Twin of Potter-Book Two(UP FOR ADOPTION)

An Announcement and an Arrival (or two)

Term started normally enough, Malfoy being his jerk self, Ron and Harry leaving homework to the last possible second, Hermione being the top of the year, Morgana and Crystal being right behind, with me between the Hermione and the others even though I slacked off just as much as Harry and Ron. 

One hiccup was Dumbledore's announcement at the start of term feast. 

"Hogwarts will be playing host to the Tri-Wizard Tournament." He then proceeded to explain the rules and when the other schools would arrive. 

Harry was extremely grateful that only witches and wizards who were of age could enter, whereas Fred and George were enraged. 

Other than that bump in the road, everything was normal. 

Snape seemed to hate Harry as much as he ever did, and seemed to ignore me. Not that I minded, but it was a little disconcerting. 

Divination was just as bad as ever, Trelawny the same fraud as last year, the same death predictions for Harry. The only difference between this year and last was the watery eyes she now got every time she looked in my direction. 

Everything else went smoothly, the months transferring from September to October with hardly any notice-the main change being the drop in temperature. 

Then, on October twenty-ninth, classes let out an hour early. 

We all dropped our bags off in the common room, then went down to wait for the other schools to arrive. 

After Merlin knows how long, as we all stood shivering, a shape appeared in the sky. 

"It's a dragon!" a first year Hufflepuff cried. 

"No, it's a giant hippogriff!" a third year Ravenclaw said. 

"Don't be silly, it's a flying house!" Dennis Creevey shouted, pointing. 

And he couldn't have been closer, for moments later, a huge carriage bumped down. 

The door opened, and a small boy jumped out, then fumbled with a strap on the side, causing a small set of stairs to fall. 

A giant woman stepped out of the carriage, her black shoes and opals gleaming in the light of the open doors. 

Several girls followed her out, all dressed in silk robes and scarves, all shivering. 

"Dumblydore! 'Ow are you?" she cried, leaning down and kissing each cheek as per French custom. 

"Olympe! I'm as well as ever. How are you?" 

"I am well, Dumblydore. 'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" 

"No, Madam, you are the first. Would you like to step into the hall and warm up?" 

"Oui. Someone will 'ave to take care of ze 'orses..." she trailed off. 

"Our gamekeeper, Hagrid, will be more than up to the task." Dumbledore assured her, and she and her students entered the hall. 

"Yeah, he will. That is, if the skrewts haven't killed him." Ron muttered, and while some nodded fervently, Hermione moaned and covered her ears. 

"No, don't say that!" she cried softly. 

We stood there longer, still shivering, most staring at the sky, all coming up with outrageous ways the Durmstrang students would get here. 

A half hour passed, and Seamus shouted "Look at the lake!" 

Everyone tore their eyes from the sky to watch the still, mirror-like surface of the lake-but it wasn't still. It was bubbling and churning, a whirlpool creating, and in the center, sticking out of the water was- 

"A mast!" Harry cried. "It's the mast of a ship!" 

We all watched as a boat rose eerily to the surface, then bobbed on the still turbulent waters. Someone put a board out for them to disembark the ship. 

Several more minutes passed, and soon enough there was a line of boys, all in thick furs walking towards us. 

The man at the front had sleek black furs, whereas his students had brown. His silver hair was greased back, and his black, curled goatee didn't quite cover his weak chin. 

"Albus!" He cried in a Romanian accent, smiling a smile that didn't reach his eyes and spreading his arms. 

"Igor!" Dumbledore smiled, and embraced him. 

I snorted, and he looked at me with disgust before doing a double-take, causing several of his students to look and point. I scowled at the lot of them, and missed the conversation between Dumbledore and Karkaroff. 

We followed the Durmstrang lot ?into the Front Hall, and I heard several girls searching for quills. 

"Oh, thank Merlin!" I cried as we entered the warmth of the Great Hall. 

"You think he'd sign my purse in lipstick?" I heard someone ask. 

"Who's all the fuss for?" I asked, confused. 

"Viktor Krum!" Ron shrieked, sounding like a frenzied fangirl. 

"Oh. Him." I said, sitting down at the Gryffindor table. 

"'Oh him'?! That's all you have to say?! 'Oh him'?!" Ron whispered, shocked. 

"He's only a Quidditch player," I told Ron, slightly resigned. 

"'Only a-" he started, but I cut him off by slapping my hand over his mouth. 

"If I want someone to repeat my every word, Ronald, I'll buy a parrot," I told him, then watched the Beauxbatons girls looking around disdainfully from the Ravenclaw table, and the Durmstrang boys looking around impressed and slightly overwhelmed from the Slytherin table. 

After the meal, throughout which I paid very little attention and ate very little, Dumbledore stood and started making announcements about the Tournament. I ignored these as I was unable to enter. 

I wish I had known better than to ignore them and listened.