1| tournaments and hats
Upon inspection, Hogwarts might seem like an ordinary boarding school to the blank eye, a world of acedmics and history, but behind it's walls lived the magical world Amara Rosier had known all her life. As the carriages drew closer, a mix of excitement and dread for the upcoming year came in full blow by all the students. They came to a halt in front of the stone flight of stairs leading up to the great front doors. She wastes no time hopping down and stretching her legs and arms with a small whine at the tension being released.
All thought and intentions had quickly vanished upon the feeling of gagging. She leaned forward, close to spitting up, as she groaned in disgust. Thomas and Theodore Nott, the two mischievous brothers, laughed beside her, howling at themselves. "You're disgusting," with the back of her hand, she wiped the edge of her mouth as Theo wiped his finger against his coat. "Well imagine if a bug flew into that fly trap of yours?" He asked wiggling his finger in front of her teasingly. Her eyes came down to a narrow strip, all signs of laughter leaving as she charged toward him slowly.
"Ah!" Theo shouted, taking a run forward, leaving the two older Slytherin's to themselves as he ran along with the other fourth years. Thomas shook his head with laughter, "You should have seen your face. Quite the look." Amara let her eyes roll in feigned annoyance as she took the lead up the flight of stairs, following Professor McGonagall's instruction to go to the Great Hall. The Great Hall was as splendid as usual, golden plates and goblets gleamed with the hundred of candles above. The House tables were already bustling with chattering students ready for the beginning of the year feast.
"They better hurry with the sorting," Draco Malfoy, a fellow Slytherin, grumbled as he took a seat. Amara looked to him with a polite smile as she took a seat in front of him. She'd known the fourth year boy since he was in diapers, same platinum blonde hair peaking through even then. Their families were close, most of theirs were, resulting in many childhood friends from before their academic career at Hogwarts. Draco was a sharp tongued boy with a flair for the dramatics, he was a button pusher, and unfortunately a bit of a bully. He was closer to Theo, which in turn meant he was close to Thomas and Amara, as well.
Thomas Nott, the boy in all of Amara's childhood memories, was indeed her best friend. The pair had been stuck together since the dawn of time, their birthdays only weeks apart, so literally-since the beginning of their time. The Rosier and Nott family were a close bunch, sharing vacations, careers, private tutors, anything in the books. It wasn't a secret the two were always seen together, it was all they ever knew. Truth be told, they were even promised to wed-of course those were just rumors-but it was hard to not believe in them considering their strict pure-blood status. Amara tried not to dwell much on what the future might bring to her, unfortunately it was already a locked in segment of her life she'd have no control over. As long as Thomas was at her side, she hoped it'd be more manageable.
The Sorting of the new students at Hogwarts took place at the start of every school year and this year wouldn't be any different. Amara always found these a bore, having seen five already prior to this one and that was including her own. "Oh Merlin, when do we start? I'm starving!" Thomas had half-shouted in her ear, hand on her cloak pulling her closer to his side.
The words were no sooner out of his mouth than the doors of the Great Hall opened and silence fell. Professor McGonogall was leading a line of first years up to the top of the Hall. All of them were shivering with a combination of cold and nerves as they filled along the staff table-all but one. A small boy with mousy hair wearing Hargrid's too big moleskin overcoat. His small face peeped through the collar, looking painfully excited. From where Amara sat she didn't spot much other than a small thumbs up he sent to somebody at the Gryffindor table, looking as proud as ever next to the other nervous first years.
The rest of the feast had carried on normally, though she felt as though maybe it had been a bit rushed. When their headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, stood to his feet, silence fell over the Great Hall, "Now that we are fed and watered... I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices."
"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."
"No," Thomas shook his head in disbelief, "Please tell me he's joking Mar. I just bought a new Firebolt!"
Amara couldn't care less about the sport, especially after her second year when she made the team and during a game against Hufflepuff her dear best friend, a Seeker, had ran into her broomstick making it snap in half and tumble downward giving her a concussion. From then on, she only bothered with the game when she was begged to be a spectator.
Professor Dumbledore went on, "This is due to an event 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-"
The sound of thunder was sudden, and the Great Hall doors opening with a bang caught everyone by surprise. A man leaning upon a long staff stood at the entrance. All eyes fell on him, being brightly illuminated by a fork of lightening he wore a black traveling cloak, a long mane of dark hair hiding under his hood as he made his way to the staff table.
The time the stranger approached Dumbledore all they did was mumble a few words, Amara was quick to catch on that he was a new teacher considering he was already making his way over to an empty seat.
"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Said Dumbledore brightly into the silence, "Professor Moody."
The Hall was still stunned in silence, watching the stranger suspiciously.
"As I was saying," Dumbledore's eyes wandered, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event of the coming months, an event that has not been held in over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."
"You're joking!" a Gryffindor, Fred Weasley to be exact, had blurted out what everybody else in the room had been thinking with no surprise. It seemed to ease the tension from Moody's arrival, bringing everybody, even Dumbledore to a laugh.
"The Triwizard Tournament? A death wish isn't it," Theo huffed, speaking over Dumbledore making it hard for Amara to catch on to what he was saying.
"Ah yes! The Triwizard Tournament, well some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving such a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely."
As much of a bore as this might've sounded, Amara had spent some time reading on about some of the older traditions of Hogwarts this summer. The tournament had been one read she remembered clearly, a tournament held between the three magical schools that had been long discontinued since.
"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving shortly with their 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."
"Would you put your name down?" Amara had asked Thomas curiously that night as they left the Hall. He let out a scoff, shaking his head, "Of course not. I feel as though only idiots would, don't you think? Sure, you could have 'eternal glory' but at the price they pay? If what I wanted was glory then maybe I'd consider loosing a few limbs for it."
"I assume you're right but it does seem like something that could possibly be memorable if you participated," she argued the topic.
"How much would be memorable if you died right away?" Theo chuckled as he joined the two, looping his arm with Amara's. Sandwiched between the Nott brothers, she let them drag her away into the dungeons where their common room was located. Everything was the same as every year prior to that, not a frame out of place. Even the spot where her bed lied was the same, her same two roommates to her side as hers sat in the middle. It was going to be another year of the same routine she had grown used to from the age of eleven.
::.
