To Robbie's surprise, the two months to the arrivals of the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons flew by in a whirl of classes. It was a relief actually, that Quiddich would be cancelled this year as 7th year was their hardest year yet with tougher classes and longer periods doing homework.
Robbie rubbed his temples, his elbows leaning on the desk with his eyes shut. He had been up until three the previous night trying to finish his back-log of homework, and yet he still hadn't achieved anything. He still needed to practise the Patronus charm for Proffessor Etvet in Defense Against the Dark Arts, answer questions on the House Elves and their rights in Recent History and to write an essay on Chimaras set by his own father, which Robbie thought was down-right mean of him.
"Rob! Robbie!" Leanne hissed hitting him hard in the side with her elbow. He moaned and clutched his side.
"What did you do that for?" He asked loudly. She gave him a meanigful look that Robbie didn't understand and on his right, Alfred was snickering.
"Roberto, its so nice that you finally deemed my lesson interesting enough to take part in."
Robbie froze in his chair. He had completely forgot he was in Transfiguration. He turned away from Leanne and to Proffessor Twittle, who was staring at him, her eyes raised.
"Sorry, Proffessor."
"Lucky for you, this class will be cut short as our visitors will be arriving soon, and as i do not wish to put a damper on anyone's spirit this afternoon, you will not get a detention. But next lesson, i want your full attention, understood?"
"Yes, Proffessor." Robbie said weakly, sagging in relief into his chair, he didn't think he could handle detention along with his large pile of homework he'd already got from the half day.
"Clear away, put your bags in your common room and meet up in the Entrance Hall in five minutes." Proffessor Twittle announced, ten minutes later.
Everyone's chair scraped loudly on the stone floor as they pulled back their chairs and about ten people got stuck in the doorway, all trying to leave as quickly as possible.
Proffessor Twittle was a good teacher, who was stern but fair. And she had to laugh at the sight of ten fully-grown wiggling bodies in her doorway. "Honestly, no one would ever think you're the eldest in this school. I've seen 1st years behave better than you lot!" She flicked her wand and all ten of the students seemed to slide easily out of the doorway as though it was ten metres wide.
As she walked out the door behind them, she glanced over her shoulder and saw that Alfred, Leanne and Robbie were still packing up.
"C'mon, you lot, aren't you excited to see Durmstrang and Beauxbatons?" She asked, she was rather excited herself, she had never been to a Triwizard Tournament before.
When she said 'Beauxbatons' Leanne and Alfred glanced quickly at Robbie who was staring intently at his bag.
Leanne put on a clearly false excited voice (she had never been the best actress). "Oh yes of course! We'll be off now!" She grinned widely, scaring Twittle a bit as she unintionally showed all her teeth.
And all three of them hurried out as fast as their classmates, leaving Proffessor Twittle slightly bemused.
But the second they were out of her sight, they slowed down to a dawdle. Leanne glanced anxiously at her best-friend. "Robbie? We don't have to go if you like."
Robbie looked up at his two best-friend's faces and he believed them. They would miss out of seeing the arrivals of the two schools and he knew they wouldn't complain but he couldn't do that to them – he knew they were excited. So he just said, "Na, we'll go down. I'll have to see them at the feast anyway. I'd rather do it sooner rather than later, i guess."
Leanne and Alfred still looked uncertain, so Robbie strode ahead. They had to jog to catch up with his long legs.
"Horcrux." Robbie said to the Fat Lady. Her friend Violet looked at him in great shock.
"Excuse me? What do you mean by that awful word?"
"No, Vi – it's the password!" She patted her plump hand against Violet's head.
As the three of them went in, Violet was looking outrageous. "What a horrible password! People could get ideas, you know!"
"Yes, that's what i thought too, but i guess a true Gryffindor wouldn't be into that kind of stuff..."
They had barely finished their conversation, when the trio appeared at the portrait again.
They hurried down the moving staircase and within minutes they were in the packed Entrance Hall.
Robbie spotted Hagrid on the far side of the hall, tugging at his beard anxiously. Robbie considered going to stand with him, but instead he was herded into the back line by the new Proffessor Longbottom and Proffessor Flitwick.
The whole school waited with baited breath. Leanne and Alfred craned their necks to see over some 6th years but Robbie could see easily, as he was at least four foot taller than everyone else.
He had heard stories about the Tournament but was still awed as a pirates ship rose out of the Black Lake. It was the largest ship he had ever seen.
Excited mutterings rung through the crowd but Robbie had already lost interest. He scanned the skies, as he guessed they would come again in the flying carriage.
Proffessor Sprout eagerly shook the hands of the Highmaster of Durmstrang.
"That's Proffessor Koskov!" Leanne hissed to them.
Robbie barely heard her, he had spotted something in the sky.
Some 1st years had to, and they were pointing up at the sky in shock.
The carriage grew bigger and bigger as it got closer. It was a cream colour, and six large stallions with gleaming coats flew downwards. As they landed, Robbie could hear his heart thumping and his hands were sweating.
The door opened and five girls stepped out of it, followed by five boys. Even in his state of high agitation, Robbie couldn't help but notice that the French girls were really pretty, especially one olive-toned girl with big brown eyes and long black hair.
His attention was soon caught by one of the boys. He had curly black hair, was seven foot tall, and apart from his blue eyes...he looked exactly like Robbie.
His breath got caught in his throat as their eyes met across the sea of shorter heads.
The other boy's eyes widened, and Robbie knew, he too, recognised him. But then a shadow passed across the boys face and he turned away, but not before Robbie noticed him glaring at him.
Sad, bemused and shocked, Robbie hadn't known what to expect when he saw his twin for the first time but this was not at all what he'd thought it'd go like.
He put his troubled gaze on the next person coming out of the carriage. His heart thumped louder than ever, but then it stopped completely. His mother was supposed to be a half-giant, but the woman was the same height as Proffessor Sprout, who greeted her warmly.
The carriage door was closed. There was no one left in the carriage. Olympe Maxine wasn't here.
Robbie was not one to usually show his emotions but at that moment tears threatened to spurt out;
His estranged twin hated him and his mother didn't show.
He turned away, shrugging off a hand on his shoulder, and walked up to his dad.
Hagrid took one look at his son, grasped his shoulder and they walked back to their hut.