could sit together.
This year Noel was able to buy new school robes and shoes so her new uniform fit her perfectly, and looked shiny and new, no patches or worn out coloring.
She looked down at herself and tilted her head not knowing if she liked them or just missed the homey scent that her old ones carried. She also bought some shoes that she knew would like and wear most of the time, they were more dressier shoes and heeled, giving her a boost.
She found Luna quickly and they both walked together to the carriages then made their way to the Great Hall.
"Are you alright?" Luna asked Noel worriedly who was clutching her nose to stop the bleeding.
Noel groaned, "Peeves is lucky no one was there to laugh at me," she whimpered as Luna took her hands off her face and dabbed it with some ice.
"It doesn't look broken, maybe it's just bleeding from the fall?"
It was still raining heavily when the students made their way to the castle and Peeves thought it was a funny idea to throw water balloons at kids who were already soaking wet. The marble floor was already slippery so one bad step Noel had slipped and hit her nose.
When Harry, Ron and Hermione walked past the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables Harry did a double take when he saw Noel and another girl he didn't recognize. Checking the time he had about 10 minutes before the feast started. Telling his friends to save him a seat, he walked over to the two girls.
"What happened to you?" He asked her when he saw her watery eyes.
"Peeves happened to me."
Harry couldn't help but laugh, "Seems like you can't last 2 minutes without someone needing to catch you." He teased her. Noel smiled through the pain.
"Harry, this is Luna. Luna this is Harry" Harry turned to her and saw that Luna had waist length blonde hair and a dazed look on her face. "Hello Luna." He said pleasantly.
"Hello Harry Potter, I tried to tell Noel that she should go see Madam Pomfrey but she wouldn't listen"
Noel gave Harry a sheepish look, pushing him away, "The feast is about to start Harry." Harry narrowed his eyes at her but left nonetheless.
After everyone was full and fed Dumbledore got to his feet, ready to give the yearly announcements.
"It is my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year." Noel's eyes widened and she turned in the hall to see that many people were gasping and looking at Dumbledore completely speechless.
Dumbledore went on, "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' 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 toward 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 gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table.
As he continued down the aisle they could hear his wooden leg hit the floor with every step, the lightning illuminated his face which was scared and gagged. A large chunk of his nose was missing but what really caught their attention were his eyes; One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye — and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness.
"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody."
The great hall was still stunned; the only people who called were Professor Dumbledore and Hagrid. Everyone else seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him.
Moody seemed totally indifferent to his less-than-warm wel- come. Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he reached again into his traveling cloak, pulled out a hip flask, and took a long draught from it.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that 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."
Noel felt stunned, she never thought that they would do the tournament here at Hogwarts. This is probably why they needed dress robes.
"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation 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."
Noel felt herself scoff, there had been a death almost every time they made the tournament, it was the main reason why it was stopped, now that they've brought it back, who's to say that it won't happen again?
"The heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age — that is to say, seventeen years or older — will be allowed to put for- ward their names for consideration." Dumbledore continued, it calmed Noel's anxiety slightly, knowing that the older kids would know more spells to help them.
When Dumbledore sent everyone to bed, Noel followed the group of Ravenclaws hearing their excited mourners for the new school year.