Chapter 3 – Welcome to Durmstrange
Harry was ecstatic to return to King's Cross, the humm of Muggles chattering and running to catch there train. Followed by the rush of running and leaping onto the back of his trolley and riding it into what looked like a brick wall between stations 9 and 10. He leap off the back of his trolley and put on the breaks to keep from running people over. He smiled as he looked around one red train for the 1st, through 5th years and a magnificent golden train, with from the looks of the build, flying and underwater sea capabilities. The platform was packed with people as he maneuvered over to where Ron and Ginny were. As he past by many of the girls started whispering to each other. Harry was in front of the platform entrance when a little first year in Muggle clothes came catapulting through the wall, her eyes were closed when her trolley crashed into Harry's. Her eyes flew open landing directly on him, then to the mess she'd created. "I'm so sor-" she started her face growing red.
"Don't even worry about it. I nearly did the same thing when I first came through that barrier." Harry said.
"But I spilt your stuff, and mine," she looked around her frantically trailing off.
Harry dropped to one knee beside her, making him the same height as she was. "That, is easy enough to fix." He pulled out his wand gently putting a hand on her shoulder. He waved his wand levitating all of their stuff back into their separate trolleys. "There. No harm, no foul." She nodded slowly, suddenly realizing the whole platform was starring at them.
"They are all starring, at me" She said quietly her eyes started to fill with water.
"No, they are all starring at me." Harry said giving her shoulder a light squeeze.
"Why?" She asked starring at him.
"That is a long story, how about next year you find me and I'll tell it to you." He said smiling at her, she nodded happily "So what is your name?" he asked preparing to make a mental note of it for next year.
"Maddy DeLane." She said quietly.
"Pleased to meet you Maddy DeLane, my name is Harry." He thought for a second before continuing "Maddy is there any chance that you have an older sister?"
She nodded "Yea, well she's my adopted sister but yea her name is-"
"Thomasina?" he asked she nodded. He bent down to whisper in her ear "wanna know a secret? She nodded again "I went to primary school with your sister." He said giving the young girl a wink, before he got up waving to her "Maddy have a good year at Hogwarts."
She laughed nodding "Harry? Which train is mine."
"The red one" he said before walking over to Ron and Ginny, Neville had joined them. "Just waiting on Hermione?" He asked the others nodded looking around for their friend. Harry looked over at the platform entrance just in time to see her walk through, in Muggle clothes just like him. And also much like he had she had grown into herself over the summer. Her hair manageable in soft curls, heels on her feet, jeans and flowing top that enhanced the curves her school robes covered up. "Hermione!" Harry called.
"Harry!" She yelled running up to him colliding into his frame her trolley following coming to a stop right behind her, it was obviously bewitched.
Before he knew it Ginny had pried Hermione off of him throwing her arms around the girl. "So how about we board our train to Durmstange?" Hermione said leading the way in bewitching her trunk to fly the boys and Ginny following suit walking on to the train to find an open compartment, which had been bewitched to be bigger and much comfier than the other train, plush couches a full length window to the outside and a coffee table in the center.
As they walked by many of the 6th -7th years had their heads poking out the doors to see the Golden Trio leaving a trail of whispers behind them until they reached McLaggen. He stepped out into the hall way blocking Hermione's way. "Hey Hermione you know we have an empty spot in our compartment, if you'd like to join. We never did fully establish our relationship last year during Slughorn's Party." He said leaning against the wall looking her up and down.
All Hermione did though was laugh. "Sorry Cormac but I'm dating my best friend's cousin."
"Well does he go to Hogwarts?"
"No he doesn't"
"Then who's say we have to tell anyone?" McLaggen answered his eyes darkening as they rested on her breasts.
He immediately found her wand under his chin pushing his eyes up to meet hers "No, he does go to Durmstrang though." She said moving him to the side with a quick flick of her wrist and strutting by down the hall to the next available compartment. Harry and the others followed snickering as they past the deflated arrogant boy.
As soon as they were settled Ron turned to Hermione "SO this best friend of yours…"
"I'll save you the breath, she doesn't date. I don't know why, she just doesn't." Mione said still laughing. "But did you see McLaggen's face!"
They nodded laughing, Ron's face fell but shrugged it off joining the McLaggen bashing. Harry relaxed back into the cushions shoving his hands into his jeans pocket automatically he felt the note he'd gotten from the Masquerade. He pulled it out looking over it again. "Hey 'Mione I was wondering if you know of a way to see if this information is true or false"
The brown eyed girl took the piece of paper laying it on the coffee table where all of them could see it. She tapped it with her wand, running it over each line, at the each of each line she tapped it again. Her wand glowed a brighter green at the end of each line followed by her nodding.
Harry watched intently. Line one: Green. Line two: Green. Three: Green. Four: Green. Five: Green. Six: Green. Seven: Green. Collectively the tension was released from the room in a chorus of gasps and sighs. Harry stared at it a smile breaking on his face, two more Horcruxes. Just two left. Two more to destroy, then Voldemort would be left without any more defenses or plans to fallback on. He was going down to where he belonged, in hell; no hell was to good for that bastard, Harry thought to himself smirking, he could see the end it was insight finally. Harry sat for the rest of the ride starring out the window watching the scenery fly past, the train was moving faster than it did on its way to Hogwarts, it moved into the air gliding over the Scottish isles before plummeting into the ocean.
"ATTENTION HOGWARTS STUDENTS AND FACULTY WE WILL BE ARRIVING SHORTLY, PLEASE CHANGE INTO YOUR ROBES. ONCE YOU ALL ARE IN YOUR UNIFORMS AN ENVELOPE WILL OPEN ON YOUR COFFEE TABLES AND ALLOW YOU TO SEE WHAT IS PLANNED FOR OUR ENTRANCE TO DURMSTRANG FOR THE OPENING CEREMONIES. THANK YOU." McGonagall's voice said erupting from a speaker somewhere in each compartment and the hallway.
Hermione's face split into a silly grin. She quickly drew up curtains to separate the boys changing area from her and Ginny's. Hermione and Ginny changed quickly into their robes, before Ginny turned to Hermione "Hey can you do something with my hair?" She asked pointing to her hair, which was currently up in a messy bun.
"Of course Ginny" Hermione said Ginny sitting on the ground in front of her.
"How did you get your robes to look like that?" Ginny asked pulling her hair out of its bun.
"My friend put a spell on them to make them tailored themselves to fit me." Hermione explained placing a detangle spell on Ginny's hair. "I can do it to yours if you want. She showed me the spell."
Ginny nodded "Um yes please! You don't have to ask me twice" She laughed with Hermione, as Hermione put the spell on Ginny's robes.
"Are you two done changing over there?" Ron called.
"Yes Ron we are." Hermione called back, Ron took down the curtains a second later. Hermione worked on curling Ginny's hair before pinning the front of it back tying it off with the hair tie she had in her hair before then hiding the rubber band with a strand of hair pinning it in with a bobby pin from Hermione's pocket. "Alright right your good to go" Hermione reached into her pocket drawing out a badge a bit larger than Ron and Ginny's Prefect badges she fastened it to her robe, she looked up and caught sight of the same badge on Harry's robes but instead of it reading 'Head Girl' his read 'Head Boy'.
She was about to speak to congratulate Harry when the envelope the loud speaker had talked about appeared on the table opening itself. All five of them stopped as the plans for their entrance tonight flooded their mind. Finally they all came out of the trance-like state. "Oh that is going to be awesome!" Ron crowed leaping on to the couch. "Lions actual lions!" Harry looked out the window again they were coming up the side of a mountain the tracks must have been laying themselves as they went cause he was positive there weren't any man made track on the top of this mountain.
"So who do you think the other magical school is going to be Hermione?" Ron asked "I think its going to be the American School. Ginny here thinks they'll let Grummerlich compete."
"I'm not sure, Grummerlich is closer but would cause more of a stir. Americans well ugh, I'd hate to deal with them all school year, they act like they have been 1st in the world as a magic school for the last 15 years but they always come in ranked 4th or 5th with Durmstrang. Grummerlich would give us a good competition though. They've been first in the world for a while now and they are known for their all girls choir."
"Yea, we went to a show this summer of their choir." Ginny said nodding at Hermione, "You'd have never known they were all girls with those low notes they could hit. They were fantastic" Ginny commented shaking her head at the memory. They looked out the window noticing they were no longer on land but in the air.
"Well time to go find the other Gryffindors." Harry said standing to lead the way out.
Each house was collectively gathering. Once all of the Gryffindors had gathered they looked up at McGonagall. "We will be going last in our entrance to the hall." She said as the train came to a halt with a loud horn. "We will be going in first then the other school will arrive"
"Professor? Who is the other school besides us and Durmstrang?" McLaggen asked.
"Grummerlich Academy for Extraordinary Witches will be joining us this year." McGonagall confirmed causing an uproar of whispers to resound through out the Gryffindors. McGonagall looked out the window seeing green sparks. "Enough! I still expect you to behave yourselves!" She clapped her hands twice opening the doors to the train. As all the houses stepped out onto the lawn they quickly organized by house in lines of four across Slytherins first then Hufflepuffs, then came the Ravenclaws, and finally the Gryffindors. "Hogwarts students, I hope you are on your best behavior those in each line know what to do?" everyone nodded. "Good now it is time to get out the animals, you will enter their hall on!"
They all watched attentively as sea serpents were lead out from the water and taken to the Slytherins to mount. Then came the massive badgers out of the forest for the Hufflepuffs. Then the giant eagles from the sky for the Ravenclaws. And finally from the mountain a pride of lions whose backs were as tall as Harry's head. McGonagall, Slughorn, Flitwick and Sprout then went through the line bewitching the students robes into uniforms black and white with the top and the 3/4th length cape that went around one of their shoulders in the respective Green, Yellow, Blue or Red colors of their houses. All with the black of heatless flames encircling the bottom of their capes a sword also of their respective house color on the other side from the cape. They moved forward into the halls of Durmstrang towards the Mess Hall. At the end of all the houses sat the heads of the Houses each riding their house's mount the mess hall was open with pillars fires producing the only light as they grew closer McGonagall cast a dark fog to cover them as they came in. The Mess Hall quieted when a gruff deep voice with a thick Italian accent called "From our west welcome the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
With a crackle of green lightening the Slytherin's made their presence known first "The House of Salazar Slytherin!" a voice cut through from the lightening "Cunning!" The first line slithered down the creature spitting and hissing. "Resourceful!" The next line. "Ambitious!" The third line "Determined!" the last line went forward.
In an explosion of gold fireworks, the voice cut through again "The House of Helga Hufflepuff!" again the lines went forward one at a time "Loyalty!" The Badgers bounded forward leaping and clawing the ground. "Dedication!", "Patience!", "Hardworking!"
Next came the blue smoke for Ravenclaw. "The House of Rowena Ravenclaw!" The eagles screeched and beat their wings taking a low flight across the vast hall, causing the Durmstrang students to duck. "Wisdom!", "Clever!", "Intelligent!", "Creative!". The eagles beat their wings hovering above the serpents and badgers.
Then it was Gryffindors turn. Red fire crackled and leapt down the aisles and fiery lightening leapt above the students in the hall. "The House of Godric Gryffindor!" Harry's Lion leapt out first roaring loudly rearing up on its two hind legs "Brave!" he gripped the lion's main nearly falling off its back. The other lions in his line leapt forward out of the fog, repeating what his lion had done. They pawed the ground before running down the mess hall roaring and rearing up again half way down. The other lines followed with the same booming voice "Courageous!", "Daring!", "Chivalrous!" the other lions finished backing into the mix of the other animals next the four heads of the house came in taking up the back. They all watched McGonagall as she discreetly counted down 3, 2, 1, 0 and all of them clapped their hands their animals disappearing from beneath them as they all landed lightly on the ground. They stood up walking to the side of the hall where a long table had been set up for them. Eyes followed Harry as he walked over to the side his scar finally not hidden behind his hair, on display for everyone.
"Grummerlich isn't here yet" Ron muttered.
"I wonder how they are going to come in,"
"They are probably going to do something with their choir."
"They are known for it so I expect one hell of a performance." They all had gotten seated. "But it doesn't look like the headmaster knows how or when they are going to arrive either" Hermione commented they all looked up at the head master who looked confused and a little scared.
Suddenly a deafening crack was heard from the entrance to the Mess Hall, a ball of white lightening was hovering about 4 feet above the ground. It then started growing in size, til you could see two small hands through what they could only assume was a portal. It grew outward to reveal a dark wooded area with no more than 35 figures covered in deep purple cloaks with the hoods up over their faces. Gasps flowed through the hall as eyes starred unblinking at the sheer display of power, except two boys at the Durmstrang table next to them caught Harry's eye. A man with blonde hair who just had his head resting on his hand shaking his head and a brunette with a bald spot in the back that looked like it had just started growing back who just let his head drop to the table with a groan. Harry didn't spend much time focusing on the two though seeing as the figures in the front of the hall had started to moved forward smoothly as if they weren't walking at all. A deep humming was heard from all of the hooded figures. Next came the low singing voice of the choir as a misty fog came down from the mountains and woods you could see behind them. They started to raise up into the air on what Harry could now see were dead tree trunks. The melody was haunting as the girls harmonized in such a low key, this must have been what Ginny and Hermione were talking about. They whole hall starred as the back ground of the girls changed with the song, from wind moaning across the mountains, to fire erupting in the trees and spreading from tree to tree lighting up the hall. The girls dropped their hoods as they continued to sing. The girl in the middle who'd had her hands low and out to the side the whole time turned around seeming to extinguish the flames. She then returned the trees to their prior state. Lowered the stumps they were standing on to the ground, as they all stepped off the stumps she moved them back into the wood. Finally she started to bring her hands back together the crackling white light closing slowly until the portal was gone. The hall was dead silent at the sheer display of power.
The Durmstrang Headmaster found himself standing up "May I introduce the Ladies of Grummerlich Academy for Extraordinary Witches."
"That shouldn't have been possible." Hermione whispered. "Transportation into and out of Durmstrang isn't allowed the wards shouldn't have allowed for that to happen."
"Some girl just opened a 30 foot wide portal and you're going on about the wards? I didn't think portals like that were even possible I've only heard about them in stories and legends!" Ron hissed back staring at Hermione dumbfounded.
All the girls turned to the center, Harry stared at the dark haired light eyed woman, she wasnt tall nor was she short, but she did have a huge amount of raw power just rolling off of her to the point where he could feel it from all the way across the hall. She nodded, causing all the girls to clap their hands everyone suddenly had an ornate glass mug in their hands and kegs with the words Butterbeer stamped on the side were floating over each table. "A medley of songs and a beginning and end of the school year tradition from our Café to your Mess Hall," The girls said in unison their dark robes now having been replaced with black skirts and emerald, deep purple and royal v-neck sweaters, shining black satin cloaks with black clasps and black heels. The girl in the center stepped forward and turned around suddenly all the girls rose into the air about a meter and a half she counted down and they started singing, what sounded a lot like an Irish drinking song as the first part ended they sang out that the "only brew for the brave and true, comes from the green dragon!" And with that a huge green dragon made of fireworks appeared as the middle seven girls jumped forward in mid air on to its back singing as it flew to the front of the Mess Hall, each keg of Butterbeer popping open with spouts as its massive wings passed through them. The girls on the dragon started singing what turned out to be a quick interlude as they landed up front on the faculty table when the dragon disappeared. They then started starting a clapping and stomping pattern that the others girls repeated as the floated down landing on the edge of the tables spreading out down the length of the hall, half the girls on one side half on the other minus the seven girls up front, obviously the school's leading singers for each voice type, Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Contralto, Countertenor, Tenor, Baritone and Bass. They started a rowdy stomping, clapping and kicking of glasses, which were automatically replaced by a new one upon its explosion into a crackling firework instead of glass shards. The cutlery rising into the air and bending into unusable shapes, they all filled they own mugs with Butterbeer clinking glasses, skipping arm in arm in a circle and playing frisbee with the metal plates. Solos breaking out across the hall as the girls danced, skipped and a few doing flips, as glasses crashed together shattering and making a grand mess of the place. But as soon as that part was over the hall only stayed a mess for a couple of moments before it was back to pristine shape, besides the girls on the tables and the mugs still full of Butterbeer. The girls were now squared off facing one another. The seven girls in the front started the last part of their medley off before they split up joining a side of the room. As the left side called out the other singing the next part of the song the girls had started. The other side on the right responded a except that they had picked up the pace a bit on the song. They finished their part standing up throwing the song back to the left side of the room, who in turn took it and sped the pace up even more. Then at a pause both sides joined in pushing the pace even faster than it had gone before, til the end of the song where all the girls jumped off the table over the heads of the Hogwarts and Durmstrang student's landing on the ground with the final beat. Then in unison they all stood up straight filed up to the front bowed their heads briefly before they went off to the side of the room to the open table that had been set for them.
"Now before we get started we have some seating arrangements to fix. One of the biggest points to this tournament is to expand everyone's horizons and make new friends with people throughout our wizarding world. So could the Heads of Grummerlich, Durmstrang and Hogwarts please lead the way as we have a table just for you 5." Durmstrang's Headmaster Kent called. Harry and Hermione looked at each other, as them the girl who was radiating magical power and the two boys who Harry had watched not react to her power at all stood up walking toward the table in the center of the room.
Ron grabbed Harry's hand before he could get too far "Harry be careful, that school could very well be just taught by Voldemort himself they all feed into his ranks right after graduation anyway." Ron hissed to Harry, his eyes on the girl walking towards the center table from Grummerlich.
Harry nodded before he turned and followed Hermione over to the table. The girl in question was walking over, and it was a physical job to keep himself from starring at the petite woman with warm cocoa brown hair and light green eyes. She sat down the brunette boy sitting across from her, the Hermione sitting next to her, and Harry sitting next to Hermione, the blonde taking his seat across from Hermione. As he sat down Harry recognized the blonde. "Malfoy?" Harry asked moving closer putting part of his arm in front of Hermione protectively.
"Hello Potter." He said coolly glancing at him his eyebrows raising at Harry's stance, before he just shook his head with an eye roll. "Hi, I'm Draco, but I think everyone knows that."
"No? Really?" The small woman said, causing Draco to laugh.
"Oh Shut up Tom," He said. "Not everyone here is my cousin." Harry's eyes flickered over to her.
"Hermione Granger." She said reaching over to the brunette boy. "I don't think we've met."
"That's just Tyler 'Mione" Tom said taking a sip of pumpkin juice.
"Oh your Tyler!" Hermione giggled as she shook his hand.
"Tom. What did you tell her?" the brunette groaned.
"Nothing much" Tom shrugged loading mashed potatoes and steak on to her plate.
"Hi, I'm Tyler Gerart." He introduced leaning over the table to Harry.
"Hi, nice to meet you I'm Harry"
"As in Potter?"
"Huh? I don't know do I have a scar on my forehead?" Harry asked rolling his eyes as he took a sip of pumpkin juice receiving a side smack from Hermione. While Tom and Draco snorted into their cups laughing.
"Shut up you two I don't go starring at people's foreheads when I first meet them." Tyler cried shoving potatoes into his mouth huffing.
"I didn't know you had a sense of humor Potter." Draco laughed.
Tom leaned around Hermione "Hi, Harry, good to see you again, its been a while." Harry looked at her obviously confused. "Tom DeLane. Though last time we saw each other, you still called me Thomasina." Harry's face split into a look of surprise.
"Shit seriously?" he laughed turning in his seat so he could face her. "Wow, I haven't seen you in years! I didn't even know you were a witch." she nodded.
"Oh trust me I know, its been far too long!" She laughed. "And its not like you knew you were a wizard, besides with the Dursley's had you known you would have only gotten in more trouble."
"I don't think that's possible" Harry said smiling "Do you remember my cupboard?" causing Tom to laugh.
"Ok good point"
"So I ran into Maddy earlier today. I didn't even realize it was her, she wasn't chasing after you."
"Actually Maddy ran into him." Hermione countered.
"Aww! That's great, I'm glad she started out her year on a good note." Tom laughed.
"So wait how did all of you already know each other?" Harry asked as he turned back to the table going for the green beans.
"Well Tom and I are cousins." Malfoy said after swallowing a small sip of pumpkin juice.
"Tom and I have been training partners for the last, 10 years?" Tyler said.
"Hermione and Me are best friends, we met a few years ago at a summer camp and realized we were both the only witches at the summer camp" Tom said.
"I don't think they realized we would all be connected so well," Harry laughed glancing at the head table and the strange looks the faculty were giving them.
"Way to go Potter, pointing out the obviously." Draco drawled rolling his eyes.
"Hey Dray?" Draco turned to look at his cousin eyebrows moving upward and together acknowledging her "No trouble remember what happened last time?" at this Mione snorted into her pumpkin juice but quickly covered her face with her napkin Draco and Tom both laughed loudly at this. Mione swung her leg under the table into Draco's shin
Draco doubled over hissing with pain. "Dang it Mione that hurt!"
"Sorry Dray." She said her eyes wide.
"You know you aren't supposed to beat up your boyfriend, right?" He laughed, while Mione just smirked and Tom laughed.
Harry caught Hermione's arm and turned her to face him. "Wait what?" he asked loudly his eyes flicking back and forth from Hermione to Draco, shaking his head.
"Yes Potter we are dating." Draco drawled, "We have been for most of the summer."
Harry blinked a few times, then looked at Hermione tilting his head to the side waiting for her to explain herself. "Yes, I know, it just kind of happened." She said shrugging "I was spending time with Tom and Draco was tagging along with her cause-" she paused glancing at Draco who nodded to her "Cause he ran away from home. And the person he was at Hogwarts, wasn't him." she explained putting a hand on his shoulder he nodded at the girl who was like a sister to him, figuring he should give her the benefit of the doubt.
"Ok, but Malfoy-"
"I'm actually going by Black now, I don't want people to hear Malfoy and immediately associate me with Lucius. He's done enough damage for this lifetime." Draco cut in.
Harry listened to what Draco said and he had to admit, this Draco was different. Harry nodded "Then how about I just call you by your real name."
"Sounds good, Pot- Harry"
"Yeah, thats gonna take some getting used to, Draco" Harry said laughing, Draco chuckled nodding.
"So any of you guys entering the Tri Wizard Tournament?" Tyler asked through a bite of food, changing the subject. Harry glanced around the table at the chorus of positive affirmations. Everyone but Tom had spoken, causing both Draco and Hermione to focus on her.
Tom looked up at Harry with a piercing stare. He stared back at her their was something else that was awfully familiar about Tom but he couldn't place what it was. "Yep" she said letting her voice draw out smirking. "Hope you all are up for a challenge." Tom said in the same tone, her voice almost seem lazy as she spoke.
AN: If you want a general idea of what the Hogwarts Triwizard entrance uniforms looked like here is a picture of a Slytherin colored one, minus the cape and no hat,
Also If you want to know what two songs i had in mind for Grummerlich's entrance the first one is this one
watch?v=RI3fkqA9-IA
The other is this one where they, basically make a mess of the Mess Hall
watch?v=iUKjJn0rOec
Yes I like the hobbit, also Peter Hollens is ridiculously talented and from Oregon, so I have to support the home state Artist.
