Chapter 3: The Entrants

Feel the touch
of tears that fall
-they won't fall forever
In the way the day will flow
all things come,
all things go

Sarah hurried down the stairs to breakfast, she was already late. The falcon had been off hunting and everyone else had left so she was alone in the dorms. "Ah, Miss Griffith, best hurry everything's getting cold." Professor Dumbledore said as he met her outside the Great Hall. Sarah smiled and hurried to sit down. The falcon was slacking and Sarah did not see the foot extended into the isle. She went sprawling across the floor. Snickers filled the hall as she slowly got to her feet. Silence descended on the hall as someone helped her up. "Are you all right?" Viktor asked softly. People were staring at him. He was used to it, but it still made him uncomfortable. "Yeah, I'm fine." She said as he helped her to her seat. She gave him a dazzling smile, "Thanks." He bowed to her and kissed her hand before returning to his own seat. Sarah could still feel people staring at her. The falcon fluttered onto her shoulder. "Oh go away. You aren't being helpful as of late." She snarled at the bird. It looked affronted for a moment and made a face it had learned from her (Which it was lucky for the falcon she couldn't see.), before flying off into the rafters. Sarah ate her breakfast in peace. Professor McGonagall handed out the timetables to her house. Sarah discovered her's was in Braille. Thankfully she had learned to read Braille years before. She had first hour with Professor Snape in the dungeons for Potions. Again Sarah was able to do this. She had placed labels in Braille on the ingredients with permanent sticking charms and her Potions book was in braille as well. The other option had been to charm the book to read aloud to her and have the bottles squeak their content everytime she touched them. This was helpful occasionally. As everyone left the hall some people dropped their names in the Goblet of Fire. Sarah conjured a walking stick and was walking slowly to Potions, but paused beside the Goblet. People stopped to watch her as she raised her hand up and dropped her name in. The fire sparkled and a low voice echoed in her head. "You are very brave to enter such a tournament without your vision. There will be many perils ahead, all physical challenges, and very little use for intellect. Do you still wish to continue?" The Goblet was speaking to her. "Yes." Sarah thought back quite firmly. She felt the Goblet give a mental shrug and she walked down to the dungeons. The news ran through the school like a wildfire that the new, blind girl had entered the tournament. Sarah had to endure stares from people all through Potions. It was almost amusing when Snape paired up the students for the entire year. She had Double Potions it turned out with Durmstrang.

--FLASHBACK--

-Potions Class-
"I will be pairing you up for the entire year with someone from the opposite school. Boys will be with girls if possible. Maybe you will learn to work together without flirting." Snape said. A whole bunch of Gryffindor girls began to whisper excitedly. They all wanted to be the one paired up with Viktor Krum. Viktor sank gloomily into his chair. He had to be with a GIRL? This could be interesting. "Mr. Krum..."Professor Snape said, then he paused, "Hmmmm... you'll work with Miss Griffith this year. Please move next to her." Viktor let out a sigh of relief. If there had been anyone he would have been relieved to work with it was her. She didn't act so empty-headed like the other girls. He sat down beside the quiet girl as moans of disappointment met his ears. His friends grinned at him. Finally everyone was paired up and had set up their items. "I want each of you to begin work on luck potion. Do NOT try any of it! If I find one of you has, he or she will be in serious trouble. Begin!" Snape called and began pacing around the room. The other groups were still goofing off as Sarah waved her wands and their books flipped open to the luck potion. Another flick of her wand made the book speak the ingredients softly to the pair. Each ingredient popped to the front of the table for easy access. "First..." Sarah would pick up an ingredient and Viktor would measure the correct amount. Every now and again Sarah wouldn't let Viktor do it the book's way. "Stir it once clockwise and three times counter-clockwise." He would obey and the mixture was being finished quickly. They added the last ingredients and poured a little into a flask, labeled it and set it on Snape's desk. Viktor cleaned up the mess quickly and then they realized that there were still 20 minutes of class left. For a minute they sat in complete silence as several failed attempts at the potion blew up, or in some cases, melted cauldrons. Then Viktor spoke softly to her. "You said you loved Quidditch, correct?" Sarah nodded startled. Viktor smiled gently, "Would you like to go flying tonight? I've been bored since the World Cup and have been looking for an excuse to take a ride. If you want I could take you with." Sarah couldn't believe her ears. "Fly, on a broom? But---" Sarah tried to think of some reason she couldn't go, but found none. "Yes, absolutely!" She was breathless with joy. "Tell me about the World Cup." She pleaded then. Viktor began to tell in great detail everything that had happened during the game. They both jumped, startled when the bell rang, calling them to the next class. It seemed they had every class together today and most of them tomorrow. He helped her pack up her books and quills before guiding her to the next class. The falcon had not felt it necessary to return to her.

Sarah sat down to lunch at the Gryffindor table. Viktor sat at the Slytherin table, watching everything she did. Even though she couldn't see she was far more graceful than most normal people. There was an air of calm about her and she was far friendlier than most people. Lunch seemed to fly by and soon the two were walking side-by-side to Care of Magical Creatures. "I heard you entered the tournament." Viktor said as they crossed the school grounds. Sarah nodded, "I want some excitement, I haven't had any since I was small and could do nothing." Viktor laughed, "I've entered as well, for the same reasons." He was still leading her by the hand when they reached the lesson. The giant man, Hagrid, had a surprise for them. "For yer first lesson, yer goin' ter 'ave ter learn 'ow ter take care of a unicorn foal. This un' 'ere lost 'is mum a few week ago. Now, yer goin' ter take care of 'im." Sarah was happy enough about this lesson and was the first to the foal. The crowd was frightening the poor thing. She whispered a soft sentence in another language to the foal and it quieted instantly. "What did ye do ter it?" Hagrid demanded. Sarah didn't look up. "I spoke to it in a language it can understand. It should be happier now." The foal began to make high squealing noises and most people covered their ears. Sarah stood up abruptly and strode towards the forest. "Don't ye go in there!" Hagrid exclaimed running after her, but she had already vanished. Viktor and Hagrid searched the woods for her, but she was gone without a trace. "Sarah!" Viktor called moving deeper into the forest. Soft hoof beats made him look up. Sarah was approaching on the back of a tall white unicorn. The unicorn gazed steadily at Viktor. "Come, Hagrid is worried." Sarah said simply. Viktor followed the girl and unicorn back to Hagrid's hut. The other children gasped when they appeared. Even Hagrid backed up a step or two. Viktor helped Sarah off the unicorn's back and the unicorn trotted towards the tiny foal. "The foal was separated from its mother in a centaur attack." Sarah said simply. The tiny foal staggered to its feet and began to follow its mother back to the forest. The unicorn stopped and gave a soft whinny before trotting to Sarah. Sarah held out her hand to the unicorn. The unicorn placed the tip of its horn in the center of Sarah's palm and pushed just hard enough that the tip broke off inside Sarah's hand. Blood welled up for a moment over the wound and horn, but healed over instantly. The girl clenched and unclenched her hand. "Thank you." She whispered as the unicorn ran into the forest with her foal. Viktor took Sarah's hand and stared at the palm of her hand. In the center gleamed a silvery crystal like object in the shape of a unicorn rearing. Sarah smiled before heading back up to the castle as the final bell of the day rang. She headed to the hall with Viktor leading her. She sat down beside a set of twins (Fred and George as she now knew them.) and waited as Dumbledore dimmed the lights. The Goblet of Fire sparked an angry red before spitting out the first name. "The Durmstrang champion is Viktor Krum!" The Durmstrang boys cheered. The Goblet sparked again. "The Beauxbaton champion is Fluer Delacour!" Fluer flounced up to the door and disappeared through it. "And the Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory." Sarah's heart sank. "Now that we have our three champions--" Dumbledore began. He was cut off as the Goblet sparked again. Two more pieces fluttered out. He caught them both. "Harry Potter and Sarah Griffith!" Sarah felt her legs shaking as she got to her feet and stepped over to the door. Harry Potter took a little longer to show up. Together they made their way down the steps of the trophy room. The other three were clustered around the fire, Viktor off slightly by himself. "Do zey want us back?" Fluer said haughtily. "Nope, sorry to disappoint you. We're competing as well." Sarah said, grinning in spite of herself. The Goblet had spat out her name! "What!" All three exclaimed at once. Harry glanced at the older girl and had to smile at the look of utter triumph on her face. Viktor ran forward to embrace Sarah. "Congratulations!" He whispered happily in her ear. He jumped away, blushing when he realized everyone was staring at them. She was blushing too.