Mark_Ward
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Chapter 107: Wild Reception
🕑 Added 2021-01-05 04:43:19 +0000 UTCAfter the exhilarating spectacles prepared by the student committee was over, Dumbledore smiled at everyone and spoke up cheerily. "Now why don't we head back inside. I am sure you all want to come in from the chilly autumn wind and keep warm and toasty where the fireplace is nearby!"
Shuffling into the castle's front gates, Harry recrossed the entrance hall with the rest of the Hogwarts students and heading for the Great Hall where the welcoming feast awaited.
At this point, everyone was part of a milling crowd as they moved at a snail pace with the Headmasters and mistresses chatting at the far back of the crowd alongside with the Hogwarts Professors.
Once they walked inside the Great hall, everyone saw that things had been changed up. The room was magically expanded out to fit the large increase in number. The tables were also rearranged, instead of the usual four long tables that each respected house sat at; now there were 11 large tables of varying shapes and sizes.
In the center was of course the Hogwart's table which was the largest of them all to fit the whole student body. It was circular in shape and had a yellow cloth laid on top of it with the four house animals animatedly moving about magically.
What had most Hogwarts students in a twist was that they never broke the house barriers in place built up since its conception. So this was a total new first for them all. However Harry knew that they need to present a strong unified front with the arrival of the other schools, so what better way than to be seated at the same place for a meal.
Slowly someone followed by another and then another broke off from the hesitant and frozen crowd, and took a seat in the center of the Great Hall. Harry was first to lead by example, then soon his friends followed behind him, and slowly more and more people trickled in as before long even the most adamant had to take a seat or just be left standing there like an idiot.
The other school had much smaller tables encircling the main Hogwarts table since they only had a fraction here. Each of them was of different shape from triangular, square, star, heart, cross, and so forth with each of them having a cloth laid on top with each school's respected crest inlaid on it.
As the foreign students took their seats Harry heard plenty of moaning and complaining, especially from some boys who wished they could dine with the lovely Beauxbatons girls, or others who wished that they could have cozy up to the Quidditch star Krum who was a student of Durmstrang. Plus the ambitious lot that wanted to bootlick that princess that has arrived within these halls.
Harry noticed that some foreign students looking up at the starry black ceiling with expressions of interest while a couple of them were picking up the golden plates and goblets and examining them, apparently impressed.
Others he saw, looked at the place with an unmistakably derisive look as if they got treated to much better things at their own school and saw this as nothing more than peasant fair.
When all the students had entered the Hall and settled down at their respected School's tables, the Professors entered, filing up to the top table and taking their seats. Instead of seated on the head table they were instead on a second-tier a bit lower.
Last in line were the Headmasters and mistresses who came in very regally and imposing.
When they appeared, some of the pupils from Durmstrang, Shanghai, Uagadou, and Mahoutokoro leapt to their feet. The other students stared up at them as they stood to attention rigidly and respectfully. They all appeared unembarrassed as this must have been a regular thing to do, and only resume to take their seats until their schoolmaster sat down on at the head table.
Dumbledore remained standing however while all the other schoolmasters took their seat, and a silence fell over the Great Hall.
To host the Triwizard tournament was indeed a very high honor, it has been over 82 years since Hogwarts has been able to do so. With the last time being in 1912. Thus this was time to show off what Hogwarts was all about and impress our foreign friends and allies.
"I like this seating arrangement," Dumbledore noted as he peered at the grand table in the middle of the hall where all the Hogwarts students were seated together like one big family. Or more accurately one big unhappy family who were stuck at the hips.
This was a first among first, Hogwart students from different vying houses all together in one place... what could go wrong?!
Then clearing his throat, the old man begin with, "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and — most particularly — guests," Dumbledore beaming around at the foreign students. "I and everyone within these castle walls have the great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."
A soft round of polite clapping went up at the old man's declaration, "The Triwizard Tournament was established approximately one thousand seven hundred and fifty years ago. At first as a friendly competition between the wizarding schools of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and Durmstrang Institute. Held every decade, the competition slowly grew to incorporate more and more schools throughout the many long years it existed! And it was hosted by each school in turn, and the judges for the Tournament comprising the headmasters or headmistresses of the schools."
"There have been at least 174 editions of the Tournament: Koldovstoretz has 24 wins, Castelobruxo has 23 wins, Hogwarts has 22 wins, Durmstrang has 20 wins, Shanghai has 18 wins, Uagadou has 15 wins, Mahoutokoro has 15 wins, Jordan has 14 wins, Beauxbatons has 11, Oceania has 7 wins, Ilvermorny has 5 wins."
"This year we at Hogwarts are glad to host the 175th Triwizard Tournament! The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," Dumbledore declared. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"
The plates in front of them magically filled with food as usual. The house elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there was a greater variety of dishes in front of them, more than Harry had ever seen, including several that were definitely foreign.
Even Harry who was pampered by Kreacher over the summer with many different cuisine from all over the world couldn't tell what most of them were. When he headed down to the kitchens to instruct the house-elves to make as many foreign dishes, he never did expect them to go this... this wild.
Though in the end, he did get his wish, as every possible dish from every corner of the world seem to be laid out before him. He would have to give his compliments to the cooks, that more than anything seem to satisfy them then worldly rewards or personal favors.
He could see some students salivating as the smells assaulted their noises and the eyes were struck with all the colors. The guests seem to be immensely surprised as their homes dishes were laid out before them, bring a bit of familiarity to them.
"Come on, eat, eat," Dumbledore chuckled seeming the awe that held everyone.
That seem to be the signal as everyone tore into the feast.
Hands reached out to grab food, some out right took whole dishes clutching tight like greedy goblins, others used their wands to float their food to them. It was a wild chaotic mess as chatter went up into the air, and eating was partaken.
The Headmaster and mistresses had their own little discussions as they chatted about obscure things in their high back chairs over looking the grand hall.
The Great Hall was much more crowded than usual, with the arrival of the other schools the population within the Great Hall had swelled greatly. Each schoolmaster seem to have not brought a few dozen students, but nearly a 100 each and he could understand why. All of them must be 7th year students or those who reached the wizarding mature age of 17 years old, who would be trying their luck in participating in the Tournament on behalf of their school.
To get a clear idea, Hogwarts gets around 100 to 150 new students each year, so each respected house gets around 25 to 40 new fresh blood. The Gryffindor in his year where 34 when you included him, a fine average during these hard times. Of course, it was much lower than what Hogwarts was getting before the two back to back war, where you used to be looking at 500 to 1,000 new students each year!
Anyways with Hogwarts student body of nearly a 1,000 students, and the 10 schools who brought along their respected 100 each. The population of this place effectively double as there were 2,000 students within these walls.
There was bond to be something that went wrong!
It was his fault to be honest, at the best of times each house can barely stand the other for numerous reasons forget being forced into seating and dining right next to each other. There was of course going to be a feud that broke out, and that is exactly one happened.
It seem like two 3rd year old who were from Gryffindor and Slytherin, the worst of enemies if there were some amount the house got into a fight over a dish they wanted. Later he found out that it was Ginny Weasley and Astoria Greengrass who started it all.
Shouting and screaming and throwing insults at each other as they fought over the dish, two senior students decided to butt in and they of course sided with their house members.
Things quickly got heated, words were exchanged, and someone made fun of someone else's mother and all hell broke loose. No one really knows who threw the first shot, but Harry was pretty sure he caught from the corner of his eye two very familiar red heads chuckling manically from the sidelines.
Either ways, peas struck the older Slytherin girl in the cheeks who gasped in indignation and fury, then she returned fire by quickly taking an American apple pie and shoving it at her opposing Gryffindor sixth year she had been arguing with.
The Gryffindor didn't take shit at all as she returned fire wacking the Slytherin with a whole side of mashed potatoes. The food struck home but also some of it went sailing into the air as it got on to others.
Loud, "Heys," went up as those who got struck as well gazed around in fury.
The Slytherin girl seem to of course think how unfair this was as she got hit twice by food so took her pasta and begin to litter it all over the Gryffindor girls. Once again the food hit more people than just the intended target and the seething anger reached a boiling point.
And things just got worse from there.
Harry wasn't sure who shouted it, but someone yelled at the top of their lungs, "FOOD FIGHT!!!"
And they were right a brawl broke out at the table as food where being thrown around, sent hurling by wands, or just smeared on people's faces.
It was pandemonium was you had to duck and weave or else got one right in the face. There were loud yelling, wild whoops, screams of rage, cries of triumph, manic glee, and so much more sounds that filled the air.
Enemies turned on enemies, friends turned on friends, housemates turned on housemates, it was a wild mess that saw no end.
The other foreign students just stared on some in shock, others in awe, and a few in disgust thinking them all savages. All the newcomers could do was just sit still in their seats and take in the carnage happening before their eyes.
However they weren't too long out of the fight as one by one - shots either went wild or were aimed purposely to strick them. At first, angry cries went up or annoyed growls, however soon as they were pelted continuously they just couldn't take it anymore.
At first, it was just returning fires, seeking revenge, but soon more and more people begin to join in on the wild fun as robes were dirted and faces were awash with a million different colors.
It was a wild conflagration of chaos no one could stay out of it as those who sat back on their seats were sitting duck and those who tried to back away were somehow targetted by someone or some two people in particular and were pulling then back in to the fray.
Harry watched everything unfold too dumbfounded for a long while until he felt the slow creep of something liquid go down his back. Turning around he saw Pansy Parkinson standing with a triumphant smile on her face and a cup in her hand.
Touching the back of his robe and pressing down the wet stain on his robes and feeling liquid go down his back. Harry uttered, "Why you bitch," but it contained none of the heat. This was all on him, he should have put up a shield long ago if he wanted to keep safe.
Harry grabbed a handful of some Sushi he was trying out and chucked them at the pure-blood. She gasped in surprise as the raw fish slide down her face and some got stuck in her beautiful midnight black hair.
She seem to think he would never return fire, but sadly she was mistaken, he was a man of equal gender!
Chuckling deeply, he laughed away his amusement as he pointed a hand at her. All of the sudden her face went dark as she grabbed a plate of noodles, then yelling out loud her fury she sloshed it all at him.
Harry was having none of it as she took a giant spoon of hummus and flung it at her.
Soon they were trading blows galore as unending shots went back and forth which was very similar to what was going on all around.
The Hogwarts Professors, on the other hand, really did try their best to stop all this mayhem going on. But at the best of times they really have full control of the student body with only a dozen staff members to a 1,000 kids who can not really supervise them the best you can. That is why they implore Head Boy or Girl and Prefects underneath them to keep a eye on the students.
But now that the student body has doubled and becoming 2,000 kids with those that where supposed to be in charge just as much taking part in the food fight. There was no order at all in the place nor could the teachers establish it.
The schoolmasters stayed still in their seats overlooking everything that was happening below. Some were shaking their head in disappointment, others just broke into outright laughter, some just had a single eyebrow raised, while others didn't seem to careless what was going on.
Finally, Dumbledore as he smiled and nodded his head to the other schoolmasters, he got up, clearing his throat, and he said, "Alright, alright now that is enough fun for today!"
Unlike the Professors, he wasn't ignored as he put his will and magic behind his words to get everyone's attention.
Everyone came to a stop and then as if realizing the position that they were all in as the Professors and schoolmasters stared down at them, many took loud gulps. The whole Grand Hall was a complete and utter mess with food laying everywhere, with plenty of stains on the walls, and everyone being a complete mess.
"So this is the fables Hogwarts," Boris Sergey, Headmaster of Koldovstoretz muttered to himself as he especially took notice of his students who took part in the
"Well I think it's bloody," Spencer Allen, Headmaster of Oceania shook his head.
"Of course you would," Igor Karkaroff, Headmaster of Durmstrang sneered.
"I ezpected mor' from my girls," Madame Maxime sighed out loud, letting her disappointment slip.
"Now, now," Dumbledore said, "they are all children and it is part of a child's nature to cause mischief.
"I always say, since there was no harm done, there is no foul." Jafar Abdulhamid, Headmaster of Jordan uttered with a smile.
"Yes, couldn't agree with you anymore," Zhuan Hui, Headmaster of Shanghai rubbed his long beard.
"Then we are in agreement, Dumbledore said as he slapped his hands together. "Now of to bed," he waved his hand to the students, "we shall pick this up tomorrow and I will discuss the tournament in more detail later, including how you can enter!"
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ELEVEN Prestigious schools; Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, Castelobruxo, Durmstrang Institute, Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Jordan Academy of Sorcery, Koldovstoretz, Shanghai Institute of Magic, Mahoutokoro School of Magic, Oceania Academy of Wizardry, and Uagadou School of Magic!
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Pics of Headmaster and mistresses:
Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts Headmaster: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/v2DA6v
Igor Karkaroff, Durmstrang Headmaster: https://www.hp-lexicon.org/?attachment_id=28667
Madame Maxime, Beauxbatons Headmistress: https://pm1.narvii.com/6388/fff8307bd2e4a7e4c9d00c6d118139326ae06508_hq.jpg
Kaya Nita, Ilvermorny Headmistress: https://www.goodfon.com/wallpaper/indian-roach-girl-feathers-fantasy-art-staff-magic-shaman.html
Jafar Abdulhamid, Jordan Headmaster: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/ATf7v8h0iPK0huNMjrbSk9MZIvW-grm-6D9GGXI1508IftWs15JqZbM/
Zhuan Hui, Shanghai Headmaster: https://d.wattpad.com/story_parts/471260405/images/14e55bf18e6973e8514864264070.jpg
Ekuseni Khaya, Uagadou Headmistress: https://depositphotos.com/286435138/stock-photo-urban-fantasy-sci-african-warrior.html
Mikasa Rai, Mahoutokoro Headmistress: https://mars_arte.artstation.com/projects/gJzWBE
Spencer Allen, Oceania Headmaster: https://www.123rf.com/photo_68652215_steampunk-man-with-pocket-watch-on-vintage-steampunk-background.html
Boris Sergey, Koldovstoretz Headmaster: https://jannalever.webnode.ru/_files/system_preview_detail_200003930-40b1e41a6e/Ivan%20IV.jpg
Lucas Santos, CastelobruxoHeadmaster: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/157344580719545368/
Comments
Cerber
Y, reading about noble teenagers participating in a food is just plain wrong.
Thanks for the chapter on a good story
Darkanlan
Great way to make the school look as pathetic as it is. Nothing says low class like a bunch of children picking fights in their own school while surrounded by their peers. Then turning it into a food fight. That's the lowest of the low. Nobles taking part in that already show that their country has no nobility left in it.
When Harry's name get cast into the goblet. I plan for him to set things right in his house by revealing he is the new Gryffindor Lord. For his other two founder houses, later.
KristofferXxXxX
I actually first thought Harry would reveal his status as the Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble Houses of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Slytherin to bring order but then I remembered that he is not ready yet to challenge Dumbledore or face the world. I'm looking forward to Harry meeting new interesting friends. I wonder how Fleur will treat him this time as he is no longer the underfed small boy but a fully recovered, fullgrown man with a lot of political power and confidence, as well as lots of girls who are falling for the young protagonist :3
