for the dancing and the dreaming

chapter 1 - i'll swim and sail on savage seas

Harry jostled for a spot at the front of the crowd, pushing and jumping to get a better view over the heads of the Crabbe and Goyle, who'd bullied their way to the front. But the crowd only grew bigger and by then it was impossible to cross the sea of witches and wizards. A bit disappointed, Harry gave up and settled for where he already stood. 

I guess being the Boy Who Lived doesn't help you when it comes to other wizarding schools, he thought. 

Hermione stood by his side, her face alight with excitement as she nudged his arm a bit too forcefully.

"Who do you think is going to come first? Beauxbatons or Durmstrang?" She yelled over the noise of agitated students.

"Who and who?" Ron mumbled as he crossed his arms, his face shut in a slight pout. The Weasley was the least enthusiastic of the crowd.
 

"Beauxbatons or Durmstrang." Hermione repeated indignantly. "The two other wizarding schools. According to Magical Schools of Europe, Beauxbatons is French, but Durmstrang is notoriously secretive-"

"Okay, okay." Ron cut her off. "We get i-" Ron cut her off, knowing if he didn't she might have never stopped. Before he had a chance to complete his sentence, his voice was drowned out by a low roar, causing Harry to spin around. 

Everyone was craning their heads up at the sky. Despite his initial disorientation with the sudden sound, Harry followed their lead, seeing a large carriage descending from the clouds. It was pulled by large horses that were slowly growing larger as they came closer to the ground.

Students pushed each other to get a better view, chatting among themselves. Like Harry, most of them had never seen wizards from other schools before.

The carriage touched down with rehearsed grace, and from inside came a student that quickly held the door open. From the doorway, a massive figure loomed. The only person Harry could conjure that was taller than the woman now approaching Dumbledore was Hagrid. 

The students broke in applause prompted by Dumbledore. They stood on their toes, trying to get a better view of the Beauxbatons headmaster. She extended one hand once she reached Dumbledore, and he leaned down to kiss it.

"My dearest Madame Maxime. Welcome to Hogwarts." He said once he had straightened up.

"Dumbledore. I hope I find you well?" Madame Maxime's voice was deep and echoed throughout the courtyard, her French accent thick.

"In excellent form, thank you." Dumbledore nodded.

Madame Maxime gestured behind her, to the blue-robed students peering with wide eyes from inside the carriage. "My pupils."

There were roughly a dozen teens behind her. They looked around seventeen to eighteen, and were shivering from the cold. They were obviously not used to the weather, as their robes were fine and silky. They all looked at the students and the castle anxiously.

"Has Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime spoke again.

"Who's Karkaroff?" Ron hissed.

Hermione whispered back, not taking her eyes off of Madame Maxime. "He's the headmaster of Durmstrang."

They watched with wide eyes as the headmasters conversed easily, Madame Maxime inquiring about her horses, and Dumbledore reassuring her that Hagrid would take good care of them.

Then Madame Maxime was ascending the stairs to the castle doors, her students following her in an elegant swish of robes.

Seamus Finnigan nudged me and Ron. "How big d'you reckon Durmstrang's horses are going to be?"

"If they're any bigger than this lot's, even Hagrid won't be able to handle them." Harry responded. "That's if he hasn't been attacked by skrewts. Wonder what's up with them?"

"Maybe they've escaped." Ron piped up hopefully.

"Don't say that." Hermione shuddered. "You don't want those lot loose on the grounds. Can you imagine?"

They fell silent, and Harry wrapped his coat tighter around myself, the cold biting at his bones. He regretted not wearing a thicker jacket, and by the looks of it, so did everyone around him.

After a few minutes of silence and shifting feet, Ron nudged him. "Can you hear something?"

Sure enough, Lee Jordan broke the silence, pointing. "The lake! Look at the lake!"

It seemed the Durmstrang students had arrived.