Carina, Roman, Harry, Hermione and Ron sat quietly in their compartment in Hogwarts Express. They've been quiet the whole time; Carina was reading her father's letter to her, again, that came to her before she and the others went to Platform 9 ¾. Roman was reading about the Animagus transformation while sucking on their new Mandrake leaf. They have been grumbling about loosing their leaves the night of the siege, they were already half of the month during the Quidditch World Cup, but then they had accidentally spit it out or swallowed it when they were running.
"Anything from the trolley dears?" The Trolley Lady asked.
Roman got up with Ron and Harry.
"Get me a – "
"Liquorices wand, I know, I know." Roman said to Carina.
"Two liquorices wands, and two pumpkin pastries." Roman told the Trolley Lady. He paid for his sweets and went back to Carina's side and handed her the sweets.
"So... what did your dad say?" Roman asked, he took a bite from his sweets.
"He was worried." Carina paused and turned to Roman, "He is worried..."
"Figures." Roman chuckled, "Mum and Dad sent a dozen of letters to check up on me – Dad even asked Mr. Weasley about me... it was embarrassing."
"Well, I'm sure you saw Uncle Tom at the Burrow the other day... then it's all good..." Carina folded the letter and hid it in her bag. "Where's Theodore?"
"He's with Blaise." Roman said.
"Oh." Carina said. "Didn't know they were in good terms."
"They are – Blaise's not that bad, just look past his prejudice side of his and his a good guys."
"Really?"
"This is horrible," Hermione suddenly said, her eyes staring at the Daily Prophet in disbelief, "how can the Ministry not know who conjured it. isn't there any security –"
"Hey!" Carina said to Hermione. She didn't like when someone questioned the security that involved her uncle and cousin.
"Loads according to Dad, that's what worried them so much. Happened right under their noses." Ron said.
They all turned and saw Harry rubbing his scar.
"It's hurting again isn't it, you scar." Hermione said to Harry.
"I'm fine." Said Harry.
"You know Dad will want to hear about this." Carina said, "What you saw at the World Cup and the dream."
"I know..." Harry said, "Speaking of Sirius... he sent you a letter?"
"Yeah..." Carina carefully chewed her sweets, she was trying to keep her Mandrake leaf at the other side of her mouth as she ate, "He's really worried."
"What'd he say?" Harry asked.
"Well... he told me that he's trying to find out who did cast the Dark Mark... and that to enjoy the year since it was going to be really interesting..." Carina said, trailing off at the last part. "Don't know what he meant by that – every years is an interesting year in Hogwarts... especially with you guys looking for trouble." She glanced at Ron and Harry.
"Aye." Roman laughed. "But seriously though... even my Dad's been talking about something that's going to happen – he's pretty excited for me when he sent me off to the Weasleys – even said to – as I quote – 'I hope that I was back at Hogwarts for this year – promise us that you won't do anything stupid'."
"I think that's too late for that, mate." Ron snickered. "I think you were born stupid to begin with."
"All right, that's it." Roman got up from his seat to get Ron.
Harry immediately went to sit between Hermione and Carina, and they watched as Ron tried to get out of Roman's headlock.
•†•
Hogwarts Express arrived at Hogsmeade Station with the weather gone bad. Students ducked and pulled up their hoods as they ran towards the carriages that would bring them to the castle. The rain poured down hard and most of the students were soaking wet.
"If it continues fall like that, the Black Lake will flood any time – AAAHHH!" Carina screeched in the sudden impact of cold water on her head.
Series of laughter erupted from the crowd, she looked up and saw Peeves – the Hogwarts Poltergeist – laughing and then dropped another water balloon.
"PEEVES!" Roman yelled at the Poltergeist as he looked down at his even more drenched robes.
"Romey, Moany, quite drenched are we?" Peeves teased.
"PEEVES!" McGonagall's voice boomed in the hall, "Come down here at once!"
Professor McGonagall came dashing out of the Great Hall; she skidded on the wet floor and grabbed to Hermione – the nearest thing or person she could find – around the neck to stop herself form falling.
"My apologies, Miss Granger." McGonagall said to her student.
"That's all right, Professor." Hermione gasped, massaging her throat.
"Peeves, get down here NOW!"
No one stayed to see what wrath that Peeves would get from McGonagall. Harry, Hermione and Ron, Roman and Carina slipped and slid across the entrance of the hall, they muttered furiously as they did.
"I'm am going to find a spell that will get back on Peeves." Carina muttered furiously.
"You and me, Rina." Roman said, "And this is where we part ways..." Roman sighed.
"I'll see you later." Carina smiled at Roman then went to walk towards the Gryffindor table with Harry and the others, "Remember! Don't choke!"
"I should be reminding you that, Black!" Roman called out from the other side of the Hall.
"I hate it when he does that." Harry muttered, taking off his sneakers and emptying them of water. "Would they hurry up with the Sorting, I'm starving..."
"Same." Carina said as she rinsed her robes. She then got out her wand then muttered a heating and drying spell at her and her friends.
"Thanks, Carina." Ron sighed in relief at the warmth.
The Sorting began. The first years were drenched with the rain and probably of Peeves' water balloons – Carina and Harry even heard that one of them fell in to the Black Lake, but was lucky enough to get back on the boat.
After the Sorting, the feast started. Eveyone stuffed themselves with food, not thinking twice of getting seconds and thirds – the train ride to Hogwards really made them hungry... well except for Hermione.
"You have eat, Hermione." Carina told her. She was chewing slowly, the leaf at the right side of her mouth, so the left side was a balloon.
"No, I will not eat the food being served by house-elves that are being enslaved. Slave labor, that's what made this dinner. Slave Labor."" Hermione huffed.
"It's not like you could do anything about it, 'Er-my-knee." Ron said, his mouth stuffed with pudding, he accidentally sprayed at Carina and Harry, "Oops, sorry."
Carina sent the red-head a glare and went to use a napkin to wife the pudding off of her face.
"Ron's right, house-elves live to serve – they'd go mad if they don't." Carina said, she took a spoon full of pudding, and had it only at the left side of her mouth. Hermione noticed her way of eating and questioned her about it.
"What are you eating like that?" Hermione asked her.
Once the last bit of pudding was finished, and what was left at the bread baskets were crumbs, the chatter in the Hall ceased at once.
"So!" Said Dumbledore, "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices.
"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects are forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe." ("Joy killer." Carina huffed), " can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."
"I doubt anyone would even check that list out." Roman muttered to Theodore.
Theodore smirked and handed Roman a pack of his slug-gummies, and they both –secretly – got it in their mouths and started to eat it.
"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."
"What?" Harry gasped.
"And I was planning on trying out for the team!" Carina said, completely in shock of the news, "I even got a new broom!"
Harry and the other Quidditch team members turned to each other with disbelief, mouthing something about the matter.
"This is due," Dumbledore continued, "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 Hogwarts –"
A deafening rumble of thunder was heard in the Great Hall and came with the doors of the Hall to bang open.
A man stood in the doorway. He leaned on a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Hall turned to the stranger as he walked down the isle of the Hall. He lowered his hood and shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, an eye patch with a weird glass eye, and a scar that etched across his face. The man shook hands with Dumblebore then went to stay behind the sides of the Headmaster.
"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher... Professor Moody."
"Moody?" Harry turned to Ron.
"What happened to his face?" Hermione asked.
"Dunno." Ron whispered.
"They call him Mad Eye Moody" Carina told them in a whisper.
"Mad Eye Moody?" they asked her.
"Yeah... said that he was the reason why Azkaban is full of Dark Witches and Wizards – then became paranoid... he's mad as the hatter, they say." Carina explained.
"As I was saying..." Dumbledore said, "This castle will not only be your home this year but home to some very special guests as well because 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 great honor inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place in Hogwarts this year."
"You're joking!" Fred said loudly.
"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore said, "Now, for those of you who do not know, the Tri-Wizard Tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests. From each school a single contestant is selected to compete. Now let me be clear, if chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say these contestant are not for the faint hearted, but more of that later..." ("I know what I'm doing this year." Roman nudged Theodore with his elbow) "Now let me be clear, if chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say these contestant are not for the faint hearted, but more of that later... for now please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of Beauxbaton Academy of Magic and their Headmistress Madam Maxime."
The doors of the Great Hall opened and entered a group of girls dressed in blue. They danced up the aisle, passing by the boys at their way – which caused some girls to roll their eyes when the boys started to drool. Their dance ended at the front of the Hall and released butterflies into the air. Everyone cheered and applauded, especially the boys, who got up from their seat and wolf-whistled at the Beauxbaton girls.
Once everyone was settled and the Beauxbaton girls seated with the Ravenclaws, Dumbledore called out the next school.
"And now our friends from the North, please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang and the High Master Igor Karkaroff."
A series of young men walked up the aisle with an intimidating aura. They held staffs that they would stomp at the ground that made small sparks. They did an exhibition at the isle, twirling the staffs around and periodically stabbing them to the ground.
"Blimey it's Viktor Krum!" Ron said, his eyes at Krum.
The Durmstrang boys' performance ended when one of their students blew fire in the hall.
Dumbledore and Igor Karkaroff exchanged an embrace as a greeting.
•†•
The Goblet of Fire appeared before the Headmaster. It's golden surface engraved with ancient and powerful designs, and inside was a blue eternal flame.
"The Goblet of Fire... Eternal glory, that is what awaits the students who winds the Tri-Wizard Tournament. But to do this, that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks."
"Wicked." Said George and Fred.
"For this reason, the Ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain all this we have the Head of the Department of International Magic Cooperation, Mister Bartismus Crouch."
Bartimus Crouch came from the side and went to speak beside the Goblet.
"After much deliberation the Ministry has concluded that or their own safety, no student under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to put forth their names for the Trwizard Tournament. This decision is final."
The crowd of students of both Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauxbaton booed at the news, some even shouted 'That's rubbish!'.
"SILENCE!" Dumbledore ordered.
Silence came to the Hall. Dumbeldore then casts a spell around the Goblet of Fire.
"Anyone wishing to submit themselves for the tournament merely write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly, if chosen there's no turning back... as form this moment the Triwizard Tournament has begun."