sunlit meadows, waning brooks

chapter one // five of wands

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Three Years Later

Friday, October 29th, 1994

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          Evangeline walked into the Great Hall later than usual. This morning, the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Durmstrang Institute students were arriving to compete in the Triwizard Tournament and Evangeline wanted to watch them land at Hogwarts. It's not every day one sees a carriage being pulled by Abraxan horses.

          Evangeline sauntered to her seat at the Hufflepuff table, the one that was empty because it was saved especially for her.

          "Morning Late bird. Sleep well?" Cedric mocked as Evangeline took her seat next to Heidi Macavoy, one of the Hufflepuff quidditch team's chasers.

          "Shut it Diggory." Evangeline scoffed, "I wasn't sleeping, I was watching the arrival of the other champions this morning. Which you should also be doing, you need to figure out who your competition is."

          "Trust me, I don't need to scope out my competition to win," he said with a wink.

          "Now that we're all settled in, I'd like to make an announcement." Dumbledore projected, cutting off the group's conversation.

          "This castle will not only be your home this year but to some very special guests as well. Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event. The Triwizard Tournament. Now, for those of you who do not know..."

          "We are well aware of this already; why is he still droning on about it?" groaned Malcolm Preece, who was sitting across from Evangeline, "I just want to see the cute Beauxbatons." Malcolm swooned as he laid his head on his hand.

          "Oh please! The moment they lay eyes on you, they'll turn up their perfectly powdered noses without a second thought!" exclaimed Heidi.

          The bickering between the old married couple died down after a few swift hits, letting the group listen to Headmaster Dumbledore once again.

          "...please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and their headmistress, Madam Maxime." 

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          Charlotte had just sat down at the Slytherin table when the students of Beauxbatons Academy fluttered into the great hall, all wearing perfectly coordinated cornflower uniforms. She was excited to see the other students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.  Immediately Charlotte noticed the boys pausing halfway through their conversations to swoon and stare at the girls as they made their way down the center aisle.

          "...I just don't understand what makes them so special. They're just a bunch of snooty French girls. They're not even that pretty." Pansy Parkinson continued to whine to her friend across the table.

          "Do you ever shut up? We get it, you're jealous." Charlotte snapped, already frustrated with Pansy and her obnoxious comments. For heaven's sake, it wasn't even lunch yet and Pansy was being annoying.

          "Oi, no one asked for your opinion, did they? Stupid mudblood." Draco Malfoy called Charlotte from down the table.

          Charlotte ignored Draco and turned back to Pansy. "New puppy, Pansy? Does he play lapdog too?" Charlotte asked, her voice filled with faux innocence and a fake grin plastered on her face.