Hogsmeade is boring.
At least, it is when you are there every day of your life.
I understand the excitement for others; people aren't always here as I am.
Now, I can't say I'm at Hogsmeade every single day; not anymore. I used to be, before my mum shipped me off to Beauxbatons. Not that I minded (I don't!), I love my school, but I still wish she had allowed me to go to Hogwarts (she didn't).
Beauxbatons is a prestigous academy, hidden within Southern France, and I'm honored to be a student there. I've made the greatest friends and have recieved a more than incredible education. Our Headmistress has been nothing but wonderful since before I even stepped foot in the Palace.
I was taught to be prepared and lady-like at all times; elegance and poise were taught to us just as in-depth as Charms and Potions.
I don't take my school for granted, but there are times when I really wish I had gone to Hogwarts.
Like when I come home and see that everyone down in Hogsmeade is a Hogwarts student, or once was. Or when the infamous class lesbian, Camille Dubois, hits on me, and I have no cute bloke to put his arm around me and tell her to shove off. Or when we have the option of salad or nothing for dinner meals.
I thought I'd never catch a break. Until one day I did.

-
1994
"Can you even believe our luck?" my best friend, Philippa, was just as excited as me. To be honest, I couldn't believe our luck at all. It seemed like all my wishing for something exciting to happen finally was coming true, in the most unlikely of ways.
All I could do was shake my head and smile.
"How incredible is this?" she continued, "There hasn't been a Triwizard Tournament in over a hundred years!"
"Two hundred" I corrected her, but she ignored me. Not that it mattered, because as we made our way up to our shared dormitory, all I could think of was one thing:
Hogwarts.

The next morning I awoke in a daze. I looked out through the shade of my canopy bed to see the rest of the girls still asleep in a group on the floor. Philippa and I had invited them all into our dormitory for a grand sleep over (our's was the cleanest) and stayed up until late raving about how excited we all were to be going to Hogwarts.
Hogwarts! I couldn't even gather my thoughts long enough to daydream about the place as I have for years. Thankfully that day was a Saturday, so none of us had any classes. I flopped back onto my bed and wrapped my thick, white quilt around me, sighing.
"Sofie?"
It was Fleur. A good friend of mine, in my year. A beautiful girl, naturally; she was part Veela, and was everything physically I wished I could be. Unfortunately, I've inherited my looks from my mother - I'm very short, a mere 5'4", with black hair and bland brown eyes. Fleur , on the other hand, was tall and nimble, pale in a flawless porcelain way, with bright blonde hair and even brighter, but deep, blue eyes.
Her English was horrible, so I spoke to her in French.
"Yes, Fleur?"

In an instant she was on my bed with me, staring into my eyes with her own.
"Are you going to enter the Triwizard Tournament?" she asked. Even her French was perfect.
I shrugged. "Probably not. I'm not exactly into competitions; you know me."
Fleur giggled, nodding. "Yes, you were always the pushover type."
I smiled. Something you must know about Fleur in order to understand her is that when she seems to be insulting you, she isn't. Honestly, I am a pushover. That's been established. I don't have much of a backbone when it comes to any sort of competing.
She was just programmed to tell everything as it is. I respect that trait, as almost everyone at Beauxbatons is the same way. It's how we were taught to communicate. What's the point of not being straight-forward? You get no where. Better to be direct. And, that's what Fleur was being with the pushover comment. I knew she meant no harm.
"I am going to enter," she said, hushed. "Do you think I will be chosen?"
I couldn't tell if she was being quiet for the sake of the sleeping girls, or so no one heard her plan, but I nodded anyway. "Absolutely."
Her mouth opened wide into a blinding smile. But, straight white teeth wasn't uncommon at Beauxbatons. Image was everything there. All the girls had perfect teeth, if not perfect everything else.
My teeth were the only perfect thing about me.

"I am so excited," she said, hushed again, "going to Hogwarts, all of us, getting to see what it is like.. and there will be boys there too, and from Durmstrang.." she sighed dreamily.
I did the same, both of us starting to drift into our own boy-fueled fantasies. I doubt she'd ever find a guy who could match her beauty and grace.
And, as for me, I wasn't expecting anything. Especially not if my competition was to be Fleur. Like I've said, I'm not a competitor. And she's perfect.
Plus, I've never had a boyfriend in my life. How am I supposed to know how to snag one?

October 29, 1994
We are leaving for Hogwarts in the morning. We're taking the most beautiful coach (though I expected nothing less), pulled by the most glorious horses I have ever seen.
This whole week has been hectic. Everyone is entering the tournament. Everyone except me, and so they all want my advice. Plus packing, and classes..
Ah, well. I must sleep. Because tomorrow, my dreams come true.
- Sofie