Time seemed to fly by, as October 30th finally arrived. Dumbledore had the entire student body and the professors gather on the front steps outside of the entrance hall to await their guests. The Prefects and Head Boy and Head Girl were positioned near the front with the professors. They were told they would be in charge of showing the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students around throughout their stay.
Both schools were sending 15 students each as their delegates and would be accompanied by the heads of their schools.
Beauxbatons was the first to arrive. They came by a huge flying carriage, pulled by Abraxan winged horses. While there were several male students, it was the female students who seemed to garner the attention of the males in the crowd. Dumbledore greeted the headmistress, the tallest woman Vanessa had ever seen. He introduced her to the school, and Madame Maxime bowed her head graciously before taking off inside the castle with her students.
Next was the Durmstrang delegation. They arrived by a boat that reminded everyone of a pirate ship. They came from the lake, mostly all male students with a few female students here and there from what she could see. Dumbledore greeted their headmaster, Karkaroff before Karkaroff started boasting about his star pupil who was sure to be the school champion. It was then that Vanessa's jaw dropped, along with most of her schoolmates. Viktor Krum made his way to the front of the delegation and shook hands with Dumbledore.
Vanessa thought back to the Quidditch World Cup. Her family had sat in the Minister of Magic's box with the Weasley family. At the end of the match, both teams came up to the box for the trophy presentation. She had her eyes fixed on him all through the game. He was her favorite Quidditch player. He had been standing so close to her that night. And now here he was, at Hogwarts.
The Durmstrang delegation, like Beauxbatons, had walked through the parted crowd into the school at Dumbledore's request. Krum walked right past her. Everyone around her was buzzing about the international Quidditch star.
"Please enter the Great Hall and take your seats at your house tables," McGonagall spoke, snapping Vanessa out of her thoughts.
Upon entering the Great Hall for the welcoming feast and celebration, Vanessa noticed the students of both visiting schools were looking around, wondering where to sit. Once the tables started to fill up, the Beauxbatons decided to sit amongst the Ravenclaws, while the Durmstrang students sat with the Slytherins.
Vanessa took her normal seat at the table when a deep voice spoke behind her. "Is this seat taken?"
She turned around and was looking up at none other than Viktor Krum himself. She shook her head and motioned for him to sit next to her. She stared down at the empty plate in front of her. She honestly couldn't believe her luck. When she looked across the hall, she saw the looks on Fred, George, Ron, and Hermione's faces. Ron was a bigger fan of Krum than she was, not shutting up about him at the World Cup. Her eyes met Hermione's, the younger girl was smiling at her. She knew what a fan Vanessa was of the Bulgarian.
"I know who you are," Viktor said in his thick Bulgarian accent. "I saw you when I was in the Minister's box at the Quidditch World Cup when Ireland was accepting the trophy."
She blushed ten shades of red. "My name is Vanessa, Vanessa Diggory."
She reached her hand out to shake his, not expecting him to grab it and bring it to his lips.
"A pleasure to meet you, Vanessa."
Dumbledore had taken his place at his podium in front of the staff table, starting his speech and welcoming the foreign students. He mentioned that the Prefects, Head Boy and Head Girl would be available to the visiting students to show them around the school and if otherwise needed. He then spoke of the tournament, mentioning once more that the champions would be picked the next night. This was also when Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch revealed the Goblet of Fire. They both reiterated that no one under the age of seventeen would qualify to enter, and that protective enchantment would be set up to prevent younger students from even being tempted to try and put their names into the Goblet.
Once the feast began, Vanessa found herself being very conscious about what she was eating. Normally she didn't care, but sitting next to Vikor Krum made her self-conscious all of a sudden. The two spoke on and off throughout the meal, Viktor becoming very interested when Vanessa mentioned she was a Chaser on the Slytherin Quidditch team, as well as the Captain. He also seemed very impressed when she told him she was also a Prefect.
"Well, your Headmaster said the Prefects would show us around the school and grounds if we wanted. I hope you will be able to show me around if you have time."
She brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. "I think I could make some time for that."
He smiled down at her, reaching out to take her hand again, and kissed it. "It's been a pleasure, Vanessa. I'll see you soon." He got up and walked out of the Great Hall and into the entrance hall to join his headmaster who had finished dinner shortly before he had.
Finishing up the rest of her food, she stood up from the table as well and headed off to the library. She had some studying she wanted to get done before bed.
No classes were held on Hallowe'en. Vanessa spent most of the day in the hall where the Goblet of Fire had been placed. She watched students from every house enter their names, clapping occasionally for people she knew. The occasional Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students would also come in and submit their names, garnering attention from the Hogwarts students. It wasn't until a group of Hufflepuffs entered that she stood from her seat. Cedric had passed the age line and entered his name. She smiled and walked over to hug her brother and wish him luck.
"No luck needed sis. I've got this." He hugged her back before being swept away by the group who came in with him.
She sat down next to Hermione when cheers erupted around them. Fred and George had come into the hall with some sort of potion in their hands. Harry and Ron were standing near them, cheering them on.
"Thank you. Thank you. Well lads, we've done it," said George.
"Cooked it up just this morning," said Fred.
"It's not going to work," Hermione said, as the twins walked over to her and crouched down next to them.
"Oh yeah," Fred asked.
"Why's that Granger," George asked.
"You see this," Hermione pointed at the magical line surrounding the Goblet. "This is an age line. Dumbledore drew it himself."
"So," Fred continued.
She rolled her eyes. "So, a genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by a dodge as pathetically dim-witted as an Aging Potion."
"But that's why it's so brilliant," said Fred.
"Because it's so pathetically dim-witted. Ready, Fred?"
"Ready, George."
"Bottoms up," they spoke in unison, both downing their potions. They crossed the age line and cheers erupted around the room. Moments after putting the parchment with their names into the Goblet, sparks of blue light started to shoot out of it, and the twins were thrown back past the age line. White hair immediately started replacing the red hair on their heads, and they were both growing beards that Dumbledore would be proud of.
They started wrestling each other on the floor and everyone surrounded them yelling for a fight. But the room fell silent moments later. Several Durmstrang students, including Viktor Krum, had entered the hall to put their names into the Goblet. Once Viktor had put his name into the Goblet, he spotted Vanessa sitting on the bench and winked at her, before taking off.
"What's going on with you and Krum?" The curiosity was evident in Hermione's voice.
"Nothing is going on."
"I saw you two at the table last night, and again this morning. The way he kisses your hand when either of you arrives or leaves. Not to mention that wink he just gave you."
"He recognized me from the Quidditch World Cup. He remembered me sitting in the Minister's box. We talked about Quidditch and I told him I'm a Prefect, so he's asked me to show him around the school and grounds when I can. It's nothing Mione. Don't look at me like that."
She shook her head and smiled. "Whatever you say, Ness. You better take those two up to the hospital wing. Doesn't look like their beards have stopped growing."
Vanessa got up from her spot and moved over to where the twins were now sitting and staring at each other. "Hermione did say it wouldn't work." She reached out and offered them both a hand, which they took. She helped them up, laughing at the sight of them. "You should have listened to her."
They followed her to the hospital wing and she waited for Madam Pomfrey to finish with them. Even the matron couldn't help but smile at the twins' appearance. A few hours later, they were back to their normal ginger selves.
They walked out of the hospital wing, but before they made it to the marble staircase, the twins dragged her into an empty classroom. She turned around and they were both looking down at her with questioning looks upon their faces.
"So are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend," asked George.
Vanessa had almost forgotten that the first trip to the village was coming up. With her homework load almost doubling what it was last year, not to mention Moody wanting them all to practice new defensive spells, she hardly had time to think of anything else. She just shrugged and gave them an honest answer.
"I hadn't thought much about it. Probably. I want to visit Honeydukes and get some Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. I'll let you know." She turned on her heel and walked out of the room, leaving them both staring off after her.
"I never noticed how much I like to watch her walk away before."
"Shut up Georgie."
His twin shrugged his shoulders. "Let's get to dinner.."
They followed her out of the room, but she had already disappeared down the staircase before they could catch up to her.
The Goblet had been moved into the Great Hall, awaiting the announcement of the champions which would happen after the feast.
Viktor sat beside Vanessa again and the two started conversing before tucking into their dinner.
"Oi, Fred, George, have you talked to Vanessa lately?"
Fred, who had been sitting next to Ron, looked over at him. Ron was looking over at Krum and Vanessa at the Slytherin table, the same as the twins had been. "We saw her before dinner. She took us to the hospital wing. Why?"
"Just curious as to what's going on with her and Krum. Think she might introduce me?"
"Honestly Ron, just walk up to him and introduce yourself. That's what his little fan club has been trying to do," said Hermione.
The twins just huffed. They took their eyes off their friend and started to eat.
After the remnants of the feast were cleared and the tables wiped clean, Dumbledore moved to where the Goblet had been positioned. He went over a few last-minute notes and mentioned that whoever's name was called would be asked to go straight to the trophy room which lay beyond the professor's table at the front of the hall.
Moments later, the lights were dimmed around the hall as the blue flames in the Goblet erupted, shooting out a piece of parchment.
"The Durmstrang Champion is Vikor Krum," Dumbledore pronounced. An eruption of applause spread across the hall as Viktor stood up, smiling down at Vanessa, before making his way to the front. He shook Dumbledore's hand, followed by Karkaroff's, before heading off to the side door that led to the trophy room.
The Goblet erupted again, shooting out another piece of parchment.
"The Beauxbatons champion is Fleur Delacour." More applause followed as the beautiful blonde that seemed to enamor all the male students stood up from the Ravenclaw table and walked to the front of the hall as Viktor had, shaking both Dumbledore and Madame Maxime's hands, before taking off to the trophy room.
It was finally time for the Hogwarts champion. A silence fell around the room as the final piece of parchment flew from the Goblet.
"The Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory." Vanessa was on her feet so fast, clapping and cheering along with the rest of the school. The applause for Cedric was louder than the other two champions. Cedric went up and shook Dumbledore's hand and followed in the footsteps of the other two before disappearing through the door.
The headmaster was starting to wrap things up for the night when the Goblet erupted once more, shooting a fourth piece of parchment from its flames. Dumbledore grabbed it warily. All eyes were on the parchment in his hand. The champions had been chosen and no one understood what was happening.
"Harry Potter," Dumbledore spoke. The room was silent as all eyes fell to where Harry was sitting. Dumbledore called his name again as Hermione pushed Harry to get up. Harry walked down the aisle as students began to chatter throughout the hall. The headmaster had gestured for Harry to go through the door the three champions had entered.
"The feast is over. Prefects, please escort the rest of your housemates back to your common rooms. Good night." Dumbledore swept off to the trophy room, Madame Maxime and Professor Karkaroff trailing right behind him, as well as several professors. None of the students knew what had happened, but one thing was for sure, no one was surprised that Harry was at the center of it.