A Dazzling Entrance, Five Empty Seats
"Twelve flying horses pulling the carriage, that's way cooler than the carriages at Hogwarts," Aaron said meaningfully. Beauxbatons ' mode of travel was very similar to that of second-year and older Warlock returning to school, but on a much larger scale, making it visually striking.
The carriage descended at an extremely fast speed, its massive wheels slowly slowing down on the lawn before coming to a stop right in front of the procession.
The carriage bore the school emblem of Beauxbatons —two golden cross Wand, each with three stars emanating from Wand.
The carriage door opened, and a boy in a light blue robe jumped off, revealing a golden spiral staircase.
A huge black high-heeled shoe emerged from the carriage, followed by a beautiful Giant.
"My goodness!" Aaron couldn't help but swallow.
I thought Hagrid was already quite remarkable among Giant, after all, he was able to become a professor of the Care of Magical Creatures, but I never imagined that Giant could also hold the position of principal of a magic school, which is simply unbelievable.
"She's Maxime?" Draco looked at the glamorous Giant, his expression somewhat unnatural. "No wonder my parents never considered sending me to Beauxbatons. The Giant headmaster is Dumbledore."
"You can't say that. This person should be considered a socialite in the Giant."
Moreover, given that she was Giant and could become the headmistress, her management skills were probably no less than Dumbledore's.
As soon as he finished speaking, Dumbledore began to clap, and hundreds of teachers and students followed suit in applause.
Maxime smiled and extended a Winky hand toward Dumbledore as he approached.
After a simple hand-kiss, Dumbledore smiled and said, "Dear Madam Maxime, welcome to Hogwarts."
"Dumbledore, I hope you rest in peace."
Also, these are my students.
Maxime waved his hand behind him, and a dozen or so wizards Warlock dismounted from the carriage and followed behind her.
Most of these students are over seventeen years old, and they are probably the candidates to participate in the Triwizard Tournament.
Has Karkaroff arrived yet?
"He should be here soon. Would you like to wait here or go inside and warm up?" Dumbledore asked, noticing that Beauxbatons ' students were dressed rather lightly and might not be able to withstand the harsh weather.
"Let's go warm up first!"
"Professor Dumbledore, my horses have traveled a long way and they need care."
"Don't worry, Madame Maxime," Dumbledore said confidently, "Our Professor Hagrid, who teaches the Care of Magical Creatures, will take good care of them."
I assure you, he is perfectly capable of doing this job.
"Then please tell Mr. Hagrid that my horse only drinks single malt whisky."
"I will take care of it."
Maxime led her students up the stone steps toward Hogwarts Castle.
They had barely left when a long mast rose from the lake.
Huge waves surged on the water's surface as a large ship emerged from the lake and sailed toward the shore.
"Beautiful!" Aaron clapped his hands and said, "They've flown in the sky and are swimming in the water."
Compared to the welcoming ceremony held on the grounds of Hogwarts, this is rather undignified; we're no different from Muggle.
"I can tell, Professor McGonagall doesn't look too happy." Draco was still curious about the magic school that had almost rejected him, and he stood on tiptoe to watch the ship approach.
A plank was thrown onto the shore, and a middle-aged man in a white leather jacket strode over, followed by a dozen or so senior students wearing fur cloaks.
A gasp of surprise rippled through the Hogwarts welcoming party, for among the dozen or so Durmstrang students was Viktor Krum, an alien figure.
He shone brightly in the Quidditch World Cup, and many people still have a deep impression of him.
"Albus." The middle-aged man gave Dumbledore a familiar hug. "Old friend, are you still alright?"
"Excellent, Professor Karkaroff."
After a few simple pleasantries, Dumbledore led them up the steps, with the Hogwarts students following behind.
"I can't believe it," Draco murmured. "Krum is a member of the Quidditch national team, and I never imagined he was a student just like us."
"Krum, Harry, it's Viktor Krum."
Upon hearing Ron's voice, the two exchanged bewildered glances.
Turning his head, he saw Ron holding Harry's arm, trembling with excitement.
"You're a disgrace to Pure-blood, Weasley," Draco said dismissively. "Krum is a superhuman, that's true, but you don't have to be so dramatic about it!"
"You don't know anything. He's the best Seeker in the world."
"So... do I need an autograph?" Aaron teased.
"Of course I need it," Ron said matter-of-factly, but his face fell the next moment. "I didn't bring a pen or any paper."
"It's such a pity, so many people didn't bring that thing." Aaron shook his head, then gave Abei a wink.
It gave Ron a disdainful look and pulled out a pen and paper from its pocket.
"How come it has all sorts of things in its pocket?" Hermione asked in surprise.
"Because I'll put everything I need in there," Aaron explained casually. "I have a pen and paper, and whether I need an autograph or not is none of my business."
"I'm so grateful!" Ron quickly took the paper and pen, then watched Krum's retreating figure, pondering for a moment how to get an autograph.
"Do you want to?" Aaron looked at Draco, who hesitated for a moment before nodding, his face flushed.
"Um... if you have any paper and pens, could you give us a set too?" Lee Jordan asked sheepishly, with the Weasley Twins beside him, all three of them looking on expectantly.
Not only them, but also Harry Potter and several members of the Quidditch team joined in.
Aaron's lips twitched slightly. He had plenty of pens and paper; how could he possibly give them to him in this situation?
Today is a welcoming ceremony, not Viktor Krum autograph session.
"I'm sorry, you're a step too late."
"This is ridiculous. He's just a Quidditch player," Hermione said in a low voice.
"Absurd?" Aaron chuckled and shook his head. "I remember back in second year, a certain witch's adoration for Gilderoy Lockhart was even more extreme."
Hearing this, Hermione blushed slightly and made no further comment.
The students of Beauxbatons sat with the Warlock of Ravenclaw, while the students of Durmstrang chose the Long Table of Slytherin.
Being in a good position, Draco easily obtained Krum's autograph. Malfoy's Pure-blood noble status made it easy for him to get along with these Warlock.
Ron, who had originally wanted to get an autograph, was so angry at this scene that his teeth itched. However, in front of his idol, he could only suppress his displeasure.
Filch placed five chairs around the faculty Long Table, with Maxime and Karkaroff sitting on either side of Dumbledore.
The banquet began after the guests from both colleges were seated, but compared to usual, tonight's dinner had more international flavors and was more in line with the guests' tastes.
While they were enjoying the food, two more people arrived and sat in the empty seats: Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch.
"Looks like we still have some distinguished guests who haven't arrived yet!" Draco exclaimed with particular confidence in front of Durmstrang's group of Warlock. "The last one to appear will definitely be extraordinary; they might even be a veteran of the Magic World!"
After a satisfying meal, the golden tableware was cleaned and packed to go.
Dumbledore stood up from his seat, and the atmosphere in the Great Hall quieted down.
He smiled at everyone and said, "The moment has finally arrived. The Triwizard Tournament is about to begin. Before we begin, I must introduce a few people to you."
This is Mr. Crouch. Barty Crouch, Department of International Magical Cooperation.
This is Mr. Bagman. Ludo Bagman, the Department of Magical Games and Sports.
The two stood up one after the other, showed their faces to the crowd, and received some applause.
"Over the past few months, the two of them have worked tirelessly to arrange the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore said. "They will form the judging panel with me, Professor Karkaroff, and Madam Maxime."
"Ahem!" Barty Crouch coughed suddenly.
"Besides us, there's another referee." Dumbledore looked meaningfully at the last empty seat. "She was delayed by something, but she should be here by now."
As soon as she finished speaking, the Great Hall doors opened, and a young woman slowly walked in.
She wore a beige dress, her slender figure was full and graceful, her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders, her face was covered with makeup, her jade-like skin had a slight blush, her eyebrows were like ink paintings, and her black eyes shone with a radiant and heroic spirit.
The moment she appeared, she attracted everyone's attention.
The boy unconsciously swallowed, while the girl felt somewhat ashamed of herself.
None of them expected the last referee to be so young. Her strong confidence and composure made her seem like a matter of course, and she was definitely the fairest referee.
Aaron stared dumbfounded at the girl who walked forward, momentarily unable to react. Fear, doubt, confusion, astonishment, bewilderment and other complex emotions intertwined in his mind and formed a single word.
"Sister."
At that moment, it seemed as if all my doubts had been answered silently.
The fact that Adrian will be coming to Hogwarts to serve as a referee in the Triwizard Tournament is probably what Jeans has been keeping from him.
It's no wonder that Adrian is interested in the Quidditch World Cup. The Triwizard Tournament, like the Quidditch World Cup, is a major event, and watching it live would allow him to better learn from the relevant experience.
When Aaron suddenly realized what had happened, he had no idea how much impact his unconsciously uttered word had caused.
Draco, who was closest to the group, stared in astonishment, followed by a dozen Durmstrang students, then the entire Slytherin table, and finally everyone's gaze shifted back and forth between him and the newcomer.
Harry and the others had all seen Adrian at the Quidditch World Cup, where she wore a half-mask, her mystery surpassing her sealed beauty. Now, however, she appeared before them with stunning beauty, so much so that they didn't immediately connect the two.