AN/- i really need to know if you guys like this story or not are just reading cause you have summer there and i have to slog my *** off here at college-anyways enjoy and i hope you'll review and make my slogging a bit easier and updates sooner
Chapter 5
Olympe Maxine the headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy of Magical learning paced in her office, the arrangements weren't made yet and the students would be arriving any minute, what was the use of having a deputy when she had to do every bloody thing.
"We're ready headmistress," said Maurice Langley the potions master while Mary Norton the deputy headmistress came running into the office, she smiled at Maxine and waited for her to speak.
"Well-?" announced Maxine a little angry.
"The students are here—the select fifty have been put into the carriage along with the two teachers and Madam Ladder the healer as you requested, it is only you and Maurice who have to board the carriage—I assure you, you'll reach Hogwarts in two hours before they begin dinner," finished the deputy as Maxine nodded curtly as she pulled Maurice out of her office with her and they walked out into the well manicured ground which were currently being utilized by one massive carriage with several Pegasus' tied to it, neighing and ready for a good long flight.
Maurice helped the headmistress board as the deputy listened to what Maxine had to say carefully before they shut the door on her face.
"Take care," said Maxine sternly at her deputy who smiled and nodded as Maxine's face beamed into a small smile.
"I promise—you have a good flight headmistress," finished the deputy as the Pegasus' ran as fast so they could to take flight.
"Rachel—where is Rachel?" asked Maxine suddenly turning and looking at the carriage full of students. The carriage itself was huge; it wasn't a normal carriage but one which had several couches and cushioned seats and two glass enclosed balconies which provided an excellent view of the outside.
"Here," smiled Rachel as Maxine breathed a sigh of relief; Jean followed Rachel as they heard Maxine speak to them.
"Do they know?" asked Maxine as the professors shook their heads.
"Good—I wanted to tell them," said Maxine a little happy as she called for her main student body to control the small crowd.
"Attention everybody—the headmistress has an important announcement to make," said Fleur standing next to the headmistress her head prefect badge and sash a very evident part of her uniform.
"Merci, Fleur—now listen everybody, you are the lucky fifty students who have been carefully selected by the teachers and the board at Beauxbatons, this year for you will be very special you will find out why soon but before that you must know that we are going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in Scotland—now I want everyone on your best behaviour once we get inside their hall in proper formation the student body will have to give them a gist into what Beauxbatons is about—now I wish to talk to student body in private," finished Maxine summoning her famous seven, as they walked up to her thankfully all dressed to impress.
"Now—do you remember the little program we had put up for the French minister of magic when he had visited the school last year?" asked Maxine hurriedly as everyone nodded and she sighed softly.
"Well I want you to do it—once the other colour co-ordinate with the school—I want you to walk to the front of the hall and do what you did last year and dazzle them," said Maxine completing as everybody smiled and nodded in agreement, she dismissed them quickly so that they could go tell the rest of the students what was supposed to be done.
Rachel pulled Audrey back, she had forgotten to mention it but it couldn't stay low for too long it was best if she just said it.
"Audrey—you know how everyone thinks we're family," said Rachel as Audrey nodded; it was miraculous that the students didn't know that Rachel and Audrey were related, but then again Rachel kept it that way.
"Well—I think it's best if they do now," finished Rachel as Audrey perked up a bit, she had always wanted to tell everyone that her mother was the transfiguration teacher because at least wouldn't have to make up another story for her not attending the school functions.
"Well—I go spread the news," she said cheerfully but Rachel held her back.
"No wait—they can't know that you are my daughter—that would just further jeopardise things—tell them you're my niece, tell them your mother died when you were little and that you were living with me since them—nothing else, is that understood?" said Rachel quickly making up a story.
"But why?" asked Audrey a little taken aback by these sudden fake relations and stories her mother had just come up with.
"Just do as I say Audrey, no more questions," said Rachel sharply as Audrey nodded and went back to tell her friends about the new plan, they obviously knew how Rachel was related to Audrey but her secret was safe with them and therefore Audrey had to explain what her mother had told her so that they could go and spread the news among the fifty others.
What Audrey did not understand was the lack of justification that her mother offered, but then it was always been—no questions for Rachel, if Audrey wanted to know more about Hogwarts, it would be no questions, if Audrey wanted to know about her father, it would be no questions for Rachel, if Audrey wanted to know why Rachel moved to France—the answer would be the same. But Audrey couldn't take any more of that—she was always so curious and full of question that usually ended up with her having long arguments with her mother which either ended with her being grounded or not talking to her mother for a really long time. So this time Audrey decided to let it be, if her mother wanted Audrey to know she would tell her the purpose of her new story but since she didn't Audrey just decided to quietly go with it.
Two hours and a few minutes later the students could feel the winged horses flying towards the ground for a landing and several of them dashed to the balconies to see what it was like—Hogwarts, they said their castle was the best anyone had ever seen much better than Beauxbatons but nothing beat the Beauxbatons greenhouses.
Maxine was the first to step out of the carriage followed by Maurice, Rachel and Jean, then the student body and then the rest of the students, it had always been a hierarchy in Beauxbatons and something said they prided themselves in those distinguished positions.
The man who had guided the carriages into a smooth landing but fallen on the ground himself now stood up, he dusted himself as his black beetle eyes wandered over to Maxine and then to the rest of the students. He seemed to be the same size as Maxine, making several girls giggle and wonder if they'd make a nice couple, then again he was a grounds keeper and she was the their headmistress, she would have their heads if she knew what they were thinking.
"Rachel!" smiled the overly large man as he made his way towards Rachel like he had seen a ghost, a friendly one in this case.
"Hagrid—how nice to-" began Rachel smiling but stopped as Hagrid pulled her into a bone crushing hug. Hagrid had not seen Rachel in a rather long time, 10 years was it?
"That will be enough Hagrid," said an old snarky looking man as he limped slightly to the group.
"I'm the caretaker—Mr. Argus Filch—follow me," said Filch breaking the sentence as if trying to make Maxine understand English. She looked indignantly at him but never the less she and the rest followed Filch inside the school.
Once in the entrance hall Filch made them wait in front of two huge oak doors, entering himself and coming out after a while saying something odd to his feet and then looking up at Maxine.
"They are ready for you," said Filch snootily, seemed like he had attitude, but he opened the doors wide open to let the group in. Maxine looked around to see the student body behind her, Fleur and Gabrielle Delacour the head and sub head prefects and the captains and vice captains of the two houses were standing next to them, Maxine gave them a smile and a curt nod, they replied in a similar fashion.
Maxine walked into the great hall her students behind her, headmaster Dumbledore who was waiting below the stage on which rest the podium and the staff table walked up to escort Maxine to a seat quite similar to his own which was right next to his. The Beauxbatons student body got into action. The first blue flare was shot into the air by Fleur it turned into several shimmering butterflies as Gabrielle accompanied her sister with another blue flare skywards which along with light gave out a wonderful floral fragrance, next were the captains who stood opposite each other jetting out water from their wands the Jupiter house captain had red water while the Neptune house captain had a jet of green water dashing towards the red when the jets collided the Neptune house vice captain waved her wand conjuring a rock bridge that passed over the splashing water and finally Audrey shot her spell, a humongous ball of fire that blew the bridge and the water out of scene but as the mist the water and the fire had created died down, the hall could see an emblem of fire with a ring of pearls under it which was circled by red and green water and it shone brightly before disappearing into the air. The hall stood quiet at the performance, it had sure beat the shit out the Durmstrang show and the weird part was most of the show was put up by only Krum while here everyone worked for their brilliant make. Once someone started to the clap the whole hall burst into cheers and loud applauses as the student body took a bow from where ever they were standing, they bowed to Maxine and their teachers who had settled in on the staff table and then they walked up to the student tables, co-ordinating by colour as Jupiter sat with the Gryffindors and Neptune sat with the Slytherines.
Audrey walked towards the Gryffindor table where Leon waved out to her fanatically from where he was sitting it seemed like he had found people he knew.
"Hello—Audrey quite a show you put up there eh?" said Fred making place for her so that she was sitting in between him and Leon, opposite Harry and Hermione and Ron.
"Thanks," she grinned widely as the empty tray on the table finally started to fill up with delicious food, they all started filling their plates as their goblets filled with strawberry crush or water whatever they preferred to drink.
"So do you know why we're here?" asked Leon as Audrey shrugged and looked at him puzzled.
"I thought Maxine would have told you about it—you being the vice captain and all," said Leon.
"I doubt Fedora knows either," said Audrey looking at the Jupiter house captain who was sitting a few seats away with her Beauxbatons friends and laughing as some Hogwarts boys cracked a joke.
"That's cool," said Ron eyeing Audrey's badge as Audrey smiled.
"You're lucky you got to be vice captain we don't have anything like that here—must be fun," said Ron a little glum now.
"Honestly, it kind of a pain in the butt, because if your house loses points the headmistress kind of scolds you and then there are your housemates who shun you so badly that—don't want to talk about it," said Audrey shaking her head.
"Is it that bad?" asked Ron.
"Well—I haven't really faced it—seeing that today is my first day as vice captain, but Fedora there when she was vice captain they really hated her—but she swung the house quite well later—so I guess she got to be captain," said Audrey whispering to Ron, who nodded in understanding.
"Where's Gabrielle?" asked Ginny looking at Audrey and Leon.
"Gabby's a Neptune—we normally don't have house divisions apart from in the dormitories and quidditch matches, but I guess you have them here," said Leon as his eyes darted to the Slytherine table where Gabrielle was sitting with Fleur and her friends.
"Yea—and particularly with that house," said Ron rudely as he heard Malfoy laugh.
"That idiot is in that house then?" said Audrey sharply; she didn't like that Malfoy bloke at all.
"Yup," said Harry speaking to her for the first time that night.
All Severus wanted to do was go to his quarters and sleep, he was already quite tired listening to Professor Vector going on and on about Krum to Filius and Hagrid who were sitting next to Severus. He yawned in a bored fashion when that insufferable squib caretaker came running into the hall and said something in Dumbledore's ears, like it was the world most important news. Severus snorted in his goblet of wine; he found it amusing how Dumbledore could make the most unimportant idiots feel special, this reminded him strongly of the Potter brat.
"Now, please give a warm welcome to the students of Beauxbatons, their headmistress and teachers," declared Dumbledore stepping of the stage as the Beauxbatons lot entered the great hall; they seemed to be walking like they had something stuck up their backside, well at least the first two girls.
When Dumbledore escorted Maxine back to her seat the Beauxbatons teachers followed their head and settled down on the other side of the table, Severus's view of the other side now got totally obstructed as Maxine hid everything with her humungous body.
Severus sipped some more of his wine just to calm his nerves as the students sat down except for a handful, that was when Severus noticed the blonde girl who had been the death eaters hostage, the girl he had helped, the villa and an older version of her possibly her sister and then he saw the other girl, the brave one, the one that looked most familiar amongst the lot of stuck up girls, the girl what was her name again—Audrey?—yes Audrey, she seemed to be a vice captain, he noticed as she finished with the last bit of making her school emblem with the help of the other 'chosen lot'. There was a loud cheer from all across the hall as the student body bowed and walked to sit back into their seats, Severus noticed that the Audrey girl went to sit next to the Weasley prats and Potter and his friends. He did not know why his eyes wouldn't leave that spot but the conversation that Headmistress Maxine was currently having with Hagrid across Severus brought his attention back to the staff table.
"Don't worry Madam Maxine—professor Hagrid our care of magical creatures' professor will take good care of your horses," said Dumbledore reassuringly as Maxine fussed on about her flying horses.
Severus noticed Hagrid blushing the colour of his wine and nodding happily like he was delighted to be in her presence, if it were Severus he would have run away then talk to her, but then she seemed to be perfect for Hagrid.
"Really monsieur Hagrid, my horses only drink single malt whisky," said Maxine in a very stuck up demeanour as if telling Hagrid she wouldn't throw him a second glance if she could help it, but then wasn't that how giants mated, the female threw the male of her tracks and then watched as he made his way into her heart and it was obvious that both of them had a lot of giant in them more than the other 'human counter-part' if you could possibly call them that.
Hagrid smiled at Maxine pleasantly as he blushed from under his bushy beard and then unconsciously slammed his fork into Filius Flictwick's hand that had been resting next to Hagrid's side plate.
"You idiot," cried the tiny man as he jumped in pain from his seat as Severus tried to control his laughter and tried to dissolve it by gulping his goblet of wine in one sip and then he amused himself by watching it refill by itself with the ruby red liquid.
Harry and Audrey were discussing about how she had met Sirius in her summer vacation and how he had mentioned him in several occasions, by now Audrey had already mentioned the story that she was supposed to tell people about her origin and bringing up, Harry didn't raise any question but definitely felt for her, he didn't have either parents and he too lived with his aunt, he could tell her that he knew what she felt but he decided to ignore the topic when she brought up Sirius, she whispered his name and then the rest of the conversation they kept calling Sirius Padfoot.
Then Dumbledore got up and cleared his throat, two people joined him at the podium as the other two head of the schools stood on the steps that led to the stage, Maxine towering over a tall Igor Karkaroff the Durmstrang head it was a little funny but the Beauxbatons students didn't laugh out of respect, but when Karkaroff climbed a step to try and get in level with Maxine the whole hall burst out laughing as he missed his step and Maxine helped him steady up.
"Hear hear-that will be enough!" said Dumbledore a little sternly as the laughter died down and was replaced by a content silence as they all tried to keep quiet and listen to the man.
"First of all I would love to welcome everyone to a new year at Hogwarts, and I am sure your brain cells must be burning to know why we have new guest amongst us," started Dumbledore as a murmur went through the entire hall.
"Well—let me free you by telling you the reason, every hundred years the Tri Wizard Tournament is held between three schools around the world this century Europe has been chosen to host this grand event and therefore you see our new friends sitting besides us today," said Dumbledore as three men carrying a huge covered object walked slowly into the hall and set the object in the middle of the stage next to the podium that Dumbledore was standing at.
"Mr. Bartimus Crouch and Mr. Ludo Bagman will precede over the tournament as judges along with Madam Maxine, Master Karkaroff and myself," said Dumbledore as Mr. Crouch stepped up on to the podium next to Dumbledore who stepped down and stood next to Bagman.
"The goblet of fire here, will be used to make unbiased decision of the choice of champions, Hogwarts and Beauxbatons have been granted two champions because of their long history with the tournament but since Durmstrang is relatively new to the tournament the goblet will chose only one champion for the school," said Crouch as a little agitation was heard from the Slytherine table where most of the Durmstrang were sitting except for a few others who were at the Ravenclaw table.
"Also—for your own safety, the ministry of magic has decided on an age limit of 17 years and therefore anyone younger than that is advised not to put their names in the goblet of fire," finished Crouch as the whole hall burst into agitated roars all schools and houses were disappointed with the rule. Harry could hear the Weasley twins shouting like crazy about how the rule was stupid and ridiculous.
"Silence!" shouted Dumbledore as the risen tide of voices died down quickly. That was when Dumbledore pointed his wand gravely at the covered object which now came into view as an extremely large stone goblet, when he lifted his wand off the goblet, it burst to life with blue flames dancing at its brim.
"This tournament is not for weak at heart—you have been warned," said Dumbledore his eyes scanning the hall and then stopping at the Gryffindor table for a while.
"The tournament has set forth begun," smiled Bagman as a few dared to clap after Dumbledore's speech.
Dinner carried on noisily as the grave demeanour died down to be replaced by cheerful voices all merrily taking about their vacations, some explain while some complaining.
Suddenly the sky went dark and thunder filled the hall in an uncustomary fashion, lightening tore the sky and almost crashed on the Hufflepuff table, but was thankfully stopped by a mysterious stranger who limped into the hall from the main entrance, he limped towards the staff table to be greeted by Dumbledore who helped him settle in his seat.
"Bloody hell—it's may eye Moody," said Ron a bit worried as dinner got replaced by dessert.
"Alastor Moody—the auror?" asked Hermione.
"Auror?—what's an auror?" said Dean Thomas looking around for help.
"Dark wizard catcher, he's put a lot of dark blokes in Azkaban—but my gran said he's off his rocker, if you know what I mean," said Neville nodding gravely as he tucked into his apple crumble.
"What's an auror doing here?—think he's here for security reasons?" Leon asked curiously as Harry and Ron shrugged their eyes not leaving the table.
"Whatever it is Snape looks pretty unhappy!" muttered Ron looking at Snape and then at Moody who was sitting next to McGonagall they seemed like they knew each together quite well.
"Well—it's obvious then isn't it?" said Hermione as Harry and Ron looked at her a bit confused Audrey too joined into the conversation, but before Hermione could announce the reason she believed that Moody was here for, Dumbledore did it for her.
" Also, I would like to add that all the classes this year will be taken together by all the schools, seeing that education is always very important, since Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall will be helping out with the tournament two of Beauxbatons most experienced teachers will be teaching you those subjects also I would like to introduce you to and also welcome Professor Alastor Moody who will be teaching you Defence against Dark Arts this year," said Dumbledore as Moody stood up at scanned the hall his one eye looking awfully odd.
"Spooky eye," said Hermione looking at Moody who seemed to be smiling though the scars on his face made him look like he was eyeing everyone peculiarly.
"Spooky everything," added Audrey shaking her head slowly as she the desserts disappeared as well declaring it very clearly that it was time for bed.
"Another important criteria for the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be your houses, we at Hogwarts believe very strongly in our house as they are the shine of our founders and therefore the house table you are currently sitting at will automatically become your house this year and I hope you'll take pride in helping it grow as your own, now off to bed, pip-pip," said Dumbledore as he sat down to continue dinner with his the rest of the staff.
"Come on we're going to be sharing the dormitory," said Hermione pleasantly as she pulled Audrey along with her towards the Gryffindor common room while Leon walked with Harry, Ron and Neville in the same direction, but all Audrey wanted to do was say goodnight to Gabrielle, she hadn't spoken to her all night she had a bad feeling about her being in Slytherine. She didn't like the looks of it; no she didn't like it at all.
AN/- please consider me worth your time and review-i pray and so god will bless you =p