They walked down the stairs from the viewing area and cautiously skirted the dueling students, who were still going strong.
Viktor led them all outside to the edge of the lake. The water was dark and rippled in the wind, giving off the faint scent of seaweed and algae. They stared into the waters silently.
"Er, what are we supposed to be seein-"
"Shh! They are coming back up. Ve need to go over there." Viktor cut Harry off and motioned with his hand for them to walk a few paces along the bank.
Confused, they followed him and peered into the depths of the lake, digging their shoes into the soft earth of the bank. There wasn't enough sunlight to see underneath the surface of the water, because all they could see was the reflection of the mountains and their own faces.
Harry thought he could see dark shapes moving about underneath the lake surface. Hermione and Ron looked bewildered. Neville looked scared.
Harry noticed that Viktor stood a little ways back, looking expectant and calm. He stepped back too.
It was a good thing that he thought to copy Viktor's position, because a moment later, sixteen Durmstrang students erupted out of the water, more in sync than synchronized swimmers (which Harry had learned earlier was a Muggle thing) dressed in black-and-red wetsuits that repelled water so powerfully it left them perfectly dry.
Neville, however, caught a wave of the icy water. He yelped in dismay, his teeth chattering as he shook himself and wrung out his robe. Droplets spattered Ron but Hermione dodged out of the way.
"Blimey Neville, could you do that somewhere else?"
Last to emerge was the slim woman they had seen at the teacher's table last night. The Durmstrang students stopped talking amongst themselves and stood stiffly in a perfectly straight line at the sight of her. It was then that they noticed Harry and his friends.
Some of their eyes widened, and they looked at his scar with blatant interest.
"Order!" The woman said sharply, and all of the heads swiveled back to the front. Harry found that his first impression of her had been very, very, wrong. He had thought that she looked timid and small, but in fact she was rather like McGonagall, although she had to be at least two heads shorter.
"Please welcome the Hogwarts Ambassadors to our school. They are currently on tour of our training and classes." She gestured grandly at them, and Harry and the Ambassadors uncertainly stepped forward.
"Thank you, Professor Aura." Viktor nodded at Harry and the others then went to go talk to some of his peers in the line at the edge of the lake. Aura kept her stare on the Hogwarts students, making a hand motion at the students behind her, who relaxed from their stiff posture.
Her keen scan of them made Harry think of Vulchanova, but a little less eerie and unnerving.
"Er, I'm Harry. Harry Potter." Harry said nervously, smoothing down his bangs. Way to state the obvious, he said to himself. "Uh, this is Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Neville Longbottom."
"Nice to meet you all. What do you think of Durmstrang so far? Are there any drastic changes you need to get used to?"
"Oh, it is such an illuminating experience to be in a different school and learn about schooling in different areas. It's been very fascinating so far, and I love how you maximize your time and start training right at dawn. Hogwarts starts classes a lot later in the day." Hermione was quick to jump in. Harry had a feeling that Aura was going to be her favorite teacher at Durmstrang.
"Mmhm. And what about you, Mr. Weasley?" Professor Aura turned to him suddenly. Hermione smirked. Ron had been staring off into space.
"Huh? Oh, uh, er, it's been...cool."
"Cool?" Aura looked amused, yet her voice was still sharp with disapproval. "Has Durmstrang met your expectations?"
"Uh. Yes."
She nodded and turned away. "Krum! If you don't mind, I'd like my students back to do the next dive."
"Yes, Professor."
Viktor returned to their group and the rest of the students dived back into the lake.
"That vas Care of Magical Creatures. I believe you have a similar class?"
"Yes! Taught by Professor Hagrid. May I ask what creature they're learning about?"
"Oh, they go into the lake to learn about the kraken that lives there. Like your giant squid."
"Isn't the kraken violent?" Neville said. "I've heard about those creatures. They're like enormous sea octopus things with lots of teeth!"
Viktor laughed. "Our kraken is very nice, actually. He minds his own business as long as ve let him keep the lake as his home."
Hermione looked interested. "Have you managed to communicate with him? How do you know of his intentions or feelings?"
"Professor Aura has told us, and ve believe that this kraken came to live in the lake after Durmstrang vas founded."
Neville looked back at the lake nervously.
Viktor rubbed his jaw. "Ve should go inside now to visit the other classes."
"Blimey," said Ron to Harry as they walked towards the fortress. "Is it just me, or does Durmstrang have the prettiest landscape?"
The sun had gained height in the sky, and morning rays were reflecting off the lake. Harry, delighted by the sudden warmth, walked near the front of the group rather cheerfully. Hermione was furiously scribbling on spare parchment, no doubt about the kraken.
Krum strode ahead up the short stone staircase and pushed open one of the double doors.
"Ve are going to be visiting the Transfiguration corridor next. Please follow me."
Obediently, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville hurried to catch up with Viktor. The turned to the left off of the entrance chamber, went through a corridor, up a flight up stairs, turned right, walked through a small courtyard, and up another flight of stairs. The stopped in front of the first door to their left in a roomy passageway.
At the far end of the corridor, Harry could see glimpses of sky through the graceful arches of stone above their heads. He turned his attention to the door in front of them, through which he could hear a muffled voice. Viktor raised his hand and rapped on the door. The voice stopped.
"Yes?" A tall but stocky wizard stuck his head out of the door. "Can I help you, Krum?"
"Professor, these are the students from Hogvarts. I am taking them on a tour around the school."
"Ah, I see! Excellent, excellent. Come in!" The wizard opened the door.
Harry's first impression of the Transfiguration classroom was partially blocked by a witch who was just leaving the classroom. She was built like her twin, tall and solid, and she smiled at the Hogwarts students.
"Getting on all right there?" She asked, nodding at Viktor with a smile.
"Yup. Vas just taking them around the school."
"Well, see you around!" And she was off down the corridor.
Harry and Ron went through the door first, into a very interesting classroom. There seemed to be a large chunk missing from part of the wall, but it let in brilliant streams of sunlight and gave the whole place an airy feel.
The desks were covered with papers and notes, students in the middle of performing Transfiguration spells. They all turned to look at Harry and the ambassadors. Hermione gave an awkward little wave.
"Professor Alexander, the students." Viktor said.
"Of course! Yes." Professor Alexander (the male twin) walked forwards. "Welcome to our Transfiguration classroom."
Behind him, students shuffled around until they were all seated.
"What happened to the wall?" Hermione asked, pointing.
"That was just a spell gone wrong, but we've never fixed it because it gives our room a nice flair. Nothing like a bunch of natural light!"
The missing part of the wall was about eight feet wide and ten feet tall. Cracks started three feet above the floor of the classroom and widened into fissures. Harry didn't think it was particularly good-looking, but it wasn't his opinion that mattered.
They stood there awkwardly until Krum saved the day.
"Vhy don't you show them how the Transfiguration class goes, Professor? It must be different at Hogvarts."
"By all means, take a look around!" Professor Alexander opened his arms jovially. He towered over even Viktor Krum, and although Harry found him a bit intimidating, Harry sensed that Professor Alexander was actually rather soft-hearted.
Krum went to go socialize a bit with his classmates, and Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville set off around the outside of the classroom at a brisk walk.
They looked about cautiously. Unlike their tall-ceilinged classroom with sparse windows and neat walls back at Hogwarts, this Transfiguration classroom was made with whitish-silvery stone. The walls were textured and uneven, giving the appearance and feel of something carved straight out of a mountain. Harry carefully avoided the gaping hole in the wall, gulping nervously when he saw how far it was should he fall.
The professor walked in front of them, describing things.
"Here at Durmstrang, we teach Transfiguration on animate objects to get a better feel of how the magic works. When we…"
Harry started to tune him out after a while, because Professor Alexander was getting boring.
Several of the Durmstrang students had deserted their work and instead started talking to Viktor or staring not unkindly at the Hogwarts students.
While they were distracted, their subjects, bowtruckles, were hopping all over the room. Professor Alexander grabbed a few off his hair and shook his head.
"I should get Professor Aura to handle this," he said, frowning. "All right! Students, back in your seats! I don't want to hear any noise."
The Durmstrang students in the Transfiguration class quickly found their places, recovered their bowtruckles, and set about transforming them again. Professor Alexander stood at the front of the classroom, once again in control.
Harry and the others left quickly, sensing that Alexander was not in a particularly good mood.
"Hey, Harry," Ron said, panting. Krum had steered them down another hallway and was walking very speedily towards the next class they were to visit.
"What?" Harry asked.
"Don't you think there's something fishy about Vulchanova?"
"Like what?"
"I don't know. But when she was earasing our memory..."
"Don't let anyone hear you say that. Durmstrang would kick you out fast. They practically idolize her because she's a pure-blood descendant of their founder."
"I know, but (here Ron lowered his voice to a whisper) I saw her eyes turn purple or something. It looked bloody strange to me!"