The beating of wings caused Raina Oreloko to scramble up out of bed and run to the window. Her bare feet slapped the wooden floor as she left the mat beside her bed and opened her curtains. It was early morning, summer sunlight filtering through the ivy outside her window. The leaves rustled and she parted them to help a screech owl tumble through, holding a letter in its talons. Raina cheered, noting the Ministry of Magic seal on the envelope.
"Grandfather!" Raina called, grabbing the letter from the owl. She searched in the pockets of her threadbare dressing gown and found something for the owl to eat as a treat. Having already been payed, the owl was quite content to be on its way the moment Raina had pulled the ivy aside again.
She heard her Grandfather shuffling to her door and pulled it open, envelope grasped in her hands. "The tickets are here." She cheered.
"Well of course they are; we did pay, didn't we?" He asked.
"Yeah, but still." Said Raina, pulling it open. "Admission to the 1994 Quidditch World Cup." She read happily.
"I had no idea you were this into the sport." Her Grandfather said sleepily.
"It's a fun thing to go to." Said Raina. "Everyone will be there; I better write to Maia now actually. Our tent spots should be close by."
"That's good." He said, ruffling her already tussled curls.
"We still have our tent don't we? I'm going to practice setting it up." Said Raina, about to dash outside before realizing she needed to get dressed. "Ugh, I need to get used to waking up early again." She said, trying to finger comb her hair but giving up when they got stuck halfway.
Raina had spent summer completing any holiday homework, lamenting her OWL results (A letter she had been much less happy to receive) and flying whenever she pleased, which was often. Her OWL results had been reasonably good, and her Grandfather would not have been worried if they weren't. The letter had read:
RAINA ORELOKO HAS ACHIEVED:
Astronomy: O
Care of Magical Creatures: O
Charms: A
Defence Against the Dark Arts: E
Herbology: O
Potions: O
Study of Ancient Runes: P
Transfiguration: O
Raina was pleased with her results and all too happy to drop 'Study of Ancient Runes', earning her a free period. She'd started the subject a year late after dropping divination. She had considered dropping Astronomy as well but her good grades and the fact that she flew would make the subject useful. She had been surprised that she'd scraped through on potions as well. She would have been happy with merely an 'exceeds expectations' or even an 'acceptable' but to continue potions an 'outstanding' was needed. It was her charms grade which needed the lamenting and she knew that with Maia being so good at the subject that she would never hear the end of it. She would have to discuss continuing the subject with professor Flitwick but she was sure she'd be able to.
Her OWL results were not on her mind as she succeeded in pulling on her clothes and rushing outside. She grabbed the tent, which had been rolled tightly in a canvas bag. It was not difficult to set up, even without magic, and she stepped inside it half an hour later.
On the outside the tent was an old fashioned, two-person tent. Inside it was large enough to fit many more. The walls were wooden and there were bunks along one of them with a joint on kitchen and a door leading to a bathroom. It was as if somebody had crammed a small house into the tent. Raina left the tent up to air out the musty smell while she packed for the cup. They would be arriving two nights before the match begun so she packed lightly.
With her gear ready she attempted the pack up the tent. It refused to fit back into the bag and she was forced to call her grandfather, who folded it up and forced it into the bag with a flick of his wand. Raina had no idea how it was possible to pack up the tent without magic.
Tent done she left to send Maia the news. She scribbled a note to Maia saying she was definatly coming. Raina made her way to the muggle post office because although Maia's family was mostly magical, they lived in a house in a muggle area connected to the postal service.
Letter sent, Raina spent the next week waiting for the day they'd depart. There was a portkey waiting for them outside the village and they had been informed that it was to leave at five and they would be joined by Miss Elanor Potts, a witch that lived in the village, and the Davies – Roger being a Ravenclaw in Raina's year.
She and her Grandfather loaded everything into a pack to carry up there and Raina left the rabbit pen with a self-filling feeder for the next few days. They had woken up at three in order to make the walk to the portkey in the middle of White Hart woods. Raina found that the early start left her half-asleep as she followed her Grandfather through the village to the woods on the other side.
The houses were silent as the sky was still nearly dark although it was summer. The light in the woods too, was dim, dappling the ground through the tree tops. Birds which had risen with the light sung their morning song and it made Raina's wings quiver; although not nearly as much as they would have almost a year ago.
The portkey turned out to be an old, punctured football, partly hidden in the leaf litter. Although Raina and her Grandfather arrived in good time Miss Potts was already waiting and the Davies were not far behind them. She and Roger had spoken briefly before as she was in his charms class. He had a younger brother who said little, though he was reasonably polite as they crowded around the portkey; not objecting to the cramped circumstances.
Raina hadn't used a portkey before and the sensation made her head reel. It was like she was being dragged forwards by the finger which had been lightly touching the ball. She tried to look down to see if she could see the land passing beneath them but the wind pushed her eyes shut. The journey was over in a few seconds and she hit the ground hard. As Raina stood up after a moment of watching the sky spin she decided she much preferred flying.
"Four past five from White Hart Woods." A voice announced.
Raina looked up to see two wizards, so tired she could feel the exhaustion wafting off them although it was the strange mix of muggle clothes which caught her attention. One was wearing jandals, pyjama pants and a woollen vest while the other was wearing a kilt and Christmas sweater. The one with jandals was holding a large gold watch and the other was scribbling down the time.
"Names?" The one with the watch asked wearily.
"Davies." Said Rogers father, clearly anxious to leave and begin setting up.
"Fourth field." Said one after scanning another sheet of paper for the name. "Managers called Mrs. Lincoln." He turned to Raina's grandfather. "How about you?" He asked.
"Oreloko." Her Grandfather said, throwing the football into a nearby box full of old portkeys.
The wizard, whom Raina realized was also wearing gardening gloves, ran a finger down the list, muttering their surname. He dropped the pages as he moved to turn them and by the time Raina had helped him pick them up the wizard with the watch was tapping his foot anxiously.
"Another group in two minutes. Hurry up, Basil."
Basil shuffled out another page, more carefully this time, and said, "First field. Find Mr Roberts." He turned to Miss. Potts. "Name?"
As she was answering, Raina's Grandfather hitched the bag further onto his back and they walked to field one. It was difficult to see through the mist which was shrouding the entire campsite. The Davies quickly disappeared in front of them; swallowed by the mist. A cottage loomed into view twenty minutes after they started walking, followed by hundreds of tents, barely visible against the woods behind them.
Raina's Grandfather knocked on the door, which was quickly opened by a man dressed in much more appropriate muggle clothing.
"Would you be Mr Roberts?" Asked Raina's Grandfather.
"Aye. Good mornin' Mr…?" He said, stepping outside and closing the door behind him.
"Oreloko." Raina's Grandfather said. Mr Roberts consulted a list on the door.
"A spot over there for you, two nights?"
"Yes thanks." Said Raina, following his pointing finger to a spot by the trees.
"Sorry it's so far away from the water n' the bathrooms, s'not usually this crowded. Had hundreds turn up yesterday, more this month than all of last year put together."
"Strange that." Said Raina's Grandfather, "Must be a sign of the times."
"I suppose so, yes." Said Mr Roberts holding out his hand.
It took Raina and her Grandfather a moment to realize he was waiting for pay. Raina's Grandfather held out a handful of notes, "Is this it?" He asked.
"Yes, yes." Mr Roberts said, taking the money. "A relief to have someone who knows the money, I must say."
"Do many people not?" Raina asked curiously.
"Had someone try give me one pound – one for two nights just a few minutes ago. I'm not going to give away the land with this many people, that's for certain…" He trailed off and Raina took the map which was offered to her.
"Thanks." She said, heading to their camp sight which was a brief, five minute walk up hill between many rows of tents. She pointed at one with several peacocks seated outside. "That's inconspicuous." She muttered.
"Ah well. I'm sure they have someone to keep Mr Roberts in the dark. Poor man, he must have his memory modified dozens of time each day."
"Sounds like fun." Said Raina dryly, noticing a three storied, castle-like tent.
"Here." Her Grandfather said, stopping at a patch between a tent with a front garden complete with bird bath and fountain and a much more ordinary tent with only a chimney to give away the fact that it belonged to a wizard or witch. There was a sign which had been nailed in the long grass reading 'Oreloko'.
Raina's Grandfather slid the pack off his back and took out the tent. Raina managed to put it up correctly, even in the semi-darkness, and brought her gear inside. She set it on the bed she'd chosen as hers and lay out her sleeping bag on it. Pulling her hair into a high pony-tail, she went outside to see if Maia, who was due to arrive at six twenty, was there. She drew less attention to herself than many other wizards as she was dressed in normal muggle clothes. Her denim shorts and chequered, button-up short sleeves were much more convincingly ordinary than that of a wizard she saw wandering around wearing a flowered nightdress.
She spotted Maia's raven-black hair as the young witch weaved through the tents, leading her father who was carrying their pack. Raina jumped up and down excitedly, waving to get Maia's attention. Her friend took a moment to spot her and then squealed in delight.
"Raina!" They hugged briefly.
"So where's your tent spot?" Raina asked, looking around. There were very few spots nearby. There was a large one at the edge of the woods with a sign nailed in and another more in the row of tents.
"That's us there," Maia said, pointing to the one nearer to Raina.
"Raina again, is it?" Maia's father asked.
Raina grinned. "The same." She took his hand, which he then shook vigorously.
"Supporting Ireland?" He asked.
Raina nodded, "of course."
"They've got good players this season." He said.
"Bulgaria has Krum though." Maia pointed out.
"He's their seeker, right?" Raina asked.
Maia nodded. "We'll go find the tents of other Bulgaria supporters, they'll have posters of him everywhere."
"Hold up." Said Raina, stepping in front of Maia and stopping her friends journey to the red-clad tents across the field. "You're supporting Bulgaria?" she asked incredulously.
"Oh yes." Said Maia, flashing a Bulgaria flag on the side of her hat.
Her father tramped ahead and used magic to unpack the tent after glancing around for anybody watching.
"Dad!" Maia said indignantly. "Couldn't you even have given it a go?"
The wizard shook his head, his dark eyes sparkling. Raina had not spoken more than a few words to Maia's father but he seemed friendly enough, with brown hair rather than Maia's black and skin which was lightly freckled.
"Cups tomorrow then?" He asked.
"Yup." Said Raina.
"You girls go off and explore then." He said, "and get some water." He handed them a bucket and ducked to step inside the tent.
"Not a magical tent then?" Raina asked her friend.
Maia shook her head. "Mum was pretty insistent we use hers."
"Do they let muggles come and watch?" Raina asked.
"I don't think they'd stop ones like my Mum but…" Maia shrugged, "she wasn't too keen on coming, used it as an excuse to take a trip to France."
"I guess that's a good use of time as well." Raina said.
They made their way back through the rows of tents, following the map to the bathrooms and water.
"There are some Ireland supporters," Maia said, rolling her eyes at the green shamrocks coating everything.
"He's from Hogwarts, isn't he?" Maia asked, pointing at a fourth year.
Maia nodded, "there are people from other schools here though, aren't there?" She asked.
"What is it? Beuxbatons, Durmstrang, Ilvermorny?"
"I knew about Ilvermorny of course. I went to Luma's the other day and her Mum gave me the school's entire history."
"Oh, she does that." Said Raina. "Who else is supporting Bulgaria?"
Maia shrugged. "Alicia's here, she's supporting Krum, I'm not sure about the actual team though."
"What is it with him?" Raina asked; they'd just reached a group of Bulgaria tents, plastered with pictures of a surly youth who did nothing but scowl and glare.
"He's an amazing seeker from what I've read, and he's really young."
"I'm not convinced." Raina said, leading her friend past to the bathrooms. There was a long line, Lee Jordan was two people in front of them.
"Don't you dare!" Maia hissed as Raina made to wave.
She smirked and stepped forwards to tap him on the shoulder. "Hey!" She said, over the noise of the surrounding camp site.
Lee turned around and grinned at them. "Thought you were the twins for a moment. Hi Maia, hello Raina."
"Hi." Maia squeaked. Raina laughed and her friend elbowed her. "You wait till I find out who you fancy." She threatened.
"Trust me, I'm never going to make that mistake." Raina muttered.
"Sooo." Maia said, turning back to Lee. "Who're you supporting?"
"Ireland of course." Lee said, "you?"
"Me too." Said Maia. The she remembered the Bulgaria flag on her hat and quickly backtracked. "I mean, Bulgaria."
"The whole team or just Krum?" Lee asked.
"You've been talking to Alicia." Said Maia knowingly.
Raina grinned as the awkwardness subsided and left them to talk while she filled up the water. "What time are the Weasley's arriving?" She asked when she returned.
"You would want to know." Said Maia at the same time Lee said "Early tomorrow."
Raina glared playfully at Maia. "Thanks Lee." She said.
"Who're you here with?" He asked.
"My Grandfather."
"Parent's not interested in Quidditch?"
There was an awkward pause before Raina said, "not as such, no."
They spent the rest of the day looking at various stalls selling merchandise.
"We'll get things tomorrow." Said Raina, who'd left all the pocket money she had left – eight galleons – back in her tent. Maia nodded in agreement.
"Back to our own tents then?" She said, looking at the now almost dark sky.
Raina yawned and nodded. "Big day tomorrow." She said.
"Yup, since the Weasley's are arriving."
"The world cup you idiot." Said Raina affectionately. They parted and Raina found that her Grandfather was already asleep. She sighed and found her way to her own bed, settling down in her sleeping bag and shutting her eyes.