FOUR
BEAUXBATONS AND DURMSTRANG
TODAY WAS THE DAY Valentina had been dreading. Her former schools would finally be arriving at Hogwarts for the upcoming Tournament and all Valentina could do was groan.
Sitting in her usual spot, once again the Weasley Twins sat down beside her completely ignoring her wishes for them to leave her alone.
"I'm sure I've told you multiple times to fuck off," Valentina said, however instead of the usual witty comeback she would receive she was given a small look before the boys turned to each other and spoke in hushed whispers, completely ignoring the girl.
"What are you two gossiping about?" Valentina asked, intrigued by the conversation that seemed more important than her.
"Nothing you would be concerned about," Fred replied coldly.
"Probably not," Valentina agreed, "but I would really like to know. I've been told I'm a great listener."
"Ok then, at the Quidditch World Cup we made a bet with Ludo Bagman and we won it," said George gloomily.
"If you won then why the sad faces?" quizzed Valentina.
Fred answered, "He paid us with leprechaun money—"
"—and he hasn't paid you back the real money and keeps ignoring you, ok," Valentina finished for him.
"Yeah," said Fred, confirming what Valentina said was true, "and he refuses to meet with us. We won that money fair and square."
"Well, it isn't really hard to get it back," said Valentina. "That man has a lot of secrets, if you get your fingers dirty I'm sure you can come up with something."
"What a bummer," Fred sighed.
"It's a bummer all right," George said gloomily. "But if he won't talk to us in person, we'll have to send him the letter after all. Or we'll stuff it into his hand, he can't avoid us forever."
"Who's avoiding you?" said Ron, sitting down next to them with Harry and Hermione.
"Wish you would," said Fred, looking irritated with the interruption.
"What's a bummer?" Ron asked George.
"Having a nosy git like you for a brother," said George.
"Have you three got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet?" Harry asked, "Thought any more about trying to enter?"
"I asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen but she wasn't telling," said George bitterly. "She just told me to shut up and get on with Transfiguring my raccoon."
"Wonder what the tasks are going to be?" said Ron thoughtfully. "You know I bet we could do them, Harry, we've done dangerous stuff before ..."
"Not in front of a panel of judges, you haven't," said Valentina. "The champions are getting awarded points according to how well they've done the tasks."
"Who are the judges?" Harry asked.
"Well, the Heads of the participating schools are always on the panel," said Hermione, and everyone looked at her rather surprised while Valentina was annoyed. Wasn't it obvious? "Because all three of them were injured during the Tournament of 1792 when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on a rampage."
When she noticed them all looking at her, she said with her usual impatience that nobody read all the books she had, "It's all in Hogwarts: A History. Though of course, that book's not entirely reliable. 'A Revised History of Hogwarts' would be a more accurate title. Or 'A Highly Biased and Selective History of Hogwarts, Which Glosses Over the Nastier Aspects of the School'."
"What are you babbling on about?' questioned Valentina, knowing she would regret asking.
"House-elves!" said Hermione loudly. "Not once, in over a thousand pages, does Hogwarts: A History mention that we are all colluding in the oppression of a hundred slaves!"
Valentina rolled her eyes, she couldn't believe that this stupid muggle born girl would even say such a thing. She wouldn't even know the first thing about a house-elf, she was muggle-born she never had one. Valentina having house-elves knew that this girl was being misled and was going in the wrong direction. House-elves like being slaves and working for witches and wizards.
For the last month, Hermione had started a stupid club called S.P.E.W. and she had been trying to persuade Valentina to buy a badge ever since she started her protest and now Valentina was sick of it.
"You do realise that your sheets are changed, your fires lit, your classrooms cleaned and your food cooked by a group of magical creatures who are unpaid and enslaved?" Hermione kept saying fiercely.
Valentina rolled her eyes, becoming disinterested, and Fred had become extremely interested in his bacon (both twins had also refused to a buy S.P.E.W. badge). George, however, leaned in towards Hermione.
"Listen, have you ever been down in the kitchens, Hermione?"
"No, of course not," said Hermione curtly. "I hardly think students are supposed to –"
"Well, we have," said George indicating Fred, "loads of times, to nick food. And we've met them, and they're happy. They think they've got the best job in the world–"
"That's because they're uneducated and brainwashed!" Hermione said hotly.
Valentina, sick of the topic, decided to put an end to it, "If you are as smart as everyone says, Hermione, then you would leave the house-elves along and let them enjoy their lives without your interfering".
As soon as Valentina finished a white, snowy owl came down onto Harry's shoulder, folded its wings and lifted its legs up wearily.
Harry took off the letter from the owl, Valentina assumed was his, and looked at it anxiously. He then looked to her and the twins, the twins talking about the Triwizard Tournament, while Valentina pretended to be listening to their conversation but was really waiting to see who the letter was from and what it was about. She knew that Harry had no relatives, except for his Aunt and Uncle and his cousin, but she was sure they didn't care about him, so, she was almost certain the letter was from someone that he shouldn't be speaking to.
"Valentina, are you entering?" Fred asked, distracting Valentina from finding out about the letter.
"No," she simply replied, still curious as to what was in the letter.
The rest of the day had been filled with anticipation for most of the students at Hogwarts, everyone was much more excited for the arrival of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. When the bell rang early everyone began rushing out excited to get to the Entrance Hall first, except for Valentina. The young Lestrange made no effort to hurry and when she arrived at the entrance hall she realised she was late.
Everyone was lined up according to their years and stood eagerly, waiting to see the guests appear. It was too crowded for Valentina to move towards her year so she decided to stand at the back with the sixth and seventh years.
"Lestrange! Our favourite Death Eater!" Valentina heard a voice say very loudly beside.
"I knew you couldn't get enough of me," Valentina looked to see Fred Weasley grinning.
"Go away, Weasley, this day is already dreadful enough," Valentina scowled.
"Just admit it, babe, you like me," Fred teased and before Valentina could reply she was distracted by Dumbledore announcing that Beauxbatons was approaching now.
A gigantic black shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest, and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, and everyone saw the gigantic, powder-blue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a house, that Valentina once knew, soaring towards them, pulling through the air by a dozen winged horses, all palominos, and each the size of an elephant.
The front three rows of students drew backward as the carriage hurtled even lower, coming into land at the tremendous speed – then, with an almighty crash – that made everyone jump, except Valentina – the horses' hooves, larger than dinner plates, hit the ground. A second later a carriage landed too, bouncing upon its vast wheels, while the golden horses tossed their enormous heads and rolled large, fiery red eyes.
A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage and bent forwards, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor and unfolded a set of golden steps. He then sprang back respectfully and Valentina rolled her eyes back, they were always so formal. Then she saw a shining, high-heeled black shoe emerging from inside the carriage – a shoe the size of a child's sled – followed immediately by the largest woman Valentina has ever seen. Madame Maxime, the Headmistress at Beauxbatons and one of the many people Valentina loathes.
As she stepped into the light flooding the Entrance Hall, she revealed her handsome, olive-skinned face, large, black liquid-looking eyes and a rather beaky nose. Her hair was drawn back in a shiny knob at the base of her neck. She was dressed from head to foot in black satin, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and on her thick fingers.
Dumbledore started to clap and everyone—except Valentina who glared at the woman—started to follow his lead.
Her face relaxed into a gracious smile, and she walked towards Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand which Dumbledore kissed.
They started talking about things Valentina wasn't interested in. She couldn't stand this woman. The headmistress was so formal about everything, and everyone from that school was so snobby and stuck up and if Valentina heard anyone talking about them one more time she thought she might scream. Soon enough they all left and walked into the entrance hall.
For a few minutes, there was only silence until there was a loud and oddly eerie noise that was drifting towards them from out of the darkness; an immense vacuum cleaner was moving along a river-bed...
"The lake!" yelled Lee Jordan, pointing down at it. "Look at the lake!"
From where Valentina was standing, she had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water – except that the surface was suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center; great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks – and then, out in the middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been pulled out of the lake's floor...
What was a long, black pole began to rise slowly out of the heart of the whirlpool ... and then she saw the rigging...
Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it was a resurrected wreck, and the dim, misty lights shimmering at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide towards the bank. A few moments later, she heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.
People were disembarking; Valentina could see the silhouettes passing the lights in the ship's portholes. As they all drew nearer, walking up the lawns into the light streaming from the Entrance Hall, all of them wearing cloaks of a kind of shaggy, matted fur. But the man who was leading them to the castle was wearing furs of all different sort; sleek and silver, like his hair. This man was none other than the traitor, Igor Karkaroff.
"Dumbledore!" he called heartily, as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"
"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied.
Karkaroff then noticed the young Lestrange standing in the back, giving him the coldest glare. She had been the reason why Karkaroff had made Durmstrang all boys and banned girls. He, like everyone else, was scared of her, he was scared of what might have happened to him and his future if he did indeed let her stay and continue to learn the teachings that were taught to him by others who were her family. Karkaroff quickly looked away, making Valentina smirk at his fear, and went back to his conversation with Dumbledore.
Valentina didn't bother listening until she heard "Viktor, come along into the warmth ... you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold..."
Valentina froze. With all the dread of having to see her former peers she completely forgot that Viktor, her best friend, was still among them. She found it strange that he still stayed in school considering he already had a successful Quidditch career being the best seeker in the world. If it were her, she'd jump at any opportunity to leave.
With all the guests at Hogwarts now, everyone walked into the Great Hall and took seats at their usual tables. Valentina was feeling a bit overwhelmed with the current situation, even if she had known it was coming for months, and it was never good when her emotions were even slightly strong so she knew she would have to be careful. Even with her emotions slightly fumbled she didn't even notice the Weasley Twins and their best friend Lee Jordan take a seat beside her.
Everyone was talking about Viktor Krum and Valentina had to laugh at everyone's immaturity and obsession. The Beauxbaton students had chosen seats at the Ravenclaw table. They were looking around the Great Hall with glum expressions on their faces. 'Ungrateful bitches' Valentina thought.
Ron had tried calling over the Durmstrang students but they had settled themselves down at the Slytherin table. Valentina could see Draco looking very smug about this and leaned forward to speak to Krum.
When all the students had entered the Hall and settled down at their house tables, the staff entered, filing up to the top table and taking their seats. Last in line were Dumbledore, Karkaroff, and Maxime. When their Headmistress appeared, the pupils of Beauxbatons leaped to their feet. Valentina scoffed remembering the times when she had to do that but never cared. The Beauxbatons party appeared quite unembarrassed and did not resume their seats until Madame Maxime had sat down on Dumbledore's left-hand side. Dumbledore, however, remained standing, and silence fell over the Great Hall.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and – most particularly – guests," said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."
Valentina couldn't help but laugh, the whole competition was a joke and nothing about this was comfortable or enjoyable.
"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore. "I now invite you all to eat, drink and make yourselves at home!"
He sat down, and Valentina saw Karkaroff lean forward at once and engage in conversation with him.
The dishes in front of them filled up with food as usual and Valentina grabbed a few dishes eat.
"Did you see Krum?" Lee Jordan asked the twins and Valentina.
"Everyone saw him Jordan, it wasn't as if he was playing hide and seek, " replied Valentina.
"Ron is obsessed with him," said George, stuffing his face with food. "He won't shut up about him!"
Valentina stopped talking and decided to eat her food, not really wanting to dive into any conversations about her best friend.
Once she finished eating she saw that Fleur Delacour, (a girl whom Valentina also loathes from Beauxbatons) had approached Ron and had asked him for some bouillabaisse. Ron had turned purple and Harry gave her the dish and she walked away. "She's a Veela!" Ron said to Harry hoarsely. Valentina laughed at his assumption as it was true and he was one of the many guys who were gaping at her like idiots.
"Why did you stop talking when we mentioned Krum?" Fred asked Valentina from beside her.
"I didn't stop talking when you mentioned Krum," Valentina deflected.
"Yes, you did."
"No I didn't, I clearly remember saying everyone saw him," she defended.
"Then you went silent," Fred argued. "You didn't even come up with a witty comment about him."
"Why would I come up with a witty comment about my best friend?" Valentina questioned.
"Bullshit! He is not your best friend," Fred didn't believe her.
"Are you calling me a liar, Weasley?" Valentina glared at him.
"I'm calling your bullshit, there is no way you are friends with anyone especially someone like Viktor Krum," Fred jeered.
"Oh, and you know so much about me."
"Well, if you really were best friends why aren't you talking to him right now?!"
With a glare, Valentina gave a look towards the redhead before standing up and making her way towards the Slytherin table, well aware there were many eyes on her right now.
Tapping his shoulders with a small smile, Valentina gained her friend's attention as he turned around and grinned ear to ear.
"Val!" Viktor exclaimed, standing to hug the girl to which she surprisingly returned, which left many watching shocked.
Valentina was so happy to finally be with someone she trusted she didn't even notice her hair until Viktor whispered in her ear, "Val, your hair".
She widened her eyes and quickly made it go back to normal. "Did anyone see?' she whispered back.
"No," Viktor said as they let go of each other.
"I missed you so much!" Valentina smiled. "I mizzed you too," he replied.
"I didn't vant to tell you. I vanted it to be a zurprize!" Krum said very happily.
"Well, you certainly did surprise me," Valentina said, "I'm just so glad you're here."
Valentina looked around seeing that the plates were starting to be cleaned out, indicating the feast was almost over."I better go sit back down now. I hope my cousin isn't boring you too much," she looked over at Draco who was watching their conversation. "I'll see you later."
"Certainly," he replied and they both returned to their seats.
As Valentina sat down, she saw all the looks she was getting but the look Ron, the twins and Lee Jordan were giving her made her smirk a bit. They were all clearly jealous.
"Told you," she looked at Fred who's mouth was slightly open then turned away looking at Dumbledore who was now standing. Fred shook his head and he and his brother leaned forwards, staring at Dumbledore with great concentration.
"The moment has come," said Dumbledore, smiling around at a 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–"
"Look, they're already expecting someone to die," said Valentina, earning a few snickers around her but she had a feeling she wasn't completely joking.
"– just to clarify the procedure which we will be following this year. But firstly, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of International Magical Co-operation and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of Department of Magical Games and Sports."
Valentina rolled her eyes at the applause Bagman had gotten and looked towards Fred and George who were very unhappy to see him.
"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime on the panel which will judge the champion's efforts."
At the mention of the word 'champions', the attentiveness of the listening students seem to sharpen.
Perhaps Dumbledore had noticed their sudden stillness, for he smiled and said, "The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."
Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, now approached Dumbledore, carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old. A murmur of excited interest rose from watching students.
"These instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," said Dumbledore, as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him, "and they have made necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways ... their magical prowess – their daring – their powers of deduction – and of course, their ability to cope with danger."
At this last word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing.
"As you know, three champions compete in the Tournament," Dumbledore went on calmly, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform on each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector ... the Goblet of Fire."
Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable, had it not been full to the brim with dancing, white blue flames.
Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the Goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall.
"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as a champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment, and drop it into the Goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Hallowe'en, the Goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The Goblet will be placed in the Entrance Hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.
"To ensure that no underage student yield to temptation," said Dumbledore, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the Entrance Hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.
"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this Tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the Tournament through till the end. The placing of your name in the Goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the Goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Goodnight to you all."
"An Age Line!" Fred Weasley said, his eyes glinting as they all made their way across the Hall to the doors into the Entrance Hall. "Well, that should be fooled by an Ageing Potion, shouldn't it? And once your name's in that Goblet you're laughing - it can't tell whether you're seventeen or not!"
"But I don't think anyone under seventeen will stand a chance," said Hermione, "we just haven't learned enough ..."
"Speak of yourself," said George shortly. "You'll try and get in won't you, Harry?"
"Of course he will, he's Harry Potter," said Valentina as Harry was debating with himself if he would of not.
"Where is he?" said Ron, who wasn't listening to a word of this conversation, but looking through the crowd to see what had become of Krum. "Dumbledore didn't say where the Durmstang people are sleeping, did he?"
But this query was answered almost instantly; they were level with the Slytherin table now, and Karkaroff had just bustled up to his students.
"Back to the ship, then," he was saying. "Viktor, how are you feeling? Did you eat enough? Should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?"
Valentina rolled her eyes back as Viktor just shook his head. Viktor was still Karkaroff's favourite.
"Professor, I vood like some wine," said one of the other Durmstrang boys hopefully.
"I wasn't offering it to you, Poliakoff," snapped Karkaroff. "I notice you have dribbled food all down the front of your robes again, disgusting boy –"
Karkaroff turned and led his students towards the doors reaching them at exactly the same money as Valentina, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Valentina and Harry stopped and let them walk through first.
"Thank you," said Karkaroff carelessly, glancing at them.
And then Karkaroff froze. He turned his head back to Harry and stared at him as though he couldn't believe his eyes. Behind their Headmaster, the students from Durmstang students came to a halt, too. Karkaroff's eyes moved slowly up Harry's face and fixed upon his scar. The Durmsramg students were staring curiously at Harry, too. Then Karkaroff looked beside Harry to only have the colour drain from his face.
"Long time no see, Karkaroff," Valentina smirked noticing his scared look.
"Yeah, that's Harry Potter and Valentina Lestrange," said a growling voice from behind them.
Professor Karkaroff spun around. Mad-Eye Moody was standing there, leaning heavily on his staff, his magical eye glaring unblinkingly at the Durmstrang Headmaster.
The colour from Karkaroff's face was just about gone as Valentina watched. A terrible look of mingled fury and fear came over his face.
"You!" he said, staring at Moody as though unsure he was really seeing him.
"Me," said Moody grimly. "And unless you've got anything to say to Potter or Lestrange, Karkaroff, you might want to move. You're blocking the doorway."
It was true; half the students in the Hall were now waiting behind them, looking over to see what was causing the hold-up.
Without another word, Professor Karkaroff swept his students away with him. Moody watched him out of sight, his magical eye fixed upon his back, a look of intense dislike upon his mutilated face.
As soon as Valentina stepped into the portrait hole, someone had grabbed her arm and she was pulled against their chest. Looking up she saw Fred.
"What do you want Weasley?" Valentina glared, not in the mood for his games.
"Why didn't you tell us you were a metamorphmagus?" he asked. Valentina looked at him in the eye as if he was crazy, "What makes you think I am one?"
"When you went to talk to Krum, I saw your hair change colours," he said looking at her softly.
Valentina was in shock for a second, she was certain no one had seen. This is why she didn't do emotions.
She responded, "I think you might need to get your eyes checked Weasley because you're obviously seeing things. I am not a metamorphmagus in any way, so if I were you I'd be keeping my mouth shut or people will think you're losing your god damn mind."
Valentina ripped her arm away from his hold and stormed towards her room, leaving Fred to himself.
"Why is she keeping all these secrets?" He muttered before leaving the common room and walking towards his own room.
Valentina walked inside her room and slammed the door shut, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding in.
She needed to be more careful, or else all her secrets will start falling out and she could never let anyone find out the truth.