In the eyes of every wizard present, the pale blue carriage gliding above the Forbidden Forest dipped even lower.
Whether it was intentional or not, the magical carriage began descending at an astonishing speed, as though trying to startle the Hogwarts students on purpose. It showed no sign of slowing down.
Wind roared past, the pressure growing heavier.
Those timid wizards standing in the front row instinctively backed away a few steps, which only made the crowd more chaotic.
Draco saw Neville Longbottom leap backward in fright, landing squarely on Cedric Diggory's foot. The scene was amusing enough that several students burst into laughter.
Cedric Diggory acted gracious, pretending he didn't mind Neville's blunder, but to Draco, something about Cedric's forgiving smile felt… off.
As if he were hiding something behind it.
Before Draco could look closer, his attention was pulled back to the enormous carriage before them…
Thud! Thud!
The hooves struck the ground, and in an instant, the carriage touched down. Its massive wheels shuddered on impact, yet somehow the landing was astonishingly smooth despite the speed.
Naturally, none of the earlier fears actually came true…
"A golden body… fiery red eyes…"
"This is a Salaman, with a golden body, flame-like eyes, and those enormous wings."
The voice was airy and dreamlike, tinged with the delight of someone who'd just spotted a beloved creature.
It was Luna Lovegood, who had somehow appeared beside Draco without him noticing.
To give credit where it was due, under Professor McGonagall's firm enforcement, the girl—now free of her usual assortment of odd accessories—looked much more neat and refreshingly graceful than usual. The subtle glances she drew from nearby students made it clear the silver-haired girl had a charm many rarely noticed.
Still, Luna's words left Pansy and Hermione—who had overheard—utterly doubtful.
"Did you say… Sala—something?"
"Salaman. They were featured in The Quibbler. In the Middle Ages, they were considered a creature surrounded by legend."
"..."
At that, Hermione's skepticism only deepened. She knew that magazine well—far too many things in it were, in her opinion, completely unfounded.
Draco, to be honest, had never heard of a Salaman either.
Before he had time to think more about these mysterious creatures Luna mentioned, the door of the carriage—decorated with two golden crossed wands—was pushed open from inside.
A boy in a light blue robe stepped out.
Under the curious gazes of every wizard watching, he began feeling around the carriage floor. With a bit of careful maneuvering, a golden spiral staircase unfolded at the exit. Then he stepped back and gave a deep, respectful bow…
…
Thud!
A gleaming black high-heeled shoe stepped out.
The young wizards of Hogwarts all widened their eyes at once. Not because a shoe was unusual—but because this one was the size of a small sleigh. It was difficult to imagine how large the foot must be, or how tall its owner was. The answer arrived moments later, as the woman wearing that enormous shoe emerged. Her towering frame made Draco glance back at Hagrid among the professors. Her size immediately brought Hagrid to mind. And Draco noticed something else: the moment she appeared, Hagrid's eyes seemed to brighten, and his breathing grew noticeably heavier.
Just then, Dumbledore began clapping...
"Dear Madame Maxime, welcome to Hogwarts."
"Dumbledore, it has been far too long. I hope we didn't keep you waiting."
"Not at all. You are the first to arrive."
"Oh? Karkaroff hasn't made it yet?"
While the two headmasters exchanged greetings, Pansy tugged lightly at Draco's robes, signaling for him to look ahead. As Draco turned his attention forward, he saw that the Beauxbatons students had begun stepping down from the carriage. Dressed in their light blue robes, they assembled neatly behind their headmistress. What Pansy wanted Draco to notice, however, was one particular student—or more accurately, the moment the entire atmosphere shifted into silence...
"Draco, is that—?!"
"Ah…"
With the exception of Dumbledore and Madame Maxime, who continued their conversation unfazed, every young wizard—and quite a few witches—were staring ahead in stunned silence. More precisely, they were fixated on a single girl among the Beauxbatons students.
She had long, shimmering silver hair that fell like a waterfall, and a pair of deep blue eyes that blinked softly under the starlit sky. Those eyes seemed almost alive—drawing people in, holding their attention, refusing to let them look away. Whether it was the cold air or something else, Draco could clearly see that most of the boys' faces had turned bright red, their breaths unsteady...
All except the girls, every wizard present stood frozen, blushing and speechless, staring at the Beauxbatons witch like fools. The embarrassing sight made the Hogwarts girls glance at their male classmates with open disdain—and it also sparked a flicker of hostility toward the Beauxbatons witch herself...
Draco was quietly observing all of this when he suddenly felt someone jab him in the side. He turned to find Hermione squinting at him.
"This feels familiar. At the Quidditch World Cup, all the wizards acted exactly like this—just gawking like idiots at—wait!?"
Hermione suddenly gasped, whipping her head back toward the Beauxbatons witch. That stunning silver hair. That enchanting presence—less dramatic than before, but unmistakably familiar.
Hermione stared at Draco, eyes wide with disbelief, searching his face for confirmation. Because this was...