The Marauders and the Triwizard Tournament

The Marauders and the Triwizard Tournament

By Naycit and Celena Lupin

Chapter Four: The French and the Russian.

"What?! And you're telling me this now? What the hell is wrong with you, Beckham? What kind of captain are you?!"

"Sorry, James, it only slipped my mind," Raphael Beckham replied nonchalantly. "We're heading downstairs right now, and we need you."

"You've been planning this all along, and I'm been informed now? What am I supposed to do?"

"It's simple, you only have to fly and make a few flips. What's so difficult to understand?"

"I'm going to murder you!"

"Yeah, but before you do that, we need you down. Are you coming or not?"

"Yes, but mark my words, I'll murder you!"

Raphael rolled his eyes at him and shook his head. James darted to the boys' dorm and retrieved his broomstick, and then followed the Gryffindor Quidditch Team captain to Merlin-knows-where. His friends raised their eyebrows, confused.

"What the hell was that about?" Remus asked.

"No idea," Sirius replied. "James wasn't happy at all."

"Nope," Peter added with a grin. "Watch out now, here comes..."

"Evans!" Sirius greeted. "Nice of you to join us."

"What the devil was Potter yelling about?" Lily demanded as she approached the group.

"What, did he interfere with your studying or something?" Sirius teased.

"No, but it's against the rules to shout in the Common Room!" she hissed.

"Oh, we apologize in his place, Evans," Remus said, grinning, "but we know as much as you do about it."

"He'll have to hear me this time," she snapped and then left. The remaining Marauders sighed.

"Evans overexerts too much over James, don't you think?" Peter asked.

"She overexerts herself for everything, Wormtail," Remus replied with a shrug.

"So, Gobstones, anyone?" Sirius suggested. Remus and Peter nodded and sat beside Sirius.

After an hour or so had passed, the three friends decided that it was time to go downstairs to receive the delegations of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. They entered the Great Hall; the announcement said that all students were going to be given instructions by the Heads of House before the arrival. The Gryffindors were gathering closest to the door. Their Head of House, Minerva McGonagall, was muttering instructions and scolding some of the students here and there. The Marauders queued behind the Gryffindor fifth years and then they all followed McGonagall out into the Hogwarts grounds. James was still nowhere to be seen.

"I wonder what the team's up to," Peter wondered out loud as they walked across the lawn in direction to the lake. Remus and Sirius simply shrugged. The night was quite clear, and the moon was shining bright, though it wasn't full yet. Remus eyed it apprehensively anyway, and Sirius put a hand on his shoulder in a comforting sort of way.

"What are we exactly waiting for?" he asked after a few seconds. For the looks, and sounds of it, everybody was wondering exactly the same thing.

"Look!" a second-year Hufflepuff shouted suddenly. Everyone turned their heads to him, and then at the sky, to where his finger was pointing. Mutters aroused immediately.

"What on earth is that?" Sirius wondered aloud.

"It's big!" Peter's eyes went wide. "You don't think it's a dragon or something scary, do you?" he whispered apprehensively.

"Wormtail, don't be stupid," Sirius said with a mocking grin. "Of course it's not a dragon."

"It looks like a flying house to me. Wouldn't you agree?" Remus said.

"Nope, a flying carriage more likely," Sirius replied as said carriage came closer to view. "Look! Those are flying horses."

And true enough, six gigantic winged horses were pulling the carriage. They were golden with pearly white hair and tails, and the size of an elephant. The ground shook as the six beasts landed, and several students nearly fell over when the carriage hit the ground with a very loud thump.

Sirius, as well as several others, peered at the sky-blue coloured device. What appeared to be a coat of arms, depicting two crossed wands with three stars coming out of each, was beautifully painted on the door. A tiny being, which was almost certainly a house-elf, jumped out of nowhere, and with a snap of its fingers, the door fell open and a silver staircase came out all the way down to the floor.

Everybody stood on their tiptoes, eager to see what was going to happen next. A general gasp disturbed the silence of the night when a young woman, and not just any woman, stepped on the doorframe. As she walked down the stairs, the astonishment grew. The woman was enormous, almost as tall as the gamekeeper's apprentice, Hagrid. But she was rather good-looking and elegant to their eyes.

"You think she's of the same family as Hagrid?" Peter asked.

"More of the same specie," Sirius said, his eyes still very wide.

"Padfoot, that was mean," Remus scolded.

"Remus, have you ever seen a woman that big?"

Dumbledore approached the woman and kissed her hand, for which he didn't even need to bend. The students remained silent without anyone needed to ask them to. They were too astounded to speak.

"Welcome, Mademoiselle Maxime, to Hogwarts," Dumbledore told the young woman. "I hope your journey was as good as expected."

"Oui, merci, Professeur Dumbly-dorr. It was very nice," she replied with a strong French accent. "My students," she finished, motioning towards a group of young ladies behind her. They were wearing robes in bright blue, made with a very thin material, probably French silk.

"Excellent," Dumbledore said. "Would you like to enter, Mademoiselle? Professor McGonagall here will show you the way." The Gryffindor Head or House approached hesitantly and beckoned Mademoiselle Maxime to follow her.

"This way," she said nervously.

"Merci, Professeur McGonagall, but ze 'orses, Dumbly-dorr--"

"Not to worry," Dumbledore politely interrupted, "our game-keepers shall take care of them."

"Ah, but Dumbly-dorr? Zis 'orses are very strong."

"I'm sure that they will be able to handle them, Mademoiselle Maxime."

"Très bien...so please tell your...er...game-keepers zat zis 'orses only drink single-malt whiskey."

After Dumbledore bowed his assent, Mademoiselle Maxime turned to her students and said in a commanding voice, "Allons." The students nodded and followed their Headmistress and Professor McGonagall into the Castle.

"Now what?" Sirius muttered, his eyes fixed on the French girls elegant trotting.

"I expect we will wait until the Durmstrang delegation turns up," Remus said, shaking his head at his friend's facial expression.

"How d'you think they will be coming?" Peter asked.

"No idea," Sirius said, "but if their horses are bigger than these, I don't think Ogg and Hagrid together will be able to handle them."

"And to all this, where the hell is James? He was so eager to meet the delegations for the Tournament."

"Who knows, Padfoot," Remus replied with a shrug. "I haven't seen any of the team members around, now that you mention it."

"Watch out!" somebody shouted all of a sudden. Everybody looked to the sky again, expecting to see another carriage flying in their direction. But then someone else yelled, "Look! The lake!"

All pairs of eyes left the sky and focused on the Hogwarts Lake. The water was stirring, like if it was boiling. But then, they saw something emerge, like a long wooden... mast?

Indeed, it was, for then followed the sails, the numerous ropes; an old-fashioned ship emerged in all its greatness from the lake and sailed imposingly towards the shore. A couple of persons let a long wooden ramp descend from the side towards the ground. And then, a tall silhouette appeared on the edge of the ship. With long steps, it walked all the way down. Behind him, a dozen shorter young men were following. As they approached, they removed their thick cloaks, revealing slim, crouched figures.

Dumbledore approached the tall man on the front and shook hands with him.

"My estimated Professor O'Doherty," he greeted, "I'm glad you finally came."

"Thank you, Dumbledore," he replied. The Marauders exchanged bemused looks.

"Doesn't sound foreigner, does he?" Sirius commented. Remus and Peter shook their heads.

"Do you think Durmstrang's in Ireland?" Peter questioned.

"Don't think so," Remus said. "Alice Cole's family lives in Ireland. They wouldn't send her here if there was another Wizarding school closer to their home, would they?"

"Would you like to enter, Dimitri? Professor Flitwick here will show you the way. We'll be with you shortly."

"Certainly, Dumbledore. Follow me," he told his students. With a brisk pace, they followed tiny Professor Flitwick into the castle.

"Alright, you lot," Dumbledore told the Hogwarts students, "in you go, and don't push anyone. We have a lovely surprise for you all."

Intrigued, the Marauders followed the long queue of students back into the castle and then into the Great Hall. To their surprise, the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang delegations were nowhere to be seen. The only ones were the headmasters, Mademoiselle Maxime and Professor O'Doherty, who where already seated in the Head Table along with the other Professors.

"Are they having dinner somewhere else?" Peter asked. Remus and Sirius shrugged again. They went to their usual places in the middle of the Gryffindor table. Sirius saved a place for James between him and Remus. He wasn't going to let him sit between him and Lily, was he?

"Where the hell is James?" he wondered again. But before either of his friends could reply, Dumbledore stood up at the Head Table and asked for silence.

"I want to thank you all for your exemplar behaviour out there. It left our name as clean as I would expect. Now, before proceeding to our excellent feast, I will ask your politeness once more. Now, let's give a formal welcome to the lovely ladies of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic!"

As he said that, the Great Hall's doors opened to reveal the girls. Music began to play, a waltz, and the girls began to dance delicately as they set out towards the front. Several boys gaped as the girls passed them by, sometimes brushing their arms with their silk, swishy skirts. The girls, on the other hand, scowled but made no comment whatsoever.

When the Beauxbatons students reached the front, they took something from their robes' pockets and let them go with a swift hand motion. Several gaily-coloured butterflies came out of their hands and flew away to the ceiling and disappeared after a while. The boys clapped loudly when they bowed while the girls contented themselves with a polite, unenthusiastic clapping.

"Thank you, ladies," Dumbledore said with a grin as they joined the Hufflepuff table. "And now, if you please, let's welcome the proud sons of Durmstrang!"

The Great Hall's doors opened again to reveal the boys in dark-red robes. They were all carrying some sort of stick that threw sparks from the edges. They entered and began to do amazing acrobatics with and without the sticks, and to finish, they gave a simple, but delightful all the same, show with fire. A dragon-shaped flame flew over the students' heads before disappearing in a burst of smoke.

This time boys and girls alike clapped cheerfully. The Durmstrang students bowed and took their seats in Slytherin table. Everybody turned to their plates, ready to tuck in, but then Dumbledore stood once more.

"Thank you Durmstrang and Beauxbatons! And now, as a special treat for our guests, we have also prepared a modest presentation with our most artistic and talented students. Please welcome your fellow students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

Remus, Sirius, and Peter looked at each other, amazed. Then they turned their heads as the Great Hall's doors opened for the third time. A soft music began to play, but not like the Beuxbatons girls' gay tune. It had a strange sound, somehow like the bagpipes, which annoyed several of the boys. But then, any irritation they might have felt vanished as they saw several fifth and fourth year girls enter the Great Hall, dancing sensuously. They were covered in a mini-top made of thin material, all of them in light orange. On the lower part of their slim bodies, they had a long skirt made of the same thin material, which left their legs to be viewed... or guessed, more like. On their face, they carried a veil that covered everything except their eyes, which were heavily painted.

Some of the boys wolf-whistled as the girls began to belly-dance, moving slowly towards the Head Table. And then, as they reached the front, the music changed abruptly, the girls removed their long skirts to reveal a shorter one beneath, and they removed the veils from their faces in a swift movement. The music changed to something more pop, and they began to dance the cheer-leader style, jumping, tossing, and clapping while chanting merrily. They conjured some flaming batons and began to toss them. At last, they formed two lines and pointed their batons to the ceiling, flames erupting like fireworks from the tips. The students had begun to clap already, but then the doors opened for the fourth time as soon as a heavier music began to play, and nine blurs, in scarlet, blue, yellow, and green came in, zooming speedily through the air.

The best Quidditch stars of Hogwarts flew in and around the Great Hall. The Gryffindor star Chasers, James and Raphael, and the Ravenclaw one, Geoffrey Conner, flew in the Hawkshead Attacking Formation, James in the centre. Then, Raphael and Geoffrey flew to the sides, leaving James alone in the middle of the Great Hall. He directed his broom towards the ceiling and, gripping it with his hands only, he dismounted and his body began to circle the broom, his hands gliding but not letting go. The female occupants of the Great Hall cheered. All except one, that is.

On the other side, the Ravenclaw and Slytherin Seekers were standing on their brooms, "surfing" around the Great Hall, jumping backwards from time to time, and falling on the edge of the broomstick in the last instant. A bit ahead were the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor female Seekers, standing on their broomsticks as well, but on their hands instead of their feet. They jumped and let their bodies fall down just to grab the end of the Slytherin Chasers' broomsticks, which hovered beneath them.

After their acrobatics, all the players landed neatly in the front, beside the dancing girls, and they all bowed with a huge grin. The Great Hall erupted in applause, the Marauders clapping and shouting more noisily than anyone.

"Way to go, James!" they were shouting. Lily, who was applauding politely scowled at them. Sirius laughed heartily. It was no secret how much she disliked Quidditch, and that was nothing compared to how much she despised James showing off. But she had to admit it. The boy had talent.

"And now--" Dumbledore had stood again as the Quidditch players and the dancing girls dashed towards their respective tables. The Great Hall quieted slowly. "--tuck in!"

"Hear, hear!" James and Sirius said as the plates in front of them filled with the delicious Hogwarts cuisine.

Strange dishes were served, definitely foreign, French and Russian no doubt, and... something that looked English. No one was sure if it was eatable, so they left it alone. Once the golden plates had been basically licked clean, especially by Sirius and James, Dumbledore stood up to an excited but tense room. "The moment has come," he stated, smiling around at the expectant faces of students. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket."

"The what?" Peter asked, raising an eyebrow at his Headmaster. Everyone around him shrugged, still staring at the long-bearded man.

"A few members of the Ministry of Magic will be joining me, Professor O'Doherty, and Mademoiselle Maxime on the panel which will judge the champions' efforts." At the mention of the word 'champions', the students edged a little closer. "Mr. Filch, the casket if you please," Dumbledore said with a smile.

The caretaker sniffed and walked forward, holding a great wooden chest, with jewels incrusted on the top.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have been carefully written out and discussed over. "As you know, three champions compete in the Tournament, one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks, and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by this impartial judge... the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore took out his wand and tapped three times upon the chest. It slowly melted away and revealed a large wooden cup. It would have been classed as boring if it were not for the blue flames coming out of it.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champions must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the Goblet. You only have twenty-four hours to do so. Tomorrow night, the Goblet will return the names of the three it has judged worthiest to represent their schools. The Goblet will be placed in the Entrance Hall tonight," he finished as he walked back to his chair.

"I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the Entrance Hall, in case any underage student is tempted," he continued. "Nobody under the age of sixteen will able to cross this line, and with a small modification of my own, only those who have been deemed eligible by your Heads of House will be able to pass." Several students growled, earning a benign smile from the Headmaster. "Any of you wishing to compete should know that this Tournament is not to be entered lightly." His voice turned to a sterner tune. "Once the Goblet of Fire has selected a champion, he or she is obliged to see the Tournament through to the end. By placing your name into the Goblet, you are therefore bind into a magical contract. Please make very sure that you are whole-heartedly prepared to play. Although all security measures have been taken, some may still encounter life-threatening dangers ahead. This is why we choose only a few to submit their names. I hope the younger ones also understand that although they cannot compete, the support they show towards the champion will aid Hogwarts union and perhaps the victory. The champion's achievements are as good as yours, for we all form a community."

The Great Hall was silent, the students looking at each other and then back at Dumbledore.

"Now, I think it's time for bed. Goodnight to you all."