Rough Diamond (The Poisonous Princess Book 3)

Welcoming

The school's choir installed on the front podium in the great hall and started to sing Hogwarts' anthem. We were all requested to sing along, we tried our best...

Just after, Dumbledore opened the back-to-school eve :

"Welcome Welcome everyone ! We are all very enthusiastic for this new year.
First of all, let's sort our new younglings so they could have a seat..."

Some cubs joined our table, they looked really like babies. Did we all looked like this three or four years ago ? I felt almost like a woman by their side.
But when the fabulous feast magically appeared, we all made shining round eyes just like kids.
They really make this year special, I thought, because dinner was even better than usually : they knew all of our favourite dishes.

I discovered that Draco loved vegetables because it was the rare greenery on the table. Crabbe craved for pasta, just a montain of pasta. For my taste, it was a tiramisu for dessert.

We welcomed the newbies with not much interest except for one.

"Hello. My name is Peter Parkinson" a black haired boy announced joyfully.

"Parkinson ?"

"Yes. I'm Pansy younger brother !" He was excited and smiley, in opposition of any Parkinson members, it was said.
I turn to Pansy.

"I didn't know you had sibling !" I asked her.
All my mates were silently asking the same.

"Because I don't." She answered aggressively.
"He's only half family. He's just the result of an affair from father..."
She then turned her eyes to the boy. "And he thinks he will have any inheritance."

The small boy replied, still smiling :

"Yeah we're half siblings. But I love you big sister !"

"So who's your mother ?" I inquired.

"You don't know her family name, she's a muggle".

I smiled and mocked Pansy :

"Scandalous !"

I thought it was risible, for a bleak pure-blood man to have a wizard son from a love affair with a muggle. And now Pansy had to deal with a little brother.
He was all the opposite behaviour of the girl and gave her a new image of a big sister. That would announce fun opportunities...

When all stomachs were full, the headmaster stood again.

"We are very honored this year, to host a very exciting event which has not been held here for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts !"

A fabric was covering a big object in the center of the podium. He pulled it to reveal the wooded cup. It instantly lit up with blue flames.

"...The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be staying with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us..."

Many students, as myself, looked around to see that a dozen of teen were seated at Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw's tables.

Dumbledore kept speaking : "We have all together worked hard over the summer..."

At this sentence, I looked at my boyfriend and we both remembered the summer meeting when governors were arguing for the organisation till night.

"The ministers will supervise the smooth running and will also be judges alongside the three headmasters to evaluate Champions' performances.
We can't predict thinks but this time, we deeply hope no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger."