The excitement was like no other. Not even for last year's Quidditch Final did Ilvermorny buzz like this. It was the first of October, and Hogwarts and Mahoutokoro would be arriving later today.

  Everyone was buzzing; the Pukwudgies that worked for Ilvermorny were everywhere. Scrubbing the stones, waxing the wood, and making anything that can be shiny, even more shinny. Even the professors were on their best behavior. Wolfe was looking less scary. Soot put on his best ocean-themed robes. Even Pan tried not to smell like whiskey. Even River was trying to tame his hair, which didn’t work.

  River was sitting with Moon at lunch. The school is buzzing with anticipation. “Oh, I’m so nervous,” Moon said, leaning into River’s side.

  “Me too,” River said. “I never met anyone from another school before.”

  “I have, I met Teddy’s cousins, the Potters; they are weird,” Moon said as she fed River a bite of her chicken. Murphy groaned from across the table.

  “I’m going to climb a tree and jump off it,” Murphy said, getting up and walking off.

  “When’s your first match, babe?” Moon asked.

  “Uh… I don’t know, they haven’t told us anything yet. But we’ve started to practice, so that’s a plus,” River said, trying to chew the food that was being stuffed into his mouth. Archie finds his pudding funny because he keeps snickering into it.

  “When do they even show up?” Moon asked, wiping River’s lip.

  “Mom said, a few hours before dinner, there’s going to be a feast,” River said.

  “Oh, look, Owl post,” Archie said, pulling away from his comedic pudding. They looked up and saw a hundred owls swooping down with mail and packages.

  “Probably last-minute dress robes,” River said.

  One by one, owls dropped mail to students all around the Great Hall. One brown owl dropped a paper to Robin, River’s Quidditch Captain. Archie got a box of candy, and so did Moon. River got some candy too, from the Sweet’s, and his dress socks he forgot.

  “Merlin's beard!” Robin shouted, standing up. “River! Look at this!”

  She ran over and thrust the New York Ghost into his chest. He looked at the front page. The picture was of Jasper Nightingale, the currents US Seeker and Prodigy, who was leading the World Cup Qualifiers in Snitches Caught. He was in a suit in front of a large building, a man next to him who looked like a lawyer. Jasper looked troubled and pale. The headline made River gasp.

  “QUIDDITCH PRODAGY; JASPER NIGHTINGALE CAUGHT!”

  “The Rookie Seeker for the Salem Witchtrials, who swept the awards last year, winning Rookie of the Year, Seeker of the Year, and Most Valuable Player, and leading the team to a 300 – 100 victory in the Championship against the Cannon Beach Goons. Nightingale was called up to take over the Seeker position for the United States National Team and immediately made the US team, transforming a former bottom team into one of the top favorites to go far in the Quidditch World Cup, during the summer match between Japan and the USA, where the Japanese Seeker Oni Kage, a Sixth-Year at Mahoutokoro, snatched the Snitch right from Nightingale. Both the US and Japanese teams have already qualified for the World Cup next summer. During the match, the Japanese Seeker saw something strange, and upon further review of the moment the Snitch was caught, it definitely looks fishy to our eyes. Oni Kage filed a grievance with the Quidditch World Cup Officials after the match, accusing Jasper Nightingale of cheating. For weeks, the trial of Nightingale has been going on, with at least 16 different times when Nightingale caught the Snitch by sheer luck. Rigorous testing and the use of the Truth Serum Potion revealed that Jasper Nightingale has been using the banned potion, Felix Felicis, in over 30 various matches in his Quidditch Career. Jasper was found guilty and banned for life from competing in any official World Cup matches. His trial for his Major League Quidditch eligibility begins next month. If found guilty, Jasper Nightingale would be stripped of all awards and banned from playing in any professional-level Quidditch matches. The US Captain Tony Stark has made a statement, “We are deeply troubled at this situation. We had no clue of his actions, and I personally wouldn’t have tolerated any cheating. We will be using our backup Seeker, Liza Dewolf.” We at the Ghost researched this replacement. Dewolf plays for the all-female team, the Albuquerque Bruha. Catching 22 Snitches is coming in second in the Seeker of the Year rankings. While fast, she has short arms and struggles on hairpin turns.”

  “What the hell?” River said.

  “He was a cheating bastard!” Robin shouted, slamming her hand on the table. “Did the scum cheat when we won our House Cup? I’m going to murder him!” she growled and snatched the paper from River’s hands, before storming off.

  “Wow…” River said, in total shock. Ever since River learned about Quidditch, Jasper had been his favorite player. Playing for Thunderbird, leading them to a House Cup. Even playing for River’s favorite team, the Salem Witchtrials. Now it felt like he just learned his Quidditch hero was a dirty, stinky cheater.

  After lunch, the rest of the day was free until the other schools arrived. River needed to blow off steam; it looked like the rest of the Thunderbird team did, too. River grabbed his broom and went to the Quidditch Pitch with Moon, only to find the rest of the Thunderbird team having an impromptu practice. Moon kissed River’s cheek and went to sit in the stands. River flew up to meet Robin.

  “Hey,” River said softly.

  “Hey…” Robin said. “No plan, just do whatever.”

  “Can I play Chaser?” River asked.

  Robin looked at him with a confused yet amused expression, then a smirk spread across her face. “You know what? Everyone, come in!”

  The rest of the team flew in. Dan came up with Aspen, Hazel, Kala, and Kimo. “What’s going on, sista?” Kimo or Kala said. River still couldn’t tell the very large Polynesian twins apart.

  “We all heard the news,” Robin said. “To say I’m heartbroken and disappointed is an understatement. But we need to blow off steam. All this hurt and anger isn’t good for our team. So to blow off steam, our young, beautiful River here gave me an idea,” she smirked, putting her arm around River’s shoulder. “For today’s practice. Two teams, 3v3, I’m the Ref. River, and Dan, you two will be Chasers, and Aspen will be their Keeper. Hazel is the Keeper on the other team, with Kala and Kimo as Chasers.”

  There was a confused, collective look, then excited smirks began to spread.

  “And after some time, I’ll throw out the Snitch, then every single one of us will go after it. And whoever snags it wins. Ready, Go!”

  What resulted was a massive, clumsy, hilarious mess. The twins, who looked like trolls on toothpicks, could barely hold onto the Quaffle, despite their hands making the large ball look like a small ball. River’s lungs started to burn from laughing so hard, trying to watch the large twins trying to do rolls and faints.

  To River’s Surprise, he was fairly good at playing Chaser. He was fast and good at catching; the only thing he struggled with was accuracy. Hitting the rims of the goals more than going right through.

  “Guys!” Moon shouted from the stands. “They are meeting at the gates! We have to go!”

  “Ok, everyone!” Robin shouted. “Snitch!” she threw the small golden ball into the air, and it zipped away instantly. There was a mad scramble of seven people chasing after the golf ball-sized ball.

  “Block River!” Aspen yelled. Two large bear-sized twins came in from either side of the river, pressing in on him like a crusher.

  “Not this time, Manu,” one of them said.

  “The Snitch is ours!” The other said.

  “Wait, where’d’it go?” the one to River’s left said.

  “I don’t know, bro, I can never see that thing,” the one to the right said.

  “Guys…can’t…breath…” River gasped.

  “Oh snap, sorry Manu, are you ok?” They both pulled away from their crushing ways and instantly went into teddy bear mode.

  “Yeah, thanks,” River smirked, and instantly dove out from between them.

  “Ah damn…” The left said.

  “Curse our over-loving nature,” the right said.

  “Love you guys too!” River shouted as he quickly caught up to the others.

  “What a lovely young man,” they said, wiping tears.

  “Crap, here comes River!” Hazel shouted. “Not this time, cutie!” She dove in and was about to ram into River’s shoulder when he rolled over her in an arcing barrel roll. “I hate how good you are!” she laughed, as he quickly dusted her.

  River caught up to Robin and Aspen, who were both reaching for the Snitch. He flipped upside down and flew over them.

  “What in the—” Aspen jumped.

  “River!” Robin shouted in surprise.

  His hand grabbed the Snitch, and he let go of his broom with his legs, falling and hanging from his one hand, looking back at his team. “I win.” He smirked, holding out the Snitch.

  “Sure, but that’s going to beat you!” Robin pointed. River turned around and saw the sand pit under the west goal posts coming at him fast. To fast. He hit the sand and rolled a few dozen feet, kicking up a ton of sand, coming to a rest beneath the center post. A few moments later, the rest of his team landed and looked down at him with smiles.

  River held up the Snitch, “I win.” They burst into laughter.

  “River!” Pan’s voice boomed, making them all flinch. “Get your sandy ass up and come on! All of you!”

  As they marched their way up to the front gates overlooking the driveway, meeting the rest of the school standing around the circular drive in front of the Entrance Hall. River was covered in sand, standing in his Quidditch robes, with Pan dragging him by the ear.

  “Ah, good, River,” Soot said, looking River over. “What happened?”

  “Fell in sand,” River said.

  “Well… good enough, since you are the recent Award of Bravery winner, I want you standing right next to me as a shining example of our fine school…” he looked River up and down. “Let’s just hope they don’t mind the dust.” He smirked. Pan smacked the back of River’s head, causing a big puff of sand to shoot into the air. A few laughs rang out.

  “Professor Soot?” River said. “How many students from each school are coming?”

  “Usually, only the students who meet the requirements for the Tri-Wizard would come. About 20 or fewer. But that’s not fun,” Soot shook his head. “Besides, none of the other students left behind would have any fun, and that was not an option. So we came up with all these events, meaning everyone from both schools would be there. So for the first time. Three full schools will join one for most of the year. Meaning joined classes, with Professors from Hogwarts and Mahoutokoro, and sharing your fun memories with new friends from those schools. We are making history this year, my boy,” Soot put his arm around River, despite his dusty appearance. A shimmering smile on Soot’s face.

  The entire courtyard fell silent as they waited… and waited… and waited. Soon, sunset grew more pronounced, and the air grew chillier by the second. Suddenly, the gates burst open, and four large carriages pulled by squadrons of very large birds swooped through the gates, landing in a loud boom and skidding to a halt around the circled drive. The birds were the size of horses, black and sleek, with white underfeathers; the carriages were dark wood with pale pink linings. The first carriage pulled in front of Soot and River.

  The door opened, and two young boys jumped out. They quickly rolled out a pink carpet that unrolled itself, ending at Soot’s and River’s feet. The two boys, who were wearing light pink robes, were now pulling steps out of the carriage.

  Then they fell into a deep bow, as a tall woman in long black slim robes draped over her feet. She had smooth, tanned skin and sharp eyes that sent a chill down River’s spine. Her face pretty much said, “Don’t you dare have fun within 20 feet of me.” Her silky black hair was tied into a tight bun. Behind her, River gasped.

  A beautiful girl in golden robes stepped out behind her. Her hair was black, silky, and elegantly tied up. Her eyes were sharp, too, and gave off a cold, unreadable air about her. Followed behind them were a few girls who looked like the Golden Girls’ entourage. Each one of them was breathtakingly beautiful.

  “Ilvermorny, presenting the Japanese Wizarding School, Mahoutokoro,” Soot said. “And their Headmistress, Nekomi Amakusa .” Soot clapped, followed by the rest of Ilvermorny clapping.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  The woman in black walked down the pink walkway, as if she were floating. Followed by the golden girl and her entourage. They stopped in front of Soot and River. Soot bowed his head, then nudged River to copy him. River awkwardly bowed, dust sliding off of him.

  “Headmistress Amakusa, so wonderful to see you again,” Soot beamed. They kissed cheeks before speaking in Japanese together. River looked at the Golden girl, who was looking at River with disgust and a hint of curiosity. River smiled. “Please, let me introduce you to our Award of Bravery winner, River Grimes,” Soot said suddenly. River looked up to Soot.

  “Oh uh… hello, Headmistress Amakusa,” River said quickly.

  “Konnichiwa, River Grimes,” Headmistress Amakusa said in an icy, stern voice. “Will you be entering your name to be a Champion?”

  “Oh no, Ma’am, I’m not old enough. I’m only 13,” River said with a smile.

  “13? You have a power I can sense within you, I am sure… despite your appearance… you are a great Wizard,” Amakusa said. River blushed. “Allow me to introduce Mahoutokoro’s number one student. Princess Yuki Sora,” she motioned to the Golden girl next to her.

  She stepped up and said in a pleasant voice, “Nice to meet you, River-San.” She bowed, River stunned, and quickly bowed back.

  “Nice to meet you, too,” he said quickly.

  “I look forward to your tour of the school grounds tomorrow. Ilvermorny is so beautiful and different from Mahoutokoro,” Sora said.

  “Oh yeah!” River smiled. “I’m looking forward to the tour too, I can't wait to… wait what? Tour?” River looked at Soot, bewildered.

  “Ah, yes, well, since you were busy… crashing your broom,” Soot said. “I meant to tell you, as the pride of Ilvermorny, you will give a tour of the grounds to both Mahoutokoro and Hogwarts before breakfast.”

  “Ah, right…” River said. “Sorry, sand must have gotten in my brain from the crash.” Sora bit her lip stiffing a laugh, and looking away from a stern glance from Amakusa. “Well, Yuki Sora—”

  “Princess Yuki Sora,” Amakusa corrected.

  “Princess Yuki Sora,” River finished. “I look forward to showing you and your classmates our school. I hope Ilvermorny serves as a lovely home this year for you.” River finished in a mock bubbly voice. A few giggles rang out from Sora’s entourage.

  “Please, Headmistress Amakusa, follow our Professor Wolfe to the Great Hall, while we wait for Hogwarts,” Soot said.

  “Our Giant Petrels only feed on cow hearts and licorice,” Amakusa said.

  “Don’t worry, our Grounds Keeper Cooter will take great care of them,” Soot said.

  “Headmistress Amakusa, nice to meet you again,” Wolfe said. “Please follow me.” Wolf led Amakusa and Yuki away. Followed by a stream of about 10 golden-robed students, followed by all pink-robed students. To River’s surprise, there were barely a couple of hundred.

  Coming in last was a tall boy with dark hair and sharp dark eyes. He walked behind the stream of students; his robes were golden too. But he was kept away from the rest. He glanced at River and saw his Quidditch robes. “You play Quidditch?” he said briskly in a dark voice.

  “Uh, yeah,” River said. “Seeker.”

  “Huh,” the boy said, before turning and walking off.

  River felt a pinch on his arm; it was Robin. She whispered, “That was Oni Kage! The Seeker for Japan, and the one who outed Jasper!”

  By the time the carriages were cleared away, the gates were closed again. The sunset was gone, and now darkness covered the driveway. And the waiting began for another round. This time, only a few moments had passed before nearly ten carriages pulled by Thestrals burst through the gates and circled the driveway.

  “They aren't being pulled by anything,” some first years said, standing by River.

  “Thestrals are pulling them,” River said without thought as he looked at the bony black horses with large bat-like wings. Until he realized many eyes were looking at him. He looked back at the eyes all around him, before Soot nudged him.

  “There are a rare few people here at Ilvermorny who can see these uniquely beautiful creatures, my boy. You and I are among the rare few. It tends to make people uncomfortable, those who can see them,” Soot said with a smile. “Nothing to worry about, people,” he said to the crowd. “It just shows how strong our River is, to see these creatures and still be standing here with us, am I right?”

  The crowd murmured agreement and nods, before turning back to the carriages.

  The middle carriage door burst open, and a student jumped out into the rocks, looking a bit older than River. “Good evening, Ilvermorny!” he shouted, putting his hands up in big peace signs. Laughter rang out.

  “Enough of that, Sirius,” chuckled a calming voice from inside the carriage. Then a tall man stepped out in long, emerald-green robes, with messy black hair, violent green eyes, and round glasses. He took a breath, looked out at the school and smiled. “Been too long, huh? Pan! My friend!” the man immediately B lined right to Pan, hugging her tightly. Her eyes went wide before patting his back. “Lovely to see you again, ah! Soot!” he switched targets in a blink. He swiftly strolled over and shook Soot’s hand. “Nice to meet you again, what a beautiful school you have!” his emerald eyes flicked to River, then back to Soot, before double-taking back to River, going wide. “River!” he shouted in shock and awe. “You look… dusty.” He chuckled before pulling out an old-looking, long wand with knots along the shaft. Soot’s eyes went wide slightly before going back to a warm smile. The man flicked the wand, and River exploded into a large cloud of dust, making many people cough. “My bad,” he chuckled. River was now completely clean and very windblown, as if he had fallen down a wind tunnel.

  “Headmaster Potter,” Soot beamed. River’s eyes went wide.

  The man with green eyes grinned at River and winked before turning to Soot. “What a beautiful school, Headmaster Soot. Almost as breathtaking as my Hogwarts. Please excuse my loud son and his entrance,” Potter waved his hand to the boy who jumped out. He was nearly identical to Harry, except for longer black hair and a wild grin.

  River looked behind them; nearly as many Ilvermorny students stood as there were at Hogwarts. All in black robes, besides four distinct colors. Red, Green, Yellow and Blue.

  “I see you need no introduction to River. How do you know him?” Soot said.

  “River? Oh yeah, I know River,” Harry put his arms around River. “River is my Godson!” gasps rang around them, River being one of the most completely shocked. Pan rolled her eyes.

  “I didn’t tell him yet, moron,” Pan said to Harry.

  “Oops, my bad. Anyway, nice to finally meet you, son,” Harry patted River’s shoulder and beckoned his students to follow him into the school.

  River looked to Pan. She shrugged, “What? I have a dangerous job; if I die, I don’t want you going back to the orphanage? Let’s talk about this later,” she said quickly after seeing the look on River’s face. She quickly led students in, moving away from River, by putting a crowd between them.

  They moved back inside, the Great Hall absolutely packed with people. Half the Mahoutokoro students mixed with Thunderbird and Wampus, while Hogwarts was mixed with Pukwudgie and Horned Serpent. River saw Moon sitting next to a boy from Hogwarts; she was sitting very close to him, smiling and talking animatedly. His stomach churned. He sat down, not really paying attention to where he was.

  Then Moon stood up, scanned the room for River, saw him, and began walking over. She came up to him, standing a bit away from him more than usual. “Hey, River, listen. I have to end this.”

  “What?” River asked.

  “Us,” she said, looking down. “It wasn’t even serious, right? Just some fun, there were no real feelings, right? Just some fun, but it’s over now, ok? Are you ok with that?”

  River looked at her, feeling like his heart just broke. “Yeah…” he said, not wanting to look sad. “Just fun… right.

  Moon smiled and nodded, “Ok, good. Well, do you want to have lunch tomorrow and watch people put their names in?”

  “No,” River said firmly. Her smile faltered. “I’d rather be doing something fun.” He turned his back to her, ending it there on his terms.

  “River…” Moon said softly.

  “Moon, go away,” Archie said firmly. “God your such a moron! Go away, loser! Wait till I tell mom about this, she’ll eat you alive.”

  “Archie, please…” Moon said.

  “Go run off back to some boy you just met from Hogwarts, you are losing someone a million times better than you!” Archie said cruelly.

  “Arch,” River said. “It’s her choice.”

  “I’m…sorry…” Moon whimpered before running back to her table.

  “She just broke up with you! That’s my sister, and you're my best friend. She had no good reason to hurt your relationship with my family,” Archie said.

  “Relax, Arch, you are still my best friend, and I love all you Sweets like family, just like she said. No real feelings, just fun. Besides, we haven’t done anything romantic, except kiss a couple of times. We barely even saw each other since school started anyway.”

  “I’m still telling Mom,” Archie said in a huff. Before his eyes went wide and his face went pink. Then about four girls sat down beside them. River looked over and saw the Princess and the three girls who shadowed her sitting at their table right next to them. The Princess is right next to the River, and two of the other girls are on each side of Archie.

  “Well, hello, ladies,” Archie smirked.

  “Oh, hey, Yuki,” River waved. All four girls turned pink in the face. “What? Did I say something wrong?”

  “In our culture, we use last names, and use our first names for close friends and loved ones,” Sora said.

  “Oh my bad, Sora, right?” River said.

  “And we ad honnorific’s after the name to show respect. Like River-San, for formal, and River-Chan as a friend. Or River-Kun as a casual saying.” Sora said.

  “Oh ok, so Sora-Chan?” River said.

  She blushed and nodded slightly, “That works…”

  “Oh look!” Archie pointed. “Soot’s about to speak. Who are those people behind him at the professor's table?”

  Soot stood on the center platform, getting ready to speak. But behind him, sitting at the professor's table, were the new Headmasters, Harry and Amakusa. But three other people were there too. Well, River knew one of them.

  “That right there in the purple… red…robe—

  “Mauve,” Archie corrected.

  “In whatever robe there, that’s Sabin Vexx, the president,” River pointed to the tall, slim woman with the stern, sharp face, in the mauve robes and a beret.

  “And that’s our Prime Minister Kaga Oda,” Sora said. Nothing to the man in the black robes sitting next to Vexx.

  “Then that means that woman there is Hermione Potter, the Prime Minister of I forgot what it was,” River said.

  “Oh, right!” Archie said. “Prime Minister of Magic in England.” She was an average-height woman with her hair tied back and bushy, wearing a nice, soft red robe. She was looking pregnant again.

  “Jeez…” River said. “They really like making kids.”

  “Who doesn’t?” Archie smirked. Earning a few scoffs from Sora’s entourage.

  “Attention, friends both old and our new friends,” Soot began, the hall falling silent. “Today marks the first meeting of Mahoutokoro, Hogwarts and Ilvermorny for more than a century, and the first time in history that all three schools are joining together. Thank you to our gracious headmasters for agreeing to partake in our little competition. And our respective Ministers and President for allowing our schools to have this great competition. Minister of Magic Hermione Potter, Minister of Magic of Japan, Kage Oda, and President Sabine Vexx.” Applause rang out. River clapped, Hermione caught his eye and gave him a warm smile.

  “Now, let’s get down to business,” Soot clapped his hands. And four wizards came in from the side room, carrying a large wooden casket. They set the large old wooden box down on the ground in front of the professor's table platform, right in front of Soot’s announcement podium. “Now…” Soot said, dropping his fun tone into seriousness. “We spent months deciding on the name of this tournament. I suggested we change the name, but some decided to keep it as is. The Tri-Wizard Tournament. A long history, with a bloody past. Death has been a huge part of the Tri-Wizard since its start. Finally ending with the death of Cedric Digory at the hands of Lord Voldemort, starting the Second Wizarding War. However, the war didn’t hit America too hard. We too lost friends and loved ones. So we spent months devising safety measures for each competition and extra safety measures in the Tri-Wizard trials. In which I will explain some of the rules after I reveal what's in this box.”

  Soot drew his wand, flicked it at the box, and the wood began to melt away, leaving a large glass cup on a tall stone podium. The lights in the Great Hall went dark, and a ghostly blue flame danced in the cup, flicking at the dark air, spreading a blue hue across the faces of the crowd.

  “The Goblet of Fire,” Soot said. “Here are the rules. Only wizards of age are allowed to enter. Meaning only those 16 years and older can write their name and school on a slip of paper, and toss it into the Goblet of Fire. Where at this time tomorrow night, will spit out one champion from Mahoutokoro, one from Hogwarts, and one from Ilvermorny. Three Champions. Where they will prove their skill, knowledge, and situational awareness in three Trials. Designed to test the body, mind and soul. Don’t get me wrong: despite the new safety rules, safety is not guaranteed. These trials can go wrong and can easily lead to death. And if you are up to the challenge and are chosen to be the champion. The Goblet of Fire's magic binds you to compete and finish the tournament. The magic only ends after a victor has been decided,” Soot said. The blue flames danced across his face, making him look rather scary. “Here’s why you should think about entering. Eternal Glory. From now until you are a hunched, crazy old man. You will forever be known as a Champion and Winner of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. And five thousand Dragots, or an equal amount of money from your respective countries. A small fortune, well enough to get you a great start in life.” Soot suddenly clapped his hands, and the lights in the Great Hall turned back on in a blinding flash. “There will be four judges, and each Headmaster as a judge, and one of the Ministers and the President. President Vexx for the first task, Minister Potter for the second and Minister Oda as the last and final task judge. Now… that is all, please enjoy a lovely feast of a mix of each of our cultures' food to bask in friendship.” Soot clapped again, and the tables were suddenly piled high with foods River hadn’t seen before. Some of which he was very familiar with.

  There were countless piles of fresh sushi. River loved sushi; he ate it from the gas station in Garabaldi almost every day. There were foods from Japan and England that he had never seen before.

  “What are these balls?” River asked, eyeing a container of six fried balls, drizzled with sauce and sprinkled with pink flakes.

  “Those are Takoyaki River-San,” Sora said. “Very delicious.”

  River shrugged and ate one. “Wow, they are good!” he said excitedly, quickly eating another.

  Sora nodded, “Fried octopus is great.”

  “Friend, what now?” River said, looking down at the half-bit ball, a bit of pink tentacle sticking out. He blinked. Then shrugged. “Good enough to ignore.” He ate the rest. “So Yuk.. Sora-Chan. You are putting your name in?”

  She nodded, “Yes, I am the top of my school, and Princess to the Wizarding Japanese People. My father said it would be a great honor for me to have this experience, to lead our people in the future as Queen.”

  “Wow,” River said. “You are really a Princess? I thought that was a nickname. If you are a princess, why do you have a minister?”

  “It is like a jointed effort. The Minister handles the laws and government. At the same time, the King and Queen handle the nation's security and prosperity. Often bringing moral support and helping those in need. However, we don’t really do much since the Minister pretty much does most of everything now. It’s more of a title.”

  “Can I be a prince?” River asked, eyeing a weird black pudding, before sliding it to Archie, who promptly slid it away from him.

  “Only if we marry,” Sora said, “but since you are not royal blood, and American. The chances my father would agree are near zero.”

  “Well,” River said, stuffing too much sushi in his mouth. Sora giggled before covering her mouth and stopping. “There are always those chapels with Elvis in Vegas.”

  Soot pulled out his wand and drew a ghostly white floating circle around the Goblet of Fire. “This is an age line, where no one under the age of 16 can enter. And…” he checked his watch. “Start the clock. 24 hours to put your name in, and at the end, the Cup will choose our three champions. Good luck to everyone who wishes to enter. And take time to think if you are up to these tasks. Even with all the safety measures, there is always a heavy risk of death. Enjoy your food.” Soot went and joined the professor's table, then began eating and talking with the other professors and headmasters.

  “Do you want to enter, River?” Murphy asked, and she was sitting next to him.

  “No way,” River said.

  “Shame, I bet you would have easily won,” Archie said. Sora raised her eyebrow.

  “How do you think he can easily win? He’s not even close to being of age,” Sora said.

  “River is super strong and smart,” Archie said, earning a glare from River to shut up. “He picks up spells in like that!” he snapped his fingers. “And his spells kick so hard it feels like a—”

  “Shut up, moron!” Murphy stuffed black pudding into Archie's mouth. His eyes went wide, and he began to choke.

  “So you are really strong, River-San?” Sora asked.

  He glared at Archie, “I’m pretty strong,” he replied.

  “I never heard how you won such a high honor,” Sora said.

  “I killed a bad man,” River said coldly, his anger rising from the thought of Hatch. Sora seemed to understand he didn’t want to talk about it. She didn’t say anything else until they got up to go to bed.

  During the feast, no one entered their names.