His Greatest Challenge

All the students filed into a massive dining area. The students from Hogwarts sat on four long tables that were placed there. The students from Beauxbatons took seats at the second farthest table from them.

Viktor was about to lead his classmates to the table at the far side of the room, the table where the girl with the bushy brown hair sat, but Karkaroff instructed them to sit at the table that was second closest to them. Viktor did as he was told and took a seat so that had a clear view of the girl with bushy brown hair.

A boy with a pale pointed face and platinum blonde hair leaned forward. "Malfoy. Draco Malfoy," Viktor grunted a hello. "I saw you at the Quidditch World Cup, brilliant bit of flying." Viktor nodded and looked past Draco.

The girl with the bushy brown hair was sitting next to a rather skinny boy and a boy with hair so red he could have seen it from outer space. The boy with red hair said something that made the girl flash a small smile to fill her face.

Viktor and his fellow classmates removed their cloaks and Viktor looked up at the ceiling in awe. The ceiling reflected the sky outside. His eyes fluttered back down to the table and he inspected the golden plates that laid there.

His attention was soon drawn to the High Table where Professor Dumbledore stood. His eyes twinkled as he addressed the students. A girl from Beauxbatons laughed when Dumbledore said he wished his guests were comfortable.

Dumbledore seemed unfazed but Viktor scowled. She had no reason to scoff, he thought as he looked up at the girl with the bushy hair, the ceiling, and back at the girl with the bushy hair. This place is perfect, he thought to himself, absolutely perfect.

Dumbledore stated that the competition would be opened after the feast and offered his school to act as a home for all the foreign students. After he finished speaking, the table was filled with various foods. Viktor grabbed a few things that he had never saw before and began to eat it thoughtfully.

Draco began to speak to Viktor again. "I could be going to Durmstang with you. My father is close with the headmaster." Viktor scowled at Draco. At first he hadn't particularly liked the boy, but now he was filled with extreme dislike. Draco might have gotten the hint because he quickly stopped talking to Viktor.

Viktor heard someone shouting across the hall and looked up. The skinny boy sitting next to the girl with the bushy brown hair was shouting to a gigantic man sidling up to the High Table. Soon after he arrived, two other men took seats by Dumbledore. One Viktor knew -- he was Ludo Bagman, the man who had organized the Quidditch World Cup.

Viktor turned his attention away from the High Table and leaned over to Vlad, who was shoveling food down his throat. "Look over at the table at the far end of the hall." Vlad shook his head. "You see the girl with the bushy hair sitting next to the boy with the red hair?"

Vlad looked at her and then at Viktor. "What?"

Viktor lifted his eyebrow at him. "It's the girl I told you about, the one in the Top Box at the Quidditch World Cup."

"Really?" Vlad asked, straining to get a better look. "She's not glowing," Vlad replied dejectedly.

Viktor rolled his eyes. "Vlad, you take everything far to literally. What I meant was that she looked as if she was glowing when I saw her at the World Cup." Vlad nodded and Viktor's eyes widened with an amazing thought. He turned to Draco, "Are you knowing the name of the girl offer there, sitting by the boy vith the red hair?"

Draco twisted around to see the person Viktor was talking about. "You mean Hermione?" Draco stated with a look of disgust. "Why do you want to know that?"

Viktor shrugged but his mind was reeling. Hermione that is the most beautiful name I have ever heard. He was brought back from his thoughts when Dumbledore began to speak again. He announced that the time had come to bring out the impartial judge.