"Anna, you always eat like you'll never see food again."
"I won't unless it magically appears on the table." Anna said, and Merida laughed. "I'm just kidding, Elsa."
Elsa smiled. She can't blame Anna for her actions since the food surrounding the table will completely flood your mouth with saliva. Fried chicken dipped with orange sauce, mushroom soup, juicy roasted beef sliced as thin as a paper, sizzling pork barbecues and other dishes that seemed unfamiliar. Elsa decided to sit at the Gryffindor table with her sister and her friend, and the Gryffindors did not object.
"Where's Rapunzel?" asked Anna.
"I don't know. You haven't seen her?" Elsa said.
"Ya' mean, since lunch break? Nahh, we haven't." then Merida lets out a loud 'Mmm!'
"What? What is it?"
"I nev'r thought that love from sea and land combined togaether is thiis good!" said Merida as she swallow another food which looked like butter in a seashell, of which they called buttered scallops.
Elsa rolled her eyes and started to enjoy her chicken. The moment her mouth contacted to the chicken, its juice embraced her tongue, and for the moment it seems like the world is just between her and the wet meat combined with the sweet and spicy taste.
Anna had grabbed a chicken lollipop just in time before the dishes replaced themselves with desserts. The gigantic bowl of fruits was replaced with fountains of chocolates. Surrounding it was a dozen of strawberries. Beside it is a bowl of chunk-sliced apples dipped with chocolate, treacle tart with different complicated designs, creamy mango float, ice cream with chocolate cakes under them, and a honey-colored pudding.
"It's time!" Anna and Merida both giggled as they grab some desserts within or far from reach.
Elsa looked hopelessly at the entrance of the Great Hall, then at the Hufflepuff table. It's too weird for Rapunzel to be late, especially at dinner. She wondered if something had happened, or — no, it's impossible for her to have detention. Well, if she has, then she would've time for dinner and time to remind them. It seems so absurd.
And another thing bugged her mind. Why are the dishes seemed so unfamiliar? For sure these dishes come from another countries — maybe continent. What was so special this evening, anyway?
When too much desserts filled their stomachs, Merida and Anna leaned back, feeling their stomach will split out for a moment. Elsa, for the first time in history, can't stop daydreaming about the honey-colored pudding. She can't stop herself releasing the loud 'Mmm!' the same way as Merida did.
By the time the Headmaster stands up, everyone fell silent and Elsa's unanswered question is a history.
"And now, our stomach is fully filled. Let us clap our hands for those who have done a wonderful job with these delicious dishes."
Everybody clapped, but fell silent at once.
"But before we go to our beds, I have a few announcements to make."
"Wonder what's it gonna be?" Merida whispered.
"Maybe something really big. Look at how the teachers stare with so much tension." Elsa whispered back.
Anna's eyes traveled from the Headmaster to the teachers, and Elsa was telling the truth. Murmurs filled the hall and was interrupted by the Headmaster's cough.
"As I was saying," he continued, "this year we will have a very special event. To fully remind each one of us the importance of unity, an event was created."
"Is it the Triwizard Tournament?!" The Thorstorn twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut shouted, and immediately the Hall was filled with excitements.
"No, no." North said. "The Triwizard Tournament is still not among us giving the certain circumstances that has happened."
During the last Triwizard Tournament, a young wizard named Cedric Diggory had died during the tournament, and it is when the Dark Lord was reborn. Surely, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is gone for good, thanks to Harry Potter, but if such tournament is held, some parents would never let their children go, since fear has not completely faded from their hearts.
"Of course, this event will consist of three schools and, shall we say, a team per school." North continued, and the students remained silent, eager to hear more. "I now announce that the Triwizard Quidditch Tournament is officially open!"
It takes more time for Elsa to fully absorb the whole thing in her mind. Triwizard Quidditch Tournament? And not just one representative, but a team in each school?
"He said WHAT?!" Rapunzel exclaimed, standing up from the Gryffindor table where she and her friends sit together that morning. Her voice echoed loudly to the hall that most of them looked at her direction. She turned red, and sat down.
"He said exactly what I said, Rapunzel." Elsa explained calmly.
"So, any description from this Triwizard Quidditch Tournament?" she asked.
"Ooh, ooh! It'll be so much more exciting. Since three schools are participating, three teams will play on the tournament." Anna said.
"So it would mean more opponents to beat!" Merida continued.
"Oh, good! So that means they won't be destroying our field like how they destroyed it before and made it a maze." Rapunzel said.
"No, the tournament won't be held in Hogwarts this year. We don't know which school it'll be held." Elsa said.
"You useless creature!" Merida throws a leaf on Rapunzel. "Where were you last night, anyway?!"
"Oh, I was — "
"You missed dinner!" Anna interrupted. "Oh, last night's desserts were so spectacular! If I missed them, I would never rest peacefully in my grave!"
Rapunzel pouted. They had enjoyed dinner last night while she was lying on a dark, hospital wing.
Before Rapunzel could explain, the owls arrived carrying the students' mails. Rapunzel only receive a mail once a month from Mother Gothel, Merida always has, while Elsa and Anna receive some mail rarely. An owl landed on Elsa's table and paid it a few Knuts for the Daily Prophet.
"Och, mum!" Merida exclaimed as she reads her letter.
"So, what's good today?" Anna asked.
"It's not good. It's more like very intriguing." Elsa said, holding up her copy. "Here, listen."
MINISTRY'S CLAIRE JENKINS FOUND DEAD
Claire Jenkins, Auror of the Minister of Magic, was reportedly found dead in the hearts of the forest of Albania. The body was found lying on the cold ground with two ribs broken, and backbone bent. Aurors suspect that she's been dead for one and a half day now. No signs for the murderer who was responsible, and the investigation is still ongoing.
"Too short. Are there more?" Merida asked.
"Hmm..." Elsa flips to another page. "Nope, that's just it."
The colors drained from Rapunzel's face as Claire Jenkins's name echoed on her mind.
"Rapunzel, is something wrong?" Anna asked worriedly.
Rapunzel sighs. "There's something I need to tell you."
Then Rapunzel told them everything about her dream, about how the murderer had tried to ask something but refused to answer, how she was tortured to death.
"Then, who's the mu'urderer?" Merida asked her.
"I — I don't know. When I tried to recall it, it's all a blur." she said.
Anna and Merida keep asking her questions, and Elsa caught Jack at the Slytherin table. Well known for his mischievousness, it was weird to see him in that expression, the expression of fear. What would Jack, the world's most annoying prankster, who got out luckily from any punishments, be so scared at? And then there's Emma, his little sister. She's in the Slytherin house, alright. But most of her friends were in Ravenclaw, and most of her lifetime she ate breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Ravenclaw table. Seeing her sitting in her own house's table seems so out of place, and she wears the same expression that Jack has. What could've happened?
The next Saturday morning, everything's in chaos. Monday to Friday afternoons, the Quidditch field's always full of schedules of the training sessions of the House Teams. The first match of the season is Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, but the teams of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw began to train so hard as well. The opening of the Triwizard Quidditch Tournament seems to revved them up. They do not know how to participate on such events, but rumors say the judges will be observing the students without them noticing, so most of the students, especially the team, were completely showing off their moves.
The weekend was supposed to be a whole day for a team to train, but there was confusion to the schedules, and team captains continued to fight. Finally, it was decided that the Gryffindors will take the field on that day.
"THAT was surprisingly good, Mer!" Rapunzel hugged her.
"Thanks! It was all Anna, though." she replied.
"Jeez, it won't work without you, actually. And I did not plan for that superb move of yours, though!" Anna giggled.
The four of them walked inside the castle, all remembering what happened during the training. Then a dark figure appeared at the corner of the forest, which caught Anna's eye. For a moment, she was distracted, but was bought back to reality when a voice echoed angrily. The four of them froze.
"Uh oh!" Merida whispered tensely.
Anna and Merida's boots were filled with thick mud, and so they left traces on the staircase. They were distracted by their chitchats that they did not notice their trails. Filtch cursed loudly and breathes rapidly as he ran to follow the trails.
"RUN!" Elsa whispered urgently as she started to run to the Ravenclaw tower, Rapunzel to the Hufflepuff's dormitory and Merida and Anna towards the door of the Fat Lady.