Aurora | Harry Potter

chapter three

"Anything from the trolley?" The trolley lady exclaims as she comes down the train, stopping outside our compartment. Harry and Ron get up to get some sweets, but Harry starts to stare at Cho Chang when she gets some Pumpkin Pasties. He sits down again with a slight grin on his face.

"This is horrible," Hermione says as she puts down her paper. "How can the Ministry not know who conjured it? Wasn't there any security?"

"Yeah, loads, according to Dad," Ron replies, Drewbles in his mouth. Harry starts to itch his scar again, so I suggests that he write a letter to Sirius. "He's going to want to know what happened at the World Cup."

He nods his head and just as we arrive, he sends Hedwig away with a letter for his godfather, which I can see takes a bit of a weight off his shoulders. "There, better right?" I ask, getting a nod and a smile from him in return. 

We all get off the train with our belongings and make our way into the school. But many students are gathered outside to see a carriage flown by multiple winged horses and a large ship emerges from the lake. 

"Wonder what's going on," I whisper to Hermione as we make our way into the Great Hall. Once everyone is sat down and the first years have been sorted into their houses, Dumbledore says that he has an announcement.

As he's talking, Filch starts to run through the hall, whispers something to Dumbledore and then runs out again, making various students laugh. 

"Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event, the Triwizard Tournament. Now for those of you who do not know, the Triwizard Tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests. From each school, a single student is elected to compete. Let me be clear: if chosen you stand alone and trust me when I say, these contests are not for the fair-hearted."

Everyone starts to murmur to each other, curiosity and excitement hanging in the air. For most students, nothing this exciting has happened to them before, so it is quite exhilarating and whilst it's still exciting for me and 'the golden trio', I guess there's always a thought in our heads that there'll be some danger involved. 

"But more of that later," Dumbledore continues. "For now, please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and their headmistress, Madame Maxime."

The doors swing open and a large group of girls wearing light blue clothes strut into the room, attractively sighing and looking at students. "Bloody hell," Ron mumbles as they skip down the Hall, butterflies appearing from their clothes.

Then their headmistress walks in, an alarmingly tall woman wearing a deep red coat with a large fur collar, her eyes darting over students. "Blimey," Seamus says, his Irish accent detailing his words, "that's one big woman."

Their entrance ends with one girl spinning and another doing tricks, loud wolf whistles erupting throughout the hall - mainly from the boys; the two girls curtsey and Madame Maxime raises her hand to Dumbledore, who lightly kisses it before returning to his stand.

"And now our friends from the North, please great the proud sons of Durmstrang and their highmaster Igor Karkarov."

A group of boys march in, canes in their hands and a serious look on all their faces. They stamp their canes on the ground and chant, before rushing through the hall, multiple tricks and tumbles being performed. As they all make their way to the front, their highmaster walks in with another man and...

"No way, it's Viktor Krum!" I exclaim to the group, who look on in astonishment. Their performance ends with a hawk of fire appearing for a short burst and Dumbledore greeting Igor with a quick hug.

We quickly perform our school song, which seems very meak and dull compared to the other two schools, then the feast begins. The visiting students are allocated tables and seats and food appears for them as it does for the Hogwarts students. 

Whilst eating, all anyone can talk about are the new students and the tournament. Ron keeps going on about the Beauxbaton students, which I see Hermione roll her eyes discreetly at.

The feast is quickly over and a large gold statue is brought into the room, which Dumbledore stands next to and everyone looks to him as he starts to speak.

 "I'd like to say a few words. Eternal glory, that is what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament. But to do this, that student must survive three tasks, three extremely dangerous tasks."

I hear Fred and George simultaneously whisper, "Wicked," at the description of the tasks. "For this reason, the Ministry have seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain all this, we have the head of the department of International Magical Cooperation, Mr Bartimus Crouch."

Suddenly, the ceiling starts to erupt with thunder and lighting, startling students and eliciting shouts and screams from everyone. But it's suddenly stopped by a stream of magic fired from someone who's just entered the room from the side door. 

"Bloody hell, that's Mad-Eye Moody," Ron exclaims. "Alastor Moody? The auror?" Hermione asks in response. "Yep, he's a Dark Wizard catcher. He's filled probably half of Azkaban's cells with Dark Wizards," I explain to Harry and Dean, who look quite confused.

 "He's supposed to be mad as a hatter," Ron remarks.

We watch as he greets Dumbledore, then walks to the side of the hall and takes a swig of something in a flask, to which he grimaces. "What's that he's drinking, do you suppose?" Seamus asks. 

"I don't know, but I don't think it's pumpkin juice," Harry responds, not taking his eyes of Moody. Slowly, everyone's attention turns back to Dumbledore and Barty Crouch, who's now standing beside the golden statue. 

"Up to due consideration, the Ministry has concluded that for their own safety, no student under the age of seventeen should be allowed to put forth their name--"

But his words are cut off by a roar of complaint by students, including Fred and George, who boo loudly and complain, until Dumbledore silences everyone and then unveils what's in the statue, which is a large goblet. A bright blue flame emerges from the goblet.

"The Goblet of Fire. Anyone wishing to submit themselves to the tournament need only write their name on a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night."

I look around the room and see a determined look on Cedric's face, which worries me. 

"Do not do so lightly," Dumbledore warns, "if chosen, there's no turning back. As from this moment, the Triwizard Tournament has begun."