The morning after the Triwizard Tournament ended always carried a sense of weariness and emptiness after the bustle.
Scraps of streamers from the previous night's celebrations still littered the lawns of Hogwarts, yet they did nothing to dispel the feeling of farewell.
The Durmstrang ship had been moved back to the Black Lake before the third task began,
and now it rumbled dully, like a great beast about to awaken.
A tall, straight-backed middle-aged man with a stern face stood at the bow. His robes were immaculately tailored, utterly unlike Karkaroff's flamboyant theatricality.
He was Durmstrang's new headmaster, the former deputy headmaster whom the Germany Ministry of Magic had appointed in an emergency after Igor Karkaroff shamefully abandoned all his students and fled.
He was now surveying his students as they prepared to set off for home.
However, a small group of Durmstrang students did not head straight for the ship. Instead, they approached several Hogwarts students, their expressions solemn and earnest.
At the head of those students stood Neville Longbottom.
"Mr. Longbottom."
A tall German student with blond hair and blue eyes spoke in slightly stiff but clearly enunciated English. He bowed slightly, performing a standard old-fashioned European courtesy.
"It has been an honor to exchange ideas with you and your fellow Hogwarts students. Your swordsmanship has impressed us deeply."
Neville's face instantly reddened. He instinctively tightened his grip on his wand, so nervous that he did not know where to put his hands.
"I... I only..."
"There is no need to be modest."
Another German student took over, his eyes filled with that distinctly Germanic respect and recognition for the strong.
"We have all witnessed your performance, and that of your club. Your composure in the face of danger and your decisiveness when drawing your sword embodied true