Today is the day when Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students arrive at Hogwarts. Since early in the morning, there was an air of anticipation and joy at Hogwarts. At half-past five in the evening, the end-of-class bell rang half an hour earlier than usual, and young wizards quickly rushed back to their respective common rooms, stowing their backpacks and books, donning their robes, and excitedly heading to the entrance hall to gather.
Not only were the students excited, but the school's professors were as well. This was the first time in a hundred years that Hogwarts received visits from teachers and students of other magic schools, so no oversight could be allowed. Professors thoroughly cleaned the castle, polishing every suit of armor until it shone. Dirty and deteriorated classrooms also received proper treatment—whatever could be cleaned was thoroughly cleaned, and what couldn't be cleaned was locked away. Even the paintings in the castle were not exempt; all those dirty paintings were renovated and left looking like new.
Hogwarts displayed a high level of attention to the arrival of the other two schools. The heads of houses organized their respective teams in the entrance hall before leading the students to the lawn in front of the castle.
"Weasley, fix your hat."
"Padma, take off that strange thing on your head."
"Hannah, dear, can you switch places with Susan?"
"When the students from the other two schools arrive, I hope they stay calm and don't make me or Slytherin look bad..."
After forming lines, the heads of houses nervously ordered their students to tidy up their appearance, even Snape got to work to better organize the Slytherin students in formation.
Professor Flitwick paced around and frowned. "Where's Tom Yodel? Has anyone seen him?"
After taking two laps, he didn't see Tom anywhere and wondered where on earth he had gone.
Flitwick's blood pressure began to rise. How could Tom disappear at this crucial moment? Has he fallen ill or something? Flitwick was worried, not because Tom's absence would embarrass Ravenclaw House but because he feared Tom would show up at the last minute and mess up everyone's formation.
Fortunately, after a few minutes, Tom appeared at the entrance of the castle's vestibule, holding a long, slender staff in his hand.
"Marvelous, Yodel!" Flitwick sighed in relief upon seeing Tom, but in the next second, his attention was caught by the staff in Tom's hand.
"Yodel, what do you have that for?" Professor Flitwick exclaimed in his squeaky voice. "Put it away immediately!"
"Don't worry, Filius, I asked him to bring it. Perhaps later, I'll ask him to perform for our guests," Dumbledore said, suddenly appearing behind Professor Flitwick. His eyes settled on the staff in Tom's hands, and his lips twitched slightly. The wand maker had truly created a work of art, though one cannot judge a person by their appearance.
'Everyone has their reckless youth,' Dumbledore thought inwardly. While he mused in his mind, Dumbledore wasted no time and called Tom to stand at the front of the formation.
The conversation between Dumbledore and Flitwick caught the attention of countless young wizards, but due to the authority of the two, no one dared to whisper among themselves. They could only hide their curiosity in their minds and wait for a chance to investigate.
It was almost nighttime; the sun was setting, casting a red glow reflected on the surface of the Black Lake, as if the lake were on fire.
Despite the magnificent view, Tom couldn't enjoy it.
"How much longer do we have to wait?" Tom's patience vanished after killing the third mosquito.
"Five more minutes until six," Harry, standing behind him, checked his watch and informed Tom.
"Ugh..." Tom sighed and continued battling the mosquitoes.
Standing in the field by the lake was like offering a feast to the mosquitoes. With the insects bothering them, the young wizards around them began to grow impatient, and hushed discussions could be heard within the group.
"How do you think they'll come? By train?"
"Probably on flying brooms, right?"
"Apparition and Portkeys are also possibilities."
Tom overheard their conversations and rolled his eyes. Apparition can't be used at Hogwarts, and besides, both schools are traveling in groups, so they'll definitely need some form of "public transportation." Tom's eyes glanced up at the sky, thinking that, barring any surprises, Beauxbatons would probably arrive in carriages, while Durmstrang would come in a ghost ship.
When everyone gathers, they can't help but show off a bit.
Aren't we all here to show off Hogwarts as well?
Just as everyone was lost in their thoughts, Dumbledore looked at Tom and exclaimed loudly, "The representatives of Beauxbatons have already arrived!"
Tom perked up and gripped his staff tightly. As he prepared to insert his wand, Dumbledore discreetly slipped a small stick into his hand.
Tom lowered his head and looked. Wow! At first glance, this wand looked a lot like the famous Elder Wand. The Elder Wand is one of the three Deathly Hallows in the magical world, a wand that can make its owner invincible in battle, unleash great magical power during a duel, and allow its possessor to perform powerful magic with ease.
Dumbledore winked at Tom and said, "I'm just lending it to you for a while; remember to return it to me later."
Tom: ...
Was it really necessary? Bringing out the Elder Wand just to add some prestige to Hogwarts? But considering Dumbledore's personality, it's not that surprising for him to do something like this. This is what you call surprising but within expectations.
Tom examined the wand in his hand. It was the first time he had such a close encounter with this famous wand.
[Elder Wand (Deathly Hallow): 15 inches, Elder Wood, Thestral Tail Hair Core]
[Fitting: 1%.]
[Crafted according to legend by Death herself, it is one of the three Deathly Hallows. It can greatly enhance the power of spells but can only be fully mastered if the wand recognizes you as its owner.]
[Possessor: Dumbledore]
This wand was extremely long and slender, with bumps on its surface. It felt cold to the touch when he held it in his hand, and Tom could clearly sense the wand's resistance.
Tom shook his head and returned the wand.
"It doesn't fit into the staff."
This time it was Dumbledore who fell silent. Tom's response was quite unexpected.
Who could have imagined that someone would refuse to use the famous Elder Wand for such a peculiar reason?
The reason Tom declined to use the Elder Wand was very simple. The grooves in his wand were custom-made, and the Elder Wand was two inches longer and had bumps on the surface that wouldn't match. If he tried to force it, the grooves in his wand would deform and not fit perfectly. Furthermore, the low fitting wasn't the main issue.