Apples and Snakes

The Goblet of Fire

"Wait, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students are coming tonight?" I asked.

"Yes," Draco replied, looking slightly annoyed.

"Wow, I can't wait," I murmured.

Our classes were cut short, just so we could get ready to meet these foreigners. I kept the same look I always had, except for the layering of bracelets, not that anyone would see them under my lengthy sleeves, so hopefully McGonagall wouldn't freak or anything. I did actually comb my hair through, and put it in a little balled-up ponytail on the back of my head, and made sure I at least looked neat. But I wasn't getting rid of my fingerless gloves or my combat boots for anything.

We had to line up in our common room by year, then by alphabetical order in that year, and Severus had to check us all over to make sure we weren't going to embarrass the school by just standing there. The teachers had already gone over how not to embarrass the school by talking.

"Miss Potter, kindly refrain from mentioning your gifts of graffiti all around the school to anyone at Beauxbatons," Professor McGonagall had said to me after her class.

"Are you going to change your hair to a natural color, or will you leave it in this unnatural state?" Severus asked in his monotone, when he came over to me.

"Leave it the way it is, if it's all the same to you, sir." I said in a sweet voice.

"Don't be surprised if your parents say something to you later. LET'S GO!" Severus flicked his cape, and surged to the front, leading the terrified first-years to the front steps, where we would wait in the cold, for the two schools to arrive. I about screamed when I, at the end of my section of the row, was standing next to that Hufflepuff! I looked firmly straight ahead. I wasn't playing that game.

It was some time before the Beauxbatons carriage descended upon the front lawn. The hugest pegasi I'd ever seen landed, and rolled their heads back, fire in their eyes. A small boy jumped off of the carriage, and set down a stool, and opened the door. Out came a woman the size of a giant. Or, well, more like Hagrid's size, but somewhat taller.

"Madame Maxime." Dumbledore said, as students in powder-blue silk shivered as the spilled onto the lawn.

"Dumbly-dor! Eet 'as been too long." Giantess replied.

"Yes, yes," Dumbledore replied. "Now, would you like to wait out here for Karkoff, or warm up?"

"Warm up," Giantess said, looking at her students. "By ze way, ze 'orses only drink fine ale."

"Hagrid will accommodate them as best he can." Dumbledore assured her. Madame Maxime gave him a look as if she didn't believe that Hagrid could handle the horses, but then led her students into the Great Hall antechamber to get warmed up. The rest of us were shivering waiting for Durmstrang.

That's when a ship came up from the bottom of the Black Lake, an awesome ship, let me tell you. Students in furs were working it, and they set up the docks and everything. The first off of the boat was a man with a toupee hiding a rather weak chin, wearing sleek silver furs.

Mum and Dad were practically snarling at the guy, and I knew immediately who he had to be- some ex-Death Eater that just might hurt the precious Boy Who Lived. Glad that they care so much about him, I thought to myself.

"Karkoff." Dumbledore's voice was strangely calm.

"I hope we can get some wine for Viktor, he's having a bit of a head cold," Karkoff said. Y'know what, I'm calling him Grey Fox. So we've got Gandalf, Giantess, and Grey Fox running this tournament. Ought to be interesting...