Disclaimer: Haven't we gone through this already? Sigh, oh well. I don't
own Harry Potter and company. I don't want to either. I wouldn't be able
to write half as well as JK could. Ahem. Anyway.
A/N: Yay! A second chapter. I hope the first one was good. No matter, I just wish that you weren't scared away by the first chapter and that you continue on! Cheers.
Chapter 2
Durmstrang and Beauxbatons
It was finally Christmas Eve. Classes had ended the Friday before, which pleased Harry very much as their workload was always steadily increasing. And although he did have a lot of homework to finish, Harry was determined to enjoy himself.
Around seven o'clock, in the middle of a very vigorous chess game between Harry and Ron, Professor McGonagall rushed in and announced, "They're arriving! The students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons! Hurry!"
So all of the Gryffindors, grumbling and dragging their feet, retrieved their cloaks and followed McGonagall out. When they reached the Great Hall, they gasped. It had been decorated by the teachers, and was quite beautiful. There were fairies floating high above their heads, bushes of exotic flowers in ornamental vases that had been magicked there, and many statues that were placed at intervals along the walls.
All of the students, from every house and every year, stood there waiting. Their breaths were held and all eyes were on the doors. Suddenly the doors flew open. A strong wind came whipping through the Hall. Everyone pulled their cloaks tightly around them. Harry stood on tiptoe, as he was a bit short, and tried to see the people coming in.
Those from Beauxbatons came parading in. This time they brought heavier cloaks (although they were still made of silk and were pale blue) and wore more practical clothing. Behind them, outside in the middle of the wind, stood the familiar carriage that had carried them the year before. Madame Maxime swept in. Harry noticed that Hagrid looked immensely pleased.
Dumbledore hurried forward. "Hello Madame Maxime," he said, kissing her large hand. "It has been too long."
"Indeed, it 'as," she replied. She scanned the room, and when her eyes landed on Hagrid, they lit up. "Everything 'as gone well, though," she continued.
"We shall discuss that in more detail later," Dumbledore said. Madame Maxime and her students moved to the side with the rest of Hogwarts' occupants, and looked expectantly at the door.
Again, the doors flew open and another group came rushing in.
This group was much smaller, and blood red cloaks were wrapped around their shoulders. Harry observed that instead of Karkaroff leading them, another man did instead. He was short and stocky, his hair was brown but mostly gray, and he looked as though he was under a lot of stress.
It looked as though they had used a different means of transportation this year. Harry saw the same ship, but there were hot air balloons tied to the mast.
"Hello, Professor Dumbledore," he said, nodding in Dumbledore's direction.
"Professor Parkins," he replied, smiling. "I haven't seen you in quite some time."
This man, whose name Harry assumed was Professor Parkins, smiled witheringly. "Yes. I hope you are well?"
"Of course, of course," Dumbledore said. He beamed at the people crowded in the Great Hall. "Why don't we move into the dining hall for some eats, hmm?" Everyone nodded eagerly.
Harry followed Ron and Hermione. He happened to look down and saw that his shoe was untied. Rather reluctantly, he bent down to tie them. People kept treading on him as they passed. One foot landed particularly hard on his. "Oh, I'm sorry," he heard a voice say. Harry looked up and into the eyes of the owner of the voice. And that was it.
Harry knew that she was going to fill that void.
How she would he didn't know. He just knew there was something special about her. She wasn't remarkably beautiful. She was short and plain, with hair that was too short and feet that were to big. But there was something about her.her eyes, Harry decided. They were dark and very pretty, and were very alive.
"Is something wrong? Did I hurt you that badly?" she asked.
"No, I'm fine," he answered. Harry saw her eyes flick up to his forehead, but she didn't say anything. She smiled and walked of with her friends.
~*~
At dinner Ron found that Harry was quite distracted.
"Hello, Harry," Ron said, waving his head in front of Harry's face. Harry jumped and looked at Ron.
"What?"
"You just seem a bit distracted." That was an understatement. "Is something on y our mind?"
Harry shook his head. "No, nothing," he replied. His face went blank again and he was staring off into space.
Hermione leaned over and whispered in Ron's ear. "Obviously."
~*~
Most students took the opportunity to observe the new headmaster of Durmstrang. He was deep in conversation with Dumbledore. His face seemed much softer than Karkaroff's, and he seemed less, well, evil.
Madame Maxime was talking to Hagrid. Hagrid was absolutely ecstatic. They were looking deep into each other's eyes. Madame Maxime was grinning more than usual, and Hagrid's face was very flushed.
As Harry stumbled back to the common room, he pondered the night's events. Why had he been so taken with that girl? She wasn't very pretty, at least not as pretty as Cho. But she was cute in a different, deep kind of way. Harry doubted that she was as popular as Cho. But those eyes-his thoughts kept wandering back to her eyes. There was fire in them, and he could tell that she was interesting. Harry sighed.
He looked over at Ron and Hermione to find them watching him. They immediately looked away and started talking avidly. Harry thought that Ron might have noticed him watching her. From his observations, Harry saw that she was from Durmstrang and that she liked to talk with enthusiasm and dramatic gestures.
Suddenly, with a thud, Harry walked straight into a wall. He heard laughter, and Ron and Hermione came rushing over.
"Harry, are you all right?" Hermione inquired. She looked quite worried.
"Yeah, mate," Ron chimed in. "You sure there's nothing on your mind?"
Harry moaned and got up. "Yes," he mumbled, and made sure to look where he was going the rest of the way to the common room.
A/N: Yay! A second chapter. I hope the first one was good. No matter, I just wish that you weren't scared away by the first chapter and that you continue on! Cheers.
Chapter 2
Durmstrang and Beauxbatons
It was finally Christmas Eve. Classes had ended the Friday before, which pleased Harry very much as their workload was always steadily increasing. And although he did have a lot of homework to finish, Harry was determined to enjoy himself.
Around seven o'clock, in the middle of a very vigorous chess game between Harry and Ron, Professor McGonagall rushed in and announced, "They're arriving! The students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons! Hurry!"
So all of the Gryffindors, grumbling and dragging their feet, retrieved their cloaks and followed McGonagall out. When they reached the Great Hall, they gasped. It had been decorated by the teachers, and was quite beautiful. There were fairies floating high above their heads, bushes of exotic flowers in ornamental vases that had been magicked there, and many statues that were placed at intervals along the walls.
All of the students, from every house and every year, stood there waiting. Their breaths were held and all eyes were on the doors. Suddenly the doors flew open. A strong wind came whipping through the Hall. Everyone pulled their cloaks tightly around them. Harry stood on tiptoe, as he was a bit short, and tried to see the people coming in.
Those from Beauxbatons came parading in. This time they brought heavier cloaks (although they were still made of silk and were pale blue) and wore more practical clothing. Behind them, outside in the middle of the wind, stood the familiar carriage that had carried them the year before. Madame Maxime swept in. Harry noticed that Hagrid looked immensely pleased.
Dumbledore hurried forward. "Hello Madame Maxime," he said, kissing her large hand. "It has been too long."
"Indeed, it 'as," she replied. She scanned the room, and when her eyes landed on Hagrid, they lit up. "Everything 'as gone well, though," she continued.
"We shall discuss that in more detail later," Dumbledore said. Madame Maxime and her students moved to the side with the rest of Hogwarts' occupants, and looked expectantly at the door.
Again, the doors flew open and another group came rushing in.
This group was much smaller, and blood red cloaks were wrapped around their shoulders. Harry observed that instead of Karkaroff leading them, another man did instead. He was short and stocky, his hair was brown but mostly gray, and he looked as though he was under a lot of stress.
It looked as though they had used a different means of transportation this year. Harry saw the same ship, but there were hot air balloons tied to the mast.
"Hello, Professor Dumbledore," he said, nodding in Dumbledore's direction.
"Professor Parkins," he replied, smiling. "I haven't seen you in quite some time."
This man, whose name Harry assumed was Professor Parkins, smiled witheringly. "Yes. I hope you are well?"
"Of course, of course," Dumbledore said. He beamed at the people crowded in the Great Hall. "Why don't we move into the dining hall for some eats, hmm?" Everyone nodded eagerly.
Harry followed Ron and Hermione. He happened to look down and saw that his shoe was untied. Rather reluctantly, he bent down to tie them. People kept treading on him as they passed. One foot landed particularly hard on his. "Oh, I'm sorry," he heard a voice say. Harry looked up and into the eyes of the owner of the voice. And that was it.
Harry knew that she was going to fill that void.
How she would he didn't know. He just knew there was something special about her. She wasn't remarkably beautiful. She was short and plain, with hair that was too short and feet that were to big. But there was something about her.her eyes, Harry decided. They were dark and very pretty, and were very alive.
"Is something wrong? Did I hurt you that badly?" she asked.
"No, I'm fine," he answered. Harry saw her eyes flick up to his forehead, but she didn't say anything. She smiled and walked of with her friends.
~*~
At dinner Ron found that Harry was quite distracted.
"Hello, Harry," Ron said, waving his head in front of Harry's face. Harry jumped and looked at Ron.
"What?"
"You just seem a bit distracted." That was an understatement. "Is something on y our mind?"
Harry shook his head. "No, nothing," he replied. His face went blank again and he was staring off into space.
Hermione leaned over and whispered in Ron's ear. "Obviously."
~*~
Most students took the opportunity to observe the new headmaster of Durmstrang. He was deep in conversation with Dumbledore. His face seemed much softer than Karkaroff's, and he seemed less, well, evil.
Madame Maxime was talking to Hagrid. Hagrid was absolutely ecstatic. They were looking deep into each other's eyes. Madame Maxime was grinning more than usual, and Hagrid's face was very flushed.
As Harry stumbled back to the common room, he pondered the night's events. Why had he been so taken with that girl? She wasn't very pretty, at least not as pretty as Cho. But she was cute in a different, deep kind of way. Harry doubted that she was as popular as Cho. But those eyes-his thoughts kept wandering back to her eyes. There was fire in them, and he could tell that she was interesting. Harry sighed.
He looked over at Ron and Hermione to find them watching him. They immediately looked away and started talking avidly. Harry thought that Ron might have noticed him watching her. From his observations, Harry saw that she was from Durmstrang and that she liked to talk with enthusiasm and dramatic gestures.
Suddenly, with a thud, Harry walked straight into a wall. He heard laughter, and Ron and Hermione came rushing over.
"Harry, are you all right?" Hermione inquired. She looked quite worried.
"Yeah, mate," Ron chimed in. "You sure there's nothing on your mind?"
Harry moaned and got up. "Yes," he mumbled, and made sure to look where he was going the rest of the way to the common room.
