4 IV. Gowns and Expectations

September went by in a flash and before the students of Hogwarts knew it, Halloween was only a day away. The Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students were arriving at 6 pm, and Rowen was quite excited. Although the tournament had cancelled her favourite sport, one of the few things she enjoyed at school, and she couldn't see herself enjoying this pointless competition, she was excited to meet new people from the other schools, and for the Yule Ball.

The girls in Slytherin had been talking non-stop about the ball, and though a school dance wasn't something Rowen would usually enjoy, Yule was her favourite time of year. Her mother was no doubt ecstatic at the thought of dress shopping for her daughter. In fact, Rowen was surprised she hadn't received a package from her mother with a stern letter attached yet.

Rowen sat down at her usual spot on the Slytherin table for breakfast. The Great Hall was full of students chatting excitedly about the tournament and the impending arrival of the other schools.

A whooshing noise sounded throughout the hall which meant the post owls had arrived. Rowen looked towards the ceiling and saw her mother's owl, Ariba, flying toward her carrying a large box. It dropped to the table with a thud, and Ariba flew off. A letter was attached to the box by a piece of twine. Another owl dropped a letter which fluttered down to the table and landed on the box. The letter was addressed to Rowen, however, it wasn't in her mother's handwriting. Rowen decided to wait to open the letters and quickly brought them back to her dorm before her first class.

Rowen made her way to her first class, which was Charms. As of now, they were learning non-verbal spells, which were particularly frustrating. Unusual excitement lingered in the throughout the day and the majority of students didn't pay much attention in classes. Classes were a half-hour shorter, which seemed merely to add to the excitement. The day seemed to go by exceptionally slow. By the time the other schools were to arrive, Rowen just wanted to go back to her dorm and take a nap. Every student at Hogwarts was gathered in the entrance hall and the teachers were bustling the children into lines.

They walked down the stone steps and stood lined up in front of the school. Rowen hugged herself for warmth and looked towards the sky where not a cloud could be seen. Orange painted the sky signalling the near end of another day. To the left of Rowen stood Adrian Pucey, another sixth year. Adrian was Rowen's favourite guy on the Slytherin Quidditch team because he was the only one who didn't cheat. If Rowen had to choose a Slytherin to hang out with on purpose, it would most likely be Adrian. To her right stood Cassius Warrington who, as of last year, was made the Slytherin chaser.

Adrian leaned down toward the girl. "It's about six." Rowen nodded. "Any idea how they're arriving?"

"No clue. I reckon it won't be by train." She responded.

"I suppose not." Adrian stood back up straight.

Nothing seemed out of place. Everything was quiet, as usual. Rowen shivered and found herself wishing they would just arrive already so she could eat dinner and go to bed.

"Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!" Dumbledore yelled from his place at the back of the crowd.

"It's about time," Rowen said, earning a chuckle from Adrian. The students all looked to the sky as something very large was hurtling towards the castle.

"It's a dragon!" yelled one of the first years.

"Don't be stupid. It's a flying house!" said another.

As the creature got closer Rowen realised it was a massive, powder-blue, horse-drawn carriage. A dozen winged horses the size of elephants pulled the carriage. Rowen was shoved backwards as the front row of students backed away from where the horse was to land.

She felt herself falling to the ground when a strong pair of hands caught her by the waist and helped her regain her balance. "Sorry," she said, moving a piece of hair out of her face.

"Wouldn't be the first time I saved you from being trampled."

Rowen chuckled and looked up to see Fred Weasley. Rowen became hyperaware of Fred's hand on her waist and he seemed to as well, as he quickly pulled away. He looked away and his eyes widened. Rowen turned to see what he was looking at and immediately understood his surprise.

The largest women Rowen had ever seen had emerged from the carriage. She wore shiny black heels and was dressed completely in black satin. Dumbledore applauded, followed by the students, although no one understood why they were clapping. Many students were standing on tiptoes to get a better look at the woman.

She walked to Dumbledore, who kissed her hand, as was accustomed in France. "My dear Madame Maxime," he said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbledore," said Madame Maxime in a heavy French accent. "I hope I find you well?"

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

"My pupils," said Madame Maxime, waving one of her hands towards the carriage behind her.

Rowen's attention turned to a few dozen boys and girls who had emerged from the carriage and were now standing behind Madame Maxime. Their uniforms were made of powder blue silk and the students shivered in the cold. A few had scarves and shawls wrapped around their heads and they were all looking nervously towards Hogwarts.

"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?"

"Warm-up, I think," said Madame Maxime. "But the horses-"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," said Dumbledore. "The moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other charges."

"My steeds require forceful handling," said Madame Maxime, "they are very strong."

"I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job," said Dumbledore, smiling his usual warm grin.

"Very well," said Madame Maxime, bowing slightly. "Will you please inform this Hagrid that the horses drink only single-malt whiskey?"

"It will be attended to," said Dumbledore, also bowing.

"Come," said Madame Maxime who then walked up the steps into Hogwarts, closely followed by her shivering students.

Rowen looked behind her but Fred had disappeared. She took a few steps forward to stand next to Adrian. A few more moments passed. Rowen looked at the sky, expecting to see another carriage. The air seemed to have gotten colder, and Rowen's stomach growled, hoping for dinner.

A loud noise sounded throughout the night air from out of the darkness. It sounded as if a giant was snoring and drowning simultaneously.

"The lake!" Lee Jordan yelled. "Look at the lake!"

Rowen did as Lee said and what looked like a whirlpool was forming in the middle of the lake. Waves crashed against the shore and just past the vertex, Rowen caught a glimpse of the giant squid. A long black pole emerged from the middle of the whirlpool.

"It's a ship," Rowen said, amazed.

Slowly, the ship rose out of the water. The ship shined in the moonlight in a way that reminded Rowen of the Veela at the Quidditch cup. It looked as if it had been sitting at the bottom of the ocean for a hundred years. Seaweed hung off of the mast and barnacles littered the side. Finally, the ship emerged entirely and began towards the shore. A few moments later, the unmistakable splash of an anchor being thrown into the water and the sound of a plank being lowered onto the bank was heard throughout the courtyard.

Tall, dark figures emerged from the ship. As they approached, Rowen saw that each of them wore cloaks made of some kind of fur. Unlike Beauxbatons, which had an almost equal number of male and female students, Durmstrang seemed to be mostly male, with the exception of a couple of girls.

The leader of the group was a spindly man with short, slicked-back silver hair and a goatee. "Dumbledore!" he called as he walked up the slope towards the headmaster. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied.

Karkaroff had a cheerful voice, but his eyes were cold, which gave Rowen a bad feeling that she couldn't quite place. The man shook Dumbledores hand with both of his own.

"Dear old Hogwarts," he said, looking up at the castle and smiling. Rowen noticed that his teeth were rather yellow, as if he hadn't brushed them in quite some time. "How good it is to be here, how good. Viktor, come along, into the warmth. You don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold." Karkaroff urged one of his students forward. Excited murmurs rippled across the crowd of Hogwarts students.

"That's Viktor Krum," Adrian whispered excitedly.

Rowen nodded. "I'm well aware."

The students of Hogwarts filed into the entrance hall after the Durmstrang students. The Beauxbaton students had settled at the Ravenclaw table and Durmstrang sat with the Slytherins.

A group of overly enthusiastic Slytherin girls surrounded Krum, but he was eating up the attention. Rowen rolled her eyes, moving her gaze around the room. Her eyes landed on Fred, which seemed to be happening a lot lately. He was looking back at her. She gave him a small smile, which he returned. Lee snapped a finger in front of his face, dragging him back into their conversation.

The staff entered the Great Hall and took their seats at the staff table. When their headmistress entered the hall, the Beauxbatons students stood quickly. A few of the Hogwarts students laughed. The French students didn't seem fazed at the laughter and didn't sit until their headmistress did.

Dumbledore stood and a silence fell over the Great Hall. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts, and most particularly, guests," said Dumbledore, smiling around at the students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable. The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

He sat down, and Karkaroff leaned forward to engage him in conversation.

Rowen turned her attention to the platters of food that had suddenly appeared in front of her. She noticed a great selection of foreign foods, some that she recognised, while others she didn't. The Slytherin table felt cramped with the extra students and Rowen found herself squished between two Durmstang students who were relentlessly flirting with her. She smiled politely, as her mother taught her, and periodically picked at her food.

Dumbledore stood from his chair and cleared his throat.

"Thank Merlin," Rowen mumbled under her breath as Dumbledore began another speech.

"The moment has come," he said, smiling around at the students. "The Tri-Wizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket, just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation." Dumbledore gestured to the man. "Mr Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

Rowen clapped along with the rest of the students, just now realising the two men on either side of Dumbledore. She remembered them from the Quidditch cup, although they looked much different now. Instead of a suit, Crouch was in robes, which looked strange on his figure. Bagman looked exhausted but did his best to hide it.

Dumbledore continued. "Mr Bagman and Mr Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament. They will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions efforts. The casket then, if you please Mr Filch." The Hogwarts caretaker approached Dumbledore carrying a wooden chest decorated with jewels. Rowen thought it looked extremely old. "The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr Crouch and Mr Bagman," said Dumbledore. Filch placed the chest on the table before the headmaster, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways: their magical prowess, their daring, their powers of deduction, and of course, their ability to cope with danger."

The room was absolutely silent. If someone dropped a pin on the other side of the castle, it would have been heard by the students and teachers in the Great Hall.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore continued calmly. "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 Tri-Wizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore tapped the top of the casket three times with his wand. The lid creaked open slowly. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, wooden cup filled to the brim with blue flames. Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the goblet on top of it, where it was able to be seen by everyone in the Hall. "Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete." There was a small pause. "To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," he continued, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line. Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

Everyone in the hall seemed to stand simultaneously. Rowen moved quickly towards her common room, hoping the Durmstrang boys would leave her be.

She was almost to the stairs when an arm slung around her shoulders. "Well if it isn't my favourite snake."

Rowen looked at George Weasley and shrugged his arm off of her. "Can I help you?"

"An age line!" Fred Weasley said from the other side of her. "That should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn't it?"

"Fuck if I know," Rowen responded.

"You're a smart girl. I'll bet you know how to make an Aging Potion." George crossed in front of Rowen so both twins were standing in front of her, blocking her way.

"I do. But I won't" Rowen crossed her arms over her chest and tried to walk between the twins, they pushed her right back to her original position.

"Why not?" Fred asked.

"Dumbledore is the most powerful wizard of our time. You really think a potion that a student brews is gonna get you past a spell he cast himself?" They both nodded. "I refuse to take part in your possible expulsion, injury, or death. Now please, I'm trying to get to my dorm." She tried to push past them to no avail.

"We'll make it worth your while," George suggested. "Ten galleons."

"I don't need money."

"Are you going to make us beg?" George asked. Rowen shrugged. Fred and George exchanged a look before dropping to their knees. A crowd of students began to gather around them.

Rowens face burned. "Alright. Stand up, you gits. I'll make your stupid potion. By Merlin stand up."

Fred and George jumped to their feet and high fived. "You won't regret this." They said while walking away, waving.

"I probably will." She said under her breath while smiling and waving back.

Finally, she made her way back to her dorm. With all the excitement of the day, she had forgotten about the unopened mail which was now lying on her bed. She looked at the large box. It was completely white. After untying the twine, she held the letter in her hands. It was perfectly sealed with an intricate 'B' stamped into the wax seal. There was no doubt in her mind that the package was from her mother. Rowen opened it carefully and unfolded the letter.

My dearest Rowen,

I was informed by Narcissa that Hogwarts is hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament this school year. You won't be entering it of course, but I have sent you something for the Yule Ball! How exciting! I have also taken it upon myself to contact Dumbledore about your date to the ball. Barry will be taking you, and I won't hear anything more about it. You have an image to uphold, and we can't let just anybody accompany you. As expected, Dumbledore has permitted this, not that he had much say in the matter. Hope all is well. Enjoy your gift.

Much love,

Mary Bishop

Rowen scoffed at the letter and tossed it on the bed. Leave it to her mother to ruin a fun event. Not that she didn't want Barry to come, but now she would have to watch her every move. Barry would surely report everything that happened to her mother. She sighed and looked at the box. She slid it open, revealing an emerald green ball gown. It looked to be made of silk taffeta and was soft to the touch. It was a beautiful gown, which made Rowen smile despite the unfortunate circumstances. Also in the box were a pair of black heels and her mother's diamond necklace that she wore on her wedding day. It was a beautiful set and she packed it all back in the box neatly.

She slid the box under her bed and reached for the second letter. Rowen opened it and began to read.

Rowen,

Your mom told me about the ball, and I wanted to write you to tell you how excited I am. I'm honoured to be able to escort you on such a special occasion. I'll keep this short because I know how busy you probably are with homework. Just know I'm excited, and I truly hope you are too. I can't wait to see you. I already know you will look absolutely stunning in your dress.

Sincerely,

Barry Ryan

Rowen plopped onto her bed, letting out a ragged breath she didn't know she was holding. This was going to be an uncomfortably long year.