The Great Hall was completely silent. No one was clapping for Professor Moody except Dumbledore and Hagrid; everyone else just stared at Moody's bizarre appearance.
"Moody?" Harry asked quietly, "Mad-Eye Moody? The one your dad went to help this morning?"
"It must be," Ron muttered back in a low voice.
"What happened to him? What happened to his face?" Hermione asked with a hint of fear in her voice.
"Dunno," Ron whispered, watching Moody in awe.
Moody seemed to care less about his greeting and all the shocked eyes on him. He continued to poke at the sausages and take swigs from his hip- flask.
"As I was saying," Dumbledore said clearing his throat and smiling at everyone, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event which has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."
"You're JOKING!" said Fred loudly.
This broke the silence that had previously filled the Hall as every broke into laughter, including Dumbledore.
"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "though, now you mention it, I did hear and excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar ..."
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat with clear disapproval.
"Er ... but maybe this is not the time ... not ... Where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament ... well, some of you will not know what this Tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.
"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago, as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry – Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the Tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities – until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the Tournament was discontinued."
"Death toll?" Lilly heard Hermione whispered and looked over to see her alarmed expression and smiled pleasantly to herself.
"There have been several attempts over the centuries to re-instate the Tournament, none of which have been very successful. However, out own Departments of International Magical Co-operation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that, this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.
"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place on Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory for their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."
"I'm going for it!" Fred said with a twinkle in his eye.
"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts, the Heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age – that is to say, seventeen years or older – will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the Tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth year and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion. I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen.
"The delegations for Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October, and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"
"They can't do that!" George Weasley said angrily as he stood up from his seat but not moving with the rest of the students heading for bed, "We're seventeen in April, why can't we have a shot?"
"They're not stopping me from entering," said Fred equally as angry, "The champions'll get to do all sorts of stuff you'd never be allowed to do normally. And a thousand Galleons prize money!"
"Yeah," said Ron dreamily, "Yeah, a thousand Galleons..."
"Come on," said Hermione, "we'll be the only ones left here if you don't move. And I'm sure Lilly would like a tour of the Gryffindor tour."
They all set off for the Entrance Hall, with Fred and George debating the ways in which Dumbledore might stop those who were under seventeen from entering the Tournament.
"Who's the impartial judge who's going to decide who the champions are?" Harry asked.
"Dunno, but it's them we'll have to fool. I reckon a couple of drops of Ageing Potion might do it, George..." Fred said.
"Dumbledore knows you're not of age though." Said Ron.
"Yeah, but he's not the one who decides who the champion is, is he? Sounds to me like once this judge knows who wants to enter, he'll choose the best from each school and never mind how old they are. Dumbledore's trying to stop us giving our names."
Lilly smiled to herself as she listened to the conversation and realized that she felt right at home with these people.
"Are you going to try and enter Lilly?" Fred asked.
"What?" Lilly said shaking her head as she came from her own thoughts, "Me enter? No I can't."
"What why not?" Fred asked as they watch Harry and Ron pull a chubby boy out of a trick step.
"I'm a Princess. It's against the rules."
"That ridicules."
"Not really considering that before it was held between schools the Triwizard Tournament was held so competitors could compete for the right to marry a Princess."
They stopped the conversation there because they had come to a large painting of the Fat Lady.
"Password?" the lady asked.
"Balderdash." George said, "a Prefect told me downstairs."
The portrait swung forward to reveal a hole in the wall, which led to the Gryffindor common room. It was full of squashy armchairs and sofas and tables and there was a warm crackling fire. The room was decorated mainly red and gold the Gryffindor colors. Hermione and Lilly bid the boys goodnight and went up to their dormitories.
Hermione led the up the stone stair way to the fourth door on the right. The two girls walked into the spacious circular room that had 4 large four-poster beds all placed equally around the room. There were already two girls unpacking their belongings and in the corner stood two large men all in black. They were Jenson and Marlou.
"Jenson, Marlou what are you doing here?" Lilly said under her breath to them as she walked over.
"We are here under the orders of your father." Jenson said in his gruff voice.
"Why? I'm fine and your scaring the other students."
"Your Highness..." Marlou began.
"Jenson please. Marlou... please can you just I don't know just leave or stand guard somewhere else?"
The two men looked at each other, nodded, and left to stand outside the dormitories.
"Well that was interesting... Lilly this is Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil." Hermione said introducing her to the two girls.
"Oh my gosh! Princess!" Lavender squealed as she rushed over to curtsy as she ran her fingers through her hair.
"AH!" screamed Parvati as she to ran over to curtsy.
"Oh please don't do that! I really don't like it when people curtsy. I'm Lilly Star it's a pleasure to meet you Lavender and Parvati!" Lilly said putting out her hand for both of them to shake.
"Wow! It's like so totally awesome to have an actual real life Princess sharing the same room as us." Lavender gushed.
Hermione in the mean time went over to her trunk and started unpacking her belongings. Lilly looked over at her longing to do the same when she noticed Hermione pull out a copy of Hogwarts A History.
"Is that Hogwarts A History?" Lilly said not paying attention to the two other girls.
Hermione looked up at her and smiled, "Yes it is! It's my favorite book."
"Mine too!" Lilly said smiling, "I must have read it over a hundred times."
"Me too!" Hermione said and the both smiled and laughed.
Lilly then proceeded to unpack her trunk and place her stuff around her bed, which was right next to Hermione's. She place the pictures of her mother and her father next to her on the night table along with the little wooden box that contained her engagement ring that she forgot to give back to her father. After she had gotten into her nightgown did she continue to answer Lavender and Parvati's questions about being a Princess? Shortly Hermione too joined in.
"So do you have like lots of gowns and fancy dresses?"
"Oh yes loads but I always give them away to the needy children in my country. If you want you could all come back to my castle some time and take any that you like. I get new ones all the time as gifts."
"Oh wow!" all three girls said with rapturous looks in their eyes.
"Um Lilly I over heard you tell Fred that you couldn't enter the Tournament because you're a Princess. Why is that?" Hermione asked.
"Oh well because it was originally held for people to compete for the right to marry a Witch Princess. So wizards all over the lands could compete and prove their magical abilities to the Princess and the winner would marry her. So naturally I couldn't compete in it because of the old rules. It would be like me trying to marry myself."
"But isn't that like an arranged marriage just in a different form?"
"Yes I guess so."
"Well I'm so glad arranged marriages don't exist anymore!" Lavender said, "I would hate marring someone I didn't love!"
"Tell me about it" Lilly thought to herself.
"Well Lavender there still are some people who have arranged marriages even today although I agree with you I would hate to marry someone I didn't know let alone love."
"Well its getting late lets turn in." Parvati said finally.
And with that they turn out their lights and Lilly fell asleep almost instantly in the large comfy bed.
She was smiling down on the man who had just won. He was walking towards her, his red hair blowing in the wind. It was Ron Weasley and he had just won the Triwizard Tournament and the right to marry her.
"Oh Ron! I'm so glad that you won!" Lilly said smiling into the mature face of an older Ron.
"Lilly I would have married you even if I lost!"
She giggled and through her arms around his neck. But all of a sudden someone was grabbing her from around her waist and pulling her away. They were laughing a deep, evil laugh. Lilly turned around to see Draco Malfoy whisking her away and there was nothing she could do to stop him.
"She's mine Weasley! And you'll never be able to get her back!"
Lilly sat up in bed breathing heavily. The morning had already come. She had to calm herself before she could draw back her curtains to face the other girls. Taking a few deep breaths and reminding herself it was just a dream Lilly got a hold of herself. She drew back the curtains and saw that Lavender and Parvati had already left but Hermione was still there waiting.
"Come on sleepy head hurry or we'll be late."
"Ha ha no need to worry Hermione I only need 2 seconds watch this. But don't tell anyone ok! I only do this for emergencies."
"Do what?" Hermione asked puzzled as she stared at Lilly who had jumped out of bed and closed her eyes tightly.
Lilly imagined herself in her uniform and robes and sure enough when she opened her eyes there they were on her.
"How did you do that?" Hermione asked surprised.
"Dunno just a little extra power I guess! Ha ha come one lets go!" Lilly said grabbing Hermione's hand and leading to the door.
"I'm certainly not telling anyone about that!" Hermione said giggling as they headed for the Great Hall.
"Thanks! It'll be our little secret because I'm not entirely sure how I do it, it just happens."
"Hmmm." Hermione said, "Anyways, are you excited about today?"
"You bet! My first day of real class!"
The two girls walked into the Great Hall and found seat beside Ron and Harry.
"Today's not bad ... outside all morning," Ron said as their conversation turned to the fact that Lilly had never been in a real classroom, "Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and Care of Magical Creatures ... damn it, we're still with the Slytherins..."
"What? We have classes with the other houses?" Lilly said her heart turning to stone at the mention of spending class time with her one true fear, Draco Malfoy.
"Oh yes." Hermione said.
"Double Divination this afternoon," Harry said.
"Well you should have given it up like me!" Hermione said.
"What? You don't have Divination?" Lilly asked
"No."
"Oh man!" Lilly sighed as another shock came to her, she really didn't like being in a class with Malfoy but being separated from Hermione was just as upsetting.
The other three just laughed and smiled warmly at her.
"I see your eating again." Ron said to Hermione.
"I've decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights."
"Yah ... and you were hungry." Ron said grinning.
Lilly watched as the morning owls flew in to deliver mail. She kept an eye out for Mek or her father's owl but saw no sign of either. After breakfast she followed Hermione, Ron, and Harry out to the greenhouses for her first class, Herbology.
"Bubotubers," Professor Sprout said hold up a plant that looked like giant black slugs that were squirming and had large shiny swellings on them that seemed to be full of liquid, "They need squeezing. You will collect the pus..."
"The what?" said a boy named Seamus Finnigan, sounding revolted.
"Pus, Finnigan, pus." Professor Sprout said "and it's extremely valuable, so don't waste it. You will collect the pus, I say, in these bottles. Wear your dragon-hide gloves, it can do funny things to the skin when undiluted, Bubotuber pus."
Lilly laughing with Harry, Ron, and Hermione squeezed the pus out of the Bubotubers. Each time one swelling popped a yellowish green liquid burst out. By the end of the period they had collected several pints.
"This'll keep Madam Pomfrey happy." Professor Sprout said, "An excellent remedy for the more stubborn forms of acne, Bubotuber pus. Should stop students resorting to desperate measures to rid themselves of pimples."
"Like poor Eloise Midgen," said a Hufflepuff girl, "She tried to curse hers off."
"Silly girl," Professor Sprout said shaking her head, "But Madam Pomfrey fixed her nose back on in the end."
"Are they serious?" Lilly whispered to Hermione, "Did she actually try to curse her acne away?"
"Oh yes! She blew off her nose instead it was a huge fiasco and she's still embarrassed about it." Hermione said trying not to laugh.
At the sound of the bell, they walked down the sloping lawn towards Hagrid's cabin, which was on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
"Mornin'!" Hagrid said "Be'er wait fer the Slytherins, they won' want ter miss this ... Blast-Ended Skrewts!"
"Come again?" Ron said.
Lilly stifled a giggle at the look on Ron's face and smiled warmly into the large hairy man's face that she had seen several times over the summer with Dumbledore.
"Good ter see you again Yer Majesty." Hagrid said bowing slightly to Lilly.
"As to see you Hagrid."
"Wait you know each other?" Harry asked shocked.
"Yes, over the summer he came with Dumbledore to talk about me coming here."
"That's all great but Blast-Ended what?" Ron asked
"Blast-Ended Skrewts!" Hagrid said pointing to the crates that were at his feet.
"Eurgh!" Lavender squealed, jumping backwards.
Inside the crates were creatures that looked like deformed, shell-less lobsters, horrible pale and slimy, with legs sticking out in odd places and no real head.
"Only jus' hatched," Hagrid said proudly, "so yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yerselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project of it!"
"And why would we want to raise them?" came a familiar voice.
Lilly turned around to see Malfoy standing at the front of the group of Slytherins with a smug smile on his face.
Hagrid just stood there looking confused.
"I mean, what do the do?" asked Malfoy, "What is the point of them?"
Hagrid paused for a moment then replied, "Tha's next lesson, Malfoy. Yer jus' feedin' 'em today. Now, yeh'll wan' ter try 'em on a few diff'rent things. I've never had 'em before, not sure what they'll go fer. I got ant eggs an' frog livers an' a bit o'grass-snake. Jut try 'em out with a bit of each."
They went on their way with tempting the Skrewts. After a few minutes there came a scream.
"Ouch!" yelled Dean Thomas, "It got me! Its en exploded!" he said showing Hagrid his burn.
"Ah, yeah, that can happen when they blast off."
They went back to their tasks with a little more care now. From behind her she could hear Malfoy whispering to his two offs and periodically looked over her shoulder to glare at him.
"Eurgh!" Lavender said, "Eurgh, Hagrid, what's that pointy thing on it?"
"Ah, some of 'em have got stings. I reckon they're the males ... the females've got sorta sucker things on their bellies ... I think they might be ter suck blood."
"Well, I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive." Said Malfoy sarcastically, "Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting, and bite all at once."
"Shut it Malfoy!" Lilly snapped back harshly.
"Ooh I'm really scared princess!"
"Just because they're not very pretty, it doesn't mean they're not useful." Hermione said stepping in, "Dragon blood's amazingly magical, but you wouldn't want a dragon for a pet, would you?"
"Well, at least the Skrewts are small!" Ron said on their way back to the Great Hall for lunch.
"They are now!" Hermione said exasperatedly, "But once Hagrid's found out what they eat, I expect they'll be six feet long."
"Hey guys, who are those two men following us?" Harry asked looking over his shoulder.
"Yah! They've been following us since Herbology." Ron whispered.
Lilly turned around and behind them a few paces away stood Jenson and Marlou.
"I'll ... be ... right back!" Lilly said and walked away from her three friends towards her body guards.
"Jenson! Marlou!" Lilly whispered exasperatedly grabbing each by their robe sleeves, "What are you doing!"
"Our job your Highness!" Jenson said harshly.
"Well fine just stop following me!"
"We cannot do that, Princess!" Marlou said.
"FINE! Uh... just... just be less obvious alright?"
"Your wish is our command, Your Majesty."
Lilly turned and continued walking to the Great Hall. By the time she got there Hermione had already left. According to Harry and Ron she went to the library. After lunch the three headed up to what they called the North Tower, where at the top of a tightly spiraling staircase, a silver stepladder led to a circular trapdoor in the ceiling and the room where Professor Trelawney lived.
Lilly followed Ron and Harry through the heavily perfumed room, and the large mass of chintz chairs and pouffes to a circular table.
"Good day," said the misty voiced Professor Trelawney, who was right behind Harry and made him jump and Lilly giggle.
"I see we have a new student among us." The thick glassed witch said staring at Lilly, "I sense you are from far away." Lilly nodded, "From ... Argentina?"
"Um ... nooo..." Lilly said quietly while Ron and Harry stifled laughs.
"Oh, never the less... You are preoccupied, my dear." She said turning to Harry, "My Inner Eye sees past your brave face to the troubled soul within. And I regret to say that your worries are not baseless. I see difficult times ahead of you, alas ... most difficult ... I fear the thing you dread will indeed come to pass ... and perhaps sooner than you think ..."
Lilly listened carefully but was slightly confused by the Professor's constant ramblings about death and danger. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ron roll his eyes at Professor Trelawney.
"My dears, it is time for us to consider the stars," she said, "The movements of the planets and the mysterious portents they reveal only to those who understand the steps of the celestial dance. Human destiny may be deciphered by the planetary rays, which intermingle..."
Lilly stopped listening, she had already begun this section and Professor Trelawney didn't really seem to know what she was talking about. Lilly began looking around the room and saw nothing too interesting. Then Lilly looked over the table at Harry whose eyes seemed be glazed over and he seemed to be somewhere else.
"Harry!" Ron muttered and snapped the two of them back to present time.
"What?"
The entire class was staring at him.
"I was saying, my dear, that you were clearly born under the baleful influence of Saturn." said Professor Trelawney with a hint of resentment in her voice.
"Born under ... what, sorry?" said Harry and Lilly stifled a laugh.
"Saturn, dear, the planet Saturn! I was saying that Saturn was surely in position of power in the heavens at the moment of your birth ... your dark hair ... your mean stature ... tragic losses so young in life ... I think I am right in saying, my dear, that you were born in mid-winter?"
"No," Harry said, "I was born in July."
Both Ron and Lilly have to turn their laughs into coughs.
Thirty minutes later were set to the task of filling in a chart of the position of the planets at the moment of their births.
"I've got two Neptunes here." Harry said discouraged.
"Aaaaaah," said Ron trying to imitate their teacher, "when two Neptunes appear in the sky, it is a sure sign that a midget in glasses is being born, Harry..."
It was all Lilly could do from laughing. She could fell her face turning red.
"Oh, Professor, look! I think I've got an unaspected planet! Oooh, which one's that, Professor?" Lavender squealed in delight.
"Its Uranus, my dear." Professor Trelawney said looking at Lavender's chart.
"Can I have a look at Uranus, too, Lavender?" Ron asked.
Lilly gasped in shock at Ron's immaturity. Unfortunately for them Professor Trelawney heard him and assigned Ron and Harry extra homework.
"Miserable old bat!" Ron muttered as the headed down the staircase to the Great Hall.
"Well serves you right for being so rude!" Lilly said heatedly turning and walking hurriedly away from them.
"What's with her?" Ron asked.
"Dunno..." Harry muttered.
"Anyways this homework will take all weekend..."
"Lots of homework?" Hermione asked as she caught up with the two boys, "Professor Vector didn't give us any at all!"
"Well, bully for Professor Vector!" Ron said moodily.
Lilly who had walked ahead stopped and stared at Malfoy in curiosity. It wasn't because she wanted to watch him it was because she wanted to find out what he was doing. There was a large crowd around Malfoy, he was hunched over, and it looked like he was reading something. Just then Harry, Ron, and Hermione joined her.
"Hey Lilly!" Hermione said cheerfully, "What's wrong?"
A/N: Sorry it took so long for this chapter but I hope the wait is worth it. So please don't forget to send in your reviews! Next Chapter: a confrontation with Malfoy and a class with Moody