Beauxbatons [Charlie Weasley]

Hebrides

The Hebrides Islands are easily the most beautiful place Isabelle has ever been.

Forget Beauxbatons with its shimmering, crystallised halls. Forget Hogwarts with its floating candles and flagged stone floors. Forget the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary and her trek across New Zealand. While all those places were beautiful in their own way, these Islands off Scotland are stunning.

They are the definition of rolling green hills and sparkling blue lakes. The little stone huts in which they are staying in are something out of a fairytale. Walking throughout the little village, looking up at the scenery all around her... Isabelle completely forgets that she's actually here for a reason: to search for a Hebridean Black. She almost believes she's just here on a romantic getaway with Charlie. But she's not. Even though she wishes she is.

"We'll be staying in these three huts," Florin's voice interrupts her thoughts as he leads them towards three stone cottages, a little ways away from the others. "The owners of these places have gone away on a trip to the mainland, luckily for us, and have graciously allowed us to stay in these huts for the two months they'll be gone for."

Isabelle, Elena, Charlie and Daniel all head into the hurt furthest away — Christopher, Luca, Avram and Darius are in one of the others, and Florin gets the third all to himself — pushing open the door and immediately smiling at the inside. It's a simply-designed place, with stone tabletops that seem to come out of the ground, and plants in little carved wooden pots on every surface there is. It's just as beautiful inside the hut as it is outside. Isabelle can't help but grin.

"There's only three bedrooms," Daniel says, after a quick look around the place.

"That's alright, Isabelle and I can share," Elena says easily, smiling at the French girl. Isabelle nods and returns it, both her and Elena heading into the largest room of the three, plonking their stuff down and both sitting on the double bed. Looks like they'll have to share. Not that they mind at all.

After the four of them have settled in, they head back out to meet with the others, where Florin's waiting for them, the boyish excitement back on his face.

"As it's already fairly late, I say we start looking for our new dragon right away," he says, hands clasped as he looks around at all of them cheerfully. "As I'm sure you've all already guessed, these Hebridean Blacks won't just casually be hanging around here where there's people, and they certainly won't be in or near any other towns on these Islands. So, our best bet is to get as far away from here as possible, into the middle of nowhere, in order to have a chance at spotting one of these dragons."

Isabelle can't help but grin: Florin's excitement is contagious. She looks up at Charlie, and he grabs her hand, squeezing it gently.

"We can do this by apparating a little ways ahead at a time," Florin continues. "I'm sure all of your feet must be incredibly tired from walking so far these past months, so, whenever possible and you can see far enough ahead of you — and once you are away from the sight of Muggles, of course — you have permission to apparate as far as you can see, and then track and search for a bit, and repeat the pattern. Does that make sense?"

All eight of his students nod, all of them having perked up quite a bit and become much more excited with the prospect of tracking this next dragon down now that they know they won't have to walk the whole way. Isabelle, certainly, is very happy. She doesn't know if her feet would be able to walk another hundred or so kilometres without falling off.

"Very well, then," Florin exclaims happily, clapping his hands together. "Off you go! I recommend staying with at least one other person, and be back an hour before dawn, as usual."