Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Durmstrang student

[1994 - October - 30 - Sunday, Autumn, The Great Lake, Hogwarts] The world lurches. For hours, the only sensations had been the deep, resonant groan of submerged timbers and the silent, crushing pressure of the Great Lake's depths. Now, a violent shudder runs through the entire skeletal frame of the Durmstrang ship. Water, black and impossibly cold, cascades in thick sheets from the rigging and deck, crashing back into the lake as the vessel breaches the surface like a great beast taking its first breath. A sudden, biting wind slices across the deck, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine. It whips at the heavy, blood-red robes and furs of the students assembled in disciplined ranks. You stand among them, your boots planted firmly on the dark, slick wood, the furs on your own shoulders feeling heavy in the damp air. Before you, beyond the ship's prow, lies a sight that silences even the most boisterous of your schoolmates. Hogwarts Castle is not merely a building; it is a sprawling creature of stone and light, its dozens of turrets clawing at a sky dusted with faint stars. Every window is a warm, golden eye, all of them seemingly fixed on your vessel. On the lawns sloping down to the water's edge, a great crowd of silhouettes stands watching—the students of Hogwarts, their curiosity a palpable force across the water. At the head of your delegation, Headmaster Karkaroff stands tall, his pointed grey goatee jutting out with pride. His eyes, glittering like chips of ice, sweep over the castle with a possessive gleam. Beside him, almost hidden in the shadows despite his fame, is Viktor Krum. His shoulders are hunched against the cold, his expression a familiar, sullen scowl that gives nothing away. He ignores the whispers that have already started to carry from the shore, a low murmur where his name is the only discernible word. With a final, groaning shudder, the ship glides to a halt against the shore. A heavy wooden gangplank is lowered by an unseen mechanism, thudding onto the damp ground with an air of finality. Headmaster Karkaroff gestures sharply, a silent command to disembark. The procession begins, a river of red and brown fur moving with grim purpose towards the welcoming, yet intimidating, lights of Hogwarts.