Silvanna Snape {Marauders}

Chapter Sixty-Four

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Silvanna would not turn into James or Sirius by saying that she had 'only' ever been to Brazil, but going to Russia was a shockingly different tune. McGonagall informed her the week before that she would have to pack an overnight bag, because the Championship started at two in the morning, Scotland time due to the time differences.

So, Silvanna left double Potions on Friday afternoon half an hour early, smiling and waving but her stomach secretly twisting in knots. She met McGonagall in the Entrance Hall, and they were shortly joined by Hannah, Anne, and Henry, before they boarded the Hogwarts Express.

It wasn't in any state Silvanna had ever seen it in. There were six compartments that had been prepped for them, and five of them housed beds and curtains and even sinks, with the last one left alone. They each picked one and set their overnight bags down, before heading into the communal one. "I want you all in bed by seven," McGonagall told them as the train trundled along the tracks, which seemed to magically appear wherever the driver steered towards. Silvanna's brows knitted together and Anne sighed lightly. "I mean it - no reading or practicing. You need rest."

So, the first four hours of the train journey were spent with Gobstones practice, and Hannah and Henry told them all about NEWTs, which put Anne in a bit of a bad mood. Silvanna was glad she had another three years before that. They also had some sandwiches and pumpkin juice like before, but the sun had not begun to set when McGonagall sent them all to bed.

Stupid old bat, thought Silvanna grumpily as she snatched the flimsy curtains closed across the gorgeous fjords and was instantly plunged into surprising darkness. They must be magic. So, she brushed her teeth, and climbed into bed, nervous about the next day.

It took her ages to fall asleep, and when she finally did it felt like right away when there was a sharp tap on her door. "Half an hour, Snape," came McGonagall's voice through the covered glass.

"OK," she called back, twitching her curtains to allow a beam of light in. She didn't feel well-rested, she thought as she washed at the sink and brushed her teeth again. She felt groggy, and half-asleep still.

It seemed the others thought the same, because when she arrived at the main compartment, black tie around her neck, there was only Henry there, nursing a cup of milky tea. "Is there any coffee?" she asked, stifling a yawn. He gestured silently to a teapot of hot water, with a few jars next to it. She brewed it strong, as usual. Lots of sugar, no milk. Perfect.

When the train came to a stop, the four students peered eagerly out the window. The tournament happened at each school once every eight years, so it was safe to say none of them had ever been here before. And it was really quite exciting.

They'd stopped on the outskirts of a lake, at the centre of which was a small palace, presumably on some sort of island. It seemed they were among the last to arrive, and the Beauxbatons carriage, Ilvermorny balloon, and Durmstrang ship were already there.

McGonagall led the way to a giant row-boat, and the oars began to move themselves as she checked them in. Knowing the routine by now, Silvanna looked at the tournament board inside her leaflet, to see that - as usual - her first game was against Durmstrang. In fact, both Hannah and Henry were playing the same schools as two years ago.

"It's charmed that way," Henry explained matter-of-factly. "Makes the games more interesting if students start to train against one particular style."

As they approached the centre of the lake, Silvanna was shocked (again) to see that it wasn't a small castle at all, but a very large one that was mostly submerged. Like an iceberg, she thought. She was sure she'd read somewhere that they were mostly underwater or something.

They left the boat in an orderly fashion, being herded by McGonagall like first years, and Silvanna soon learned why. Whilst the first thing she noticed about the palace was its bright colours, the second thing was the loitering students. All of them big and menacing, and mean-looking. Seemingly placed to intimidate them.

They were led down staircase after staircase, before passing a large set of doors and into a side chamber, where cloaks were discarded in piles, and teachers and students huddled around. Silvanna quickly noticed that there were no tables. How were they supposed to play? And there weren't any Koldovstiretz students in here either.

"They run their Championships differently here," McGonagall explained to them. "They compete in the main hall with a large audience."

"How large?" asked Hannah immediately.

McGonagall let no emotion cross her tone or face. "It's like quidditch here," she said. "So the school's off-timetable, and most of the students come to watch."

"Merlin's beard," muttered Anne anxiously. Silvanna agreed while-heartedly with her.

A side door opened, and a burly man stepped through with a scroll of parchment. Silvanna craned her neck to look through. Inside was a large amphitheater, with students in black robes lining each and every seat. The ceiling was high, and there were colourful pillars of turquoise, coral, and purple climbing up like vines on a tree. A faint hum of conversation drifted through, but stopped as soon as the man shut it.

He began calling out a list of names and table numbers, the second of which was, "Anne Fernsby - one," the tenth, "Henry Sallow - five," later was, "Hannah Finchley - eleven," and third to last, "Silvanna Snape - sixteen." Well, Silvanna knew she was table sixteen - the leaflet told her as much.

McGonagall lined them up and they each filed out into the vast space, which was icily cold but brightly lit. Was that another tactic of theirs? She could feel hundreds or thousands of pairs of eyes on her and the other students, and wasted no time in gazing right back up at them in astonishment. It was on days like today when she marvelled at the range of the wizarding world.

She wouldn't have called her first game easy. Second-year Silvanna would have lost it. But she was only the second person to win, right after the Koldovstoretz student that had beaten Ilvermorny. Almost as soon as her opponent's seventh stone was outside the circle a pair of Koldovstoretz students were at their sides, one tidying up the pieces, and the other beckoning to be followed. Silvanna shook hands with the Durmstrang student before heading back to the side chamber.

McGonagall was in their corner, craned over her leaflet and watching like a hawk to see who won and lost, having not been able to watch the matches herself. The defeated Ilvermorny student was whispering with his professor, and Silvanna's opponent was immediately dragged away by his own teacher.

"Excellent, Snape, I knew we could count on you." Silvanna beamed at the compliment, but McGonagall was already distracted again. "Oh dear, Fernsby's lost. I suppose she'll be here in a moment."