0505 Arrival

0505 Arrival

The crisp autumn air of late October had settled over Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, bringing with it an electric atmosphere of anticipation that hadn't been felt within the castle walls for generations.

It had been precisely a week since the heads of houses had made their announcement throughout the castle: Durmstrang Institute and Beauxbatons Academy of Magic would arrive on the evening of October 30th for participating in the legendary Triwizard Tournament. Though the students in Physical Education class had gotten an early glimpse of this exciting news, the official announcement had transformed the usual academic atmosphere into one crackling with excitement and speculation.

The castle itself seemed to be holding its breath in anticipation. Even the professors, many of whom had spent decades teaching at Hogwarts were caught up in the growing excitement. They had never witnessed such a grand occasion of a large-scale visit from other magical schools.

As the day drew nearer, subtle yet noticeable changes began manifesting throughout the castle.

The most apparent transformation, as Hermione had pointed out, And Harry & Ron also noticed was in the demeanor and appearance of their female classmates, particularly those in the upper years. Where once simple hair ties and practical styles had been good enough, now elaborate braids, enchanted hair accessories, and meticulously crafted hairstyles decorated the heads of most Upper-year young witches throughout the school.

The professors, too, seemed to have undergone a transformation of some sorts, teaching their lessons with renewed vigor and passion, as if they had fears of potential criticism from visiting students, which would indeed be embarrassing.

The weather had also taken a turn towards winter by late October. Despite the brilliant sunshine that painted the grounds in golden light, the air carried a chill that left Harry, Ron, and Seamus shivering as they made their way from their cozy Gryffindor dormitory down to the Great Hall.

The female students typically woke up earlier than boys, and Hermione was no exception to this. As Harry's eyes found her familiar figure at the Gryffindor table, he noticed she was already well into her morning routine. Her S.P.E.W. badge gleamed on her robes as she sat before a nearly finished plate of scrambled eggs, and her milk glass was also half empty, telling she'd been awake and here for quite some time already.

"Blimey!" Ron's exclamation carried a note of genuine wonder as he dropped onto the bench across from Hermione, his eyes wandering across the Great Hall's transformed interior. "Would you look at this place? It's completely different!"

Indeed, Ron's amazement was reasonable. The Great Hall had undergone a magnificent transformation overnight, as if the castle itself had put on its finest attire for the approaching arrival of the visiting schools.

Massive silk banners poured from the enchanted ceiling, each representing the four noble houses of Hogwarts. The Gryffindor banner was in its bold red silk and dazzling gold lion, while Ravenclaw's banner glistened in elegant blue silk, its bronze eagle soaring proudly. Hufflepuff's banner glowed warmly in yellow silk, with its black badger, and Slytherin's banner flowed in emerald green silk with its silver serpent gleaming.

But it was the banner behind the staff table that truly dominated the hall's decorative arrangement. It displayed the Hogwarts coat of arms in its full glory: the four house mascots – lion, eagle, badger, and snake – united in perfect harmony around a large letter H, symbolizing the unity of the school despite its diverse houses.

The usual morning chatter had taken on a different atmosphere, with lively discussions erupting at all four house tables. The typical topics of homework assignments and Quidditch scores (not of school as no competitions were held this year) had been temporarily forgotten, replaced by eager speculation about the approaching visitors and the Triwizard Tournament.

Near the end of the Gryffindor table, discussion between Ginny and Colin captured the attention of many nearby students. Colin leaned forward his eyes bright with curiosity as he asked what seemed like the question on everyone's minds.

"How do you think they'll make their way here?" Colin's voice carried the infectious enthusiasm. "The Hogwarts Express, perhaps? They'll need to bring enough supplies for the entire academic year – just imagine the mountain of trunks and luggage they'll need to transport!"

Ginny shook her head thoughtfully and said, "That would be quite problematic, wouldn't it? They'd have to somehow reach London first just to board the Hogwarts Express, and with such a large group of foreign wizards and witches, they'd be bound to draw attention from the Muggles."

Harry, who had been listening intently to their conversation, found his thoughts initially drifting to the most obvious magical transportation method for him – Flying broomsticks.

The image of dozens of students soaring through the clouds on their brooms briefly captured his imagination, but his practical experience with long-distance flying quickly dismissed the notion. Even as someone who lived for the thrill of Quidditch and considered himself quite comfortable on a broomstick, Harry had to acknowledge the impracticality of such a journey. The physical strain of crossing multiple national borders by broomstick, not to mention the logistical nightmares of weather conditions and maintaining secrecy, made it an unrealistic option.

His contemplation of magical transportation methods was interrupted by George's frustrated voice as he slumped into a seat near Ron.

"Professor McGonagall's being absolutely tight-lipped about the champion selection process," He grumbled, stabbing at his breakfast with unusual force. "All I got for my troubles was a stern reminder to concentrate on transfiguring my raccoon properly. As if that's more important than this!"

"We tried to get that information out of Professor Watson," George's expression soured as he cast an irritated glance toward the staff table, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Watson were engaged in what appeared to be a serious conversation. "But you know how adults are – they always keep secrets from us!"

Harry's face scrunched in concentration, looking similar to his cousin Dudley attempting to solve a math problem. "But who would be willing to hire Remus, considering... well, I mean... besides Professor Dumbledore?"

He left the specific mention of Lupin's condition unspoken, but his meaning was clear to those who knew the truth.

Harry looked at Hermione and found that she was looking thoughtfully at Professor Watson who was talking to Snape.

"Oh!" Harry suddenly exclaimed realizing. "That's possible!"

"A thousand Galleons..." Ron mumbled in a daze, "Can you imagine, Harry? That could have been us too. If only Bagman hadn't..." His voice trailed off before strengthening with determination. "I need to find him. Maybe Dad can help recover what we're owed. We won fair and square, after all."

The news of Remus becoming a workshop manager and the twins' receiving a solid thousand Galleons briefly became a hot topic within Harry's circle. Ron was distracted all day, barely paying attention to the impending arrival of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons.

But except for their small group, the rest of the students remained hooked on the imminent arrival of their international guests.

The excitement continued to build throughout the day, creating an almost tangible current of anticipation that flowed through the castle's corridors.

No one paid attention in class, all thinking about the arrival of students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang that evening. Even the normally dreaded Potions class seemed less oppressive than usual, as if the upcoming celebrations had somewhat tempered even Snape's brooding nature.

During the final morning period of Physical Education class, many students repeatedly attempted to extract information from Bryan about the tournament's tasks and selection procedures, though their efforts were fruitless.

When the final bell of the afternoon classes finally rang, its sound triggered an immediate flurry of activity throughout the castle. Harry, Ron, and Hermione practically sprinted to Gryffindor Tower. They hastily dropped off their bags and books in their dormitories as instructed, donned their cloaks against the evening chill, then hurried back down the staircases to join the gathering in the entrance hall.

It was a cold, crisp evening, with night falling and a pale, translucent moon already hanging above the Forbidden Forest.

The heads of houses moved with efficiency among their students, maintaining order with a mixture of stern commands and gentle guidance.

The entire staff, except for Hagrid, had assembled in an impressive line behind the students, their formal robes and serious expressions giving an air of solemness to the occasion. Even Filch had donned his moldy tailcoat for this formal occasion.

Professor Watson and Headmaster Dumbledore were the only two professors standing in front of the student lines, facing the direction of the Black Lake, their expressions calm.

The waiting crowd had begun to show signs of restlessness when Dumbledore's voice suddenly rang out across the gathering, "Ah, unless I'm very much mistaken, the Beauxbatons delegation has arrived!"

Bryan lifted his head slightly, his gaze deepening.

Everything was finally about to begin.

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