<div class="floatleft">(https://s3.amazonaws.com/storage5.magcloud.com/image/preview/69f4f604c3b16c43a195a2af761c5ea9.jpg)</div><div class="floatright">(https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/f/f3/DurmstrangCrest.png/revision/latest?cb=20160112161151)</div><table class="bbc_table"><tbody><tr><td><strong>NAME:</strong> Aaren Sandstrom (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=299655.msg14658128#msg14658128)<br/><strong>YEAR:</strong> Fifth<br/><strong>BLOOD STATUS:</strong> Half-blood<br/><strong>WAND:</strong> 12 inch | Redwood | Dragon Heartstring <br/><strong>WEARING:</strong> As pictured with dark jeans and vans <br/><strong>DATE | TIME:</strong> Thursday, 31st October, 2019 | Night<br/><strong>LOCATION:</strong> Durmstrang table<br/><strong>CONTENT:</strong> Don't try and sleep through the end of the world... <br/><strong>MOOD MUSIC:</strong> P!ATD - This is Gospel (Piano) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO2_3pVd5k0)<br/><strong>TAGGING:</strong> Nadia | Konstantin | Open | (Mentioning: Raynor)</td></tr></tbody></table><br/><hr/><br/>Aaren entered his name into the goblet of fire, standing in a line that was mixed with students from all three schools. They were all hopeful contenders, all hoping and wishing that it would be their name, echoing off of the great hall walls, just after midnight. He knew he was supposed to want to be chosen, but now that this moment was upon him, he had to admit, he wasn’t sure what he wanted anymore.<br/><br/>Competing in the tournament was a chance to create a legacy. Yet, there were those who went down in the history books, simply because they suffered and died during the tournament. Sometimes he felt like those surrounding him, cheering on the idea that so many students were entering their names into the goblet of fire, were all in denial. Maybe he was in denial, too. Was anyone considering just how dangerous the games really were?<br/><br/>Perhaps calling them games was a part of the problem. Like the gladiators of Rome, fighting one another and even animals of the wild, to the death… for the entertainment of others. Surely, those were not games. Those were peoples lives, being taken away from them brutally and viciously, within a matter of moments. Within a few blinks of the eye, those fighters went from being champions to just being a memory.<br/><br/>As the line moved up, Aaren felt himself going numb. He hesitated but drew his arm up when he reached the goblet, releasing his slip of paper into the fiery depths. Walking away from the goblet, once his parchment piece seemed to be consumed by the blue flames, Aaren glanced back over his shoulder, hoping that he wasn’t chosen to represent Durmstrang. Not only did he feel as if he never quite fit in there, but Durmstrang as an institution probably had a list of people they would prefer over Aaren, as champion.<br/><br/>Raynor, for example, would be a perfect choice. He was a tank of a man, and as he recently proved with the brutal training regimen assigned by the Deputy Headmistress, he was also a machine, of sorts. Someone like him, despite how mad he could be at times, would be a much more suitable choice for Durmstrang.<br/><br/>He wasn’t some vile human being like Gridelwald, who was the main reason why other schools thought Durmstrang was a place where dark wizards were molded and created. Which reminded him of another who was entering his name into the goblet; Konstantin. If he were chosen, even if he did well for the trial, he would only succeed in continuing to tarnish the reputation of their school. And he’d be smiling about it all the way.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>When midnight rolled around, Aaren found his way to the Durmstrang table and sat to watch as the Minister of Magic read off the names of the champions from each school. First, she said the Beauxbatons champion, who he recognized from the Darley party as the girl who wanted to get everyone tipsy with something called tequila. Then, she announced the champion from Durmstrang.<br/><br/><em>Nadia Gaina.</em><br/><br/>Aaren’s heart sank. His jaw went slack and everything moved in slow motion, all at once. His gaze steered toward her as she sat beside Konstantin, looking just as shocked as he felt. After swallowing the lump in his throat, he managed to raise his hands, like everyone around him had been doing, and started clapping for her. He was on the other side of the table, across and a few seats down from them. So, when Konstantin let his slithering remark slip free, Aaren heard it.<br/><br/>Nadia could handle herself. She always could. In the end, that may have been one of their downfalls as a couple. He wanted someone to need him. Nadia was not that woman. She needed no one. But, Aaren couldn’t quite help himself from butting in. “Seems as if you’re already showing yours enough for everyone. Planning on rooting for one of the other school’s champions? Or does the fact that none of them have a dick mean you’d rather see them all lose?” Aaren questioned, his brows quirked as his head tilted, his features appearing quite confused.<br/><br/>In the back of his mind, he had to admit, he was a bit worried about Nadia. Maybe he shouldn’t have been. Maybe he continued to see her as a damsel who needed protection when she was truly anything but. “Congratulations… champion.” He tried out the word on her, his smile turning genuine just for her before he collected himself and stood from the table. Well, he wasn’t chosen this time, but he hadn’t predicted this outcome, so to say Aaren was relieved wouldn’t be entirely accurate.