(This chapter is a short condensed version of the last few pages of Chapter Fifteen in the Goblet of Fire. In order for this story to continue, I needed all the imagery that the end of that chapter provided. There is one small hint of what will be in the next chapter. I hope you find it. I don't own any of the rights to the characters or the setting. My only problem was that some of JK Rowling's sentences took up whole paragraphs.)
Chapter 1
There was a pleasant feeling of anticipation in the air that day. Nobody was very attentive in their classes. Who could be, when all they could think about was the arrival of the guests from Beauxbaton and Durmstrang. There had been a hint of a secret delegation coming. Even potions was bearable because it had been cut a half an hour shorter. When the bell rang, the students ran out and hurried to get back to their dorm room. They deposited their bags and books, and as instructed donned their cloaks. One of the first people to reach the entrance hall were three Gryffindors, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. I expect they would not have been so quick if Miss Granger was not so organized. It wasn't long before the rest of the school filled into what they once thought was a large great hall, but to fill an entire school it seemed somewhat snug. The Heads of Houses were ordering their students into lines.
Weasley, straighten your hat," Professor McGonagall snapped at Ron. "Miss Patil, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair."
Parvati scowled and removed the large butterfly ornament from the end of her plait. Professor McGonagall was barking more orders at several other students. They filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle. It was a cold, clear evening; dusk was falling and a pale, transparent-looking moon was already shining over the forbidden forest.
"It's nearly six," said Ron, checking his watch and then staring down the drive that led to the front gates. "How do you think they're coming? By train?"
"I doubt it," said Hermione. A few more students piped in suggestions. They scanned the darkening grounds excitedly, but nothing was moving. Everything was still and quiet like usual. Harry was starting to feel cold. Then Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, announced out lout.
"Aha, Unless I'm very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbaton Academy of Magic, approaches!"
"Where" said many students eagerly, all looking in different directions.
"There" yelled a sixth grader, pointing over the forest.
Something large, much larger than a broomstick-or, indeed a hundred broomsticks- was hurling across the deep blue sky toward the castle, growing larger all the time.
"It's a dragon!" shrieked one of the first years, losing her head completely.
"Don't be stupid... it's a flying house!" said another boy.
The boy's guess was closer... As the gigantic black shape skimmed over treetops of the Forbidden Forest and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it. They saw a gigantic, powder-blue, horse drawn carriage, the size of a large house, soaring towards them. It was being pulled by a dozen winged horses, all palominos and the size of elephants. The first three rows of students drew backwards as the carriage hurtled ever lower, coming in to land at a tremendous speed.
Harry had just had time to see that the door of the carriage bore a coat of arms (two crossed, golden wands, each emitting three stars) before it opened. A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of golden steps. Then he took a step back and stood next to the door. Then Harry saw a high-heeled black shoe emerging from inside of the carriage- a shoe the size of a child's sled-followed, almost immediately, by the largest woman he had ever seen in his life. That poor boy looked like a house elf in comparison to this great woman as he rushed forward to help her from the carriage.
Harry had only ever seen one person as large as this woman in his life, and that was Hagrid; he doubted whether there was an inch difference in their heights. Yet somehow- maybe simply because he was used to Hagrid- this woman (now at the foot of the steps, and looking around at the waiting, wide-eyed crowd) seemed even more unnaturally large. She was dressed head to toe in black satin, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and on her thick fingers. Soon after this enormous woman stepped out of this carriage, may a dozen girls dressed in blue pastel robes stepped out of the carriage in two straight lines. Another boy, had emerged and began helping the ladies out of the carriage.
"May I present the lovely ladies of Beauxbaton, and their headmistress, Madame Maxime," Professor Dumbledore announced as he moved forward to kiss the hand of large woman. "My dear Madame Maxime, Welcome to Hogwarts."
"Dumbly-dorr," said Madame Maxime in a deep voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"
"In excellent form, I thank you." said Professor Dumbledore. The Beauxbaton headmistress waved one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her, and the twelve lovely ladies followed their Headmistress. The two boys hopped back into the carriage. The small crowd of the blue robed girls backed up and meshed in with the large crowd of people.
" 'As, Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked.
"He should be here any moment," said Dumbledore. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a bit?" And the Beauxbaton delegation did just that.
The others stood, shivering now, waiting for the Durmstrang party to arrive. Most people were gazing hopefully up at the sky. For a few minutes, the silence was broken only by the Beauxbaton's huge horses snorting and stamping. But then-
"Can you hear something?" said Ron suddenly.
Harry listened; a loud and oddly eerie noise was drifting from them out of the darkness: a muffled rumbling and sucking sound, as though an immense vacuum cleaner were moving along a riverbed...
"The lake!" yelled Lee Jordan, pointing down at it. "Look at the lake!"
From their position at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds, they had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water- except that the surface was suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center; great bubbles were forming on the surface and the waves were now washing over the muddy banks. Out from the middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared. What seemed to be a long, black pole rising out of the heart of the whirlpool, Harry saw a rigging.
"It's a mast!" He cried to his best friends.
Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it were a resurrected wreck. The dim, misty lights shimmered as tits portholes looked like ghostly eyes. Finally the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water and began to glide towards the bank. A few minutes later an anchor was thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank. A man appeared first, wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver like his hair. He was followed quickly by about twenty boys walking in two straight lines. Harry could only see their silhouettes. All of them were built to be strong, athletic fellows.
"Ladies and Gentleman, may I introduce the proud sons of Durmstrang, and their Headmaster Professor Karkaroff." Professor Dumbledore announced enthusiastically.
"Dumbledore!" He called heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you , my dear fellow, how are you?"
"Blooming, thank you Professor Karkaroff," Professor Dumbledore replied.
"Dear old Hogwarts," He said, looking up at the castle and smiling; his teeth were rather yellow, and Harry noticed that his smile did not extend to his eyes, which remained cold and shrewd. "How good it is to be here, how good... Victor, come along, into the warmth... you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold...
Karkaroff beckoned forward one of his students. As the boy passed, harry caught a glimpse of a prominent curved nose and thick black eyebrows. He didn't need the punch on the arm ron gave him, or the hiss in his ear, to recognize that profile.
"Harry- it's Krum"
As Professor Dumbledore led the Hogwarts students and staff back into the castle, the Durmstrang delegation followed heading for the Great Hall. Harry saw Lee Jordan jumping up and down the soles of his feet to get a better look at the back of Krum's head. Several sixth-year girls were frantically searching their pockets as they walked for some sort of writing utensil.
Hermione rolled her eyes at the commotion. Harry was excited, but was respectful because he knew all too well about how the girls at Hogwarts could be when they saw someone famous. They walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down. Ron took care to sit on the side facing the doorway. The Beauxbaton girls chose to sit at the Ravenclaw table, while much to everyone else's disappointment, the Durmstrang boys sat at the Slytherin table.
Everyone was seated and waiting, and dinner had already begun. However, Professor Dumbledore had not started the meal. A lot of whispering was manifesting, the gossipping about Krum was becoming less and less. An unusual smile appeared on the faces of the staff and the Hogwarts headmaster. Then he stood up, and the doors to the Great hall opened. Everyone's heads turned and stared at the empty doorway with confused expressions. Then a new delegation appeared.
