Chapter 23

Karai stood on the ledge, staring at the blood red sky as she watched the students below. The astronomy tower had a perfect view of the grounds along with a simple gentle wind. The forest stood two miles before her. A giant ship could be seen resting on a nearby lake whilst a carriage was about a few feet away from the forest. Karai took in the grounds layout, something her father had taught her from the age she was found. The emerald eyes looked around the room at the sound of a hoot. The barn owl she had sent to the turtles had returned with four letters for her.

"It's the turtles." She muttered before she undid the letters and spread them out on the table. Each of the letter had each of the turtles signature color on the envelope.

She started to read Don's first.

Dear Karai.

What the heck happened? What was up with your arm and why did you have to leave so quickly. The glow appeared to be unnatural and infectious. You should get it checked out. And what's with the owl?

Write to us ASAP and tell us.

Yours

Don.

Karai read through it again before shaking her head in annoyance and picking up Mikey's letter.

Yo Karai.

What's up? thanks for leaving Raph and Leo upset. Now I got the TV all to myself because those two are now just focused on beating up punch bags in their spare time. Don is just being a nerd and playing with his toys. God, this place is so boring sometimes. Care to give me updates on this Tournament?

Mikey :)

She smiled lightly at Mikey's letter. The next one she opened was Leo's.

Dear Karai,

I'm pleased to hear you're all right. I have to ask, what kind of tournament are you in? What did that strange glow around your arm have to do with? And where in the world are you that you have to communicate by owl? I didn't even know owls could be trained to relieved mail.

I, and my brothers are well, though we are worried about you. Master Splinter has been acting odd, but that's not unusual when there's something on his mind. Hope you're both well and safe.

Sincerely,

Leonardo

Karai full-out smiled after reading Leo's letter, before opening Raph's.

Karai,

What kind of tournament are in? Are you in any danger from it? I need to know, if only for my own peace of mind. I've been going crazy with worry over here. And when you get back, I'll show you I'm better than any girl now :-)

Raph

P.S. Tell anyone about the smiley face, I'll kick your ass.

She snorted with laughter as she read Raph's postscript.

Carefully placing the four letters in her pocket, she made her way down the astronomy tower to her room. It was only polite that she send a letter back.

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Karai stretched before she set off on her work out. Her emerald eyes were closed as she focused on the spell that kept her afloat on the water. She twisted and turned her blade as she did the moves on the water.

"Karai." came a call and Karai slowly turned to see Daphne on the side of the lake. The blond heiress of the Greengrass family watched the emerald eyed girl walk unnaturally on water until she was a few feet away.

"What is it?" asked Karai, her eyes demanding a answer.

"The judges want you for a meeting of great importance. The weighing of the wands." said Daphne, the Ice Queen said, holding her head up high as she delivered the message.

Karai sighed before walking back onto the dry land. "Let's go." she said as she walked towards the stone castle.

Minutes later, Karai walked into the room. was in a fairly small classroom; most of the desks had been pushed away to the back of the room, leaving a large space in the middle; three of them, however, had been placed end-to-end in front of the blackboard and covered with a long length of velvet. Five chairs had been set behind the velvet-covered desks, and Ludo Bagman was sitting in one of them, talking to a witch Karai had never seen before, who was wearing magenta robes.

Viktor Krum was standing moodily in a corner as usual and not talking to anybody. Cedric and Fleur were in conversation.

A paunchy man, holding a large black camera that was smoking slightly, was watching Fleur out of the corner of his eye. Bagman suddenly spotted Karai, got up quickly, and bounded forward. Karai's nose wrinkled in disgust before she allowed the former beater to wrap his arm around her shoulders and pull her over to the witch.

"Miss Potter, may I introduce you to Rita Skeeter?" said Bagman.

"No comment." said Karai, her face not changing at the sight of the reporter. The reporter was well known for her stories and Karai knew what to do with reporters.

"Now, now, Miss Potter. I'm sure it's not right to be like that." said Rita, her quill ready to write.

"Put anything in your rag, I'd get madam Bones to close you down for the slander of a minor." replied Karai which shut the reporter up whilst Karai went and sat in her seat. Minutes later, Dumbledore and the other judges walked in.

"May I introduce Mr. Ollivander?" said Dumbledore, taking his place at the judges' table and talking to the champions. "He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good condition before the tournament."

Karai glanced at the old wizard with large, pale eyes standing quietly by the window. "He is a vampire." thought Karai as she turned her attention back to the judges.

"Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you first, please?" said Mr. Ollivander, stepping into the empty space in the middle of the room.

Fleur Delacour swept over to Mr. Ollivander and handed him her wand.

"Hmm…" he said.

He twirled the wand between his long fingers like a baton and it emitted a number of pink and gold sparks. Then he held it chose to his eyes and examined it carefully.

"Yes," he said quietly, "nine and a half inches… inflexible… rosewood… and containing… veela hair. Interesting combination. Not one that I've done myself due to the rarity of the core material. A unique wand."

Mr. Ollivander ran his fingers along the wand, apparently checking for scratches or bumps; then he muttered, "Orchideous!" and a bunch of flowers burst from the wand tip.

"Very well, very well, it's in fine working order," said Mr. Ollivander, scooping up the flowers and handing them to Fleur with her wand. "Mr. Diggory, you next." Fleur glided back to her seat, smiling at Cedric as he passed her.

"Ah, now, this is one of mine, isn't it?" said Mr. Ollivander, with much more enthusiasm, as Cedric handed over his wand. "Yes, I remember it well. Containing a single hair from the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn… must have been seventeen hands; nearly gored me with his horn after I plucked his tail. Twelve and a quarter inches… ash… pleasantly springy. It's in fine condition… You treat it regularly?"

"Polished it last night," said Cedric, grinning. Karai smirked as she thought of other ways that could sound like.

Mr. Ollivander sent a stream of silver smoke rings across the room from the tip of Cedric's wand, pronounced himself satisfied, and then said, "Mr. Krum, if you please."

Viktor Krum got up and slouched, round-shouldered and duck-footed, toward Mr. Ollivander. He thrust out his wand and stood scowling, with his hands in the pockets of his robes.

"Hmm," said Mr. Ollivander, "this is a Gregorovitch creation, unless I'm much mistaken? A fine wand-maker, though the styling is never quite what I… however…"

He lifted the wand and examined it minutely, turning it over and over before his eyes.

"Yes… hornbeam and dragon heartstring?" he shot at Krum, who nodded. "Rather thicker than one usually sees… quite rigid… ten and a quarter inches… Avis!"

The hornbeam wand let off a blast hike a gun, and a number of small, twittering birds flew out of the end and through the open window into the watery sunlight.

"Good," said Mr. Ollivander, handing Krum back his wand. "Now Miss Potter."

Karai frowned at how everyone was calling her Miss Potter, yet didn't bring it up. She spoke up. "My wand is in working condition having been serviced in the last few years every six months. You don't need to check."

"Miss Potter. It's tradition." said Dumbledore with a annoying smirk.

Karai scowled back, but she respected the tradition and passed over her wand. "Mmm. Thestral tail hair and Japanese White Pine... Weak on its own, but together, a very powerful wand."

Mr. Ollivander spent much longer examining Karai's wand than anyone else's. Eventually, however, he made a fountain of wine shoot out of it, and handed it back to the girl, announcing that it was still in perfect condition.

"Thank you all," said Dumbledore, standing up at the judges' table. "You may go back to your lessons now - or perhaps it would be quicker just to go down to dinner, as they are about to end-"

Feeling that at last something had gone right today, Karai got up to leave, but the man with the black camera jumped up and cleared his throat.

"Photos, Dumbledore, photos!" cried Bagman excitedly. "All the judges and champions, what do you think, Rita?"

"Er - yes, let's do those first," said Rita Skeeter, whose eyes were upon Karai again. "And then perhaps some individual shots."

At that Karai stood up and left to the annoyed cries of Dumbledore and Rita.

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