^I am still salty that this was not in the movie. This is prime gold. Also, this is a long chapter. Heads up^
Just as quickly as I had made eye contact with Sam, it was broken by the hustle to get all the Beauxbatons students out of the way for the incoming Durmstrang students waiting in the hall. Seeing this as an opportunity to be with her friends, Jacqueline, who had just managed to fake it 'till you make it in the first line, joined Ana, Marie and myself on the Gryffindor side of the great hall, leaving Rosalie, Gisele and Mila to standing together near the Slytherins.
"And now, the proud members of Durmstrang!" Dumbledore announced just as the great hall doors boomed open and the boys in red stomped in, slamming their sticks on the ground as they shouted a cheer in a language I was unfamiliar with.
They were halfway down the main aisle when the first half of them bolted forward, having dispersed their sticks into thin air. In awe, I watched as the first group ran to the front of the room and began flipping about on the floor while the rest of their school made their appearance known.
Ana elbowed me in the side and pointed to the teachers of Hogwarts watching this scene with uncomfortable reactions that made the four of us snicker audibly. A Gryffindor student by the name of Lavender Brown turned in her chair at the sound and froze in recognition as she made eye contact with me.
Feeling a little out of my element, I winked her way before bursting into laughter beside Marie who was rolling her eyes at the whole ordeal.
Back at the Durmstrang boys, a student knelt to the ground, pulled out his wand and whisked a fire incarnation of a phoenix into existence just as his headmaster walked forward with another student hunched over by his side to shake Dumbledore's hand.
"I feel a bit better now about our entrance after witnessing that," Marie said under her breath as the boys accepted the applause from the Hogwarts student body with blanket confusion.
They obviously weren't used to stage gratification.
"Suit yourself," I said watching the back of Lavender's head as she began gossiping viciously to a few other Gryffindors by her side. Their gazes went from Lavender to me almost instantly. "I still feel mortified."
"Oh come on..." But before Ana could justify anything, Dumbledore walked hastily to the front of his students, announcing that it was their turn to show some Hogwarts hospitality.
"Maestro!" He said loudly, turning toward the teacher's tables with his wand held like a conductor's baton. A ribbon of words appeared.
"Oh merlin," I muttered inaudibly. "They're going to sing."
"Sing what?" Jacqueline asked but her question was answered almost immediately as the Hogwarts's student body began singing the school's theme song in a true Hogwarts fashion: no correct rhythm, no resonating pitch, and various different tempos.
But the best part of this entire thing was the lyrics.
Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald,
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling,
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot.
I don't know what did it for me. The awkward looks and mortification on the Hogwarts students' faces or the uncomfortable silence us foreigners gave off at having to endure such a sight. Either way, I burst out laughing at the end while the rest of the students responded with applause.
As the clapping died down, Dumbledore invited us to take a seat, leading Beauxbatons to sit with the Ravenclaws and Durmstrang to sit with the Slytherins. As I walked to my seat, I passed Ginny who, after catching sight of me, gave a familiar wave with a wide smile.
"I love your uniform!" I thanked her before walking on with my three friends following along with curious expressions clear on their faces.
"Who was she?" Ana asked as we found seats facing away from the Slytherin table and further to the front.
"Ginny Weasley," I said and went on to explain the brief history of knowing her while Rosalie, Gisele and Mila joined us, standing beside a few Ravenclaws I was unfamiliar with. Probably because they were all first years.
But that's what you get when you sit in the front portion of the table. First years.
People started to stare at my friends and I among the other Beuxbatons students who had yet to sit down at their seats. Rather than feel embarrassed by the looks of confusion, I basked in it with a sturdy smirk that mirrored Jacqueline's confident attitude as we waited for Madame Maxime to find her seat and after a nod to us, sat down followed quickly by us to our seats.
"Why do you do that?" One Ravenclaw boy with shaggy black hair asked Marie curiously. A look of excitement ran across Marie's face at this open opportunity to speak in English before she turned and explained our custom while the rest of the 1st years listened oddly quiet.
"Why are we sitting with the primary students?" Jacqueline asked in French to anyone who would listen.
"Because Ava doesn't want to run into any of her old classmates," Rosalie said automatically to a scary degree of accuracy. She gave a nonchalant shrug at the look I gave her before adding that it was an educated guess.
Dumbledore stood up again from his chair and extended his arms to the students, making all of us go quiet.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and most particularly-- guests. I have the great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."
From further down the Ravenclaw table a derisive laugh was heard, originating from Fleur, who, post dancing had gained a bit of a chill. Not to say the rest of us were not feeling much better in our silks, but we had the decency to clench our teeth and act politely as Benoît would have expected.
"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," Dumbledore continued, unaware or purposefully naive to Fleur's slight. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"
Just as I had remembered, our table erupted with various settings of foods surrounding our golden plates and cups. A mix between French, Slavic, and British dishes surrounded my wide-eyed friends as I helped myself while smiling in amusement.
"We have to serve ourselves?" Mila asked bitterly as she peered daringly at a kidney pie.
"What's that?" Gisele asked, pointing to the black pudding to a first year next to her.
"There's no fruit! Who doesn't serve fruit with dinner?" Ana asked dumbfounded. I looked from my disgruntled friends to the rest of the Beauxbatons students who were having equal distaste over their change in scenery.
Fleur and her friends had chosen to stick to what they knew, which meant Bouillabaisse only.
"Would you all stop complaining and just enjoy the moment," Jacqueline cut in, bringing me back to the conversation as I watched Ana pensively taste the black pudding. "Who cares if it's different food. I like different. Different gives us all you can eat meals."
"True," Marie said, as she loaded her plate with chicken and potatoes before looking my way. "Didn't you say Hogwarts had great cooks here?"
I nodded as I took another bite from one of the many milk rolls on my plate. I had missed the all you can eat bread baskets here.
The girls were a little more courageous about trying the new food around them after that, and so the atmosphere changed for the better.
"So apart from this Ginny Weasley, who else are you friends with here?" Jacqueline questioned me after my fifth milk roll.
"Er- I guess I'm friends with Hermione Granger. And she's friends with Harry Potter which helps sometimes."
"Harry Potter?" Gisele repeated, almost dropping her fork. "He's here? At Hogwarts?"
"Harry Potter is a Gryffindor in the glasses back that way," another first year Ravenclaw explained, pointing in his direction. I looked over to see him and the rest of the gang happily eating, talking about who knows what.
"What is she doing?" Ana questioned, her gaze on Fleur's figure as she walked over to the Gryffindor table gracefully.
We watched as she started talking to Ron and Harry while Hermione just watched with a cool expression. Moments later Fleur returned, balancing a platter of Bouillabaisse back to her friends.
"She is literally a walking cliché," Mila mused while the rest of us nodded in agreement.
After dessert, where I got to witness my friends go bug-eyed over the endless pastries and cakes, Dumbledore stood and the tables were swept clean.
"The moment has come," he began with a smile towards us. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket-"
"Did he just say casket as in casket-casket?" Rosalie asked me nervously.
"Casket?" Jacqueline repeated with a frown at the foreign word.
"Yeah, Casket. Dead people casket," Marie said, shutting us up.
"But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, head of the department of international magical cooperation and Mr. Ludo Bagman, head of the department of magical games and sports." I recognized the two wizards being introduced immediately and quickly turned to the girls, speaking rapidly of who was who from my Quidditch adventure.
"He's the one who threatened his house elf?" Gisele repeated outraged in a half whisper. The first year Ravenclaws were looking at us in wonder, as if such information was not usually heard at the dinner table.
"I hate him."
"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the summer to arrange this tournament and as such, will join myself Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."
"At hearing the word "champion", the sea of students seemed to perk up and gossip amongst themselves until being interrupted by Filch who dragged in the casket under question.
"That does not look like the casket I was thinking of," Rosalie said first, eyeing the jeweled box that stopped short in front of the teacher's table.
"Maybe it's a wealthy mummy."
"There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year and they will test the champions in many different ways," began Dumbledore, gathering the students' attentions as Filch worked on the bedazzled casket.
"As you know, three champions competent in the tournament; one from each school. They will be marked on how well they perform each task and the champion with the highest total after the third task will win the Triwizard Cup. These champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: The Goblet of Fire."
At his words, Filch unlocked the casket and with effort from spell castors, a large wooden cup was levitated up and placed on the ground where it erupted into dancing blue-white flames. The student body stilled.
"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must simply write their name and school on a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," Dumbledore said. "You have twenty-four hours in which to add your name. Tomorrow night on Halloween, the goblet will return the names of three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. 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 chosen he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion, so I ask that you be wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet."
The girls exchanged looks amongst each other while Gisele tried her best to translate Dumbledore's words as best as she could for Jacqueline.
"Now, I think it is time for bed. Pip, pip."
And with that unremarkable conclusion, students began getting up while others, like the Beuxbatons students waited until Madam Maxime came to collect us. We stood in three lines behind her as she slowly led us out of the great hall, though there was commotion at the entrance that made us stand around waiting.
It was a perfect opportunity for my brother to rush in and flick me on the head in greeting. Rubbing my head, I glared his way.
"It's been a month and this is the way you treat me?"
"You deserved it after that entrance your school made," he retorted smartly in French to all of my friends' surprise. "Were you trying to show off or is that just common curtesy for Beuxbatons."
"I don't think you can be much better with your Hoggy Warty theme song," Jacqueline clipped back gaining my brother's interest immediately.
"Theo this is Jacqueline. Jacqueline, one of my brothers, Theo." The pair gave each other a once over that made me unsettled before I went on to introduce the rest of my friends to him.
"So what do you think?" he asked, nodding to the goblet behind us. "Planning on entering?"
"There's an age line, stupid. All of us are too young."
"And?" He questioned unimpressed. "Once you pass the age line, you're home free. We just have to toss our names in from a distance or cast someone to float over it or-"
"Cast someone to float? Are you mental?" I recognized that voice immediately, and saw Sam appear next to my brother with her sister Tati grinning sheepishly beside her. She waved when she saw me but Sam seemed to be avoiding eye contact, her eyes solely on my brother.
"What, like you have a better idea?"
"Yeah, it's called not entering. You'd be a git if you think you can beat a ploy Dumbledore has created. He's the headmaster for a reason, Theodard."
"Don't you have anything better to do than bother me? I'm trying to reconnect with my sister."
"Hey Sam," I said awkwardly as she looked my way.
Marie was looking Sam's way cryptically, as if trying to picture her from the stories I've told while the other girls seemed intrigued by my brother.
"Hey," Sam said back simply, her eyes going from me to Marie and then to my brother again.
"I'll see you in the common room. Tati let's go find Alice," and with that she walked off leaving my brother to watch me with an amused look on his face.
"She hates me," I repeated allowed. He scoffed before admitting that it was possible.
"I think she's just freaked that you're here and with a massive group of friends who by the way-" he flipped to French and with an added charm asked what they thought of Hogwarts.
"Does this place always have a draft or is it only during Halloween?" Mila questioned, shivering as we finally made it out of the great hall and into the entranceway.
"Oh, I'm sorry to say I've got bad news for you there..."
After saying goodbye to my brother who left for the dungeons after giving a lazy wave in our direction, we followed Madam Maxime back to the carriage which happened to be parked out a few hundred feet away from Hagrid's hut.
Once returning to our space, the 7th year charms Professeur and my potions teacher explained how our sleeping arrangement will be settled. The carriage had been renovated last year to add dormitories for the students and staff during our stay. Each room housed either three or two people and were to be chosen based on request. So, after a flurry of students choosing roommates, Marie, Rosalie and I raced up the stairs and found the first available room of three with the other four going off a few doors down to find their own rooms.
We were each given a small bed that held our trunk underneath, our clothes hung up in a shared dresser and a mirror that ran across the back wall. To say it was cramped was an understatement, but we could honestly care less, so after changing into our nightgowns and turning up the heat, the three of us passed out while Oliver chased his tail on the rug down below.
Saturday morning brought us a rules sheet of steps to follow for the upcoming school year.
-Our classes were to be in Hogwarts and be taught by our small set of staff members.
-Breakfast and Dinner were to be sit down meals that required attention to our headmistress (wait to be seated and must follow her out or in depending on the meal in question)
-Silk uniforms were to no longer be worn until the warmer months.
-Students are expected to walk in groups and not be left behind.
"Well that will be easy," I said as I followed the line of students as Madame Maxime walked us to the great hall for breakfast. "We already walk around in a pack most of the time."
"But it will make it difficult to socialize with the others," Jacqueline said ruefully. "We already look like a clique as is. If we start walking around in groups of four and five, no one is going to have the balls to come up and speak to us."
"Language, Jacqueline," Gisele warned though she was smiling all the same. After the scare Jacqueline gave her on the carriage ride yesterday, Gisele had been in a temper and read Jacqueline the riot act about keeping her in the dark on the supposed plan to hijack the carriage to Hogwarts. But after a night sharing a room, it seemed like the girls had come to a heart to heart and were fine again.
"It's not like you will be able to make friends anyway given your inability to understand English," Marie added slyly before quickly dodging an elbow to the hip.
"I can help with that," Rosalie said, coming to the rescue with her pearl earrings. "Just give them back by the end of this trip," she added as she placed them in Jacqueline's hands.
When we reached the entrance way, Madame Maxime waved her hand and the seventh years willing to volunteer stepped forward amongst the students in Hogwarts robes milling about and dropped their names in the goblet. As each name entered, the flames went from scarlet to blue in fluid motions.
But that was not where my attention lay. Rather it was on the two old men wrestling on the floor while other Hogwarts students watched, laughing. Amongst the lot of them were the trio: Harry, Ron and Hermione.
"Is that who I think it is?" Mila asked, catching where I was looking.
"Introduce us," Jacqueline demanded but I was quick to shake my head before saying that it would be weird.
"Oh come on, be social. You owe it to us!"
"I'm sorry, when have I ever owed you anything?" I clipped back making Jacqueline pout. We were starting to for the great hall now and were passing the brawl when Jacqueline raced out of line and tapped Harry on the back.
"Oh damn her," I said causing two of the Beauxbatons students ahead of me to glare my way as I dashed out of line followed by the rest of my friends. By the time I got to them, Jacqueline was already trying to speak in broken English to a very confused Harry and intrigued Hermione.
"I see you've met Jacqueline," I said quickly pushing Jacqueline out of the way with a smile in their direction. "Jacqueline heard you go to school here and wanted to say hi," I said apologetically to Harry who was trying to understand what was going on.
"We saw you arrive, but I couldn't find you amongst the group last night," Hermione said eagerly, stepping to the front. "You all made quiet an entrance."
"No need to tell us," I said, glancing at my friends behind me."
"Right, introductions," I added, and turned to introduce my friends to the trio. Hermione seemed instantly pleased by the new faces, and Harry after a moment was nice enough to say hello back but Ron was utterly hopeless.
"Fred and George tried to pass the age line," Hermione explained as we watched the two fight on the ground while a growing crowd of students surrounded them.
"Did they make it into the goblet at least?" Marie asked, intrigued while I cracked up laughing as the realization hit me.
"No," Harry said back simply, turning to Ron who was still having difficulty talking in front of the seven French girls surrounding him.
"Dumbledore saw it too. Supposedly others have already tried and are now in the hospital wing."
"Hopefully your brother isn't one of them," Jacqueline said in French, making me wince at the thought.
My eyes had barely turned away from my friends when I spotted coming from the dungeons a group of Slytherins and among them, Draco Malfoy with his group of friends. I quickly looked back to my friends before he had a chance to catch me watching.
Knowing Malfoy, he would think it great fun to barge in on the party of us, so in anticipation to avoid that, I ended the conversation short, coming up with a fake reason off the top of my head.
"Madam Maxime going to start looking for us if we don't hurry back. We've been gone long enough already," I warned, causing the girls to quickly turn to glance at the great hall and then back to the trio where they said our goodbyes.
"Come find me later, Ava. I have something I think you would be interested in signing," Hermione added as the girls and I walked off just as the Slytherin gang made it to the end of the hall.
I could feel those grey eyes on me like a spotlight on the back of my neck, so I walked faster until the girls and I were out of sight.
Jacqueline was right in regards of the difficulty for others to come up to us when we walked in packs around the school. But when it came to Malfoy, I was more than happy to have an excuse to be antisocial.
But just to be sure, I told the girls over breakfast that the boy from my letters was here and that I wanted nothing to do with him.
"Honestly, Ava. Do you have to be this dramatic?" Ana chided over her coffee but the others seemed less worried. In fact, the moment I pointed him out amongst the other Slytherins, many of them were quick to promise helping me avoid him.
"This place seems full of mazes and halls to get lost in. I'm sure we could always find a way around him if he is bold enough to try and talk to you," Rosalie said logically as we left breakfast.
"What a relief," I said happily as I skipped ahead of them before stopping short by the entrance hall as Sam followed by Dominic and Jasper appeared with Ginny racing to catch up to them. They all froze for a moment as they caught sight of me, with the boys looking confused as to how to respond. Sam looked away coldly but it was Ginny who managed to wave back to me before following them into the great hall.
"Maybe we should get out of the populated area of the castle for a bit," Marie said as she came up beside me.
"Oh yes, Ava can you show us around the castle?" Gisele asked.
"Are you sure it's safe?" Ana asked frowning at the ever-moving stair cases up above.
"Oh stop being a pansy," Jacqueline ordered before linking arms with me and pushing me towards the stair well. "Where to first?"
By the time four o'clock rang out, I had successfully showed the girls the entire school to the best of my knowledge so we spent the remainder of our afternoon bracing the wind as we walked the grounds before returning to the carriage in time for the lineup with our headmistress. On our way to dinner, Hagrid met us on our way, and to my surprise, Madam Maxime allowed him to accompany us. This caused looks to be passed between the students as we raced to catch up with the fast-paced legs of the half-giants.
Back at the great hall, the room had been redecorated in time for the Halloween feast. Massive pumpkins the likes of which could fit a child, were carved to cast lights while bats raced through the air. The ceiling was cast to show a silver moon with shooting stars and the smell of pumpkin juice and hot apple cider filled the room as we waited to take our seats.
The Halloween feast was just as I remembered it. Amazing food was piled high and everyone, including the skeptical French students were in raptures over the cooking and the ceiling. By the time dessert bowls had been licked clean, a high intensity had filled the room with excitement as the time drew near to pick our champions.
"Well now," Dumbledore began as the goblet was being moved back to the teacher's table. "The goblet is almost ready to make its decision and I estimate that it requires more than a minute to come up with its choices. When a champion's name has been called, I would ask that you go into the neighboring room until everything has been settled and instructions with be received."
I watched as he took out his wand and gave a sweeping wave around us, causing the candles that floated over the tables to dim, building the suspense factor.
"Does he have to be dramatic or is it a Hogwarts thing?" Jacqueline said in an undertone that made the seven of us giggle.
The goblet's blue flames shone brighter now and for a moment everything was quiet before a sudden, sparkling bright light of flame danced amongst our vision before turning red. A tongue of flame shot out into the air, releasing a piece of parchment. We all gasped and watched Dumbledore catch it and read it first to himself and then allowed.
"The Champion for Durmstrang," he read, "will be Viktor Krum." Cheers erupted from the room as the hunched student from Durmstrang and also notable Quidditch seeker of the century walked forward while his school and the students of Hogwarts erupted into applause.
"I'm sorry, by Viktor Krum, does he mean the Quidditch guy?" I nodded to Ana's question before watching her deadpan and automatically face palm.
"We've been in his vicinity for a day without even realizing it. What is wrong with us?"
"How about the obvious," Marie stated. "None of us care much for Quidditch enough to know what he looks like in person."
I took that opportunity to keep my mouth shut at the comment.
A second piece of parchment shot out of the flames and was caught easily by Dumbledore.
"The champion for Beauxbatons," he continued, "is Fleur Delacour!"
"No!" Mila almost screeched while some of the others around us applauded. Mila was not alone however in her dislike for the goblet's choice. Looking down the table, I saw two girls crying on each other's shoulders.
"Oh for petes, sake, can they grow up?" Marie said, eyeing the mess of tears while Jacqueline nodded along in agreement.
"Well, it looks like we aren't winning this tournament," Ana said glumly as I watched Fleur disappear into the opposite room.
The last tongue of flame released the Hogwarts champion to be Cedric Diggory, a student I had only heard of a few times during my schooling here, but knew enough to know two things about him: 1) that he's a great Quidditch player for the Hufflepuffs, and 2) he's hot.
This second note was greatly acknowledged the moment we saw him walk forward with the sound of the entire Hufflepuff table erupting into applause while girls around us sighed subconsciously.
"Oooh, hello there," Mila commented, causing Gisele to elbow her while laughing.
"Excellent!" Dumbledore called out happily as the excitement died down in the room at Diggory's departure. "We now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster by cheering them on and-"
He stopped rather abruptly and turned to the goblet, whose flames had gone scarlet again.
"What's going on?" A Ravenclaws voice echoed close by. A long flame shot out into the air, and a burnt piece of parchment slowly floated through the air, catching everyone's breath. Dumbledore cut it automatically and whitened the moment he read the name.
"Harry Potter".