Disclaimer: Unless Hedwig met her death when she was smucked by an airplane on the way to deliver a message to Sirius, I do not own Harry Potter.
(AN) OK, I know it's a year early and all but a just HAVE to introduce Luna NOW! I just adore Loopy Loony Luna!
Harry Potter and Some Really Bad Luck
Harry gazed at the magnificent, skeletal creature with mingled fear and interest. It intrigued him. "What is THAT?" Harry squeaked, pointing at the carriage.
"What, what's what?" said Hermione looking wildly around.
Padfoot whimpered and looked at Harry with big brown doggie eyes that seemed to say, "I'm sorry."
"That! Pulling the carriage!" Harry said, pointing once more.
"Nothing is pulling the carriage, Harry," Ron said.
Harry suddenly knew that they were telling the truth. As a werewolf he could sense others' emotions. All he sensed from them was confusion and curiosity.
"OK..." said Harry, skittering around the thing, his eyes never leaving the creature's. Once he sat in the carriage he noticed a blonde girl in Ravenclaw dress staring at him. She wore...radish earrings... "You're not going mad you know," she said as Ron, Hermione, and Snuffles boarded the carriage, "I can see them too."
Harry just stared at her. This did not make him feel better at all. "Loopy" Luna had just told him that she could see the same things he could and she was... well...INSANE!
"Err, thanks," he said uncomfortably, receiving odd glances from his friends.
The winged black creature snorted and began pulling them toward the castle. After 20 minutes they walked through the gates and they were finally on the school grounds. He sighed in relief. It had felt like ages since he had been here. This was... home. He smiled happily and jumped off of the carriage and began waking toward the school with the other students, only glancing at the thing as he passed.
Soon enough they were all seared in the great hall and chattering away. Padfoot sat under the table, nipping at Slytherins as they walked past, causing much laughter at the Griffindor table. Harry talked and laughed with friends that he had not seen over the summer, such as Dean, Seamus, and Neville. Ginny was seated beside Neville flipping her hair at Harry and flirting, making Harry laugh. Ron was constantly complaining about how hungry he was and why they couldn't just give him the food already.
Soon enough the "midgets" were sorted and the Sorting Hat taken to Dumbledore's office.
Dumbledore rose and announced the school rules and forbidden items and introduced the new Professor, or he would have if the new Professor hadn't been late.
Soon enough they were gorging themselves on delicious food till they were to the point of exploding. One poor little first year was so absorbed in the food he didn't realize how full he was until he rushed up and began to run to the bathroom, but vomited all over the Slytherin table, earning lots of cheers from the other houses.
When they were all done Dumbledore began to speak, but almost immediately the ceiling began to rumble and flash like a lightning storm, causing the students to scream in panic. But then a jet of light shot at the roof, and all was calm.
Everyone looked back to see who their savior was and saw a scarred, tough auror glaring out at them all. He had one normal eye, but the other was extremely large and electric blue, whizzing around in its socket.
The whole hall was silent as he began moving to the staff table, his apparently wooden leg clunking on the floor as he did so.
"That's Mad-Eye Moody, that is," Ron whispered to Harry, "he must be the new defense against the dark arts teacher."
Harry looked at him curiously. For an auror he sure had a lot of anxiety and fear radiating from him. It was like he was trying to hide something...afraid of being caught for something...
He approached Dumbledore and shook his hand, glaring at the ceiling. He then took a flask from his pocket and drank deeply from it. He then shuddered and placed it back in his pocket...
"What's that he's drinkin' do you suppose?" Seamus whispered.
"I dunno but I don't think it's pumpkin juice," said Harry, wrinkling his nose at the smell, as with his overly-developed senses he could smell it. It smelled oddly familiar.
"Well," said Professor Dumbledore, "This year, under the circumstances, there will be no Quidditch-"
At this point the whole Hall's attention was ripped from the new Professor, and instead they were yelling about no Quidditch.
"Ouch!" Harry said, covering his ears. Ron and Hermione both gave him sympathetic looks.
"SILENCE!" roared Dumbledore. "Now, we have replaced Quidditch with an activity I am sure each an every one of you will enjoy. But more of that later. I would first like to introduce you to the two schools that will be staying with us this year. I hope you all welcome them with open arms. Please welcome Beauxbatons Academy, and their Headmistress, Madame Maxime!"
Then the doors to the Great Hall opened and in came the girls and boys (Hardly any boys there at all, mind you.) of Beauxbatons, dressed in baby blue uniforms. They danced gracefully between all of the Hogwarts tables, the girl students making the boys drool.
"Bloody Hell!" Ron said, staring at one of their arses.
"Ron!" Hermione hissed, smacking the red-head. Harry just laughed and rolled his eyes.
Once all of the Beauxbatons students were seated at the Hufflepuff table, Dumbledore declared, "Now welcome the proud sons of Durmstrang, and their headmaster, Igor Karkaroff." Then the doors slammed open and tough looking boys stomped into the Hall, chanting something as they smashed their little canes onto the floor (Poor floor!). They then broke out into a run and ran to the front of the Hall, displaying their hotness to the ladies. The ladies didn't seem to impressed though, until-
"It's Victor Krum! Harry look! LOOK! It's KRUM!" Ron hissed in Harry's ear. Just about every girl in the Great Hall was staring at him, other than Hermione. Harry spun around to see Krum and his Headmaster walking up to join the other boys. The boys all went to the Slytherin's table, much to the Griffindor's dislike.
"Now," said Dumbledore, "the reason they are here is that Hogwarts has the pleasure of hosting a legendary event, one that hasn't been held for hundreds of years! The Triwizard Tournament!"
Cries of disbelief and glee swept through the Great Hall.
"Now, for any of you who don't what this is, it is a competition between three schools who compete in three extremely dangerous tasks, to try to win the Triwizard Cup!"
Suddenly a piece of silk flew off of a pedestal to reveal a blue glowing cup that made the hall "Oooo," and "Aaah."
"Now, to explain the rules of this tournament to you, I give you Mr. Barty Crouch from the Ministry of Magic!" Dumbledore said, returning to the staff table to let the man who had just strode to the front of the hall talk. He talked for a long time and the students pretty much tuned him out until he said. "-no student under 17 should put their name forth for the Triwizard Tournament."
The hall was in a sudden uproar, twins both crying, "That's rubbish! Rubbish! !"
"SILENCE!," yelled Dumbledore. Once the great Hall was quiet he thanked the Ministry official and turned to a big heap of decorative metal. He simply touched it and it seemed to melt, leaving only a giant goblet. The goblet was still for a moment and then it was filled with blue flames.
"This," Dumbledore announced, "is the Goblet of Fire. If you wish to compete you need only write your name on a piece of parchment and put it into the flame by Thursday, when the champions will be selected. I may warn you however, these tasks are not for the faint of heart. Now pip, pip! Off to bed."
The hall rose and soon the students were in their common rooms.
That night Harry told Snuffles all about the tournament, and how excited he would be to watch it.
(AN) Hi guys. I'm sick. Again. It seems I'm really germ prone this winter and it sucks! Oh, well. I hope you like this chapter!