After the headmaster Albus Dumbledore announced that the Triwizard Tournament was taking place at Hogwarts this year, he had another announcement to make.
"We will also have a small group of exchange students this year. Please welcome them as you were welcomed!"
Professor McGonagall, a very strict woman with glasses, raised her hand and the door of the Great Hall opened again. About 10 students came in, including the brothers Castiel and Gabriel Milton. Castiel was very nervous and tried hard to not be noticed, but his brother did the opposite. He skipped around and waved at the Beauxbatons girls, who giggled. They sat down at the Gryffindor table.
"So, in which year are you?" A boy asked, who Castiel immediately recognized as Harry Potter, the One Who Lived.
"I'm in my fourth year," he answered. "Oh, then you are with Ron, Hermione and me!" Harry answered. "And you?" He looked at Gabriel. The boy reminded him of an angel with the wavy blonde hair and the warm brown eyes.
"I'll be in my sixth,"
Fred and George Weasley high-fived. "Just like us!" The twins said. Gabriel smiled.
"Please don't hurt me!" Castiel whined, stepping back from the wand pointing at him. He looked around for Harry, Ron and Hermione but they already went to Transfiguration. Draco Malfoy laughed and waved with his wand. Green and silver sparks flew out, which made Castiel duck in fear. He grabbed his wand too but not any spell came up in his head.
"Cas!" He heard someone screaming and footsteps came closer.
"Kiddo, you shouldn't be hanging around by yourself. Where are your friends?" Gabriel said, panting from the sprint. "What are you doing?" He said to Draco who laughed and played with his wand.
"Just messing around, Milton. Get out," he snapped. Gabriel raised an eyebrow. In his eye corner, he saw Harry, Hermione and the three Weasley's coming.
"I would because your stench is all over the place, but I ain't going to let you hurt my bro,"
"Watch me!" Draco said and he prepared himself for a spell, but Gabriel was quicker. Within seconds, Draco had grown a huge, blonde moustache.
"Gabriel, what have you done?" yelled Hermione while the boys laughed.
"Just a little trick. It suits him, don't you think?" Gabriel said, laughing too. Draco trembled with anger, which made the end of his moustache quiver too. This was it: Hermione giggled too.
"You know what, bite me Gabriel!" Draco screamed.
"Maybe later, big boy."
"My father will hear about this!"
"Give him my best regards!"
Fred and George were rolling on the floor laughing. The fourth-year-students went off to Transfiguration but the sixth years had an hour off.
"Gabriel, do you want to help us with something?" Fred asked.
"We want to play a prank on Snape but he knows us," George said.
"And so, he will avoid us but he doesn't know you.." Fred filled in. Gabriel laughed, trolling, pranking or tricking were his specialties. He grabbed his wand and smiled mischievous. Fred slapped him on the shoulder and George laughed.
A couple of weeks later, Gabriel was brewing a potion in the dark dungeons.
"Professor Snape, could you perhaps help me with this potion? I can't get it right and I heard you are the Potion Master here," Gabriel asked the greasy-haired professor Severus Snape. Snape raised his eyebrows but he did seem to be kind of flattered.
"What potion are you brewing, mister Milton? Ah, I see, Sleeping Drought. You should add some more valerian sprigs." Snape mentioned. Gabriel took the ingredient from the bottle on his table but when Snape didn't look, he quickly changed it for dried billywig stings. The potion bubbled and turned into a transparent liquid. Snape turned around with his nostrils wide open.
"What are you doing? I said valerian sprigs, not billywig stings!" he snapped. Gabriel blinked, then smiled.
"I am so sorry professor; I think I got distracted by your extraordinary knowledge of the potion brewing," Gabriel asked in an innocent voice. He winked at Fred who was standing behind the cabinet, and Fred flicked his wand at the cauldron. It rolled over and the potion splashed into Snape's face.
"Oh no! How could that possibly happen? I think my cauldron is bewitched!"
Snape wanted to snap a response and give him detention, but he suddenly noticed the effect of the potion. His normally black clothes were flashing in all the colours of the rainbow.
"MILTON!" he screamed, but Gabriel already left the dungeons.
"That was awesome!" Fred laughed and high-fived.
"We'd make a pretty good team, don't yah think?" George said while patting Gabriel on the shoulder.
"We already are," he answered and he winked.
"Who are you asking for the Yule Ball, by the way?"
Fred sighed. "I've asked Angelina, she didn't seem too serious though."
"That surprises me, while you are the most serious person I've ever met," joked George. "I'm going with Katie. What about you, Gabe?"
"Oh, I've got someone in mind. I still have to ask her," he answered, slightly flushing. Fred whistled.
"Who is the lucky lady?" George asked. Gabriel raised an eyebrow.
"You'll see at the ball," he said in a low, mysterious voice.
"Ginny, can you show me where the Ravenclaw tower is?" Gabriel asked the red haired sister of his best friends. She gave him an astonished look. He tried the puppy eyes and it worked. She smiled and nodded.
"Here it is, but I'm not going to help you with entering. I'm not sure if the doorknocker will let you in anyway,"
"Why won't she let me in? Because I'm a foreign?"
"No, but you will have to answer to the mystery. That's the password. Good luck!" she said laughing and took off. Gabriel sighed and knocked.
"You've come from far. I will give you a special riddle. Mountains will crumble and temples will fall, but no man can resist his endless call,"
Gabriel thought. It could be death, but that did not crumble mountains or let temples fall. After a minute or so, he knew it.
"That will be time!"
"Very well done. You would certainly suit Ravenclaw if you would be sorted. Go in," the doorknocker said and he opened the door. The Ravenclaw common room was sure very different than the Gryffindor common room, where he usually hangs out. Nonetheless it was very cosy. He checked the room and he saw her dirty blonde hair.
"Luna? Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked nervously. Luna slowly put her book away, stood up and turned around.
"I wanted to ask you, if you'd maybe like to go to the Yule Ball with me?"
Luna tilted her head and stared at him with her blue eyes, peering like laser beams.
"Why do you ask me? I know Lavender wants to go with you. She likes you very much," she said thoughtfully and honest. Gabriel already learned not to expect from Luna, but this he certainly wouldn't expect.
"Well, whatever other people do, you always seem to do the exact opposite. It fascinates me. And, you are very cute," he added with a grin. Luna smiled.
"You are not tricking me," she said. It wasn't a question, it was a remark. He shook his head.
"Then I would love to join you, Gabriel,"
At the evening of the Yule Ball, Gabriel, Fred and Angelina and George and Katie were waiting for Gabriel's date.
"I've asked everyone who I could think of but no one said that you'd be going with one of them," Fred moaned. Gabriel chuckled and in the distance, he saw a flash of the brightest orange he had ever seen. He blinked and waited. Luna Lovegood walked towards him, wearing a warm orange dress which made her look like she bathed in sunlight. In her ears she was wearing her radish earrings and the bottle-necklace playfully danced around her neck with every step she took.
George mouth fell open and Fred's eyes seemed to grow when Luna came closer.
"You can't be serious! You could've asked anyone you wanted and you pick Looney!" Fred said amazed. Gabriel shrugged and took Luna's arm. Smiling he took off.
Luna let go of him and started to dance, twirling around on her own with odd hand movements. Gabriel chuckled and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Do you always dance alone?" he asked. Luna stared at him. She reminded him a bit of Castiel, they both were very, very good at staring contest and had the same bright blue eyes. He reached for her hand and made a dance movement. She laughed and joined in.
"This is where I will leave you for now," Gabriel said nervous, when he brought Luna to the common room. She blinked, which was something she did not do often.
"You always seem so confident," she said, "but now you are not. Why?"
Again Gabriel was smashed by her honesty. He couldn't tell her that he did not know what to do now, could he? But she was so honest and open, that he decided he should be too.
"I know it's the habit to you know," and he nodded towards the couple on their left, kissing passionately. "I'm not sure what I should do."
Luna didn't really respond but she knocked the door. The doorknocker again came up with a riddle.
"It is a mix of hope and passion and is said to often be a fling, but it still is a wonderful thing," she said. Luna thought and so did Gabriel, but they couldn't manage to find the answer. The doorknocker laughed with her melodious voice sounding like bells ringing.
"I am not known for cheating but I cannot extend the moment of your greeting. The answer will be young love,"
Gabriel flushed and placed a hand on Luna's cheek. Again she went beyond expectations and suddenly he felt her lips on his. This was the best evening of his existence.