Found You (A Fred Weasley Story)

Chapter 87

"I don't believe it!" somebody said in a stunned voice from my right side, as the Hogwarts students filed back up the steps behind the party from Durmstrang. Almost every frigging student was talking about Krum as if a God was gracing their path, which might be true considering he is the youngest seeker player and that too one of the best. No one could believe the fact that Krum was still a schoolboy. My excitement ended after first five minutes after Krum's arrival and so did Erica's, while the other three were still fangirling and left me and Erica behind to get a closer look at Krum.

As we recrossed the entrance hall with the rest of the Hogwarts students heading for the Great Hall. Several sixth and seventh-year girls were frantically searching their pockets as they walked — "Oh I don't believe it, I haven't got a single quill on me —"

"D'you think he'd sign my hat in lipstick?" A Ravenclaw girl said. Erica and I shared a look full of amusement and I chuckled when I mentally imagined my other three pals doing the same thing.

Erica and I were few of the last students to enter the Great hall and walked over to our Slytherin table and sat down. Apparently, the Durmstrang students decided it would be nice to sit at our table and my friends had already flocked around them. I sat beside Rose who had saved us space. I looked up and saw the students from Beauxbatons had chosen seats at the Ravenclaw table. They were looking around the Great Hall with glum expressions on their faces. Three of them were still clutching scarves and shawls around their heads. I wondered where their school was located for them to feel this much cold.

I looked at my table when I heard my name being called. Belle was introducing me to the fellow Durmstrang students and I smiled politely nodded my head as an acknowledgment. After Belle, Draco took the initiative to talk to Krum. His answers were short and he seemed rather uninterested. I guess, he was used to this kind of behavior and was now bored of it.

"You have such cool stuff here." A Dumstrang girl with a heavy accent, who was sitting beside Erica said as she picked up the golden goblet. I chuckled at the girl whose name was Kiara. I looked around my table, the Durmstrang students had pulled off their heavy furs and were wearing robes of a deep blood-red color and looking up at the starry black ceiling with expressions of interest; a couple of them were picking up the golden plates and goblets and examining them, apparently impressed, just like Kiara here.

Up at the staff table, Filch, was adding chairs. He was wearing his moldy old tailcoat in honour of the occasion. When all the students had entered the Hall and settled down at their House tables, the staff entered, filing up to the top table and
taking their seats. Last in line were Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime. When their headmistress appeared, the pupils from Beauxbatons leaped to their feet. A few of our school students laughed. The Beauxbatons party appeared quite unembarrassed, however, and did not resume their seats until Madame Maxime had sat down on Dumbledore's left-hand side.

Dumbledore remained standing, and a silence fell over the Great Hall, "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and — most particularly — guests," said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and
make yourselves at home!" He sat down, and Karkaroff leans forward at once and engaged him in conversation. The plates in front of us filled with food as usual. The house elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there was a greater variety of dishes in front of us and most of them were definitely foreign.

Rose and Jace clearly knew what those foreign dishes were as they gave their reviews on what tasted the best. The Great Hall seemed somehow much more crowded than usual, even though there were barely twenty additional students. Hagrid sidled into the Hall through a door behind the staff table twenty minutes after the start of the feast.