Vestiges of Normalcy

Chapter 7

The wand-weighing ceremony was, honestly, nothing really much to go by. The entire thing involved Ollivander having a look at each of the champions' wands, talk some drivel that Harry honestly couldn't be too bothered with, and casting a spell to ensure that the wand was in working order.

There was also supposed to be a photo-taking session immediately afterwards...but when Dumbledore moved to have both Rita and her cameraman revived, Harry and Viktor turned on their heel and left the classroom as a sign of their disapproval.

As far as they were concerned, the mindless sheep that were the people of magical Britain can wait a bit longer for their news on the happenings of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

The next week passed with a pretty standard routine. Harry and Viktor divided their time searching for more clues about the first task (which was slowing down, since, as usual, any source of information about the tournament not so much talked about the tasks, more so about the high casualty rate), lessons (Harry skipped useless crap like Divination to join Viktor in one of the supplementary lessons on board the Durmstrang ship), and just spending time together in general.

Still, the main problem persisted. They had no idea what the first task was, or what it would entail.

Harry, in all honesty, was getting frustrated. After pushing aside the latest book to turn up nothing useful, he turned to Viktor, who was sitting next to him in the library.

"Found anything, Viktor?"

"Nope," the seeker shook his head, putting down the book in his hands, "Vhat is it vith all of them alvays talking about the deaths?"

"People are bloodthirsty, Viktor," Harry responded, "Call it human nature, but I think people love to see blood being spilt when it comes to entertainment."

Viktor nodded. They had already gone through a good thirty-three books, not one of them providing any clue, or at very least, a pattern that would point them in the right direction of finding out a clue.

It was all very nerve-wracking, and stressful.

"Hey, dinner's in about fifteen minutes, fancy a walk around the lake after that?" asked Harry.

"I could do vith some fresh air," Viktor agreed, rising to put the books back.

Dinner was pretty much standard affair. Giving their excuses to Viktor's friends, the two seekers left the Great Hall, cut through the entrance hall, and stepped out into the grounds.

The sun was almost gone, the last vestiges of orange and red in the sky shifting into purple, dark blues, and black as the night slowly took its turn to rule over the land. It was well into November, the month where autumn shifts to winter. Even without any wind, the air was still cold from the falling temperatures. Harry quickly applied a warming charm over himself and Viktor.

They reached the lake in no time at all. There was nobody about, all hidden away in the warm comfort of the Great Hall or somewhere else in the castle. The disappearing sun reflected on the crystal surface of the lake, mirroring its reflection of another illusionary world behind the glass. The silhouettes of the trees making up the Forbidden Forest and the masts of the Durmstrang ship added shadows of darkness to the myriad of colors in the sky.

Harry and Viktor came to a single willow tree along the edge of the lake, its mournful branches and leaves trailing the water's surface, as if it was a lost soul, trying to find the purpose of life after a great trauma.

The two seekers sat down by the tree's roots. Gazing out, they watched the leaves wave slightly against the fading daylight, the water rippling around the leaves that pierced its crystal surface. No words were needed to be spoken, silence and tranquility were what was needed after a day of activity and mental strain.