Hugo
It was the next morning and I was rudely awoken by heavy rain rapping against the dormitory windows. I wasn't the only one awake however. The boy opposite me was already half dressed and when he saw me he started whispering, "do you think you'll enter? I know I will. I'm doing it now." It took me a few seconds before I remembered the events of the previous night. I hadn't actually thought about entering but now it had been brought up I didn't think it would be as difficult as I'd first imagined it to be. I was excellent at Defence Against The Dark Arts and definitely wouldn't be the smallest now there was no age ban. I wrote my name on a scrap of parchment in an untidy scrawl, quickly changed into my robes, and joined Callum, my friend, by going down to the Great Hall. I wasn't surprised to see that it was already teeming with pupils from the other houses, clutching pieces of parchment or receiving hugs or cheers from enthusiastic friends. The crowd around the goblet quickly diffused into the rest of the hall and when it was my turn, the substance inside fizzed and popped as if I had thrown a discarded sweet wrapper into a fire.
Callum clapped me on the back after we had both successfully entered. Finally, the Great Hall quietened down and it was almost time for morning lessons.
•••
The following week flashed by until it was Sunday, the day we received our foreign visitors. Everyone was curious as to what the new 'surprise' would be but didn't have to wait long to find out as we were quickly ushered outside to greet the guests. We were oddly organised as if for an awkward family photo and the sea of heads let out a collective sigh as a beautiful carriage seemingly floated towards the castle's grounds, then revealed its herd of massive winged horses which made a few first year girls squeal with delight. Soon after came the magnificent Durmstrang ship, off of which stepped a cluster of Durmstrang students, with very strong features and clad in scarlet robes and heavy furs.
Everyone thought that the show was over until some of the older students and a few of the younger gasped and pointed and something we couldn't see. But then everyone spied the new guests, seemingly floating over the lake. The boy next to me shrunk back into the crowd upon seeing them. "What's wrong?" I asked curiously.
"The creatures. Thestrals. Unusual choice, they can only be seen by people who have witnessed death." He grimaced. "Sorry," I said and felt I should leave him alone. Professor Mcgonagall and Hagrid went to greet the guests and at the front was an aged wizard with a tufty beard, wearing robes of blue and cranberry. The two head's met each other like old friends and once Hagrid had taken the thestrals to a small paddock outside the forest, we all entered the rather cramped Great Hall, which was now a sea of black, blue, purple and red. As I sat down, an Ilvermorny boy about my age glanced down the table and smiled at me. I smiled back. He had floppy dark hair and pale checks dusted with freckles.