𝕭𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝕾𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖘 || Fred Weasley

27

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐖𝐈𝐙𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍T

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐗𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐔𝐑𝐌𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐓 6 𝐎'𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊 𝐎𝐍. 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐄 30th 𝐎𝐅 𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐁𝐄𝐑.

𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐅 𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐘. 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐁𝐀𝐆𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐆𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓.

At six o'clock, Cassie walked to the castle gates among the other Slytherins. They all waited on the darkening grounds. They waited for movement, a noise, some sign that their guests were near. And then Dumbledore called out from the back row where he stood with the other teachers.

"Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

"There!" yelled a sixth-year, pointing over the forest.

Something large was hurtling across the deep blue sky toward the castle, growing larger.

"It's a dragon!" shrieked one of the first-years, losing her head completely.

"Don't be stupid. It's a flying house!" said Dennis Creevey, a first-year Gryffindor.

As the gigantic shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, Cassie saw a gigantic, powder-blue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses.

A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage and unfolded a set of golden steps. Then, someone stepped out. She was big — tall, the tallest woman Cassie had ever seen. She was even taller than Hagrid.

"No way!" said Viola. "She's a — a giant!"

"Half giant, I believe," Addy corrected, amazed.

As she stepped into the light flooding from the entrance hall, she was revealed to have a handsome, olive-skinned face; large black eyes, and a rather beaky nose. She was dressed in black satin, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and on her fingers.

Her face relaxed into a smile and she walked towards Dumbledore, extending her hand.

"My dear Madame Maxime," he said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dort," said Madame Maxime in a deep voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, I thank you," said Dumbledore.

"My pupils," said Madame Maxime, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her.

"Look there!" said Viola, pointing at the carriage.

About a dozen boys and girls, all by the look of them, in their late teens, had emerged from the carriage. Their robes seemed to be made of fine silk and none of them were wearing cloaks. A few had wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads.

"Has Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked.

"He should be here any moment," said Dumbledore. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"