Teen Wolf at Hogwarts

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***

- What are the odds that the boys overslept? - Sonia stretched sweetly, waving her arms in an attempt to stretch her limbs.

- Stiles isn't with Scott today, so he'll probably be out on time,' Lydia grumbled into her pillow.

- Breakfast is in thirty minutes, so let's get ready without rushing,' Marcia yawned. The girl looked at herself in the mirror and recoiled in horror as she smoothed her hair, 'Worse than a crow's nest, really,' she sighed and flicked her wand, tidying up her hair in a flash. The long dark strands straightened immediately, turning into a simple, cute braid in the next instant.

- Cool,' Sonia nodded approvingly, pulling off her pyjama shirt.

- Are you excited? - Lydia asked Marcia, sliding off the bed.

- I am,' she nodded, 'If I'm chosen, I can't refuse. I wouldn't, but it's exciting,' the brunette sighed.

- We'll be with you,' Sonia patted her friend on the shoulder, and in the next moment started to dig through the pile of things thrown carelessly into the suitcase.

- What about the eternal order? - grinned the seventh-year girl.

- Shh,' the blonde put her index finger to her lips, and the next thing she knew she was pulling a white blouse out of the pile, "That'll do," she nodded satisfied, turning the crumpled something into an ironed shirt with a wave of her wand.

- Except I'll have to do everything with my hands,' Lydia sighed irritably, pulling on a jumper

The girls were surprised to find the Gryffindors already dressed and fully awake when they left the room. Reno, dressed in his Beauxbaton uniform, was standing with his back to the Gryffindors, discussing something with the boys.

- You're a wizard,' Sonia sighed in amazement, coming up on the side of the boy.

- I know. You, too, actually,' the Charmbaton smiled, turning to the girl, 'Good morning. How did you ladies sleep? - He gave the Gryffindors a joking bow, 'I hope you didn't get in any trouble. Our tower is one of the tallest in the castle, so we don't usually get any sounds.

- The Gryffindor tower is also the tallest, but that doesn't usually stop any sounds,' Marzia sighed.

- Well, then I guess we should head to the Hall, where my best friend is probably waiting for me,' the green-eyed man smiled again.

- And who is your best friend? - Stiles asked, standing next to Lydia.

- Steph,' the boy replied, leading the Gryffindors towards the tower exit, 'He oversees your most arrogant boys. Slytherins, if I'm not mistaken,' Reno turned to Allan in uncertainty.

- You're not wrong,' the alumnus nodded, 'Not in the definition of Slytherins, nor in the name.

- Come on, All, Will's a good kid,' Matsria smiled at her friend.

- Will's there by mistake, he's a true Gryffindor,' Evan answered for his friend.

- Quiet,' Lydia sighed.

- It's fun,' Reno laughed.

- As far as I know, none of us have written a letter to Hogwarts or to our parents. Everyone has to do it today,' the blonde looked back at her fellow students.

- We wanted to,' Allan nodded.

- Good for you,' Sonya smiled at the boys, looking away again.

- Are you in charge? - Reno leaned close to the girl's ear.

- No,' the girl shook her head, "I'm in charge of Marzia, I'm a year younger," the blonde explained, catching the boy's puzzled look.

- Age means nothing,' the brunet frowned, 'Stef and I are sixteen, but we were chosen to be your handlers. There are also two girls who look after your other two faculties, Eloise and Chantelle. We're all the same age, but we were chosen. And I'm not bragging,' the boy grinned, giving the blonde a hand when a step suddenly disappeared from the staircase, 'Sorry, it happens. You'll get used to it,' the guy winked at a smiling Sonya, 'Eloise is cool and smart, I can see why she was chosen for such a cool department. You guys seem to be the most sociable ones there,' the guy scratched the back of his head.

- Yeah, Puffenduys are great,' the blonde smiled again.

- Shanti's a bit of a nerd, but she's cool too,' Reno shrugged, "We all went to school together, and that's how we exist together now," the boy grinned, "Eleanor, who's in charge of all of you, is a year older than us," the brunette continued, 'We're actually studying separately. Because of you this year they put us all adjacent, - Reno told the story, - You are sixteen, right? - The boy asked.

- Yeah,' Sonia nodded, following the brunette down the corridor leading to the Hall.

- So you'll be studying with us. Always with me, and sometimes with the others. Steph and Shanti are in the same department, and we're paired with them most of the time. Sometimes Elloise joins us. So you'll be one of Beauxbaton's most successful sixteen-year-olds,' he smiled.

- Thanks for the offer, I'll think about it,' Sonia laughed as she followed him into the Hall. Turning to the guys behind her, she smiled, 'Follow Reno, he's our guide today.

- Yes, Chief,' Allan, Evan and Stiles put their palms to their hearts, the next moment receiving angry looks from the three girls.

- Unbearable,' Sonia rolled her eyes, ignoring Reno's stifled laughter.

- You can sit with your friends if you want, you don't have to follow any rules in this case. You're not assigned to any of our faculties, so it shouldn't be a problem,' Reno informed them.

- We'll sit with Sonya,' Lydia shook her head.

- If you say so,' the boy shrugged his shoulders, and the next moment he was smiling radiantly, 'Steph! - The brunet exclaimed, turning to the blond at the other table, smiling just as broadly, 'How's it going? Didn't lose anyone? I hope you made it to the drawing room in one piece,' Reno nodded at the Gryffindor table in the middle of the room, as if to indicate where to sit.

- Very funny, Reno,' the blond laughed, 'Don't worry, I'm doing my job just fine. And you? Shanti will look after me, our guys live nearby, but there's no one to look after you. Isn't anyone there sick of you and your chatter?

- These guys talk more than me, they can even handle you,' Reno retorted.

- You know, there's a great bloke in my crew, too. He knows everything, so I've found someone to talk to, too,' Stefan patted Will, who was smiling embarrassedly.

- Stefan, please,' the brunette sitting next to the blond grimaced.

- Oh, Shanti, morning! - Reno smiled at the girl.

- So, you and I will be sitting at the same table we sat at yesterday,' came from the doorway, and the boys turned around to see the Puffenduys being explained to by a short, russet-haired girl, "Good morning," Eloise said to the rest of the Hogwarts students and her friends in particular, smiling.

- 'Hi there, Loi,' Reno smiled even wider, and Lydia had a feeling that he just wouldn't be able to get his lips back to normal anytime soon.

- Hi,' the girl passed by her friend and gently ran her palm over his shoulder, sitting down at a nearby table, "Annabeth, can you give me your schedule, please?" the red-haired girl addressed the Hufflepuff Head Girl.

- You should give your timetable too, by the way,' Reno sat down between Sonia and Allan.

- Let them eat breakfast first,' the blonde said, smiling at the snorting Stilinski, 'Stiles, what's wrong with you?

- Porridge for breakfast! - replied the boy with mute horror in his eyes, 'No bacon, no sausages, no toast! How do you survive here? - Stiles shifted his amazed gaze to Reno, who was laughing.

- We've got used to it in nine years,' the boy replied, laughing.

- How old do you go to school here? - Marzia asked.

- Twenty,' Reno scratched the back of his head, 'We study for a total of thirteen years. And only twenty-year-olds are considered to be adults, although they participate in the Tournament from seventeen, because otherwise it's not fair to you,' the brunet was happily pouring a few spoonfuls of jam into a plate of low-fat cottage cheese.

- It's really creepy,' Sonia said. She chose a smoothie with berries as her breakfast, finding it the most attractive of all the things on the table.

- Stiles, I suggest you eat, or you won't live to see the results today,' Reno waved his fork in the boy's direction, 'If you want, you can have cereal. It's just that our lunch and dinner are exactly the same. You won't find chops or fried potatoes here.

- Godric, send me a fatty meal,' Stiles said to the glass ceiling.

- Stiles! - Marzia exclaimed.

- Open your mouth,' came from behind him. When Stiles obeyed, a spoon full of milk and cereal was shoved roughly into his mouth. Coughing, the Gryffindor shifted his gaze to the unscrupulous man.

- Will, Merlin, damn you! - Stiles exhaled indignantly, ignoring Lydia tapping him on the back and barely containing her laughter.

- Bon appetit,' Will said, playfully pecking his friend on the top of the head, then turning back to the laughing Stefan.

- Morning, Kristoph,' Reno smiled at the sleepy brunet leading a bunch of Dormstrangians.

- Hi,' the boy nodded absent-mindedly and turned away, starting to tell the oldest Durmstrang student something.

- This is Christophe Deri. He's in charge of Flamma. That seems to be almost the same as your faculty, only mixed with the one Shanti is in charge of,' Reno scratched the back of his head.

- Ravenclaw, genius,' Sonia grinned.

- Right,' the boy nodded, 'By the way, Stiles, Lydia, you'll be studying with that guy over there. I think he's Ivan. I think so,' Reno jabbed his finger at a boy of about thirteen sitting next to the newly arrived Sharmbaton, 'Chris has already approved him, so you'll like him too.

- You're on friendly terms with every other person here,' Marzia snorted.

- Yeah,' Reno smiled, rubbing his neck in embarrassment, 'I kind of made some noise in the beginning. Not in the best way, of course, but I'm not complaining.

- And how did you make a fool of yourself? - Sonja raised her eyebrows.

- Stef and I accidentally blew up the superintendent's office on the first day of school,' Reno blushed faintly, 'We got away from the teachers with the help of Chantelle and Eloise. They said something about it being an accident and it wasn't our fault at all. Shanti and Loi haven't let us out of their sight since,' Reno grinned at the end.

- That reminds me of something,' Lydia raised her eyebrows and glanced at Stiles, who was hiding his eyes.

A few minutes later, Marzia rummaged through her bag and pulled out several scrolls, handing them to each of them individually. Lydia ran her finger lovingly over the Hogwarts seal before beginning to read.

- Miss Martin, as your dean I wish you well for the current academic year. What follows will be your timetable, which can only be adjusted with the approval of Professor Dumbledore and Madame Maxime. There will also be a list of optional classes that you are not required to attend, but would be interesting for your general development,' the girl mumbled to herself.

- And she didn't wish me success,' Stiles pouted.

- First lesson is Transfiguration. That's funny,' the redhead smiled, sipping her peach juice quietly.

- What's Numerology? - Stiles frowned, 'It's our second.

- It's an elective at Hogwarts,' Sonia marvelled, looking away from her own list and at the sophomore, 'It's the science of numbers.

- Maths or something? - The Gryffindor frowned.

- What?' Now it was the blonde's turn to be puzzled.

- Yes, Stiles, it's magical maths,' Martin rolled her eyes, bored with this pointless conversation, 'I was going to take it as an elective next year. How well everything coincided, - the redhead smiled again.

- You're a maniac for knowledge,' Reno grinned, looking over Sonia's shoulder at the blonde's schedule, "What? We study together, let me at least remember what subjects I have this year," the Charmbatonian smiled disarmingly when Sonia gave him an icy stare.

- Okay, well,' Lydia shifted her gaze back to the scroll, 'We have Potions next. I wonder who's leading?

- Professor Delfia Kelly. The most awesome teacher in all of Beauxbaton. Only the dumbest people don't like Potions,' Reno said.

- You're lucky,' Stiles grumbled annoyed.

- Then lunch,' Martin continued, 'And then Charms.

- Great, we have almost all the same subjects, we won't have to learn anything new,' Stilinski scratched the back of his head.

- You're getting excited too soon,' the redhead shook her head, 'Then we have White Magic, and after that Elemental Magic. Reno? - The girl shifted her questioning gaze to her acquaintance.

- Actually, it's called White Arts, - corrected the guy, - Just for you, probably, a little simplified. I don't know why, though. The White Arts were traditionally considered by the Druids to be knowledge and skills in the field of healing. Both physical and mental.

- They teach you healing? - Marzia marvelled, 'That's amazing! Why isn't it only at Hogwarts?

- Because we have Flights and Snape, and that's enough for us,' Allan said.

- And the last lesson is Magic and its basics,' the redhead sighed and looked questioningly at Reno, who was ready to answer.

- It's like History of Magic for you,' the boy replied, 'Over the summer, all the tutors were sent general information about your school and your classes, so I have an idea of what you're learning. In Magic and its fundamentals we cover not only history, but also various bylinas, tales, and stories. Even ancient Greece and Rome with all those Hades and Zeus. That'll be in your course, by the way.

- Cool, I dibs on Apollo,' Stiles puffed out his chest, throwing his head up.

- You're Dionysus at most,' Will grinned, who had come up a moment ago, 'You and I, as Stefan said, are on our way, so get up and let's go. Good morning, Lyds, by the way,' the boy kissed the redhead on the forehead.

- Good morning, - Lydia smiled back, - Reno, where should we go now? - Martin turned round to the Charmbatonian.

- I have maps for you, - Reno rummaged through his rucksack and took out several scrolls of parchment, - They show all the offices and how to get to them. We give them to first-years so they don't wander off.

- Cool, and Scott and I got lost on our first day,' Stiles snorted.

- Why haven't I heard that story before? - Will laughed, putting an arm around Stiles' shoulder.

- Are you surprised? - Lydia raised her eyebrows.

- Not really, to tell you the truth.

- Piss off,' Stiles snatched the map out of the Slytherin's hands, 'Fine, we're only one floor up. That means we won't have to wander for long.

- My office is just down the corridor,' Will scratched the back of his head, 'Okay, great, let's go. In the meantime, Leeds, tell me some more stories about Stiles' first day.

- For what, Merlin? - Stiles whispered, raising his eyes to the ceiling.

***

- Cunning, cleverness, bravery,' Peter listed, waving his wand after each word, 'What's the most important of all of the above?

- Sir,' Malia raised her hand, 'I guess bravery.

- Expectedly,' Hale grumbled, 'More versions?

- Cunning? - Tracy suggested.

- Typical,' the man rolled his eyes.

- All of it amounts to the same thing,' Scott said, leaning back against the back of the desk.

- Five points to Gryffindor,' Hale nodded, turning his back to the students and heading for the blackboard, 'Tracy, is water more important than fire?

- No,' the Slytherin shook her head uncertainly.

- They depend on each other, and we depend on them,' Peter rested his palms on the table, looking around the classroom, 'The world will not exist without water or fire. Water extinguishes fire, fire vaporises water. Eternal enemies who will perish without each other. The world is eternal opposition of one side to the other side. People need enemies to exist. Miss Argent, give me more examples of such confrontations.

- Faculty confrontations? - Allison suggested.

- Yes, you're right, thank you,' Hale nodded approvingly, 'You compete with each other to prove your leadership. You hate each other, you fight, you argue, you bicker, and you make all sorts of mischief. But without each other, you'll just get bored. In life you always need a good opponent, but you need to be able to see the enemy as an ally. Sometimes life turns out so that your enemy will become your closest friend, while your fellow man will leave you to your fate. You need to learn how to both oppose and help each other. The strongest alliances come from previously opposing sides. A clear example would be Miss Martin and Mr Stilinski coming to Mr Wright's rescue at the right moment. I imagine they are now at each other's, pardon the expression, throats for each other. So I'm going to divide you into pairs, and you'll work in them until Christmas,' there was a murmur, interrupted by a loud clap of hands, 'Quiet! For four months I'll give you exactly the same tasks, which you'll have to cope with. For starters, does anyone have any suggestions for group assignments? - Peter looked round the class and smiled, but got no response. 'Fine, then it's up to me. If anything, it's your own fault.

- Sir,' Ethan held his hand up, pressing his lips together.

- Yes, - Peter said a little irritated.

- Couldn't we form these groups not with Gryffindors, but at least with Ravenclaw students? - The boy asked cautiously.

- No,' Peter cut him off, turning to face the whole class again the next moment, 'So, let's go. Mr Leahy will be spending all his free time until Christmas in Ethan's company,' Peter continued without paying any attention to the two annoyed groans, 'Mr McCall, your company for the next four months is Miss Reyes.

- Merlin,' Scott dropped his head on the table, feeling Allison's soft touch on his shoulder.

- Miss Argent and Tracy,' Hale meanwhile continued, "Matt and Aidan," two more groans, 'Well, and finally, Miss Tate and Mr Raken. And now for your projects.

- Thank Godric,' Malia sighed in relief.

- What do you mean? - Allison arched an eyebrow, holding back a smirk.

- Theo is the most normal of all these jerks. And yes, I'm sorry you were paired with them. But I'm too happy to express my regret, so I'm sorry,' Tate dismissed her friend, turning her gaze back to Peter.

- Okay, yeah,' Allison nodded, hiding a smile.

- By next month, I need you to prepare me a report on werewolf attacks over the last fifteen years. Once you've analysed it, you'll have to answer why their numbers have decreased. Both students must be involved. If you break this rule, I will deduct points and cancel the work.

- What do you mean you'll be cancelling the work, sir? - Theo raised his eyebrows.

- Didn't I say? - I'll give the couples points for each job. By Christmas we'll see which pair did better and which pair did worse. Naturally, the best team gets points, good grades and an automatic exam,' the class whispered excitedly, "But!" Hale exclaimed, 'The pair with the lowest points will be preparing a new project for me at the end of the year. Believe me, it will be more difficult than all the previous ones by several times.

- And if we all do well? - Scott asked with hope in his voice.

- Mr McCall, what did I say about healthy competition at the beginning of class? There should always be. So there's gonna be a loser either way. If a different team wins every time for three months in a row, we'll have another round, and some team will come out on top anyway. Why are you so worried? Thinking about how you're going to write the most difficult project after Christmas, having lost? You know, pessimistic thoughts are always justified. Be careful,' Hale smiled, "Now, let's write down the topic of the projects," Hale waved his wand and started writing the name of the project on the board.

- I didn't even think of anything like that,' Scott muttered.

- It's going to be a fun term,' Isaac sighed, dipping his quill into the ink.

- I hate the Hales,' Scott growled, ignoring Allison's laughter.

***

Beauxbaton's offices were different from those at Hogwarts except for the cleanliness and the amount of light shining through the stained glass windows. The transfiguration had gone as well as it could, Professor Cordyn was a very intelligent man, a bit like McGonagall. By the way, Stilinski shuddered at the resemblance. The first lesson for Lydia, Stiles, Jackson, Brett and Dani was an orientation. Professor Cordyn had introduced them, explained the differences between Sharmbaton Transfiguration and Hogwarts Transfiguration, and handed out the necessary textbooks.

- Well, we have to buy our own,' Stiles said indignantly.

The Numerology room was much larger than the one Professor Cordyn taught in, and Lydia was surprised by that. There was a desk for every Hogwarts student, so they sat down one at a time. Unfortunately, none of the boys thought that someone else might join them. So Lydia involuntarily flinched when someone's bag dropped onto a nearby chair with a soft clatter.

- May I? - The dark-haired Durmstrang student asked.

- Yes, of course,' Martin nodded, moving slightly away to give the boy more room, "I'm Lydia," the girl held out her palm to the Durmstrang student.

- Ivan,' the boy nodded and kissed the redhead's hand. The brunet looked very, very presentable in his traditional blood-red Durmstrang uniform.

- It's a pleasure,' Martin said, more out of politeness.

- Nice to meet you too, Lydia,' Ivan nodded, sitting down at his desk, 'I've been wondering about your pets for two days now. Can't you tell me? - he started the conversation.

- Yes, of course, - Martin woke up, covering herself with a faint blush, - Her name is Sophie. It's a Krypter,' the redhead started stroking the little girl, exhaling relaxedly when she rumbled in response, 'They were given to us as a gift last Halloween. It's very complicated magic, but we used to have a girl named Alice, and she managed to create several hundred crypters for all the students. She's from my department, by the way.

- They probably only accept the most beautiful wizards in your department,' the brunet suggested.

- Probably,' Lydia smiled embarrassed.

Stiles frowned and started drumming his fingers on the table, carefully averting his gaze. Of course, that didn't stop him from looking at Lydia every two seconds. How had he not realised to sit with her? Why hadn't he sat down at all if they were always and everywhere together? And why did he even care that some too-cute-for-twelve-year-old kid with a creepy accent and a weird name was sitting with her right now? Was it any of his business? Her heart, sick to its stomach, told her that yes, it was.

- I'm sorry, did I miss something? - came from behind me.

- I'm shocked,' Stiles said, beckoning Will closer to him with a shake of his hand, 'That guy just sat down with her, that's all. What's he saying to her if she's blushing like that? Lydia's blushing, Will! Godric who?

- Why did you let him? - Will frowned at the Slytherin. He didn't have his bag with him, which meant he'd already left it in the next office and had just come to check on his friends. About time, though.

- I'm trying to figure it out now,' Stiles grumbled irritably, keeping his eyes on the couple at the window, 'I somehow forgot that Durmstrang might be studying with us. I thought I'd sleep through the lesson, and Lydia would be able to learn her numerology in peace.

- You bet she will,' Will snorted, dropping into a nearby chair.

- Will,' Jackson swayed in his chair, half-turned toward the boys, his gaze sliding blankly over the faces of the Durmstrangs, 'Derek and Stefan said that we should sit together again today when the Tournament is decided. By the way, Stilinski, that includes you.

- Whittemore, wait, I'm in trouble,' Stiles waved his hand.

- Thanks, Jackson,' Will nodded. Jackson slid out of his chair and walked at a measured pace toward the exit, stopping at Stiles's desk.

- You'll miss your Martin soon enough. Half of Durmstrang was whispering about her yesterday. And not just Durmstrang, by the way. Some of us like her now, too. Keep an eye out,' Jackson smirked as he left the office. Stiles didn't notice the blush that covered the Slytherin's cheeks. He should have.

- What are we going to do now? - Stiles whimpered pitifully.

- I suppose nothing,' Will stood up from his chair, patting his friend on the shoulder, 'Learn Numerology and stay out of Lydia's way. Trust me, it'll only make things worse. He's only hooked up with her for one class, and you're worrying too much about it.

- I'm not worried about it at all,' Stiles snorted, his head almost completely buried in his rucksack in an attempt to hide his blush.

- Yeah, I can see that,' the Slytherin nodded, smirking, 'I'll come get you after class. Don't do anything stupid,' Will whispered one last time and walked out of the classroom, bumping into Sonya in the doorway, "Sorry," the boy smiled.

- It's okay,' the blonde waved her hand, searching the office for someone. After a moment, the girl raised her eyebrows in surprise and glanced at Stiles, who looked away in embarrassment. Lydia,' the girl called out, stepping up to her desk and resting her palms on it, 'I'm going to need your help with the Tournament tonight. If any of us are chosen, there's something we need to do.

- Of course I'll help,' Lydia nodded.

- Excellent,' Sonja smiled, shifting her gaze to the Durmstrangian, 'I apologise for being impolite. I'm Sonia,' the girl smiled welcomingly.

- Nice to meet you,' the boy kissed the blonde's hand again, and she raised her eyebrows in amazement, blushing, 'I'm Ivan. I'm very glad that this year I had the honour to meet you.

- What the hell? - Stiles frowned. After watching Sonya leave with an embarrassed smile, accompanied by compliments from Ivan and the rest of the Durmstrangs, the boy threw his bag to the floor in annoyance and got no response.

- Slow down,' Brett, sitting at the next desk, grinned.

With an angry growl, Stiles looked up at the ceiling. In the next moment, a sudden thought struck him. If he distracted himself, he might be able to avoid doing something he didn't need to do right now. He was going to write the letter with Lydia. And I didn't care if she didn't know about it. Now she wouldn't know about it either. Snorting, the boy dipped his quill into the ink, biting his lip.

'Scott.

Right now I'm sitting on Numerology (like the maths Will told me about, only among mages) and I'm unrealistically pissed off about something very manly and beautiful for my twelve/thirteen years. But for now about the rest of the story.

Beauxbaton is a very beautiful academy. I wish you or the girls were here. Sorry for not posting yesterday, just too many events and stuff. We have one Beauxbaton student assigned to each faculty, and it just so happens that we and the Slytherins have two best friends looking after us. Our mentor's name is Reno (emphasis on the first syllable, Scotty, not like a machine). Stefan, who watches over Slytherin, is also a cool dude. Somehow he's gained the respect of me and Will as well as Derek and the others. Reno has found an ally in Sonia. I'm afraid if Ty was here, he'd be in a lot of trouble. Speaking of Ty. How's the team thing going? When's sectionals? When do I start praying for you? I hope you beat everybody this year. Do your best for me, okay? Tell the girls and guys I miss you and love you all. Lydia will probably write a letter by tonight. I don't know. I can't ask her now, for she's busy with Ivan. I shall not write about him, for this little misunderstanding will, I hope, be out of my life in forty-five minutes. There's not much more to tell. I'll write to you as soon as we know who we'll be in the Tournament. To be honest, I'm rooting for Allan or Marcia. Thank Merlin, Sonia's 16.

Don't do anything stupid without me, or I'll be offended.

Your Stiles.

P.S. I wonder what the punishment is for an inter-school duel? Don't worry, I'm not going to check. For now. '

Barely had Stiles put the parchment aside, the bell rang, announcing the start of class. With a satisfied hum, the boy realised that his irritation and anger had indeed subsided, which meant that he could spend the next forty-five minutes doing what he loved to do. Resting his chin on the desk, Stiles turned his gaze to the window, studiously ignoring the ginger spot beneath it. The weather was warm, and surely if they were at Hogwarts, the Gryffindor would be wandering along the sun-drenched shore of the lake by now. Somewhere behind him would be a yawning Scott, with Malia, Isaac and Matt laughing at something. Lydia and Allison, sitting under a tree, would be half-heartedly discussing something. The redhead would be drawing someone, as usual, and Will would be hiding from the girls' attentive gazes, pulling his shirt over his head. Smirking, Stilinski casually lowered his gaze a little and once again felt the irritation make his heart beat a little faster and louder. The boy literally imagined the picture he had just seen in front of him being torn down the middle, burning to the ground in the next instant. Shaking his head, the Gryffindor pouted, tapping out the rhythm of some long-forgotten song with his fingers.

- Need any help? - Ivan obligingly turned to his neighbour, looking at the redhead with a completely serious expression. Stiles snorted and realised that the guy had no idea who he was messing with if he was offering Lydia help. Lydia Martin was being offered help with her studies? Merlin would sooner rise from the dead than the Gryffindor would accept such help. But Stiles' hopes were dashed as soon as Lydia opened her mouth. He would have been better off sitting further away from them and not hearing anything.

- Yeah, if it's not too much trouble. I listened to the number right here,' Martin looked uncertainly at the Durmstrangian's outline, to which he smiled demurely, moving the scroll closer to the girl, "Thank you," she smiled.

Lips tightening, Stiles fixed his gaze on the desk, automatically burying his fingers in the long fur of a sympathetically whimpering Tim. Thinking that he would never leave the redhead's side again, the boy dropped his head to the desk, intending to take the girl away after the lesson. Never mind that their next lesson was with the Charmbatons.

***

- Malia, can I talk to you for a minute? - Theo called out to the Gryffindor as the girl walked out of the classroom and into the corridor.

- Yes, may I? - Tate looked at her friends uncertainly.

- I'll meet you in the Hall,' Argent smiled and dragged a frowning Isaac and Scott down the corridor.

- I'm listening,' the girl turned to the Slytherin.

- We'd better go to the Hall, it's lunchtime anyway,' Theo walked up to the girl and hesitantly held out his hand, 'Do you need help with your bag?

- No, it's not worth it,' Malia shook her head, stepping down the corridor, 'So what did you want?

- I wanted to talk about the project,' the boy explained, 'We need some way to divide responsibilities and set up a schedule of meetings. I just personally don't want to be the worst at this job.

- I don't feel like it either,' Malia agreed, 'I'm free every day, but next Saturday I'm busy.

- What's next Saturday? - Theo frowned.

- Quidditch team tryouts. Scott's trying out, and I promised I'd be there,' Tate replied, 'But basically, as long as Lydia's not around, no one's dragging me to libraries and making me work on my homework. So I'm free, yeah.

- Don't you want to try out for the team yourself? - You looked pretty good on a broomstick a year ago,' the Slytherin asked, grinning slyly at his acquaintance.

- I looked good on a broom? Did you even see me? The fact that I got off the ground is the most miraculous miracle. I'll be blown away at the first turn, and a team is out of the question,' they were now walking up the main staircase, and Malia was surprised at how fast they'd got there.

- All right,' the Slytherin shrugged, 'I'll go to the auditions myself, but only on Sunday. It's not a sure thing that I'll get it, but without Derek, the team's a wreck. Half left, half went to Beauxbaton. No-one to play. Maybe that's why they'll take me, Ethan and Aidan. I don't know. Cora said if they pick us, we'll have youth and speed on our side. We're still small, fast, perfect for Seekers. But which one of us will be the Seeker is another question. Other positions, we'd be out of the game in five minutes.

- You're serious about this, I see,' Malia said, smiling.

- Well, yeah,' Theo smiled embarrassedly, rubbing his neck and looking away, 'I love Quidditch. My sister and I always go with my parents to the championships. And I kind of want to be a Quidditch player in the future. Or rather, if things don't work out in the field I want to work in, I'll try out for the national team. Maybe it'll work out. I realise that it's too early to say anything about it, it's a long time before we graduate and so on, but,' the boy lowered his gaze in embarrassment, 'I still want to try out. I know it's stupid to say anything right now, but,' Theo shrugged his shoulders in confusion.

- There's nothing stupid about striving to become what you dream of,' Malia countered, 'Personally, I think you'd make a great Quidditch player.

- Thank you,' Raken exhaled, staring at the girl for a few seconds, then looked away embarrassed, 'So, that's the deal, right? I'll come to you at dinner. Or you come to me. Which is better? If you're uncomfortable with me coming up to you in front of your friends, you can come up to me. Because I don't care. But if--

- Theo,' Malia laughed, covering her mouth with her palm, 'I don't care, okay? Come when it's convenient for you, the guys are fine with you, nobody's going to kill you. Especially now we all have to work with each other and we are all in the same position, there won't be any problems.

- Alright, whatever you say,' Theo smiled. Holding the door to the Hall for his fellow student, the boy slipped in next, saluted jokingly and walked towards the Slytherin table, plopping himself between Erika and Cora there. Smiling, Malia made her way to her seat, sitting down between Allison and Matt.

- What were they talking about? - Argent asked, calmly sipping pumpkin juice from the bottle and reading the paper.

- About the project. We agreed on a time to meet. We never did,' Tate snorted, taking the paper from her friend's hands, 'What do we have here? A rare mermaid has been found, Granddad won three hundred thousand, a madam from China gave birth to five wizards at once. Merlin, what's the bore?

- The second page is the most interesting,' the brunette said, chewing lazily on her fried potatoes.

- On the second? What's on page two? - Malia turned the page and smirked with satisfaction, looking at the picture that took up almost half of the page, 'Let the Tournament begin! - She read the headline, 'Dumbledore looks pretty good in this one, doesn't he? - Tate jabbed her finger at the smiling headmaster, 'They don't take pictures of the students, they collodograph the headmasters. Stupid people.

- Matt shrugged, 'If we get Marcia, Allan or Evan, maybe Lydia and Stiles will go with them. But it won't be a shot at the paper.

- So we're waiting for a letter from Lydia,' Allison sighed, dropping her head onto her bent arms.

- Don't worry, we'll wait,' Tate grinned, not noticing Theo's gaze on her.

***

When Reno had talked about how wonderful their Potions professor was, Lydia had no idea how right he was. Professor Delfia Kelly was the most wonderful person the girl had met in the past two days. She had only been introduced to the students of Hogwarts and Beauxbaton for five minutes, but then she hadn't got a single name wrong during the lesson. The woman turned the preparation of the awakening potion into a real quest. First, the boys had to find the ingredients, which, in fact, were just lying in their places. In this way, the professor taught her students to order and instilled the concept of the correct arrangement of all the ingredients in the room. If someone failed to do the task, the woman was sure to help, without even thinking of scolding. The next thing the boys had to do was to arrange the ingredients correctly on the table, for Professor Kelly had said that it was always best to arrange them in the order in which they were added to the potion.

- Snape never told us that,' Stiles muttered, 'He was probably just trying to make it harder for us.

And then, of course, the boys had to brew the potion. Even though it was easy to make, the professor still approached each student to see if anyone needed help. Yeah, Snape certainly never did that. In the end it was Lydia, Brett, and the Charmbatonic Thierry who did the best job. In lieu of points, the woman gave the Hogwarts students a lollipop each, and Thierry a whole box of cauldrons. For the second time in two years, Stiles began to regret that he was spending too little time on his studies.

The boys' lunch was spent each writing a letter. Since Stiles had already written a letter to Hogwarts, all he had to do was write a letter to his parents. Martin snorted contemptuously as she finished her letter to Malia and Allison and calmly began to eat. When Sonia asked if the redhead had written a letter home, the girl nodded without twitching a muscle in her face. Stiles squeezed her friend's shoulder sympathetically and cast an icy glance at Ivan sitting nearby, surrounded by his fellow students.

Spells were taught by the elderly Noelle Chretien. The woman had called Stiles Simon three times and Gerard to Jackson, who was laughing. A girl named Antoinette Poulin - whose name was never mispronounced - only gave the students an apologetic look every time the old woman said a different name.

- I'm sorry, okay? She has her moments. She's a good professor anyway,' the blonde, mumbling, awkwardly adjusting her delicate blue dress, looked at the two boys from under half-dropped eyelashes.

- No problem,' Stiles smiled.

- I'm Antoinette. It's Antoine or Netta. Lydia, you answered all of Mrs Chretien's questions very coolly,' the girl said admiringly. Martin even forgot about her accent for a moment.

- Yes?' the redhead raised her eyebrows, looking at the blonde for a few seconds. The next moment Lydia smiled and held out her palm to the girl, literally radiating friendliness, -Would you walk us to the White Arts room? I gave the map to Stiles, but he lost it. If you don't mind, I could use your help,' the girl still kept her hand outstretched.

- Sure,' the blonde nodded, looking slightly dazed and confused at her new acquaintance.

- That's fine,' Lydia smiled and took the now smiling blonde under her arm, heading out into the corridor.

- She'll get along with everyone,' Jackson snorted.

- If she wants to, she'll get along with everyone,' Stiles nodded, running out after his friend and once again ignoring the Slytherin's gaze on the redhead.

White Arts proved to be very interesting indeed, and even Stiles got involved in the learning process, answering almost every question the professor asked. The boys only had time to discuss sections of white magic and only a few spells, but Mrs Clark promised them to review as many spells as possible in the next lessons.

Since the Hogwarts students' Spells and White Arts were combined with the Beauxbaton students, Stiles had time to relax and sat quietly through the lessons, occasionally commenting on something to Lydia's laughter. But when Lydia smiled at Ivan sitting on the last desk, the boy grabbed her hand and led her to the very beginning of the class to the redhead's bewildered sigh.

- I want to hear everything,' the boy jerked his shoulder nervously, letting Lydia go to the window seat and sitting down in his chair, leaning back against the back of the desk.

- I've always been impressed by your love of History of Magic,' Lydia laughed. Stiles grinned and looked over his shoulder, winking at a frowning Ivan.

- I always like pretty weird stuff, you know,' the boy smiled at his friend, to which she merely ruffled his hair.

***

- Lydia says that Numerology was very interesting, and that she's going to take it as a required class next year,' Allison said, smiling.

- And Stiles wrote that he didn't like Numerology. That's odd,' Scott scratched the back of his head.

- He didn't like it because of Ivan. Who's Ivan? - Isaac frowned.

- Lydia wrote about him,' Malia exclaimed, 'He's the Durmstrang student she was in Numerology with.

- Oh, well, I can see why he didn't like him,' Allison snorted.

- Oh, come on,' Scott laughed.

- Look, we all know that Stiles likes Lydia, so what's to hide? She knows it herself, I think,' Matt rolled his eyes.

- Matt! - Allison exclaimed indignantly.

- What? - Matt sighed, 'Tell me you didn't notice it.

- You don't have to be so direct,' Argent said.

- They're not around anyway, so what's the problem? - Isaac grinned.

- Oh, leave me alone. Tasteless boys,' Allison snorted.

- Lydia said they have a very cool Potions professor. Lucky Merlin,' Malia sighed.

- Come on, Snape was hardly raging today,' Allison smiled.

- Thanks for that,' Tate rolled her eyes.

- Malia, can I talk to you for a minute? - The girl looked up at the Slytherin shuffling awkwardly from foot to foot.

- Theo? Of course, yes, yes, you can,' Malia hurriedly jumped up and headed towards the boy, forgetting her bag on the bench. Once out in the hall, the girl jumped onto the windowsill, tilting her head slightly to the side, -Are you ready to set a time?

- Yes,' Theo smiled. The boy felt noticeably freer without the other Gryffindors, 'I'd like to start right away tomorrow, if you don't mind. I went to the library, there's a lot of information about it. And if we start first, we can get the best and most informative books and notes. I've already thought about how we're going to work. First we'll select the information together, then we'll distribute it, and then we'll just write it down and draw a conclusion.

- I'll do it anyway, Theo, just give me a time and that's it,' Tate smiled.

- Oh right, sorry,' the boy laughed, 'Tomorrow at seven, okay? Then we can go out to dinner if you want.

- I won't die if I miss dinner once,' Malia waved her hand, 'Do you have a scheme of work yet? A thesis? Arguments? At least an outline.

- Sketches, yes,' the Slytherin nodded, jumping onto the windowsill next to the girl. He rummaged through his bag and pulled out a scroll of parchment with some dates written on it in small handwriting, 'If you take this, I think we can do a good job. It's all about the details and stuff...

Allison, stirring the sugar in her tea, smiled as she thought about the fact that she'd already got two of her friends. Shocked at her own thought, the girl hid her eyes in embarrassment, not even listening to what Scott was telling her.

***

At dinner time, the Hogwarts delegation reconvened and sat together at the Scrooge table. Reno, walking past the boys, leaned over to Eloise and whispered something before winking at Sonja and wishing Allan, Evan and Marzia good luck. They smiled nervously and then turned their gazes back to the Goblet standing by the teacher's desk.

- Why am I so worried, Mum? - Lydia whispered, wiping her sweaty palms on her skirt.

- Are you afraid Marcia will be chosen? - Stiles smiled understandingly.

- I guess,' the redhead shifted her gaze back to the brunette, 'Wouldn't it be better if they picked a Slytherin? Or Annabeth? I'm really worried, Stiles,' the girl squeezed her friend's hand automatically.

- It'll be fine,' the Gryffindor said soothingly.

- Dear students, we are about to begin! - Madame Maxime proclaimed as she approached the lectern. She was flanked by Dumbledore and Mr Vane, 'I understand how anxious you all are right now. So let's get on with it and announce the names of our Champions. Colleagues, would you like to say something to your students?

- Gentlemen, I hope that this year will be great and that the Tournament will be one of the most successful, - Mr Vane smiled at the Durmstrangians.

- And I just wish absolutely every single person in this room the best of luck. And, of course, I hope for the victory of my Champion. Have a good Tournament,' Dumbledore winked at a relieved Marcia, 'Let the Tournament begin! - the man exclaimed, spreading his arms out to the sides. His words were met with a burst of applause.

- So,' Madame Maxime exhaled, stopping beside the Cup, "the Champion of Durmstrang is," the woman raised her hand forward, waited only a moment, and then the entire hall erupted in applause. The flames of the Cup soared several metres upwards, and a scrap of parchment flew into the air, landing in a loop in the air, right on the woman's palm. Smiling, she proclaimed. - Philip Peev.

The Durmstrangians burst into applause. Smiling broadly, a tall, short-cropped guy with a sturdy build stepped up to the Cup. With his arms folded across his chest, he stood facing the hall, shoulder to shoulder with the happily smiling Mr Vane.

- Well, it's not the strength that counts, is it? - Evan swallowed hard. Sonia, squeezing his hand sympathetically, urged her fellow students to listen to Madame Maxime again.

- Beauxbaton is becoming a champion,' Madame Maxime was saying meanwhile. Everything was repeated - the flame went up, the sheet flew up, everyone held their breath. Judging by the smile spreading across the woman's face, she was very, very happy with the choice of the Cup, - Nicole Goudreau! Congratulations, my dear,' the woman smiled.

It was as if a thunderous explosion shook the entire hall. The Charmbatonians screamed, clapped, yelled, laughed and cried. A beautiful girl, sitting not far from Steph, smiled and accepted all the congratulations, proudly striding out. Standing next to Madame Maxime, the girl put her hands behind her back and stood up and bowed gracefully to everyone present, causing even more shouts from her fellow students. When everyone had calmed down a little, Madame Maxime, without a word, raised her hand, in which she held another scrap of parchment a few seconds later.

Looking around at the Hogwarts graduates, Lydia swallowed hard. Representing the school at the Tournament was an honour not everyone deserved. But not everyone would be able to cope with all the tests prepared in advance. Judging by the fire in Evan and Allan's eyes, they were determined to win at any cost. And that fire made Lydia shudder.

- Marzia Stafford,' Madame Maxime said.

It seemed as if all the shouts and applause that the other schools were greeting their Champions with were just some whispers. Every student at Hogwarts, even from Slytherin, felt it their duty to shout in a way that would surely burst the eardrums of any unprepared person. Lydia felt as if she would break her arms if she continued to clap with the same vigour, but she didn't care at all. With her palm pressed to her mouth, Marzia stood up, smiling happily. With a proud gait, the girl walked towards the Headmasters, bowed to them and stood next to Dumbledore. Sonia brushed away her tears and put her hand to her chest, smiling happily.

- I'm so proud,' the blonde whispered.

- The names of our Champions have been revealed, ladies and gentlemen,' Madame Maxime said as the Hogwarts students calmed down a bit, "My dear ones, I wish you good luck," the woman looked at the three Champions, 'At the end of November there will be a first round, for which you will certainly have to be prepared. Don't worry about that, it will be provided for. For the rest of you, I wish you good luck in your studies. And may the worthy one win!

- Congratulations on the start of the Tournament, ladies and gentlemen,' Will said in a low voice.

Lydia sighed and looked at Marcia, her head held high. It would be a miracle if she didn't break her psyche to all the hippogriffs this year. Though, she'd been out of sorts for a while now, what was there to worry about?