Ana's absence at the Gryffindor table that morning did not go unnoticed by her Hogwarts friends. They initially didn't think much of it, as she did have a major competition coming up that evening and probably wanted to study in solitude or be with her teammates; but when she failed to join them for lunch, they couldn't help but worry.
"We should look for someone wearing an Ilvermorny uniform and see if they know of her whereabouts," suggested Parvati. She and her roommates scanned the Great Hall for anyone in teal and gold. In the sea of Hogwarts pupils, there were dots powder blue and dark fur-trimmed overcoats which represented Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, respectively. Unfortunately for the girls, it was considerably tougher to single out Ilvermorny students as their uniforms far more strongly resembled those worn at Hogwarts.
Just as she felt like giving up, Daphne finally spotted an older blonde girl with a silver sash seated with some Ravenclaw uppersclassmen. That must be that Missy girl Ana told us about, she figured. She got up from the table and made her way toward the Ravenclaw table and tapped what she presumed to be Missy on the shoulder. "Erm, 'scuse me," she said in a meek voice. "Are you Missy by any chance?"
The Ilvermorny girl turned to address Daphne. "Oh, hi there," she squeaked. "I'm Missy Ludwig, all right. Can I help you?"
Daphne smiled nervously. "Oh, good, I found the right person. I'm Daphne, by the way. Daphne Greengrass." She bit her lip. "Have you seen Anastasia this morning? She usually sits by me and my roommates at the Gryffindor table, but today she's been a no-show. Maybe she just wants some solitude for the competition, but I can't help but worry a little…"
Missy shook her head 'no'. "I'm afraid I haven't, Daphne. Truth be told, I've been looking for her too. That's very unlike her to just disappear like that…"
"Omigosh," gasped Daphne. "I hope she's all right… please let me know if you see her."
"I will," promised Missy. "Will you do the same for me if you find her first?"
"Of course," Daphne whispered. "And good luck to the Horned Serpents tonight… quite a few of us in Hogwarts will be pulling for you!"
Missy smiled at Daphne. "Thank you! We could certainly use the support!"
Around one thirty in the afternoon, Madam L was taking a leisurely consitutional through the lower portions of the castle when she thought she heard some muffled moans and sobs in the girls' lavatory. Her curiosity piqued, she entered the bathroom to see what the commotion was all about. "Hello? Is everything all right in here?"
Ana's sobs suddenly stopped; she scrunched her nose in confusion. "Madam L? Is that you?"
"Anastasia Harrison?" replied Madam L. "What in blazes are you doing cooped up in the latrine like that? Have you been sitting in that stall all day, feeling sorry for yourself?"
Ana sighed. "I s'pose you can say that… I've been in here for a few hours, yeah. It's a bit of a long story…"
Madam L chuckled. "As luck would have it, I have the time. Why don't you come out of there, child, and old Madam L can make things right for you. Let's get back upstairs, and we'll see if I can get Minerva to put on a spot of tea for you and your friends… you've had them worried sick, you know."
"I'm so sorry," wheezed Ana. She proceeded to tell Madam L how her day went, sparing no detail.
"Severus Snape is an asshole," Madam L said. "Don't worry about him – fortunately he does not have the final say on the subject. Both Professor Goode and I know what kind of person you are, and Minerva McGonagall is as reasonable as they come. Now, let's get you out of here and cleaned up as there's just a precious few hours left before the competition begins."
The stall door slowly creaked open, revealing a wreck of a little girl. Ana's face was smeared with tear streaks, and her once-pristine uniform was both soggy and wrinkled, no doubt to wiping countless tears from her cheeks. "Oh, child," cooed Madam L. "I'm sure you put a lot of effort in your appearance this morning. Let's get you back upstairs, and Miss Ludwig can help gussy you back up. She can then escort you to Minerva's office around three for some tea?"
A tiny giggle escaped Ana's lips. "Sounds like a plan, Madam L."
About an hour later, Missy arrived at Professor McGonagall's office with a much more cheerful-looking Ana, whose robes and uniform once again were crisp and wrinkle-free, and her face and hair were once again tastefully done up. To Ana's surprise, there was quite the gathering that awaited her – in addition to Professor McGonagall, both Madam L and Professor Goode were present, along with all four of her Gryffindor friends, who all stood to their feet and embraced her as they were all relieved to know that she was all right.
"I've gone ahead and smoothed things over with Professor Snape," said McGonagall. "I'm so sorry about what happened earlier this morning, Miss Harrison. I know you're unfamiliar with the layout of our castle, and you've had the misfortune of bumping into our resident troublemaker Peeves. He's not malevolent per se, but many of us in the castle find his brand of humor to be nearly unbearable at times. You're not the first victim of his pranks, and Merlin knows you won't be the last."
Lavender giggled. "I heard you socked that ugly cow Bulstrode a good one. She had to wear a cotton plug in her nostril this morning! Between you and me, it probably makes her look better!" McGonagall cleared her throat, and gave Lavender a look of disapproval.
"I hate fighting," admitted Ana. "It was the absolute last thing I wanted to do, even if she was being rather nasty to me."
"Even if this mess ultimately stemmed from a misunderstanding, you weren't in the wrong for defending yourself," said Goode. She winked. "I've gone ahead and returned the Horned Serpents the fifteen points that Master Snape deducted. While it's his duty to help maintain order at Hogwarts, he should not have taken it upon himself to discipline a non-Hogwarts student." She smiled at Ana and Missy. "Both Minerva and myself have spoken with him earlier today, and it's fair to say that we're now on the same page. If he catches an Ilvermorny, Beauxbatons, or Durmstrang student stepping out of line, he will refer the offending pupil directly to their respective school's faculty going forward. Likewise, we agreed to refer offending Slytherin students to him should we find them acting in an unbecoming manner."
Daphne's face then brightened five-fold. "Oh, I have something for you, Ana." She handed Ana a medium-sized brown bag.
"What is it?" asked Ana.
"Well, open it up, silly," giggled Daphne.
Ana opened the bag and found a complete Hogwarts uniform with the red and gold Gryffindor motif. "Wow, thank you guys," she murmured. "It's wonderful."
"I just wanted you to know, I've thought of you as an honorary Gryffindor for quite some time," admitted Daphne. "All of us, really. We'd be delighted if you'd put it on so we can snap a photo together."
"I'm touched," Ana said gratefully. "I'd love that… but if it's okay with you, I'd rather wait until after the competition. I promise I won't forget."
"That works," Daphne replied. "It'll probably have to be this evening because we're all leaving for Massachusetts tomorrow, so we may not have time then."
"Don't forget to pack something nice to wear for the Spring Dance," Ana reminded her Gryffindor friends.
"Enjoy your first four Spring Dances," cautioned Missy. "Because once you get to fifth year, cute tops, skirts and comfortable flats are a no-go… you're expected to be in a gown, corset and heels."
Ana shook her head. "I've never worn any of those, and I kind of hope it stays that way."
"If you're selected as a trustee, you're going to have to wear those," countered Missy. "Trustees are required to attend the Spring Dances even if they don't have a date."
Hermione arched an eyebrow as she noticed instead of charcoal knee-high socks and flat dress shoes like Ana, Missy was wearing dark nylon stockings and polished black brogue heels. "I noticed that your uniform looks a little more, erm, mature than Anastasia's. Do upperclassmen, or at least trustees, have to wear nylons and heels every day?"
Missy giggled so hard, she nearly snorted. "Oh goodness, no! Heels are completely optional for female trustees and upperclassmen. I just wear them because I'm not all that tall – the extra three inches helps, plus they're actually pretty comfortable with the charms I've put on them!"
"Are the charms easy to learn?" asked Daphne. "I don't wear heels yet, but it'd be nice to know for future reference."
"It takes some practice," replied Missy, "but I can show you next week at Ilvermorny if you want to give it a whirl." She turned to Ana. "Don't forget, the Ilvermorny team is meeting on the third floor immediately after dinner. Professor Goode has a few last-minute things to go over with us before the competition."
Ana nodded. "Sounds good."
McGonagall clapped her hands once. "Ah, before I forget, we've come for tea, have we not? I've got Chai, Irish Breakfast and Earl Grey today – hopefully a little something for everyone. If everyone could tell me what kind they'd like, and if they take theirs with milk and sugar…"
At seven o'clock sharp, the Hogwarts Great Hall had transformed into a makeshift arena, not unlike the way the Mess Hall at Ilvermorny had been arrange to accommodate the Quiz Bowl competitions. The seats were not arranged in a particular order, with the exception of seats designated for school dignitaries and faculty members. Students were allowed to sit where they pleased, though Slytherin appeared to have effectively sequestered itself from the rest of the school as a sea of silver and green monopolized the far end section.
A tall figure with flowing silver hair and a matching beard strode to the central platform, and with only the tiniest gesture of his hand, the arena had quieted to a hush. Professor Dumbledore, Ana noted mentally. She had heard of the enigmated mage, but until now, she had never seen him with her own eyes. Physically, he resembled Professor Fontaine if he had suddenly aged two or three decades, but with a far more commanding presence than his Ilvermorny counterpart. Unlike Fontaine, Dumbledore was more than merely a wizarding school headmaster – she wasn't exactly sure what his credentials entailed, but she could instantly tell right then and there that she was looking at one of the most powerful figures in the known wizarding world.
"Welcome to the one hundred thirty first annual Interscholastic Quiz Bowl," he began in a magically-amplified voice. "For these great many years, students from these four great institutions have come together each spring in pursuit of knowledge and enlightenment; indeed, many of the brightest minds the wizarding world has ever seen have participated in this great tournament at least once in their academic careers."
After a brief round of applause, Dumbledore continue. "Without further ado, allow me to introduce my esteemed colleagues and counterparts – just stand to be recognized, if you please." He cleared his throat. "From Beauxbatons in France – please welcome Madame Olympe Maxime!"
Ana's eyes grew to the size of silver dollars when she saw the exceptionally tall woman stand up from behind the Beauxbatons table. She had to be about ten feet tall, she figured… about three and a half feet taller than the imposing Keith Floyd. Like Mister Floyd, Madame Maxime appeared to have a certain gentleness about her that belied her great size, as she simply smiled and waved in acknowledgement of the crowd.
Professor Dumbledore continued. "From Durmstrang in the far reaches in Northern Europe – please welcome Headmaster Igor Karkaroff!" Headmaster Karkaroff wasn't nearly as imposing phyisically as Madame Maxime, but he looked far grimmer in appearance. He didn't smile or wave to the audience; rather, he addressed them with a brusque bow of his head.
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "And finally, from Ilvermorny in Massachusetts, USA – please welcome Deputy Headmistress Emaline Goode!" Professor Goode again donned her purple and black finery, and her bright orange-red hair appeared be charmed where her strands of hair danced like flames. She took a deep bow rather like an orchestra conductor before returning to her seat.
After the applause died down, Dumbledore said his last piece. "Thank you all for giving our esteemed guests such a warm Hogwarts welcome. Before I hand things off to Professor Flitwick, the moderator of this evening's events, I would like to further honor each of these institutions by singing their respective school songs, and impart just a few final words of wisdom."
The song for Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, Ilvermorny, and then Hogwarts played in turn; only Dumbledore appeared to know all four by heart, though Madam L sung rather tone-deaf versions of the Beauxbatons and Ilvermorny anthems. The Horned Serpent team did everything in their power not to laugh.
Once the final note had been played – apparently, the happy-go-lucky Gryffindor twins Fred and George Weasley tried to drag out the Hogwarts school song as long as humanly possible – Dumbledore again spoke up. "Sediment. Riffraff. Lumbar. Bonk!" He winked at the stupefied crowd, and made his way off the platform to let the diminutive Professor Flitwick explain the game rules.
With a simple swish of his wand, Professor Flitwick summoned a stool on which to stand on and greeted the audience. "Good evening one and all! While I'm sure most of you know how the Quiz Bowl works by now, as a formality I still need to go over a brief overview of how tonight's competition will go."
He paused to make sure everyone was paying attention before proceeding to describe the game's rules, before asking each team's captain to come to the central platform: Missy served as Ilvermorny's captain, Slytherin prefect Gemma Farley represented Hogwarts, Anita Wolders was a sixth-year Beauxbatons student, and Ilya Rapinchuk was a strapping lad of about seventeen from Durmstrang. All four representatives shook hands and wished each other luck before taking their seats at their respective tables.
"Very good, very good," squeaked the Charms professor. "I don't know about you, but I think it's high time for the Quiz Bowl Championship to begin!" He raised his hands in the air, and the various candles suspended from the ceiling flickered in fifty different colors, creating a dazzling effect not entirely unlike that of a disco ball.
Flitwick began rattling off questions from his notecards: What is the wand movement used to transform a muskrat into a coffee pot?, followed by The pus of this magical plant can be used to treat various dermatological maladies, and Name the incantation needed to create a Frost Nova.
The shrill sound of buzzers rang from all four tables – sometimes even before Flitwick could finish reading the questions from his cue cards. The Slytherin students looked on with smug satisfaction, while the rest of the houses looked at each other with bewildered expressions – their minds were blown at the impressive display of knowledge. Even little Hermione was shocked at how quickly and accurately the Quiz Bowl participants answered the questions.
Although she considered herself well-versed in magical academia, she had to reluctantly admit that a few of the questions would have stumped her; not to mention it would have taken her some time to answer several of the questions that she did know. She couldn't help but smile broadly whenever her friend Ana buzzed in – this girl is unreal, she thought. While I like my chances, I still have my work cut out for me if I'm going to make the Gryffindor team next term. She and Daphne high-fived each other after Ana rattled off an answer to a particularly obscure History of Magic question, drawing annoyed looks and eye-rolls from a couple of Slytherin students that were sitting just a handful of rows over.
At the end of the tossup round, Hogwarts held a razor-thin lead over their competition, with one hundred points. Ilvermorny was nipping at their heels with ninety points, and both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were firmly in the hunt with eighty apiece. Flitwick again summoned his step-stool to announce the running totals, and informed the audience of a five-minute intermission before the next round commenced.
The lightning round came next, and the Hogwarts team got the first go, being that they held the lead. The Slytherins rang their buzzers at a dizzying pace – at the end of two minutes, they had amassed an additional eighty points. Several Slytherin upperclassmen in the stands burst into a chant, mocking both the other three magical institutions and the other three Hogwarts houses.
Ryan Dalrymple, the eldest member of the Horned Serpent team, smiled at Ana. "You're the reason we're here, half-pint," he said, offering her a fist-bump. "Just do your thing, and we'll be hoisting that big golden trophy when it's over." He narrowed his eyes toward the Slytherin team before leaning and whispering into her ear. "I don't like those smug snakes. We're about to show them who the real serpents are. Show them no mercy."
Less than a minute later, Flitwick began rattling off questions for the Horned Serpents; they stumbled a bit at the beginning but it didn't take long for them to pick up steam. Ana even answered the last four questions by herself, giving the Horned Serpents a mind-boggling ninety five points for the lightning round. Daphne, Hermione, Parvati and Lavender stood to their feet and began chanting and clapping, "Let's go, Ana! Let's go, Ana!"
"I see you've got quite the fan club, Ana," chuckled Ryan. "Friends of yours?" An embarrassed Ana could only smile and nod.
When the lightning round concluded, the Horned Serpents were in the lead with one hundred eighty five points; Slytherin right behind with one hundred eighty, Durmstrang with one hundred sixty five and Beauxbatons with one hundred fifty five.
"We're in for an exciting finish!" exclaimed Flitwick. "It's obvious that we've got some uncanny talent this term, from all four schools! Let's pause for just a few minutes so we can catch our collective breath, and see what the final round has in store for us!"
When play resumed roughly ten minutes later, Flitwick then announced that it was time for each team to make a wager. "I'll give everybody a few moments to mull things over; then each team's captain will tell me what was agreed upon."
Beauxbatons stood in fourth place, so they presented their wager first. "The Beauxbatons team would like to risk one hundred points, sir," announced Anita Wolders, who spoke excellent English though she couldn't fully mask her light Flemish accent.
"One hundred it is," confirmed Flitwick. "Best of luck to your team." He then gestured toward Durmstrang. "And what has the Durmstrang team decided?"
Ilya Rapinchuk stood to his feet, with virtually no emotion on his face. "Durmstrang team decides… one hundred twenty points." Unlike Anita's beautiful command of English, Ilya's was only passable, as he had a heavy Ukrainian accent and was prone using broken grammar.
"Thank you sir," Flitwick replied with a nod. "Durmstrang says one hundred twenty. And has Hogwarts come to a consensus?" He turned toward the team of Slytherins, beckoning for a response.
Gemma Farley, the Slytherin prefect and team captain, stood to her feet. "We have, Professor," she said as respectfully as she could. "My teammates and I are going to risk all one hundred eighty points." The Great Hall went eerily silent at the bold move – even their Slytherin housemates in the stand bore looks of uneasiness.
Professor Flitwick's eyes widened. "That's… everything, Captain Farley." He tilted his head just a few degrees and cleared his throat. "Is your team absolutely sure that's the wager you want to make?" Gemma's expression remained impassive, but each of her teammates' heads bobbed up and down in unison.
"We're positive, Professor," Gemma said with conviction. "Please put us down for all one hundred eighty."
"All right," sighed Flitwick as he pointed his wand toward the scoreboard on far end of the Great Hall, where 180 points appeared in the "POINTS WAGERED" box for the final round. He then smiled toward the Horned Serpents. "And finally, what say you, Ilvermorny? How many points are you willing to risk for the final round?"
Missy looked the diminutive Charms professor in the eye. "Sir, the Ilvermorny team also would like to risk one hundred eighty points."
Again, Professor Flitwick's eyes widened. "It looks like our Serpent teams aren't messing around tonight. One hundred eighty for Ilvermorny." He stood in the middle of the main platform, and produced a white envelope from his pocket. "And tonight's final round consists of a single question: What is the common name of the dragon species whose scales sparkle with a silvery-blue hue, and its breath produces a cryokinetic fog so bright that it can blind a person if it stares directly at the vapor?"
Missy cast a muffliato spell so she and her teammates can huddle. "I remember that from Halloween," she said, "but I don't recall the name of it to save my life… talk about bad timing! Anyone else remember?"
"Something frostbreath?" offered Summer Ingersoll. "I don't remember the country… I just know it's got frost in its name."
Ryan looked at Ana with hope in his eyes. "C'mon, half-pint… if there's anyone on our team that knows it, it's you."
Ana's face looked like she was squeezing a lemon. "Give me a minute," she squeaked. "I'm thinking!"
"We barely have a minute, Ana," pleaded Ryan. "Come on, this is not the time to have a brain cramp on us!"
Ana's face reddened, the deeper in thought she got. "Thirty seconds, Ana," Missy reminded her. Ana sucked on her lip as she dived into her memory banks. "Fifteen seconds…"
"I got it!" Ana declared. "Patagonian Frostscale!"
"And not a second too soon," sighed Missy as she wrote down the answer, then rushed to hand it in to Flitwick.
"Close call there, Ilvermorny," Flitwick told Missy. "I hope you used your huddle time wisely…"
Once everyone had handed in their answers and returned to their spots, Flitwick then began to reveal the answers each team provided.
"Beauxbatons has answered… Swedish Short-Snout. Oh, but I'm sorry… that was a good guess, but not the correct answer, I'm afraid. Swedish Short-Snouts do physically resemble the species in question, but a prime difference is their Swedish cousins breathe fire and not ice. That takes your total down to… fifty five. But take heart – it's not over yet." Many of the Beauxbatons players had defeated expressions on their faces; one of the younger girls even broke down in tears.
Flitwick then revealed Durmstrang's answer. "And Durmstrang has written down… Ukrainian Ironbelly. Unfortunately, that is also incorrect. Again, it bears superficial physical resemblances but it is not the species we're looking for. As you have risked one hundred twenty points, that effectively takes your total down to forty five points." He smiled at the Beauxbatons team. "So far, you're still on top."
Next he read Slytherin's answer: "And now from Slytherin… they have answered with, Patagonian Frostscale. That is correct, and your score has now doubled from one hundred eighty to three hundred sixty!" The Slytherin students roared with jubilation, hoping against hope that they would somehow hold off the Ilvermorny crew.
"And finally, we have Ilvermorny, who answered with, Patagonian Frostscale! As they have also wagered one hundred eighty points, their new total is three hundred sixty five! Please join me in congratulating our 1991-92 Interscholastic Quiz Bowl champions – the Horned Serpents from Ilvermorny!" The Slytherins sat down and sulked, while the rest of the audience cheered heartily; even Beauxbatons and Durmstrang offered polite applause.
Professor Snape, who had been sitting behind the Slytherin team for the entire event, cleared his throat and stepped on the platform to speak with Flitwick. He knelt down and whispered in Flitwick's ear, whose face went sheet white. Flitwick waved his hands in the air frantically and called for order. "May I have your attention please! Attention! Professor Snape wants to invoke the challenge clause – as head of the Slytherin house, he is well within his right to use it. He says that the Ilvermorny team submitted their entry after the alotted time limit – which would then render their answer null and void. Professor Dumbledore? Could you please join us for an emergency meeting and help us get to the bottom of this?"
Professor Dumbledore silently ambled to the platform to confer with Professors Flitwick and Snape. The three deliberated for what seemed to be eons. While they ostensibly cast some sort of muffling charm to keep eavesdroppers from listening in, it was obvious that Snape was engaged in a verbal sparring match with his colleagues as the look on his face indicated a high degree of frustration and perhaps even rage, while Flitwick and Dumbledore seemed resigned to acquiece just as the huddle broke.
Flitwick again climbed on his summoned stepstool. "Thank you all for bearing with us… and we have reached a consensus. After further review, it appears that the Ilvermorny team has submitted their answer after the alotted time limit by two seconds, which means that the 1991-92 Interscholastic Quiz Bowl champion team is Slytherin, from Hogwarts!"
The sullen mood swiftly turned celebratory for the Slytherin house, as the Hogwarts Serpents jumped up and down and then burst into their house song.
The Horned Serpents of Ilvermorny hung their heads in disappointment – they had the contest won, but one petty little man ruined it on a technicality. Ana even buried her face in her hands to hide her bitter tears of disappointment. Both Ryan and Missy embraced the younger girl and whispered some words of encouragement to her, but it didn't matter. The other Serpents won, and there was nothing that could be done at this point. There was a heavy stench of disappointment in the air as yet again, Slytherin found a way to win a contest they just as easily could have lost. Within minutes, the bulk of the audience had begun to disperse, with largely just faculty and team members remaining on the floor.
As the Ilvermorny team began trudging their way back upstairs for the evening, an unfamiliar hand lightly grabbed Ana on the shoulder. It wasn't her teammates, Professor Goode, Madam L, or even her Gryffindor friends. In fact, it was quite possibly the last person she would have guessed – the Slytherin team captain, Gemma Farley.
Gemma had a warm smile on her face and offered her hand to Ana. "Hey, kiddo. I've never seen anyone kill it like you did tonight. Between you and me, you guys got screwed – something tells me we won't be nearly so lucky next time. See you next April!"
"Thank you," Ana murmured as she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand before offering the other to Gemma. "Losing is one thing, but the way we lost it just… sucks. It's good to see someone show some class after winning… and yes, we'll see you next April. Congratulations, by the way." She offered Gemma a faint smile, then turned back and continued her way up to Gryffindor tower to unwind with her friends and teammates.