Thursday, the thirtieth of October. Shortened classes made time fly, and now it was time for Hogwarts to welcome Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Students and teachers were lined outside in front of the castle. It was a clear and cold evening.

Katsuki was glad he grabbed his Gryffindor scarf before coming out here. He loathed being cold. Who knew how long they'd have to wait?

Students talked amongst themselves, wondering how their guests would arrive.

"You simply cannot Apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds," Tenya said.

Mina shoved Eijiro playfully for teasing her, who knocked into Ochako accidentally. She stumbled and bumped into Katsuki, who steadied her. "Oi," he chastised.

Brown eyes got caught up in his crimson gaze. "Your eyes..." she breathed.

"What about 'em?"

The pink in her cheeks deepened in color. "I haven't noticed how much your scarf makes them pop before," she admitted softly.

The scarlet of his scarf made his eyes stand out, and the gold complemented his hair. His parents said Gryffindor's colors were made for his complexion.

"Yeah, it does that," he said, accepting her compliment in his own way.

Heads swiveled around when Headmaster Dumbledore called out from where he stood in the back row with the other teachers. "The delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

Students looked around in all directions.

Katsuki looked at the sky over the Forbidden Forest. Whatever it was, it grew bigger as it got closer. The gigantic, powder-blue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, was pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses. They were all palominos, and each the size of an elephant.

The first few rows of students backed away as the carriage descended. The horses' large hooves made contact with the ground first, the carriage's huge wheels next.

The door opened, and a boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage. He faced it, bent down, and unfolded a set of golden steps. A woman—the largest woman Katsuki had ever seen—emerged from the carriage.

Nobody could seem to look away from her. She had olive skin and a beaky nose. Her hair was pulled back in a low bun, and her eyes were impossibly dark. She wore black satin, and opals gleamed at her throat and on her fingers.

As Headmaster Dumbledore and Olympe Maxime exchanged small pleasantries, students emerged from the carriage. About a dozen boys and girls stood behind Madame Maxime. None of them wore cloaks, so they all shivered in their robes of fine silk. Some wrapped shawls and scarves around their heads.

More bloody extras. Great.

"What's happening with the lake?" Hanta shouted.

The black surface of the water wasn't smooth. Great bubbles rushed to the surface, waves washed over the muddy banks. A whirlpool appeared in the middle of the lake and a long, black pole rose up.

"It's a mast!" Mina exclaimed.

A ship emerged from the water. It could pass as a resurrected wreck with his skeletal appearance. Now on the surface, the ship headed toward the bank. An anchor was thrown down into the shallows and a plank was lowered onto the ground.

From his view point, Katsuki could see the people leaving the ship were built in a bulky manner. As they got closer, it was because of the way they dressed. Their cloaks had matted, shaggy fur. However, the man who led the way up to the castle wore furs that were silver and sleek, much like his hair.

Igor Karkaroff was tall and thin. His goatee with a small curl only did so much to hide his weak chin. When he reached Headmaster Dumbledore, he shook hands with both of his. He smiled, revealing yellow teeth.

Cut the crap, Katsuki thought as the two talked. Karkaroff's lips could flap all he wanted, but his mug said otherwise. His smile didn't reach his cold eyes.

Katsuki looked at the students behind Karkaroff. They were all bundled up in their fur cloaks.

Even more bloody extras. Fucking great.

Hogwarts students were the last ones inside. The Great Hall had been decorated overnight. Enormous banners of silk hung from the walls, each one of them representing a Hogwarts House. The largest banner with the Hogwarts coat of arms was behind the High Table.

Students from Beauxbatons sat at the Ravenclaw table, while Durmstrang students sat with the Slytherins. Powder blue and deep bloodred mingled with Hogwarts's black robes.

Katsuki watched Mr. Filch add chairs to the High Table. He placed them on either side of Headmaster Dumbledore's chair. Two of them made sense, but why were five needed?

Once everyone was seated and Headmaster Dumbledore addressed the mass, the feast began. At the end of it, the tournament would officially be opened.

When the last golden plate was cleaned, Headmaster Dumbledore stood. All eyes were on him.

"The time has come," he said with a smile. "The Triwizard Tournament will begin soon. But first, a few words of explanation before the casket is brought in—"

Caskets he only saw in his dreams flashed through Katsuki's head. They weren't made for adults. His stomach churned.

"—Let me introduce more guests. Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Toshinori Yagi, a renowned Auror who know longer works in the field but still offers his expertise."

Katsuki tuned out the world, eyes on the last man who was introduced. Toshinori Yagi was a skinny man with angular features and long limbs. His hair was blond and low bangs framed his gaunt face. Blue eyes were sunken in.

He had retired from fieldwork three summers ago. His last case took a toll on his body.

Headmaster Dumbledore spoke after people applauded for the newcomers. "These gentlemen have worked tirelessly over the last few months in regards to the Triwizard Tournament. The three of them will join myself, Madame Maxime, and Professor Karkaroff on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."

Students perked up when the word "champions" was mentioned. Everybody was curious to learn more about the tournament.

Headmaster Dumbledore looked at Mr. Filch and nodded. "The casket, if you please."

He approached the High Table, carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old, having much history to it.

"Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman have already examined the tasks the champions will face this year," Headmaster Dumbledore said as Mr. Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him. "They have also made the arrangements for each challenge. Three tasks will be spaced throughout the school year. The champions will be tested in many different ways...Their magical prowess—their daring—their powers of deduction—and their ability to cope with danger.

"The champions will be marked on how well they perform each of the tasks and the one with the highest total after the third task will win the Triwizard Cup. As for selecting the three champions, they will be chosen, as I've said before, by an impartial selector. I present, the Goblet of Fire!"

Headmaster Dumbledore tapped his wand three times upon the top of the casket, and the lid creaked open slowly. He reached inside it, pulling out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It was filled to the brim with mesmerizing, dancing blue-white flames. Then he closed the casket and placed the goblet on top of it, for everybody in the Hall to see.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must legibly write their name and school upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," he said. "It must be done within twenty-four hours. Tomorrow night, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools."

Katsuki tuned out the bit about some Age Line because it wouldn't affect him. His name would be drawn for Hogwarts.

Headmaster Dumbledore looked over all of the students. "I will say this...Once the Goblet of Fire has selected a champion, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through until the very end. By entering your name into the goblet, a binding, magical contract is formed. Take a moment to ponder if you are truly ready to accept being champion of your school."

Katsuki looked at the blue-white flames. He was more than ready to be his school's champion.

xXx

A/N 1: Totally looked at Book 4 for this chapter. At a point, I'll stray away from that. For example, the next chapter~

A/N 2: Fun Fact: The spark for this fic was Ochako's comment about Katsuki's eyes popping because of his scarf. It only expanded from there!