Chapter One: Of Ships and Surprises
If there was anything Holly and James could claim to be experts at, it was most definitely getting on my nerves.
Holly was the first one to speak. She kept her voice calm and clear as if she was trying to coax a cat out of hiding, "how are you feeling?". They had both been hovering annoyingly close to me all night. They watched my every move as if I were about to explode or, even worse, snap and jump out of the nearest window.
I would be lying if I had not considered testing their reflexes.
The fire cracked, sending a sprinkle of red hot ash across the carpet. I breathed in slowly through my nose and pushed myself closer to the table, biting my lip, "I am feeling perfectly fine," my voice was stiff, "thank you for your concern." I refused to look up from my homework. There was no reason to fuel their worries.
They looked toward one another. James inched toward me, "just… fine?" he dared.
"I'm busy," I stated, deliberately flipping my parchment over all too dramatically. "I have a very important test in transfigurations, and so do the both of you," I stared him down pointedly.
"Hmm… do you believe her, Holly?" James playfully poked the back of my head, and Holly let loose her wind chime giggles, "personally, I don't think I do."
"No. I vaguely remember the last time she said she was just fine. When was that again? Oh yes! When she tried out for the Quidditch team…."
I shuddered and pushed my quill hard, ink spilling like a wound.
"Her dad has always wanted her to be the Quidditch star child of his dreams," James looked playfully into the distance, "but things did not go as planned for our dear Reggie, did it, Holly?"
"I think nervous breakdown is the correct term. She could not even get to the field before throwing up," Holly fake vomited into her hands.
James stuck his finger down his throat, gagging.
"I was eleven!" I shouted defensively, jumping up from my spot on the floor and pointing wildly at them both, "it's been five years, are you–"
"Oh!" Holly interrupted me, jumping up and down, "do you remember when Reggie tried to shave her head because she didn't want to go to that silly Ministry of Magic ball?"
Oh no, not that again!
"Will you two please shut it?"
I could not help but crack a smile at them. In their true nature, their only response to my red face and wild hair was wails of laughter and hi-fives at my expense. I sighed, "I guess you're right. Maybe I am a little high-strung right now," I admitted, loosening my grip on my now-snapped quill. I fell into one of the overstuffed couches, and the cushions bulged around my thighs. "I can't believe I put my name in the bloody Goblet of Fire, for Merlin's sake!" I grumbled, shifting deeper into the couch, "what happens when my father hears about this?"
"He's gonna freak for sure," James lounged next to me, searching his pockets for spare sweets, "his daughter, his pride and joy, in the Triwizard Tournament? HA!"
James was right. My father had always dreamed this for me; fame, success, glamour, just like in his glory days. Although he had a hard time remembering that I was very much NOT like him, nor did I ever believe I'd be that golden child he hoped for.
"Oh dove," Holly rubbed my back as I grumbled loudly into the nearest pillow, "try not to worry yourself sick. He might not have even–"
It was perfectly on cue. My father always knew when to strike! An all too familiar barn owl swooped into the room, a red envelope clasped in its beak, "typical!" I threw my hands up into the air, "how?"
We watched as Autumn the Owl flew around the Common Room, once, twice, and then dropped the letter before me. But oh no, it could not just be any average letter, not with my father at the hand of it. Not ONLY was this letter hand-written in genuine golden ink, but it also exploded on impact, spraying us all with confetti. Glitter covered the room, "typical," I repeated, picking up the letter hidden amongst the red and gold.
"He knows all," James reached for Autumn and scratched her underneath her beak, "I bet he has spies all over the castle."
"How do I know you're not his spy?"
"Oooooh…" Holly waggled her index fingers at us both.
Don't get me wrong, I always loved my father… but I never particularly enjoyed his love of dramatic theatrical displays. He was always about the biggest, the best, the over-the-top, and the unforgettable. He once tried to rent a dragon for my birthday… for dragon rides… needless to say, it nearly burned down our house. Mom did not talk to him for weeks after that stunt.
"At least he is supportive," James spoke through a mouthful of chocolate frog while shoving another piece in.
"He will be so disappointed when I am not chosen," I flicked my wand, and the room began to clean itself up.
"Don't sound so sure!" Holly barked, looking offended. "You're the smartest witch I know!" she burst out. Holly, the Cheerleader. Regina Wood's number one fan.
"Smarts isn't what the Tournament is all about. You have to do other stuff too… cool stuff, tough stuff," I looked down at my skinny arms and flexed them, but nothing changed.
"Having smarts is part of it," Holly argued, "and who cares if you're not typically strong! You're fast, and you have a bigger heart than any other arseholes in this school who put their names in."
"Oh, except I am afraid of the dark, open water, people who wear their sunglasses inside, babies, heights, and what was the last thing? Oh yeah, large crowds! Do you suppose they'll let me perform the tasks without the extremely large audience?"
James lifted his finger in the air, still using the other hand to push sweets into his mouth, "point, she has a point!"
Holly rolled her eyes, slapping the sweets out of James' hand. They rolled across the carpeted floor as he scrambled for them, "I still think you could do it," Holly told me, taking my hand in hers, "you just have to believe in yourself more."
Holly was still in cheerleader mode the following evening as we got ready for Durmstrang, Beauxbatons, and Ilvermorny to arrive. "You have to have a little more faith in yourself because what if?" she stretched out the last word like she was daring me to try.
There is no if. I am going against some of the most brilliant students in the school, and I am not just talking about those blasted twins. There's Macaby, Zambini, Katie Mitchell, Jonathon Hamer…"
I trailed off as I pulled my tangled hair into a messy bun and dabbed grape lip balm over my lips.
Holly opened her mouth to retort but was stopped short by a pair of fingers perfectly manicured fingers snapping. "Helloooo," Lydia Allen sang. "If all you're going to do is throw that mane of yours up into a gross bun all willy-nilly like, then why don't you give the rest of us a chance to get ready?"
The dorm was a colossal mess. Clothes had been thrown about in frustration, makeup was on every surface, and hairspray floated in the air, so thick that you could hardly breathe.
"I don't understand what all the fuss is about," I shook my head and obediently stepped out of the way of the one mirror in the whole room.
Lydia and Holly scoffed in unison, "NIKOLA," when I stared back at them blankly, Lydia glared, "Krum?" she finished like this was the most obvious thing in the universe.
I laughed through my noise as they began subtly fighting over the mirror spot.
"He is only the cutest Quidditch player ever, Reggie."
"And he is going to be living at Hogwarts!"
"What if he talks to me?
"Do you think he likes brunettes?"
"How should I do my makeup?"
The girls all talked at once, showing one another their Nikola Krum posters and collectibles. They sighed together in longing, like love-sick puppies, dewy in the face with excitement and fear. I was never one to glorify celebrities. I had to endure watching people fawn over my father all my life and now my brother.
"It doesn't mean he has a good personality or is likable just because he's conventionally attractive. You shouldn't like him just because he's cute and famous," I grabbed one of their Witch Weekly magazines and flipped through the pictures of him. My hand stopped on one of him slowly smiling at the camera, waving his large hands back and forth as if he could see the reader on the other side.
The glares I got could have set my bed on fire.
"So you admit it? You think he's hot?" Lydia lined her lips with red, puckering them at her reflection seductively. Her lips made a popping sound.
"Conventionally, yes."
"Oh, Reg," Holly pulled me up from the bed while disapprovingly clicking her tongue at me, "just promise me you'll try to have fun today, yeah?"
"I don't get it either," James approved of my opinion under his breath as we stood beside him outside the school. "He's a pretty average-looking lad."
The air was buzzing as the entire student body waited impatiently for the other schools' arrival. It was a brisk evening. Puffs of steam rose from our mouths as we spoke and huddled together for warmth, our hands shoved deep into our winter cloaks. The sky was clear; the moon rose just above the Forbidden Forest, bright and full of promise.
"A bloody talented lad," Holly fixed her hair for what seemed like the hundredth time and turned to me, asking, "are you sure this looks okay?"
Her long black hair was pulled into a complicated up-do of braids, twists, and sparkling pins.
"Holly Jordan, you look fabulous… as always."
Holly was one of the most beautiful girls in our school. No one could deny that. Her black hair cascaded down her back in waves, her lips always stretched into a smile, and her dark chocolate eyes were adorned with inky wings, giving her the look of a cat. She flashed me that winning smile and spun toward the lake, "LOOK!" she exclaimed, pointing up.
The ordinarily placid lake surface was rippling and bubbling as something slowly rose from deep below the water line, its shadow growing. As each bubble popped, you could hear a loud rumbling and sucking noise, like the last bit of bath water flowing down the drain. The ground beneath us shook. Holly gripped my forearm. The lake's center began to swirl in a massive spiral, and a tremendous black mast escaped the whirlpool. A giant ship magnificently arose from the chaos. Its skeletal structure gleamed in the moonlight, casting bright bursts of light across the lawn. The ship was unlike any other I had seen, a decrepit, powerful, terrifying, and beautiful contradiction. I longed to explore its insides and to discover the secrets held.
A plank thudded down on the muddy bank of the lake. One by one, dark figures disembarked the ship and began to stride toward Headmistress McGonagall.
"Ah, Dagur! It is a pleasure to see you again," McGonagall greeted the massively large man standing before her with open arms.
Dagur was draped head to toe in thick furs of varying shades of brown. He blended in with his pupils like they were one massive creature. I could not tell where one began and the other ended in the sea of brown and black.
Dagur's head was bulbous, his skin was rough from the many years of harsh winters, and his eyes were only two black beads under long heavy eyebrows. I expected his voice to boom as he spoke, but when he did, it sounded like he was singing a soft lullaby, "the pleasure is all mine, I assure you. I am honored to once again be allowed to grace the halls of Hogwarts."
"Where is he?"
"Where's Krum?"
"Is he not here?"
Whispers traveled through the crowd as necks strained and toes tipped.
McGonagall glared back at us and waved her fingers in the air, "children, children," she scolded, "these young Durmstrang boys have had a long journey. They do not need any extra excitement from you."
Dagur chuckled, holding his stomach. He threw his head back at the boys, who were all wearing their hoods up high, "Nik loves the attention, don't you worry," he joked warmly, nudging the hooded boy next to him with a big boot.
"That's him!" a first-year girl screamed, jumping up and down wildly, "that must be him!"
McGonagall ignored the girl and the accompanying fangirl screams, "Dagur, I think it would be best if you escorted the boys inside. Nix is waiting to show you to the Great Hall."
Beauxbatons was the next to arrive. Great steads pulled delicate carriages housing the French girls inside. When they stepped out of the blue and white trimmed carriages with their stern Headmistress in toe, the whole of Hogwarts stood silently awestruck by the simple beauty and grace they exuded. They walked by, leaving a trail of sweet lavender. James gleefully eyed one of the blonde girls in the back; she was tall and toned with pink cheeks, long eyelashes, and cropped hair. He sighed into his hands, "who is this beauty?" and Holly gagged.
Next was Ilvermorny. They were a new addition to this year's Triwizard Tournament. An attempt to unite schools all around the world. The Ilvermorny headmaster jumped off their floating cloud like a movie star; he was a tiny man, bronzed and muscular, with robes of shining white silk. McGonagall called him Radford.
Radford shook her hand vigorously, "this is fantastic, absolutely fantastic!" he exclaimed, flashing white teeth, "will you take a look at this place, kids?"
The Ilvermorny students stood loose and relaxed, their shoulders slumped as if leaning against unseen walls; their faces ranged from incredible boredom to wide-eyed and ready. I noticed a group just off to the side, three boys and a girl with their arms wrapped around one another's shoulders. Two of the boys held hands, gripping tight. My eyes zeroed in on them as they gleefully whispered back and forth, scanning the grounds with mischievous smiles.
"Isn't it perfectly medieval?" Radford had a playful way of talking. He flounced away from McGonagall, moving toward the group I was watching. They did not notice until he was on them; he looked at none of them but instead grabbed the shoulder of the shortest boy with long brown hair in a lazy bun. They shut up instantly and moved apart like petals of an opening flower.
McGonagall gave a knowing look as she told Radford that they go inside to freshen up, with the promise of the coming feast. They happily obliged and disappeared into the castle. We followed behind them after a rousing speech from our Headmistress reminding us to be kind and courteous to our guests.
As we entered the Great Hall, we saw that the Durmstrang boys, Beauxbaton girls, and Ilvermorny students had settled into the house tables.
"There he is," Holly tried to keep her voice low-key as she tilted her head toward the Slytherin table where the Durmstrang boys sat close, heads together. None of them looked up as we entered.
"Where?" I studied the back of their heads. They all looked the same to me.
"The one with the longer hair, right at the far end," she pointed rudely, "do you think he would sign my uniform? Do you have a quill? Lipstick?"
"Honestly, Holly, he's just a normal bloak," I reminded her, "you don't freak out over my brother like this."
"Normal?"
We walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down with the Ilvermorny students, who were rowdy and loud, proving to be quite the opposite of the Durmstrang boys.
I lost both of my friends to other people, Holly stared unforgivingly at the back of Krum's head, and James tried for the life of him to hide the fact that he couldn't stop looking at that same Beauxbatons girl.
The Beauxbaton girls, matching in dusty purples, sat with their backs perfectly straight, all politely chit-chatting with the Ravenclaw students around them. I eyed the Lovegood twins, especially Lorcan, who was leaning so close to that very same Beauxbatons girl that he looked like he was about to kiss her. I scoffed, "he's already at it. Could he get any more foul?"
The girl giggled and buried her face into her gloved hands flirtatiously. Hattie eyed them suspiciously from a few seats away.
"What does he think she will see in him anyway?" James asked defensively.
Quickly the staff entered the Great Hall and took their seats at the long polished table. On either side of the table sat the head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, Katie Bell, and Percy Weasley, who had helped organize the games. Last to come in were Radford, Dagur, and the headmistress of Beauxbatons, Camilla Dupont. All students at the other schools rose and sat with the head of their respective schools.
"Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, creatures, and ghosts. It is a pleasure for me to welcome you all to Hogwarts. I hope your stays will be happy and comfortable," McGonagall smiled at the mix of students before her.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could still see Lorcan flirting, disrespectful.
"But before we get to the fun and games. Let's get down to business - and eat," as McGonagall placed herself in the cozy brown chair behind her, the golden plates and dishes before us filled with food from around the world. There was a moment of near silence as everyone dug in.
"What do you suppose the Tasks will be this year?" James asked.
"Could be anything," I mused, thinking about the stories my father had told me of the last Triwizard Tournament.
"You don't think they will go easy on us this time? Considering…"
"No, there is no reason to be careful now. Not now that the war is over," Holly joined in, though her eyes never left the back of Krum's head, "he hasn't turned at all yet," she muttered under her breath.
I looked at the Goblet of Fire at the head of the hall. For a second, I imagined myself holding it up in glory in front of all those people smiling and definitely not throwing up. I wondered what it would be like to be one of those people it came so easily for. To be effortless in my success. I shook the thought from my head and buried myself in my pudding.
The golden dishes were quickly cleared, and McGonagall rose from her seat, speaking with her wand pressed against her neck. Her voice echoed, "the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!"
There was continuous applause as she officially introduced the new faces, including the Ministry representatives. "Please welcome them with open arms as they are here to help guide and judge the Champions' efforts in the Tournament."
McGonagall smiled warmly, walking toward the Goblet of Fire, "as you know, the Tournament Tasks have already been examined and decided by Miss Bell and Mr. Weasley. They have made careful arrangements for each of the three Tasks our Champions will face over this next year. These Tasks will test their wit, ability, strength, bravery, and most of all - their hearts."
The Hall was so silent that I swear I could hear the students' collective heartbeat.
"All Hogwarts students had the last twenty-four hours to put their name in the Goblet. I hope any of you who wished to do so found bravery in your heart. Next, I will ask our foreign friends to do the same."
One by one, in complete silence, each foreign student stood up on nervous knees and put their names in the Goblet. No one dared speak, even while Nikola Krum sauntered, flipping his curled hair and dropping his name. There was an agonizingly long moment as McGonagall stared unblinking at the Goblet. I scanned the faces before me and tried to guess who I thought would be in the Tournament.
"The Goblet is ready! When your name is chosen, I must ask each Champion to make their way to the front of the Hall. You'll walk along the staff table to that door," she pointed behind her, "this is where you'll wait to receive your first instructions."
McGonagall raised her wand and tapped it three times loudly against the side of the blue-flamed Goblet. The room around us grew dark as the candles dimmed. The flames of the Goblet shined blindingly in the darkness. Two seats down from me, I could hear Jonathon Hamer chanting to himself, "pick me, pick me, pick me…."
The Goblet's flames flashed red and shot up into the air so high it nearly touched the night sky ceiling; everyone flinched but McGonagall, who was already holding a burnt slip of parchment in her hands.
"The Beauxbatons champion is… Sibyl Bellamy!"
The girl flirting with Lorcan shrieked and rose gracefully, "oh look James," Holly laughed, "it's your girlfriend."
"Stuff it."
Sibyl danced between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables, up past the staff - pausing to kiss all their cheeks - and through the door.
Instantly, the hall was silent again as the Goblet did its work. McGonagall spoke again, "the Champion for Durmstrang is… Nikola Krum!"
The hall went berserk, with students standing on tables to get a better look at the famous Nikola Krum. He stood, turned, and waved to his fans with a big cheeky grin.
"I knew he would get it," Lydia screamed across from me, waving her arms and puckering her red lips.
"NIKOLA! NIKOLA! NIKOLA!" his classmates were chanting loudly with the help of the joyful Dagur, who stomped his feet happily and clapped Nikola on the back as he walked past.
The clapping died down as he left the room, only starting up again once more as he turned to wave and wink a dark eye in our direction. Once he was gone from view, a piece of parchment flew out of the Goblet, propelled by hot red flames. McGonagall cleared her throat, "I am proud to announce the first-ever Champion of Ilvermorny shall be… Pablo Talbot!"
A stout, tanned boy rose from the cloud of cranberry and blue that was his school friends. He looked so happy that if he smiled any wider, his lips would fall off. I immediately recognized him as one of the boys Radford had scolded. His friends whooped and jumped with glee. He ran between ours and Hufflepuff's tables with fantastic speed, raising his arm triumphantly like he had already won. It was heartwarming to see how proud Radford was. Tears rolled from his eyes as he kissed the top of the boy's head before pushing him through the door.
Students began to look around. This was it. In a few seconds, McGonagall would announce Hogwarts' Champion... the silence was tense. I looked around the hall, hoping Katie would be the Champion. She was the nicest of them all, after all.
The Goblet of Fire shot flames higher than any of the times before. I could feel the heat of it all the way from where I was sitting. The parchment flitted down like a butterfly into McGonagall's outstretched hand. She smiled warmly, opened it up, looked over her half-moon spectacles, and read… "Regina Wood"