The Great Hall glittered with candlelight.
Thousands of floating candles drifted beneath the enchanted ceiling while rain clouds rolled overhead in the artificial night sky, mirroring the storm still lingering outside the castle.
The familiar warmth of Hogwarts wrapped around the students almost instantly.
Heat from the braziers burning along the length of the room.
Imagined smell of roasted meat and fresh bread, the starving students were all to eager to gorge themselves upon.
The endless overlapping noise of hundreds of conversations colliding together beneath the vaulted ceiling.
After the tension surrounding the World Cup attack, the atmosphere inside the hall carried something almost desperate beneath the excitement.
Relief.
Students wanted normalcy.
Needed it.
Even if only for one evening.
Cassius sat at the head of the Draconis table facing the teachers table, the only student with a seat directly facing the school administration, one arm resting lazily against the carved black wood while the girls settled naturally around him on both sides.
Their seating order changed daily and it seemed even now entering his fourth year this trend was unlikely to change anytime soon as real estate was always a prime market in their eyes.
The hall itself had changed over the last few years.
Subtly.
Draconis House now carried weight within Hogwarts.
Influence.
No longer look upon with mocking grin, or envious stares.
No jealousy unhidden for the 'harem house'.
Instead those looks now were of respect, and perhaps even a little fear.
Cassius could feel eyes drifting toward their table constantly from the other houses.
Especially after the World Cup.
Especially after the stories spreading through magical Britain about what had happened that night.
Even now whispers moved through nearby tables.
"The Arcanum was there—"
"—they say Cassius Snape fought—"
"—Death Eaters killed—"
"—Ministry didn't do anything—"
He ignored all of it.
Attention was a tool.
Nothing more.
If the wizarding world tried to hoist him up onto a pedestle right alongside Dumbledore... well don't be sorry if he decided to punt the old man off the perch he'd held for far to long already.
At the staff table Dumbledore sat calmly at the center in robes of deep midnight blue scattered with silver stars.
His expression remained serene.
But Cassius noticed the details others missed.
The slightly heavier posture.
The eyes that moved more often than usual around the hall.
Watching.
Calculating.
Beside him sat Professor McGonagall stiff-backed and sharp-eyed as ever.
Flitwick looked excited about something.
Sprout looked damp from the weather outside.
Snape sat draped entirely in black, looking deeply unimpressed by existence itself.
Alongside the general staff was a pair of relative unknowns, at least to many, first there was Barty Crouch Sr. and next to him Ludo Bagman, the officials from the Ministry of Magic the organizers and runners of the Triwizard Tournament itself.
~
With the general flow of all years done, with the bringing in of the new enrollee's, followed by yet another horrendous rendition of what could only generously be called singing by the sorting hat, the atmosphere and scene were set for the grand announcement.
One that would soon replace the endless thoughts about food currently lingering in the minds of the hundreds of children sitting within the great hall
Silence gradually spread across the Great Hall.
Dumbledore rose slowly from his chair.
The room settled almost immediately.
Even the first years stopped whispering.
The old wizard smiled warmly across the hall, hands folded loosely behind his back.
Each year his opening speech was short and to the point, knowing full well most of these young chicks had not eaten anything substantiall in close to half a day now.
"Well now that we're all settled in and sorted," Dumbledore said, his voice carrying effortlessly through the chamber, "I'd like to make an announcement."
Knowing looks were shared between the senior students as if already knowing the few short words about to be spoken.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled faintly behind his half-moon spectacles.
"This castle will not only be your home this year-"
BANG.
The Great Hall doors slammed open hard enough to echo like cannon fire.
Every head turned instantly.
Argus Filch came sprinting into the hall.
Actually sprinting.
Which alone was horrifying enough to witness.
His threadbare robes flapped wildly around his legs while one arm clutched his lantern despite the hall already being brightly illuminated.
Students stared in collective disbelief.
Filch never ran.
He shuffled.
Like an angry corpse.
Yet now he charged down the center aisle breathing heavily through his nose while muttering furiously to himself.
The hall erupted into confused laughter almost immediately.
Especially from the twins.
Fred Weasley nearly fell off the Gryffindor bench.
George physically grabbed the table to stabilize himself.
But even seeing this sight it did not deter the headmaster from continuing on with his speech.
"But home to some very special guests as well. You see Hogwarts has been chosen-"
However being unable to finish as Filch finally reached the staff table panting aggressively before leaning toward Dumbledore and whispering something urgently into his ear.
The entire hall strained to listen.
Unfortunately Filch whispered like an elderly teakettle.
"-Refuse to wait--Want to come in now--Wont listen to me."
Dumbledore nodded calmly, before almost imperceptibly stating 'make them wait'
Which set Filch of running once more, while Dumbledore continued his own speech.
"So, Hogwartz has been chosen, to host a legendary event, the triwizard tournament."
His gaze swept slowly across the students.
As his words settled in the hall nearly exploded in excitement and clamour.
"Now for those of you who do not know, the triwizard tournament bring together three schools for a series of magical contests, from each school a single student is selected to compete. Now let me be clear if chosen you stand alone, trust me when i say these contests are not for the faint hearted."
That immediately drew complete attention.
At his own table, all the girls collectively bore a worried expression eyes turning to look as Cassius whom looked not the least bit surprised and instead almost expectant instead.
"But more of that later, and now please join me in welcoming..."