Chapter 69 - The Unforgivable Curses (2/2)
Moody nodded, ”good, you also passed in evading but it would better if you practice it without those shoes”. Neal looked at the magical eye which was able to point his flying shoes' specialty with just a glance and nodded silently.
Meanwhile, Moody stared at Neal for a while. After a long silence, he replied, ”okay, you are good until next month. You don't need to take the class for a while. How you use this time is your wish”. Neal nodded and slowly went to his seat. After picking up his books, he stepped out of the class.
Moody then thought, ”good riddance. I hope I will encounter him less. That's better for my identity. Just seeing him makes my blood boil. Master is the true heir to the Slytherin. How dare those betrayers even tried to poach me telling he will become the next DarkLord for sure and Master is too weak to lead them. Let's see those faces after Master resurrect”.
Then, he looked at Harry with his magical eye, ”let's forget him. Sooner or later, either he will bow down his head to Master or die. Harry Potter is the one that's important for Master's resurrection”.
Until the following weeks, Harry and Ron felt strange as Malfoy is behaving and not bothering themselves. They liked Moody even better for scaring him to such extent. As for Neal, since he doesn't have Quidditch practice in school and has 1 year of rest with the National team too, he keeps on spending his free time inside the suitcase training his animagus form.
On the morning of the 28th of October, Neal and Daphne saw the entrance hall was packed with students near the notice board. As Daphne was about to go, Neal grabbed her hand, ”don't bother. We can see it later or ask someone else. Let's go”. Daphne nodded and followed him to the Great Hall.
As both of them sat at the table, Neal heard people are whispering excitedly, ”they are finally here”. ”At last, it is starting. I'm waiting forever”. Neal said, ”it might be the Triwizard Tournament”. Daphne then looked around and called one, ”Hey Zettie”.
The second-year Slytherin who was just staring at Neal from the distance and giggling with her friends turned towards Daphne. When Daphne gestured her to come, She scuttered towards them with an excited face and asked, ”what is it?”. As Daphne asked what's going on, she replied, ”students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang are arriving on 30th of this month”. Neal nodded, ”I see, no wonder the Castle is going through extra cleaning. I thought it was just Filch”.
As Zettie began to squeal in delight and going into a fangirl mode, out of nowhere three to four girls joined and surrounded Neal asking him about nonsense things like his favorite things. Daphne then sternly kicked them away from there while muttering, ”these flies”.
On the day of their arrival, after all the classes are over, the Heads of the houses were ordering their students in lines. They filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle. It was a cold, clear evening; dusk was falling and a pale transparent moon was already rising in the sky.
As Neal looked at his pocket watch, he mumbled, ”nearly six”. Then he asked Draco in a whisper, ”did you know how they were coming. You told that your father knows Durmstrang well”. Draco replied, ”I heard that Dumstrang has this old ship used to transport people. Not completely sure about it”.
Just then, Dumbledore called out from the back row where he stood with the other teachers, ”Aha! Unless I'm very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!”. Hearing him, students looked around but weren't able to find them anywhere”.
Neal then pointed in the sky, ”raise your head, Draco”. As Draco raised his head, he saw something was pulling a large house while it is hurtling across the deep blue sky toward the castle, growing larger as it is near.