Enemies Walking the Same Path: Part 1/2
After Sirius' rather simple greeting, as dinner began to appear on the tables, some of the Beauxbatons girls offered disdainful smiles toward the Headmaster of Hogwarts, as well as toward the castle itself.
However, a hard look from Fleur and Katerina made many of them lower their heads quickly and begin serving their food slowly onto their plates, avoiding drawing any further attention.
Of course, Hermione noticed. And although she was not exactly a fan of her own school, she was also not someone who would accept others mocking her alma mater. She was just about to say something, irritation clear in her eyes, when Luciel spoke first.
"I'm sorry about that. You know how Beauxbatons is. Even with Juliette removed from her position as council president, the snobbery is still deeply rooted from the time the students held power. Many of them still support her, even after all her wrongdoings came to light," he said, his tone visibly annoyed as he served himself a steak.
"Mmm," Hermione murmured, her irritation still present, as she served herself some potatoes and stabbed them with her fork, as if trying to vent her frustration there.
Harry shifted his gaze toward the professors' table, stopping directly on Karkaroff, who continued to send him intermittent looks, something strange hidden behind them. In contrast, Sirius glanced at Harry and gave him a small wink, as if unconcerned, silently implying that he would handle it.
That alone made Harry shrug and continue eating calmly with the others, though for a brief moment he watched with interest as Fleur went to get bouillabaisse.
And since Luciel's medicine still seemed to be in effect, she walked with a gentle smile and light, cheerful steps. The sight enchanted every student who watched her pass, leaving them completely stunned, mouths hanging open, some even dropping the food they had just taken, falling into a trance as though food itself had ceased to matter.
Everyone seemed to notice, and they could not help but look toward Luciel.
"Are you sure what you gave her is legal?" Daphne asked.
"Uh… it should be. Maybe. I think so. I hope," Luciel replied, sounding less certain by the second as he watched his cousin return with small, almost fairy like hops. Fleur then sat down calmly beside Hermione, served herself some stew, and began eating as if it were the most delicious dish she had ever tasted.
"This is so good. Do you want to try some?" Fleur asked, offering a spoonful to Hermione.
"Uh… ah, no, thank you," Hermione replied quickly.
"Come on, just try a little," Fleur insisted, maintaining that gentle smile, which made it impossible for Hermione to refuse. She opened her mouth and began chewing in silence.
"You too," Fleur said, turning toward Daphne, almost climbing onto the table to offer her a taste.
"Eeh… sure," Daphne replied, looking straight into Fleur's eyes, completely unable to say no.
Harry, for his part, completely ignored the embarrassing scene unfolding in front of him and instead watched the students who would surely be very hungry once they snapped out of their trance. Amusing. He then turned just in time to see Michael Corner smack Terry on the back of the head. Terry was sitting nearby, mouth open, staring at Fleur, while his juice spilled all over the table as he tried to pour it into a glass.
"Ouch. Why did you do that?" Terry muttered, confused.
Michael, who had ended up completely soaked, stood up beside his friend, somewhat annoyed. To be fair, he had been just as dazed, only snapping out of it a moment earlier when he felt his trousers getting wet. Realizing it, he apologized quickly, while Michael swallowed his anger, knowing it was not the right moment, especially with the other two schools present.
By the time dinner finally came to an end, everyone was completely full and satisfied. Even when desserts appeared, not many students wanted any, having already enjoyed a feast moments earlier. Only powerful witches like Daphne, who supposedly had a second stomach reserved for dessert, kept eating, in her case a chocolate soufflé.
According to Hermione, however, that was completely false. Daphne was not a powerful witch, nor did she have two stomachs, and she would most likely suffer from indigestion later. But Daphne did not listen and continued enjoying her dessert.
After the meal and desserts were finished, Filch brought in additional seats with Hagrid's help. The moment Hagrid entered, he froze completely, just like several students who noticed Fleur, though his gaze was firmly fixed on Madame Maxime, seated beside Sirius. That earned him an annoyed shove from Filch, snapping him back to reality.
Three new seats were placed in a corner of the professors' table. One of them, oddly enough, stood out more than the others, slightly taller, as if it were an old chair that had once belonged at the Headmaster's place and had been moved aside at some point.
That immediately caught everyone's attention, leaving many to wonder who those seats were meant for. They did not have to wait long to find out, however, as three people calmly entered through the door beside the professors' table.
Harry's eyes widened in surprise for a brief moment, before a playful, almost mocking smile appeared on his face.
"Hey, that's…," Hermione began, her eyes widening as she recognized the same person Harry had. Many other students seemed to react in much the same way.
Meanwhile, Hagrid wore a clearly excited smile as he watched them arrive.
Wanda simply raised an eyebrow in amusement, as did Selene. Narcissa, on the other hand, frowned as she crossed her arms. Susan was not paying attention at all, since Pandora seemed to be telling her a truly exciting story, keeping her completely distracted.
But Sirius' expression changed in an instant, turning the atmosphere sharply cold.
The ones who had entered were Ludo Bagman, Barty Crouch, and Albus Dumbledore. Two of the people Sirius hated most in the world were now present, when they were not supposed to be anywhere near Hogwarts with him serving as acting Headmaster, something he had personally made sure of.
Dumbledore gave Sirius a calm look, greeting him with a polite nod before turning his attention to the students with a kind smile and taking his seat. Crouch, however, immediately avoided Sirius' gaze when he noticed it, trying to preserve his pride as he walked with his head held high. Ludo, for his part, seemed completely out of place, looking slightly uncomfortable, as if he could not quite understand what was happening or why no one seemed to be paying him much attention.
Sirius watched them take their seats and, instead of beginning right away, rose calmly, scanning the room. The effect was immediate. The murmur died almost instantly, and the Great Hall fell into an uneasy silence, sustained solely by the cold aura continuing to emanate from him.
"I had an opening speech prepared, but before that," Sirius said calmly, placing both hands on the table as he looked toward the two people seated in the guests' chairs. "I need an explanation as to why two individuals who could represent a danger to the students are currently present in the castle, when I explicitly requested that neither of them be granted permission to enter," he continued, his voice firm and carrying across the hall, without a trace of the relaxed, slightly playful attitude he had often shown since becoming Headmaster.
Crouch had not expected Sirius to act so directly. Unlike Dumbledore, who seemed to have anticipated something like this, he was visibly thrown off. And judging by Dumbledore's expression, he had foreseen it, remaining completely silent and composed.