I. social casualty | blaise zabini ✔️

WELCOMING

CHAPTER 8

WELCOMING

"Do you think they'll arrive the same way?" Lavender asked, as the Beauxbatons students step inside, but before anyone could answer a loud and oddly eerie noise was drifting towards them from out of the darkness; a muffled rumbling and sucking sound.

"The lake!" yelled Lee Jordan, from the front row, "Look at the lake."

From their position at the top of the lawns, they had a clear view of the surface of the water. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the centre; great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks - and then, out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared. What seemed to be a long, black pole began to rise slowly out of the heart of the whirlpool.

"It's a mast!" Lyra heard someone say from nearby.

A ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it was a resurrected wreck. With a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide towards the bank. A few moments later, the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, followed by a thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank. People were disembarking; they could see their silhouettes passing the lights in the ship's portholes.

They all seemed large and bulky and as they got closer Lyra saw their bulk was really due to the fact that they were wearing cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur. But the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing sleek and silver furs that matched his hair.

"Dumbledore!" he called heartily, as he walked up the slope "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you."

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied.

Karkaroff had a fruity, unctuous voice, he was thin and tall and his white hair was short and had a goatee. When he reached Dumbledore, he shook hands with both of his own.

The began speaking, similarly to when Madame Maxine had spoken with Dumbledore. And finally they all began walking inside again, the Hogwarts students waiting as the Drumstrang ones walked in first. And the mumbling started again.

"It's Krum."

"Oh my god, it's Viktor Krum."

Lavender tugged on her arm, "Look, Lyra. It's Krum."

Lyra rolled her eyes knowing Lavender didn't care much about quidditch and was mostly fangirling due to his looks and fame. But she couldn't help the excitement at the idea of the seeker at their school. She, however, would not fangirl and swoon like most of the girls.

Well, maybe a little.

They began making their way towards the Gryffindor table, many students hoping to get a good look at Krum or looking for something for him to autograph with.

As they sat at their table, the Beauxbatons sat with the Ravenclaws and Drumstrang with Slytherin. They began removing their cloaks and hats while the Beauxbatons looked around glumly and pulled at their scarves and hats.

"They don't look too happy to be here." Fay said, her eyes also on the foreign students at the Ravenclaw table.

"Their school must be amazing compared to ours. I heard they have ice sculptures like diamonds."

Fay raised her eyebrows, impressed. However, Lavender rolled her eyes, "Well they don't have to look so disappointed, it's quite rude."

"Maybe they're just uncomfortable. New school and all. Besides, we are their rivals."