Six schools, each with a distinct yet equally astonishing method of arrival, left the Hogwarts students dazzled as cries of wonder rose and fell across the lawn.
Professor McGonagall cast another warning glance over the crowd, this time encompassing all the students eager to voice their opinions too loudly.
Once all six delegations had assembled in their designated areas, Headmaster Dumbledore stepped forward with his arms outstretched and a warm smile on his face.
"Welcome! Welcome, friends from afar! On this day full of surprises, Hogwarts is greatly honoured by your arrival. I hope that while you are here, you will feel the warmth of home and join us in writing a new legend for the Triwizard Tournament, or rather, the Seven-School Tournament!"
His voice was resonant and infused with magic, carrying clearly to every ear. As his words faded, the Castle gates slowly opened.
A wave of enthusiastic applause erupted, not only from the Hogwarts students but also from the staff and students of the visiting schools, whose faces shone with infectious excitement.
Sagres stood among the professors, calmly observing everything.
He noticed that whether it was the seemingly cold and unyielding Karkaroff, the elegant Madame Maxime, the white-bearded Thunderbird, or the other three Headmasters, their expressions held obvious respect and even a faint, almost imperceptible trace of awe whenever Dumbledore spoke.
The younger students regarded the legendary Wizard with something close to worship.
Dumbledore still commanded considerable respect, Sagres assessed objectively.
By then, the six visiting Headmasters had approached together. Dumbledore smiled as he greeted Karkaroff, who stood at the front.
"Igor, after sailing all the way from the North Sea, I imagine you must have seen some magnificent seascapes. I hope the storms along the Scottish coast did not cause you too much trouble."
Karkaroff forced a somewhat stiff smile as he stroked the collar of his silver-white fur cloak.
"Storms are merely an embellishment to the journey for Durmstrang, Albus."
Dumbledore gave a pleasant chuckle before turning to the towering Madame Maxime beside him.
"Olympe, I imagine the autumn colours at Hogwarts are rather different from those at Beauxbatons."
"Indeed. They possess a unique charm, Albus."
Madame Maxime nodded elegantly, her voice gentle.
"The Castle is exceptionally enchanting. It is only..."
She frowned slightly and glanced at the faintly eerie decorations covering the Castle's outer walls.
"The closer one gets, the more... unusual the atmosphere becomes."
"Ah, those are special Halloween decorations."
Dumbledore blinked and smoothly passed over the subject before turning to the Black witch who served as Headmistress of Uagadou.
"Harriet, it has been a long time."
"It has indeed, Albus."
The Headmistress of Uagadou gave him a meaningful smile.
"The last time we met was in 1945, I believe. You look much older than you did then."
Dumbledore responded with a mischievous smile.
"Fifty years have passed. Naturally, we all grow older."
He turned his gaze towards the Headmaster of Ilvermorny.
"Wouldn't you agree, Balikna?"
"I'm afraid I cannot answer that question, Albus," the Thunderbird replied energetically. "I am only one hundred and six years old, still in the prime of my life, unlike you, an old man of more than one hundred and ten."
His words drew knowing smiles from the other Headmasters. Even Alfonso Oliveira, the elder from Castelobruxo, could not help but chuckle.
As Wizards from the Americas, he and Ilvermorny's Thunderbird Headmaster clearly understood one another rather well.
The Thunderbird gave Sagres, who stood behind Dumbledore, a slight nod. Sagres returned it.
Everyone noticed the undisguised exchange, but tacitly pretended otherwise.
"I hope we have not arrived late, Headmaster Dumbledore."
Yaram Coffiate, the Headmaster of Ukarlo, smoothly joined the conversation.
"We encountered an unexpected air current over the English Channel, forcing Viendo to make a detour."
"You arrived at precisely the right time, Yaram," Dumbledore replied warmly. Then, with a hint of curiosity, he asked, "But may I ask what Viendo usually eats?"
"There's no need to worry, Albus," Yaram replied proudly. "A little dew and sunlight, along with some of the students' sweet dreams. It eats even less than a Runespoor."
"What a remarkable creature," Dumbledore praised sincerely as he looked towards the enormous rainbow serpent. "I imagine Hogwarts' Care of Magical Creatures professor will be extremely interested in it."
Dumbledore was indeed skilled at putting everyone at ease, even in a gathering where each party had arrived with different intentions.
After exchanging enough pleasantries, Dumbledore looked around at the assembled Headmasters, his blue eyes shining warmly.
"It seems everyone has had a memorable journey. That is precisely the purpose of this gathering: to share different experiences and discover the wider magical world."
He turned slightly and made an inviting gesture.
"Shall we continue our conversation inside? I imagine you are all curious to see the interior of the Castle, and the delicacies prepared by the house-elves are probably eager to make their appearance."
Led by Dumbledore and the visiting Headmasters, the large procession began moving towards the Castle.
Karkaroff deliberately slowed his pace until he was walking beside Dumbledore.
"Speaking of which," Karkaroff said, clearing his throat, "Viktor has been suffering from a slight cold these past few days. The boy always pushes himself too hard, you know, especially since the Quidditch World Cup..."
He paused deliberately, pleased to notice several nearby students pricking up their ears.
Whispers quickly spread through the crowd.
Indeed, the Bulgarian national team's Seeker now possessed a reputation that surpassed even that of many of the Headmasters present.
Madame Maxime raised one elegant eyebrow and replied politely, "I hope he recovers soon. However, Headmaster Karkaroff, I believe we should be equally concerned about the health of every student, rather than focusing on one individual. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Of course, Madame Maxime," Karkaroff replied stiffly. "But the other students do not have colds."
Just then, everyone entered the Entrance Hall, and waves of astonished gasps immediately rose through the crowd.
"My goodness..."
The Headmaster of Ukarlo stopped and looked up at the ghost ship sailing across the sea of blood.
"How was this done?"
The Headmistress of Uagadou was drawn towards the miniature pyramids. She reached out and lightly touched the grains of sand suspended in the air.
"Quite an ancient technique."
The students from the visiting schools stared wide-eyed at their surroundings, letting out exclamations of amazement from time to time.
"Merlin..."
An Ilvermorny boy stared at the ghostly Horned Serpent emerging from the illusionary swamp and said to his companion in an American accent, "This is far more interesting than our school's Night of Terrors!"
"How was this done?" a Beauxbatons girl asked a nearby Hogwarts student in halting English.
"Professor Greengrass did all of it."
A Ravenclaw girl puffed out her chest proudly.
"He decorates the Castle differently every year, and every time it's absolutely brilliant."
"Greengrass..."
After hearing the name, many of the Headmasters and students silently repeated it to themselves.
By now, it was no longer unfamiliar to most of them.
At the very least, after that year's Quidditch World Cup, Sagres Greengrass had left a sufficiently deep impression on everyone.
The Hogwarts students, however, regarded it as perfectly normal, almost taking it for granted, as they enthusiastically described Sagres's previous limited-time Castle decorations.
"It's even better at Christmas!" a Hufflepuff student interjected. "Everyone gets presents, and even the suits of armour in the corridors sing Christmas carols!"
"Exactly," added a Gryffindor student. "Two Halloweens ago, there were enormous wandering pumpkin lanterns inside the Castle. They swallowed people whole and then spat them back out!"
The visiting students initially found these stories rather strange, but they were soon captivated, their faces filled with envy.
Some of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students recalled their previous experience of "fighting side by side" in the Great Hall and could not resist asking where Peeves was.
When they were told that the poltergeist had been locked inside the arena, they were left unsure whether to feel relieved or disappointed.
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