Action Short Stories

8. Ivan Stegorvsky and the Goblet of Fire

The attendance office of Hogwarts wasn't what most would imagine. In fact, most students didn't even know it was there... although, the same could be said for many of the teachers. No longer of much use, and located at the base of the Headmaster's Tower, it was no surprise why so little knew of its existence—the door was a crabby one, and now in its retirement, took great pains to avoid being seen. But something else was taking place on the shores of the castle.

Ivan and the boys marched across the old wooden plank in a single file line; the same plank connected to the giant old, skeletal ship. The boys trundled onto the muddy bank of Hogwarts, seeing the large group of students watching their arrival from the cold, misty evening. Already, the smell of wonderful and sweet, delicious food wafted from the large entrance hall of Hogwart's.

"Hurry it up, Ivan," said Nikolei impatiently from behind him on the plank.

"Yeah, hurry it up!" said Janusz from behind Nikolei, his voice dopey and slow.

"I'm going!" exclaimed Ivan annoyedly.

Ivan's huge, fur coat rippled as the boys's boots splashed in the mud, in a muddy sort of way. The surrounding grey, swirling mist that the Durmstrang Institute's ship had arrived in continued to hang eerily in the air, tendrils and fingertips of fogs that reached and outstretched over the lapping waves of the sea shore, but not quite daring to go further towards the long green lawn that lead to the large castle.

Ivan saw another group of people far away; silhouettes cut against a dark horizon as they disembarked from carriages far up on a hill... and even though Ivan couldn't see them from the extreme distance, he knew who they were - the Beauxbatons. Meanwhile, as the Durmstrangs got closer to the castle, Ivan could hear whispering from the clumps of students clustered around the giant front entrance, speaking one of their names in hushed and revered tones.

Viktor Krum.

Their entire school had come to Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament, a many-centuries old competition that had been partaken between the wizarding schools before being banished, and was now brought back this year for the first time in centuries. Ivan wasn't interested in the tournament, however... he had another reason for wanting to be at Hogwart's.

Hogwarts was massive, looming over them. The grey rock and stone spires towered high above in the moon-lit night sky, an imposing and sturdy sight. As Ivan and the Durmstrang students crossed the big, wet lawn, which sparkled and glittered like diamonds from a fresh morning dew, Ivan caught a glimpse of Mad-Eye Moody—the entire reason he had come here in the first place.

You just need to worry about finding the attendance office, said Ivan's brain to himself.

Mad-Eye Moody had come to Ivan a few months ago. Ivan's family was struggling; in light of the rise of dark and scary forces lately, as well as the internal issues at the Ministry of Magic, his father now spent his days at home, reading the help-wanted ads in the newspaper, quiet and sad as he hung upside down in the tall, dusty belfry.

"Pay attention!" said Nikolei as Ivan almost stepped on his foot.

"Yeah, pay attention," echoed Janusz, his voice lazy and mopey.

As the group paraded to the main Great Hall, Ivan peeled off from the pack, sneaking into an open hallway that ran along the length of the manicured greenery. Shadows from the torches hanging on the pillars danced and flitted, crossing in front of Ivan's step. Groups of Hogwarts students passed him, chattering and giggling excitedly amongst themselves. Ivan looked out into the courtyard as he walked, trying to find eyes on the Headmaster's tower where the attendance office would be. He looked up, craning his neck up when he located a very tall, spindly brick structure—