Once Carina and the Malfoys had returned to the manor, Carina poured herself into packing for the upcoming school year. She didn't want to hear Lucius and Draco talking about the rioting or the Dark Mark that appeared above the campsite. She didn't want to see the evil glint in Lucius's eye when he talked about the torture of the Muggle family. She didn't want to see or hear any of it.
Carina knew Narcissa was aware it had made her uncomfortable. Narcissa hadn't seemed too keen to be a part of her husband and son's conversation either. While Narcissa believed in blood purity and was disdainful towards Muggles, she cared far more about her family, and Carina was a part of her family. And Narcissa wasn't a Death Eater. She couldn't physically do many of the things her husband could, and that included torturing a child.
On August 31st, the day before Draco and Carina would return to school, Narcissa took them both to a fitting at Madam Malkin's Robes in Diagon Alley for custom dress robes for the school year. Narcissa would be overseeing how their dress robes would turn out and would send them to Hogwarts once finished, well before they would be needed for the Yule Ball in December.
Of course, Lucius had told them about the Triwizard Tournament taking place once again. He had highly encouraged Carina to enter, knowing she would be skilled enough. Even without his encouragement, Carina had to admit she was interested in putting her skills and knowledge to the test, so it wouldn't feel like pulling teeth to enter just to please him.
Once at the feast, it was running a tad late due to the horrid weather outside, and Carina found herself growing irritable and hungry. When Professor McGonagall finally led the first years into the hall and sorted them, Dumbledore said the magic words and the feast appeared.
"About time," Adrian muttered from Carina's left side. He began piling food onto his plate.
"I wonder if any of the first years fell into the lake," Cassius said next to Adrian.
"Probably," Sylvia chimed in, across from Carina and between Terence and Miles. "Doesn't it happen almost every year?"
Carina pointed at Sylvia with her fork. "Right. Who fell in our year?"
"Patricia Stimpson," Miles recalled. "Ravenclaw. Remember she was also the one who kept fainting before our O.W.L.s last year?" He shook his head and chuckled. "Shame. She's attractive but way too easily startled."
Their idle chatter continued through dinner and dessert until finally students and staff were done eating. Professor Dumbledore got to his feet and the room quieted.
"So!" Dumbledore exclaimed with a broad smile. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-bashing Boomerangs."
"That sounds boring," Adrian interjected quietly. His friends around him chuckled.
"The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anyone would like to check it," Dumbledore said. He seemed to know no one would actually be interested unless they were Percy Weasley 2.0. "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year."
Dumbledore paused as if to create suspense about what he would announce next. "It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year. This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy, but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts-"
Thunder rumbled outside and the doors of the Great Hall slammed open, cutting off the Headmaster and drawing the attention of the students.
In walked an older man leaning on a long staff. Carina recognized him from a few Daily Prophet articles. Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, ex-Auror. He wore a black traveling cloak and had dark gray hair, a wooden leg, a scarred face, and a fake eye. He limped towards the staff table, shook Dumbledore's hand, then took the empty seat at the staff table.
Dumbledore continued smiling. "May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? Professor Moody." He gestured to the new man.
No one except Dumbledore and Hagrid applauded as everyone was too stunned at his appearance.
Cassius leaned closer to his friends and whispered, "Has Dumbledore finally lost it? Dad says Mad-Eye's insane."
Carina simply shrugged and the others did nothing. No one had a good answer for him. Moody seemed indifferent to everyone around him, focusing on food instead.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, attempting to grab the attention of the students once again; however, they were all still staring at Moody. "As I was saying," he continued, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that 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!" Fred exclaimed, sitting up in his seat.
Most of the students and teachers laughed at the sudden intrusive yell, including many Slytherins.
Dumbledore chuckled. "I am not joking, Mr. Weasley, though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar."
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat.
"Er, maybe this is not the time, no." Dumbledore moved on. It was a shame. Most of the students found themselves wanting to hear the rest of the joke. "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."
Students began whispering excitedly throughout the room despite what Dumbledore had said about deaths.
Adrian leaned over to Carina and whispered, "I'm entering." She nodded quickly, a smirk gracing her features.
Dumbledore continued talking about the tournament. "There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament, none of which has been very successful. However, our own Departments of International Magical Cooperation 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 shortlisted contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand galleons personal prize money."
Students continued whispering excitedly about the tournament and expressing their interest in entering. But Dumbledore wasn't done.
"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."
Students began making noises of indignation and outrage, which included the Weasley Twins and Adrian.
Dumbledore raised his voice to speak over the beginning commotion. "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 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 from 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!"
All anyone could talk about for the weeks leading up to the arrival of the two foreign schools was the lack of Quidditch to play and the Triwizard Tournament. Every time Carina had been with the twins and Lee, they were talking up plans on how to get past the age restriction and the impartial judge for the tournament. They also were jealous of how Carina would be turning seventeen in late October, a few days before Halloween when the selection of the champions would take place.
Adrian was also pissed he wouldn't able to enter as his birthday was in December. Cassius said he would be entering since his birthday was in late September. When Carina sat in the library with Cedric, he said he planned on entering, too, with his birthday in mid-September.
Sylvia, who expressed her concern over the tournament, was still excited to see what it entailed and why they needed dress robes, which prompted Carina to inform her about the Yule Ball that was a part of the tournament. Cassius was already dreading the need for dress robes. He had been to plenty of formal events and wasn't exactly the lightest on his feet.
Classes went as normal, and Carina found herself a lot less stressed than she had been the previous year. But she did feel strange whenever she spotted or was in the presence of Professor Moody. He eyed her every chance he got.
All talk aside from the tournament practically ceased the moment the announcement came about the delegations arriving the night of Friday, October 30th. Aside from Fred and George, that is. They were grumbling about something every time Carina saw them. She found out a few days prior to the Beauxbatons-Durmstrang arrival that the money they had received from Ludo Bagman for their win at the World Cup had been leprechaun gold, so it disappeared a few hours later. And as the icing on the cake, he was avoiding them.
Carina asked if they wanted her to try and reach out for them, but Fred and George had been adamant that they could handle it on their own but were grateful she was willing to help. She really wished she could just give them the gold, but they'd say no, especially since she had gotten them a large load of potion ingredients, larger than they had been expecting. But they hadn't limited her when discussing the ingredients, so she had taken the time to splurge for them, knowing they couldn't say anything.
On October 30th, most students were hardly attentive in their classes. They wanted the day to be over with so they could great the new arrivals. When the bell rang half an hour early to signal the end of class, students dropped off their bags in their rooms, pulled on their cloaks, and rushed to the entrance hall.
Students were lined up outside of Hogwarts by their Heads of House with first years in front and seventh years in back then the teachers. The poor short people. Carina wasn't necessarily short, and her everyday shoes gave her an extra two inches, making her taller than most girls at Hogwarts, yet she could still hardly see over the fifth year boy in front of her who stood an inch shorter. Now he was considered almost short for a boy.
"How do you reckon they'll arrive?" Sylvia asked, standing in between Terence and Carina. She definitely couldn't see because of the boy in front of her which made her a little annoyed.
"Maybe a Portkey?" Terence suggested. "That'd be boring though. I hope it's something cooler."
From the back row, Dumbledore called, "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"
Many of the students looked around eagerly, wondering from which direction until a sixth year in Hufflepuff pointed over the forest and yelled, "There!"
Students took guesses at what the shape in the distance was, but none were correct. A shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest. Once it drew closer and was illuminated by the lights of the castle, they realized it was a giant, powder-blue carriage drawn by giant flying horses.
"Abraxans," Miles said in awe once they touched down on the Hogwarts grounds.
"Beautiful," Carina breathed, eyeing the gigantic winged-horses. They were some of the most stunning beasts she had ever seen.
A boy in pale-blue robes jumped down from the carriage, unfolded golden steps, and opened the door. Out walked a very large woman. Not large as in wide, but large as in tall. Taller than Hagrid even. She was impeccably dressed, and her dark hair was pulled back.
Dumbledore began clapping as he moved to greet her, so the Hogwarts students and staff followed suit which made the lady smile. She extended her hand, and Dumbledore took it in his and kissed it.
"My dear Madame Maxime," the Headmaster greeted. "Welcome to Hogwarts."
"Dumbly-dorr, I 'ope I find you well?" she asked in a deep voice.
"In excellent form, I thank you."
Madame Maxime gestured to the teenagers exiting the large carriage that was the size of a house. "My pupils," she said. All the Beauxbations students wore robes of fine blue silk and were looking at the castle with apprehension. They all seemed to be shivering as well.
"They didn't get the memo that Scotland is cold," Adrian said snarkily to Carina.
Madame Maxime escorted her students inside the castle to get warmed up, the Hogwarts crowd parting to let them through.
A short time later, they heard a noise coming from the lake. "The lake!" Lee Jordan yelled. "Look at the lake!"
Since they were at the top of the lawns, the students could see the inky black surface of the lake down the hill where great bubbles were forming around the center into a whirlpool formed.
From the lake rose a ship.
"Wicked," Cassius blurted.
The ship bobbed on top of the lake, laid anchor, then set out a plank for students to disembark.
The delegation from Durmstrang walked from the lake up to the castle. All the students wore bulky fur capes and blood-red robes. At the front of the group was a man who Carina was all too familiar with: Igor Karkaroff. He had been captured by Mad-Eye Moody for being a Death Eater and turned in several of his fellow Death Eaters in exchange for being pardoned. She couldn't believe such a man would be allowed to teach children.
Karkaroff shook Dumbledore's hand once he reached the Hogwarts Headmaster. "Dear old Hogwarts," Karkaroff said, looking up at the old castle. "How good it is to be here, how good." He motioned for one of his students to draw closer. "Viktor, come along, into the warmth. You don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold."
"Krum," Adrian hissed in Carina's ear, grabbing her arm.
"Yes, I can tell," she retorted, wrenching her arm away and adjusting the book she was holding. "Thank you." She didn't quite understand the hype around him.
Hogwarts students filed inside behind the Durmstrang students. They made their way to their house tables. Carina pulled out the spellbook she had been carrying under her cloak and began reading, much to Adrian's bafflement, but it wasn't like her reading at dinner was a new thing. She often brought a book to dinner. The only difference that time was they had guests. She sat between Adrian and Cassius with Sylvia and Terence across from her.
After the Hogwarts students had sat and settled, Beauxbatons students sat at the Ravenclaw table and Durmstrang decided on Slytherin.
While they were nice to look at, Carina wasn't much interested in conversing with the newcomers. Instead, she focused on her spellbook as Durmstrang students filled in empty spots around the Slytherin table. Viktor Krum had ended up near Draco, much to Draco's smugness. Why they chose their table, Carina had no idea, but it probably had to do with the fact Durmstrang taught the Dark Arts, and Slytherin would judge them the least for it, after Hufflepuff, of course, with fairness and equality and all that.
Dumbledore did a welcoming speech and then began the feast. Carina idly filled her plate but mostly focused on her book.
She didn't notice a couple of attractive Durmstrang boys sitting next to Sylvia or the only Durmstrang girl sitting next to Cassius. Carina didn't even look up as they all started talking and introducing each other. She was lost in the pages of the text, making mental notes of new dueling spells she wanted to try. If she did get chosen for the tournament, she'd need to know as much as she could.
"Okay, that's enough." Finally, Adrian had had enough of his friend's inattentiveness and pried the book from her hands, almost hitting Miles with it by accident. "Mingle, you're a prefect."
"Yes, because that title is my pride and joy, and the most important thing in my life," Carina replied sarcastically. The three Durmstrangs around them each snorted and tried their hardest not to chuckle. Carina turned to look at them. "Carina Lestrange. It's a pleasure." She then ripped the book from Adrian's hands with a glare. "Happy?"
"Loads." His face didn't show it though. "It's a wonder you weren't put in Ravenclaw."
Just as she was about to resume her place, Carina looked back at Adrian and closed her book. "Let me pull out my wand and show you exactly why I'm a Slytherin, but I'm sure you haven't forgotten."
"Okay!" Sylvia interrupted, holding her hands out in a placating gesture. "No dueling at the table, children. You know the rules." Adrian and Carina turned their stern gazes to Sylvia across from them. "Anyway, this is Lukas, Vasily, and Sofia. Since they're not Adrian, I'm sure you'll get along fantastically."
Oh, geez, what I've always wanted. Carina didn't voice her thoughts, focusing on the food on her plate instead after rolling her eyes and slipping the book onto the bench below her thigh, effectively half-sitting on it. One of the Durmstrang boys noticed the look on her face though and smirked, which Carina didn't miss when she had glanced back up. Carina stabbed a piece of pork with her fork and brought it to her mouth as she couldn't help but admire the handsome Durmstrang boy.
Which one was he? She couldn't remember. Granted, Sylvia hadn't exactly pointed at them, so Carina had little to go off of figuring out which one was Lukas and which one was Vasily. The other one looked decent enough, but she couldn't help but be drawn in by the mysterious darkness of the first one's gaze and his broad shoulders underneath his blood-red uniform. The color did suit the other one's tanner complexion more than the one Carina was eyeing though, so he had that going for him.
Why did she have a thing for the color red? It wasn't like something with Fred was likely to happen.
While Fred briefly liked admiring the lovely ladies from Beauxbatons, his attention was drawn back to Carina at the Slytherin table, as it usually was, and he did not like the look she was giving one of the Durmstrang boys. With a huff, he turned back to his food.
His twin brother noticed his shift in mood and leaned in. "What's got you riled up?" George asked quietly so the people around them wouldn't hear over the chatter of the Great Hall.
"I'm fine, George," Fred answered, not looking up from his plate as he forcefully stabbed a piece of chicken, imagining it was the Durmstrang Carina was eyeing.
George didn't believe him. "Obviously." George glanced around to see what could have possibly set off his brother and noticed the eyes Carina was making towards a Durmstrang. Of course. His eyes drifted back to his twin. "You know, maybe you should just talk to her. Her answer might surprise you."
"Whose answer to what, dear brother?" Fred asked innocently, finally looking up into the waiting gaze of George.
George's eyes narrowed, leaning closer. "You bloody hell know who and what, you tosspot. It's a nightmare being around you two, so just kiss her already, will you? And it'll save you plenty of aggravation when seeing each other with different people instead of being with each other."
"You know why I can't." Fred's jaw clenched as he turned away.
George, typically not one to get too riled up like his brother so easily was, grabbed Fred's robes and pulled him closer so he'd have to listen to what he had to say. "We've all been friends since first year," George spat in Fred's ear quickly and quietly. Others at the Gryffindor table were beginning to look at the twins. Lee, Angelina, and Alicia across from them, in particular, started getting worried. It wasn't often that the Weasley Twins were in disagreement. "What's another thing to keep secret? A snog in private won't be much different than all the sneaking around we've already been doing, you wanker. Blimey, Lee and I are so close to locking you two in a bloody broom cupboard, it's not even funny. Where's your Gryffindor courage you're always on about?"
Releasing his brother, George moved back to his food with a frown on his face, but he got out what he had been wanting to say all summer. Now, he just had to take his own advice and ask Angelina out, but at least he hadn't been pining for her since puberty even began for him.
Carina noticed the look of concern on Sylvia's face. "What?" she asked her curly-haired friend.
"The Weasley Twins just had a spat," Sylvia replied, jutting her chin towards the Gryffindor table behind Carina.
Adrian's face blanched as he glanced back at the lion table. "You're joking." He spotted the twins glaring at their plates. "Oh, that can't be good."
"Vot can't be good?" one of the Durmstrang boys questioned, looking curiously at the snakes.
"Fred and George Weasley, the Weasley Twins," Carina explained, cutting another piece of pork, "are the loudest, most popular pranksters in the school. There are very few people they haven't targeted. Now, there are certain times everyone should be especially wary when it comes to those two and their practical, sometimes cruel, jokes."
"Their birthday," Sylvia listed first.
"Quidditch matches," Cassius added.
"And when they're angry," Adrian finished. "Especially at each other."
"Vy especially then?" Sofia, the Durmstrang girl, wondered from her spot next to Cassius.
"Because despite popular opinion, they're not the same person," Carina answered. "George is kinder, calmer, more generous. Fred, on the other hand, is crueler, more action-oriented, and doesn't think about consequences. When George doesn't tame his brother. . ." The Lestrange shrugged, leaving off the last part for the Durmstrang students to figure out for themselves as she ate her food.
The extremely attractive Durmstang boy continued the thought. "Fred is on the loose." His accent was cute, too. Scandinavian?
Carina showed her wicked grin. "Precisely."
The Durmstrang she had been eyeing realized something about the Lestrange. "You don't seem worried," he pointed out.
Carina simply shrugged and lifted her glass to her lips. "I'm not. But you should be. Just because you're foreigners, doesn't mean you're off-limits."
"They've never pranked her," Adrian said.
"Vy not?" Sofia asked, her eyebrows pinching together. "Haven't they at least tried?"
"Nope," Sylvia answered, drawing out the word for emphasis. "Beats us as to why, but they probably know better." Sylvia actually did know. She had known ever since she had become privy to the lovely detail of Carina being friends with the twins. They were her guardians and protectors, not her saboteurs. So Sylvia wasn't lying; they did know better.
"Probably caught one glimpse of her hexing someone and decided pranking her wasn't worth the trouble of drawing her ire," Adrian added. He truly had no clue.
Carina waved her fork lazily, nonchalance covering her face, she continued with sarcasm dripping into her voice, "And then because they find me so scary, Sylvia's never been targeted either. Adrian and Cassius, on the other hand, are not under my protection for whatever reason and have been their victims."
"I still don't know how they managed to dye my cloak pink," Cassius muttered, glaring into his goblet of pumpkin juice.
"I'd take a pink cloak over bulbadox powder in my drawers any day, mate," Adrian countered, looking over Carina at Cassius. "I was covered in boils for days. Flitwick was kind enough to fix your cloak the moment he saw it."
A dangerous, mischievous glint twinkled in Carina's eyes as she drank from her water. Little did the boys know, she had been the one to do it, not the twins; although, it had been their ideas. The attractive Durmstrang smirked as he swallowed a bite of his dinner, watching the minute change in Carina's expression. He knew it hadn't been the Weasley Twins, but for some reason, she let her friends think it was. He wanted to get to know the Lestrange more. She intrigued him.
As if Carina eyeing the Durmstrang hadn't been enough, Fred white-knuckled his fork as he spotted the Durmstrang eyeing her as well.
Once the tables were emptied of food, Dumbledore stood. All the students watched in anticipation. "The moment has come," he announced. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department for International Magical Cooperation, and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."
Bagman received greater applause than Crouch as he had been a famous Beater.
"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued. "And they will be joining myself, Professor Karkoroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts." He gestured to the Hogwarts Caretaker who stood off to the side. "The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."
Filch carried an old wooden chest encrusted with jewels over to Dumbledore, causing students to murmur in their seats.
"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," Dumbledore explained as Filch set the chest on the table in front of Dumbledore. "And they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways: their magical prowess, their daring, their powers of deduction, and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."
"You better put your name in, Car," Adrian muttered excitedly. "I need to live vicariously through you." She chuckled and shook her head at his enthusiasm.
"As you know," Dumbledore continued, "three champions will compete in the tournament, one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the tournament tasks, and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."
Dumbledore pulled out his wand and tapped three times on the chest in front of him. The lid opened, and Dumbledore reached inside, pulling out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup filled with blue-white flames. He set it on top of the closed chest.
"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet. Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.
"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation, I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.
"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."
The following morning, Carina wrote her name and school on a piece of parchment and made her way to the entrance hall with Sylvia and Adrian. They were going to watch her put her name in the goblet. Cassius had already put his name in while most others were still sleeping as he didn't want to be watched.
On their way there, they came across Cedric and a few of his friends. His friends were mocking and teasing as they walked through the corridor, but they stopped once they saw the trio of Slytherins.
Cedric gave Carina an easy smile which she reciprocated. "You putting your name in the goblet?" he asked.
"That I am. You?"
"Yes." He held out his arm. "Fancy doing it together?"
"Of course." Carina laced her arm through his and they walked to the entrance hall together with their friends trailing behind with various expressions of excitement and agony. None of them knew the real reason the two had broken up, and it was killing them all.
About fifteen to twenty students were milling around the entrance hall looking at the Goblet of Fire and chatting with their friends. They wanted to watch people put their names in. A few were even snacking on toast instead of eating in the Great Hall. Carina spotted the Durmstrang she had been eyeing the previous night amongst the students along with a Durmstrang boy Carina hadn't met.
Students turned at the sound of people entering the hall to see Carina and Cedric walking forward with their heads held high, arms linked, and clutching their pieces of parchment. The students watching quieted as the pair walked up to the Goblet of Fire, stepped over the golden line drawn around the goblet, and put their names into the blue-white fire which briefly turned red and emitted sparks with the names being dropped in. Carina and Cedric let out sighs of relief at them not being expelled from the circle or something similar.
They stepped out of the circle and faced each other. "May the best champion win," Cedric said.
"I plan to." Carina let a teasing grin spread and he laughed.
"Yeah, alright, Car." He pulled her into a quick side-hug then returned to his friends who clapped him on the back excitedly.
Carina returned to hers. Before Adrian or Sylvia could say anything, a voice spoke up from nearby saying, "Congratulations." The three Slytherins turned to see the attractive Durmstrang and his friend walk over. "Good luck on getting chosen."
"Thank you," Carina replied with a smile.
The attractive Durmstrang, Carina still didn't know if it was Lukas or Vasily, gestured to his friend. "This is Nikolaj," he introduced. "Nik, this is Carina, Adrian, and Sylvia."
Nik straightened his back and bowed. Thankfully, it wasn't a full-fledged bow; otherwise, the three Slytherins would have felt incredibly awkward at being bowed to.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," Sylvia said.
"Thank you," Nik replied, smiling at her. "Lukas and I vere comparing notes on the feast last night. He said you three vere very amusing."
Carina finally got the attractive one's name. She also noted that Nik's accent was similar to Sofia and Vasily's, Eastern European compared to Lukas's Scandinavian. Lukas's 'o's were bigger and some of his 'r's were rolled, his voice fluctuating more than a Brit's. She found it cute.
Lukas subtly glared at his friend. "That's not what I said at all."
"It's vot you didn't say but vere definitely thinking." Nik turned back to the Slytherins. "I vas stuck vith Poliakoff. Not the best conversationalist or the cleanest eater."
"Sometimes I wonder why Karkaroff picked Alex since he seems to hate him so much," Lukas mused. He then pointed to the doors to the Great Hall. "Breakfast?"