Chapter Text
“You’d better watch out, Olsen. Gryffindor may have won the Quidditch cup last year, but Hufflepuff is going to sweep the floor with you this year,” Kara Danvers crowed as she sat on a stone wall in the Hogwarts courtyard. Her shirtsleeves were pushed up to her elbows, and her Hufflepuff tie hung loosely around her neck as she passed a quaffle back and forth between her hands, fixing her best friend James Olsen with a challenging grin.
James Olsen, the broad-shouldered Gryffindor Keeper and new quidditch captain, scoffed incredulously and reached out to snatch the quaffle, but Kara snapped her wrist up, catching it above her head on an upturned palm.
“I clocked at least two-hundred miles on my broom, two hours of shooting practice, one hour of cardio, and one hour of strength training, every day, all summer. And on my rest days, I studied manoeuvres and devised top secret strategies for my team. This is going to be our year,” she declared proudly and gazed off into the distance, and the image of the Hufflepuff team holding the Quidditch cup high above their heads swam before her eyes. “Meanwhile,” she continued with a smirk, breaking her own reverie, “I’m afraid to tell you that your star beater spent most of her summer making goo-goo eyes at her new girlfriend, lazing around and getting all kinds of soft,” she teased and reached over to give her adoptive sister’s stomach a poke.
“I didn’t want to say anything,” James said, “but you do seem to have let yourself go a little, Alex.”
“Hey!” Alex protested indignantly, swatting Kara’s hand away. “It’s called being happy. You two shmucks should try it sometime,” Alex scowled, completely missing the awkward glance James and Kara exchanged. Because Alex definitely didn’t know about how Kara had tried to kiss James at the end of term party last year, but James had rejected her, saying that they were better off as just friends...and that he was interested in Lucy Lane.
In fact, Kara was pretty determined to die with that secret.
“Besides,” Alex continued obliviously, “I don’t need to train like a crazy person. Everyone knows the mark of an excellent beater, like myself, is in The Fury. You can’t train The Fury. Either you have it, or you don’t,” Alex said with a confident nod.
Kara quirked an eyebrow, and was about to say something about how she’d heard Maggie call her many things (babe, shnookums, honey bee, to list a few), but ‘The Fury’ had never been one of those things. However, what was sure to have been a severe burn was interrupted by a short, panting Ravenclaw jogging up to them with frantically waving hands.
Winn Schott Junior skidded to a halt in front of them, bracing his hands on his knees as his back arched with each breath. “This is why I don’t do cardio,” he gasped and tilted his head up to meet three perplexed looks. “Guys. Guys, come on, you’ve got to come see this. Follow me! Oh, Merlin, more running,” he groaned and turned on his heel to jog away. Realising no one was following, he spun on his heel to fix them with an impatient scowl. “Come on, guys! You know I don’t run for no reason!”
The three athletes exchanged glances before shrugging and running to easily catch up with Winn. Groups of students flanked them as they climbed the castle’s exterior staircases, all buzzing with excitement, and James put on an extra burst of speed, taking two steps at a time. Kara sprinted to keep up with his long strides, and shortly they came to an outcropping on the staircase that overlooked the Black Lake, where a crowd of students had gathered, all staring out across the lake as they tittered amongst themselves.
“What’s happening?” Kara asked, pressed up on her toes as she craned her neck to try and look over the crowd. The students in front of her jostled about, and she winced as a Ravenclaw boy stamped on her foot, and then everyone gasped and cheered at something she couldn’t see.
“Whoa!” James exclaimed, having no trouble seeing over everyone’s heads.
“What is it? What’s going on?” Kara asked impatiently.
“Oh, a pirate ship just emerged from the Black Lake, you didn’t miss much,” James replied.
“What?!” Kara cried.
She frowned and tried to press forwards to get a better view, but the crowd of students was impenetrable. She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, huffing out a breath, then tried for a different approach. She skirted around the edge of the crowd to where the stone ledge met the castle wall, and used a torch bracket to hoist herself up onto the ledge, only vaguely hearing Alex’s calls to “be careful!”.
Once she was up, gripping tightly onto the rough iron of the torch bracket to secure herself, she saw what everyone was staring at. A mysterious, dark ship sailed across the inky surface of the Black Lake, water spilling down its sides as it cruised towards the shore. Kara’s mouth hung open—she’d never seen anything like it.
“Look! Up there!” A student cried, and Kara turned her eyes skyward.
In the distance, she could faintly make out a small dot, which grew larger with each passing second. Kara adjusted her glasses on her face as the dot began to take shape, revealing itself to be a gigantic, powder-blue carriage, pulled through the air by half a dozen winged horses.
Kara let out a gasp, filled with exhilaration at the sheer sight of the spectacular creatures striding powerfully through the air. The carriage hurtled closer, and Kara could make out small figures hanging out of windows, all gazing at the castle with curious expressions.
Kara let go of the bracket to give a wave, but secured her grip with her other hand as the horses’ beating wings buffeted wind through her hair and clothes, stealing her breath. Once the carriage had disappeared from view, the crowd of students dispersed, chattering boisterously amongst each other.
Kara slipped down from the ledge, accepting James’ arm for support as she dropped to the ground. “That was amazing! Did you guys see that?” she asked, bouncing excitedly on the balls of her feet.
“We have eyes, Kara,” James chuckled.
“Told you guys it would be worth it!” Winn insisted proudly. “I wonder who they are? And why do you think they’re here?”
“Dad did keep letting it slip all summer that something exciting was happening at Hogwarts this year, remember Kar?” Alex asked.
“Ooh, maybe the Quidditch pitch is finally getting new goal posts! I’ve only been petitioning Professor Grant about it since second year.”
Alex rolled her eyes, but not without a fond smile. “Not everything is about Quidditch, Kara.”
“Not to you it isn’t. Maybe if it was, you’d have a chance of beating Hufflepuff this year,” Kara teased and flung an arm over Alex’s shoulders and they headed inside.
***
“WHAT?” Kara shouted, and her voice echoed around the walls of the Great Hall.
She didn’t even realise she was standing, a half-eaten pudding still in her hand, until all of the eyes in the hall were staring at her. Professor Grant blinked back from behind the podium, a single brow raised, and Kara gulped.
“Miss Davies, if you’re done interrupting me, please sit down.” Alex tugged Kara back down into her seat, as Kara quietly mumbled ‘it’s Danvers’ to no one in particular. Professor Grant cleared her throat and addressed the rest of the students once again. “As I was saying, there will be no inter-house Quidditch cup this year,” she continued, and the words once again hit Kara like a blow to the gut. She made eye contact with James from across the table, who seemed to be facing a similar existential crisis as he stared back with hollow eyes.
“This is due to an important event that will be taking place throughout the year. It’s sure to be ridiculously dangerous and no doubt overtly extravagant, so I’m sure you youths will all enjoy it. It is my…absolute pleasure to announce that Hogwarts will host the somewhat antiquated Triwizard Tournament.”
There were gasps of excitement all around the room, as well as some cheers and frenzied whispering, but all Kara could think about was how there was no Quidditch this year. In an instant, her dreams of finally winning the cup for Hufflepuff—after a fourteen-year losing streak—and of being scouted in the crowd at a match to kickstart her professional career, all of it, was gone.
She barely registered Professor Grant’s explanation of the tournament, how one witch or wizard from each school would be chosen to compete for personal and school glory, pride, and a cash prize. James, meanwhile, seemed to have perked up at the news, especially when Professor Grant detailed how challenging and dangerous the tournament would be.
“I am supposed to tell you all that the tasks are designed to test you, and are not for the faint of heart,” Professor Grant said, and James puffed out his chest, his eyes shining with newfound determination. “Which I’m sure is of great interest to all you virile youth out there, clamouring for glory.”
“But,” she tutted, clapping her hands together, “more on that later. For now, please join me in welcoming our guests, the jocks of Durmstrang Institute!”
All of the students whipped their heads to the sound of the doors of the Great Hall creaking open, revealing about twenty witches and wizards who strode purposefully into the room. They wore thick, earthy-toned robes, and fur cloaks hung on squared shoulders.
“K-Kara!” James gasped, his eyes wide. “Is that…”
Kara followed his line of sight and her own dropped open. “No way. That’s Mon-el Daxam!”
“Ow! Watch it, Kara,” Winn complained as Kara unknowingly gripped his arm extremely tightly, but Kara wasn’t paying much attention. Her eyes remained transfixed on the figure who walked beside the Durmstrang headmaster. “What’s the big deal about him anyway?” Winn asked as he attempted to pry Kara’s fingers off.
“He’s the seeker for Bulgaria. You might remember him from, oh, I don’t know, the Quidditch World Cup final,” Kara hissed in his ear.
“Please, Kara,” Winn drawled and rolled his eyes. “I barely know what a seeker is. Don’t expect me to be impressed by that…oh.” Winn’s voice faltered as the handsome Durmstrang’s serious expression cracked to toss a charming grin their way as he walked past. “I see,” Winn mumbled and hid his blush in his goblet of pumpkin juice.
Once all of the Durmstrang students had filed in and taken their seats, Professor Grant held her hands up again for silence.
“And now, please welcome the supermodels of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic!”
They all craned their necks back towards the doors, where another group of students began filtering in. These students wore robes of periwinkle blue, and moved with effortless grace down the corridor, like drops of water skating across a pane of glass.
Professor Grant gave a long-suffering sigh, growing weary as the Beauxbatons students took their time flouncing up to the front of the hall, but the rest of the student body didn’t seem to mind one bit. Alex let out an involuntary low whistle as a pack of girls drifted by, which earned her a chastising smack over the head from Maggie.
Kara cackled mirthfully at Alex’s rapidly spreading blush and sputtered protest, but the sound became stuck in her throat when she saw her.
Looking at her was like looking at the sun—she couldn’t look directly at her, at least not at first, not all at once. Piece by piece, she took in the flowing, dark hair that contrasted against the girl’s fair skin. At first glance, one might say she had harsh features, but Kara noticed a softness to the set line of her brow, a slight upwards curve to the firmness of her mouth. And, golly, those eyes. Those eyes were such a captivating and mysterious green, Kara could hardly look away once she’d been drawn into them.
Kara was overcome by the desire—the need—to know her name, who she was, or just anything about her.
There was something almost regal in the cut of her jaw and the way she carried herself. It was purposeful and poised—but Kara could tell that she was really just imitating the walk of the boy beside her, who walked with the self-assured conviction that he could control whatever space he entered. She was a fair bit shorter than the tall, slender boy with a mop of brown curls, who smiled politely—but not exactly warmly—as they brought up the rear of the Beauxbatons students.
Now Winn’s mouth dropped open upon seeing the boy. “That’s…that’s Lex Luthor,” he whispered.
“Lex whothor?” Alex asked.
“Lex Luthor,” Winn repeated. “The guy is, like, a genius. His work on magical engineering is on another level. Some of it is a little controversial, but then again, most geniuses, myself included, are misunderstood.”
“Who’s that next to him?” Kara asked quickly, eyes never leaving the figure by Lex’s side.
“That must be his sister. Leanne, I think…no, that’s not right. It’s Lena.”
“Lena,” Kara hummed, rolling the name experimentally in her mouth, appreciating the way the syllables rolled off of her tongue and made her heart swell into an uptick.
She blinked back into the room and did her best to pay attention to Professor Grant as she explained some of the rules of the tournament, how entrants had to be over seventeen to enter (much to the dismay of the younger students), but her eyes kept drifting back over to where Lena stood. A dopey sort of smile subconsciously formed on her lips when she caught Lena tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, or fidgeting oh so subtly with her fingertips.
Kara barely noticed when Professor Grant revealed the goblet of fire, it’s blue flames thrusting the room into light and shadow. Instead, she watched the way the blue light danced across Lena’s face as she stared up into the flames with wonder.
Suddenly, Kara wasn't quite so upset about Quidditch being cancelled.