As hundreds of students pivoted their heads towards the door, I craned my neck trying to see past Emily's big bouncing curls. A man stood in the doorway leaning on a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. He lowered his hood, shook out his long grizzled gray hair, and began to walk towards the staff's table.
Who is that?
Remus' replacement. I hadn't even noticed there was an empty chair at the head table. A dull clunk echoed through the Great Hall as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor made his way to Dumbledore. Every inch of his face seemed to be scarred, and a large chunk of his nose was missing, but it was his eyes that really made him frightening. One of them was small and dark, the other was large and a vivid electric blue. The blue eye moved constantly without blinking, rolling up and down, side to side and then it rolled over completely so all we could see what white.
"I think I'm going to be sick." Emily squeaked next to me.
"That's Mad-Eye Moody." Draco whispered from across the table. "He used to be an Auror, they're sort of like Dark Wizard catchers."
"What's he doing at a school?" I whispered back.
"Guess Dumbledore figured no one better to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts than of retired Auror."
"Suppose so." I answered shrugging my shoulders. Professor Dumbledore introduces Mad-Eye to the school and then continued on with his announcement.
"As I was saying we all have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my great pleasure to inform you that the Tri-Wizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year. Some of you will not know what this tournament involves , so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation. The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools for wizardry: Hogwarts, Beaubatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected from each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities. Until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."
"Did he just say death toll?" Emily asked fidgeting with her hands.
"What's life without a little risk?" Draco answered her laughing. Professor Dumbledore continued his announcement while Emily and Draco argued over a "healthy" ratio of safety and risk.
"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament none of which has been very successful. However our own Department of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find him or herself in mortal danger. The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their shortlisted contenders in October and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decided which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money. Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts, the Heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age, that is to say seventeen years or older, will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This is a measure we feel necessary given the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts Champion. I therefore beg you not to waits your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen. The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"
"Finally!" I exclaimed rubbing my eyes and stretching my arms high over my head. "I thought we'd never get to bed."
"it's exciting though isn't it?" Draco asked as he walked with Emily and I to the Slytherin Dungeons.
"Draco, people have died!" Emily exclaimed.
"That's all part of the thrill." He told her. "What do you think Alice?"
"I think it doesn't matter what we think. There is no way any of us will get into the Triwizard tournament, so we might as well treat it as any other year, will a few international students. I yawned "Honestly I'm too tired to think right now, ask me again in the morning." Emily and I said goodnight to Draco before heading off to our dormitory and going to sleep.