Chapter 5
-Unpredicted Reunion-
In the Great Hall Dumbledore was giving his annual welcome speech, but this one was going to be different.
"Now we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement. This castle will not only be your home this year but home to some very special guests as well. You see, Hogwarts has been chosen…" Dumbledore announced until Mr Filch ran up the aisle and whispered into the Headmaster's ear, before they both nodded at each other and Mr Filch ran back down the centre aisle. "So, Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event. The Tri Wizard tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests. From each school a single contestant is selected to compete. Now let me be clear, if chosen then you stand alone. And trust me when I say that these contests are not for the faint hearted, but more of that later. For now please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of magic and their headmistress Madam Maxime." The headmaster greeted, throwing his arms out as the doors to the Great hall opened wide to reveal a group of girls dressed in blue silk who began walking up the aisle stopping every three or four times to sigh. Reaching the end of the aisle they all simultaneously sighed and released glowing blue butterflies which soon vanished. Two girls came down the aisle, one twirling enough to make anyone dizzy and the another doing enough flips to make any gymnast proud. A single woman taller than the half-giant Hagrid followed closely behind the girls. The Hogwarts students connected the dots, and this woman was Madam Maxime that Dumbledore had spoken of.
"Blimey, that's one big woman." Seamus Finnegan declared in wonder. Dumbledore approached Madam Maxime and kissed her hand, like a gentleman. Dumbledore made his way back to the podium as the Beauxbaton students and their Headmistress sat, his voice filling the Hall once again.
"And now our friends from the north, please greet the proud sons and daughter of Durmstrang and their High Master Igor Karkaroff." As the words left his mouth, the doors opened once more to show a group of boys who looked like men, wearing dark leather brown brandishing wooden staffs. As they walked up the aisle, they twirled and slammed their staffs creating sparks as if they were flints on rocks. After an almost musical beating of their staffs, the boys dropped their staffs and ran towards the teachers table at the front of the hall. Their sudden movements caused the entire student population within the Great Hall to stand up and follow the foreign wizards with their eyes. Once they reached the end of the Hall, several did flips and tricks. The eyes turned from the flipping wizards as four intimidating figures walked down the aisle. Two men were dressed similarly to the other with an addition of a fur lined hat to the brown uniform with the most intimidating man out of the two wearing a thick fur lined coat to match. The man wearing the thick coat was clearly the famous Viktor Krum but the other two men were unknown to every student. The last man wore a thick white robe, lined with pure black fur paired with a similar fur hat and a golden staff. The final figure was completely different from the others and was clearly female. Clad in black and red robes that draped to lengths below her knees, replicating a long dress exposing her legs and arms. That is if her arms and legs weren't wrapped with silver or grey bandages. Pure black hair covered a pale face loosely hidden by a hood. Only Ron could recognise the person instantly.
"Blimey it's them, its Viktor and Adeline Krum!" Ron almost shouted announcing it to the whole world as the siblings and the two other intimidating figures walked up the centre aisle. Adeline was the only one who sped up until she was ahead of the others and closer to Dumbledore. Reaching her arms out, every student was amazed to see her fingertips emit bright red flames. As the flames curves around the teachers dining table, the flames flared towards the students and began to form shapes. A roaring lion erupted running along the Gryffindor table, a serpent began to weave between the Slytherin students, a burning phoenix raised its large wings above the Ravenclaw table and a bright wolf leaping through the table of the Hufflepuff students. Each student watched in wonder while Dumbledore stood with a large smile on his face at the sight. Harry himself was amazed at the display of magic; it wasn't a type of magic he had seen before. Igor watched as his only female student performed her skills before greeting Dumbledore.
"Albus!" The headmasters greeted each other with a large hug. As the Durmstrang students began to move aside to the Slytherin table Dumbledore turned to the rest of the Great Hall.
"Now that our guests have arrived, I am pleased to announce that this year we as students will have the opportunity to learn a rare form of magic. Miss Adeline Krum will be teaching this subject this year, which is available to fourth year students and older. Now, that news is out, and our guests are comfortable it is time to FEAST!" Dumbledore yelled as the wonderous feast appeared on the tables throughout the Great Hall as Dumbledore waved his hands.
"Harry isn't that amazing? We'll get to learn elemental magic from one of the most famous witches of our time?" Hermione gasped in amazement while Harry looked at her confused, Ron joining him but the addition of slices of ham in his mouth.
"What's elemental magic?" Harry asked, Hermione almost sitting in shock at hearing this.
"Seriously? Didn't we have this in first year? Do either of you read?" She sat in disbelief. "It's the magic that most nymphs and fairies use while skilled wizards can learn the same magic it's almost unheard of a young witch to learn and master it before finishing a proper wizarding school!" She finished almost yelling, which had caused unbeknownst to her the entire Gryffindor table to hush. Hermione froze as began to realise what had happened and turned when she felt eyes on her. To her shock across the Great Hall and three tables of feasting loud students, the pair of grey blurred eyes staring back at her belonged to the very topic of her shout… Adeline Krum. Hermione, Ron, Harry and almost the entire Gryffindor table watched in amazement as Adeline gently bowed her head with her eyes still connected to Hermione's and turned back to her conversation with Draco.
"Hermione, how in the world did she hear you? Not even ferret head made a poke at your noise…" Ron asked suspiciously. Hermione still frozen just shook her head…
"I don't know…" Both Harry and Ron froze as the three most unheard-of words came from Hermione's mouth. "But one thing I do know is that this year is going to be unlike anything we have seen!" She squealed excitedly. The trio continued to talk, their topic going from the new residents, to the tournament itself however, unaware of another conversation across the Hall.
"So, Miss Adeline Krum are you going to teach us proper magic?" Pansy Parkinson questioned across the table, trying to be polite despite her eyes tight on the arm Draco had reached around Adeline's waist.
"I can teach all I want Pansy, it takes more skill than talent to listen to the lessons I give," Adeline snickered showing the Slytherin table the now new current rivalry of the year. The girl snorted in disbelief.
"Please, like you're going to actually teach us anything. When I see Longbottom over there actually learn something decent, then I'll actually call you Lady Krum." Pansy snorted, while next to Adeline Draco glared harshly at the witch across the table.
"You can't judge Adeline's teaching off of Longbottom's magic, he can barely do basic magic!" Draco laughed loudly so that the Gryffindor table could hear. Adeline stayed silent. Although she was raised by a pureblood family, she never saw the point in blaming someone for something that was out of their control. Giving purebloods the same opportunities but first priorities she could understand because they were the last purebloods.
"Pansy I will just say this, even though you are a pureblood, there is no doubt that most magical folk will still better you in the magic department so please up your walk before you talk. And please stay away from people if they clearly don't want to be near you, that is called stalking." She snarled in her face. "Draco, could you please tell me more about the Hall?" She asked politely, while discretely waving her fingers. Her burst of magic forced the liquid in Pansy's cup to pour out of her cup and covering her new clean robes, making the witch scream in frustration. Draco shook out of his shock, no one had spoken to Pansy like that before even if they wanted to. Let alone the act of her magic attacking Pansy, even if it was just an extension of her spilling her drink. Draco turned his eyes back to Adeline watching as she delicately lifted a fork with food on it to her mouth. The witch raised her eyebrow at the feel of his stare.
"Well, how much do you know about Hogwarts Adeline? I'm sure you know the basics since you are going to be one of our teachers?" Draco asked, Adeline turning to face him. All eyes continued to look at Adeline waiting patiently for her answer, while Pansy snarled with her eyes silently. Draco's close friends Blaise and Theodore sat closely to Draco and Adeline waiting for her answer still.
"I know more than most people expect, that the four founders created Hogwarts in the 10th century. Each founder created a house representing the core qualities of themselves. Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. Only one of the founders had a different view of what Hogwarts should be compared to the other three, Salazar Slytherin believed that those with magical origins were to be given in a sense priority over other students. Thus, four heads of Hogwarts soon became three and Salazar disappeared from the history books." Adeline spoke with a regal tone in her voice, the surrounding Slytherins amazed by her knowledge.
"Pssh, you could know that simply by reading Hogwarts a History. Anything else that 'most' people wouldn't know?" Pansy smirked crossing her arms in disdain. Draco frowned at her, opening his mouth to comment but was beaten to it by Adeline.
"Well Pansy, if you weren't so rude I could finish uninterrupted." Adeline spoke before leaning forward to whisper to the group. " There's the six historical relics of the founders, the 142 staircases which have a mind of their own, the enormous amount of portraits who each have their own history but very little people ask and let's not forget the secret passages out of Hogwarts." She spoke rather quickly, with each fact the Slytherin's mouths dropped further open. Pansy's face went white, the witch rather disliked being showed up and it was always worse to be showed up when your idea of love was sitting right at the table.
"How do you know all that?" Pansy spoke, her face still white. Adeline just smiled and just sipped on her drink.
"Pansy, you don't know your history very well, do you?" Adeline asked as she placed more food onto her plate, a wonder with no eyesight.
"How dare you?!" Pansy yelled in anger. Adeline smiled as she chewed her biscuit. Pansy almost stood up in her rage.
"Well Pansy, I have only been here for less than an hour, and in that time, I can see you have very little personality, a strong desire for a man that has his interests placed elsewhere and little to no knowledge of a place you have learned in for three full years. The fact is, I have learned your entire personality and magical ability in a span of a dinner. Therefore, I can assume that with your lack of general knowledge about this very castle and some of its occupants that your intellectual abilities leave much to be desired. Please, stop me if I am assuming wrong, I do so hate to be wrong." Adeline smirked as the tears began to form in Pansy's eyes. Adeline tilted her head, the slight movement almost setting Pansy off as she raced out of the Great Hall, eyes from all three magical schools following her. Some of the other Slytherin girls looked intensely at Adeline, almost in awe and fear at the same time. The males on the table had another look about them, Draco warning them with a dark look in his eyes. Adeline just returned the looks to the table with a simple question.
"Was it something that I said?" She asked innocently making chuckles and sniggers break out among the table. Draco just smiled and put his arm tight around her waist.
"That's my girl." Draco chuckled. The whole table laughed, including the remainder of the Durmstrang students who were unaffected by Adeline's attitude towards the Slytherin girl. The drama of the table seemed to quieten down, with conversations between the three houses increasing as the night went on. Draco began to introduce Adeline to the remainder of his house, despite them knowing her she had very little knowledge of Draco's friends within Hogwarts. Blaise Zabini, the resident charmer of the Slytherin house who kissed Adeline's hand as a true gentleman would. Theodore Nott, a rather quiet Slytherin who preferred company of those of an intelligent mind and conversation. Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle were not the brightest of souls but they were loyal to a fault, it could be assumed that they were sorted into the wrong house with their level of loyalty. Throughout the night, the Slytherins grew closer to the Durmstrangs, but Adeline rather happy with her new friends and the possibility of something more building throughout her time in Hogwarts but only a new day would reveal the new possibilities.
**********************************************************************************Hey there guys, I'm back! I'm so sorry for the long time I've spent away without publishing on these stories. I am going to try and update once a week. Hopefully on different stories so I don't get bored or easily distracted. I won't say a day cause I don't want to disappoint you guys. But reviews are welcome and so are suggestions!