Magic (5sos/l.h. Hogwarts AU)

Chapter 61

~A/N~ I just analysed an extract from Maria Edgeworth and honestly I've impressed myself lmao (probably won't impress my teacher though)
Enjoy the chapter!
Leila xx

While September and October were very different in terms of mood, they both passed at the pace of a snail. By the time the 30th arrived, I was losing all hope that the other schools would even come after all our hard work cleaning the castle.

The teachers rushed down the corridors in frenzied states, faces pale and arms stiff. Wrinkles were more evident on the foreheads of even the youngest staff members, and I had never seen McGonagall's lips so thin. They would snap at the smallest thing, and doled out detentions with every tiny slip up, but I couldn't blame them. I felt like that too.

But the long-awaited day finally came and once lessons had finished we were escorted to the school gates by Professor McGonagall, all of us chattering quietly but excitedly. Even Luke seemed to be in a better mood that usual, which gave me a slight bit of hope for the future.

(~A/N~ This is how they arrive in the book, in the film it's different but I'm basing my story mainly off the books.)

As we scanned the darkening grounds for either of the parties, however, we were met with nothing.

"Where are they?" Michael whispered to me, but we didn't have to wonder for long as a sixth year shouted in recognition and suddenly all our eyes were cast towards the sky at an unidentifiable object producing a huge dark shadow over the ground.

"It's a dragon!" screamed a first year.

"Don't be stupid, it's a flying horse!" shouted another and I squinted to see what it actually was. The second guess had been closer, for as the light reflecting off the castle windows hit the giant object it revealed itself as a beautiful powder blue chariot pulled by four snowy horses with beautiful billowing wings stretched out wide.

The chariot came to land at a tremendous speed, crashing down worryingly close to us and subsequently sending a gasp of fear rippling throughout the crowd. And out of the door stepped the largest woman I had ever seen.

Even taller than Hagrid, she had feet the size of a child's sledge and beady black eyes poking out from above a beaky nose. Her olive face was framed by a shining bob of dark hair, and I immediately felt in awe.

The audience broke into applause, led by Dumbledore, and as the giant lady went over to talk to him I averted my eyes to the crowd of students, all in their late teens, stepping daintily out of the carriage. Shivering, they watched the castle apprehensively while I marvelled at their powder blue silk robes sweeping over the ground.

"'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" said the giant lady in a deep voice to Dumbledore. Her French accent was thick, but still understandable.

"He should be here any moment, Madame Maxime," Dumbledore said. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or go inside and warm up a trifle?"

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

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will look after them," Dumbledore reassured her.

"D'you think Hagrid will let us help with the horses?!" Calum wondered excitedly, and I shook my head.

"Not a chance. Look at the size of them!"

"Then again, he'll let Calum help with anything," Michael said as the Beauxbatons students darted into the warmth of the castle, as graceful as trained ballerinas, and we were left in the boring cold once again.

After a few minutes of silence, a most eerie sound made its way into my ears. A deep rumble, sort of like a vacuum, was coming from the Black Lake. Someone shouted, and I turned towards the lake, frantically trying to see what was going on, and jumped back in a natural reaction to the sight of the water.