NABC Ch359- Arrived!
Ch359- Arrived!
Ch359- Arrived!
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Following days went by in a blur, and weeks melted into a month. The school buzzed with constant chatter, and everywhere you went, the Triwizard Tournament dominated conversations. Anticipation wasn’t just about the tournament itself; there was also the arrival of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang delegations to look forward to. The notice went up on the common room boards about the upcoming arrivals, sending a fresh ripple of excitement through the students. It wasn’t just Hogwarts pride on the line anymore—there were foreign students coming, and with them, a chance to size up the competition.
By the morning of October 30th, the air was electric. Excitement hummed through the corridors as students bundled up in scarves and cloaks, their chatter louder than usual as they made their way outside. The notice had instructed all students to gather in the snowy garden to welcome the arrivals, and now the entire school was being herded out like a pack of overly eager sheep.
“It’s bloody freezing,” Ron muttered loudly from the Gryffindor group ahead, rubbing his hands together as he trudged through the slushy snow.
“Stop whining, Weasley,” Draco said smoothly from a few steps behind Harry. “You sound like a Muggle who’s just seen frost for the first time.”
Ron whipped around, his ears reddening—not entirely from the cold. “Oh, shove it, Malfoy.”
“Do try to keep it civil, boys,” Hermione chimed in without looking up from the scarf she was adjusting around her neck. “It’s a school event, not a boxing match.”
Harry smirked to himself but stayed quiet. The groups of students eventually clustered together in the garden, each house gravitating toward its own area. Snow coated the ground in uneven patches, and a chill breeze made some of the younger first-years huddle closer to their friends. Above them, the sky was a flat, heavy gray, threatening more snow as they waited.
“Why do these things always have to be so dramatic?” Tracey muttered, standing next to Harry and pulling her cloak tighter. “Couldn’t they just... I don’t know, walk in through the front gates like normal people?”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Pansy replied, grinning. “If we’re going to have a tournament, might as well make it a spectacle.”
“Besides,” Daphne added, brushing a stray snowflake off her sleeve, “it’s tradition. And you know how wizards get about tradition.”
It was a strikingly dramatic entrance, exactly what you would expect from Beauxbatons. Tracey, standing just beside Harry, tilted her head, watching the carriage with narrowed eyes.
“Do you reckon they’re compensating for something?” she asked dryly.
Daphne, arms crossed, gave her a sidelong glance. “If they are, they’re doing a good job of it. Look at that polish—it probably costs more than the entire Gryffindor Tower.”
“Let’s not get too jealous, Daf,” Harry said lightly. “You’ve still got the family manor to fall back on.”
Before Daphne could retort, the carriage landed with a soft thud on the snowy ground, its massive wheels leaving deep impressions in the slush. A collective hush fell over the gathered students as the door of the carriage swung open with a slowness that could only have been intentional. The first figure to step out was tall, broad-shouldered, and so imposing that even Hagrid seemed to shrink slightly as he stepped forward to greet them.
Madame Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons, descended the steps with the kind of grace that seemed impossible for someone of her size. She was dressed in flowing robes of deep lavender, her hair styled in a way that seemed to defy gravity. Behind her, a line of Beauxbatons students began to emerge, their light blue uniforms standing out sharply against the snowy background.
Dumbledore called from the front as he began to walk toward the Beauxbatons carriage, “Mr. Potter, come with me, please. I need your spell.”
Harry gave a brief nod, stepping away from his group. As they approached the carriage, Harry’s attention shifted to the students emerging one by one. Their uniforms were elegant, light blue with silver accents, but they looked more suited for spring gardens than the biting cold of a Scottish winter. Some of the Beauxbatons students were visibly shivering, trying to wrap their cloaks tighter around themselves, though it did little to help.
Harry raised an eyebrow. “You would think they would check the weather before packing,” he muttered under his breath.
Dumbledore gave him a sidelong glance, his lips twitching faintly as though suppressing a smile. “Perhaps they assumed their charm would keep them warm, Mr. Potter.”
“Seems like a poor strategy,” Harry said flatly, pulling out his wand. With a practiced flick, he cast the same warming charm he used earlier. The spell spread quickly, creating an invisible dome of warmth that covered the area around the carriage.
The effect was immediate. The Beauxbatons students stopped shivering, their tense shoulders relaxing as they realized the biting chill was gone. A few of them exchanged curious glances, one girl whispering something in French to a boy beside her.
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