5- Foreign Students

                                    

                                          

Over the next few weeks, the school was buzzing with excitement at the prospect of hosting the Triwizard Tournament.
Celia of course had other things on her mind, like studying hard so that she would pass her OWLs.
To her annoyance though, she heard a lot of people talking about her brother, after his birthday, as he was now eligible to compete in the tournament. A lot of people thought he might become the school champion.
She hoped that her brother wouldn't be stupid enough to enter, as that was the last thing she wanted him to do, since he was already popular enough, and she didn't want his head to get any larger.
                          
On the 30th of October, the foreign students arrived at Hogwarts.
The Beauxbatons had arrived in a carriage pulled by flying horses, and the Durmstrang students had arrived by boat.
As all three schools gathered together in the great hall, Celia was annoyed to discover that the 20 or so Beauxbatons students had chosen to sit on the Ravenclaw table.
This meant that everyone in her house had to squish together, so that everyone would fit on the benches.
                          
Those in Durmstrang had decided to sit with the Slytherin's, but no one on their table was complaining, because to everyones surprise, the Seeker Viktor Krum, was one of the Durmstrang students.
Everyone had lost their minds when he walked into the hall, and many were plotting ways to get his autograph.
Seeing him up close didn't make him any more appealing to Celia, who thought he walked rather oddly, as he was not as graceful on land as he was in the air.
                          
Sometimes Celia would talk to her roommates during dinner, but they were all too enthralled by the foreign guests to pay her any attention that evening.
Since there were also new and strange foods on the table, for the foreign students, Celia didn't have much space to put her book down, which she had sneaked into the hall in her robes.
The students had been forced to leave their bags in their rooms, but Celia hadn't wanted to be parted from her favourite book.
So with no one else to talk to, she opened it on her lap and began to read.
                          
"What are you reading?".
Celia gritted her teeth as she hated being interrupted while reading.
She then looked at the Beauxbatons boy on her right, who had spoken.
He was fairly attractive, and he spoke very good English for someone who went to a French school.
She also admired his smart blue uniform, and she almost preferred the Beauxbatons robes to the Hogwarts ones.
                          
Celia placed the bookmark into her book, before closing it to show the boy the cover.
"A Midsummer Night's Dream, by William Shakespeare" answered Celia.
"I know it" replied the boy.
Celia frowned, "You do?".
"Yes, it's a good read. Shakespeare may have been a Muggle, but he was a genius... Forgive me, my name is Benjamin Taylor" informed the boy.
"Taylor?".
"I know, it's not very French, but my father is English and my mother is French. He moved to France to live with her, but we still regularly visit my relatives in England"
"That explains why you speak English so well without hardly having an accent".
                          
"What's your name?" Asked Benjamin.
"Celia Diggory" replied Celia.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance" smiled Benjamin.
"You too. I take it that you're a book lover too?"
"Yes, but my favourite Shakespeare is Romeo and Juliet".
Celia rolled her eyes, "So, you're a fan of the tragic lovestory?".
"Two lovers choosing to die rather than be parted. I think it's romantic" answered Benjamin.
"It's just two lovers being stupid, it's certainly not romantic" replied Celia.
                          
Benjamin was stopped from replying when Dumbledore stood to his feet and quietened down the room.
"Thank you. Now that we have all eaten, it's time for the Triwizard Tournament to begin" announced Dumbledore.
Filch entered the room carrying a strange looking box, which he placed in front of Dumbledore.
The Headmaster then opened the box and took out a boring wooden cup, that had magical dancing blue flames inside it.
"This, is the goblet of fire. Anyone wishing to submit themselves as a champion, may write their name on a piece of parchment and drop it into the goblet. They have 24 hours to do so, before the goblet will select the champions at the Halloween feast tomorrow evening. I will also being drawing an age line around it, so that no one under 17 may enter" continued Dumbledore.
                          
Once the speech was over, Celia picked up her book and headed for the door, desperate to get out of the crowded hall.
The second she was out, she opened her book, so that she could continue reading, but as she stopped to open it, someone walked into her.
As she looked up, she realised that she was now surrounded by a bunch of Durmstrang students.
"Watch where you're walking, girl" spat their Headmaster, Karkaroff.
Celia frowned and glared at the man, since she was the one that had been walked in to.
"It vas not her vault. I vos not looking vhere I vas going".
Celia turned to look at her defender and discovered that it was Viktor Krum.
She was not startstuck like her fellow students, since she really didn't care about Quidditch, so she didn't view him as a celebrity.
                          
"Don't worry about it, it happens all the time" admitted Celia.
She was not lying, as people often walked into her, since she was so good at being unseen and unnoticed.
"Are you alright?" Asked Krum.
"I'm fine" reassured Celia.
"Good. Come along Viktor" said Karkaroff as he placed his arm around Krum's shoulders, making his favouritism clear.
"My apologies" mumbled Krum, as Karkaroff dragged him away.
The pair were then followed by the rest of the Durmstrang lot.
                          
Celia stared in confusion as the Durmstrang's headed towards their ship.
She was the girl no one saw, and no one apologised to.
But in that evening alone, she had spoken to a Beauxbatons boy, and and Durmstrang boy.
If two good looking boys could notice her, then maybe she wasn't as invisible as she thought. And perhaps this Tournament might be a way for her to make some friends.