XII. WHO
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❝Though I've not seen the end for me too
If such an end exists, would that be you?❞
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"IT... IT ISN'T AS BAD,"
"Then maybe you have to get yourself glasses, because it's definitely bad — It's worse than bad!" huffed Harry. "She called me a twelve-year-old! Do I look twelve?!"
"W-Well..."
"Lucie!"
Shortly after the champion had their interviews with Rita Skeeter, life in Hogwarts became even more hectic for Harry than Lucia first anticipated, for Rita Skeeter had published her piece about the Triwizard Tournament, and it turned out to be not so much a report on the tournament, but as a highly coloured life story of Harry.
"O-Okay, look, at least she didn't put in — oh, never mind. I spoke too soon."
"What?" Harry stopped in his tracks and whirled around immediately at Lucia. "What. Did. She. Put?"
Lucia shot him a nervous look with a small laugh before quoting those words he dreaded: "'His eyes were glistening with the ghost of his past' —"
"My eyes were not glistening with the ghost of my past!" he fumed.
"I mean..."
Harry glared at Lucia, "You better not say what I think you're about to say, because it isn't funny,"
"I wasn't!" Lucia had her hand up in defence, "I was about to say that your eyes are glistening, but its always been like that..." she mumbled.
"O-Oh..." Harry recoiled. "Sorry,"
"It's fine," her shoulder's slumped, reaching out to pat Harry's cheeks pitifully, nodding, "She's a mad woman."
Harry huffed out again, "My eyes aren't glistening with the ghost of my past..."
Much of the front page had been given over to a picture of Harry; the article (continuing pages two, six, and seven) had been all about Harry, the names of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang champions (misspelled) had been squashed into the last line of the article, and Cedric hadn't been mentioned at all.
The article appeared ten days ago, and Lucia was still in midst of recovery from the report Rita Skeeter had written about Harry that even Lucia would be a fool to believe in such lies. And this was coming from someone that believed in such vague and clear lies before.
I suppose I get my strength from my parents. I know they'd be very proud of me if they could see me now... Yes, sometimes at night I still cry about them, I'm not ashamed to admit it... I know nothing will hurt me during the tournament, because they're watching over me...
She had interviewed other people about him too, and Lucia couldn't help but feel ill in the stomach when she read it.
Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school.
From the moment the article had appeared, Harry had had to endure people — Slytherins, mainly — quoting it at him as he passed and making sneering comments.
"Want a hanky, Potter, in case you start crying in Transfiguration?"
"Since when have you been one of the top students in the school, Potter? Or is this a school you and Longbottom have set up together?"
Lucia snapped her gaze at the bunch of them, her fist clenched to her side. "Don't listen to them. Just wait and see when I sneak in some poiso —"
"Hey — Harry!"
"Yeah, that's right!" Harry found himself shouting as he wheeled around in the corridor, having had just about enough.
Lucia winced, "Har —"
"— I've just been crying my eyes out over my dead mum, and I'm just off to do a bit more..."
"No — it was just — you dropped your quill."
Lucia, who failed to stop Harry, grimaced. It wasn't just anybody, but it was the Cho Chang.
From the corner of her eyes, Lucia saw Harry's face becoming as red as ruby. A sudden pain struck her chest from within, which Lucia found mildly concerning as she watched Cho and Harry.
A voice in the back of her mind was saying: They would become such a good-looking couple...
But another was telling her, Stop it, you cow! They don't look good together, you're only hallucinating!
But why should she care of what Harry and Cho could become? It felt a waste to ponder over such trivial things...
"Oh — right — sorry," he muttered, taking the quill back.
"Er... good luck on Tuesday," she said. "I really hope you do well." Cho turned to a dejected Lucia with a graceful smile, "Bye, Lucia."
Lucia broke away from her daze and blushed slightly. She then smiled faintly at the girl, "Bye... bye..."
As Cho left them, Harry felt stupid.
Noticing his shoulders slumping, Lucia nudged him, and a weak yet reassuring smile painted her rosy lips. "Y-You weren't being a fool at all in front of Cho," she told him.
"Really?' Harry glanced at her hopefully.
Lucia bit her lip. "Yeah...?" she lied pathetically, which Harry caught on.
"I so did — wait, how did you know I fancy Cho?" Harry panicked.
"I can tell," she smiled wearily at him. "And I'm sure Cho didn't even notice it,"
"She probably thinks I like Hermione..." grumbled Harry.
Lucia pushed back the piece of hair that were covering his eyes. His stomach churned at the proximity. "Don't listen to them, Harry. Granger has preferences and never in a million years would she plan on dating you."
"What does that supposed to mean?" he mumbled with a pout, looking into her glimmering obsidian eyes.
She giggled. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Very funny," he said sarcastically, "so amusing, so witty,"
"It really is," she chirped dreamily, wrapping her arm around his as they walk, "But I have to give it to Skeeter, though. She has one extraordinary imagination..."
"More like she's a bitc —" he cut himself off and cleared his throat. Lucia arched a brow at him, but he didn't fell for her trap as he only changed the topic: "How's Hermione doing?"
Lucia sighed. "Well... the last I check, she was doing... er... better?" she said unsurely. "Oh, there she is,"
Hermione had come in for her fair share of unpleasantness too, she hadn't yet started yelling at innocent bystanders; in fact, when he heard those words from Lucia, Harry was full of admiration for the way she was handling the situation.
"Stunningly pretty? Her?" Pansy Parkinson had shrieked the first time she had come face-to-face with Hermione after Rita's article had appeared. "What was she judging against — a chipmunk?"
"Ignore it," Hermione said in a dignified voice, holding her head in the air and stalking past the sniggering Slytherin girls as though she couldn't hear them. "Just ignore it, Harry."
But Harry couldn't ignore it. Ron hadn't spoken to him at all since he had told him about Snape's detentions. Harry had half hoped they would make things up during the two hours they were forced to pickle rats' brains in Snape's dungeon, but that had been the day Rita's article had appeared, which seemed to have confirmed Ron's belief that Harry was really enjoying all the attention.
Although was indifferent of their little lovers quarrel, Hermione was furious with the pair of them; she went from one to the other, trying to force them to talk to each other, but Harry was adamant: He would talk to Ron again only if Ron admitted that Harry hadn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire and apologized for calling him a liar.
"I didn't start this," Harry said stubbornly. "It's his problem."
"You miss him!" Hermione said impatiently. "And I know he misses you —"
"Miss him?" said Harry. "I don't miss him..."
"Face it, you're in denial of your feelings," said Lucia listlessly. "You two try so hard to show that you guys don't miss each other, but guess what?"
"What?"
"You two are horrible actors," stated Lucia easily, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "You both are just trying so hard to make the other jealous, and honestly this is getting quite petty if I do say so myself. Just admit that you both miss each other!"
"I do not miss him." Harry said in finality, as Lucia shared a knowing look with Hermione.
This was a downright lie. Harry enjoyed both Lucia and Hermione very much, but they just weren't the same as Ron. There was much less laughter and a lot more hanging around in the library whenever Lucia was nowhere to be seen and you so happen to be best friends with Hermione. Harry still hadn't mastered Summoning Charms, he seemed to have developed something of a block about them, and while Lucia suggested learning practically, but Hermione insisted that learning the theory would help more. They consequently spent a lot of time poring over books during their lunchtimes.
Viktor Krum was in the library an awful lot too, and Harry wondered what he was up to. Was he studying, or was he looking for things to help him through the first task? Hermione often complained about Krum being there — not that he ever bothered them — but because groups of giggling girls often turned up to spy on him from behind bookshelves, and Hermione found the noise distracting.
"He's not even good-looking!" she muttered angrily, glaring at Krum's sharp profile. "They only like him because he's famous!"
"He's famous and talented it seems," said Lucia, yawning as she did inked her portrait of Hermione. "Heard he did something that's almost impossible, no wonder people fawn over him."
"Yes, well, they wouldn't look twice at him if he couldn't do that Wonky-Faint thing —"
"Wronski Feint," corrected Lucia aimlessly, while Harry was through gritted teeth. Quite apart from liking to get Quidditch terms correct, it caused him another pang to imagine Ron's expression if he could have heard Hermione talking about Wonky-Faints.
Harry missed him terribly.
The days until the first task seemed to slip by as though someone fixed the clocks to work at double speed. Each day that past, Lucia could feel the panic and anxiety swell inside her and it wasn't because of Harry, but because she'd no idea what the first task would be and she promised Harry that he would be okay. But if the task was unknown to the champions, how was she supposed to be able to help him?
On the Saturday before the first task, all students in the third year and above were permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade. Harry and Hermione much expected Lucia to follow them, trying to get Harry to calm down before the task, but Lucia had instead told them that she was not able to go with them to Hogsmeade.
"What are you going to even do then?" Harry grumbled under his breath.
Lucia halted from her drawing and glanced up at Harry. "I have a date."
Harry went into fits of coughs, while Hermione turned to her, curious. "With who?"
"With someone," she said airily, going back to drawing.
Harry gaped at her, "With who, Lucie? We need answer!"
"Just... just someone," said Lucia, dubious. "Oh, are you really that desperate to know?"
"Yes!" said Harry and Hermione together.
"Well, if you must know, it's —"
"Me."
They whirled around at the squeaky voice and never had Harry and Hermione been so in shock as to whom it was. Ginny Weasley stood with a proud stance as she had her hands in the pocket of her robes. Ginny looked at both Harry and Hermione — specifically Harry, with a challenging grin.
"Hi," she said.
Harry turned back around to Lucia surprised. "You're going on a date with Ginny?"
"Yeah? Got a problem with that?" Ginny quirked a brow at him.
"Of course not," said Harry at the quiet insinuation. "But out of all girls, why Ginny?"
Ginny's eyes twitches. "You —"
"We're not actually going on a... a date," Lucia told them, as she stuck her notebook and pencil inside her bucket bag. "This is her first time going out to Hogsmeade, and she invited me to go with her. I, um, accepted it since I didn't actually think you guys would want me to go with you... and I've been going to Hogsmeade alone since last year, I need company at least once." She explained, before turning to Ginny. "I'll go get my cloak, and then we can go."
Ginny nodded with a smile that Harry found a bit irritating. They watched as Lucia go up the Girls' Dormitory's staircase. Harry immediately snapped his head over to Ginny.
"What's your plan?"
"Me? Plan? I have no idea what you're talking about," said Ginny airily.
"You two aren't actually going on a date, are you?" Hermione asked slowly.
"No," she shook her head, before looking at the staircase with a look of adoration. "But I would love to think we are,"
"What does that supposed to mean?" Harry asked Hermione quietly, genuinely puzzled.
Hermione bit her lip, but she knew this was not her place to assume. "I don't know," she shrugged.
Ginny sent Hermione a grateful look, in which Hermione nodded.
Lucia finally came down the stairs to the common room, her hair up with clip as she hurried toward Ginny, Harry, and Hermione. She slipped her arm inside her cloak, feeling giddy. She had never gone to Hogsmeade with someone before, so this was exciting for her.
"But I have a question," Hermione began, fiddling with her jumper.
"Shoot," Lucia shrugged.
"Since when did you two start talking?"
Harry perked. "Yeah!" he said. "Since when?!"
"Since she said preferred me over my brothers," stated Ginny, grinning. "Also, she said that if I help her out for a week, then she'll accept my offer."
"Yeah, do you actually think I don't love going to Hogsmeade alone?" Lucia giggled, as Ginny looped an arm around her. "I'll see you both later in the Three Broomsticks. C'mon, Ginny —"
"You're meeting with us?" said Hermione, surprised.
"I... um... I guess? No? Yeah?" said Lucia, before feeling a bit self-conscious of her decision. "...if that's all right with you two, of course! I don't want to intervene in your friendship time or whatnot..."
"We have no objections. As long as you get to be with us at Hogsmeade, we have no objection," said Harry quickly.
"T-that's great!"
"Ugh, come on..." whined Ginny, tugging Lucia along with her.
With one last glance and smile from Lucia, the two disappeared through the portrait hole and they began to set off for Hogsmeade.
The chilly air blew through their faces as they wandered around the village, following the crowd of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and even Durmstrangs student that were crowding the ever so small village after the two Gryffindors left Honeydukes with a bag of sweets.
"I can't believe they're wearing skirts in the middle of autumn," said Ginny, appalled as they passed a couple of Beauxbaton girls. "It's literally feels like winter right now!"
Lucia hummed, nibbling on her licorice wand. "Leave them alone, Ginny," she said quietly looking down, "They can wear whatever they want, and plus, I'm wearing a skirt underneath this cloak too..."
"Yeah, but you're also wearing winter tights underneath that, and not to mention how bundled up you are, whilst they are not!" said Ginny. "Weren't they shivering when they first came?"
"I mean, they still have their earmuffs..." said Lucia, beckoning over to a Beauxbatons student that was holding onto their earmuffs for dear life. "They acknowledge the cold."
"They should wear something more appropriate for the cold then if they acknowledge it so much," she huffed.
Lucia subtly rolled her eyes before sighing. "You said that you wanted me here because you're meeting up with someone, and since I'm tall I can intimidate them if they try anything on you?"
"Oh yes!" Ginny gleamed as they walked down the pavement. "Thanks for doing me this favour, by the way."
"Oh, well, I get something out of this anyway," she said. "Intimidating someone using my height is nothing."
"Good!" Lucia could practically feel the excitement coming from Ginny seeping into her skin. "We're meeting them in front of The Magic Neep!"
"The greengrocer?"
"The one and only in Hogsmeade!"
"Why there exactly?"
"Because they wanted to buy some fruits — heard the shop's having a sale or whatnot —"
"A sale?!" gasped Lucia, startling Ginny. "Why didn't you tell me?!"
"Well, I didn't think you wanted fruits —"
"I wonder if there's any mangoes there... I've been craving for it all summer — even watermelon..." Lucia began to drool at the variation of fruits that might be on sale today. She snapped out of her daze as one question popped into her mind. "You never told me who this person is yet,"
"Ah, well," Ginny scratched her head with a nervous laugh. "I don't know this person per se... but I have been wri —"
"Why — that is — Ginny!" Lucia chided, appalled. "What if its a creepy old man —"
"This person identifies as a she, Lucia," said Ginny.
"Still... it doesn't make it any better!" said Lucia "Everyone's creepy..."
"But didn't you eat sweets that was sent to you from someone you didn't even know?"
"How did you even — that is besides the point! It's different than this!" Lucia said defensively. "I knew it wasn't poisoned, so it's fine! But you, however, can't just go write to unknown people! Even I didn't write back to that person that sent me those!"
"She goes to our school though," Ginny justified. "And we've only started talking when I accidentally bumped into her!"
Lucia shook her head, gazing at Ginny like she was gazing at her own child. With disappointment.
"Still dangerous,"
"Oh, whatever," said Ginny. "But I bet you that you will be so in shock when you meet her."
"Why, is she so important anyway?"
Ginny twirled to face Lucia with a mischievous smile that reminded her so much of the notorious Weasley twins, Ginny's older brothers, Fred and George. "Because she may or may not be my future sister-in-law if someone just plays their cards right!"
Lucia's jaw dropped at this. But before she could even question more, Ginny cut her off.
"I think that's her!"
Lucia followed her gaze and her hearbeat accelerated at the sight; a girl was standing in front of Tomes and Scrolls, her back facing them as she looks through the window, window shopping.
Lucia squinted her eyes to the figure ahead of them, and she did not regret doing so as the moment she did, the said girl gracefully turned. The way her body moved looked as though she was the epitome of grace itself, like she was the starring prima ballerina of a ballet recital of her own rendition of Swan Lake; her hair flowed ethereally against the current of the chilly wind of autumn, but it didn't stop her from unintentionally showing off the beauty that was the loosened curls of her platinum blonde hair that touched her back once the wind ceased. Although her pale face painted a cool and regal expression, Lucia saw otherwise from the warmth of her icy grey eyes.
Her demeanor could never change of whom she truly is.
The girl looks to be older than them both with a fairly average height, but was still shorter than Lucia, for the latter possessed a somewhat non-average height. As her eyes landed on the pair, the cold demeanor was quick to be diminished with a simple smile that could certainly melt any snow. She ran up to them chirpily.
"You're Ginny, right?"
Ginny nodded eagerly. "And you're Eridani?"
"But I prefer Erin — my family calls me Erin too so..." she said bashfully.
"Oh, it is so nice to finally meet you!" claimed Ginny.
"As to you," said Erin. "And who is this...?" she added, noticing the rather nervous girl.
"Right," Ginny beckoned Lucia forth excitedly. "Lucia, meet Erin. Erin, Lucia."
"You're the girl I saw talking to the owls in the Owlery last year," said Erin in awe.
Lucia blushed. "T-The owls needed company and all," she laughed awkwardly. Why did she have to say that? Though her tongue was tied from the breathtaking beauty of Erin, Lucia wished she could curse herself for making a fool out of herself. "A-Anyway — how did you know about that — ?"
"I was just heading up there to send something with my brother's owl..."
"You have a brother? He goes here I presume?" Ginny asked as the three entered The Magic's Neep, scanning around the shop for the fruit section once they gotten their baskets.
Erin nodded slowly, as though hesitant. "We're in the same House, Slytherin."
Lucia blinked at the older girl. She looked so familiar, but from where — she gasped loudly, causing the two others to jump in startlement, but Lucia didn't falter her look of astonishment at the revelation.
"Y-You are a Malfoy!"
Ginny snapped her head at Erin in shock. "Are you?"
Erin sighed in dismay. "Well, the cats out of the bag..." she looked dejectedly at the raspberries, "Yes, I'm a Malfoy..."
"T-That means Malfoy — I mean, Draco Malfoy is your — ?"
"Precisely..." Erin said quietly, nodding. "He's my lovely little brother."
Ginny and Lucia shared a look. There was a sarcastic tone in Erin's words.
"Oh, I've done it again," said Erin with a groan as she rubbed her face. "I've just ruined another friendship, and this time it didn't even last an hour!"
The two Gryffindors watched as the older Slytherin having a slight mental breakdown. Erin crouched down, hiding her face in her arms, swaying back and forth. From Erin's words, they couldn't help but thought that 'ruining' a friendship has happened before for the Slytherin, and they felt sympathetic because from what they were experiencing, Erin Malfoy sounded as though she has one of the kindest of hearts. Quite contrary to her family.
Despite being brought up in such a prejudiced family, Erin never shared their views and belief because she thought it was simply ridiculous and all and all, wrong. She thought it would be the same for her little brother, but she was greatly wrong when he began attending Hogwarts, and what was more disheartening was when she'd heard him saying a slur to a muggle-born. One of the smartest in his year at that.
She felt disgusted to the point of wanting to puke the moment she had heard him said it. As much as she loved her parents, at the same time she hated them. Hated them for what they believed in, and what they had done to the sweet and innocent Draco she once knew, moulding him into the carbon copy of their father.
"Hey, hey," Lucia dropped the mangoes and quickly got down to her knees in front of Erin. "It... it's all right!"
"Yeah," Ginny joined in, leaning down. "You're being overdramatic here,"
Lucia casted Ginny a deadpanning look. "Don't be so tactless!"
"Sorry!"
The two began bickering but stop as a soft chuckle, mixed with slight sniffles, filled their eardrums. They turned to Erin and saw her laughing heartily at them.
"You two have a sweet bond," said Erin, wiping away a tear.
"Uh... thanks?" said Ginny.
"Well, uh, we actually just met," said Lucia awkwardly.
"Yeah, but blossoming friendship is nothing new too!" Ginny leaned her head to the side, "Why do you say it like you've never had it before?"
"It's not that I've never had it before... it's just that it's complicated," Erin told them, eyes downcast to the ground.
"Complicated?" Lucia furrowed her eyes.
"My friendship with them is very much tabooed in my family, and if anyone ever sees me with them, I doubt my parents would love that..." said Erin.
"Who are you talking about anyway?" Ginny asked.
"Ginny — !"
"What?" said Ginny with a shrug. "It was just a question,"
"A right question at that," said Erin, pushing herself up to her feet. "But I can't answer that, because then it'll only defeat the whole purpose of my keeping it a secret. And even if I try to make some new friends, it's near impossible. People hate me." She added.
"Hate is such a strong word," grimaced Lucia.
"Oh, I hate the Malfoys," said Ginny, before Lucia glanced at her with wide eyes while Erin sighs out in dismay. "But not you, of course!" she said quickly with a laugh, "I like you; I really like you!"
Lucia shook her head, smacking a watermelon lightly. "Have you, well, tried making friends before?"
Erina thought for a moment before nodding "It's kind of hard to make friends with people from other Houses when you are identified as a snake," she said.
"Understandable,"
Merlin's hairy body... Lucia rubbed the bridge of her nose.
Erin chuckled, "It is understandable reaction, especially coming from you, Ginny. My family doesn't actually help..."
"Yes, well, I'm sure you're much different than them!" said Ginny adamantly. "And I wouldn't be here if it weren't for me believing that you are different from your peers,"
"Some people in Slytherin don't actually share the same exact views," said Erin. "So, I'm not really different..."
"Tomato tomato," Ginny waved her hand, shrugging. "All that I'm saying is that I know your secret, Erin."
"Excuse me?" Erin arched a brow of amusement at the smaller girl. "What's she on about?"
"I just met her, I don't know hat kind of odd thing she has in hand..." said Lucia, smiling.
"And what is that secret might I ask?"
"That you like one of my brothers," said Ginny with a smirk. Lucia widened her eyes and snapped her head toward Erin, whose pale face immediately reddened in a great amount.
"What on earth are you talking about?" Erin's posh voice soon became squeaky, completely dropping the regal act she had, now acting like a blushing and an embarrassed girl. "I have no such secrets!"
"We'll see..." said Ginny, still smirking. "Anyway, you're here to accompany me while Lucia is off with Harry and Hermione at the Three Broomsticks,"
Lucia shook her head, smiling.
"You don't sound very happy," said Erin, amused.
"Because she's going off with Harry out of all people," whined Ginny.
"What do you have against Harry? Ron said you were one of his biggest —"
"I'll kill him." Ginny said seriously.
Lucia heaved out a sigh, smiling as they paid for the fruits they bought before they exited out of the shop and back into the chilly autumn of November. "Well, I had fun," said Lucia softly. "I'll see you guys later, and don't forget to have fun!"
"You sound like my mother, Lucia," said Ginny.
Her eyes twitched agitatedly. Lucia reached out and pinched Ginny's cheeks, "The next thing ridiculous thing that comes out of your mouth, Ginny, I'll make you sure you'll never want to utter a word ever again."
"Fwine, fwine," managed Ginny.
Lucia cleared her throat and turned her heel. "Well, bye." She turned her heel and waved, disappearing into the crowds of students.
Ginny and Erin waved at the retreating figure of Lucia before Ginny glanced back at Erin. "Let's have a talk, shall we?"
Erin glanced down at the small figure of Ginny Weasley and shuddered. Oh Merlin...
Lucia walked around the village, eating the cubes of mangoes she had bought from the greengrocer when she abruptly stops in front of the familiar pub: The Three Broomsticks. Frankly, Lucia never came here before up until now. Not even during her first trip here last year. She avoided the place, seeing that it wasn't as though she could do anything in it.
She wheeled around the place, hoping that she wouldn't have to enter a place she barely knew of alone when she caught sight of Hermione heading her way... only there was no signs of Harry.
Or so she thought.
It didn't take Lucia long to notice the oddity of Hermione's stance as the latter walked up to her. Hermione was talking, her lips moving as discreetly as possible. Lucia had a struck of epiphany: Harry was under that Invisibility Cloak of his.
She was surprised the thing still work, as the item was renowned to have effects that could last for a little while than they promised.
"Hello, Granger," greeted Lucia, before turning slightly to Hermione's left and whispered, "Hello, Harry,"
"H-how?" she heard his soft voice from the empty space beside Hermione, who widened her eyes in surprise as well.
"Hermione's not very good at acting natural, is she?" said Lucia "Also, she was whispering while walking, people probably assumed that she's gone mad or something,"
"I knew they were giving me some weird looks," muttered Hermione.
"I told you to not move your lips," said Harry, arguing with her.
Hermione grunted and shot the hidden Harry a look. She then turned to Lucia, "How do you know about Harry's Invisibility Cloak?"
"From him of course," said Lucia serenely. "He visited me back when I first got that scar from Malfoy."
"Of course, it's from him...." huffed Hermione in exasperation. "Come on, please just take off your Cloak for a bit, no one's going to bother you here."
Lucia grimaced. "I don't know 'bout that..."
Harry huffed in agreement. "Look behind you."
Rita Skeeter and her photographer friend had just emerged from the Three Broomsticks pub. Talking in low voices, they passed right by Lucia and Hermione without looking at them. Harry backed into the wall of Honeydukes to stop Rita Skeeter from hitting him with her crocodile-skin handbag. When they were gone, Harry said, "She's staying in the village. I bet she's coming to watch the first task."
There was a pause from Harry, and Lucia could tell that the mention of the first task had caused a turmoil in his stomach already.
"She's gone," said Hermione, looking right through Harry toward the end of the street. "Why don't we go and have a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks, it's a bit cold, isn't it? You don't have to talk to Ron!" she added irritably, correctly interpreting his silence.
The Three Broomsticks was packed, mainly with Hogwarts students enjoying their free afternoon, but also with a variety of magical people next to Diagon Alley and the Ministry. Well, it was Hogsmeade after all; the only all-wizard village in Britain, it was a bit of a haven for creatures like hags, who were not as adept as wizards at disguising themselves.
Both Lucia and Harry edged slowly toward a spare table in the corner while Hermione went to buy drinks. On their way through the pub, they spotted Ron, who was sitting with Fred, George, and Lee Jordan. Before Harry could give Ron a good (petty) hard poke in the back of the head, Lucia, annoyed by their pettiness, decided to drag Harry by his cloak to the table, sitting him down before plopping down beside him.
Harry huffed.
"Nice try," said Lucia quietly. She smiled when she heard the childish grumbles coming from Harry.
"I wasn't going to try anything," said Harry, denial.
"Yeah, and I like brussels sprouts," she said with a sarcastic tone, before pinching his thigh.
Harry reacted immediately, "Ow — !"
"Oops," Lucia bent down to look below the table, as though she could feel Harry's piercing glare her way from underneath that cloak of his. "L-Look, I found a knut," she said in false distraction.
But before Harry could utter out a retort, Hermione had already return with their drinks. "Here you go, butterbeers," she said, placing down the drinks. At the sound of their drink clinking the table, Lucia hastily rose, hitting her head against the table is midst of it.
"Ow — !" she yelped, holding the back of her head, wincing from the throbbing pain.
"Be careful, Lucia!" said Hermione, concern.
"I'm sorry, I —" However, her words were long forgotten as quietly she heard a soft and amuse chuckles from the 'empty' space beside her.
Hermione saw this coming, especially from where she was buying the drinks. How much they were bickering, though little and short, it casually reminded her of her and Ron bickers. Though the difference between her and Ron, and Lucia and Harry were the fact that the bickering would never go on for forever and only happen so rarely.
The thought of Ron saddens her a bit, causing her to subconsciously steal a glance over to where he sat with his older brothers. Hermione heaved out a small and dejected sigh that went undetected by either Lucia or Harry, who was busy in their own world of stomping each other's feet as a means of competition. Feeling the need to cut the supposed 'sweet' moment short, Hermione snapped her finger in front of them.
"Thought you wanted to not attract attention?" Hermione raised a brow at Harry. "With how loud you both are being, I won't be surprised if a hoard of people starts circling around us,"
"A hoard of people that would probably beat him up if given the chance," noted Lucia in a serene manner.
Hermione's lips twitches, smiling as she joined in with her antics, "I assume they would most likely try to start by —"
"Wow," scoffed Harry, folding his arms against his chest. "Thanks for the words of reassurance, guys. Totally feel better now, and the love you guys have for me is so clear to see," he added grumpily.
"Good that you can. We're only looking out for you," said Hermione, faking her dubiousness as she slipped a butterbeer under his Cloak, before pushing forward a cup of hot chocolate in front of Lucia.
Lucia was astonished.
"But I didn't — ?"
"I know, I just didn't know whether you like butterbeer or not, but I heard from Neville once that you love hot chocolate, so I bought this instead," said Hermione, and Lucia couldn't help but smile shyly to her.
"T-Thanks," she mumbled, grasping the cup.
"You know, I looked like such an idiot, bringing two butterbeers and a hot chocolate." Hermione told them. "Lucky, I brought something to do."
And she pulled out a notebook in which she had been keeping a record of S.P.E.W. members. There were Harry's and Ron's names at the top of the very short list. Lucia was not in the list — yet (as Hermione like to remind Harry and Ron). It seemed a long time ago that they had sat making up those predictions together, and Hermione had turned up and appointed them secretary and treasurer.
"You know, maybe I should try and get some of the villagers involved in S.P.E.W.," Hermione said thoughtfully, looking around the pub.
"Yeah, right," said Harry. He took a swig of butterbeer under his Cloak. "Hermione, when are you going to give up on this spew stuff?"
"I think it's pronounced S.P.E.W., Harry," said Lucia, blowing on her drink.
"Spew," echoed Harry, before saying jokingly, "Pew, Pew,"
"I expect nothing but immature from you," Hermione rolled her eyes and hissed, "And the moment I give up is when house-elves have decent wages and working conditions!" she stated. "You know, I'm starting to think it's time for more direct action. I wonder how you get into the school kitchens?"
"Well, usually Fred and George are the ones that sneak in there — or maybe any of the Hufflepuffs since the Hufflepuff basement is somewhere near the kitchen, I think." Hermione (and probably Harry as well under that cloak of his) sent Lucia look as though asking how she knew that. She shrugged. "What? I overhear stuff every time. It's like they never knew I was there when they talk about these kind stuff."
"Well, Hufflepuffs wouldn't be too keen to help me getting into the kitchen and especially after..."
"After I was appointed champion." Harry said bitterly. "Yeah, I know."
Hermione lapsed into thoughtful silence, while Harry drank his butterbeer, watching the people in the pub. Lucia bit her lips in deep thought; she wondered what Butterbeer would taste like if not for her allergy to them? Would it be sweet, or would it be salty —
"Look, it's Hagrid!" said Hermione.
The back of Hagrid's enormous shaggy head — he had mercifully abandoned his bunches — emerged over the crowd. Hagrid had been leaning low, talking to Professor Moody. He had his usual enormous tankard in front of him, but Moody was drinking from his hip flask. Madam Rosmerta, the pretty landlady, didn't seem to think much of this; she was looking askance at Moody as she collected glasses from tables around them. Perhaps she thought it was an insult to her mulled mead, but of course that wasn't always the case.
Moody, someone that Lucia still had her suspicions on, told them all during their last Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson that he preferred to always prepare his own food and drink, as it was so easy for Dark wizards to poison an unattended cup.
As Hagrid and Moody get up to leave. Lucia assumed Harry was waving at Hagrid, however he'd forgotten that he was under his Invisibility cloak, for Moody, paused, his magical eye on the corner where they were. He tapped Hagrid in the small of the back (being unable to reach his shoulder), muttered something to him, and then the pair of them made their way back across the pub toward Harry, Lucia, and Hermione's table.
"All right, Hermione?" said Hagrid loudly.
"Hello," said Hermione, smiling back.
"What 'bout you, Lucia? Any improvements on those sweaters for Fang and the others? "
"Oh, um, everything's dandy as a dandelion," she said with her notable soft smile. "Though those sweaters for Fang... I hope the seamstress can get it finish by Christmas... I would've done it on my own, but I don't know much about knitting..."
"Yeh learn, Lucia! Sure, yeh can!" grinned Hagrid. "Nothin' yeh can't do,"
Lucia blushed at this, not accustomed to receiving such compliment. "Thanks..."
Moody limped around the table and bent down. It would've seen as though he was reading the S.P.E.W. notebook, until he muttered, "Nice Cloak, Potter."
The large chunk missing from Moody's nose was particularly obvious at a few inches' distance. Moody grinned.
"Can your eye — I mean, can you — ?"
"Yeah, it can see through Invisibility Cloaks," Moody said quietly. "And it's come in useful at times, I can tell you."
Hagrid was beaming down at Harry too. Harry knew Hagrid couldn't see him, but Moody had obviously told Hagrid he was there. Hagrid now bent down on the pretext of reading the S.P.E.W. notebook as well and said in a whisper so low that only Harry could hear it, "Harry, meet me tonight at midnight at me cabin. Wear that Cloak."
Straightening up, Hagrid said loudly, "Nice ter see yeh, Lucia, Hermione," winked, and departed. Moody followed him.
"Why does Hagrid want me to meet him at midnight?" Harry said, very surprised.
"Does he?" said Hermione, looking startled. "I wonder what he's up to? I don't know whether you should go, Harry..." She looked nervously around and hissed, "It might make you late for" — Hermione glanced at Lucia for a moment — "him."
Like previously, Lucia pretended as if she didn't hear a squat about this mysterious person. But she did say, "I don't know whoever you guys are talking about, nor do I care, but it seems like Hagrid have something instore for you, Harry. Maybe it got something to do with the first task?"
Hermione looked skeptical while Harry — well, she didn't know what his reaction was to her words. But she imagined him to be in deep thought about it.
Perhaps it was nothing, but Harry still wasn't going to take any chances. And so, he opted to go see Hagrid.
༻❁༺
Lucia felt panic.
Turns out, it was the right thing that Harry heeded Hagrid's invitation. Because if he hadn't, he would've been oblivious of what the first task would be.
Dragons.
Bloody dragons.
Out of all things, why dragons? Don't get her wrong, she got nothing against dragons and thought of them as quite intriguing creatures, however that didn't change the fact that they were also notorious for detaching heads from bodies for fun.
She was sure if she were to be put up against a dragon, her head would be nonexistent before she could even utter "Mango" from her lips. And with how Harry was doing in Charms right now, the chances of Harry making through this unscathed would be fifty-fifty.
And by fifty-fifty, she meant fifty-percent chance he won't die, and the other...
Yeah.
And she was being nice about that.
Now Lucia, Hermione, and Harry all huddled inside the library, searching any kinds of books that could help them out with Harry's possible reason of death after not being able to find any simple spells that could help them out.
Harry pulled down every book he could find on dragons, and the three of them set to work searching through the large pile."'Talon-clipping by charms... treating scale-rot...' This is no good, this is for nutters like Hagrid who want to keep them healthy..."
"'Dragons are extremely difficult to slay, owing to the ancient magic that imbues their thick hides, which none but the most powerful spells can penetrate...' But he a simple one would do it..." told Hermione.
"Meaning that we should use an alternative spell?" Lucia suggested, her fingers rubbing her temples, head aching tremendously. "Like something that... that could help Harry indirectly?"
"But it sounds too far-fetch..." Hermione shrunk back, skeptic of this.
"But it could also work," Harry threw aside Men Who Love Dragons Too Much. "We should start with some simple spellbooks and see where it'll take us?"
Neither of the girls objected. He clasped his hands together. "Brilliant!"
They were desperate, that's for sure.
He returned to the table with a pile of spellbooks, set them down, and began to flick through each in turn, Hermione whispering nonstop at his elbow.
"Well, there are Switching Spells... but what's the point of Switching it? Unless you swapped its fangs for wine-gums or something that would make it less dangerous...The trouble is, like that book said, not much is going to get through a dragon's hide... I'd say Transfigure it, but something that big, you really haven't got a hope, I doubt even Professor McGonagall... unless you're supposed to put the spell on yourself? Maybe to give yourself extra powers? But they're not simple spells, I mean, we haven't done any of those in class, I only know about them because I've been doing O.W.L. practice papers..."
"Hermione," Harry said, through gritted teeth, "will you shut up for a bit, please? I'm trying to concentrate."
Hermione went silent.
Lucia stared at Harry momentarily before apathetically raising from her seat and flicked his ears. "Be nice," she hissed at him, face stern.
Harry only spared a glance at her before his brain was filled with a sort of blank buzzing, which didn't seem to allow room for concentration. He stared hopelessly down the index of Basic Hexes for the Busy and Vexed. Instant scalping... but dragons had no hair... pepper breath... that would probably increase a dragon's firepower... horn tongue... just what he needed, to give it an extra weapon...
Lucia shook her head with a frown on her face and turn her gaze to Hermione to see whether Harry's words hurt her slightly, however she only found Hermione completely distracted by something.
"Hermione?" She then followed Hermione's gaze and her pair of noir eyes laid upon Viktor Krum.
"Oh no, he's back again, why can't he read on his stupid ship?" said Hermione irritably as Viktor Krum slouched in, cast a surly look over at the pair of them, and settled himself in a distant corner with a pile of books. "Come on, Harry, we'll go back to the common room... his fan club'll be here in a moment, twittering away..."
And sure enough, as they left the library, a gang of girls tiptoed past them, one of them wearing a Bulgaria scarf tied around her waist.
By the morning of the first task, Lucia had never been so nervous in all her life. And she was someone that'd always been known to be nervous. Hell, she was the walking epitome of nervous, and yet today just takes the cake.
Sure, she reckons that Harry would be much more anxious about this due to, well, the obvious. But she still couldn't help but show the worrisome feelings through her constant picking over the small and untraceable scar on her cheek that Neville had to stop her once before it could appear once again and bleed. She then turned to her locket for help, fiddling it around everywhere she would go, be it when eating or when she was brushing her hair.
Well, technically she wasn't as nervous as she was during the days following the task as it turned out that Harry had found an answer to their predicament. Moody had suggested that he was to use the Summoning Charm for some odd reason, but they weren't going to complain. It was a start. However, Harry was still in need for more training when it comes to the charm still.
Lucia went down for breakfast after having told herself repeatedly that Harry would be okay while she tied her hair up in a ponytail with her scarlet silk ribbon in front of the talking mirror that situated inside their dorm. The very mirror that she had once gotten into argument with...
She shook her head profusely as she walked past the other inhabitants of the school. Unlike her, the atmosphere around her was one of great tension and excitement. Lessons were to stop at midday, giving all the students time to get down to the dragons' enclosure — though of course, they didn't yet know what they would find there.
Harry felt oddly separated from everyone around him, whether they were wishing him good luck or hissing "We'll have a box of tissues ready, Potter" as he passed. It was a state of nervousness so advanced that he wondered whether he mightn't just lose his head when they tried to lead him out to his dragon and start trying to curse everyone in sight. Time was behaving in a more peculiar fashion than ever, rushing past in great dollops, so that one moment he seemed to be sitting down in his first lesson, History of Magic, and the next, walking into lunch... and then Professor McGonagall was hurrying over to him in the Great Hall. Lots of people were watching.
"Potter, the champions have to come down onto the grounds now... You have to get ready for your first task."
"Okay," said Harry, standing up, his fork falling onto his plate with a clatter.
"Good luck, Harry," Hermione whispered. "You'll be fine!"
"Yeah," said Harry in a voice that was most unlike his own.
Lucia couldn't take it anymore. She hesitantly threw her arms around him, catching him off-guard, but slowly and surely, he made himself comfortable in her arms. She whispered, "I have faith in you, Harry." And that seem to be the only thing that made his heavy heart lighten.
Begrudgingly, the two pulled away from one another. But before he were to set off for his demise (as what he would like to say), Lucia untied her ribbon, her hair falling to her shoulders like a light feather as she did so. He stared at her peculiarly, however his heart soared as she seized his wrist and tied her silky scarlet ribbon with yellow embroidery around his wrist. She glanced back up with an encouraging smile.
"Good luck, Harry. Don't die."
Harry gaze up at her.
"I won't."