Interstellar || Draco Malfoy

18 || Triwizard Arrivals

When we arrived at Hogwarts, we were led straight past the Great Hall and into the courtyard. Dumbledore hadn't addressed us yet, and our heads of houses weren't very forthcoming with details as to why we were outside.

"What are we waiting for?" I asked, shivering beneath my house robe. Draco glanced down at me before pulling me closer to him, offering me some of his warmth.

"Don't know." Draco shrugged.

"Are those..." Goyle trailed off.

"Horses?" Crabbe finished.

"Clear the runway!" Hagrid called, causing some students to stumble back into each other. Their eyes were focused upwards instead of on their feet, curious about the massive horses flying our way. The horses and the carriage landed gracefully, successfully avoiding the students near it, and my eyes widened at the size of the horses up close. Before I could speak, my attention was drawn away from the horses toward the Black Lake, where the mast of a ship was breaking the surface. A large ship soon followed suit, emerging from the water before floating gracefully towards the shore.

I gripped onto Draco's arm as the students were herded back into the Great Hall, trying my very best to stay upright while getting tossed about by the crowd. When Draco finally managed to pull us toward our usual seats in the Great Hall, I released my death grip on his arm.

"I don't like crowds." I muttered, settling into my seat.

"It's alright, Mona." Draco said softly. "I'll always be there to save you."

I blushed at his words, focusing on the table in front of me. Draco let out a soft chuckle, turning to face the front of the hall as Dumbledore took his post behind his podium.

"Now that we are all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement." Dumbledore spoke, managing to silence the murmurs in the Great Hall. "This castle will not only be your home this year, but home to some very special guests as well. You see, Hogwarts has been chose-"

The door to the Great Hall creaked open, pulling our undivided attention away from Dumbledore and towards the caretaker of Hogwarts. Filch was running- at least, it looked like he was supposed to be running- with a limp right up to Dumbledore. As he stopped to speak with the headmaster, clearly out of breath, I snickered into my hand. Dumbledore nodded at Filch, and the caretaker ran off again, exiting through the same door he entered.

"So," Dumbledore cleared his throat before continuing. "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 contestant is selected to compete. Now, let me be clear; if chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say, these contests are not for the faint hearted."

An eerie silence settled over the students, and I grabbed hold of Draco's hand. The same feeling of unease from the world cup settled on my chest heavily as Dumbledore scanned the student's faces. Draco squeezed my hand, but it did little to stop the shiver that went through my spine as Dumbledore's eyes met mine.

"But, more on that later." Dumbledore said cheerfully, tearing his eyes from mine. "For now, please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and their headmistress Madame Maxime."

The doors to the Great Hall opened once again, revealing a small troupe of girls dressed in pale blue, dancing their way through the center of the hall. Each time they stopped to sigh with soft smiles painted on their faces, each girl released a handful of magical butterflies that circled around their heads before dissipating. I caught sight of Draco's awestruck expression, stifling a giggle as drool pooled in the corner of his mouth.

"Draco, you've got a little something..." I teased, picking up a napkin and wiping the drool from his mouth. "Just a bit of drool, right there."

"Shut up, Mona." Draco groaned, his eyes never leaving the undeniably beautiful girls and their giant headmistress. Once the girls gave a bow and sat amongst the Ravenclaws, Dumbledore took his position at the podium once again.

"And now, our friends from the north!" Dumbledore said, gesturing toward the Great Hall doors once more. "Please greet the proud sons of Durnstrang, and the high master, Igor Karkaroff!"

This time, several men dressed in heavy furs and dreary grey uniforms marched into the hall, each brandishing a bo staff that sparked when they hit the ground. Once they reached the front of the hall, two boys broke from their ranks and blew fire from their wands, manipulating the flames into fiery dragons that dissipated over the heads of the newly sorted first years.

"Desdemona, you've got a little something..." Draco teased, dabbing at my mouth with a napkin. "Just a spot of drool there, Mona."

"No one here breathes fire." I stated calmly. "I'd be foolish not to drool."

Viktor Krum, who I recognized as a player from the world cup, sent an uncharacteristically kind smile at Hermione Granger, who blushed ferociously and hid behind her hair. Another boy, one that blew a fire dragon over the Slytherin table, shot me a smirk and a wink, making me uncomfortable.

"Oh?" Crabbe wiggled his brows. "Did our little Desdemona catch the eye of a Durmstrang boy?"

"Please, stop." I blushed, not liking the attention. "He makes me uncomfortable."

Draco's eyes snapped over to the smug looking Durmstrang boy, mustering up a glare that wiped the smirk right from his face. Draco glanced down at me and gave my hand another squeeze, offering me a soft smile before Dumbledore started speaking again.

"Your attention, please!" Dumbledore called, breaking my gaze from Draco's. "I would 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 dangerous tasks."

"Wicked." I muttered.

"For this reason, the ministry had seen fit to impose a new rule." Dumbeldore continued. "To explain all this, we have the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Mister Bartemius Crouch."

Suddenly, thunder rolled around us, and lightning cracked across the enchanted ceiling just before it started to pour rain. Most of the students screamed, frantically scrambling for cover while my eyes landed on a strange man entering the Hall. The man held up his want, shooting a wordless spell at the ceiling, returning it back to the clear night sky. Dumbledore greeted the man as though they were friends before allowing the man to hobble over to an empty seat amongst the professors.

"After much deliberation, the Ministry has concluded that- for their own safety- no student under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to put forth their name for the Triwizard Tournament." Bartemius Crouch announced, trying to be louder than the raging protests that were coming from the students. "This decision is final!"

"Silence!" Dumbledore boomed, gaining instantaneous silence from the hall. After standing in silence for another few moments, Dumbledore waved his hand to reveal a glowing goblet containing a blue flame. "The goblet of fire. Anyone wishing to submit themselves for the tournament merely write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly; if chosen, there's no turning back. As of this moment, the Triwizard Tournament has begun."