By the time October 30th comes around, I've barely managed to keep up with my school work but have improved my flying. We've started having small matches between the eight of us from Slytherin and Ravenclaw, which is better than no quidditch at all.
When the teachers usher us outside to await our guests, I sit by the black lake with Cho and we work on our homework as we wait for the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. I glance up every few minutes to look at the gate and the lake with the boats, assuming they'll come in the same ways we do.
Students point to the sky as I work on my astrology chart and I glance up after marking the name of a constellation. I look up in time to see a large dark object illuminated by the light from the castle to reveal a light blue coach pulled by twelve flying horses. It crashes to the ground in an apparent landing and a boy jumps down and opens the carriage.
A huge woman jumps out and talks to Dumbledore, but I'm too far away to really hear it. Hagrid takes the horses away and the students from Beaubatons emerge from the carriage behind their headmistress. Many of them are gorgeous and I look down at my school uniform in disgust. The ladies head up the stone steps to the school behind Madame Maxine and disappear through the stone door. I look to my guy friends and see them staring after these beautiful women as they vanish from sight.
I go back to trying to identify constellations stars and planets on my chart and have a few minutes to fill in a few before yet again a shout is heard, this time calling our attention to the black lake.
I look up to see the surface of the black lake churning, a whirlpool sucking in water in the center, and a mast rising from the depths of the dark water. A ship pulls itself from the darkness, floating ghostlike on the water as it glides towards the shore. A plank is lowered to the ground and Cho and I grab our stuff and jump out of the way.
Cedric comes up behind us, "What's up midget?"
"Nothing. Just waiting to see the Durmstrang guys. You?"
"Checking out the competition."
"You're entering the tournament?"
"I'm going to try. Are you?"
"I'm more of the quidditch type than the killer-game type."
"I'm going to sit with the Hufflepuffs. See you later ladies."
"He didn't even say hi to me," Cho pouts as soon as he's out of earshot.
"You just have to talk to him. He's not that scary, he's a quidditch player."
The Durmstrang boys begin to file out of the ship and onto land. While Dumbledore talks to Karkaroff I tap Cho's shoulder repeatedly, "Is that Victor Krum?" my voice falters a bit.
"I think it is," She says, as awestruck as I am.
He glances around at the Hogwarts students around him and his eyes land on mine for a moment before dipping down and back up as he passes.
"They always like you," Cho moans.
"Cho, you're beautiful. I know quite a few boys who'd love to date you, but are too shy to ask."
"Sure," She walks to the great hall without waiting for me. I try to push through the crowd to get to her but am unable to. I finally get to the table and see Cho sitting with her girl friends and the amazing blonde from Beaubatons and her friends. Noting that she didn't save me a seat, I take one next to the guys and catch a few staring at the blonde with their mouths hanging open. Roger Davies seems particularly taken with her.
I snap my finger in his face and he shakes his head and looks to me, "What?"
"You were staring."
"Oh," he looks down in mock despair but I catch him glancing over at the stunning girl while he thinks no one's looking.
When Dumbledore stands we all turn to look at him as he gives a speech, a speech much less odd than is customary for Dumbledore, and invites everyone to eat. While I'm chatting and laughing with the guys I see Cho look over, seemingly sad and wonder why she doesn't just sit with us. But she's always been a bit jealous of everything and everyone. If she were sitting with us she'd be jealous of the good time her friends were having.
I ignore her and return to my conversation with the boys. By the time we're done eating and tasting all the dishes the house-elves have made for our guests, most of the dishes are being cleared away magically and Dumbledore stands to talk once more.
He introduces what the Triwizard cup is exactly and the rules surrounding it. The thing that catches my attention was his lines, "this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obligated to see the tournament to the end."
I contemplate entering as he finishes his speech and we head to the doors of the great hall. By the time we make it the flow of traffic has ceased and Harry, Karkaroff, and his students are blocking the doorway.
I yell at them in an attempt to get them to move, but it is Moody who reestablishes movement. I make it to the common room with the other quidditch players and those of us in sixth year sit by the fire in an attempt to figure out if any of us have the guts to enter. I head to bed only to be kept up by the constant chatter of Tracey Nettlebed, Shelby Fawcett, and Latisha Randle.