Last First Kiss {HP Next Generation}

Chapter Forty Five

"Hope stay still!" Everyone yelled at the girl as she bounced in place. She came to a stop and looked at everyone with a glare.

"I can't see over all of your big heads!" She claimed in irritation. "I want to see the other schools arrive, so move or I keep bouncing in place. You all pick."

"Come on, Hopey, quit your whining and hop on." Henry told her, turning his back to her. Hope smiled before jumping onto his back to get a better view passed all the other students. Hogwarts was all outside from the students, professors and even the ghosts had come to see and welcome the other two schools that would be joining them for the year with the Triwizard Tournament.

"I'm so excited, I think I'm going to explode!" Hope said.

"Hope, loosen your arms, I can't breathe!" Henry said tapping on her arms.

"Ooops, sorry, Ry."

"Hope, settle down!" Teddy snapped in her direction. 

Fergus, Hope, Henry, Elliot and Eliza all stared in the boy's direction as it was a rarity for Teddy to be upset, let alone with his niece. He never snapped at Hope.

The boy didn't say anything else as he focused his gaze forward, bringing Hope to look at the others in confusion.

Eliza looked worried and that's when Henry and Hope realized that Stella wasn't around them either.

"They've been acting quite odd lately, haven't they? More so than usual" Hope whispered in Henry's ear. However, while her question was innocent, the girl didn't realize the amount of goosebumps she was sending through Henry's body by whispering in his ear. 

Then again, Hope noticed that Henry was acting strange lately too, and she couldn't figure out why either. She hoped that the excitement of the tournament would bring the group back together and return things to normal. 

Well, as normal as things were going to get in their circle of friends.

The first school to arrive was Durmstrang as they appeared on the ship that Hope and the others had heard stories about beforehand from all the adults that had experienced the Triwizard Tournament before. In anticipation of the Tournament starting, Hope had received a care package a few days prior from her mother, only to open it and find nearly a hundred different knitted garments and warned Hope that if she didn't wear one garment during the day, that she would be the one to bring her straight home.

The others were also advised to be wearing something knitted at all times for extra precautions.

Victoire arrived at Hope and Henry's side peering out and looking over at Teddy.

"Is everything alright?" She asked the boy as everyone glanced over in their direction.

"Everything is fine, why does everyone keep asking me?!" Teddy walked away from the group, making Victoire look to her cousins for answers.

"Umm...SHIP!" Hope pointed out the ship that arrived on the horizon to distract everyone.

"Nice work." Henry muttered to her bringing a smile on her face.

"Thank you...ooooh look at it!" Hope said excitedly.

Henry glanced up at Hope, who had a look of awe on her face as she stared out at the ship that neared the school. Her eyes were illuminated in the light of the setting sun making them twinkle about in wonder. She peered down at him allowing their eyes to meet. 

"Isn't this amazing?" He gave a nod of his head before she looked back as the students arrived to the shore.

The girls and boys of Durmstrang stepped onto land holding a strong air about them standing behind their headmistress.

She was a large woman, not in height so much, but in built with broad shoulders and a stern expression, still not comparable to McGonagall's when she was dealing out her sternness. She had blonde hair that was pulled back into a tight ponytail that Hope was certain was lifting the woman's skin on her face by how tight it was.

"Merlin's bleached knickers, that is a scary looking woman." Hope whispered to Henry.

"That's a woman?"

"Henry!" She hit his shoulder with a laugh. The uniformed students were dressed similar to soldiers and stood beside each other, in a straight line, shoulder to shoulder with calm and quiet expressions.

"Boy, I bet they throw wild parties." Hope giggled. 

"They probably just go mental, look how crazed they are acting right now. Complete lunatics." Henry shook his head.

"Maybe they came to Hogwarts because nothing ever exciting happens here."

The two looked at each other. "Never!" They said together.

"Hey look, it's Ilvermorny!" Fergus pointed out down the opposite way.

The students turned to see, students dressed in robes of cranberry and blue with a golden rope fastened in a knot around them, coming towards the school on horseback led by Hagrid, who walked in front of them.

"Ooh, I love the colors of their robes." Victoire said. "They look so pretty, actually we could use an upgrade here at Hogwarts."

Hope flipped her cousin's hair into her face playfully. "Have some pride in your school, woman."

"I was just making an observation!"

"Well make it quieter."

The group turned to see Stella had arrived, with an annoyed look on her face.

Rather than sticking around the awkward tension, Hope slid off of Henry's back and grabbed the boy's hand,pulling him through the crowd of other students to get a better look at the visiting schools.

"Ilvermorny looks incredible!" Hope said excitedly to Henry, shaking his hand in hers.

"Yeah, from what Mum said they're pretty similar to our school. Except instead of our four houses, they have the Wampus, the Horned Serpent-"

"Original." Hope snorted.

Henry gave her a grin before continuing.

"The Thunderbird and the Pukwudgie."

Hope stared blankly for a few seconds.

"What the hell is a Pukwudgie?"

Henry shrugged. "Pukewedgies."

The two giggled among each other as the schools came together to meet for the first time.