Azalea hadn't expected the excitement and adventures to start so soon.

Upon getting to Hogwarts, the sky was darkening, but still light enough to see the fucking huge carriage flying through the air, eight flying horses pulling it down to land at Hogwarts.

Naturally, a whole crowd had gathered in the courtyard to watch this, and Fred unhelpfully shouted. "That's something you don't see everyday!"

"Nah, I'm quite familiar with that actually!" Louis shouted back grinning, Fred rolling his eyes in return.

Azalea watched, very confused but absolutely mystified as the carriage flew down to the ground, out of sight as it landed on the grounds. Alice, beside her, was gasping, and everyone else was shocked.

Then the ship arrived.

It came on the water (obviously), looking like a small vessel, until the whole thing emerged from the water and the extent of it was seen. Azalea briefly wondered how everyone inside it would stay dry, but quickly learned that it would be magic, and she knew it was.

The arrival of this carriage and this huge ship made Azalea wonder what on earth was happening at Hogwarts this year.

She didn't have to wait long to find out.

✾✾✾

The great hall was the same as it was every year. Candles floating above, the huge ceiling enchanted to look like the night sky, the four long tables that stretched the length, and the teachers' table at the top.

Azalea sat at the Gryffindor table next to Alice, and opposite Lily and Hugo. Rose was down a bit, and James, Fred and Louis could be seen cracking jokes with other Gryffindors up past Lea. She was just glad James hadn't asked her out again.

With a glance up at the teachers' table, Azalea smiled. There was McGonagall, headmistress and transfiguration teacher, and the best in Lea's opinion. There was Hagrid, who taught care of magical creatures. Azalea now didn't take it, but she loved it nonetheless. There was Neville (or Professor Longbottom), the herbology professor, who she absolutely adored. He was head of Hufflepuff house, as well, despite having belonged to Gryffindor when he was at school.

Professor Flitwick was up there, too, and he was head of Ravenclaw. He was tiny, and the charms teacher, and was very popular and well liked. Along with him sat Professor Slughorn, who was head of Slytherin, very old and yet still very upbeat. He taught potions, and absolutely adored Azalea, due to her skill in the subject.

Head of Gryffindor house was Teddy (or Professor Lupin). He taught defence against the dark arts and was also James, Albus and Lily's adoptive brother. His parents had died during the last battle with Voldemort, so Lily said.

But along the teachers' table Azalea saw that the seats on either side of McGonagall, usually filled by Neville and Flitwick, were empty.

"Who's missing?" She asked Alice, gesturing up to the table. Her best friend looked up and frowned too.

"No one's missing," Lily, who had also heard this comment, said. "There's just two extra seats, and I bet it's something to do with that carriage and that ship."

And yes, she was right.

Not before long, Professor McGonagall stood up, and walked to the podium, from there, she called. "Silence!"

Everyone stopped talking almost immediately.

"Attention everyone, I'd like to make an announcement," she said, and even though she always sounded serious, this time she sounded very, very serious. "This castle will not only be your home this year, but home to some very special guests as well. Students, it is my greatest pleasure to announce that Hogwarts will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament this year."

Now, Azalea had no idea what the hell the Triwizard Tournament even was, but most people in the hall did, because there was an immediate murmur of excitement amongst the tables.

"Now, for those of you who do not know, the Triwizard Tournament brings three schools together, for a series of magical contests," McGonagall continued after most people quietened down. "The rules have previously been that one student, a champion, is selected, but the rules are going to be a bit different this year."

Won't make a difference to me, Azalea shrugged. I never knew what the damned thing was in the first place.

"But on that later," McGonagall's voice brightened. "For now, please join me in welcoming our fellow magical schools. Please welcome, the students from Beauzbatons Academy of Magic and Durmstrang, and their headmistresses, Madam Maxine and Miss Korkonen!"

All at once, the great hall doors open, and in came around thirty students from each school. The ones from Beauxbatons wore a uniform of light blue, most with eyes of the same colour and blonde hair. The ones from Durmstrang wore darker robes, with furred edges and big, statement hats.

But Azalea was only looking at one, in particular.

It was a boy in the front row, dressed in a Durmstrang uniform, with a squint hat and black hair and a pale, clear face and brown eyes. He was taller than Lea, but not too tall, and instantly, Azalea was drawn to him.

"Who're you looking at?" Alice muttered into her ear, smirk evident in her tone.

"That boy in the front, with the sideways hat," Azalea hissed back.

Alice giggled.

"What? He's cute," Lea shrugged.

She'd never really had a crush before, and she'd definitely never had a boyfriend. Her lips had never been kissed, either.

She was a complete novice in all departments, and yet this boy was all she wanted.

The headmistresses couldn't have been more unlike each other. Madam Maxine, the Beauxbatons headmistress, was like Hagrid; not a giant, but tall and big. Yet she was a woman, in a dress, with makeup on.

Miss Korkonen was small, with black hair pulled back tightly in a bun, black lipstick on and eyes dark. She looked strict and mean, and Azalea had to try hard not to judge her by her appearance.

After the students were welcomed, the food appeared, and Azalea tucked in without a second thought. She wasn't really aware of the podiumed covered thing that was being set up at the top of the hall, she was just fucking starving.

"So, Edwards," James said with a grin, sliding down the bench to sit next to Lily, Fred and Louis beside him. "What you thinking about this tournament?"

"Is this what you're resorting to, Potter, now you can't ask me out?" Azalea asked, a half smirk on her face. "Ask me about recent affairs?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you were planning on entering," James shrugged. "Dad did it, back when he was young."

"Yeah, and he didn't even enter himself," Lily rolled her eyes. "It all makes sense now, though. All the cryptic stuff. Dad'll be involved with the tournament, and that's why he'll be at Hogwarts more often this year."

"Nice deduction, Lils," shrugged James. "It also makes sense why there's no quidditch captain, cause there'll be no quidditch this year. Now come on, Edwards, what'd you think about this?"

"Not sure," shrugged Azalea. "I feel like it'd be great to do, but also very dangerous."

"That's what makes it fun," James sighed. "I thought you were braver than this, Lea."

Azalea paused as he called her that. He hadn't called her that in years, not since first year, when he'd yelled it down the table. It'd always just been 'Edwards' for all these years, so it was weird to see him go back to 'Lea'.

"I'm ten times braver than you, Potter, and smarter too," Azalea shot back.

"No you're not," James snapped.

And then they were arguing like six year olds.

"I am-"

"Are not-"

"Am-"

"Aren't-"

"Am-"

"Aren't-"

"Excuse me, can I sit here?"

The voice speaking to them was thick with an accent, and as Azalea turned round to flip whoever was asking off, her finger stopped as it came.

It was the boy from earlier, with the hat that had been askew. His hat wasn't on now, of course, but Azalea was getting a first hand view of his black fluffy hair and brown eyes.

"Y-yeah," she said, stuttering slightly as he smiled at her, sitting down right next to her, in the gap between her and Fred. "Er- I'm Azalea. Azalea Edwards."

Due to the cramped space, she could only awkwardly offer her hand, but the boy just smiled and took it.

"I'm Lauri," he said. "Lauri Krum."

"Krum?" Lily asked with interest. "Are you Viktor Krum's son?"

"Yeah," Lauri nodded.

Alice leaned forward to whisper to a silenced Azalea. "Krum's a famous-"

"Seeker," Azalea nodded, having seen his name in a book. She was more interested, however, in the fact that her and Lauri's legs were touching, because they were sat so close-

"So, Lauri," and then the moment was ruined, and it was all because of Potter. "Do you play quidditch?"

James, who had been watching Azalea's flushed cheeks, soft eyes and small smile, was angry at the flaming pit of jealousy he felt in his stomach. He was jealous. He was jealous because Azalea liked this boy; a feeling she had never felt for him.

"Oh, yes," Lauri smiled, answering James' question. "I play chaser, though, because seeker's so boring."

"Hey! I play seeker!" Lily said, pretending to be hurt.

"Azalea's a chaser, though, and James," Alice said with a smile, nudging her best friend.

"Really?" Lauri only had eyes for Azalea. "You any good?"

He has dimples, and his eyes light up when he's excited, and he's so fucking cute-

"I'm better than her," James assured the boy.

And then, in a flash, Azalea snapped back to her usual self, telling him. "Says you, Potter, but you shit your pants whenever I'm on the pitch."

And Lauri was laughing, so she must've done something right, because he was laughing like mad.

"Are you two dating?" He suddenly asked, looking marginally worried as he pointed at James and Azalea.

Lily, Alice, Fred and Louis all snorted as Azalea and James both spoke over each other.

"No, no we aren't-"

"I'd rather fucking die-"

"In short, James has been after Azalea since first year, she hates him, still does, and he's going to stop asking her out this year," Fred put in.

"Oh, right," Lauri said, smiling at Lea. "Don't tell your boyfriend I said that, then, or he'll be after me."

"Er- there's no boyfriend, and I won't be 'after you', don't worry," Azalea said with a nervous chuckle, looking at Lauri.

"Really? No boyfriend?" He frowned.

"Nope," Azalea shook her head. "Just a really annoying boy with a crush on me-"

"Which has disappeared-" James cut in.

"-but no boyfriend," finished Lea. You don't have to worry, she wanted to add. She wasn't that bold.

But across from them, a conversation about who could do the best dive on a broom had started, and with Lily, James and Fred involved, Azalea knew she wanted to be there.

Her mild interest in (or crush on) Lauri would just have to wait.

✾✾✾

After everyone had eaten, McGonagall called everyone together again.

"Your attention, please!"

Azalea stopped her conversation with Fred and Louis about which broom was the best  and turned round to see McGonagall stood beside the podiumed cover, looking serious but excited.

"I'd just like to say that the winner of the tournament will recieve eternal glory, but to do this, three tasks must be survived," she announced. "Three extremely dangerous tasks."

"Wicked," James, Fred and Louis said in sync.

"Now, to make the tournament safer, the ministry has seen fit to impose some clear rules," McGonagall announced. "To explain all this, we have Head Auror Mr Harry Potter, a past Hogwarts student and Triwizard Champion!"

There was clapping as Harry Potter walked through a back door.

"That git," Azalea heard James mutter with a laugh. "Telling us 'goodbye' knowing he's gonna see us tonight."

Azalea smiled slightly, looking up as Harry took the stage.

"Well hello everyone, I'm Harry Potter, as Professor McGonagall just so kindly said," he gave McGonagall a smile which she returned. "I'm here to tell you all that this year, the Triwizard Tournament is going to be different. Many years ago, when I competed, a great life was lost, and to make sure that doesn't happen this year, the ministry have decided that to enter, you must not just be seventeen years of age-"

"THAT'S TERRIBLE!"

"WE WANT A TRY-"

"YOU'RE RUBBISH!"

Harry waited until the shouts had quietened down, then he continued. "As I was saying, champions must not only be seventeen, they also must enter in pairs, which has not previously been a rule."

Now, this didn't make much difference to Azalea, who hadn't been thinking of entering, but just for a second she imagined her and Alice winning, being the champions...

"Now, of course there are some rules that must be made clear about this," Harry clarified. "Pairs that enter must contain two members that are over seventeen, and attend the same school. If names are entered that do not apply to these rules, well, the punishments are... interesting."

McGonagall stepped forward. "That's right, Mr Potter, and actually leads me conveniently... to this."

With that, she used her wand to magically remove the gold podiumed cover from the attraction at the front of the hall, revealing a giant... goblet?

It was big, but not huge, and it had a gold pattern on it and was ornate and beautiful. Once it was fully revealed, a blue flame ignited in its mouth, and flickered higher and higher.

"The Goblet of Fire," McGonagall gestured to the thing. "Any pair wishing to submit themselves to the tournament need only write their names on a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night."

"Do not do so lightly," Harry added, as she paused. "If chosen, there's no turning back, and trust me when I tell you, this tournament is not for the faint hearted."

McGonagall nodded. "As from this moment, the Triwizard Tournament has begun."

And Azalea had no idea what she was going to do.