Chapter 1

The Arrival

30 October 2023

I peered through the window, my nose glued to the glass as we made our descent towards the Hogwarts School of Magic and Wizardry. It was completely different from Beauxbatons… our school made much more of an impression with its white high columns, the walls adorned with golden leaf, the beautiful trimmed gardens with magical fountains, where we ate by the river at the sound of the voices of nymphs.

I really doubted we would find nymphs in here. Hogwarts was a dark castle on the top of a hill and as far from Versailles as one could go.

"So?" Chloe whispered. "Can you see anything?"

"They're at the entrance. McGonagall's in the front and all the students are behind her," I replied excitedly, before slumping into my seat again.

"Were they wearing black?" Chloe asked again.

"Yeah."

"How do you think they manage, wearing black every day?"

"What's the problem?" Lisa lifted a brow by my left side.

"I'm just saying, blue is much nicer," she said, raising the pale blue sleeves of the Beauxbatons wizard robes. "Black is just awful. It's like going to a funeral every day. Don't you think, Sofia?"

I frowned. "I dunno. I really don't care."

"Besides, what's wrong with funerals?"

I peeked through the window again and frowned. The image was becoming clearer and clearer as we approached them.

"They're so few. Do you think the whole school came to meet us? Because I'm telling you, they're really no more than three hundred."

"Three hundred?" Chloe repeated. "No, that can't be their real number."

"But they look like- ow! Geez, Chlo, no need to-"

But as soon as I turned back, I realized why Chloe had nudged me on the ribs. Madame Maxime was towering over me, staring me down with very cold eyes that, if possible, made her look even bigger. I froze and smiled sheepishly. She didn't return my smile.

"Sofia!" She thundered. "Asseyez-vous!"

"Oui, Madame Maxime," I squeaked, and fell back on my seat between Chloe and Lisa.

As soon as she turned her back on us, my friends broke into laughter.

"It's not funny," I mumbled, but they only laughed harder.

Madame Maxime then continued to supervise the rows of students on the chariot, shouting orders, rectifying someone's hair, posture or clothes. She was nervous because she wanted us to look gracious and cause a good impression as soon as we were out of the carriage. She wanted to show off. But honestly, we were already close to perfection. Everyone was dressed in pale blue, the colours of Beauxbatons, and we all looked polished and beautiful and elegant. Some girls had fished a pocket mirror from their robes and were reapplying their makeups or practicing seductive looks.

"They look like clowns," Chloe whispered in my ear.

I couldn't agree more. Chloe was far more beautiful than they were without even trying. But she had been blessed with natural wavy golden hair, porcelain white skin and eyes the colour of honey. Dressed in our school robes, she looked like an angel.

On my left, Lisa had her arms folded and looked bored. She was the prettiest girl in the school but she didn't really care about it, and on our days off she always wore baggy clothes when she wasn't obliged to wear the uniform. But no matter how she dressed, her face was gorgeous. Her skin had the beautiful tone of chocolate brown and her blue eyes were shaped like almonds and refreshing, the colour of a tropical sea, reminding me of summer. I'd never seen eyes like that before. Her hair was silky and hazel and fairly disheveled, because Lisa really wasn't the type to waste more than five minutes in the bathroom.

Madame Maxime's favourite, Renée, was sitting in the corner. She hadn't touched her makeup because she knew she didn't need it - Renée was a natural ice queen without even trying. She wasn't buzzing with enthusiasm because Hogwarts was honoured to receive her, not the other way around. Her legs were crossed and was staring through the window with a bored look that said that she didn't care if she was miles away from home, she didn't feel the slightest threatened by Hogwarts. They weren't even competition on her eyes.

Everyone was expecting her to win. Everyone knew that her name would be the one called for the Triwizard Tournament.

Renée Chastain is our Champion. That phrase was being sung everywhere since the moment we discovered there would be a new Triwizard Tournament edition. She had been pampered and turned into the school sweetheart in a matter of seconds, and I knew that underneath her frosty attitude, she was enjoying every second of fame.

But maybe her name wouldn't be picked up. I looked at my hands in my lap and swallowed hard. Staring at Renée, so beautiful with her silky blond hair and perfect posture, made me feel self conscious about my image. I took off the scrunchie that was holding my ponytail together and let my red hair run loose over my shoulders.

And before I could do anything else, there was a loud crash and I had to grab Chloe to keep myself from falling. And then we heard the loud clop-clop-clops of the winged horse's hooves against the ground, until we came into a full stop.

Inside, everyone was in mortified silence. We were all thinking the same thing - someone should work on their landing!

But all our nerves were dissipated when the door opened. Jean-Paul hopped down and set a golden stairwell at the door of the carriage. Madame Maxime blocked the whole view with her enormous stature and the carriage shook when it was relieved of her weight.

We heard the Hogwarts students clap as she made her way down the stairs, and we all peeked to get a glimpse. McGonagall was smiling and walked to her. Their voices were barely audible.

"Madame Maxime," she said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"McGonagale," Maxime replied. "'Ow 'arr you?"

"Very well, thank you."

"My pupils," she said, and she waved a hand towards us.

It was the signal. I exchanged an excited look with Chloe as we all rose orderly from our seats. I stood up, passed my hands through imaginary wrinkles in my uniform and followed the line of students who were leaving the carriage.

This was it - Hogwarts at last! I was so excited that-

Suddenly someone bumped into me. I stumbled backwards but Lisa caught me.

"Sofia, you really should be careful." Renée was in front of me, casting me a poisonous smile. Her dark eyes were flashing with amusement.

I narrowed my eyes at her. If Madame Maxime and the whole Hogwarts school weren't watching, I'd make her trip. But I ignored it and let her take the place in front of me.

"Relax," Lisa whispered, sensing my anger.

But the enthusiasm was far greater than the anger. Renée hopped down the carriage into the lawn and suddenly it was my turn to follow her and I had a clear view of the castle as we approached it.

The students formed a mass at the entrance of the dark, colossal castle and it looked like they were organized by age: first years at the front until the seventh years at the back. The last row was formed by teachers. I also stole a curious glance at McGonagall. She was old but very tall and thin, wearing a pointy hat and dark green robes, almost black. Her eyes were polite and her posture was strict.

Chloe was right when she advised us to bring a cloak. Everyone who had just brought their uniform was freezing right now, shaking and burying their noses into mufflers, because our thin silk uniforms offered no protection against the chilly wind. Some Hogwarts students were eyeing us with deep amusement or rolled their eyes like we were idiots. And we kind of were. They had their cloaks on and we were shivering with chattering teeth and miserable expressions.

So much for the grand entrance, Madame Maxime.

"Would you prefer to stay here and wait for Durmstrang, or would you like to go inside and warm up?" McGonagall asked.

"Warm up," Maxime replied coldly. We could feel the irritation in her voice. We, the beautiful and fierce student of Beauxbatons, were shivering sadly like plucked chicken. The crowd of Hogwarts students parted and we walked through them.

I glanced at the sky, filled with thick and grey clouds.

No doubt, I was a long way from home.