A Chance Encounter
Chapter 6
-Dumbledore-
Keeping his features schooled, Dumbledore kept a close eye on the horizon, waiting with the rest of his students and staff with baited breath for the other two schools to show up. It was October twenty fourth, one week until Halloween and the champion's selection. That upcoming event, combined with the imminent arrival of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang contingents were something he greatly appreciated, needing anything to distract the students from the Fiasco over the summer as each house tended to have different reactions.
The majority of the Slytherin students were, understandably, quite pleased that young Harry was no longer a student of Hogwarts. With Harry having been the main factor to Slytherin losing the House cup for the past three years running the house of the Snakes planned to take back the trophy. There were a few though who weren't fully pleased. Some of the young ladies from Slytherin, such as Lilith Moon, who had developed crushes on Harry were devastated at him leaving and even young Draco, despite the blonde heir crowing his 'pleasure', wasn't as happy, likely at not having a rival to banter with anymore.
The Gryffindors were, in a word, furious at the loss of the most notable figure of their house who won them the house cup and had even won them the quiditch cup. The ones with the most anger were Harry's year mates and the other Weasley children who Harry was closest to. Young Ms. Granger and the youngest Mr. Weasley were especially livid when they read about what was revealed at the trial. Most of the Weasleys had even stopped listening to him as much as they used to, only Molly and young Percival retaining their faith in him.
Hufflepuff was sad to see a student go, but most weren't too terribly affected. The ones that were the most upset were Harry's year mates, a few of the older students who felt guilty over how they treated him during the Chamber of Secrets incident, and Mr. Diggory.
The Ravenclaws were mostly the same as the Hufflepuffs with only Harry's year mates and the young Ms. Chang, who he believed harbored feelings for Harry, missing the wayward celebrity.
Looking back over his students he thought about how best to handle the situation once he got Harry back under his control, and he would get the boy back. A marriage arrangement perhaps, something to bring one of the more dark aligned families into the light and under his control. Ms. Moon was a good choice and didn't have the problems that some of Harry's other admirers did such as Miss Bones being the daughter of the head of the DMLE who could keep Harry form being guided to his proper destiny.
"Look up there!" a first year he couldn't remember the name of yelled "There's something flying towards the castle!" glancing up he saw the familiar shape of the Beauxbatons flying carriage, pulled by their Abraxan horses. It, much like the Durmstrang Dutchman ship was unique to the school and a symbol of their prestige when they went to international events. Hogwarts had one of its own although most students didn't realize what it truly was. The Hogwarts express was more than just a train between the school and a single station but a powerful locomotive that could create its own tracks and even travel magically to the continent if needed.
"It's Beauxbatons!" Miss Granger yelled, her voice sounding surprisingly excited as she saw the carriage, "They're the French contingent, maybe Harry goes to their school now and they'll know about him!" ah, that would explain the excitement but he had to admit, it was a good point. Excited mutterings spread from that statement as most of the student body looked at the carriage expectantly as it landed with a thunderous boom, the wheels digging furrows into the grassy soil.
Slowly, the door to the carriage opened as the Headmistress of the French School, Madame Maxime, strode with deliberate steps out of the carriage and towards the school, head held high. Behind the half giantess came two lines of students, one for the young men and one for the ladies of the school as they all walked proudly, walking gracefully. Though he looked he failed to see a bodyguard among their numbers.
"Ah, 'eadmaster Dumbledore." The woman said with a nod of greeting, a far cry from her usual warm welcome, likely due to the fool Delacour over the summer, "I zank you for welcoming us to your 'all."
"It is no problem Madame Maxime," he told her with a nod "but I must ask…I was told the ICW was allowing one of your students to bring a body guard yet I do not see him."
"Ah, young Scar." The woman smiled proudly "He shall be out in a moment, he is just making sure everyone got off the carriage." As if summoned by her words footsteps were once more heard from the symbol of Beauxbatons prestige as he looked up to see a young man, almost six feet tall and covered in muscle. The man had tattoos on his arms and hands along with the gait of someone who knew how to fight. The final thing he noticed was the familiar scar on the man's forehead.
"Harry." He heard Ms. Granger breathe in awe from the crowed as the students easily recognized their once classmate, despite his 'changes'.
"Oh yes, that is right." Maxime smirked at him "Young Scar, oh sorry, 'arry once went here, didn't he?" it took all of his self-control not to rise to the bait as he saw Harry stand next to the Delacour girl protectively, the part veela looking completely at ease in Harry's presence. Several of the girls from Hogwarts who harbored affections for young Harry sent the French girl dark looks which he took note of, one never knew when a new pawn would be made useful.
"Would you and your students care to stay out here to wait for Karkaroff or would you prefer to go inside?" he asked, social obligation requiring it.
"Inside I think." Maxime nodded, giving a gesture as the group walked inside.
-Harry-
Standing with the students of Beauxbatons he looked around at the Entrance Hall of the place that he had considered home for three years. It was only a couple minutes after the group entered that the students of Hogwarts and Durmstrang did the same, filing in to the Great Hall where the Durmstrang students joined the Slytherin House at their table. "Harry my boy," Dumbledore said with a grin as the old man walked over to them "would you and your…associates care to sit down? The Gryffindor table perhaps?"
"This is quite pathetic Dumbledore." Maxime snorted disdainfully "Having no preparation for the other houses to sit. If the tournament had been held at Beauxbatons then tables would have been laid out for Hogwarts and Durmstrang."
"Don't worry Headmistress," he told the woman with a grin as he cracked his knuckles and decided to show off a tiny bit "allow me to remedy the situation." Clapping his hands, he slammed them onto the ground as a table made of stone along with several stone seats rose up from the floor as if it were made of liquid. "You'll have to apply cushioning charms yourself I'm afraid." He shrugged with a blasé grin as the French students, who had seen a few such transmutation tricks already, did so while the other schools were thunderstruck.
"Thank you 'arry." Maxime said with a grateful nod as the woman gave a cushioning spell to her, much larger, throne like seat.
Grinning he sat down next to Fleur as his friend grinned and gave his hand a squeeze "Wonderful as always 'arry." Fleur told him.
"I try." He grinned as the other schools came out of their stupor.
"Harry," Dumbledore chastised "I can't just allow you to vandalize my school like that."
"First off Headmaster Dumbledore," he said coldly, his eyes like hunks of emerald ice as he glared at the old man "I have not given you permission to use my given name. You will refer to me as Mr. Potter, Heir Potter, or not at all. Second, this is not vandalism as I can just as easily reverse it." He demonstrated by unmaking his chair and then making it again, "And finally this is not YOUR school. This school technically belongs to the families of the founders, you merely run it. Should a legitimate Head for any of the families arrive they have the authority to remove you. So now I must say good day." With that he sat back down in his chair, ignoring the gaping old man but sending a grin at the applauding Gryffindor table.
The feast was an interesting one, albeit with a slightly delayed start when the House Elves got confused about where to send the food for the Beauxbatons table. He tuned out Dumbledore's long winded speech, not really caring what the old man had to say as he looked at the different people in the hall. Most of the students kept steeling glances at him, although for once he couldn't' blame them having just shown back up after a few months of not being there, hitting the growth spurt to end all growth spurts, and publically ripping Dumbledore a new one. Some of the gazes though unsettled him as he noted the looks. They weren't angry or disdainful but he couldn't place just what emotion fueled the gazes of those few individuals.
Then there were the teachers and their glances. Hagrid just beamed broadly at him, happy to see that he was alright, giving a subtle, for Hagrid, wave. Professors Sprout and Flitwick just sent him a small nod and a tiny smile, apparently happy that he was doing better. Professor McGonagall looked torn on what to feel and Snape seemed somewhere between trying to curse him and fighting a severe bout of constipation.
As the old man finished the speech they locked eyes, each with a challenging gleam while they tried to stare down the other. "Well," he muttered under his breath with a challenging grin "let the games begin."