Sweet as Poison

Ships A'sailing

In the next morning, the Gryffindor common room was a mess.

Albus rubbed his eyes, still half asleep, looking to his side as a second-year pushed him away as they ran down the stairs. As he approached the fire, he saw Aberforth talking excitedly with some of his friends, and everyone around seemed extremely excited for something. Albus approached the little group, beginning to do his hair into a long braid so it wouldn't become an even worst mess.

"Abe? What is happening?" he asked as he approached, and his brother and his friends looked up, one of them letting out a small laugh at the question, making Albus furrow his eyebrows.

"Brother, haven't you heard?" Abe asked excited, standing up and being followed by the rest of the group. "It isn't possible, you are always the first one to know about these things. You are a prefect!"

"I haven't heard of anything; besides you know I did not show up in the last prefect meeting. I was working for our mother" he said, furrowing his eyebrows even further. "What is happening Aberforth? Why is everyone so excited?"

"Albus... the Triwizard Tournament is this year" Abe's best friend said, tilting her head and smirking. "And, you know, they are accepting over five years this time"

"damn it" another boy said, shaking his head. "I hate being fourth year..."

"The... Triwizard Tournament?" Albus asked, his eyes widening, something burning inside his body. Was it...? "Are you sure? Oh, I should have known, we had one in my second year... oh... I really have been distracted, haven't I?"

"Yes, you have brother" Aberforth chuckled and tapped his shoulder affectionally. "Its fine honestly. I know how your tests are making you go crazy. That's the bad part of being an excellent student" he winked, and Albus smiled lightly.

"Also, the other schools arrive today" a girl added, and Albus looked at her. "Durmstrang and Beauxbatons! I've heard they have a little show for when they arrive. I'm so excited! I was going to be sent to Beauxbatons before my parents decided to come to England"

"All I know is that Durmstrang has a horrible reputation" a boy commented, shrugging. "Like, their students hurt each other, they learn curses and practice on other students... I wouldn't recommend staying close to anyone from there"

"Nah, it's probably just a bunch of talk to leave us scarred. I bet they are all very nice" Aberforth interrupted, before turning to Albus and leaving his friends to discuss about it. "Are you excited?"

"I... I am curious" Albus admitted, tilting his head. "I wouldn't say excited. Those tournaments are very... dangerous."

"So, you are not going to put your name in the goblet?" Aberforth asked, eyes wide, and Albus looked back at him, confused.

"Why did you ever think I would?"

"Well, you are always complaining how Hogwarts isn't a true challenge for your skills... and you are a very strong wizard. I just thought you would, just for the fun of it" he shrugged and smiled. "Besides, you're the only one in Hogwarts that has a chance of winning..."

"I... That's not true Abe, there are many people that would probably win if they volunteered" Albus frowned, and Abe shrugged, smirking at his brother. "Unlike you believe, I am not the best student in the school"

"Not what other people say, but sure" he shrugged. "I just wanted to see Hogwarts win. Specially if it was Gryffindor. Specially my brother. I would love to see my brother win the tournament. But whatever"

And just like that, he walked away, leaving Albus alone in the middle of the messy and filled up common room to think about what he had just heard.

Indeed, it would be a good test of his skills... and if he was a powerful as everyone thought, as he felt, he would win the tournament with no problem. Once again, something lit up inside him, and his head wondered back to the discussion he had last night with himself.

Maybe that was the universe talking, offering him a chance of something great.

Slowly, he turned back towards the stairs to go to his room and get changed from his sleep robes, letting his head wonder over the possibility.

Yes... perhaps putting his name in the goblet wouldn't be... so bad.

He was a sixth year, there wasn't much more he needed to learn, and he was powerful. He was intelligent. And he was brave. Yes. The tournament was made perfectly for someone like him.

Mindlessly grinning, he rushed to his room, with a new excitement in his heart, burning bright.

Maybe he couldn't fly free, but he could simulate it inside the castle, in a controlled environment.

Yes. He would do just that. He would compete for Hogwarts in the Triwizard Tournament.

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"Grindewald, come closer child"

Gellert looked up from his book and stared at the principal, slowly standing up and closing the pages to accompany the man out of the main body of the ship. The other students were all talking between themselves, playing games or doing jinxes and hexes. Gellert had no time for such foolishness. He followed the principal to the deck, looking around at the water surrounding the ship, protected by a barrier of expert spells.

"Are we close?" he asked, the curiosity in his voice making the old wizard smirk and chuckle quietly.

"Yes, we are arriving. That was why I called you. Didn't you request to see our arrival?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, and Gellert grinned, a spark in his face as he approached the edge of the deck, looking around at the dark waters around them. Hogwarts. One of the biggest schools of all time. How long had him wondered how its floors felt beneath someone's feet. The power of four of the biggest wizards of the world surrounding the castle. His heart was racing with excitement. "Are you enjoying yourself, Gellert?"

"You have no idea, professor" he whispered, just as the ship made its rising motion, and he held tight onto the wood, laughing to himself as the water broke away around them to give place to the air above the surface. And as the ship turned back to its horizontal position, Gellert let go from the support and walked forward, jumping over the edge and holding onto the ropes, feeling the air hitting his skin and messing up his hair.

Far away, but closer than ever, Hogwarts stood in all its glory, and Gellert breathed in its fantastic air, chest filling up with a burning sensation. His destiny, he knew, was in there somewhere.

He had seen it before, in his visons. He had seen the castle, its corridors, the lake and piercing blue eyes that followed him everywhere behind a pair of glasses and long, soft red hairs.

Whoever his dreams were showing to him, they were inside the castle, awaiting.

And Gellert was ready to face this new challenge.

Hogwarts.

The Triwizard Tournament.

And whoever was waiting for his arrival.