A/N Big time thanks to my amazing Beta again. (who honestly needs to get back to his own story but refuses to listen to me)
FLEUR DE LA MER
CHAPTER THREE: Four Champions
HERMIONE (Hogwarts Grounds, October 30th, 05.46 pm)
She may have been wearing her thick winter coat, gloves and a scarf, but Hermione was shivering. It was freezing outside, and of course everyone was late. All she wanted to do was to go back inside and finish her essay on potions, but no, she had to stay until the very last foreign student had arrived. Honestly, Hermione didn't get what all the fuss was about. So what if the Triwizard Tournament was this year, it wasn't as if anyone she really knew, could participate.
Yes, Ron was freaking out, hysterically trying to find ways to enter, and Harry might have been eerily quiet about the subject for the last month, but she knew in her head, that she was not nearly as excited as the next person was about the whole thing. People died the last time, but everyone seemed to forget that.
"I wonder how they will get here." Ron said. "Train? Flying cars? Or maybe portkeys?" He rapidly summed up ideas, realizing quickly that none of them made sense.
"Probably broomsticks," Harry guessed. "Or maybe they'll Apparate."
She opened her mouth to tell everyone that Apparation wasn't possible on school grounds, but why bother. Not like anyone ever read Hogwarts, a History.
Hermione sneezed. The cold was getting to her.
"Bless you." Harry said, turning to her.
But then his attention got drawn to the weird shape appearing over the horizon. Someone yelled something about a flying house, but she snorted. As if. Instead, it was a gigantic pale blue carriage, drawn by a dozen gigantic winged horses. It neared the ground with tremendous speed, and for a second there, she feared for the foreign students' lives. But then, with an almighty crash, it somehow landed safely on the ground.
All around her people jumped up in surprise, not expecting such a spectacular landing. Neville even landed on some Slytherin's feet, which was the worst reaction ever, but Hermione didn't bother. She wondered though, how something like that could fly. It had to be charmed some way. Maybe she could ask professor Flitwick later. It would be nice to know how you could make things fly. Maybe she could enchant Harry a broomstick or something for Christmas. Although on second thought, maybe she could just give him a book. Yes, a book would be good, he had a broom already. And you can never have enough books.
The door of the carriage opened, and a dark haired boy in dark blue robes jumped out, fumbled a bit underneath the carriage, and folded out a set of golden chairs. He quickly jumped aside respectfully, dodging the enormous foot that stepped outside of the carriage.
"Okay she's huge." Harry said astonished, after seeing the woman belonging to the foot.
"Harry! Shush!" Hermione whispered disapprovingly and started applauding after Dumbledore loudly proclaimed the woman to be Madame Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons. While Dumbledore welcomed his French colleague, Hermione's attention got drawn to the lot of shivering Beauxbatons students, standing in their headmistress' shadow. If Hermione was a little cold, they were probably dying from it.
Well if I wore silk in these temperatures, I'm sure I'd be dying of frostbite too. Hermione thought. Not one coat? Seriously? At least some are wearing something vaguely resembling a scarf. She shook her head, not believing their stupidity.
She watched as a girl wearing a muffler frowned at the castle, not realizing that her schoolmates and headmistress were slowly heading inside. She realized when someone yelled something in French at the girl in the muffler that French really wasn't her language. But instead of waiting for the girl's reaction, she frowned deeply when she heard Harry talking to Ron about Hagrid's skrewts.
We may have had biting books last year, but at least they only had one way to kill us, she thought.
"Maybe the skrewts escaped. It would explain Hagrid's mood." Harry grinned. "And the state of his fingers."
"Oh please don't say that Harry." Hermione said with a shudder. "Imagine them loose on the grounds.. I'd probably refuse to leave the castle and Malfoy would have a field day."
"My father will hear about this!" Harry said mockingly causing Hermione to snicker.
The Durmstrang students were apparently not in a rush, because now everyone was freezing and about done with patiently waiting. If it wasn't for professor McGonagall's piercing eyes, most probably would have left for the warm Great Hall by now. So they were just standing there, waiting, more than a little bored.
But then a great rumbling sound coming from the lake caused a commotion among the rows of students. Ron blocked her view, and Harry was stretching his neck just trying to see anything, and at this point Hermione didn't care anymore. So when Harry said something excitedly about a mast, and she could see a ghostly ship slowly rising out of the lake, she realized dinner was beckoning. After the Durmstrang ship had emerged completely, a splash of an anchor hitting the water resounded over the lake, and people started embarking slowly. They all looked like they were at least the size of Crabbe and Goyle, and she feared for the future Hogwarts champion already.
Oh well. At least Harry is too young.
A man covered in fur and with rather yellow teeth walked up to Dumbledore, greeting him heartily, but Hermione couldn't listen to what they were saying because suddenly Ron yelled out beside her.
"Bloody hell! Is that Krum?"
FLEUR (Hogwarts Grounds, October 30th, 06.00 pm)
So it may have been a bit colder than she expected, a lot colder, but there it was. Hogwarts. Finally. There were two things that went through Fleur's mind when she stepped out of the carriage.
First: Now that is a large castle.
Second: I need a coat or I'll die here.
She stared in awe at the castle in front of her. It was bigger than Beauxbatons Chateau, much bigger. Which didn't make sense because Beauxbatons had more students, still, Hogwarts was a larger castle and to Fleur it looked amazing. The sun was slowly sinking behind the horizon, making her first real view of the castle a really impressive one. She frowned, realizing that although this was her home for the year, she didn't get to actually sleep in the castle.
"Fleur! Viens ici, Madame Maxime t'attends!" Inès yelled at her.
She realized her fellow students had already left the cold and entered the castle through the front gate. Quickly, she started walking after them, readjusting the muffler she was wearing. By now she was incredibly grateful Gabrielle gave the hideous thing to her. She followed Inès inside, and walked through the large stone hallway, passing an immense wooden door, and entering Hogwarts Great Hall. Although floating candles weren't really her style, she couldn't help but love the enchanted ceiling. Eyes fixed in awe on the ceiling, Inès laughed when Fleur walked into the nearest table. She cursed. Did she leave her elegance in France or something?
"Very elegant Fleur, but please, leave the tables be? And will you please take off that awful muffler and sit down?"
"Really funny Inès. Really funny." Fleur scowled and sat down beside her friend at the second table to the left. "Are we allowed to sit here?"
"Oui, someone told Gaillard we could."
"Vraiment?" mocked Fleur, still very much annoyed with the pureblood.
"Oh don't start. Regarde! They're coming in!"
The voices of excited people reached Fleur's ears long before she could actually see anyone. But then a crowd of people entered the Great Hall, and started filling the empty seats. Most of them were wearing long black robes, with certain colour accents and were loudly speaking in English.
But she could also see the blood red robed Durmstrang students making their way through to a table. Apparently the colour coding was there for a reason because colours sat down together at separate tables. Everyone wearing a blue-ish tie sat down at the table all the Beauxbatons students were already sitting at, red was sitting to her left, yellow to her right and the green-tie-people sat all the way to the right.
Looks like they can't just sit down wherever they want to, Fleur thought, how weird.
There was this huge fuss about where those from Durmstrang were going to sit, and she could hear a collective sigh coming from the tables next to hers when they chose the far right table instead of the far left and she could hear the name Krum several times. The red ties complained loudly. It seemed like they didn't get along with the green ties. Remembering what she had read in Hogwarts, a History, red versus green, Gryffindor versus Slytherin was an age long battle. No wonder they were separated by two other tables.
She could already feel people's prying eyes on her back. There were so many Beauxbatons students, yet Fleur felt like all of Hogwarts was staring at her.
Now I'm definitely not taking off the muffler, she scowled inwardly.
"I think they are taking a liking to you." Inès whispered laughingly. "I have to say, you look very stunning today, are you trying to make an effort?"
"Tais-toi!" Fleur snapped annoyed. "I don't need this right now."
She really didn't after the whole Fournier debacle. Maxime was going to kill her if people started to stumble over their own feet simply to please Fleur.
"It is a very impressive castle isn't it? Looks a little cold though." Inès continued.
"Will you please just be quiet?"
Out of the corner of her eye Fleur noticed Madame Maxime entering beside the headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore, and from what she was guessing, Igor Karkaroff from Durmstrang. She quickly leapt to her feet, as did the others from Beauxbatons, and together they ignored the strange looks and whispers and laughs they got from the students of Hogwarts. After their headmistress was seated, they swiftly sat down again.
"So what was that with Gaillard? I heard you slapped him." Inès whispered to Fleur while Dumbledore was left standing on his own.
"I did not slap him! Who said that?"
"I think Magritte told me.. Not sure though. Anyways, what did he do?"
"He tried to ask me out, now please will you shut it, Dumbledore is welcoming us."
Fleur ignored a bristling Inès. and returned her attention to the headmaster up front. He had a large silvery beard, was wearing purple robes, and while you could barely see it, you just knew that he was smiling widely.
"Hello everyone." He boomed brightly "It is my great pleasure to welcome all of our guests tonight, to Hogwarts."
Inès leaned towards Fleur. "He asked you out? Really? What did you say?"
"Really?" Fleur retorted. "He is an idiot. I said no. Now let me listen."
"I don't know why he tried. As if he could ever get you, he still eats his boogers." snorted Inès.
Fleur couldn't help but laugh at the idea of Jacques of the old and noble house of Gaillard eating his boogers. Only once she's managed to stifle her laugh, did she notice the disapproving frowns she got from the English students. Oh hell. They all just thought she had laughed at Dumbledore.
"Merde" Fleur cursed. "Merci beaucoup Inès."
Suddenly, the table in front of her was filled with food, which seemed more or less like the same system they had a Beauxbatons. There was a huge variety of different dishes, the house elves had obviously gone all out to please the guests and she was glad to see that they hadn't simply stuck to English food. She stared at some of the unfamiliar dishes. That did not look delicious at all.
"What is zat?"
She pointed to a dish and asked a Hogwarts student sitting nearby. The girl, surprised to hear one of the foreign students speak English, didn't answer immediately and a handsome boy sitting next to the girl spoke up instead.
"It's black pudding." He said, smiling at Fleur and only Fleur. "You may know it as 'blood sausage'. Some people find it a delicacy." He reached out over the table and offered Fleur his hand.
"Hi. I'm Roger Davies."
She shook his hand lightly and said "Fleur Delacour."
Deciding against seeming disinterested and instead doing a little effort to get along with the English, she flashed a smile at the boy.
"Isn't it a little too warm to wear a muffler inside?" He winked at her.
"Per'aps I should take it off?" Fleur smiled and took off the muffler.
Immediately after doing so, she knew she shouldn't have done that. Her silvery hair dropped elegantly beside her face, giving off a glow, and several people around her stopped eating. The boy, Roger Davies, got a distant look in his eyes, and although he had opened his mouth, no words came out. Fleur sighed. It was to be expected, she guessed. Instead of continuing the by now useless conversation with the equally useless boy, she turned to Inès sitting beside her, joking with some of her classmates.
"I saw some bouillabaisse a table further. Do you want some?" She asked in French, hastily trying to get away from the drooling boy and the awkward stares. After receiving an affirmative nod, she stood up and walked over to the nearest table. She stretched her neck, looking over the heads of the students, and saw a untouched bowl.
DUMBLEDORE (Headmaster's Office, 10.33 pm)
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore sat down satisfied in his office chair. All things considered, the evening was a success. Although it is always difficult to get used to new people, he was glad to see some of the foreign students had mingled with his own.
"I told you it was a good idea." He smiled warmly at Professor McGonagall, who was sitting in front of him.
"What was? The tournament? Because I am still not sold on that whole idea. Besides, I just know that those Weasley boys are going to try something stupid." McGonagall frowned, clearly thinking about the most recent Weasley-incident.
"Oh no, not the tournament, the different dishes!" Dumbledore grinned. "I told you placing only a select few at certain locations would force the students to walk around and talk to others."
Minerva McGonagall sighed. "Yes yes. It worked. But Albus, you think the age line will be enough protection? Many younger students will try to cross it."
"Oh don't worry about that. Lemon drop?" He dismissed her worries and offered a bowl filled with the sweets to his colleague. She refused, as expected, but he just smiled and took one for himself.
"If you don't want to talk about the tournament, fine, but we do need to have a discussion about Alastor Moody. I heard from Hermione Granger that he demonstrated the Unforgivables in his class. A Fourth Year class!" McGonagall said in disbelieve.
"Yes, but on spiders Minerva, not on students. And the Unforgivables are part of their curriculum this year." Dumbledore sucked on his lemon drop.
"Well I still think it is not something you do in class." McGonagall stood up from her chair. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight Albus."
"Sweet dreams." He smiled kindly and watched her go.
After she had closed the door behind her, Albus Dumbledore was left alone in his office. From out of his window he could see the lights go out in the Beauxbatons carriage and the castle around him went quiet.
"Well, this will be a special year, don't you think?"
The portraits around him all agreed.
HERMIONE (Library, October 31st, 10.55 am)
On Halloween, the morning after the foreign students had arrived, the castle was buzzing with excitement. Lucky for Hermione though, the excitement was mostly located in the Entrance Hall, were you could find the Goblet of Fire.
Harry and Ron had gone off immediately after breakfast, to watch people enter their names, and rumours of Fred and George's beards had spread faster than they had actually grown the beards.
Hermione, on the other hand, didn't feel like spending her Saturday watching people and had instead sat down in the library surrounded by possible reads. She had walked in around opening time, smiling at Madame Pince, and had taken several books out of several sections with her to her standard table. After making herself comfortable, which was not a problem in those seats, she had opened the first book and started to work her way through 600 pages of legal definitions.
She still could not believe that Professor Moody had demonstrated the killing curse in front of his students, and, dismayed as she had been, she had gone to Professor McGonagall. Only to be dismissed as if the dark arts were nothing. Well, not if she had anything to say about it.
"Excuse me, is zat Unforgivable Curses And Zeir Legal Implications?" A voice behind her said. "Ze librarian told me zat you might 'ave it."
Annoyed at being disturbed, anyone at Hogwarts knew you don't disturb a reading Hermione, she turned around and saw the girl who Ron swore was a Veela smiling at her. Yesterday evening, she didn't see much of her, but now she could see that the girl was indeed very beautiful with delicate features and stunning blue eyes. Still, she did not feel any of the effects she had vaguely felt during the World Championship. But on the other hand, she knew people did not tend to have teeth that perfect. Her parents were dentists after all.
"Uhm. Yes, yes it is." Hermione said, still a little dismayed when she remembered how the girl had laughed at Dumbledore. You don't mock your hosts.
"Will you be needing it much longer? I need it to write an essay for Madame Maxime." The girl said, looking very serious
"Yes." Hermione said quickly, stumbling over her words. "I mean, no, no, you can have it right now. I'm just looking for some kind of proof that my professor really does have the right to demonstrate the Unforgivables in class. You know" She hesitated "Legal wise.."
Cursing herself for sounding a little confused, she quickly closed the book and handed it to the blonde girl, who promptly sat down opposite from her.
"You mean your professeur actually used ze Unforgivables? On students?" The girl frowned, not opening the book she got from Hermione but instead choosing to continue the conversation.
"What? No. On spiders! But still, I don't see why that should be allowed." Hermione said sternly.
"Ah, oui. I understand. I'm Fleur by the way." the girl said holding out her hand "Fleur Delacour."
"Hermione Granger"
They shook hands quickly and sunk back in silence. Instead of trying for a conversation Hermione simply grabbed a new piece of parchment and a quill, and started doing her homework for her next Potions class. That homework wasn't about to write itself, no matter what Ron and Harry thought. But, she realized after writing only a couple of lines, she simply wasn't able to focus.
"For what class do you need to write your essay?" She asked Fleur, who was scowling at the book, ferociously turning the pages.
"Ehm." Fleur said, looking up, "It is not really a class.. More like.. 'ow do you say.. detention?"
"Detention?" Hermione said in surprise, for some reason not expecting it from the pretty girl in front of her. "What did you get detention for?"
"Ah, you know, some'zing stupid." Fleur grinned. "But now I 'ave to write a detailed essay on Unforgivable curses."
The bushy haired girl smiled, which was weird, she normally scolded Harry and Ron senseless for getting detention. But somehow, the cheery mood of the French girl was contagious.
"So 'ave you put your name in ze Goblet yet?" Fleur asked.
"Ah, no. I'm only fifteen, besides, I wouldn't want to enter even if I was allowed. Did you do it yet?"
"Non. Maxime wants us to do it all toge'zer." sighed Fleur "Some'zing about.. protocol, I don't know. You look older zan fifteen zough, more mature."
"That must be the lighting in here, it makes everyone look older." Hermione smiled, she liked it when people thought she was older than she looked. She tried to brush some unruly hair out of her face, but failed miserably.
"So I look older 'zan seventeen in 'ere?" grinned Fleur "And I wanted so desperately to keep zis age forever!" She dramatically flicked her blond hair, with a mocking look in her eyes.
They laughed together, until Madame Pinch angrily told them to keep it down. If it were up to Pinch, laughter was banned from the library forever. Hermione quieted down immediately, she didn't want to risk getting kicked out after all. She took that risk more than she wanted to already, when she brought Harry and Ron along with her.
Fleur on the other hand scowled and muttered something in French Hermione couldn't understand. But the look on the girl's face was obvious, she did not like being told what to do.
A quick glance at her watch told her she was already too late for her meet-up with Harry and Ron. She grabbed her things and stuffed them in her bag, ignoring the confused look she got from the French girl.
"I'm so sorry, I have to go. Good luck with your essay." She hesitated and then added "Let me know if you need help."
Fleur Delacour broadly smiled her perfect teeth at the witch in front of her. "I will, 'zank you. And if I find any'zing surrounding ze use of Unforgivables in class, I will tell you."
"Thank you, it was nice meeting you."
"It was nice meeting you too 'Ermione." Fleur grinned.
Hermione rushed out of the library, she had not expected to find the French witch in the library, let stand that she would actually enjoy having a conversation with her. Then again, maybe even the mighty Hermione Granger suffered from prejudices sometimes. She walked quickly, taking the stairs down three steps at a time. Recklessness agreed with her, she thought, but then she lowered her speed again, careful not to fall. Images to uphold and all, Hermione Granger does not fall.
"So anything good happened while I was in the library?" Hermione asked when she reached Ron and Harry who were still sitting close to the Goblet of Fire. It was quite frankly unbelievable that hanging around in the entrance hall was all they had done during the day.
"Fred and George had beards." Ron chuckled.
"I heard" She laughed. "I wish I could have seen that."
She really, really wished that she did. Even if it was only to confirm that she had been right all along. Dumbledore never would have been so stupid as to forget about aging potions. But no, when she said that, people dismissed the idea. Physical proof, people always need physical proof. She'd better remember that.
"Did anything interesting happen in the library?" Harry asked, eyes still fixed on the Goblet. "I can't believe you were in there all day."
"As if." snorted Ron. "It's the library, nothing interesting happens there!"
Hermione just smiled. She wasn't too sure about that.
"Let's just go to the common room, guys."
RON (Great Hall, 06.16 am)
Harry was puffing, trying to empty his plate, but the look on his face said he was about done. So was Hermione, who was leaning backward as far away from the food as possible. Ron on the other hand, was stuffing another piece of chicken into his mouth.
"Two feasts in two days, and you are still eating." Hermione said. "How do you even do that?"
Ron grumbled something, swallowed his chicken, and smiled at his best friends.
"I was hungry. What am I supposed to do? Not eat?"
Harry patted his friend on the back.
"You're right mate. Just let him finish eating, Hermione." He winked at her.
But suddenly the food disappeared off from the tables and Dumbledore announced that the Goblet would be releasing the names of the champions any second now. Anxiously, Ron turned his attention to the Goblet. He didn't care much who would be the champion for Hogwarts, as long as it was no Slytherin. He was pretty much fine with it being anyone but a Slytherin. Well, if he was honest, he would be happiest if he himself were the champion, but he knew that that wasn't an option so he just sat back and watched the show.
Then the flames inside the goblet turned a bright red, and a piece of parchment flew out of it, right into the air, only to be grabbed by Dumbledore moments later.
"Durmstrang's champion will be.. Victor Krum." The headmaster said solemnly, looking around the room for the famous Quidditch player.
"No surprise at all!" Ron yelled happily through a storm of thundering applause.
In awe Ron watched how the large Bulgarian got up from his seat and silently moved towards the next chamber, where the champions were supposed to await further instructions.
The noise died down and the flames turned red again, releasing another piece of parchment.
"The Champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour." Dumbledore announced.
Next to him, he could hear Hermione gasp and Harry poked him, yelling something about her being the Veela girl in his ear. As if he couldn't see that for himself. The beautiful blond stood up gracefully, and walked out of the Great Hall, disappearing in a flash of silvery hair. Ron was too stunned to pay attention to the third piece of parchment that flew out of the Goblet, but when he heard Dumbledore announce the third champion, his ears went bright red.
"No!" He said loudly. "For Merlin's sake, not Cedric bloody Diggory." He turned to Harry. "He might even be worse than a Slytherin!"
If anyone from Hufflepuff had heard him say that, Ron would probably have been punched in the face, instead, the cheering was so loud, that even Hermione and Harry barely heard what he had said.
"Oh well mate, it's better than Malfoy." Harry clapped along with the rest, obviously not bothered by Diggory's election as champion.
"Malfoy is not old enough." hissed Ron through his teeth.
He could hear Dumbledore trying to make a speech, but suddenly the flames in the Goblet turned red for a fourth time. The whole great hall went dead silent as another piece of parchment came out. Ron watched how Dumbledore grabbed it, read it, and frowned. Then, after what seemed like an eternity, he read the name on the fourth piece of parchment out loud.
"Harry Potter"
He blankly stared at his best friend sitting next to him.
"I didn't put my name in the Goblet." Harry whispered ferociously . "You know I didn't."
Dumbledore called Harry's name again, ushering him to come to the staff table and join the other champions.
Hermione gave Harry a little push, whispering something in his ear and his friend got up and started walking awkwardly towards the front of the Hall, only to disappear through the doorway of the next chamber.
It was only after most of the staff had left for the other chamber too, that the students in the hall spoke up at the same time. But Ron didn't listen to the noise, nor did he hear the questions from his fellow Gryffindors all around him.
"No bloody way." He said disbelievingly "No bloody way."