"The lovely ladies of the beaxbatons academy of magic, and their headmistress Madame Maxine."
Dumbledore spread his arms toward the massive entrance doors.
The Great Hall fell immediately silent.
Anticipation rolled through the students almost tangibly now.
Even the ghosts hovering near the ceiling drifted lower for a better look.
Then—
The doors opened.
Not violently.
Elegantly.
A rush of cool air swept into the hall carrying with it the faint scent of fresh snow and expensive perfume.
And through the doorway stepped the Beauxbatons Academy delegation.
A collection of french dolls, made up to appear like perfect little fairy princesses, causing more than a couple Hogwarts boys eyes to metaphoically pop out of their heads, and a few girls next to their boyfriends to smack them with books.
The reaction from the Hogwarts students was immediate.
A collective inhale swept through the hall.
Because beautiful did not quite cover it.
The Beauxbatons students moved with an almost surreal grace as they entered in perfect formation behind their headmistress.
Silk blue uniforms shimmered beneath the candlelight like liquid sapphire, tailored close enough to flatter without appearing improper. Their capes flowed behind them in soft pale shades of icy blue lined with silver threading that caught the light with every movement.
Every single girl seemed impossibly refined.
Glossed lips.
Perfect posture.
Hair styled in elaborate curls, braids, or smooth cascading waves.
Perfume drifted through the hall in subtle notes of lavender, winter roses, vanilla, and expensive French magic that probably cost more than the Weasley's collective worth.
Several Hogwarts boys visibly forgot how breathing worked.
One Hufflepuff second year dropped fell right off his bench seating
Seamus Finnigan muttered something heartfelt and deeply Irish under his breath.
Ron Weasley looked spiritually overwhelmed.
Fred leaned toward George.
"We've lost him."
"Tragic," George agreed solemnly. "He was young."
Course this was now the second time in recent memory Ron had been lost to his hormones, the first being thanks to the Veela at the World Cup game.
The Beauxbatons girls continued down the aisle in synchronized steps, many smiling faintly at the attention while others openly enjoyed it.
And frankly—
They knew exactly what they were doing.
"Merlin," Ginny muttered quietly beside Cassius. "They travel in packs."
"They're like Veela commandos," Daphne said flatly.
Hermione narrowed her eyes immediately.
"That's an incredibly sexist thing to say."
Daphne didn't even blink.
"And yet accurate."
Cho watched the procession carefully before sighing softly.
"Oh no."
Cassius glanced toward her.
"Oh no what?"
Cho pointed subtly toward the entering girls.
"Look at them."
"So?"
"That's the problem."
Astoria immediately straightened beside him.
"No."
Cassius blinked once.
"…no what?"
"No new girls."
The response came instantly.
Firm.
Absolute.
Luna tilted her head thoughtfully while watching the Beauxbatons students spin gracefully through the hall in a choreographed dance-like entrance.
"The pretty blonde one near the back already noticed him."
Five heads snapped toward her instantly.
"Which one?" Ginny demanded.
Luna pointed vaguely.
"Tall. Angry. French."
That narrowed it down surprisingly well.
As out of the near thirty girls who'd entered the hall only one wasn't smiling, at least not now she wasnt.
Fleur Delacour stepped into the center of the hall, and almost as if smelling something horrid her once perfect smile had instead contorted into a look of rage.
And suddenly the rest of the Beauxbatons delegation felt quieter by comparison.
Not lesser.
Just overshadowed.
Silver-blonde hair flowed down nearly to her waist in soft waves that shimmered beneath the candlelight like spun moonlight itself.
Her pale skin seemed almost luminous against the blue silk of her uniform while sharp blue eyes swept confidently across the Great Hall with practiced poise.
Part Veela heritage radiated from her subtly but unmistakably.
Not enough to overwhelm.
Enough to pull attention instinctively.
Even many of the girls in the hall stared despite themselves.
She was beautiful in the way dangerous things often were.
Elegant.
Sharp.
Aware of exactly what effect she had on people.
Several boys physically leaned forward without realizing it.
Ron Weasley looked moments away from religious conversion.
"Bloody hell…" he whispered reverently.
However no one seemed to know just why this stunning beauty had pulled such a face.
But it became all to clear with time.
Fleur continued walking—
Continuing the entrance performance before turning round at the front of the hall and performing a bow towards the collective school assembly.
But when her head raised up her eyes full of fire were locked onto Cassius.
The atmosphere around the Draconis table shifted immediately.
Because unlike everyone else in the hall—
Cassius did not react.
No gawking.
No slack-jawed fascination.
No enchanted stupidity.
He simply met her gaze calmly.
This wasnt their first time meeting one another afterall, Cassius had met her years ago during a dueling competition, one in which he won the championship defeating the younger version of Fleur.
Recognition flickered across Fleur's expression instantly.
Then irritation.
Sharp and immediate.
Her eyes narrowed.
The scowl across her face deepened, as if the anger before was a mere pittance of what it had become now.
"Oh that is never a good sign," Daphne muttered.
Ginny looked horrified.
"You know her?"
"She was a duelist during the under 17 competition i participated in," Cassius replied.
Astoria immediately folded her arms.
"Do you think she's still holding a grudge for losing to you?"
Before he could answer—
Fleur lifted two fingers delicately toward her lips.
Then blew him a kiss.
Directly across the Great Hall.
The entire Draconis table froze.
Several nearby students also audibly choked before starting a fight amonst themselve declaring the kiss was intended for them.
Cassius closed his eyes briefly, almost as if pretending he didnt just see that.
At the staff table, several professors were pretending very hard not to watch the unfolding disaster at the Draconis table.
McGonagall failed completely.
Snape looked moments away from developing a migraine.
The Hogwarts students erupted into applause immediately.
Though a large portion of the male population still looked mentally absent.
And those that werent were giving a standing ovation, well at least the boys were, again save those who hadnt come around or were still being beaten by their girlfriends.
Madame Maxime inclined her massive jeweled hand regally, which Dubbledore took into his own before planting a kiss upon the back of her hand.
Cassius honestly didnt want to be here anymore, he hadnt even done anything and yet he could feel multiple accusatory glares piercing him from all sides.
Nothing he said could be done in his defence, his own actions had dug the grave and now he simply must lie down in it obidiently.
Though the though still nagged at his mind as to just why Fleur was so angry with him in the first place.
Then once the applause finally died down, Dumbledore raised his hands once more.
"And now," he announced cheerfully, "our honored guests from the north…"