The arrival of the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang academies respectively caused quite a stir with the population of Hogwarts. Although the foreign academies were fairly self-sufficient when it came to housing, their presence inevitably caused more work for the teachers of Hogwarts and the Hospital Wing Staff was by no means an exception.
Crowley had recently begun to pull double and triple duty due to the fact that he spoke fluent French and Bulgarian. "With no uncertain terms, Mr. Potter, let me make something absolutely clear." A very irate Crowley said as he eyed the fourth year and his three companions. "If I have to bandage you up even once this year, I am going to Transfigure your bones into glass and break them myself."
"Erm, of course, Mr. Crowley," Harry said, backing away. Ron, Hermione, and Charlie quickly followed suit and the small group hurried away.
"Blimey Harry, Madame Pomfrey has patched you up loads more than he has and she hasn't said a word." Ron muttered as they turned into the courtyard. "What d'ya reckon that his problem is?"
"Charlie, haven't you known him for years?" Hermione said, turning to their newest friend. "What is his problem?"
"Probably stress," she said, shrugging. "Healing people isn't exactly what you would call his 'strong suit'."
"Do you think that he actually would carry through with his threats?" Hermione asked worriedly. "Perhaps we should tell McGonagall."
"I'm sure he wouldn't." Charlie assured them whilst simultaneously thinking: He absolutely would.
They were making their way down to Hagrid's when they passed Dean Winchester leading a large winged horse with no small amount of difficulty. "Come on you giant-winged bitch, stop it, stop- OW!"
"You okay Dean?" Charlie called, stifling laughter with no small difficulty.
Dean sent them a long glare and then returned his attention to the rambunctious horse. "Reckon he isn't in the best mood." Ron muttered as they started down the path again.
"I can't imagine that things are easy on him, having to teach lessons to us as well as taking care of the horses and the other creatures they'll use during the Tournament." Hermione said thoughtfully.
"Other creatures?" Harry asked. "What other creatures?"
"They always use other creatures during the Tournament," Charlie said. "They explain it all in Hogwarts, A History. You really should read it, you know."
"I've been telling them that for years," Hermione said sagely.
"No real reason to if you lot have read it, is there?" Ron said happily, with Harry nodding emphatically beside him. He opened his mouth, presumably to say something in regard to Hermione and Charlie being far too well-read, when something caught his eye. "Bloody hell, are you having a laugh?"
"What are you-… Oh." Charlie said, gazing over and seeing Hagrid holding several large cages underneath his arms. Inside appeared to be some sort of fire slug creature.
"Hagrid, what are they?" Harry, ever the peacekeeper, asked politely. He had the strangest feeling that he didn't want the answer.
"Blast Ended Skrewts," the half-giant announced happily. "I been breeding em all summer. Though' that they'd be good projects fer you lot to raise this year."
"Hagrid, you do know that unauthorized breeding of new species is against Ministry regulations, right?" Charlie said, knowing already the sort of year that they were in for in taking care of those things.
"Well, they aren' new anymore, I named em!" Hagrid said, frowning at her.
The circular logic Hagrid had just employed effectively ended Charlie's argument and she sighed in defeat. Hermione, who echoed her sentiments, patted her shoulder in solidarity. She was already very used to Hagrid's antics regarding technically illegal creatures.
Eager to escape any sort of involvement with the Skrewts, the three scampered back to the castle after hastily bading farewells to the half-giant. Their walk back to the castle, now devoid of purpose, took much longer. They saw several of the foreign students being shown around the Hogwarts grounds, as well as Neville and Triss Flores hand-in-hand strolling down to the lake with dreamy expressions on their faces.
Charlie watched them go, a small frown on her face. "I know her from somewhere," she murmured under her breath. "But where?"
"Did you say something, Charlie?" Hermione asked.
"Uh- no, just wondering who the Hogwarts champion is going to be," Charlie lied easily.
"Well Fred and George are going to try and beat that Age-Line," Ron said. "They reckon that an aging potion should do the trick and make them a couple years older, just enough for them to compete."
True to their word, Fred and George attempted to cross the Age-Line later that same afternoon. A large crowd had gathered to watch their attempt, some with greed in hopes that they could do the same, and others just hoping to watch them fail. Among those that watching were Crowley and Dean, both of whom assured the Weasley twins that they had no intentions of trying to stop them. "I'm surprised you don't want to stop them," Dean told Crowley in an aside as the two made a grand show of holding up their aging potions.
"I seriously doubt that the old man would cast any sort of spells that would cause permanent damage to one of his precious students," Crowley said dismissively. True enough, Fred and George were soon thrown back and large white beards had sprouted from their faces. "Now, I can't believe that you sought me out to simply shoot the breeze. What do you want, Squirrel?"
"Why did you want to look over Star before we put her in classes?" Dean asked, keeping their tones low as students filtered out after the bearded Weasley twins. "Something wrong?"
"No, your little social experiment is completely healthy." Crowley said, withdrawing something from within his robes. He held a small vial filled with what looked like blood and held it before Dean. "Do you know what this is?"
Dean made a negative gesture and Crowley continued on. "Pureblood werewolf blood."
"You took her blood?" Dean asked, anger rising in him. "The hell Crowley?"
"I've found that the best way to find out how to kill something is to start small." He stowed the blood back into his robes. "Her blood is incredibly value to that effect."
"Greyback?" Dean guessed.
"Greyback." Crowley said, his voice so soft as to almost make the word reverent.
The two stood in silence as they remembered that, despite the happy goings-ons around them, there would soon be a war. No strangers, either of them, to the realities of war and all the horrors that would soon come to them.
Sam stood inside the Great Hall, as he had nearly every night, watching the Goblet of Fire. He knew that he couldn't interfere, no matter how much he might want to, but he wanted to know whom he had to be on watch for. The first several nights had been wasted, but now on the last night he knew that Barty Crouch Jr. would be forced to make his move. He had, deliberately, kept these plans from Dean as he knew his brother would insist on stopping it from happening, or even capturing the criminal. Sam found himself thinking about how much he wished that his brother would be a little bit more agreeable in these matters. But his brother's resolve was something that no amount of arguing would sway.
He heard a side door to the Great Hall swing open, nearly silent. But still it creaked just enough to make a sound. Enough to pull Sam from his thoughts. He had Disillusioned himself and was standing quietly in a corner of the room. The dark hooded figure seemed to glide across the floor directly to the Goblet of Fire. His wand came out and a stream of multi-colored light began to interfere with the Age Line, making its slow rhythmic circling become jagged and disorderly. The soft white-blue light turned red and yellow and then, suddenly, it disappeared all at once. The figure stepped through and now began his work on the Goblet itself. This took some time more, but the figure soon stepped back as he carefully placed a piece of paper within the Fire.
"As you have commanded, My Lord, it has been done," the voice said. It quickly hurried from the Hall, the door nearly silent on its hinges once again.
Sam watched the Goblet for a long time, knowing what he had just allowed. But his resolve remained strong and he, too, departed the hall. He silently cursed his luck. He had been hoping that he would have seen the man's face. To know whom to watch out for, but no such luck.