Finding Love (George Weasley Love Story)

Chapter 8

 Chapter 8

That evening, everyone at Hogwarts was crowded on the bridge, watching the people from the Beauxbatons and Drumstrang arrive. You could see seven winged horses pulling a giant carriage coming into view. As they got closer you could see that they were huge, much larger than any regular sized horse. Hagrid was standing in the middle of a runway, where they would be landing, waving two giant paddles and directing the horses. Murmurs of excitement rippled through the students. They were about to land and Hagrid had to dive out of the way to keep from getting run over. There were a few laughs that rang out through the crowd.

"Well there's something you don't see every day," George says behind me.

"Look at the lake!" Someone yelled.

We all turned our attention to the lake where you could see the water rippling. Slowly the mast of a ship started rising out of the water. Soon there was a giant ship that was slowly rocking back and forth in the water, dripping wet. Slowly a sail dropped to reveal some sort of bird on it that looked like a Hawk or Phoenix.

***********

Later that night we were all sitting in the great hall when Dumbledore started to talk.

"As you all saw earlier our guests for the year arrived today. I expect you all to be polite and kind and kind to them and make them feel at home. You are to treat them as you would eachother."

Just then the giant doors squeaked as Mr. Filtch opened it and then ran towards Dumbledore. We all watched silently as he ran past us, lifting his legs up high. Dumbledore paused and waited for Filtch to reach him. When he finally did you whispered something in his ear breathing heavily and clutching his chest.

"That’s just sad," George whispered in my ear.

"Really sad," I agreed. I poor man couldn’t even run right.

Just then he turned on his heal and started running towards the doors again and Dumbledore continued, "You will be told more about the tournament after we eat. But for now please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and their headmistress, Madam Maxime."

The doors squeaked again as they opened revealing a small group of girls in blue uniforms. They confidently strutted down the aisle between the tables. About halfway down they started to jog and when they reached the end of the table they paused and butterflies come from their hands and then every other person went in opposite directions.

"Bloody hell!" Ron mutters from across the table, his eyes transfixed on the girls. Almost every guy in the Great Hall stared after them. I glanced at Hermione and Ginny and we all rolled our eyes. It’s not like they didn’t see girls every day. Fred was practically drooling as he watched them and I could see George looking after them too. I slapped both of them on the arm, pulling them out of their trance. They both looked sheepishly at me and then glanced at the girls one more time.

We then turn our gazes towards their headmistress who was at least as tall as Hagrid and was walking with confidence gazing out over all the students.

I see Seamus tap Ron on the back and whisper "Blimey, that’s one big women," in his thick Irish accent.

The last two girls were spinning and doing a backflip and then turned to everyone and bowed. People started to whistle and clap. Then Dumbledore went up and kissed Madam Maxime's hand.

He returned to the pedestal and waved his arms to quiet everyone, "And now our friends from the North! Please greet the proud sons of Drumstrang and their headmaster, Igor Karkaroff!"

The doors opened once again and a bunch of tough looking boys marched down towards Dumbledore. They all had poles that they were spinning around and then stopped and tapped them on the floor. Sparks erupted where the pole hit the ground. They spun them around again then set them down and started to run towards the front. Everyone gasped as they ran by and then one person started doing impressive martial arts moves in the front. We turned towards the door again where one student and their headmaster were walking solemnly towards the front.

"Blimey, it's him!" Ron exclaims, "Victor Crum!" everyone else seemed to notice too, there were quiet whispers that sounded throughout the hall and all eyes were on Victor.

"Albus!" Exclaims the headmaster, in a thick Bulgarian accent. Dumbledore gives him a quick hug and then he ushers Karkaroff towards the teachers table.

"Now let the welcome feast begin!" Dumbledore says and then takes his place in the middle of the table, food appeared before everyone.

"Finally!" Fred and George exclaim together and start to dig in. I smiled at them and took some chicken from the platter in front of me.

When everyone was finished eating some men carried in some big wooden case.

"Your attention please!" Dumbledore shouted over the noise of everyone talking, "The ministry seemed fit to impose a new rule for the Triwizard Tournament, because it is so dangerous. To explain all this we have the head of the department of international magic cooperation, Mr. Bartimus Crouch."

You could see Percy's boss walking behind the staff table towards Dumbledore.

"After due consideration the ministry has concluded that for their own safety no student under the age of 17 should be allowed to put forth their name for the Triwizard Tournament. This decision..."

He was cut off by students screaming and booing.

"THAT'S RUBBISH! THAT'S RUBBISH! BOOOOO!" Fred and George yelled, they were only sixteen right now but turning seventeen soon.

"SILENCE!!" Dumbledore yelled over everyone and a hush fell over the students. He pointed his wand at the gold case the men had brought in and it slowly melted away to reveal a goblet that blue fire immediately erupted in.

"The goblet of fire," Dumbledore said, "Anyone wishing to submit themselves to the tournament merely write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it into the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly. If chosen there's no turning back. As from this moment on, the Triwizard Tournament has begun. You may go to your common rooms now, lessons are early again tomorrow."

The scraping of benches sounded throughout the hall as everyone stood up. I walked out to the grand staircase between Fred and George, "That's unfair; we're going to be seventeen in a few months! Why can't we compete?" Exclaims Fred.

"We have to find a way to enter!" Agrees George

"I got it!" George exclaims as we reach the portrait hole, "Aging potion!"

"You are brilliant, my twin!" Fred exclaims

“You know that won’t work. Dumbledore would have thought of that,” I tell them.

“Ah, but I doubt he did,” Fred says, “Because he is so dim-witted!” George continued gleefully.

“Whatever you say. Don’t blame me if it doesn’t work though,” I laugh. I still didn’t want them to eve try to enter but I doubt they will be able to. This lifts a weight from my shoulders at least.

“I’m going to head up to bed,” I said just as I yawned, “Goodnight you two!”

“Cassidy wait, there’s something I wanted to ask you,” He said following me to the girls staircase. My heart thumped loudly in my chest.

“Remember over the summer how I asked you to help me come up with a way to ask Marissa out?”

My heart broke to tiny little pieces. I had avoided the subject since we first had the conversation, making an excuse of something I had to go do every time he brought it up. Finally he stopped trying to talk to me about it until now.

“Um, yeah…” I trailed off, “What about it?”

“I was wondering if you could help me tomorrow during our second off period? She has the same one so I was going to ask her then. Fred and Lee are going to help too. I just still need to come up with a good way to do it. I know I’m going to give her flowers, I just don’t know what else.”

“Sure George,” I sighed, “I’ll help you tomorrow. I’m going to bed.”

I quickly spun on my heel and ran up to my dormitory. Tears started freely flowing down my face when I reached my bed. No one else had come to bed yet, so I was alone. I sat on my bed, pulling my knees up to my face and wrapping my arms around them. I knew I couldn’t avoid it forever. But I wanted to go on pretending he didn’t like someone else. I wanted to pretend that there was a chance we would be together one day. But know I knew that was never going to happen.