Schools start arriving, even with news that the one anticipated to come wasn't one of the students visiting, it didn't at all dampen their excitement on who was coming.
Beauxbatons arrived first in their carriage pulled by white pegasi. Out the carriage came first came out a large woman, taller than Hagrid in fact. She stepped into the entrance hall and everyone was amazed to see her.
Dumbledore applauded, and the rest of the Hogwarts students followed suit for they were too star stuck to even show appreciation towards a fascinating looking woman. Her face relaxed as she saw Dumbledore, she extended her hand towards him, Dumbledore who looked to have just barely reached up to her shoulder, kissed the woman's hand.
"My dear Madame Maxime, welcome to Hogwarts," Dumbledore greeted the woman with a large smile, his head craned up as the woman was too tall for him.
"Dumbly-dorr, I 'ope I find you well?"
"Excellent form, I thank you," Dumbledore says smiling fondly at the tall woman, her being his long time friend.
"My pupils," Madame Maxime waved her hand carelessly, signalling her students to come out the carriage. The ladies inside caught the majority of Hogwarts male population, all of them were clad in blue hats and shawls, some were shivering under the cold weather in Scotland. They all looked to be seventh years, some tad bit younger, Draco couldn't sworn that he saw a girl with a blue ribbon braided in her hair and he only knew one person who loved putting ribbons in her hair.
"Has Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked Dumbledore.
"He should be here any moment, would you like to wait here and greet him? Or would you like to step inside and warm up a trifle?" Dumbledore asked the woman.
"Warm up I think," she said in hesitation seeing as her pupils were starting to visibly shiver. "But the horses—"
"Our care of magical creatures will be delighted to take care of them," Dumbledore assures. "The moment he has returned from the dealing of a situation that has arisen from his other charges," he explains.
"My steeds require a force of handling," Madame Maxime says, looking rather worried for the person who was going to left to deal with her horses. "They are very strong."
"I assure you that Hagrid will be up for the job." And that seemed to be enough for the giantess to put her faith in this man Dumbledore recommends her.
"Very well," she sighed, bending down in a bow slightly. "Will you please inform zis 'Agrid that the horses only drink single malt whiskey," she says.
"It will be attended to," Dumbledore says.
With a satisfied smile on her face, Madame Maxime motioned for her hand, her students paid attention, "Come," she says as they walked into the Hogwarts castle.
Durmstrang also came shortly with their ship emerging from the waters. Soon, students with the built physiques cane marching out the ship, males catching the majority of female attention. Even Harry was surprised to see a familiar face in there, he nudged Ron who was on his side. "Look, it's Sebastian!" He informed excitedly. At least he knew one student from another school.
"Dumbledore!" A man wearing different furs says with a smile on his face, he embraced the Hogwarts head master. "How are you my dear fellow? How are you?"
"Blooming! Thank you Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore says with an equally enthusiastic tone in his voice.
"Dear old Hogwarts," the man Karkaroff says smiling, as if he was reminiscing memories. "How is it to be here," he paused looking back and called in a student.
"Viktor, come along into the warmth. Do you mind Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold," the man says. The boy he called from one of his students was enough for Ron to almost faint at the sight.
"Harry! It's Krum!" Ron gasps shaking Harry rather violently. The amount of excitement amplified to this point, a famous quidditch player has arrived in the school and it was now the most anticipated thing everyone in Hogwarts was waiting for.
The great hall was set, tables were somehow bigger now as Hogwarts students came in. Dumbledore smiling down at his students who were obviously excited to see the anticipated guests.
"As I have said in the start of the year, this castle will only be your home this year. It will also be the home of very special guests as well," Dumbledore's voice boomed. And just as he did so, the door opened to reveal Filch, panting and and holding his chest as if he has been running away from a werewolf.
Filch came up to where Dumbledore stood, whispering vigorously. As soon as he was done whispering, he ran back out the great hall, everyone in the hall curious as ever.
"This year as I have informed you all, we have been chosen to host a legendary event. The Tri-wizard tournament!"
Everyone was excited now, the start of the year feast he only mentioned quidditch being cancelled. That was a rather large disappointment to the ones who didn't know what was going on. "And for those of you who do not know, the tri-wizard tournament bring three schools to a series of three magical contests."
"For each school, a single student is selected to compete. Let me be clear, if chosen, you stand alone. It is not a contest for the faint hearted," the head master says, students looked even more intrigued than they had ever been.
"More of that later," Dumbledore said in a much more enthusiastic tone.
"For now, join me in welcoming our friends from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and their lovely Head mistress Olympe Maxime!"
The large double doors of the great hall opened, walked in a formation of girls in silk blue dresses, with caps on their heads. The hall radiated with fascination as these beautiful girls walked in gracefully. Glancing from left to right with smiles on their faces, before they some how both ran slowly and skipped, it was hard to tell but they stopped in the front of the hall facing the teachers and staff. Releasing blue butterflies, three students performing a ribbon dance, one doing ballet, one doing gymnastics. Entering behind the girls was the head mistress and a few boys, all puffed chested and walked with pride. All ending with a curtsy, the hall broke in applause at this, the Hogwarts male population was enchanted by the beautiful girls, girls giggling at the beauxbatons boys.
Dumbledore receiving the Beauxbatons' headmistress by kissing her hand as he did earlier in the day. After that they were escorted aside, Dumbledore running back up the towards where he made his announcement.
"And may we also welcome, our proud friends in the North, Durmstrang. And their headmaster Igor Karkaroff."
The double doors of the great hall swung open once again, revealing buffed boys clad in red with staffs sparking as they hit the floor in rhythm, swinging their staffs. All looking fierce and masculine, both girls from Beauxbatons and Hogwarts were ogling at them. After one last swing of a staff, the boys broke into a run, all performing martial arts moves and backflips that excited the Hogwarts school. Their headmaster coming in behind them with two familiar faces, one Harry recognised as Sebastian the boy he met when his sister visited him, the other being Viktor Krum the Bulgarian seeker.
The entrance from Durmstrang ended with a fire phoenix presentation that awed two school at present. Dumbledore embracing the Durmstrang headmaster, patting each other's backs.
"Now let us welcome our friends the best way we can! Maestro please!" Dumbledore excitedly says walking down the steps from where he stood, holding up his wand. Students stood up from their seats, both schools looked very confused with the happening. They weren't expecting the Hogwarts school to sing for them.
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 something worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains rot.
The song itself was sung by the students, all hearty with different starts and finishes, different tones and notes. And oddly enough it brought harmony inside the school that it amazed the visiting schools as they watched the flames on the floating candles shines brighter. Unknown to all of them, even the Hogwarts students that the candles floating was one candle too many. And it floated on the table of singing snakes, there was an extra student singing it too.
"Now I invite you all to eat and drink, make yourselves at home!" Dumbledore announced as soon as the students of Hogwarts stopped singing. Applause filled the hall, the students of Beauxbatons were escorted to both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Durmstrang escorted to sit with Gryffindors and Slytherins.
"Scoot over Harry so Krum can sit here," Ron says shooing his best friend to scoot over to Seamus and Dean. Hermione rolling her eyes at the Weasley as she proceeded to take a piece of lamb from the table.
"He already sat with the blond bloke over there," a voice said as the person sat down in the middle where Ron tried vacate. "Couldn't even dare ask a cup of wine from him."
"Sebastian," Harry voices as he now looks at the boy his sister spent time with at Mirelle Thorns. "Good to see you too mate," Sebastian winks.
"You knew Krum was a student? How is it to be school mates with him?" Ron sputtered as he scooted closer to Sebastian who only managed to use one hand to keep Ron from moving towards him even more.
"Mate's alright, help me with somethings here and there. Owes me a favour too, but a bit a pain in the ass that Karkaroff gives him all the Durmstrang glory," he says as he takes on chicken leg from the table in front of him.
Even with questions here and there, Sebastian Thorns was glad to answer them all. Even Harry went in and asked if Finley was writing to him, and the Durmstrang boy said.
"She writes me when she can, the last letter was two weeks ago," Sebastian says as he got a spoon full of bouillabaisse on his plate.
Harry nodded in understanding, but boy was he being lied to, he clearly doesn't see the smug grin the Durmstrang boy had on his face. Funny enough the Finley (who he has now been sending letters to since he went back to Scandinavia for Durmstrang) threatened the poor him to not reveal her surprise once he steps foot on Hogwarts. He likes the girl very much yes, but the fact was that he was scared of her shitless by just spending time with her in the summer as he visited his sister. Not only that, he found her amusing in general.
"They can't be real, they don't make them that good here in Hogwarts," this statement from was caught by the few friends near him, including Sebastian. "I mean look at them!"
"I think they make them alright here in Hogwarts," Harry speaks as he looked towards a certain Ravenclaw from across the hall who was giggling with her friends.
"No girl from here or Durmstrang will ever compare to the french," Sebastian grins winking down at the french girls who were looking him and giggling.
"That's a bit rude don't you think Bazz?" An extremely familiar voice said from behind them, Sebastian turned with a shit eating grin on his face. "I mean, you did say that I was prettier than a typical veela."
"It's ten times ruder to know that you decided to surprise your dear brother and friends like this," Sebastian says towards the girl in blue Beauxbatons uniform.
"But I do not entirely deny that you do looked even more radiant than them," Sebastian continues with a smile on his face. Hat off, her dark hair now in a low ponytail with a blue ribbon braided in it. She looked more radiant than they last saw her, she looked brighter this time, happier in fact that they could see her emerald eyes shine.
"Finley!" Hermione gasps as she was the first one to recover from the shock of seeing her best friend in the flesh. They didn't expect this truly.