A1|GOF| Chapter Three
After the World Cup, Aries still had a bit of time before starting back at school. Lucius informed the three students about the Triwizard Tournament that was happening that year, Aries and Nova planned to enter the tournament.
When arriving at Kings Cross, Nova and Aries excused themselves and went to find a compartment. They found one with the fellow classmates and friends, Cassius Warrington and Adrian Pucey.
"Sup, Cassie, Adrian." Nova said when she and Aries entered.
"Bro, stop calling me Cassie! That is not my name!" Cassius said annoyed.
"But it's funny!"
"No, it's annoying!"
"Anyway... did you two hear about the tournament?" Adrian asked, pausing the bickering.
"Yep. I'm definitely entering." Aries said. "I hope I can enter as well!" Nova said. Cassius and Nova seemed to forget about their bickering and started a talk on the Triwizard Tournament.
"I overheard Lucius say that the ministry is putting an age limit. Only those of age can enter. The tournament starts in October as well." Aries said. Nova groaned in annoyance.
"My birthday isn't till January! You lucky buggar. You have your birthday end of September." Nova said to Aries, he grinned at her.
"I can bring Slytherin the proper glory and for Hogwarts as well. Maybe then people won't be so against us."
"I'm also putting my name in. Adrian has to wait till June." Cassius said.
A group of Slytherin fourth years walked past their compartment. In the group Aries saw that Draco was apart of it, there was a boy next to him, he had brown hair with brown eyes. He looked more easy going than the rest of the group.
"Aries!"
"What now Draco?" Aries asked as he snapped out of his daydream, he was starting to get tired and drowsy from the train journey.
"It's Pottah! He's so annoying! Can you believe that him, Weasley and the Mudblood didn't know about the tournament?! Pathetic." Draco ranted.
"Dray, if you don't keep your mouth shut about Potter I'll silence it shut!" Nova threatened.
"Enough Nova. Don't want a howler from Uncle Lucy do we? Anyway, Draco why don't you introduce us to your friend." Aries said. Nova stifled a laugh at her dads names.
"Yeah sure. Aries, Nova this is Theodore Nott, the son of-"
"Tony Nott. I know" Aries butted In, cutting across Draco.
"You know my other friends as well."
"Surprised you have actual friends." Aries muttered.
"I heard that!" Draco exclaimed. He and his friends then left the compartment and went back to their own.
***
After changing into their robes the train reached Hogsmead Station. It was pouring it down with rain. The four got into a carriage and were joined by Draco and Theodore.
Carriage layout:
Adrian. Nova. Draco
Cassius Aries. Theodore
"Are you two looking forward to fourth year?" Aries asked Draco and Theo.
"Yep. It should be interesting." Draco said, Theo agreed with him.
"Isn't this year your second to finale year?" Theo asked. The four Sixth years nodded
"Sadly yes. Next year are NEWTS." Said Nova, sighing.
"Ugh! Don't remind me!" Said Aries, groaning out in annoyance. "We're going to have the Professors nagging us again. You two will as well, reminding you about OWLs next year." Aries finished. Theo and Draco sighed.
"Anyone know who the DADA Professor is? Obviously Lupin isn't coming back." Adrian said.
"Well duh Addie. I think Lucius said it was Mad Eye Moody." Said Aries.
"My name isn't Addie! That's a girls nickname." Adrian said.
"Better than Cassie." Cassius mumbled.
***
The Carriage came to a stop. Draco and Theo got out first followed by the rest.
"Thank Salazar we don't have to go in the lake during this! Blimey the lakes going to overflow if it carries on like this!" Nova said as she shivered slightly.
They trudged their way to the hall only to be stopped by Peeves and his water balloons.
"Merlins beard! I am going to murder Peeves!" Nova yelled.
"Technically He's already dead."
"I know Aries!"
"PEEVES!" yelled an angry voice. "Peeves, come down here at ONCE!"
Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress and head of Gryffindor House, had come dashing out of the Great Hall; she skidded on the wet floor and grabbed Hermione around the neck to stop herself from falling.
Aries laughed at the Gryffindor's misfortune.
"I don't know who's more terrifying when their angry. Professor McGonagall or Nova." Cassius mumbled to Aries, he had to agree with him.
"I think Nova. At least McGonagall doesn't threaten to curse our asses off." Said Aries. Unfortunately for them, Nova heard them and scurried their Asses into the hall, letting out a wonderful variation of words. (A/N if you didn't understand that, it's sarcasm. Basically she let out a bunch of curse words to the boys).
Before long, the Slytherins sat at their respected table and chatted among themselves until they saw the first years come in, being lead by Professor McGonagall.
Professor McGonagall now placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first years and, on top of it, an extremely old, dirty patched wizard's hat. The first years stared at it. So did everyone else. For a moment, there was silence. Then a long tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat broke into song:
A thousand years or more ago,
When I was newly sewn,There lived four wizards of renown,
Whose names are still well known:
Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
Shrewd Slytherin, from fin.
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
They hatched a daring plan
To educate young sorcerers
Thus Hogwarts School began.
Now each of these four founders
Formed their own house, for each
Did value different virtues
In the ones they had to teach.
By Gryffindor, the bravest were
Prized far beyond the rest;
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest
Would always be the best;
For Hufflepuff, hard workers were
Most worthy of admission;
And power-hungry Slytherin
Loved those of great ambition.
While still alive they did divide
Their favorites from the throng,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone?
Twas Gryffindor who found the way,
He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me
So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind
And tell where you belong!
The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting Hat finished.
"That's not the song it sang when it Sorted us," said Pansy Parkinson, a 'friend' of Draco, clapping along with everyone else.
"Sings a different one every year, dumbass" said Aries. "It's got to be a pretty boring life, hasn't it, being a hat? I suppose it spends all year making up the next one. "
Professor McGonagall was now unrolling a large scroll of parchment.
"When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool," she told the first years. "When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table.
"Ackerley, Stewart!"
A boy walked forward, visibly trembling from head to foot, picked up the Sorting Hat, put it on, and sat down on the stool.
"RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat.
Stewart Ackerley took off the hat and hurried into a seat at the Ravenclaw table, where everyone was applauding him.
"Wonder what Slytherins we're going to get this year." Nova wondered out loud.
"Hopefully not as bad as the now fourth years." Said Aries, sarcastically. Draco and his friends heard him and glared him. Aries noticed that Theodore didn't and that Theo sent him a slight smile, which he returned.
"Baddock, Malcolm!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
The table Aries sat on burst into applause. The second years that sat at the front of the table welcomed Malcolm.
"Branstone, Eleanor!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Cauldwell, Owen!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Creevey, Dennis!"
Tiny Dennis Creevey staggered forward, tripping over Hagrid's moleskin, just as Hagrid himself sidled into the Hall through a door behind the teachers' table. About twice as tall as a normal man, and at least three times as broad, Hagrid, with his long, wild, tangled black hair and beard, looked slightly alarming - a misleading impression.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted.
Hagrid clapped along with the Gryffindors as Dennis Creevey, beaming widely, took off the hat, placed it back on the stool, and hurried over to join his brother.
"Isn't he the brother of Colin? Ya know the first Mudblood to be petrified." Cassius asked the group.
"Yep. Another Mudblood. Wondered how he took the news about his brother." Aries thought.
"Pritchard, Graham!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Quirke, Orla!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
And finally, with "Whitby, Kevin!" ("HUFFLEPUFF!"), the Sorting ended. Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and the stool and carried them away.
Professor Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his arms opened wide in welcome.
"I have only two words to say to you," he told them, his deep voice echoing around the Hall. "Tuck in. "
"Finally!" Aries moaned as he tucked into the food, Nova laughed and she started putting food on to her plate.
When the puddings too had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard.
"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered," "I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices.
"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it. "
"Does anyone actually check it?" Theo asked the group. "Nope." They all muttered.
The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year.
"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year. "
"That's bullshit!" Nova yelled, she was a chaser for the Slytherin team. The Slytherin table and other tables laughed.
"Ms. Malfoy, please do not yell such language. If you let me speak I can explain why it's not on." Dumbledore said. Nova blush. "Sorry Professor," she said and Dumbledore continued talking.
Dumbhedore went on, "This is due to an event that will be 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 -"
But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open.
A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table.
A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. Nova gasped.
The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbhedore shook it, muttering words Aries couldn't hear. He seemed to be making some inquiry of the stranger, who shook his head unsmilingly and replied in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side.
The stranger sat down, shook his mane of dark gray hair out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it. He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students.
"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody. "
It was usual for new staff members to be greeted with applause, but none of the staff or students chapped except Dumbledore and Hagrid, who both put their hands together and applauded, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and they stopped fairly quickly. Everyone else seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him.
"Looks like you were correct Ry." Nova said. "When am I not?" He said sassily. Nova rolled her eyes.
Moody seemed totally indifferent to his less-than-warm welcome. Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he reached again into his traveling cloak, pulled out a hip flask, and took a long draught from it. As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, and Aries saw, below the table, several inches of carved wooden leg, ending in a clawed foot.
Dumbledore cleared his throat.
"As I was saying," he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year. "
"You're JOKING!" said Fred Weasley loudly.
The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively.
"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar. "
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.
"Er - but maybe this is not the time. . . no. . . " said Dumbledore, "where was I? 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 a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.
"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities - until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued. "
"Death toll?" Theo whispered, looking alarmed. But his anxiety did not seem to be shared by the majority of students in the Hall; many of them were whispering excitedly to one another, and Aries himself was far more interested in hearing about the tournament than in worrying about deaths that had happened hundreds of years ago.
"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.
"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-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. "
"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older - will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This -" Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, and the Weasley twins were suddenly looking furious - "is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion. " His light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over Fred's and George's mutinous faces. "I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen."
"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"
Dumbledore sat down again and turned to talk to Mad-Eye Moody. There was a great scraping and banging as all the students got to their feet and swarmed toward the double doors into the entrance hall.
The Slytherins made their way to the dungeons. All discussing about the tournament.
"Ha! Nova you can't enter." Draco sniggered.
"Neither can you Dray." Draco glared at her.
"Out of you three, who's entering?" Blaise Zabini, another one of Draco's friend asked.
"Me and Cassius. Adrian isn't old enough yet."
"I hate having my birthday in June."
After talking in the common room for a bit the fourth and sixth years trudged upstairs to bed feeling extremely tired. Aries fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.