Chapter 47
DAPHNE GREENGRASS
It was the day of the arrival of the foreign students, and the Main Hall had been decorated to welcome them as all of the students gathered together, wearing their best uniforms as they waited for the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang to be introduced.
They had both arrived already, with Drumstrang opting to travel using a massive ship, while Beauxbatons had used carriages driven by winged horses. It was a spectacle, but one that she did not care about.
"What?" she gasped as she found herself sitting on the Ravenclaw table, as a weary Cassius rubbed his eyes.
"I said I have arranged the ingredients," he whispered, taking a sip of the juice, as if speaking of nothing.
"Now just get me the brewing instructions and I will handle the rest as well," and for a few seconds, Daphne's mind spun, as she tried to convince herself that this was a dream.
But as the pain from the pinch on her thigh registered, she realised that no. This was not a dream. This was real.
"How?" she gasped, and it had been just a week or so since she had mentioned Astoria's condition to him, and he had promised her a solution, though she had taken his words as but simple assurances from a well-meaning friend.
How in the hell was he able to source the eyes of a hundred-year-old basilisk within a week?
"You don't need to worry about that," he added with a yawn, and she retorted angrily, her voice making others around him look at them.
"How can I not worry!" he exclaimed, and he finally turned towards her. Her surprise and apprehension must have shown, as he realised her condition.
"I promised you, didn't I, that I would get you the required ingredients and a wizard capable of doing the brewing, and I have done just that," and he seemed oblivious to absurdity of his claims, and Daphne calmed herself to not create a scene as she continued in a whisper.
"But I told you the required ingredients right?" and he nodded.
"Yes, and I have them. Currently both of them are with professor Snape who will help me with the brewing process," and she frowned.
"How? Do you have any idea how expensive they would be even if you were able to find them. Even my father was worried that acquiring them would drain the entire Greengrass vaults just for Astoria," but the little solace was that he was willing to do that, for despite all his faults and politicking, the man had made a promise to their mother, one which he intended to keep.
"You don't need to worry about the money, just get me the recipe and let me handle it all," and her eyes shook, as she realised that he was not lying, that somehow he had managed to do the impossible again.
And she wrapped her arms around him, not caring about the thousand eyes that were trained on her as she whispered in sheer desperation in his ears.
"Thank you. Thank you," and he nodded.
"You are ruining your image as the Ice Queen," he whispered as she backed away, wiping away the tear in her eyes.
"I don't care about it," for she had been prepared to do much worse if she could just save her sister. Yet, he had spared her everything, all the pain and the suffering, all of it, just because she was his friend.
Friend.
And for a very long time, she had used this word to describe their relationship as she acted all aloof, cold, constantly reminding herself of the burden resting on her shoulders.
But it was gone now.
"But how did you get it all?" she asked, and before he could answer, the sound of metal hitting glass spread through the Hall, as the Headmaster took to the podium.
CLING. CLING. CLING.
"Now I know that you must all be quite hungry, and so without wasting any time let us welcome our guests from abroad," and with that the doors to the Main Hall opened up, as a giant of man walked into the room, limping on a massive cane as a whole slew of students followed after him, each of them drapped in cold furs, and dark uniforms common in Drumstrang.
"Mt Igor Karkaroff, and the students from Drumstrang," and they put on quite a performance. However, she could hardly focus on their display of fire magic and agility, as her mind continuously whirled towards Cassius and all that he had done for her. So the little seed she had buried deep down began to blossom, as she steadied herself to take a gamble.
Initially, she had held back because she knew of his attraction to Hermione, and would never dare to hurt him, but Hermione was gone now, and she knew that though he may not show it, Cassius was deeply hurt by the lack of a reply from her.
He had written to her for days straight after the incident, and until a few weeks ago, he was still trying to reach out to her, yet the girl refused to answer any of his messages, or hers, or even Tracey's, for that matter.
It was as if she had vanished into thin air. And the performance finished, as another boy entered the Hall, and whispers became rampant, for he was not a regular boy.
No, he was the Bulgarian national Team's Seeker, Viktor Krum.
"Albus!" the yellow-toothed headmaster hugged Hogwarts' Headmaster, and after a brief conversation, he was led to one of the seats beside Dumbledore, who raised his voice once again.
"And now for our guests from France, the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic," and the students that entered were as if part of beauty pagant, as the girls strode into the hall like fairies, their silk skirts and elegant movements attracted all of the boys's gazes, as a giantess entered the Hall behind the performers, the rest of the students behind her in a group.
"Madame Maxime," the Headmaster greeted and he barely reached up to her legs, as the woman gave him an awkward kiss on the cheeks.
"Do make sure that my horses are cared for, Dumbledore," her voice reached the table, as her students gave a final greeting, and Albus nodded.
"Of course, our Gameskeeper will be delighter to care for them," and the woman eyed Hagrid before moving towards her chair.
"Now all of you settle down, and fill your bellies, we will cover the details about the tournament after the meal," and as the Drumstrang and Beauxbaton students began to file in, she suddenly stilled as she spotted a brown haired girl approaching them hesitantly.
She saw her face as the girls in front of her sat down, and Daphne herself felt her heart turn cold, for she had just been thinking about her, and now she was in front of her.
It was Hermione, and the girl seemed nervous as she walked up to them, and it was not just her who was following her, and she noticed how Cassius's eyes remained rooted on the girl.
"Hi," she greeted, and the two other Ravenclaw girls politely skidded away giving her space, as she nervously looked towards Cassius.
"Do you mind if I..." but he said nothing, as he rose up from the bench.
"Excuse me," and she saw Hermione's face pale as she saw Cassius heading towards the door.
"Cassius, wai..." but he was not listening, as he walked out of the Hall, as she turned towards her.
"Daphne, you have to liste..." but she remained silent as well, her mind whirring as she cut in.
"I need to go," and she pushed away the plate as well, and made to leave the Hall but was stopped by their Charms Professor.
"Miss Greengrass," he called out from behind, making her turn around.
"Yes, Professor?" she asked, and the man raised a brow.
"Is everything fine, dear?" he asked.
"Yes, Professor. Cassius was not feeling well, so I am just going to check up on him," and the man nodded.
"Of course, of course, but please try to be back before the announcement..." and she nodded and rushed out of the Hall, and as she travelled through the Halls she had an inkling just where Cassius would be and as per her expectation she found him near the little garden, sitting on the stairs as he eyed the statue of Merlin in the middle.
"You are going to miss the feast," he whispered before turning around, and she plopped down beside him.
"I don't care..."
0000
TRACEY DAVIS
Of all the things Tracey had expected today, meeting Hermione was not one of them. Not at all.
The girl had vanished into thin air after the incident at the World Cup, refusing to reply to any of their letters. In the end, they had given up hope, but that was until today, when she appeared out of thin air.
Their friendship had blossomed during the past year, but losing her as a friend had primarily been inconsequential for her and Daphne, even though it had pained them both that she had even deigned to reply to them.
Cassius, though, was another matter entirely. It was obvious to everyone that they him and Hermione were more than just friends, and yet she had ghosted him completely, and so she was not surprised when he walked out of the Hall, not caring about the consequences, as she came to greet them.
Daphne followed soon after, and a part of her wanted to do the same, yet the watery eyes of the bushy-haired girl stopped her, as Tracey allowed her to sit down and explain herself.
And it was as she had suspected.
"You have to give her a chance to explain herself," she pleaded to Daphne as they prepared for bed, but her blonde best friend was not convinced.
"No. I don't have to do anything," she rebuffed, and she knew that Daphne cared about Cassius and hated seeing him suffer, but Hermione was their friend, and Cassius had liked her.
"It was her parents, Daphne. They made her swear to never contact any of us again, especially Cassius," she pleaded, but then an opportunity had presented itself, and she had come here as a sort of a guide for her seniors of Beauxbatons.
"One letter," Daphne argued angrily.
"One letter, that is all she needed to send!" Daphne shouted as Tracey's lips thinned.
"She knows that she has messed up, but she just wants a chance to explain herself," and Daphne sighed.
"There is nothing to say," and with that, she plopped down beside her.
"But Cassius likes her, do you not wish to see him happy?" she pleaded, because if there was anyone in this school who could make Cassius do anything, it was Daphne.
"I do," Daphne agreed as she looked into her eyes, though there was something else in those eyes, some envy and rage.
"But for the first time ever, I do not wish for him to be happy with her..." and as the implication of those words hit her, Tracey's eyes widened.
"You cannot mean...." she gasped, and a part of her had always suspected that Daphne was fond of him, but when it came to emotions and feelings, Daphne's moniker held true as her friend had plans of leveraging her own hand and love for a cure for Astoria.
"But..." she began, as she saw a tear drip down her friend's eye.
"He found it for me, Tracey," and she stilled as she heard those words, as she found herself put in the worst spot possible for a friend.
"He found the cure for Astoria...."
0000
Back on the Drumstrang ship, Igor Karkaroff slept soundly in his chambers until suddenly he began to writhe in his bed, as pain pushed him beyond his mind, and he began to scream as he grabbed his arm.
"AHHHHH!" and the lights in the room dimmed, as he fell to the floor writhing and screaming until the lamp broke, and when the pain stopped, he looked up and gasped as a shadowy figure loomed over him, looking down at him with red glinting eyes.
"Who ar..." but he stilled as the stranger cut in.
"Have you forgotten your master, Karkaroff?"
0000
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