"Ah, it looks like Beauxbatons is arriving," Egbert said. "I really miss Madame Maxime. Their school's brandy and champagne are excellent."
"I'm glad we're in agreement," Dumbledore said with a smile. "And the cider and absinthe. Madame Maxime always has the best."
Led by one of their male students, the Ilvermorny students lined up, curiously looking at Hogwarts, some craning their necks to look at the massive carriage.
*BOOM—*
With an earth-shattering roar, the pink and blue carriage landed. The Beauxbatons crest was emblazoned on its door.
A boy jumped down from the carriage, opened the spiral staircase, and stood respectfully to the side.
Then Madame Maxime emerged. She was as tall as Hagrid, but her appearance was beautiful, elegant, dignified, and carried a hint of haughtiness.
Dumbledore stepped forward and said, "My dear Madame Maxime—"
Madame Maxime extended a hand adorned with many jeweled rings. Dumbledore bent down and kissed the back of her hand, saying, "Welcome to Hogwarts."
Madame Maxime glanced at Egbert beside them and said, "I hope we're not late."
"Of course not," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Your arrival graces Hogwarts with its presence."
Then, Egbert also kissed the lady's hand, but what he said was, "We were the first to arrive... well, just a little bit earlier than you."
Madame Maxime raised an eyebrow. She didn't care who was early or late, but Egbert's boastful attitude annoyed her.
"Hmm... congratulations," Madame Maxime said indifferently, casually waving her hand behind her. "My students."
A dozen or so students disembarked from the carriage. They wore exquisite silk uniforms without cloaks, so their scarves were wrapped tightly. Even so, they shivered slightly in the cold wind.
These students first looked at Hogwarts, then at the Ilvermorny students beside them—two Ilvermorny girls were even wearing short skirts and their faces were blue from the cold.
"Are we the only ones who've arrived?" Madame Maxime asked.
"Yes, others might arrive at any moment," Dumbledore said. "Do you want to wait here to greet them, or go inside and warm up?"
"What do you think, Madame?" Egbert asked politely.
"We should warm up," Madame Maxime said. "But my horses—"
"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher would be delighted to look after them," Dumbledore said, gesturing with a wave of his hand.
Hagrid, who was standing in the line of professors, was lost in thought. Professor Flitwick nudged his calf, and he unconsciously took a few steps forward.
"I... I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Madame, I... I'll take good care of these lovely creatures."
He stammered, feeling a rush of heat to his cheeks, and his ears turned red.
However, no one noticed this, hidden as it was by his thick, messy hair.
Hagrid now regretted it, regretting that he was wearing his own crudely made fur coat, that the tips of his shoes seemed to be covered in dirt, and that his messy beard hadn't been properly combed.
Madame Maxime looked surprised at Hagrid's height, then her expression returned to normal and she said, "Hello, Professor Hagrid. My horses need special care—they only drink pure malt whiskey, and their reins need to be checked daily, groomed, and their feed changed."
"I understand," Hagrid said nervously. "I'll... I'll take care of them as if they were my own children, I promise you!"
He reached out to take the reins. Perhaps their similar size made the Abraxan horses feel comfortable; they arched their necks, retreated a little, and accepted Hagrid's restraint.
Madame Maxime nodded in relief, then turned to her students and said, "Come along."
Egbert also waved to the Ilvermorny students. The Hogwarts crowd parted, creating a path for them to enter the castle.
Before the last light blue figure had disappeared into the entrance hall, a deafening roar ripped through the sky. Everyone looked up to see a giant three-headed Dragon dragging a long iron chain behind it, the other end of which was attached to a black, fortress-like chariot.
Many students gasped in fright. The Beauxbatons Abraxan neighed and bolted, pulling their carriage to the side, only to be forcefully restrained by Hagrid. The chariot then landed with a crash.
All three of the Dragon's heads wore dark black bridles. They jostled each other, and hot smoke occasionally billowed from their mouths.
The crowd instinctively retreated several steps, and cries of pain from stepped-on feet echoed everywhere. Wade swiftly dodged to the side, then reached out and pulled Anthony, who was about to fall. Terry then sat down on the ground not far away.
"What is that?" Michael asked, a little panicked.
"Koldovstoretz," Wade said. "The Russian wizarding school."
"They actually tamed a Dragon to pull a carriage?" Anthony shrieked.
"Calm down, children," Professor Flitwick said hastily. "Maintain your composure. That Dragon won't harm you."
Everyone looked at him, then looked up at the towering Dragon. They all felt that one of its heads was larger than Professor Flitwick himself, making his words seem particularly unconvincing.
But everyone quickly quieted down.
The chariot door opened, and a burly wizard, dressed in a white bearskin coat and holding a long staff, stepped out.
"Good evening, Dumbledore!" the wizard said in a booming voice. "I hope all is well with you!"
"Very well, thank you, Ivan," Dumbledore said with a smile. "And you, I'm glad to see you too, Gorynych."
The three fearsome Dragon heads drooped down, looking at Dumbledore. The hot air they exhaled made the blades of grass on the surrounding lawn curl up.
Then, a scene that greatly impressed the Hogwarts students unfolded—Dumbledore actually reached out and patted the middle Dragon head's nose, then said something in a language no one understood.
The three-headed Dragon rubbed its nose against Dumbledore's palm, its huge eyes appearing very gentle.
Wade inexplicably thought of some of Dumbledore's writings... like Twelve Uses for Dragon's Blood or something similar.
With the massive Dragon in front, almost no one noticed the twelve or thirteen students who also disembarked from the chariot in formation.
They were tall, wearing furry Ushanka Hats with the earflaps tied under their chins, their faces obscured by masks. They wore heavy fur coats and animal-skin boots, standing silently to the side.
"Dumbledore, has Karkaroff arrived?" Ivan suddenly asked.
Dumbledore said, "He should be arriving soon."
"Oh, then I'll wait with you," Ivan said, standing beside Dumbledore and waving for his students to lead the three-headed Dragon away for now.
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