Chapter 4. Lumine

The tables before us were laden with all sorts of delicacies, from honey-glazed chicken legs to mandrake pie, and pumpkin juice flowed freely, while the floating candles under the enchanted night sky ceiling seemed to whisper, "Welcome home." Scaramouche was devouring moon cheese-filled pastries, still the same sweet tooth as ever. Albedo was telling me about the intricacies of making cheese sticks with magical herbs, while Fremine curiously examined the chocolate fountain. All the students were full of excitement after returning to school and even more so with the anticipation of the arrival of the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students, who had come this year to participate in the Triwizard Tournament. Unlike the usual school year, today the Great Hall had not just the four large tables, one for each house, but two additional, slightly smaller ones. These tables were still completely empty, awaiting their guests.

It was also quite interesting to observe the teachers, who sat above their students. In the center sat Headmaster Neuvillette, calm and detached, like a quiet sea. To his left was Wriothesley, engaged in a conversation with the headmaster, the sound of which was meant only for the two of them. In the far corner was Professor Venti, who was, as usual, the most frequent visitor to his goblet and watched the proceedings with a cheerful expression. Next to him sat Professor Zhongli, the History of Magic teacher, listening with interest to Professor Baizhu, who taught Herbology, as he recounted his summer trip to China and what he learned about the history and use of various plants, the names of which I could never pronounce. Behind them, as always, Professors Kaeya and Diluc were in some sort of disagreement, with the latter saying something angrily while his opponent smiled slyly and responded with sharp retorts. On the other side, far more peacefully, were Beidou, the flying instructor, Mona, the Astronomy teacher, and Jean, the Charms professor, enjoying their meal.

"What happened?" – A familiar voice suddenly sounded behind me.

"And what does a Gryffindor want near the Slytherin table?" – One of my classmates immediately responded sharply.

"Everything's fine, Aether, what are you doing here?"

"I noticed those green stains on the four of you and wanted to see what happened."

"It was probably some of your lot; we didn't see their faces, but judging by what they were shouting, they were clearly driven by contempt for our house," Scaramouche answered venomously on my behalf.

"Albedo, is that stuff dangerous?" My brother decided to ignore him and addressed the expert directly.

"No, but it's a nuisance and sticks with you for a while with a foul stench," our best alchemist and potion-maker replied calmly.

"Lumin, are you alright?" Aether then turned to me.

"I... yeah, I'm fine, just waiting for a chance to wash up."

"If it was someone from Gryffindor who did this, I'll make sure they're punished. Enjoy your meal," he said, then turned and walked briskly back to his house table.

"Aet..." I started, but quickly suppressed the urge to call out to my brother by name.

"Maybe you should talk to him? It seems like he's worried about what happened," Albedo suggested to me.

"There's no point," I replied with a slight, sad smile.

"But you do want to..."

"Dear students!" Headmaster Neuvillette interrupted him mid-sentence, standing up from his seat and amplifying his voice by touching his wand to his throat. "I am pleased to welcome you all to the new school year. It hasn't been long since we last saw each other—of course, except for our first-years—but I'm happy to see how much you've all grown, and I'm delighted that the spark in your eyes remains just as bright. As you all surely know by now, this school year will be different for all of you, as today we welcome our dear friends, the students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, along with their headmistresses and headmasters, who have arrived at Hogwarts to participate in the Triwizard Tournament!" With these words, Neuvillette began to applaud, a gesture quickly picked up by the teachers and then all the students.

The doors of the Great Hall swung open, and a multitude of glowing flowers burst into the hall, soaring upwards and slowly drifting down onto the tables, eliciting cries of delight. Following the flowers, all the elegant Beauxbatons students entered with graceful, almost dance-like steps. They paused now and then to curtsey before continuing their dance towards one of the empty tables. Behind them entered two absolutely stunning, refined, and flawless women. They followed the fluttering students, their heels striking a rhythmic beat. Their gazes were fixed straight ahead, as if they didn't notice anyone else in the hall. I heard someone choke on the other side of the hall and was surprised to see it was Professor Beidou, who was staring at the entering headmistresses of Beauxbatons as if a brand-new broom model, the likes of which the world had never seen, had just been unveiled. Professor Jean had a similar glassy but less pronounced look on her face. Now that's what I call making an impression!

Before we could fully grasp what was happening, a sound like a whale's song rumbled from the main entrance, shaking the walls. Confirming my guess, a massive water whale soared above the enchanted starry ceiling, swimming up, down, and around in a flawless display of magic! I barely managed to tear my gaze away from the colossal giant above my head to look at the person who created it. Standing right at the threshold was a boy with fiery red hair billowing in the magical currents surrounding him. His blue eyes were focused on his creation, but a light, carefree smile played on his face, as if he were merely controlling a tiny enchanted firefly. A tall man with long white hair sticking out in all directions approached him from behind and placed a hand on the caster's shoulder. The boy made a final flourish with his wand, and the giant whale shattered into thousands of stars that shot up to the ceiling.

"Did you see that?! That… that was incredible!" I exclaimed, drawing the attention of those sitting near me—and, oh, apparently not just them!

The very caster of the whale heard my exclamation and turned his head in my direction. Our eyes met, and he smiled at me, making my cheeks burn like fire seeds! Fremine just laughed.

"Yeah… incredible…" Albedo said without enthusiasm.

"Nothing special," Scaramouche echoed sharply.

"What's wrong with you guys?"

The Durmstrang students marched toward the last empty table, occasionally stopping to strike sparks with their staves. After all the newcomers took their seats, the headmistresses and headmaster rose and took their places beside Neuvillette.

"Dear students, I am delighted to introduce to you Headmistresses Ningguang and Lisa, who have arrived from Beauxbatons, and Headmaster Itto, from Durmstrang."

The hall erupted into another wave of applause and cheers. The performances organized by the visiting students had made an unforgettable impression on Hogwarts. I found myself thinking that I really wanted to participate in the tournament. An overwhelming desire arose within me to show what I was capable of. To show that boy that I… wait a minute, to show that boy?!

This thought brought another rush of blood to my face, which Albedo noticed, giving me a strange look—the meaning of which remained a mystery to me, but I was too embarrassed to try to ask him anything about it.