Redamancy (d.m)

Chapter twenty eight- the reunion

"And I just worry for him, 'Mione, he's not taking this seriously enough, he doesn't get how brutal it can be, but I don't want him to think I'm unsupportive of him either " I rambled on as I walked with my best friend the day of the arrival of the magical schools.
"(Y/n), I know it's difficult but at the end of the day it's his choice and I know it'd make him so happy to see you cheering him on rather than fussing about him"
" I hate that you're always right" I sighed, and Hermione smiled, looping an arm in mine as we entered the lavishly decorated great hall, joining Ron and Harry at the Gryffindor table. I caught Cedric's gaze from his table and shot him a smile, which he returned.

"How d'you reckon they're coming? The train?" Ron said as the entire hogwarts population made their way outside, waiting expectantly
"My friends always refused to tell me how they travel" I said, "guess it's just deep rooted school rivalry, I don't tell them about the hogwarts express or our carriages"
"Maybe broomsticks?" Harry guessed, "or a portkey?"
"Well whatever it is, I hope it's quick-I miss my friends and it's freezing out here" and as if hearing my complaints, hundreds of small forms appeared in the sky, steadily drawing closer and closer.

A looming baby blue carriage pulled by dozens of winged horses landed onto the ground with a loud crash. A black heel poked out of the door, revealing the large headmaster my friends had told me about. Her neat black hair complements her olive skin, and she spoke in a deep, accented voice when greeting Professor Dumbledore

"My pupils" she introduced, waving her hand towards the carriage door, where a steady stream of girls and boys were exiting onto the stone ground.

"(Y/N)!" i heard a bright voice from the center of the blue coloured crowd
"Sadie!" I screamed, running to hug the bubbly girl who I had met when we were five, "you got so tall!"
She giggled, standing in her tiptoes to accentuate our height difference
"Your school's so pretty" she gushed, her french accent prominent in her words, "and is it true that Harry Potter goes here?"
"Yeah, he's actually one of my best friends" I said, pointing him out, and she gasped
"No way, (y/n), that's so cool-he's so cool!"
"You wanna meet him?" I offered, amused as she nodded enthusiastically, "Oi! Harry! Get your dumbass over here!"

He made his way towards me, brow raised in curiosity

"Sadie, this is my friend, Harry" I said, as he swung an arm around me playfully, "Harry, meet Sadie, the sweetest soul on this earth"

Sadie blushed at the compliment, but not as hard as when Harry greeted her kindly before returning to the gaggle of hogwarts students.

"The lake!" cried Lee Jordan, interrupting our conversation, "Look at the lake!"

A large ship was emerging from the murky green waters, sending waves in motion with its arrival. From it, a large number of strongly built boys were disembarking, all dressed in heavy, woollen clothing, accompanied by their lean, white haired headmaster

"Where's Eli?" Sadie wondered aloud, searching for the third part of our childhood friend group, "there he is!"

Elian Dobromir had light warm skin and chocolate-brown hair that fell slightly in his face when he walked. He smiled at me and Sadie, revealing two rows of white teeth.

"(Y/n)!" He said with a deep voice, "my god you look so different!"
"Hey aren't you forgetting something?" Sadie joked, and hugged him
"I could never forget you, Sadie" he chuckled, and three of us chatted animatedly before heading into the great hall, where I rejoined Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

"I don't believe it" Ron said as I sat down with them at the table, "It's Krum, Victor Krum!"
"For heavens sake, Ron, he's only a quidditch player" Hermione huffed, and I nodded in agreement
"Only a quidditch player?" Ron said in disbelief, "He's one of the best seekers in the world!"
"Ah-Young love" I mused, and Harry and Hermione laughed, while Ron crossed his arms. A group of frantic sixth year girls passed,
"Oh I don't believe it-I haven't got a single quill on me!"
"Do you think he'll sign my hat in lipstick?"
"Really" Hermione commented disapprovingly
"Pathetic" I added.

To Ron's dismay, Krum took a seat at the Slytherin table, next to Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, and Eli, who I assumed was friends with Krum.

"Oh my" Hermione gushed, following my gaze, "who is that"
"His name's Elian, he's a friend" I informed her, waving back at him when he caught my gaze, "he's nice, though he has the attitude of a hormonal teenage girl with deep rooted daddy issues"
"So...you?" Ron joked, and Hermione hit him over the head. Eli blew me a kiss dramatically, and I rolled my eyes before miming catching the kiss in my fist, then sticking up my middle finger at him., and he laughed. Beside him, I noticed Krum elbow Eli, and say something incoherent to him before both boys' eyes shot to me. I looked away, not wanting to be seen as eavesdropping. When the entire staff had settled into their seats, Professor Dumbledore started his speech

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and most particularly guests," said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable. The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast. I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

The usual array of delicious steaming dishes appeared, along with a couple foreign dishes that I eyed warily. I turned my head when I heard Sadie's sweet voice call from the Slytherin table, where she was sat next to Eli, both of them beckoning me over. I looked back at Harry, Hermione, and Ron

"Do you mind..." I asked, "I haven't seen them in forever"

They nodded simultaneously, and I quickly got up and rushed over to Sadie and Eli, who made room for me in between them.

"What the fuck is that, Sadie" I scrunched up my nose at the dark red mushy liquid my friend was ladling generously into her bowl, "smells like several venereal diseases"
Eli choked on his water, still laughing as I handed him a napkin and he cleaned up the spilt water.
"You have a very interesting sense of humour" Victor Krum spoke from beside Eli
"Thank you?" I said, unsure of how to respond
" I am Viktor Krum" he said, extending his hand friendly
"Oh you don't want to be making friends with her" a familiar cold voice sneered, "she's a pathetic blood traitor"
"Blood status does not matter to me" Krum replied calmly as I shook his hand, "but don't go telling my classmates, unfortunately they do not have the same views"
Malfoy scoffed, shooting me a glare before returning to his food, talking with Blaise.
My opinion of Viktor improved immensely as the feast carried on, when you look past his cold demeanour, he had a pleasant personality.
"Oh, (y/n), you wanna explain why I caught you and your friend gossiping about me?" Eli teased, and I rolled my eyes
"We weren't gossiping, my friend-name's Hermione-thinks you're hot, and I was merely explaining that you're an egotistical man-child" I smiled sweetly at him.
"You didn't disagree though" Eli said
"Because she wasn't wrong" I admitted, then added, not wanting to inflate his ego, "I was just demonstrating that the negatives greatly outweigh the positives"
"I'm just gonna pretend I didn't hear that last part"

"She's a veela!" Blaise exclaimed, ogling a Beauxbatons student sitting at the Slytherin table
"Only a quarter" I said, "her name's Grace, we had dance lessons together"
"Could you introduce me?" Blaise asked, leaning forward eagerly
"Gracie!" I called, and she turned around, her golden blonde hair whipping in the air
"Hi (y/n)!" She said sweetly, "How's Bella?"
"She's good" I replied, "I wanted you to meet someone, this is Blaise Zabini"

Her lips parted slightly as she looked at Blaise, who, for the first time, looked flustered.

"Stab me with an arrow and call me Cupid" I said proudly, watching the two lovebirds interact.
"She is part Veela" Eli said, "flirting is in her blood"
"They don't make them like that at Hogwarts" Crabbe said in between mouthfuls of food, and I placed a hand in my chest in mock-hurt
"They make them alright at Hogwarts" we all turned to the unexpected voice that had stayed out of the general conversation during dinner.

His stone grey eyes wandered up and down my body before realising the many pairs of surprised eyes staring at him. I tried to focus my attention back to the conversation, but out of the corner of my eye, Malfoy's stayed glued to me, wordlessly asking me to look back. I refused to oblige. The food soon cleared from the golden plates, and the headmaster stood up, commanding silence with his presence