"I thought I told you to comb your hair, Miss Black," Snape snarled, his dark eyes narrowing as they locked onto Cassiopeia's disheveled appearance.

Cassie's hair was a wild mess, tangled and unruly. The waves cascaded over her shoulders, a few stray curls framing her sharp cheekbones. Her half-hearted attempt to tie it back had failed miserably; the ribbon she'd used had slid down, leaving most of her hair in rebellious chaos. Cassie never really cared about taming her hair, 

She scowled at him, undeterred. "I tried. My comb broke."

Snape's lips thinned into a tight line, but he said nothing further. He was in an especially foul mood today—probably because Potions had been canceled to make way for the arrival of the delegations. Cassie wouldn't have been surprised if he was sulking about missing the chance to poison her during class.

"How... unfortunate," he sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Cassie simply rolled her eyes, already bored with the conversation.

She glanced over at her friends lingering near the entrance hall, who were clearly less worried about Snape's bad mood and more entertained by Draco's latest bragging session.

"Father's told me all about Durmstrang," Draco was saying with an air of superiority. "Their headmaster is Karkaroff. I saw Viktor Krum up close once, too—Father and Karkaroff know each other well."

Cassie couldn't help the smirk that crept onto her lips. "Oh, really? Does uncle dearest send you bedtime stories about Durmstrang too, Draco?"

Draco shot her a withering glare, but before he could retort, someone bumped into Cassie's shoulder—hard.

"Watch where you're going, Badger," Cassie snapped, spinning around with a glare to match.

It was a Hufflepuff boy, probably in their year, with messy brown hair and wide green eyes that widened even further when he realized who he had walked into. His face flushed, turning an impressive shade of pink. "S-Sorry," he stammered.

Cassie eyed him, her lip curling in disdain. "You should be," she muttered, but then noticed his gaze drifting toward Pansy, who stood at her side

"Hey," the boy said quietly, a shy smile tugging at his lips as he looked at Pansy.

Pansy grinned back, clearly enjoying this interaction. "Hi, Tyler."

Cassie's eyes narrowed further. She eyed the boy up and down. "Oh, you're Tyler, huh?"

 The boy, Tyler, blinked nervously. "Yes, ma'am," he said, standing a bit straighter.

Cassie let out a derisive snort. "Ma'am? How old do you think I am?""

Tyler mumbled something under his breath, his eyes glued to the floor.

"What was that?" Cassie's said sharply, her eyes flashing with irritation.

Pansy giggled behind her hand. "He said you're intimidating, Cass."

Cassie rolled her eyes, dismissing the comment with a wave of her hand. "Typical Badger," she muttered, turning her back to Tyler as if he wasn't worth any more of her attention.

Pansy playfully smacked Cassie's shoulder. "What did we say about being nice?"

Cassie huffed dramatically. "That it's harmful to our health and we should never do it," she shot back

Pansy raised a brow, not letting her off the hook that easily. "You should at least try "

"Im pretty sure we agreed That it's overrated and for weaklings?"

Tyler was still standing there, awkwardly shuffling from foot to foot as if he wasn't sure whether to leave or stay.

Cassie shot him a dismissive glance. "You're still here?"

Tyler mumbled another apology before quickly retreating, clearly relieved to escape Cassie's scrutiny.

Pansy sighed and shot him an apologetic look. Tyler, however, just grinned and gave her a thumbs up 

The Slytherins soon filed down the stone steps leading to the courtyard, joining the rest of the students who had gathered to witness the arrival of the visiting delegations. The evening air was crisp, the sky darkening into a deep blue as dusk set in. A pale, silvery moon hovered just above the treetops of the Forbidden Forest, casting a ghostly glow over the grounds.

"Nearly six," Blaise muttered, glancing at his watch before squinting down the long drive that led to the front gates. "How do you reckon they're arriving?"

Cassie shrugged lazily, her posture slouched. "Who cares?" she muttered unimpressed

Before Blaise could respond, a voice rang out from the back of the crowd—Dumbledore's unmistakable voice. "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

The students craned their necks, eager to catch a glimpse of the arriving visitors. "Where?" came several excited voices from different directions.

"There!" shouted a sixth-year, pointing toward the darkening sky above the Forbidden Forest.

Cassie squinted, watching as a large, dark shape emerged from the treetops, growing larger as it drew closer. It was much too big to be a broomstick—or even several. As it came into clearer view, the students gasped.

"It's a dragon!" shrieked one of the first years, losing her headcompletely. "

"Don't be stupid . . . it's a flying house!" said Dennis Creevey.

Dennis's guess was closer

A gigantic, powder-blue carriage, the size of a small house, was hurtling through the air, pulled by a dozen enormous winged horses. The horses were palominos, their golden coats gleaming in the fading light, and each one was as large as an elephant. Their hooves, easily the size of dinner plates, hit the ground with a loud thud as the carriage came crashing down, its wheels bouncing slightly upon impact.

The front rows of students instinctively took a step back, watching in awe as a boy in pale blue robes leaped down from the carriage and unfolded a set of golden steps. He stepped aside, bowing as the massive carriage door creaked open.

Cassie's breath caught in her throat as she saw a towering figure emerge from the carriage. A high-heeled black shoe, large enough to be a sled, was the first thing to touch the ground, followed by the largest woman Cassie had ever seen. She was enormous, easily twice the size of any normal human, and her striking olive skin and dark, liquid eyes only added to her imposing presence.

Madame Maxime.

Dumbledore stepped forward, clapping politely, and the students followed his lead, though many of them were still craning their necks to get a better look at the Beauxbatons headmistress and her students, who were shivering in their thin, silk robes.

Her face relaxed into a gracious smile, and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. Dumbledore, though tall himself, barely had to bend to kiss it. "My dear Madame Maxime," he said warmly. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dorr," said Madame Maxime in a deep, rumbling voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, I thank you," Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling.

Madame Maxime waved one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her, gesturing to her entourage. Cassie, who had been completely focused on her, now noticed a dozen boys and girls standing behind her. They looked to be in their late teens and were shivering, their fine silk robes doing little to keep the cold at bay. A few had wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads, and they stared up at Hogwarts with wide, apprehensive eyes.

"'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked, glancing around.

"He should be here any moment," Dumbledore assured her. "Would you like to wait here to greet him, or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a bit?"

"Warm up, I think," she said, her tone decisive. "But ze 'orses—"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," Dumbledore said smoothly, "the moment he returns from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other—er—charges."

"My steeds require—er—forceful 'andling," Madame Maxime replied, a skeptical look crossing her face, as though doubting whether any Hogwarts teacher could handle her magnificent horses. "Zey are very strong..."

"I assure you, Hagrid will be well up to the job," Dumbledore said, his smile reassuring.

"Very well," Madame Maxime said, bowing slightly. "Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?"

"It will be attended to," Dumbledore replied, also bowing.

"Come," she commanded her students, and the Hogwarts crowd parted to allow her and her entourage to pass up the stone steps.

"Did you see them?" Blaise swooned, leaning forward.

"Who?" Cassie asked, not quite paying attention.

"The Beauxbatons girls! Are they Veelas?" he exclaimed, his eyes gleaming.

"Of course not," Theo said derisively, rolling his eyes.

They stood, shivering slightly now, waiting for the Durmstrang party to arrive. Most students gazed hopefully up at the sky.

For a few minutes, the silence was broken only by Madame Maxime's massive horses snorting and stamping. Then—

"Can you hear something?" Pansy said, her excitement palpable.

From their position at the top of the lawns, they had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the lake—except that it was suddenly not smooth at all. Great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves washing over the muddy banks. And then, out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been pulled out of its depths...

"What's that?" Draco pointed, his eyes wide.

"It's a mast!" A first year exclaimed as he spotted it.

Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose from the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It looked strangely skeletal, almost like a resurrected wreck, and the dim lights at its portholes shimmered like ghostly eyes. With a loud sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the choppy water, before gliding toward the bank. Moments later, they heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the shore.

People began to disembark; Cassie noticed their silhouettes moving past the ship's glowing portholes. They appeared tall and bulky, but as they drew nearer, she realized their bulk was due to shaggy, matted fur cloaks. The man leading them wore sleek silver furs that matched his hair.

"Dumbledore!" he called heartily, approaching with a broad smile. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied.

"Igor Karkaroff," Theo muttered. "Former Death Eater, wasn't he?"

Cassie's gaze sharpened surveying the Trichy headmaster remembering Regulus's words

Karkaroff had a fruity, unctuous voice; when he stepped into the light, Cassie saw he was tall and thin like Dumbledore, but with short white hair and a goatee that didn't quite hide his weak chin. As he reached Dumbledore, they shook hands.

"Dear old Hogwarts," Karkaroff said, gazing up at the castle with a smile that didn't quite reach his cold, shrewd eyes. "How good it is to be here, how good... Viktor, come along, into the warmth... you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold..."

Karkaroff beckoned forward one of his students.

"It's Krum!" Draco swooned, practically vibrating with excitement.

Cassie rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath. "Not again..."

She glanced back at the delegation, not that she was hoping to see him, but she wouldn't mind catching a glimpse of the dark-haired, charming Quidditch player...she met a the world cup

"Isn't that Gregwitch?" Blaise remarked, pointing.

"Where" Theo immediately perked up, intrigued.

Cassie tiptoed over, trying to peer through the crowd. And there he was—his face pink from the cold, his fur coat pulled tightly around his lean figure, his tousled black hair ruffled by the breeze.

"I can't see him!" Pansy whined, standing on her tiptoes.

"Not much to see anyway," Theo scowled, crossing his arms, while Blaise snorted 


**************************************

"Look cool, guys," Draco huffed, patting down his robes and puffing out his chest

Cassie snorted, leaning back in her chair. "You act like we have competition," she said, casting a dismissive glance at a group of girls squabbling over lipstick, each hoping to get Viktor Krum's autograph.

"For the love of Merlin, Cassie, try to look approachable," Draco muttered, his voice a mix of exasperation and excitement. "Krum might sit with us if we play our cards right!"

Cassie huffed and shifted her gaze towards the Durmstrang students, who were lingering uncertainly at the entrance of the Great Hall. Most of them were towering, broad-shouldered, and athletic. They peeled off their thick furs, revealing muscular figures and expressions of both awe and a sort of detached contempt as they took in the sight of Hogwarts. 

As Cassie's eyes lazily scanned the crowd, something – or rather someone – caught her attention. A tall, dark-haired figure stood among the Durmstrang lot. There was no mistaking him. His lean yet athletic frame, his tousled black hair, and the smug confidence in his posture were all too familiar. Cole.

Cassie's eyes widened as he spotted her, a grin spreading across his face. He raised his hand in recognition, giving her a casual wave.

Cassie groaned and sank deeper into her seat, hoping the floor might open up and swallow her whole. "Merlin, not him again..." she muttered under her breath.

"Is that—Cole waving at you?" Pansy squealed, 

"Is it?" Cassie scowled, refusing to look back up. "I wasn't paying attention."

"It is," Draco confirmed, looking entirely too excited. He was practically bouncing in his seat as he eagerly beckoned Cole to come over. "This is perfect! Cassie, act natural."

Cole turned to the Durmstrang students around him, gesturing towards the Slytherin table with a smirk. Several of them, looking intrigued, followed his lead. As Cole approached, a few of his Durmstrang friends glanced curiously at the Slytherins, then slowly made their way over,

"Here we go..." Cassie muttered, feeling the eyes of the entire table – and some of the Gryffindors – shift towards them as Durmstrang settled in with Slytherin.

Cole slid smoothly into the empty seat next to Theo, directly opposite Cassie, with his usual swagger. His Durmstrang friends took places along the Slytherin table, while Draco immediately leaned forward to talk to Krum, already engrossed in conversation.

"I can't say I didn't hope to see you here," Cole smirked, his eyes fixed on Cassie with that familiar teasing glint. His voice dripped with charm, the kind that could easily sway anyone. Anyone but Cassie.

Cassie didn't even bother to look up fully, only rolling her eyes in response. "Well, I did hope not to see you," she said dryly, her tone laced with mild disdain.

Meanwhile, Theo, seated right beside Cole, looked anything but amused. His jaw was clenched tightly, and his eyes flickered with something dark as he watched the way Cole looked at Cassie. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the edge of the table, and although he was doing his best to seem nonchalant, anyone paying attention could sense his irritation. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, clearly on edge.

"Ouch." Cole chuckled, leaning back with an unbothered grin. "Still as knifey as ever, I see."

Completely ignoring Theo's mounting frustration, Cole leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice but keeping his gaze fixed on Cassie. "Still don't want to admit you missed me? I'm wounded."

Cassie snorted. "You're lucky I even remember your name."

Pansy, sensing the tension, nudged Theo under the table, raising her eyebrows with a knowing smirk. "Careful, Theo, your jealousy's showing."

Theo shot her a dark look. "Jealous?" he hissed through gritted teeth, his voice low but firm. "Of him?"

Pansy just giggled, clearly enjoying Theo's internal struggle far more than he was. "If looks could kill, Theo, Cole would be six feet under by now."

At that moment, one of the Durmstrang students—a tall boy with a sharp jawline and dark hair—leaned over and whispered something to Cole. His gaze flickered towards Cassie before a small smirk spread across his face.

"Is that her?" the Durmstrang boy asked in a low voice. "The one you told us about?"

Cole shot a glance at Cassie, his smirk growing even wider. "Oh yeah, that's her."

Cassie, catching the exchange, raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Told them what, exactly?"

"Not much. Nothing bad," Cole said smoothly.

"Not much?" the boy snorted in derision. "Mate, you wouldn't stop talking about the girl who rejected you at the World Cup."

He straightened up, offering Cassie a confident smirk. "Ryder Shafiq," he introduced.

"Cassiopeia Black"
"Shafiq, as in—The family that used to be related to Grindelwalds?" she asked her interest piqued, her eyebrow raising in intrigue.

"Yeah," Ryder replied, looking smug that he'd managed to impress her.

"Not directly," Cole scoffed, clearly annoyed at Ryder stealing the spotlight. "I don't know what's so interesting about it."

"Way more interesting than whatever you've ever said," Cassie retorted, dismissively.

Ryder's grin widened. "Well, since you're so curious, Cassiopeia," he said smoothly, "I can lend you the Grindelwald family line book. I inherited it."

Cassie's eyes gleamed slightly, clearly impressed. "You'd let me borrow it?"

"Of course," Ryder replied, looking pleased with himself.

Cassie turned to Theo excited. "Theo, did you hear that?"

"Yeah," Theo mumbled, pouting slightly "I heard."

Before Ryder could say anything else, the Great Hall doors swung open with a loud creak, and all the students who had been waiting outside began entering, filling up the House tables.
The staff followed suit, taking their seats at the top table. Last in line were Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime. When their headmistress appeared, the Beauxbatons students leapt to their feet in a show of respect. A few of the Hogwarts students laughed quietly, but the Beauxbatons party didn't seem to care, resuming their seats only when Madame Maxime had taken hers beside Dumbledore.

Dumbledore remained standing, and soon, the room fell silent.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts, and—most particularly—guests," Dumbledore said with a bright smile, his voice carrying across the hall. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," Dumbledore continued. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

At the sound of Dumbledore's invitation, the clattering of plates and the rush of food appearing on the tables signaled the start of the feast.

"Thank Merlin, I was starving," Cassie groaned, eagerly grabbing a serving of roast chicken as platters magically appeared in front of them. She violently stabbed a potato with her fork, glancing briefly around

As the feast continued, the Durmstrang boys' chatter filled the hall, but Cassiopeia had no patience for their lingering stares. One particularly bold Durmstrang boy sent a smile down the table, aiming it directly at her and Pansy. His elbow jabbed the boy beside him, pointing them out

Cassie sighed, stabbing her roast potato with unnecessary force. Pansy, noticing the boy's attempts at charm, nudged Cassie with her elbow. "Cass, look. They're staring at you "

Cassie glanced over, meeting the eyes of not one, but four Durmstrang boys who were now openly watching them. Her gaze hardened narrowing her grey eyes on the smirking boys, glare sharp and dangerous, turning them from wolves to puppies in seconds. They all looked rather shocked and overtly uncomfortable before quickly looking away in record time, shifting awkwardly in their seats.

"That's our Cass," Blaise said proudly, holding out his fist for a bump in triumph.

Cassie glanced at his fist and then raised an unimpressed brow at Blaise. His confident expression faltered, and his hand slowly dropped back to his side.

"Let's forget I did that," Blaise muttered under his breath,

Cassie nodded approvingly before helping herself to a second serving of roast beef. As the conversations swirled around her, Draco leaned in toward Ivan, one of the Durmstrang boys sitting further down the table.

"So, Krum," Draco began, an eager gleam in his eye, "What's it like playing with him?"

Ivan, who had introduced himself earlier, shrugged modestly. "It's... normal. Viktor doesn't say much. A bit grouchy, to be honest," he added in a quieter tone, "but when he's on the pitch, everyone listens."

"Must be mental," Blaise added, nodding thoughtfully as he chewed. "He's practically a legend here."

Across the table, Cole leaned in smug "I could teach you a few moves, Black," he said, his eyes gleaming. "Not as legendary as Krum, but good enough."

Cassie rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Oh please, you've been riding on Krum's coattails for years. I bet you trip over your broom when no one's looking."

"Harsh," Cole grinned, not missing a beat. "But if you're that curious, I'd be more than happy to give you a private lesson. Just you and me."

Cassie offered him a slow, unsettling smile  "Give me one more reason, Cole, and you'll find out why they call me the psycho Black here. I've got a habit of making people regret crossing me. Want to be next?"

Cole's grin faltered as he gulped slightly, lowering his fork as the tension thickened

Theo, seated beside him, snorted a bit too loudly, before quickly covering his mouth to hide his amused smile.

Ignoring the  banter between Cassie and Cole, Draco steered the conversation back on track. "And you fly with what—traditional broomsticks, right? I've heard Durmstrang's got a whole different system of training."

Ivan nodded. "Yeah, we train with older models. Keeps us tough, you know? But for tournaments, we get upgraded brooms."

"That's brilliant," Blaise said, clearly impressed. "No wonder Krum's unstoppable."

Pansy, who had been sitting beside Cassie, reached for the dish of bouillabaisse and gave Ryder, who had been quiet for most of the conversation, a sly look. "So, Ryder, what else do you do at Durmstrang?"

Ryder chuckled softly, his eyes flicking toward Cassie for a brief second before he replied, "Oh, we have our distractions," he said smoothly, the hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "But nothing quite like Hogwarts. Everything here feels... warmer."

"Is that what they're calling it these days?" Pansy quipped with a grin, nudging Theo under the table. "Warmer."

"If you could grow up for a moment, Pansy, you might see who just arrived," Cassie said derisively, pointing up at the staff table. The two remaining empty seats had just been filled. Ludo Bagman was now sitting on Professor Karkaroff's other side, while Mr. Crouch had taken the seat next to Madame Maxime.

"Oh look, that old obnoxious bitch is here too," Cassie sneered at Crouch, her eyes narrowing as she ignored the array of desserts that had just appeared.

The Durmstrang students hummed in interest at the variety of sweets, helping themselves without hesitation. 

Once the golden plates had been wiped clean, Dumbledore stood up again, and a pleasant sort of tension seemed to fill the Hall.

"The moment has come," said Dumbledore, smiling around atthe sea of upturned faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about tostart. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bringin the casket just to clarify the procedure that we will be following thisyear. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them,Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of InternationalMagical Cooperation" — there was a smattering of polite applause — "and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department ofMagical Games and Sports."

There was a much louder round of applause for Bagman thanfor Crouch, perhaps because of his fame as a Beater, or simply because he looked so much more likable. He acknowledged it with ajovial wave of his hand.

Bartemius Crouch did not smile or wavewhen his name was announced

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over thelast few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued,

 "and they will be joining myself,Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that willjudge the champions' efforts."

 At the mention of the word "champions," the attentiveness ofthe listening students seemed to sharpen. Perhaps Dumbledore hadnoticed their sudden stillness, for he smiled as he said,

"The casket,then, if you please, Mr. Filch." 

Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of theHall, now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chestencrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old. A murmur ofexcited interest rose from the watching students

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this yearhave already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," saidDumbledore as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table beforehim, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for eachchallenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the schoolyear, and they will test the champions in many different ways . . .their magical prowess — their daring — their powers of deduction — and, of course, their ability to cope with danger." 

At this last word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolutethat nobody seemed to be breathing. 

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament,"Dumbledore went on calmly, "one from each of the participatingschools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of theTournament tasks and the champion with the highest total aftertask three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

 Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three timesupon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. 

Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn woodencup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been fullto the brim with dancing blue-white flames.Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the goblet carefully ontop of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall.

 "Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must writetheir name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop itinto the goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions havetwenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three ithas judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet willbe placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete. 

"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," Dumbledore announced, his voice ringing with authority, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line."

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

Chatter erupted like wildfire as students began to rise from their seats, the hall buzzing with excitement and speculation about who might dare to enter their name into the Goblet.

"You think any of your lot will make it in?" Blaise asked,

Cole shrugged "Who knows? Maybe I'll throw my name in. Show you a real champion." His gaze flicked toward Cassie,

Cassie snorted, crossing her arms defiantly. "Sure, Cole. But don't be too disappointed when the Goblet spits your name right back out. Not everyone's cut out for glory."

Theo, trying to mask his laughter, caught Cole's eyes and gave him a pitying look, barely suppressing a smirk at her response

Before he could reply, Karkaroff hustled toward the Slytherin table, and Cassie instinctively tensed, the hairs on the back of her neck rising uncomfortably.

"All done?" Karkaroff asked, glancing at the Durmstrang students, a murmur of agreement passing around the table in response.

"Back to the ship, then," he continued, his voice clipped. "Viktor, how are you feeling? Did you eat enough? Should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?"

Cassie let out a derisive snort

Karkaroff whipped around at the sound, his expression morphing from irritation to surprise. His eyes widened as he met Cassie's gaze, his head tilting slightly as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. The same smirk, the same grey eyes, and curly hair—surely it couldn't be??

"Black," Cassie said, a small, almost mocking smile playing on her lips. "Cassiopeia Black."

The name hit him like a slap, his composure fracturing for just an instant. Karkaroff blinked rapidly, the flicker of fear crossing his features unmistakable. He opened his mouth, hesitated, then closed it again, clearly caught off guard by her confidence.

Without uttering another word, he turned sharply, his demeanor shifting to one of urgency as he continued toward the Durmstrang students.

"Let's move along," he snapped,

*************************************************



Such an abrupt ending- well cos- uhm- i did not know how to end this chap

but-

yeaaa
 we finally got to see tyler ( who is so adorable omg)


BUT ENTRY   OF COLEEEEE- IK HE IS SO COCKY- BUT- EUGHHHSU OMGGMMF 

DW- ULL SEE WAY MORE CASSIE x COLE x DURMSTRANG STUDENT MOMENTS----
This is just the beginnning

Atp im kinda considering making this ship actually work - just kidding- idt it will work in the long run for the book- actually idk anything rn-

seeing how indecisive anything can happen

but yea!!! UHM SO FEEDBACK PLS- LIKE SHUD I TONE DOWN CASSIES DISMISSIVENESS- YA U WANT MORE MOODY DUMBLY SCENES OR COLE SCENES- or cassie practicing magic stuff

Karakoff??!!

ok im just saying random stuff now- hope u doing well - and yea until next time 

byeii

mx riddle