Serabiwarrior 88: Thank you! You are my first ever reviewer! The chapters will probably get longer later on, but I'm not making any promises. As for Lily, I've got a description coming up in a chapter or two.


Chapter 2

"Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!" called Dumbledore.

"Where?" The students all looked in different directions, until a sixth-year saw a large something in the sky. This sparked debate as to what it was. The closest guess was Dennis Creevey's. He thought it was a flying house. Anakin and Lily, watching from the back, behind the teachers, were trying not to laugh. They, of course, knew what it was – a gigantic, powder-blue carriage, drawn by a dozen winged horses, all elephant-sized palominos.

With a much crashing and bouncing, the carriage landed. Out stepped a large woman. She was easily as big as Hagrid. Led by Dumbledore, the Hogwarts students began to clap.

Dumbledore greeted the woman with a kiss on the hand. "My dear Madame Maxime. Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dorr. I 'ope I find you well?"

"On excellent form, I thank you."

"My pupils."

Around a dozen boys and girls, all in their late teens, had emerged from the carriage. They were shivering, which was unsurprising, given that their robes seemed to be made of fine silk, and none of them were wearing cloaks. Madame Maxime accepted Dumbledore's offer to go inside and warm up. The Hogwarts students waited. There was some discussion as to what size Durmstrang's horses would be. Again, Lily and Anakin tried not to laugh. Suddenly, a loud and oddly eerie noise was drifting towards them from out of the darkness; a muffled rumbling and sucking sound, as though an immense vacuum cleaner was moving along a river-bed…

Then came a yell. "The lake! Look at the lake!"

A whirlpool appeared in the middle of the lake, and a long, black pole began to rise slowly out…

The ship rose out of the water, and glided towards the bank. People began to disembark. They appeared bulky, due to the fact that they were wearing cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur. The man who was leading them was wearing different furs; sleek and silver, like his hair.

"Dumbledore! How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff."

The two spoke for a moment, then Karkaroff gestured to one of his students. Everyone recognised the boy. Whispers filled the air – "It's Krum!"