Gossip {Sherlock Holmes/Harry Potter}

Chapter Nine

The moment came for the other two schools to arrive, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang Institute were to arrive in the evening during dinner, and Hogwarts could not contain their excitement. Except for a few souls. Julius glanced over at Pierce who was picking under his finger nails in boredom.

"For Merlin's sake, Pierce! How could you be bored at a time like this?"

Pierce glanced over at him. "Who said I was bored?"

"I did. Just look at your face!" Julius said.

"It's kinda hard for me to do that considering the circumstances right now, Ju-"

"Shut up."

Pierce smiled before the schools were to be welcomed in. The students were assembled in the Great Hall and lined up to welcome each school. Beauxbatons arrived by a flying carriage pulled by a string of Abraxan winged horses. Upon stepping out, came several girls along with a couple of boys as part of the representation of the school's delegates. But their Headmistress is what caught Pierce's attention. The woman was massive and instantly reminded Pierce of Hagrid, because they were about the same size.

Next came the ship carrying the Durmstrang students, boys filed in with a few girls mixed in behind their Headmaster who was incredibly intimidating to say the least. 

"Hey look, it's Viktor Krum." Julius pointed out in a hush whisper. "He's here."

"Who?"

"Honestly, Pierce, how can you be so smart yet so dumb when it comes to sports? He plays for the Bulgarian quidditch team."

"Oh..that's nice. Good for him."

"You see, this is why we should have gone to the Quidditch World Cup, you would know these things."

"I don't want to know those things, Julius. I don't care about them."

"But..it's quidditch."

"We need to work on your debating skills." Pierce told him. "They are beyond rusty, my friend."

Professor Dumbledore along with the rest of the faculty welcomed the Heads of the other schools as well as the foreign students.

"I just realized something," Julius said as they were told to sit at their respective tables.

"And that is?"

"I need to move to France." Julius told him looking at some of the girls from Beauxbatons.

"Easy, you're starting to drool."

"I don't even care right now. I wouldn't even care if someone set me on fire as long as I got to keep looking at them."

Fortunately for Julius, the Beauxbaton students were to sit at the Ravenclaw table while Durmstrang sat with Slytherin. While he attempted to flirt with every girl he possibly could, Pierce focused his attention near the front of the Great Hall, watching as Dumbledore spoke with the other Heads of the schools.

The Welcoming Feast began as the tables were filled with food quickly for the students and their arrived guests. Looking across the way to busy himself further, Pierce caught eyes with Hermione and smiled. He pointed to his S.P.E.W badge that he wore on his robes in her honor. Her cheeks turned a slight variation of pink but she smiled in return.

Suddenly, he was nudged his ribs distracting him from his little interaction with the girl.

"What?"

"Pierce don't look now, but I think you've got yourself a new admirer."

"I swear if this is another joke, Julius, and I look up and see Hagrid again, I'm going to drown you in the nearest bowl of mashed potatoes." 

"Just look." Julius nodded his head down the table. Pierce turned his head to see a girl smiling in his direction. She was pretty, lovely strawberry blonde hair, with bright blue eyes that looked kind and sincere, paired with a dazzling smile.

"Yeah, she's nice. Whatever." Pierce said turning away from her without so much as a wave in the girl's direction.

Julius' jaw dropped. "Wh-what? What are you doing?"

"I'm going to attempt to finish my dinner, is that okay with you?"

"But..but...she..and you...gah!" Julius dropped his head to the table. "Why do the Gods keep sending you all the pretty ladies, when all you want is that one from Gryffindor? I will gladly take the ones he doesn't want!"

Pierce looked at him with a mouthful of green beans. "You shouldn't settle Julius, you should wait for the right one to come along. The one that looks at you the same way you look at her. You shouldn't have to go chasing after girls or begging them to talk to you. It's kinda sad."

"Let me be sad!" Julius snapped at him.

"Alright!"

After the feast finished, Dumbledore arose how any willing participant who was of age could enter the tournament. One had to drop their name into the Goblet of Fire, and on the night of Halloween, three names would be selected by the Goblet itself.

"I wonder who's going to enter?" Julius said looking around.

"I wonder who's going to get chosen." Pierce replied. "I guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out."

The students were told to head back to their dorms for the evening. Pierce was attempting to leave when he caught the attention of someone.

"Don't I know you?" Ludo Bagman called out to Pierce. Pierce motioned Julius to go on, Julius didn't protest as he followed a Beauxbaton girl out of the Great Hall.

"Ah yes, I recognize you. You're Skeeter's boy, aren't you?"

Pierce raised a brow at him. "I'm Pierce Holmes. Emphasis on Holmes."

Ludo grinned at him. "Yeah, I wouldn't want people to know I was related to her either."

While Pierce didn't like his mother, Ludo Bagman didn't have much room to talk, as his mother had more dirt on the man than a dog rolling outside.  While he seemed nice to most people, Ludo was a crook and a gambler according to his mother, which while she wasn't the most reliable person, she did make some points when it came to regarding Ludo as a sketchy being.

"Say hi to her for me the next time you see her, will ya?" the man teased.

"Sure, I'll also be sure to tell the goblin creditors a quick hello for you...I know they have been looking for you for quite sometime. I'm sure they'd like to hear from you, Mr. Bagman. Good night."