The Goblet's flames flared once again, the silence that had fell was broken by the students' worried whispers. A single piece of paper was thrown out of the cup. It wasn't muggle paper, and looked like it was parchment. The paper was oddly reminiscent of an envelope, with a triangle composed of three smaller yellow ones on the back of it. The Headmaster of the school grabbed the paper when it floated down and observed it for a moment before speaking the name written with clarity.
"Enlil of the Rito." He thus called, his voice echoing in the Great Hall. Magic shifted, concentrating around the Goblet, creating colourful reflects.
A blinding light exploded in the middle of the room, forcing teachers and students alike to close their eyes. When the light faded, it was for them to see something highly unusual, even if the Magical Creatures were diverse in the Wizarding World. In front of the Headmaster was a person of petite stature.
They had shoulder-length dark hair braided to make them appear shorter, and pointed ears could be seen in its midst. A pale heart-shaped face, red markings around round jewel green eyes and a small hawk beak as a nose in the middle. They wore a dark green tunic adorned with a tri-circle emblem resembling a bio-hazard symbol, with dark trousers reaching the knees were the leg ended in taloned bird-feet, and at the belt a transport bag. Covering the arms down to the elbow were strange black-tipped white sleeve-like garment. Their overall appearance screamed tribal, and bird of prey. So far, it looked like the birdling was male.
The birdling looked around, emitting a strange chirp when he saw the ceiling, seemingly confused at its reality, before redirecting his attention to the Headmaster and bow in greeting.
"I am Enlil, of the Rito tribe. May I request privacy for more details about my purpose here?" he asked politely when he stood back up, his head cocked to the side like the bird he resembles. The Headmaster snapped out of his staring when the inquiring trill reached his ears. He smiled cordially to the Rito.
"Of course, of course. Why don't we take this to my office? Students, please enjoy the feast in honour of our Chosen Champions! Heads of Houses, Messrs Bagman, Crouch and Weasley, and fellow Headmasters, if you would follow me after gathering our three champions?" Bagman went to fetch the three Champions in a side room and the rest all followed the old wizards out of the Great Hall. As soon as they left, food appeared on the tables. The selection of the Champions had taken place before the feast.
The Rito looked down a bit before trying his footing and promptly deciding he would fly instead when he felt himself slip. The stones here were unlike the ground on which he was accustomed to walk on. He ignored the awed (and some surprised or horror-filled) gasps of the students as he took off, following the Headmaster. At the foot of the staircase, there was a black-clad man, which reminded the young Rito of one of them, just like his father, really, severe, strict, firm. The figure of authority itself. It was something familiar, and the Rito smiled as he landed near him since the man was clearly waiting for him.
"You won't be able to fly to the Headmaster's office." His voice wasn't loud, and his face was neutral, unlike when he had been in the Great Hall and Enlil had caught a look of disgust (not directed toward him, fortunately, but at the students). Enlil thought it was because he was too much of a new thing and that the man was trying to disguise his curiosity.
"I guessed that. But the stones are much more slippery than at home. Even those in the ports aren't that 'perfect'." Severus took out his wand, thinking a bit for barely a second before pointing at the clawed feet and casting a spell.
"You should be able to walk without face-planting on the ground now."
Enlil tried his footing and discovered that, indeed, the floor didn't feel as slippery as before. He smiled at the man and thanked him before following up the stairs to the Headmaster's office. The corridors were even more confusing than the ceiling had been to the young birdling, as he could see the portraits in which the people could move through them, some even made comments about his appearance. He shook his head and jogged a bit to catch up with the black-clad man.
Everybody were waiting for the both of them in the office. Enlil smiled sheepishly at them as he took the vacant seat in front of the desk. He looked around the room, his eyes catching the flaming red plumage of a bird beside the desk.
He trilled a greeting to the bird who responded just as cheerfully, and introduced himself as Fawkes. Enlil inclined his head and turned back to the Headmaster and the other Professors who had been watching the exchange with curiosity. Enlil hadn't taken notice of the other people gathered until now. There were four teachers (counting the familiar one) on one side of the room, and on the other side people who clearly were stranger to this building. Next to a very earthy woman, the giant woman and the man dressed for colder weather were empty chairs. There also were other empty chairs, and Enlil remembered that the old man in front of him had called for more people.
The Headmaster offered Enlil some tea as they waited for the Champions, and the birdling gladly accepted, but refused the tea cakes and candies the man offered with it. Drinking the chamomile tea, the young Rito let himself sink into the comfort of the chair with a content trill, barely taking notice of the discussions by his sides. The people that arrived some minutes later took their seats and they all looked at the Headmaster.
"Now that we are all here, why don't we start with some introductions? I am Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of this school, Hogwarts. These four Professors you can see at your left are the Head of Houses – Do not worry, the functioning of the school will be explained to you at a later time. This is our Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, she also teaches Transfiguration and is Gryffindor's Head of House. Next to her, you seem to already know him, is our Potions Master and Head of Slytherin, Severus Snape." Enlil smiled at him. He liked him, and hoped they could be friends despite the task he had been sent in this place for. A pleased trill escaped his throat unnoticed by them all but the flaming bird.
"Next to him," continued the Headmaster, "is Filius Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw and Charms Professor. Then we have Pomona Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff, she teaches Herbology to the students. On your right, you have the Headmasters of Beauxbatons – Madame Olympe Maxime – and of Durmstrang – Mister Igor Karkaroff."
Enlil didn't like the glare sent his way by the two visiting Headmasters and he sent a discreet glare in their directions before tuning in the Headmaster words.
"Then we have the people from the Ministry who will be looking over the realisation of the Triwizard Tournament that is taking place in our school, Messrs Bagshot, Crouch and Weasley. And at least but not last, our three Champions who will compete: coming from Durmstrang is Mister Victor Krum; from Beauxbatons is Miss Fleur Delacour, and coming from the Hufflepuff House of Hogwarts is Mister Cedric Diggory."
Enlil got a weird feeling from Fleur Delacour and trilled to her as a greeting. She seemed surprised but nodded nevertheless in greeting to him. The birdling cleared his throat before introducing himself, his back straight.
"Well... My name is Enlil, I come from Dragon Roost Island in Hyrule, and I am a Rito."
"Oh, and what is a Rito exactly?" Dumbledore asked the questions that was in everyone's mind.
"As you can see, we're a bird tribe, descending from the Zoras – they lived in the seas a very long time ago. We the Ritos are postmen, we're the only ones capable of flying from one island to another to deliver the mail. Too many dangers are lurking in the waters. Few dares sail the seas, and besides merchants and pirates, not everybody owns a boat."
He talked of his job with passion, clearly loving to help the people with their mail. He ignored the snort coming from his right and continued.
"We all live in Dragon Roost Island with the Great Spirit Valoo who grants fledglings their wings when they reach adulthood. There had been a period where the Chieftain's son and I didn't have our wings because Valoo was distressed. Komali lacked the courage to climb the mountain since his grand-mother had passed away and I had promised not to go without him, and there was a stupid girl who had the gall to make fun of us... I took care of her..."
He had such a smug face that Severus couldn't help the snort as he saw the talons of the Rito making a gripping gesture. Enlil shook his head after a moment, and Albus cleared his throat, having seen the movement made by the talons, to focus back on their situation.
"So, do you have any idea as to why you've been called?"
"Not exactly. I've been feeling like I would leave the Island, and thus I packed for my leaving. The Goddesses had sent a brief message to our Chieftain saying I needed to go. That there was something here to justify my travelling through worlds..." he trailed off, uncertain.
"I wonder what is so important that I had to leave my family behind..." one of his hand went to his messenger bag which had been enchanted to hold many of his things, though he had left some so that his family and friends wouldn't forget him if he found himself unable to go back to his island.
"Well, I don't know what you're searching for, but, your name was spat by the Goblet of Fire for the Triwizard Tournament that will be taking place in this school."
"But I'm no wizard. I don't have even much magical power, the only thing I can do for sure is flying, and playing the harp."
Fawkes on his perch trilled softly to him, interrupting the thoughts of many in the room.
"I think I might know why you've been sent here for." He flew to the Rito's knees and looked at Enlil right in the eyes.
"I can feel something familiar coming from you, and the implications of this are not pretty."
"What is it?"
"I fear you've died in this world," Fawkes started, making Enlil flinch at the thought, "and your soul was sent to the world you've been living for many years, taking the appearance of a birdling. If you were recalled here, it might because of the Dark One, since I know there was a prophecy spoken before you were born."
"So, I get my own adventure with an Evil Lord at the end of it?" Enlil chuckled mirthlessly.
"Or it might be for another reason. We do not know the workings of a Goddess' mind."
The discussion was put to an end when Fawkes flew back to his perch and trilled a song to comfort the sadness blooming in Enlil's heart.
"I don't know why I am here, but if I have to participate in this tournament to get an answer, then count me in. With what Fawkes just told me, there might be enough magic in me for me to partake in this event."
"Splendid! Now we should find a place where you will stay. Do you have any preferences as to where you want to be?"
"Well... I don't really know. My room in the Island was a pretty normal one. It's not because I am technically a kind of bird that I only live in open space. But if there was a place I'd like to be, it would be somewhere quiet." His gaze shifted toward Severus on its own accord, and only Albus and Severus noticed it. "And near the gates too, I like to fly at odd hours of the day."
"Do not worry, my boy," the Headmaster said with a twinkle in his eyes, "we will find a solution. For now, how about we go back to the Great Hall? You must be hungry."
Enlil nodded before standing up. He let the Professors and Champions leave the room, and followed the Headmaster out of his office. Enlil was walking next to the Headmaster, looking around as they walked through a different corridor than earlier, thinking about Severus who was a little bit farther than them. He liked the man, he felt at ease with him. He felt it was too quick for someone he had just met, but his instincts never were wrong, so he trusted them when they told him that the man was the safest person around despite his scary looks.
The Champions took back their places at their tables and the Professors and Headmasters and Headmistress back to the Head Table. Enlil stopped though in the middle of the room and looked around the Great Hall, not paying attention to the looks and whispers directed at his person. Where could he seat?
The students from Slytherin were surrounded by the Durmstrang's people. The Ravenclaws were housing the Beauxbatons' students and Cedric was sitting among his friends at the Hufflepuffs' table. Everyone was looking at him, also wondering where he would sit. The Gryffindor's were oddly expectant. Feeling a bit lost, Enlil approached the Headmaster with his question.
"Is there anywhere I should seat?"
"No, my boy, you can seat wherever you want. It does seem however that the Gryffindor are eager to welcome you in their midst."
Enlil turned around to take a closer look at the pointed table. They were loud and some had no manners. How can that guy stuff that much food in his mouth? It's going to spill out! Eww! He didn't let any of his thoughts show though, he was polite enough not to do it around strangers. Though his frame was shaking from revulsion when he saw the red-haired teen mouth close around links of sausage and he quickly diverted his gaze to another spot at the table, trying to find someone worth his time and attention.
Fortunately for him, this other spot, happened to be a brown-haired witch focused on a book that laid next to her plate, on the other side of the hand that was holding her fork. She didn't seem to have any friends, so focused she was on her book.
Enlil nodded to himself and looked over his shoulder to address the Headmaster.
"I think I found a good spot. Thank you."
And then he approached the Gryffindor's table. The students hushed their talking as he neared the young girl he had spotted. Since there were free seats on both sides of her, Enlil sat at her right. She looked up to see who had sat and her eyes shone when she met Enlil's.
"Hi, my name's Enlil. I'm a Rito."
"Hermione Granger."
"What are you reading about?"
Hermione looked pleased at the question and she showed him the book titled 'Hogwarts: A History'. It was a bit worn down, but she told him that it was her favourite book and that sometimes she liked to re-read it to discover things she might have overlooked.
They ate and talked that way for the rest of dinner until the Headmaster approached him.
"I found somewhere where you can reside for the duration of the Tournament."
"Is it a nice place?"
"Yes, yes, it is. Professor Snape has agreed to shelter you in his quarters."
Enlil smiled, ignoring the way the Gryffindors just stopped everything they were doing to look at the Headmaster incredulously. Enlil stood from his seat and bowed to Hermione, wishing her a good evening as he followed the Headmaster out of the Great Hall.
Severus, it seemed, had left without him noticing, as he was already waiting for them in front of a portrait. It depicted a meadow done in shades of grey, but far away in the painting, there was a spot of colour that Enlil couldn't distinguish well, even with his keen eyesight. Stopping at a respectable distance from the man, Enlil bowed, thanking him for his hospitality.
The man's quarters were, as he had suspected, quite homely, done in earthy colours. Enlil was looking around, noticing the dark leather armchair that clearly was the favourite spot of the Potions Master, and the dark green sofa against the wall where he could assuredly imagine the man taking a nap on when the days were too long.
"Hogwarts and the House-elves have added a room in Severus' quarters to accommodate you. All was of course done with his consent."
"So quickly, in a mere hour?"
"Yes. Magic is wonderful, don't you think?"
The Headmaster excused himself and left.
"Don't let him fool you, I had an empty room in the quarters. The man who lived here before owned much more things than I do so..."
"Thank you. You didn't have to do it."
Severus shook his head and showed him his quarters. The office-slash-library he had, filled with every book he owned, his potion lab where Enlil couldn't enter without his permission since he often experimented and some potions ended up being volatile. Next were the bathroom which they would share, of course, and then Severus' bedroom, in front of his own. The colour scheme in Enlil's room was reminiscent of his home.
Since Enlil was feeling tired after his arrival to Hogwarts, after thanking the man once again for agreeing to shelter him and wishing him a good night, the birdling retired to his bedroom where he fell asleep as soon as he laid beneath the covers.