Beauxbatons and Durmstrang
The trio all had breakfast the next morning, with Arthur still feeling the remnants of worry he felt last night when he got the letter from Sirius that told him he'd be coming north.
This carried over the next few weeks, even with the worry decreasing over time.
Visions of Sirius being cornered by Dementors in a dark London street haunted him in his dreams, if only Quidditch was still on this year so that he can be distracted from these thoughts.
But the lessons this year were becoming more difficult and demanding, especially Defence Against the Dark Arts.
To everyone's surprise, Moody had announced that he'd put the Imperius Curse on each of them in turn, so that he could demonstrate its power and see whether they could resist the effects.
"But… didn't you say this was illegal, Professor?" Chrys asked with uncertainty as Moody cleared the desks with a simple sweep of his wand, leaving a large clear space in the middle of the classroom.
"Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like." Moody replied with his magical eye swivelling to Chrys, fixing on her with a rather eerie stare. "If you'd rather learn the hard way - when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely - fine by me. You're excused. Off you go." He pointed a gnarled finger towards the door.
Chrys had a hard look as she clearly didn't want to leave. Both Arthur and David knew that she'd consume Bubotuber pus than miss a lesson as important as this.
Moody then started beckoning students forward in turn and put the Imperius Curse on them.
Arthur watched as each of them, one by one, did various things under its influence. Dean Thomas for example hopped three times around the room, singing the national anthem. Lavender Brown imitated a squirrel Neville performed a rather astonishing series of gymnastics that he would never have done in his normal state.
None of them seemed to fight the curse off, each recovering only when Moody removed it from them.
But then David, Chrys and Mike were all able to fight against it, though with some painful results.
"Pendergast." He then growled. "You next."
Arthur moved forward into the middle of the classroom, into the space that Moody had cleared the desks away.
Moody then raised his wand, pointed it at Arthur and said "Imperio."
Arthur didn't feel a thing, if anything, he narrowed his eyes and moved his arms around, seeing that he was in control of himself.
"Is that it?" He asked Moody, who, among the entire class, was very shocked and impressed.
"Look at that, you lot, Pendergast's strength of will and character is so strong the curse has no effect on him. Incredible! This is very rare in the wizarding world. No one will be able to control you!"
"The way he talks, you'd think that we'd get attacked every minute of every day." Arthur noted to David and Chrys as they left the classroom an hour later.
"Yeah… no wonder people don't take him seriously. It's like that saying 'the boy who cried wolf'." David agreed with him as they were out of earshot of Moody. "Remember him telling Seamus what he did to that one witch who said 'boo!' behind him on April Fool's Day? And we're supposed to read up on resisting the Imperius Curse with everything else we have to do?"
It seemed that all the fourth years had a significant increase in the amount of work they had to do this school year. McGonagall would explain why, when the whole class made a very loud groan at the amount of Transfiguration homework she set for them.
"You are now entering a most important phase of your magical education!" She explained to them all, her eyes glinting dangerously behind her square spectacles. "Your Ordinary Wizarding Levels are drawing closer -"
"We don't take O.W.L.s 'til fifth year!" Dean Thomas said indignantly.
"Maybe not, Thomas, but believe me, you need all the preparation you can get! Mr Pendergast, Mr Merlon, Miss Ranger and my son are the only ones in this class who have managed to turn a hedgehog into a satisfactory pincushion. I might remind you that your pincushion, Thomas, still curls up in fright if anyone approaches it with a pin!"
The four that were mentioned tried looking like they were just lucky.
Both Arthur and David were very much amused when Trelawney said that they had received top marks for their homework in their next Divination class.
She'd read out large portions of their predictions, downright commending them for their unflinching acceptance of the horrors in store for them - though they weren't all that amused when she asked them to do the same thing for the month after the next one, and the two were completely out of ideas for catastrophes.
Elsewhere, Professor Binns, the boring ghost who taught History of Magic, had them write weekly essays on the Goblin Rebellions of the eighteenth century. Snape forced them to research antidotes. This they all took seriously, because he had hinted that he just might poison one of them before Christmas to see if their antidote worked. Flitwick asked them to read three extra books in preparation for the lesson on Summoning Charms.
Even Hagrid added to their workload. The Blast Ended Skrewts ended up growing at a disturbingly remarkable pace, considering that no one had yet discovered what they even ate. Hagrid was naturally delighted and, as a part of their 'project', suggested that they'd come down to his hut on alternate evenings to observe the Skrewts and make notes on their behaviour.
"I will not." Draco said flatly when Hagrid proposed that this with the air of Santa Claus pulling an extra large toy out of his sack. "I see enough of these foul things during lessons, thanks."
Hagrid's smile had faded and a stern expression took over.
"Yeh'll do wha' yer told…" He growled. "...or I'll be takin' a leaf outta Professor Moody's book… I hear yeh made a good ferret, Malfoy."
This had all the Gryffindors roaring with laughter as Draco flushed with anger, despite the memory of what happened with Moody being painful enough for him to not retort back.
Arthur, David and Chrys returned to the castle at the end of the lesson in high spirits, especially due to Draco having done his very best to sack Hagrid the previous year.
Upon entering the Entrance Hall, there was a large crowd of students that all congregated there, all around a large sign that was erected at the foot of the marble staircase. With David being the tallest of them, he stood on his toes to see over the heads in front of them and read what was on the sign to the other two.
TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT
The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at 6 o'clock on Friday 30th of October. Lessons will end half an hour early -
"Great!" Arthur grinned. "Potions is our last lesson on Friday! Snape won't have the time to poison us!"
Students will return their bags and books to their dormitories and assemble in front of the castle to greet our guests before the Welcoming Feast.
"Only a week away!" Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff said as he emerged from the crowd, eyes gleaming. "I wonder if Cedric knows? Think I'll go and tell him…."
"I wouldn't want that pompous git as Hogwarts champion." David snarled as Ernie hurried off.
"Same here." Arthur replied bitterly as they made their way through the chattering crowd towards the staircase.
"Don't tell me you're still bitter about what happened during that match with the Dementors?" Chrys asked, flabbergasted.
"How could I not be? Not to mention his father thought his son was a better flyer than me, which ain't even close to being true." Arthur replied.
The appearance of the sign in the Entrance Hall definitely had a mark on the inhabitants of the castle.
Throughout the following week, the Triwizard Tournament was the only topic of conversation, no matter where Arthur went. Rumours started flying from one student to another like a cold that swept through in little time: who would try out for Hogwarts champion, what would the Tournament involve, how do the students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang differ from Hogwarts.
Another thing Arthur noticed was that the school was going through an extra thorough cleaning. Several grimy portraits were scrubbed, much to their subjects' displeasure, who sat huddled in their frames, muttering dark things and wincing when they felt their raw pink faces. The sits of armour now gleamed and moved without squeaking, and Argus Filch, the caretaker, behaved with such ferocity towards any students who forget to wipe their shoes that he ended up terrifying a pair of first year girls into hysterics.
Even other members of staff were more tense than they normally are.
"Longbottom, kindly do not reveal that you can't even perform a single Switching Spell in front of anyone from Durmstrang!" McGonagall barked at the end of a very difficult lesson, during which Neville had accidentally transplanted his ears onto a cactus.
On the thirtieth of October, when they went down for breakfast in the morning, they saw that the Great Hall was decorated overnight. There were enormous silk banners hanging from the walls, each representing each of the Hogwarts houses - red with a gold lion for Gryffindor, blue with a bronze eagle for Ravenclaw, yellow with a black badger for Hufflepuff and green with a silver serpent for Slytherin.
Behind the teachers' table was the largest banner, which bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: lion, eagle, badger and snake all united around a large 'H'.
The trio spotted the twins at the Gryffindor table, apart from everyone else and talked in low voices, still acting oddly. It made them wonder what was going on with them, especially with what Arthur told David and Chrys about what he heard.
David led the way to them.
"I hate this." Kevin said gloomily to Jack. "If he won't talk to us in person, we'll just have to send him the letter. Or we'll stuff it in his hand. He can't avoid us forever."
"Who are you talking about?" David asked as he sat next to them.
"None of your business." Jack said in irritation.
"Alright, alright, sheesh." David said.
"Do you two have any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet?" Arthur asked.
"I did ask McGonagall how the champions would be chosen, and all she said was that I should just shut up and get on with Transfiguring my raccoon."
"Is there anything else we should know about the Tournament?" David asked.
"There's supposed to be a panel of judges. McGonagall said that the champions would be awarded points according to how well they've done the various tasks." Jack explained.
"And who would the judges be?" Arthur asked.
"The Heads of the three schools are always on the panel…" Chrys answered, leaving everyone slightly surprised. "...this is due to all three of them being injured during the 1792 Tournament, when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to catch went on a rampage."
"And where'd you learn that?" David questioned.
"It's in Hogwarts: A History. It's part of why I spent a lot of time in the library. It turns out the book has no mention of the house elves who work here."
"Oh, we've met them plenty of times down in the kitchens." Kevin said with a grin, which was shared with his twin. "They're really happy down there. They think they have the best job in the world."
A sudden whoosh came from overhead announcing the arrival of the post owls.
Arthur looked up and was surprised to see that an eagle owl landed in front of him and dropped a letter by his plate of breakfast foods.
He narrowed his eyes as he carefully opened the letter, in case it was jinxed or something in that nature.
It turned out it was from Sirius as the letter read:
Arthur,
I'm now back in the country and well hidden. I want you to keep me posted on everything that's going on at Hogwarts. Make sure to not Athena, keep changing owls, and don't worry about me, just watch out for yourself. Don't forget what I said about the scar.
Sirius
"Keep changing owls?" David asked in confusion.
"A barn owl that keeps returning to wherever he's hiding… that stands out, even if they're native." Chrys replied.
Arthur then rolled up the letter and slipped it into his robes, ultimately feeling better about Sirius. If he says to not worry about him, then that's good enough for Arthur. Plus, his Animagus form would help out, making him look like a stray dog.
The air that day was contaminated with nothing but anticipation. Very few people even paid attention in lessons as they were more interested in the arrival later in the evening of the visitors from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Even Potions became more bearable than it normally was, being half an hour shorter.
When the bell rang early, the trio all hurried as fast as they could to Gryffindor Tower, deposited their bags and books as instructed, pulled on their cloaks and rushed back down to the Entrance Hall.
All the Heads of houses were there, ordering their students into lines.
"Miss Patil, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair." McGonagall snapped at Parvati, who scowled and removed a large ornamental butterfly from the end of her plait.
"Follow me, please." McGonagall then said. "First years in front… no pushing."
Everyone filed down the front steps and lined up in front of the castle.
That evening turned out to be cold with a clear sky that showed dusk falling with a pale and transparent looking moon already shining over the Forbidden Forest.
Arthur stood between both David and Chrys in the fourth row from the front. He also saw Dennis Creevey shivering with anticipation along his fellow first years.
"It's nearly six." David said as he checked his watch and then looked at the drive that led to the front gates. "How exactly are they coming here?"
"Well… I don't think they'd use the train, or even broomsticks." Chrys said.
"Maybe a Portkey?" Arthur suggested.
"Perhaps." She shrugged.
Everyone was scanning the darkening grounds in excitement, yet nothing moved; everything was still and silent, as it always was.
Arthur was now starting to feel cold, wishing that the other schools would hurry up.
Suddenly, Dumbledore called out from the back row, where he stood with the other teachers. "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"
Arthur looked around until he spotted something over the Forest.
It was something large, way too large to be a broomstick, or even a hundred broomsticks for that matter. And it was hurtling across the deep blue sky towards the castle, growing larger as it got closer.
"It's a dragon!" A first year girl shrieked.
"Don't be stupid… it's a flying house!" Dennis said.
"That's not a house!" Mike corrected him.
It seemed to be a large black shape that skimmed the treetops of the Forbidden Forest, and with the lights shining from the castle windows hitting it, it was a gigantic, powder blue horse drawn carriage the size of a large house that soared towards them, being pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, all of which were the size of elephants, resembling palominos, meaning they were Abraxans, which were just beautiful.
The front three rows of students all drew backwards as the carriage hurtled lower and lower, coming in to land a great speed, and then with an almighty crash that made Neville jump backwards onto a Slytherin fifth year's foot, the Abraxans' hooves, which were larger than dinner plates, hit the ground. Then a second later, the carriage landed as well, bouncing upon its vast wheels, while the golden winged horses tossed their enormous heads and rolled their large, fiery red eyes.
Arthur was able to see that the door of the carriage bore a coat of arms, which had two golden wands that crossed, each emitting three stars, before it opened.
Out came a boy in pale blue robes who jumped down from the carriage, bent forwards, fumbling for a moment with something on the carriage floor and unfolded a set of golden steps.
He then sprang respectfully before a shining black high heeled shoe emerged. It was the size of a child's sled, and was followed almost immediately by who had to be the largest woman Arthur had ever seen in his life. She was so large Arthur's jaw dropped in shock.
This explained the size of the carriage, as well as the Abraxans as a few other people gasped.
There was only one other person Arthur knew that was roughly as tall as this woman, and that was Hagrid. But perhaps he was used to being around Hagrid that this woman (who was now at the foot of the steps, looking around at the wide eyed crowd) seemed to be even more unnaturally large.
As she stepped into the light that came from the Entrance Hall, she revealed herself to have rather gorgeous olive skin, large black liquid looking eyes and a rather beaky nose. Her hair was drawn back into a shining knob at the base of her neck and wore from head to foot black satin, along with many magnificent opals that gleamed at her throat and on her thick fingers.
Dumbledore started to clap and the students all followed his lead, breaking into applause, many even standing on tiptoes to get a better look at this woman.
Her face had relaxed into a gracious smile as she walked towards Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. Dumbledore, though being tall himself, barely bent to kiss it.
"My dear Madame Maxime, welcome to Hogwarts." He greeted her.
Arthur remembered that name from that girl at the Quidditch World Cup.
"Dumbly-dorr." She said in a deep voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"
"On excellent form, I thank you." He replied.
"My pupils." Maxime said, waving one of her large hands carelessly behind her.
Arthur shifted his attention from her to the carriage where a dozen boys and girls in their late teens emerged and stood behind their Headmaster. They were all shivering, which had to do with them wearing robes that looked like they were made of fine silk and didn't even wear cloaks. Though a few of them wore scarves and shawls around their heads.
They all seemed to be staring up at Hogwarts with apprehensive looks on their faces, which offended Arthur a lot.
"'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Maxime asked.
"He should be here any moment." Dumbledore told her. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"
"Warm up, I think." Maxime replied. "But ze 'orses -"
"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation which has arisen with some of his other - er - charges."
"Skrewts." David muttered to Arthur.
"My steeds require - er - forceful 'andling." Maxime said as though she doubted Hagrid could be up for the job. "Zey are very strong…."
"I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job." Dumbledore smiled.
"Very well…" Maxime bowed slightly. "...will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single malt whiskey?"
"It will be attended to." Dumbledore also bowed.
"Come." Maxime then said imperiously to her students and the Hogwarts crowd parted so that she and her students could pass up the stone steps.
"How big d'you reckon Durmstrang's horses are going to be?" Seamus Finnigan asked, leaning around both Lavender and Parvati to address Arthur and David.
"I don't think they'll arrive on horses." David replied.
Everyone now stood, shivering slightly, as they waited for the Durmstrang party to arrive.
Most gazed up at the sky. It was silent for a few minutes, which was broken by Maxime's Abraxan's snorting and stamping.
"Do you hear that?" David suddenly asked.
Arthur listened and finally noticed a loud and eerie noise that drifted towards them from the darkness, along with a muffled rumbling and suckling sound like an immense vacuum cleaner moving along a river bed….
"The lake!" Lee Jordan shouted, pointing at it. "Look at the lake!"
From their position at the top of the lawns that overlooked the grounds, they had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the lake, yet the surface of the lake wasn't so smooth at all.
Some disturbance took place deep in the centre with great bubbles forming on the surface in the middle of the lake before a whirlpool formed as though a giant plug was pulled out of the lake's floor.
Then what looked like a long, black pole rose slowly out of the heart of the whirlpool and Arthur noticed the rigging….
"It's the mast of a ship." He said to David and Chrys.
Slowly, a magnificent ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It looked skeletal, as though it was a resurrected wreck, and the dim misty lights shimmered at its portholes, looking like ghostly eyes.
Then finally with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged in its entirety, bobbing on the now turbulent water and started gliding towards the bank.
A few moments later, they heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows along with the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.
People now disembarked from the ship as their silhouettes passed the lights in the ship's portholes.
Arthur noticed that all of them were built in the same vain to Crabbe and Goyle… yet as they drew nearer, walking up the lawns into the light that streamed from the Entrance Hall, he saw that their bulk really came from the fact that they wore cloaks with a matted fur.
The man that led them up to the castle wore furs of a different sort; sleek and silver, a lot like his hair.
"Dumbledore!" he called heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"
"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff." Dumbledore replied.
Karkaroff had a fruity and unctuous voice. When he entered the light that poured from the front doors of the castle, he was clearly shown.
He was tall and thin like Dumbledore, but had shorter white hair and his goatee (which finished in a small curl) didn't hide his weak chin.
When he reached Dumbledore, he shook hands with both of his own.
"Dear old Hogwarts." He said, looking up at the castle with a smile, revealing his yellow teeth, and Arthur noted that his smile didn't extend to his eyes, which were cold and shrewd. "How good it is to be here, how good…. Viktor, come along into the warmth… you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold…."
Karkaroff beckoned forwards one of his students.
As the student passed, Arthur's eyes widened as he recognised the curved nose and thick black eyebrows.
"David… that's Krum!"
Well... it seems like no one will have a chance to control Arthur at all with the Imperius Curse. And I had to have David, Chrys and Mike be able to fight against it, there had to be other students that could do it.
