#beauxbaton

"The first champion," Headmaster Black declared, his voice resounding throughout the hall, "chosen by the Goblet of Fire, is none other than Vincent Girard from Beauxbatons Academy!"

A thunderous applause erupted from the Beauxbatons students as Vincent Girard, a striking figure with his tall stature and flowing platinum blond hair, made his way towards the stage. With a confident grin, he executed a graceful bow, basking in the admiration from the crowd that surrounded him.

In an instant, the Goblet of Fire propelled yet another piece of parchment into the air, causing a ripple of anticipation to sweep through the hall. Headmaster Black unfolded the parchment slowly, deliberately, before announcing, "The second champion, selected by the Goblet of Fire, to represent Hogwarts is Sebastian Sallow!"

A mixture of applause and murmurs filled the air as Sebastian, his lips curved in a self-assured smile, rose from his seat. Each step he took towards the stage exuded confidence, as if he were savoring the attention. A smug glance cast in the direction of his fellow students only fueled their awe and envy.

As Sebastian made his way towards the stage, Layla, Rani, Sonia, and Cassie leaned in closer together, their eyes widened with shock, their whispers too hushed to be discerned by anyone else. So engrossed were they in their conversation that they almost missed the next announcement.

Once again, the Goblet blazed to life, casting a luminous glow across the Great Hall. Headmaster Black reached out, his hand swiftly seizing the parchment that emerged from the mystical flames. "And lastly," he began, his voice commanding attention, "the final Triwizard Tournament Champion, hailing from Durmstrang Institute, is Layla Ansari!"

A hush fell over the Great Hall as Layla, rose from her seat. Dark, determined eyes sparkled as she made her way towards the stage. The students from Durmstrang cheered, clapped, and stomped their feet in support, while a handful of Hogwarts and Beauxbatons students joined in the celebration.

As the three champions stood united on the stage, Headmaster Black addressed them. "Congratulations, champions! You have been chosen to represent your schools in the Triwizard Tournament, a formidable and perilous competition that lies ahead. May the finest witch or wizard emerge victorious."

Once again, the hall erupted in a chorus of applause, the air pulsating with energy. Layla and Vincent exchanged nods of mutual respect, acknowledging the challenging path that lay ahead, while Sebastian, unable to resist, offered Layla a sly smirk, relishing in their newfound rivalry. The stage was set, and the Triwizard Tournament was poised to begin, an exhilarating journey that would test their skills, courage, and forge unexpected alliances.

As the students erupted in cheer and the champions prepared themselves for the trials that awaited, little did they know that this tournament would not only push the boundaries of their capabilities but also ignite rivalries and unravel mysteries that would shape their destinies.

After the grand feast, Headmaster Black led the three Champions to his office for a private meeting to delve deeper into the tournament rules and select their mentors. Vincent, the Beauxbatons student, wasted no time in choosing his mentor. He opted for Professor Hugo Renard, their esteemed Defense Against the Dark Arts and Dueling instructor. A letter was promptly penned by his Headmaster, dispatching it via owl to ensure Professor Renard's arrival by Monday.

Now, it was Sebastian's turn to make his decision. He pondered for a moment, weighing his options. Initially, he considered choosing Professor Hecat, but he ultimately settled on Professor Sharp. Sebastian knew that Professor Sharp, a former Auror and potions expert, would be an invaluable asset to have as a mentor. 

Headmaster Black summoned Professor Sharp, who promptly arrived a few minutes later. He was informed of Sebastian's request to be his mentor, and Professor Sharp agreed. 

Finally, it was Layla's turn to select her mentor. Her gaze briefly shifted to the Durmstrang Headmistress, and then she spoke. "Sarah Nightshade," she said, sounding more like a question than a statement. However, seeing the look on Headmistress Petrova’s face she swiftly regained her composure, her tone firm as she repeated herself, "I select Sarah Nightshade."

Headmaster Black paused, momentarily taken aback. "Is Miss Nightshade a new Durmstrang Professor? The name is unfamiliar to me," he inquired.

"No, she is not a Professor," Headmistress Petrova replied.

"You are aware that it is strongly encouraged for the mentors to be Professors."

"I am well aware. However, I do not believe Miss Nightshade would pose a disadvantage to the other champions. She is only two years older than Miss Ansari, lacking a distinguished career as an Auror or a similar background. Moreover, she has not received a conventional education from a formal institution. If anything, I believe Miss Ansari is the one at a disadvantage," Headmistress Petrova countered.

"Very well," Headmaster Black conceded. He called upon Professor Sharp and Professor Renard, as well as both Headmasters, to engage in a brief discussion. After a few moments of deliberation, they collectively agreed that Layla's chosen mentor would not grant an unfair advantage, considering the mentor's background.

Headmaster Black granted Headmistress Petrova permission to send the owl to Miss Nightshade. However, Headmistress Petrova had a surprising response. "I don't believe that will be necessary. I believe Miss Ansari has already sent for her. Isn't that correct?" she asked, directing her gaze towards Layla.

Layla nodded.

Sebastian watched the interactions between the Durmstrang Headmistress, Professor Black, and Layla. Something didn’t quite sit right with him. Why had she already selected and called for her mentor? How did she know that she would be the one selected? I definitely saw other Durmstrang students enter their names. And shy did she choose someone so young and inexperienced?

As the three Champions were dismissed from the meeting, Sebastian playfully bumped his shoulder into Layla's. She glanced up at him, and he couldn't help but flash a mischievous smile. "I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other, huh?" he remarked, his voice laced with flirtatious undertones.

"I suppose so," Layla replied, her voice firm, and… cold?

A couple days later, Sebastian got ready to meet up with Imelda at the Quidditch pitch. She had held tryouts this weekend for the newly opened Seeker position, and he wanted to know who she had picked, if anyonet. As he approached the pitch with MC and Ominis, he saw Imelda speaking to a certain group of four girls who seemed to be everywhere.

“Hello, Imelda. Have you finally selected a new seeker?” Ominis asked.

"No," she sighed in frustration. "None of them were up to par. I've been trying to persuade Layla to join us all morning. She' not a bad seeker."

“Not a ‘bad seeker’? That's high praise coming from you, Imelda," Ominis chuckled.

"Is she... allowed to join the Slytherin team?" Sebastian questioned, puzzled.

“No,” Layla responded.

“Not as of right now,” Imelda corrected her. “But I sure can try to convince Professor Black to allow it.”

"It doesn't matter, Layla's parents won't allow her to play Quidditch," Rani interjected with a flat tone. “They’re very… particular… in how they do everything.”

“Exactly. She has other… extracurricular activities, that she prefers” Sonia added playfully.

"What kind of extracurricular activities?" Sebastian asked with a raised eyebrow, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"Well, here comes an example," Sonia announced with a wide smile.

"Well, here comes an example," Sonia announced with a wide smile. Sebastian turned his attention in the direction Sonia pointed, spotting two men approaching the group. They were only a few years older than him and wore Auror uniforms, albeit slightly different from what he had seen before. He guessed one of them to be Layla's family member, likely her brother judging by their striking resemblance.

As the two men approached, his assumption was confirmed. One of them was her older brother, and the other was his partner, Louis. Layla’s brother, Khalid, introduced himself to everyone and made some small talk. He stepped a couple of steps aside and spoke to his sister in a soft tone, a little too quiet for Sebastian to hear what they were discussing.

MC also noticed that the two men’s uniform differed from the usual Auror uniform she had seen. She asked about the uniform, and it was Louis who answered her.

“We’re aurors but we work in a specific department. We are assigned to capture high profile criminals. We are allowed to bring them in dead or alive, by any means necessary,” Louis said with what was probably the thickest French accent MC had heard. “After you graduate you have to go through a year long, very intensive training processes as well as pass multiple psychological tests to ensure you would be a good fit for the department.” Louis kept glancing over to Layla as he spoke.

 Sebastian noticed how Louis watched Layla when she spoke to her brother. There was definitely something going on. As Khalid turned back to Louis and spoke to him, something regarding a case they were working on, Sonia spoke up.

"Hey, Khalid. I was wondering, how would you feel if Layla and Louis got married?" Sonia asked, her voice laced with mischief. Before anyone could react, Layla shoved Sonia sideways, causing her to collide with Rani, who then pushed Sonia forward into Khalid.

Khalid spun around, his annoyance evident on his face. He placed his hands on Sonia's shoulders and gently pushed her back a few steps.

"What did she mean by that?" Khalid demanded, his tone suspicious.

“How am I supposed to know? She’s a stupid girl so she asks stupid questions,” Layla responded with annoyance, shooting a brief glance at Sonia to signal her to keep quiet.

"I-It's actually true," Sonia stammered nervously. "I am fairly dumb. My parents even say that to me all of the time. They always praise my sisters for being the smart ones. Sometimes, I even forget where I am. On our way to Hogwarts, I completely blanked and forgot where we were going, and-"

Khalid raised his hand, cutting her off. He rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Enough." He motioned for Layla to follow him, indicating they needed to speak privately.

Layla and Khalid distanced themselves, creating some space between them and the rest of the group.

"She wasn't chosen?"

"Evidently not."

"Why?"

She looked at him annoyed. “How would I know?”

"Well, did she even participate in the selection? Or did she decide not to enter at all, leading to someone else being chosen?" Khalid pressed some more.

“I don’t know. I’ll find out.”

“Okay. Mama and baba are asking.”

Khalid started to walk back to the group, but Layla grabbed his arm.

“One more thing…”

“What?”

“Those three are everywhere. I don’t know if they’re following me or it’s just a coincidence.”

“What are their names?”

“Sebastian Sallow, MC, Ominis Gaunt. Oh, and Amara Hawthorne.”

"Okay. I'll deal with it."

"Not like that. I just... want to know more about them."

"Fine."

Sebastian's eyes remained fixed on Layla and her brother, observing their hushed conversation with growing curiosity. It seemed like a serious conversation. They approached the group once they were done and just as fast as they came, Khalid and Louis were gone. Sebastian couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to their conversation than meets the eye.