Graciela Dursley: Harry Potter Cousin Fanfic

Special Announcement

Graciela's POV

The train ride was fun. I spent it with Micheal, Luna and Ginny. Micheal told us about two other magical schools. Called Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Beauxbatons sounds nice, but Durmstrang has a strong emphasis on dark arts. Apparently Draco's father wanted to send Draco to Durmstrang, but Mrs Malfoy refused. So they sent him to Hogwarts, where they both studied.

Anyway when we arrived in Hogsmeade, I rode in the carriage with Harry and his friends. We then sat at the Gryffindor table. "Good evening" Dumbledore says in greeting.

"Says who?" Harry grumbles tipping water out of his sneakers. I at least used a water repeling charm before we left the carriage. Collin Creevey joins us and tells us how his brother is starting here this year. Which is great and unusual, as they are both muggle borns. But he's really excited.

I look at the staff table and frown in confusion. "Where's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" I ask the others.

"Maybe they couldn't get anyone" Hermione says looking anxious. Just then Professor McGonagall appears with the first years. She placed the stole down and hat on top. The sorting hat begins to sing a new song.

"A thousand years or more ago, When I was newly sewn, There lived four wizards of renown, Whose names are still well known:
　　Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor, Fair Ravenclaw, from glen, Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad, Shrewd Slytherin, from fin.
　　They shared a wish, a hope, a dream, They hatched a daring plan To educate young sorcerers Thus Hogwarts School began.
　　Now each of these four founders Formed their own house, for each Did value different virtues In the ones they had to teach.
　　By Gryffindor, the bravest were Prized far beyond the rest; For Ravenclaw, the cleverest Would always be the best; For Hufflepuff, hard workers were Most worthy of admission; And power-hungry Slytherin Loved those of great ambition.
　　While still alive they did divide Their favorites from the throng, Yet how to pick the worthy ones When they were dead and gone?
　　'Twas Gryffindor who found the way, He whipped me off his head The founders put some brains in me So I could choose instead!
　　Now slip me snug about your ears, I've never yet been wrong, I'll have a look inside your mind And tell where you belong" he sings. We all applauded and the sorting ceremony began. Collin's brother was placed into Gryffindor. Soon it ends and Professor Dumbledore gets to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his arms opened wide in welcome.

"I have only two words to say to you, tuck in" he says and the feast began. Hermione stopped half way through when Nearly Headless Nick told us the food is made by house elves. Don't know why she's so upset, I'm sure the elves are treated better here then Dobby was at the Malfoys. But she still called it slave labor and refused to even ate her favourite dessert Treacle tart.

"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year" Dumbledore announces. We all look at him speechless.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts..." Suddenly a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. Cutting his speech short.

We all look at the entrance. A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. He's suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table. A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step.

The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbledore shook it. Dumbledore then gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side.""May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Moody" he says brightly. Moody? As in Mad-eye Moody? The best auror in the world?

"As I was saying, we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year" he announces.

"You're joking?!" Fred shouts. Dumbledore goes to tell us a joke he heard over the summer. But McGonagall stopped him and he got back to the announcement.

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities -until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued" he explains.

"Death tool?" Hermione and I say together.

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament, none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger. The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money" Dumbledore explains.

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts. Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older - will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hog-warts champion. I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen" he tells us.

"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!" he finishes. We all return to our common rooms calling it a night.

A/N

Picture above of Dumbledore and on the external link of Professor Mad-eye Moody.