From friends to this -Year six (re-uploaded) Book 1/4

Chapter 20

Tara sat down at the Hufflepuff table with her friends, the Beauxbaton students had chosen to sit at the Ravenclaw table and the Durmstrang students at the Slytherin table. If Tara was going to be completely honest she was sort of glad they had chosen their own seats, if they had been split Dinner would've been a particularly awkward ordeal- there would be time to meet one another over the next few months.

"Beauxbatons hate it here, already" James scoffed, "At least the blokes look happy." he nodded to the Durmstrang students, who had now started to strip themselves of their furs, appreciating the warmth, now revealing deep, blood red robes.

"Yer wan looks like she's entered the North Pole." Sarah giggled, motioning to a girl at the Ravenclaw table, scarf around her head, cloak wrapped around her tightly.

"Looks like the guys are appreciating our ceiling too." Cedric chimed in. It was true many of the Durmstrang boys looked to the ceiling, intersted in the darkening sky looming over them.

"Filch is having the time of his life..."Tara joked, snide commenting to Ciara. Ciara looked to the staff table and chuckled, the caretaker was putting in some extra chairs. "Love his tailcoat too." Tara added.

Ciara and Tara glanced at each other and laughed.  Ciara was the oldest Hufflepuff girl in sixth year, her birthday falling on the third of September, missing the deadline to join the year ahead of them by two days. She was like the older sister of the lot, always making sure that the others were safe and sound. Tara had not spoken to any of the girls when she had started, she didn't really know how. But Ciara was patient and allowed her to sit in her silence. After they came back for their second year, she was the first to greet her on the train and the first to talk to her after the feast. She was also one of the only people in the school that knew Tara was an orphan.

Ciara always saw something was wrong when Tara was grieving, and so the two became the closest in the dorm.

"Very dapper indeed." Ciara agreed, still laughing.

Once the whole hall was filled, the staff filed in and took their seats. The last to emerge was Professor Dumbledore, Professor Kirkroff and Madame Maxime. When their headmistress walked in, the Beauxbaton students jumped to their feet, in respect. Many of the Hogwarts laughed. Tara and the team looked at their peers, disappointed. The majority of the Huffflepuff students did the same.

"We did that for assembly in primary school." James whispered, "Not that big of a deal."

"It's just respectful." Tara shrugged, frowning at the Great Hall.

"Fair play to them," Sarah sighed, "Not embarrassed to show their loyalties."

The Beauxbaton students were unembarrassed, not sitting back down until their headmistress had taken her seat. Only when she had sat down did they resume their seats. While the other two headmasters sat down, Dumbledore remained standing, and a silence fell.

"Good Evening, ladies and Gentlemen, ghosts and- most particularly- guests," said Dumbledore, beaming down at the newcomers, "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

One Beauxbaton student laughed derisively.

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore. "I now invite you to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home."

He sat down and the dishes in front of them filled with food, as was routine. "Wow, the house elves must've been up all night making this feast!" Cedric said in awe of all the dishes on the table, varieties of food from presumably the other schools' countries.