Ashes | 𝔇. 𝔐𝔞𝔩𝔣𝔬𝔶 [𝟙]

23 ⚡︎ The Third Task

♫ Kerosene by Crystal Castles ♫

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌ .・゜✧﹒☁﹒✧゜・．﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

"Death wound itself around her bones like a piece of red ribbon"

-Amanda Lovelace

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌ .・゜✧﹒☁﹒✧゜・．﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

It was the morning of June 24th, and Harry would be performing the third task this evening. Cassie was sure that he was as well prepared as he could be, but she was still extremely nervous, even though she wasn't the one doing the task. As Theo had reminded her earlier though, this was the last task and after tonight, it would be over- for good.

Last week after Dumbledore had pulled them out of the pensieve, as Cassandra had learned it was called- he had told them all about the trials they had witnessed. Bagman hadn't been accused of any death eater related activities since, and neither had Snape. It seemed that Harry and Cassandra's hatred for Snape had impossibly escalated.

Professor Dumbledore had also explained to them a little about the last trial they witnessed, the one he found the twins in. Apparently, it had been Neville's parents that were tortured. But they weren't dead, as both Cassie and Harry had assumed. They were insane and they lived at a specific ward in St. Mungos, and to make matters worse, they didn't recognize Neville at all.

She had just sat her Charms exam, and she personally felt that she had done fairly good this time around. Right now, she was on her way back to the Great Hall for lunch with Draco, Theo, Blaise.

They walked into The Great Hall, Theo in deep conversation with a disappointed-looking Blaise about weed, when Cassie shrieked in happiness and grabbed Draco's hand, practically skipping towards the Gryffindor table, where her mother and her oldest brother, Bill, were seated. She pulled Draco with her and the other two boys followed them, Theo still engrossed in conversation and completely clueless- as usual.

"Bill!" She exclaimed, and her brother jumped out if his seat as Cassie threw her arms around his neck. She rarely ever saw her two oldest brothers, since they both worked in other countries- Bill in Egypt, and Charlie in Romania.

Bill hugged his sister back, wrapping his arms around her tightly before letting go and looking at the three Slytherin boys standing around her like a pack of dogs. Theo, who had his mouth full of the chicken he had snatched up from the Gryffindor table, looked around and realized that they were around what seemed to him like half of Cassandra's family.

"Oh.." He mumbled sheepishly, his mouth full of chicken, all pureblood manners forgotten. "Hi! Theodore Nott!" He exclaimed, stretching out his hand to Bill, who looked like he was on the brink of laughter. Nonetheless, he took the boy's hand and shook it. A grin spread across his face as he took in the youngest member of one of the most notable pureblood families of the day, reeking of weed, eyes bloodshot and his mouth full of chicken.

Draco closed his eyes in exasperation, before extending his own hand to Bill- looking rather nervous. The Malfoys certainly didn't have a good reputation, and whatever he might act like- Draco wasn't very fond of the Weasleys. "Draco." The blonde boy said as Bill grabbed his hand, trying to distance himself from the Malfoy name. Noticing his sheepish demeanour, Bill gave him a weak smile before he spoke. "Bill Weasley" He said with a grin on his face, before he turned to the dark boy standing behind Draco.