It has been less than forty eight hours since the attack at the Quidditch World Cup and the reporters have had a field day; any and every newspaper has it splashed across the front pages:

SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP.

Rita Skeeter reports.

Jay was lost in thought as she read the article from her almost upright position in her hospital bed. She was being discharged currently, her mother having to sign tons of paper work.

Her father had made his way to the ministry either early that morning, or late the night before but time was always funny in hospitals. She'd had to stay in bed while her ribs regrew; she had broken two and fractured three. She was lucky, the nurses had said, that the bones hadn't splintered and pierced her lungs and what with the force of the boot hitting her head she should've had a much bigger concussion and worse injuries in general.

Her mind was dragged back to that glint of light the figure in the trees.

¬_¬

After her discharge they had taken the floo home Harrys injuries had been manageable so he hadn't needed the aid of St. Mungos. They got their luggage and left for Kings Cross station arriving just in time to barrel through the wall and scurry onto the train, the six of them all filling up the entry carriage as the train jolted and began to move out of the station.

Ginny was the first to leave, "I'm going to find Ruth," she'd said. Harry, Ron and Hermione left next, "we're going to find an empty carriage. Jay your welcome to join." It was an after thought, she was an after thought.

"I'm alright thanks." She said walking of in the opposite direction. There was a thudding of footsteps behind her, "wait up JJ! we'll sit with you if you don't mind." She didn't, she would've ended up sitting alone as the carriages weren't big enough for her friends, her friends friends and her all in one. The twins pushed past her and decide to lead the way for her.

She smiled to herself, she really did love her family sometimes.

They sauntered into a seemingly empty carriage awaiting her entrance before they took their seats. "Window?" She shook her head, she slumped down on one side and they both sat on the other.

She noticed a person sat on her other side, long-ish chocolatey brown hair and clear peachy skin. He was already in his robes, yellow tie situated carefully over his sternum reading Romeo and Juliet. It seemed he was re-reading his own personal copy, the pages dog eared and coloured tags stuck to them. It pained her to see a book treated like that although he obviously cared about it as the covers where pristine and flat, not a curled corner in sight.

She had been staring to long-"Are you okay?" He turned to her looking up from his book, "the last time we saw each other I was very worried about you, even more so when I heard you'd ended up in St. Mungos." She coughed to clear her throat so her words came out in a flowing symphony, they didn't. "I- I uh th- thanks I guess..."

she heard her brothers chuckle across from her, "you guess?" She knew she was blushing but tried to convince herself she wasn't, "s- sorry." She forced out he went back to his book but he was smiling slightly.

Fuck the twins, she thought, fuck them and their stupid fucking faces.

The train ride was mostly silent except for when the trolly came round or each Weasley, one by one, excused themselves to go change into their robes.

They exited the carriage, Gryfindors Infront then the Hufflepuff then the Ravenclaw but someone caught the Ravenclaws wrist.

Spinning around Jays fist made contact with a familiar face. He let go of her and her hand flew to her mouth as she began apologising profusely. He scowled holding his freshly bleeding nose, "fucking Weasley bitch. Out of my way." With that he shoved past her knocking her into a trolly by the door sending her and it flying.

¬_¬

After a bit of a kerfuffle getting of the train she was on her way to the castle with her friends around her. The Thestrals pulling the carriage slowed before the castle, "they're spooked?" Her friends ghostly calming voice cut through the cold night air. "What are?"

Only people who have seen death can see a Thestral.

Luna had seen her mother die, Jay had heard her parents talking about the Lovegoods after ginny had befriended the strange witch, but Nevielle hadn't. His parents wheren't dead, they weren't exactly alive either. Jay couldn't decide what was worse, she had never seen anyone die she just knew the creatures were there. "Whats spooked them?" Luna was already out of her seat and walking to where the Thestrals should be "Maybe they're just tired, I would be, pulling these carriages."

¬_¬

After a ten minute rest and an awkwardly silent ride the trio arrived at the castle, late, and hurried into the great hall.

The door opened and a deafening silence blanketed the hall, all eyes where on them. Neviel scurried of to the Gryffindor table sitting opposite Dean Thomas and next to Seamus. Luna and Jay walked over to Ravenclaw; the furthest of the four houses from the doors.

The eyes followed them and the silence didn't subside but as Luna skipped to their table most eyes where trained on Jay, she had forgotten about the events of the world cup. Her friends in the carriage had decided not to bring it up which had, now that she thought about, it probably been the reason for the silent journey.

She had checked in the mirror earlier that morning, she didn't want to hide the bruises and scars and Ron had thought she looked cool, so cool in fact that he had requested the nurses didn't fully heal it. He'd assumes his sister would've appreciated the cuts and bruises that littered her face.

He had been correct.

When she had seen the large bruise on her forehead and the cut on her cheek she had remarked how 'super awesome,' they where.

She took her seat across form Padma, one of the Patil twins who was sorted into Ravenclaw. They where quite similar, both of their respective other halves had been sorted into Gryffindor.

Dumbledore began to speak and it seemed that they had missed the sorting ceremony. He Started to talk about the Triwizard tournament and a new rule or something, but Jay wasn't really paying attention. "What happened to your eye jay?" She looked round to her friend, "oh I was at the world cup." Padmas face scrunched slightly, "shit you all right?" she nodded, "at least I look pretty badass now huh." The other witch laughed but it was cut short when the ceiling rumbled and spat out a storm of rain.

A familiar looking man emerged from the dark space in the corner behind the teachers tables wand pointing at the ceiling restoring the charm. He was an averagely tall man with thin greying dirty blonde hair that stopped just above his shoulders. She knew him, she was sure of it. He walked with a limp and he had a glass eye.

Who was he? She couldn't put a name to the face.

"This is Alister Moody, the Auror. Famous dark wizard catcher. Thank your for coming old friend." The man just grumbled and walked to an empty space at the table before taking a seat next to the groundskeeper.

Bartemous Crouch senior took to centre stage and began to speak, "this year for the Triwizard tournament, no one under the age of seventeen can put their names in the goblet!" A wave of groaning swept through the hall and Jay could just make out the sound of her brothers yelling, "that's rubbish!" and "no way!" Dumbledore had some trouble quieting the group of rowdy teens before delivering the next parcel of news. "Hogwarts will be host to the two other wizarding schools wishing to take part in the tournament." There where some murmurs around the large space. Eleven schools but only two will be taking part except for Hogwarts "and their students will be inhabiting the school. They will be staying for the full year as that is how long the tournament will be, only a select few from each school. They will be attending lessons with their respective years and they will be welcomed with open arms."

"Which schools?!" The noise came from the Slytherin table. The hall doors flew open and a distressed Argus Filtch lathered in sweat ran into the hall and down the length of it to the headmaster. He ran back out moments later and door slammed behind him before Dumbledore raised his voice and gestured towards the door before a new table appeared on the other side of the Ravenclaw one.

"The brilliant boys from Durmstrung Academy, all the way from Bulgaria!"

A bunch of large boys entered the hall slamming sticks on the floor, each hit send sparks flying from the impact points. They took long strong strides and behind them six girls also hitting sticks on the floor just as strong and firm as the boys had. The whole school was clearly built like a gym as everyone she could see had bulging biceps, triceps and pectorals. She assumed that if they had walked in shirtless their abs would've shone in the candle light.

Their headmaster behind them, Igor Karkaroff. A turned death eater, although jay wasn't to sure as he eyed Moody with an air of caution before stepping next to his students.

"And the lovely ladies from Beauxbattons Academy!"

A group of girls glided into the room like preforming swans sighing and leaning to each side, butterflies appearing at their fingertips as their hands cut through the air. They wore blue fitted dresses and lovely hats. Their hips swayed as they walked and their sighs echoed of the walls. All the boys seemed entranced; more so than when the Durmstrung students had filed through. Behind the girls where four boys walking stiffly in darker blue uniforms, and behind them their headmistress. A half giant, Maddame Maxine. Who seemed to be making eyes at someone sat at the teachers tables.

"All the way from France."

(1713 words)