Harry Potter and the Hidden Treasure (Volume 3)

Chapter 545 Durmstrang

Gabrielle seemed to want to approach and have a word with Evan.

But her little hand was firmly held by Fleur, and she couldn't let go. She could only use her other hand to greet him.

It wasn't until Evan replied with a greeting that she lowered her hand contentedly. Then, upon seeing all the Hogwarts students looking at her, she blushed.

The girl was evidently embarrassed. She was so excited after seeing Evan a moment ago that she forgot there were so many people there.

"Who is the French girl greeting Evan?"

"I don't know, but she's lovely, isn't she?!"

Many boys were looking at Gabrielle and seemed immediately drawn to her.

Fortunately, Gabrielle was still young, and the Veela blood magic in her veins wasn't too strong.

Everyone simply felt that this girl looked very beautiful and charming, with an inexplicable sense of tenderness, but they were not captivated.

Soon, more people noticed the expressions of the other Beauxbatons students, especially the boys, who were glaring at Evan one by one. There seemed to be a huge resentment on their faces that couldn't be hidden.

The young wizards whispered about it again. Although no one knew what Evan had done at Beauxbatons at the end of the last term, it was not surprising that he suddenly became the center of attention.

They had been accustomed to it for the past two years. It seemed that if not, it would be abnormal.

As for Evan, he had no time to think about what others were thinking. He didn't pay much attention to the Beauxbatons students who were looking at him with hostility.

He simply greeted Gabrielle, and as soon as he lowered his hand, Hermione suddenly approached his ear.

"Who is she?" she asked in a low voice.

"Gabrielle Delacour."

Hermione nodded. She knew that Evan had that pen pal friend, and she sent him letters almost every week.

They had also discussed at some point the difference between French and British owls.

Evan waited for a moment, Hermione didn't continue speaking, and he didn't know what she was thinking. He turned to her surprised and thought she would continue asking.

Hermione now was like a kitten, very calm, but with a sharp look in her proud eyes.

Evan turned around and secretly was glad that it was Gabrielle who had come. If it had been Elaine who was there, it would have been terrible.

There was a brief commotion in front of the castle, and the conversation between Dumbledore and Madame Maxime continued in the entrance hall.

"The last time I came to Hogwarts, it was more than forty years ago. It still looks so beautiful here!"

"The gates of Hogwarts will always be open to you, and you and your students can come whenever you like," said Dumbledore with a smile.

"Yes, in the past, magical schools often exchanged students among themselves. It was a good tradition. I hope we can resume it," continued Madame Maxime, "you know, since those two men appeared, the overall level of the European magical world has drastically decreased in many areas."

"This time, the Triwizard Tournament should be a good start," said Dumbledore pointing.

"Yes, has Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime nodded.

"He should be arriving any moment now," said Dumbledore. "Would you like to wait for him here and greet him or would you prefer to go inside and warm up slightly?"

"Warm up, I think," said Madame Maxime. "But the horses..."

"Don't worry, our Care of Magical Creatures professor will be delighted to take care of them," said Dumbledore, "as soon as he's back from dealing with a little situation that has arisen with some of his creatures."

Obviously, it was those Explosive Murtlaps, which were getting bigger and causing problems. They were now trying to escape from their enclosures, and Hagrid had to catch the fugitives.

"My livestock requires a firm hand," said Madame Maxime, as if doubting that any Hogwarts Care of Magical Creatures professor could handle the job. "You know, they're very strong."

"I assure you Hagrid will be up to the task," said Dumbledore smiling.

"Very well!" said Madame Maxime, inclining slightly. "Could you please inform this Hagrid that the horses only drink single malt whisky?"

"It will be done," said Dumbledore, inclining as well.

"Come," said Madame Maxime imperiously to her students, and the crowd from Hogwarts parted to allow her and her students to pass up the stone steps.

When all the Beauxbatons students entered, the topic shifted to Durmstrang.

"How big do you think the horses from Durmstrang will be?" Seamus Finnigan leaned in and asked.

"I don't know, but if they are bigger than these horses, I'm afraid not even Hagrid will be able to handle them," said Harry. "That's if he hasn't been attacked by his Blast-Ended Skrewts. I wonder what happened to them."

"Perhaps they escaped," Ron said hopefully.

"Oh, don't say that," Hermione said immediately. "Just imagine all those beasts roaming free on the grounds..."

"Don't worry, Hagrid will manage them well, and Durmstrang may not necessarily have winged horses," Evan said.

He whispered to those nearby to explain the origins, the rarity of the Abraxan horses, and the cost of raising them.

The young wizards were once again amazed. Indeed, they had thought that those horses were the legendary Pegasus.

Everyone lingered there, awaiting the arrival of the Durmstrang delegation. It had been over twenty minutes, and they shivered slightly.

The majority of the people gazed hopefully skyward. For a moment, silence reigned. Given its prolonged and chilly nature, they had no interest in conversation. They could only hear the snorting and clattering of Madame Maxime's enormous horses.

Suddenly, Colin asked, "Did you hear that?"

Then, Evan heard it too, a loud and strangely chilling noise approaching them from the darkness: a muffled, sucking sound, as if a massive vacuum cleaner was moving along a riverbed.

"The lake!" exclaimed Lee Jordan, pointing to it. "Look at the lake!"

From their vantage point on the lawns overlooking the grounds, they had a clear view of the black, smooth surface of the water.

But suddenly, the surface was no longer smooth at all. Something disturbing was happening in the depths of the center; large bubbles were forming on the surface, waves now lapped at the muddy shores, and then, right in the middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been yanked from the lake's bottom.

What seemed to be a long black mast began to slowly rise from the heart of the whirlpool, followed by sail rigging.