"Let's see...I've got all my books for this year, my broomstick, food for Purdu, new quills and ink...uh parchment, new journal, robes, dress robes, clothes, Prefect badge...yep, that's everything," Tuesday slammed the top of her trunk shut.
"Dad!" Ivette hollered and seconds later Mr. Masters was using magic to get the two trunks and Ivette's cat and its cage into the trunk of his car.
"Got everything?" he asked them.
"Yep," the two girls replied and they got into the back seat of the car.
Soon they were on their way to their school, Durmstrang Institute. Their father had to drive them all the way into the village by the school and that would take a few hours.
Ivette and Tuesday enjoyed the ride though, they tried to annoy their father enough so he would tell them what was happening at school this year that was so big, but he still wouldn't budge.
Both Ivette and Tuesday spent large portions of the car ride sleeping, but for most of it, they talked about school. Ivette had purchased a new book, Hogwarts, A History, and enjoyed telling Tuesday about it. Apparently, she and Mr. Masters had finally decided that Ivette would transfer to Hogwarts next school year.
"I can't stand anymore of vhis Karkaroff man, he doesn't know how to teach his students, Albus Dumbledore knows vhat he is doing," Mr. Masters said.
Tuesday glanced at Ivette who shrugged and said, "Well dad...we'll see when I actually go to Hogwarts next year."
"Ve're almost there," Mr. Masters said suddenly.
Tuesday glanced excitedly out the window. They were going up a steep hill, on a thin road surrounded by trees. The sky was grey and the weather was very cold, as it always was where they lived.
"I can't wait to get back to school again!" Ivette cried, she too was staring out the window as they rode up the familiar hill that was slowly turning into a snow capped mountain as they climbed.
"Vhat it vith this?" Mr. Masters asked, sounding a little hurt, "Vhy do you two vant to go back to school so badly?"
"We want to know what you're keeping such a big secret!" shreiked Ivette impatiently.
Mr. Masters just chuckled.
"Look!" cried Tuesday suddenly. She pointed up in front of them, the red gates of Durmstrang Institute were coming into veiw. The rich metal they were made of twisted in a fancy design that created the Durmstrang crest on both sides of the gates.
Mr. Masters pulled up to the gates and next to a large statue of a dragon. Its bright eyes were made of rubies. Mr. Masters pulled out his wand and emitted red sparks from it. He tapped each of the eyes of the dragon statue once and the big red gates opened. They drove through the gates and into a dirt driveway, that was when the castle of Durmstrang came into veiw. It was made of stone and had a moat and a draw bridge. Another giant statue of a dragon was errected in front of the castle. Lots of other cars were surrounded the castle and the moat, dropping students and their luggage off.
"Bye dad!" Tuesday cried hastily.
She opened her door and got out. She opened the trunk of the car, grabbed her trunk, and heaved it into a pile of other trunks and suit cases marked with a large red number four (for fourth years).
Tuesday got onto the drawbridge with everyone else. The castle's large front doors weren't open yet, and Tuesday knew that in just a few minutes time, those doors would open right up and their deputy headmisstress, Professor Sicilus, would come out, greet them, and beckon them all inside for the opening feast, which Tuesday was hungrily looking forward to.
Lost in her thoughts about the wonderful feast and what sort of food they were having tonight, Tuesday felt a sharp poke in the back. She whipped around and was facing her sister.
"What was that?" asked Ivette, sounding pretty mad about something.
"What was what?" asked Tuesday.
"You didn't even say good bye to dad!" cried Ivette.
Tuesday wasn't sure how to respond without sounding horrible. She didn't feel horrible at all. Tuesday chose not to say anything else about the matter.
"Excuse me Ivette," she said and she made her way through the crowd gathered onto the drawbridge. She looked until she found Lilly and Nik standing with some of their other fellow fourth years.
"Tuesday!" Lilly cried. She and Nik both gave her hugs.
"How does it feel to be back in Bulgaria huh?" Lilly asked her.
Tuesday shrugged, "All I want to do right now is eat."
"Don't we all," agreed Nik, "When is that old hag gonna open those damn doors anyway?"
"I don't know...but I hope she does soon," said Tuesday.
"Is your sister here?" Lilly asked, looking around.
"Yeah," Tuesday answered offhandedly.
"Damn it's cold out here!" said a male voice that Tuesday recognized in an instant.
Another fourth year, a boy who Tuesday knew, came up to them. He was followed by another girl Tuesday knew.
"Adam, you died your hair again!" Tuesday said to him.
He had died his black hair to blonde over the summer.
"Nice right?" Adam asked.
"Uh...okay?"
The girl next to Adam giggled, "I like it better than black."
"Hi Hilzary," Tuesday greeted the dark.
She had reddish brown hair, dark eyes, and was wearing a black scarf head band, hoop earrings, a black hoodie, and jeans as well as her blood red Durmstrang robes.
Tuesday was wearing hers too, over her black sweater and black and red bondage pants. In fact, everyone around them was wearing their school robes now.
"Have a good summer?" Adam asked Tuesday.
"Good enough," Tuesday replied cooly.
"I uh saw you at the Quidditch Cup but I guess you didn't see me. Hilzary and I went together," Adam said.
"Great," Tuesday replied.
Last year, she and Adam had gone out. They went out for the whole school year and Adam dumped her before school was over because he knew she would be moving to England with her mother. He and Hilzary, a girl Tuesday was sort of on good terms with, were now going out together. Tuesday still sort of had feelings for Adam when she saw him, but she had Dudley now and he was all she could have time to think about.
"I'm the new fourth year Prefect," Tuesday told him and Hilzary.
"Oh cool," Adam replied.
"I know right?" Tuesday laughed.
"Attention everyone!" a loud voice called through the crowd on the drawbridge, "Can I have everyone's attention please? For one moment?"
"Finally she comes out here!" groaned Nik.
Tuesday laughed, Nik was always so impatient.
"Thank you," Professor Sicilus, a tall, young woman with short blonde hair and cold eyes said as everyone stoppped talking and turned towards her.
"Welcome to Durmstrang Institute! For those of you returning here I give you 'Welcome back!' We are very pleased to have you all here this year as you continue or begin your study and practice of the Dark Arts. The opening feast will begin shortly. Your luggage will be brought up to your rooms. Now, everyone follow me into the dining hall. The headmaster would like some words with you before we begin," Professor Sicilus beckoned for them to follow her, and the grand doors to the castle of Durmstrang were thrown open.
When they stepped into the massive entrance hall of the castle, they were met by a full blast of warm arm and a welcoming sort of feeling. Professor Sicilus led them into the next room, the dining hall, which was filled with lots of wooden tables and benches. Up seated on a platform, was another table for the teachers and in the very center of this table sat the headmaster of Durmstrang, Professor Karkaroff.
Tuesday, Nik, and Lilly quickly found a table near the wall and sat down. Adam and Hilzary found a table nearby and sat there. In a few moments time, the hall was filled up with students and teachers. Durmstrang was not a very big school. It only submitted worthy wizards and therefore weren't very many students, at least two hundred were seated in the grand dining hall all awaiting the speech from their headmaster.
"I don't know what Ivette's going to do next year when she isn't here," Tuesday said, gazing around the dining hall. She was so glad to be back in the castle.
"What?" Lilly asked.
"Oh yeah...dad's sending Ivette to some school in England next year, it's called Hogwarts and it's run by Albus Dumbledore," Tuesday explains.
Nik laughed, "That guy? What a joke! I've heard about that school, it lets anybody in!"
"By what I've heard, you're right," Tuesday said to Nik, she laughed too, "A stupid idea! Ivette was looking up the courses. There's only one class that involves the Dark Arts. Defense Against the Dark Arts! I can't beleive it. Defending against it?"
Nik and Lilly laughed too.
"Why is Ivette going there?" asked Lilly.
"Dad likes this Dumbledore man I guess," Tuesday answered, "He always said he hated Karkaroff, but he's one of my mother's friends..."
At that moment Karkaroff stood up and faced the students. He was smiling deeply at them all and looked very happy about something.
"Welcome!" he cried, "To another year at Durmstrang Institute! First I would like to say something before we begin our feast and then after the feast, I must ask you to stay put while I give you some more big news. Now, I would like all the new Prefects for this year to stand up."
"What?!" Tuesday whispered.
But she stood up all the same. Three other students were standing up too.
"All first years, if you have any questions about the school or where to go don't hesitate to ask any of these people. They have had quite a lot of experience in dealing with things at this school and are highly qualified for the jobs of helping to run things. Now you may all sit down, thank you."
Quickly, Tuesday sat right back down.
"That was embarrassing," Tuesday whispered to her friends.
Lilly smiled at her, "You should be proud!" she whispered back, "He called you 'qualified'!"
Tuesday smiled back. Lilly did have a point!
"Now you may all dig in!" Professor Karkaroff sat back down and all the food appeared on their plates and dishes.
"I'm starving!" cried Tuesday.
"Don't eat too fast," Lilly laughed.
"Hello Tuesday, congratulations on becoming a Prefect," a heavily accented male voice said suddenly, just as they were filling their plates.
"Hey Viktor!" cried Tuesday, "Thanks! at the Cup!"
"Thank you," he replied and he walked away again.
"Hey Tuesday," Lilly nudged her, "I reckon that if you weren't with that Muggle, you'd have a pretty good chance with Viktor!"
"Me and Viktor? That's crazy!"
Lilly smiled at her again, "No way! I'd say that you two would make a perfect match."
Tuesday shook her head, "No...me and Dudley are just fine together."
"You really think so?" asked Lilly, "He's a Muggle...and well, you're not. Are you going to tell him about...?"
Tuesday shrugged, "For right now, I really don't think that's a good idea, I mean I've thought about telling him all summer...he is Harry Potter's cousin so he must understand about magic and everything, you know?"
"There's a good point," commented Lilly.
"Hey, you said Harry saw you at the Cup?" asked Nik suddenly.
"Yeah I did!" cried Tuesday, "He definetly saw me...we stared at each other for a few seconds, he definetly knew who I was! Omigosh! What if he tells Dudley what I am?!"
"Never thought of that did you?" laughed Lilly.
Suddenly Tuesday felt very worried. What if she was right? What if Harry did tell Dudley that she was a wizard too? They didn't talk anymore about Dudley as they ate their feast. When the last of the dessert was done, and everyone felt full and fed, Professor Karkaroff stood up again. He was grinning and looked extremely happy.
"This year I am pleased to announce that Durmstrang Institute is having the great honor to participate in an event that has not been able to be held for over a century--the Triwizard Tournament!"
The dining hall broke out into talk at once. No one seemed to know what exactly the Triwizard Tournament was, but Nik, Lilly, and Tuesday figured out that the tournament was what their parents had all been talking about but didn't actually tell them about.
"Now, the Triwizard Tournament will be held at Hogwarts School this year and our school will have the great honor in traveling to Hogwarts to take part in this tournament. The tournament was established over seven hundred years ago as a competition between the three wizarding schools in Europe: Beauxbatons, Hogwarts, and Durmstrang. A champion from each school was selected to represent the school and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took turns in hosting this tournament once in every five years, and it was agreed that this was a good way to er...establishing magical bonds between students of different nationalities. The tournament was um, discontinued after the death toll got so high."
"Whoa, whoa whoa, what?!" whispered Lilly.
"I don't know," Tuesday shushed her, she was very interested in hearing about this tournament, it sounding very exciting.
"There uh, have been several attempts to continue the tournament over the last few years but none have them have been very successful. This year however, the departments for International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have made another attempt to start the tournament again. This time, no champion will be in any mortal danger.
Now, in October, I will be taken only twelve students to Hogwarts with me. The selection of the school champions will be on Halloween. An um, impartial judge will be deciding which students are worthy of competing in the tournament and the prize of the Triwizard Cup, glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons prize money!"
"A thousand freaking Galleons?!" shreiked Nik.
"Wow," gasped Tuesday. She was thinking about what she could buy with a thousand galleons!
"Did I just hear 'shopping spree'?" Lilly whispered to Tuesday.
"Yeah I think we did," replied Tuesday.
Professor Karkaroff spoke again, "Even though I know a lot of you will want to bring even more glory to Durmstrang, the Ministry of Magic and the heads of all the schools have all agreed on an age restriction for the tournament this year. Only students who are seventeen years and older will be allowed to put their names into consideration for champion. This is a measure that is only necassary because the tasks will be very dangerous and difficult to do. Students below seventh and sixth year will not have enough magical education to cope with the tasks. Now, Professor Dumbledore, head master of Hogwarts School, will be making sure that no one under age will be able to 'hoodwink' the impartial judge. Do not waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen."
"Now that," Nik said angryily, "Really sucks."
"After I am done speaking I would like all the Prefects to come up here and see me. Since I am only bringing twelve Durmstrang students with me to come to the tournament, I am enlisting the help of my Prefects to choose who is going with me. I have decided that students with only top grades will be able to come.
We will be arriving at Hogwarts in October and staying there for the school year. I will not be back, so, Professor Sicilus will be taking over while I'm gone. I'm sure you will show her all the same respect you give me. Now, will all the Prefects come up here, the rest of you--to bed!"
The students of Durmstrang all rose from their tables and benches and all started to make their way out of the dining hall.
"See you guys later," Tuesday said to Nik and Lilly.
She walked up to the staff table and up to Professor Karkaroff, whom she always liked and admired.
Three other students, whom Tuesday didn't even know, were standing there already.
"Congratulations all of you on becoming school Prefects," said Karkaroff, "Since each of you is the best of the best, you are all coming to Hogwarts with me. I understand that Miss Masters and Miss Holbrock are not old enough to try and become Durmstrang champion, but I would like each of you to invite two friends to bring to the tournament with you. Choose these friends wisely please, I do not want anything to go wrong while we are at Hogwarts. Now," Professor Karkaroff turned to the sixth and seventh year boys, "Mr. Milinsky, you can invite two friends. Make sure they are seventeen or eighteen. Mr. Pultser, you can invite two friends as well, seventeen or eighteen years of age please. I would like the names of whom you are bringing by October first please. At that time I will give you more information on what will be happening at the tournament and when we get to Hogwarts. Thank you all for listening so well, now bed!"
The four Prefects left the hall then and climbed the main staircase. Tuesday stopped when she got to the third floor. She went down a long hallway lined with doors and stopped at one of them. A golden number four was on it now. Tuesday pulled out a tiny golden key and opened the door to her bed room at Durmstrang.
It was a large room with four huge canopy beds, four oak dresser, four desks, and four night stands. Three other girls were already there: Lilly, Hilzary, and a girl named Priscilla.
"Hey," Tuesday said breathlessly as she threw off her Durmstrang robes.
"So? What did Professor Karkaroff want?" Lilly asked her.
"Get this," Tuesday said excitedly, "Since I am a school Prefect I get to go to the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts!"
"What?!" shreiked Lilly.
"You can't even try to be school champion," said Hilzary, who was perched on her bed writing in her journal like she always did, "You're not seventeen! What would be the point of you even going?"
Tuesday shrugged, "I don't know but I really want to go. I mean, traveling to another wizarding school! It's gonna be so awesome!"
"Lucky you," said Lilly as she unpacked her things, "You get to go to the Triwizard Tournament while I stay here with Nik!"
"No that's not true!" Tuesday protested.
"It's not?"
"No! You're coming with me!"
"I am?!"
"Yes, Professor Karkaroff said I could invite two friends with me. You and Nik," Tuesday told her.
"No way!" screeched Lilly. She ran over and gave Tuesday a fierce hug.
"Headmaster's pet," spat Hilzary.
"You're just upset because Adam dumped you so shut the fck up!" Lilly snapped at her.
"What?" asked Tuesday, staring from Lilly to Hilzary.
"You two just leave me the fck alone! I mean it!" Hilzary screamed. She shut her journal and walked out of the room in an angry rage.
"What's her problem?" Tuesday looked at Lilly and Priscilla.
"I dunno," Priscilla said innocently, "I always thought she was crazy."
"What's she gonna do, kill him?" wondered Lilly.
"Back me up here you guys!" cried Tuesday, "I wanna know what happened!"
Lilly shrugged, "We don't really know. But I do know that they broke up."
"Good for them," Tuesday sighed.
She sat back down on her bed. It wasn't really her business...but yet...Adam was free again. NO! You have Dudley now...remember? Tuesday shouted at herself in her mind. But it was kind of hard to think of the Muggle now that she was back in the magical atmosphere of her school.