Chapter 2
Karania looked at the note again, re-reading it several times trying to figure out what Viktor had meant by "we will be seeing each other sooner than you might think". Still pondering on that, Karania turned back to Regina.
"What's that you have there, Kara?" Regina asked when she noticed the note in Karania's hand.
"Oh it's just a note from Viktor, he slipped it into my bag when I wasn't looking." Karania replied smiling at Regina.
Regina smiled back, "He sounds like a really good friend, you're really lucky."
"Thanks Regina." Karania replied.
Another hour or so passed and shortly before they arrived at Hogwarts Regina and Karania changed into their school robes. When Regina wasn't looking Karania put on her new Ravenclaw Head Girl badge. Then shortly afterward, Regina began fighting her cat Seras to get her back in her pet carrier. This took a little bit of time, but Regina finally managed to get her back into her carrier after fighting her for like fifteen minutes. The train pulled up into the station at this moment and Karania and Regina left their trunks in their compartment along with Karania's owl and Regina's cat and they left the train since they remembered from experience that someone else would bring their bags up to the castle to their dormitories. Karania and Regina upon exiting the train walked down the platform to where many horseless carriages awaited them. Regina and Karania climbed into a carriage that much to Karania's surprise already held her little sister Arinia and her friend Serena.
"Hey little sis, how are you doing now?" Karania asked.
Arinia looked up at her sister, "Fine, I'm just hungry. Those pasteries I ate on the train seem ages ago!"
"Aw, you'll survive, we should be eating in another hour to an hour and a half." Karania said grinning at her.
:"Easy for you to say! You're not the one who's hungry!" Arinia exclaimed.
"Calm down Rina, your sister's right, you will be eating soon." Serena added much to Arinia's annoyance.
"I know...... Oh Karania, what was that piece of parchment you were clutching on the Knight Bus?" Arinia asked trying to get the subject off food.
"Oh, it was just a little note that Viktor slipped into my bag before I left home, I don't know how he managed to slip in there without me noticing but nonetheless he did." Karania replied fingering her Ravenclaw Head Girl badge.
"Whoa! I didn't notice that badge before!" Regina exclaimed.
"Yeah...... I waited to put it on when you weren't looking, I wanted to surprise you with it." Karania replied smiling.
"Humph! You get everything! You first got Prefect back in your fifth year unlike me and was a Prefect all through your sixth year too and now you're Head Girl." Arinia said exasperated.
"Chill Arinia, it was Dumbledore's decision not mine; I didn't ask to be Head Girl, he decided not me." Karania pointed out.
The carriage now started moving heading towards the castle grounds.
"I know, I know...... Still I wish I could get at least something!" Arinia said.
"Keep your grades up and quit wandering at night and perhaps you will." Karania replied.
Arinia rolled her eyes, "I'll try....... Thanks....."
Silence fell at this moment and no one spoke again until the carriage reached the Hogwarts grounds.
"You know Regina, I still don't get what Viktor said in his note......." Karania said.
"Really? What did he say?" Regina asked.
"He said that I would be seeing him soon, though I don't understand how I could with me going to school and him still being back home in Bulgaria unless there's something he isn't telling me......" Karania said.
"Hmm..... It sounds like he isn't telling you something Kara..... Though maybe he has a good explanation for it and will tell you when you see him." Regina remarked thoughtfully.
"I sure hope he'll tell me..... It isn't like him to keep secrets from me unless they're team strategies for his team." Karania replied.
"Team?" Regina asked.
"Yeah, Viktor's Seeker on the Bulgarian team back home." Karania replied.
"You're fascinated with quidditch sis, that's why you're on the Ravenclaw team. You told me that you've even practiced with Viktor while he threw balls to you." Arinia added.
"Geez....... You two really are good friends if he would take time to help you practice, Kara." Regina said.
"Yeah....." Karania replied.
At this moment the carriage pulled up in front of the front steps of the castle and everyone climbed out.
"It looks like we're the last carriage to arrive." Arinia remarked when she didn't see any of the other carriages.
"Yeah, and here come the first years. We should get inside in the Grand Hall so that we won't be in the way." Karania said.
"You do what you want, I'm going into the Great Hall to claim myself a place at the Gryffindor table Arinia said.
Serena nodded at Arinia's words.
"Yeah, and I'll go to the Ravenclaw table and save you a place until you're sure that you won't be needed." Regina said.
"Okay, I'll see you in a minute Regina."
Regina, Karania, Arinia, and Serena walked into the Grand Hall and Serena, Arinia, and Regina walked into the Great Hall while Karania stopped at the foot of the Grand Staircase with her back to someone she hadn't seen yet who stood in the corner off to the side of the Grand Staircase.
"Psst! Karania! Over here!"
Karania turned around, "What? Who?"
"Come here and you'll see!" The voice said.
"Oh all right." Karania walked over to where the voice was coming from and saw Viktor. "Viktor? What are you doing here?"
Viktor grinned big, "You'll see, I expect that Dumbledore should be telling you why we're here soon." Viktor motioned behind him to where the rest of the Bulgarian team stood a ways behind him in the distance.
Viktor's teammates did see Karania but they weren't going to speak to Viktor until she had left.
Karania looked confused so Viktor said, "Aw don't worry, you'll understand! I'll tell ya if you don't understand when you're told.
"Oh okay." Karania said.
"I'll see you later, you don't want to be late for that magnificent start of term feast." Viktor said waving her off after patting her on the back.
"Okay, see you later Viktor." Karania started to walk off in the direction of the Great Hall.
Now Viktor's teammates came a little closer so that they could speak to him.
"Getting friendly with the competition are we?" Andrei Ivanova asked.
Viktor blushed, "Ah....... That's Karania. You know the girl I've told you about. My next door neighbor back home."
"Her? She goes to Hogwarts?" Danail Volkov asked.
"Yeah, she's over there." Viktor said pointing to where Karania was walking towards the entrance to the Great Hall.
"Are you going to introduce her to us at one point?" His teammates asked.
"Yeah, of course, I just didn't want to be the one to tell her about what's happening this year. I wanted Dumbledore to tell her." Viktor replied.
"True......" Luben Dimitrov said thoughtfully.
Viktor's teammates looked back over at Karania just in time to see her disappear into the Great Hall.
By the time Karania had entered the Great Hall the sorting ceremony was just concluding, so Karania walked over to the Ravenclaw table and took her seat beside Regina.
Dumbledore now stood up, "Another term begins again, I have a rather large announcement to make but first let's get everyone fed. Flying flipperfish."
Food now appeared on the tables. Karania reached out and served herself some catfish from the serving tray. Then she served herself some green beans onto her plate along with some mashed potatoes without gravy. Regina however chose to eat chicken and served herself two chicken legs, mashed potatoes with gravy, and some asparagus. Though both Karania and Regina both settled on pumpkin juice as their choice of beverage.
Over dinner between bites, Karania looked at Regina and said, "Guess who I saw out in the Grand Hall."
Regina swallowed her mouthful of mashed potatoes. "Really? Who did you see?" Regina inquired.
"My friend, Viktor Krum." Karania replied.
Regina's eyes bugged out of her head when she heard Karania say that. "You have got to be kidding! Really?"
Rodger Davies leaned over, "What's this? You know Viktor Krum?"
"Yes, Rodger, I know him. It's kind of hard not to since he lives next door to me back home in Bulgaria where I'm from." Karania replied.
"You're from Bulgaria? I didn't know that." Rodger said.
Karania smiled, "Yeah, I kinda forgot to mention it."
Karania, Rodger, and Regina went back to eating and it was another twenty minutes before everyone including Dumbledore finished eating.
Now that everyone was finished Dumbledore stood up, "Okay, now for the big announcement. Though first I want you all to meet some special guests. Guests please come forward to the Head Table."
Everyone turned around to see who was entering the Great Hall and everyone gasped when they saw the Bulgarian team entering the Great Hall. The Bulgarian team walked past the students to the front of the Great Hall and stopped in front of the steps below the Head Table.
"Okay, now it's time for the announcement. This year along with the traditional Interhouse Competition there will be Interleague Competition this year." Dumbledore said.
There was now a buzz of talk before Dumbledore started to speak again, "What this means is that a select group of student players will get the chance to play against several different pro teams for fun with nothing except bragging rights at stake."
There was now an outbreak of excited chatter as everyone started talking about who they thought should be on the team.
Dumbledore began again, "Over the course of the summer I sat down with Madam Hooch and we decided exactly which students should be on the Hogwarts team as it will be called this year. Students please rise and remain standing if you hear your name called. First from Gryffindor house we have Ronald Weazley as Keeper!"
There was much clapping and cheering at the Gryffindor table and the other houses clapped politely. Ron Weazley stood up and remained standing and Dumbledore continued calling names.
"Also from Gryffindor house, we have Jade Willaims as Chaser!" Dumbledore announced.
Again there was much clapping and cheering as Jade's name was called. Like Ron, Jade stood up and remained standing.
"Last but not least from Gryffindor house, we have Harry Potter as Seeker!" Dumbledore announced.
Again there was much clapping and cheering and Harry stood up next to Ron and Jade.
"Now from Slytherin house, we have Johnathan Billard as Beater!" Dumbledore continued.
There was now much cheering from the Slytherin table as Johnathan's name was announced. Johnathan stood up and remained standing.
"Also from Slytherin house, we have Tom Hicks as Beater!" Dumbledore announced.
Again there was much clapping and cheering from the Slytherins and many of the other students of the other houses. Tom stood up and remained standing.
"Now from Hufflepuff house, we have Amy Bell as Chaser!" Dumbledore continued.
The Hufflepuff table now erupted in applause as they cheered for their housemate. Amy stood up and remained standing.
"Finally from Ravenclaw house, we have Karania Avalon as Chaser!" Dumbledure announced.
The Ravenclaw table erupted into applause and Karania stood up as the different houses cheered.
"There you have it, this will be the Hogwarts team for this school year, you will need to figure out who will be Team Captain, but that can be decided at a later date."
The newly announced Hogwarts team continued standing so Dumbledore said, "Everyone who's name was called please remain behind after the feast concludes to pick up your special Quidditch robes that you'll play in this year. Now you may all have a seat again."
Karania and the others sat down again, Karania knew that Viktor's eyes were on her but she wasn't looking his way. Karania turned to her friend Regina.
"Wow! You made the team!" Regina cried happily.
"Yeah! Represent our house well." Davies added excitedly.
"I will, don't worry." Karania replied still sounding shocked.
Another fifteen minutes passed before the meal concluded and everyone headed to their houses except for the newly chosen members of the Hogwarts team. Karania and the other members of the team stayed behind and Dumbledore gave each of them their new playing robes that were black in color with the Hogwarts crest emblazoned upon them. Now that the members of the Hogwarts team had their new robes, everyone on the team headed out of the Great Hall to go up to their respective houses.