Undistinguished (H.P.)

Chapter 5: The First Task

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Veronica loved Hogsmeade. For some reason, she always found comfort in the small village and saw it as a way to escape the hurried and messy lives that she is surrounded by at Hogwarts. Even when Hogwarts students piled into the village and to many others it seemed just as crowded if not busier than the corridors of the castle, Veronica always manages to find small quiet streets with empty benches and lesser-known shops scattered around, and that's where she finds herself today. 

She couldn't stay for as long as she wanted to, she thought to herself as she reclined on a small wooden bench, staring up at the clouds sometimes watching as her breath came out in small mists when she took a large gulp of the crisp cold November air. Ernie made her promise to meet up with him and some of the other Hufflepuffs in their year at the Three Broomsticks later on in the day, supposedly to talk about group work they'd been assigned in Charms, even though she knew they'd spend the whole time gossiping about the Tournament. 

With one final deep breath and a quick glance around the picturesque street, she heaved herself off of the bench to take a slow stroll into the bustling main center, where the popular pub just so happens to be found. 

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Her suspicions were correct, she thought as she heard Hannah once again ask Ernie what she believed the First Task would be about. Veronica was slowly getting used to the constant talk about the Triwizard Tournament, and she's coming to terms with the fact that no matter where she goes or who she talks to, it will get brought up in conversation. However, that doesn't mean Veronica would ever actively join in with the discussion and so while opinions of the Tournament, the Tasks or the Champions are being aired, Veronica usually finds herself not paying attention and drifting her eyes to look at her surroundings. 

This particular time, in the Three Broomsticks, led her to lay her eyes on Hermione Granger, a studious Gryffindor who almost always has the company of her friends. Which is why Veronica found it strange that Hermione was sitting in a large booth by herself, and the reason she carried on staring was the fact that the bushy brunette seemed to be talking to thin air. 

She furrowed her brows and leaned in to pay a closer attention to the odd situation when out of nowhere a hand appeared and placed an empty pitcher, that she assumed once contained Butterbeer, onto the table next to Hermione before disappearing again.

Veronica jumped in her seat slightly after the hand made its appearance and looked around frantically to see if anyone else noticed the strange behaviour. Just as she was wondering if she should go over to Hermione in order to investigate further she saw  Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures professor and Groundskeeper of Hogwarts, stroll up to the booth in question to talk to Hermione. 

Hagrid then leaned in closer and whispered something to the location of the now invisible hand, before turning around and casually walking away.

By this point, Veronica lost all of the courage to go over and therefore did her best to push this odd situation to the back of her mind and forget about whatever it was she just witnessed because she knew frankly, it was none of her business. 

oOo

The morning of the First Task finally came round, much to everyone's excitement. The air in the Great Hall during breakfast was almost electric, with people buzzing back and forth with supportive banners, clothes, and facepaint decorating the population of Hogwarts. Veronica herself was surprised by the amount of supportive and friendly faces she saw repping Hufflepuff colours and thought maybe this Tournament wasn't a bad idea as she first thought, the infectiously happy surroundings influencing her opinions.