I took a deep breath of the lovely fragrant air as I stepped out into the majestic gardens of Beauxbatons, leaving the beautiful chateau behind me.

I simply loved it here. And having just completed my third year, I was already itching to come back.

"Av a good 'oliday, Aurora," the throaty call of Fleur Delacour's voice drifted over to me. "Give that gorgees brother ov yours my love."

I twirled round to smile at my oldest friend, causing my silk pale blue robes to shimmer in the morning sunlight as they billowed gently around me. "And you Fleur, say hi to Gabrielle and your parents for me!"

My mother had been best friends with Apolline Delacour - Fleur's mother - before she was killed in the wizarding war. Being only a baby, I was too young to remember her, and Apolline took over the motherly duties, taking Cedric and I under her wing whilst our father suffered a breakdown. Fleur and Gabrielle had become like sisters to us.

"Rory!" I heard a familiar yell, as I stepped through the gate in the Muggle airport.

Arms snaked around my waist from behind, picking me up and twirling me around.

"Put me down, Ced!" I squealed, smacking at his arms.

Chuckling, Cedric released me, allowing my feet to land back clumsily to the floor. Stumbling, I turned around to face him and playfully thumped his shoulder.

"What are you doing here? Where's dad?" I asked, grinning up at him. "And why was your last letter so mysterious?"

"I'll explain on the way home," he laughed, his grey eyes twinkling amusedly, "now tell me, Rory, has your daft school got its act together and invested in a Quidditch pitch, yet?"

"You know we don't play Quidditch at Beauxbatons, Ced," I said, rolling my eyes. This fact has always baffled my older brother, as if he couldn't imagine going to a school without this ridiculous and time consuming sport.

"I promise you, you'll love it by the end of the summer," he grinned mysteriously, grabbing my trunk and leading the way out of the airport.

I soon found out what he meant by that.

"The Quidditch World Cup?!"

My father was beaming at me, proudly holding up three tickets in his hand as I approached the front door of our cosy Devonshire home.

"But how could we afford-"

"Contacts at the Ministry," Cedric murmured in my ear, impressively.

I ran up to my father, throwing my arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek.

Okay, so I wasn't the biggest fan of playing Quidditch in school time, but even I couldn't deny that going to see the World Cup was an exciting prospect.

"Aurora, my love," my father sighed, giving me a tight squeeze, and then pulling away to look down at me with sad, glistening eyes, "you look more like your mother every time I see you."

I felt my heart tug painfully, I knew how sad this made my father. And what I would have given to spend just one day with my mother.

I felt a hand touch lightly to my back. "Come on, Rory," Cedric murmured gently, gazing down at me with a soft smile, "let's get you unpacked."

...

"Rise and shine, Rory," my brother yodelled from the other side of my bedroom door as he excitedly rapped on it loudly, "it's Quidditch time!"

I blinked my eyes open sleepily, it was barely morning. Despite being summer, the sun wasn't even up yet.

I stretched my arms above my head, giving a loud, tired yawn. It was crazy how early we had to get up. But as it dawned upon me why, my heart gave a small flip of excitement. The Quidditch World Cup.

I couldn't help but wonder who we would bump into. Being a Beauxbatons student, I felt rather excluded from the British wizarding world. I knew that the most famous wizard of our current time, Harry Potter, attended Cedric's school. I wondered if we would get a glimpse of him. Cedric was very nonchalant about him, not seeming bothered about the fact that he breathed the same air as the Boy Who Lived.

We learnt about Harry Potter in Beauxbatons, of course. I found his story fascinating. As much as I loved attending Beauxbatons, I could never help but feel a tug of disappointment that I wasn't chosen for Hogwarts school - in which I would have been in Harry Potter's year.

"You should be proud that you're attending your mother's school!" My father had consoled when I had received my letter.

And I was. Very much so. My mother, the beautiful Veela.

But I had been heartbroken at not following where my brother went.

"Wait up, Ced!" I laughed as I chased after him, grabbing a piece of toast from the kitchen counter on my way out.

My father chuckled as Cedric climbed tree after tree, swinging like a monkey from the branches as we made our way to the allocated Portkey.

"That's the Seeker in him," he smiled proudly, as Cedric caught a falling leaf upon leaping down gracefully from a great oak.

A large family of red heads approached the base of the tree where Cedric had just landed.

"Hi," Cedric said, looking around at them all as Dad and I caught up.

"Amos!" Cried the oldest red headed wizard, jovially taking my father's hand to shake. "This is Amos Diggory," he continued, explaining to his brood. "Works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And I think you all know his son, Cedric?"

Everybody nodded and said "Hi' back, except for a pair of stockily built twins, who merely nodded. I wondered why they looked so displeased to see my brother and felt a flicker of hurt on Cedric's behalf.

"Hufflepuff won against Gryffindor last year in the first match of Quidditch," Cedric explained, chuckling at my bemused expression, "Fred and George are still finding it tough to forgive me."

"And this must be young Aurora," the oldest wizard continued, beaming down at me with twinkling eyes. "The Beauxbatons student."

I nodded, blushing shyly. There were suddenly a lot of eyes upon me.

"Follows in her mother's footsteps this one," my father said proudly, giving my shoulders an affectionate squeeze. "Aurora, meet the Weasley's."

I looked over at the sea of red heads, and stopped when I came to two kids of around my age who definitely did not look like they belonged in the Weasley family. In fact, one of them looked remarkably like-

"Merlin's beard," my father said, following my gaze, "Harry Potter?"

"Er - yeah," replied the raven haired boy in glasses, somewhat awkwardly.

My heart raced in my chest. I couldn't believe it - the first wizards we come across and he was among them!

"Ced's talked about you, of course," my father continued eagerly. "Told us all about playing against you last year... I said to him, I said - Ced, that'll be something to tell your grandchildren, that will... you beat Harry Potter!"

I cringed. Dad could be so embarrassing at times.

"To be fair, Harry fell off his broom, Dad," Cedric piped up as Fred and George both scowled dangerously in our direction again. "I told you... it was an accident..."

"Yes, but you didn't fall off, did you?" Dad roared genially, slapping Cedric on his back. "Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman... but the best man won, I'm sure Harry'd say the same, wouldn't you, eh? One falls off his broom, one stays on, you don't need to be a genius to tell which one's the better flier!"

Cedric and I exchanged a mortified glance as everyone else shuffled uncomfortably. As much as I loved our father, he did have a tendency to create socially awkward situations.

"Must be nearly time," The oldest wizard I now knew to be called Arthur, quickly said, pulling out his watch. "We'd better get ready."

We quickly formed a tight circle, around an old boot, each one of us touching a part of it. My heart started pounding furiously. I absolutely hated travelling this way.

As Arthur started to count down, I fearfully clung onto Cedric's arm who chuckled softly. "It'll be all right, Rory, just close your eyes."

And when I opened them again, we were there, Cedric beaming down at me, steadying me on my feet, whilst all the other kids lay sprawled on the ground.

"You know what, Rory?" he laughed, his bright eyes sparkling kindly. "I have a feeling we're in for a great year."