Ruth is the youngest of the Ash triplets. Born only three minutes after her sisters, Ruth has always been the odd one out.
She's been invisible all her life.
She's been stuck in the shadows of her sisters throughout her five years at Hogwarts. She...
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Ruth trailed behind her sisters as they made their way into the Great Hall. The Ash triplets had returned to Hogwarts for their sixth year and were beyond excited, each for a different reason.
'Hello's and greetings were thrown at Poppy and Katrina, as they were both quite popular among their schoolmates. Ruth barely received smiles from the people she passed, but she didn't mind. It had always been like that. Poppy and Katrina were superior to her in the eyes of the other students, and Ruth knew there was nothing she could do to change that.
They arrived at the Gryffindor table. Ruth left her sisters to mingle with their quidditch friends and moved to find her own friend.
Casper Gray was sat at the real end of the table, closest to the teachers. Once Ruth spotted him, she picked up her pace to sit next to him.
"Hi Ruth," Casper grinned , his glasses jumping as he scrunched up his nose. "How was your summer?"
Ruth smiled at her bestest friend in the entire world. They had befriended each other in their first year, as both had not expected to be put in the House of the Lion. "I went to Ireland with mum. It was really cool," Ruth said. "How was your summer?"
"Amazing! I went to the Quidditch World Cup," Casper said, his excitement and love for quidditch shinning through. "Oh I wish you had gone. It was spectacular!"
Ruth nodded with a smile. She wasn't too interested in quidditch, despite her father having played for Gryffindor while he was in school and both her sisters being on the house team. Due to her disengagement with the game, her father had only bought three tickets, for him, Poppy and Katrina.
"You should try out for the team this year," Ruth told her friend.
"They already have a Gryffindor quidditch team," was the pathetic reply.
Ruth tilted her head to the side. "Didn't the keeper graduate last year?" By the look on Casper's face, Ruth knew she was correct. "There's going to be tryouts then. You should go since you've always wanted to be on the team."
Casper shook his head. "No way," he said. "I couldn't."
Before Ruth could encourage her friend against his shyness, Professor Dumbledore stood from his chair, which issued an unspoken vow of silence to the students. Dumbledore opened his arms to the students in an almost parental manner, the twinkle in his eye visible to even those at the back of the room.
"To all our new students, welcome! And to our older students, welcome back to another year of Hogwarts!" He paused as a polite applause filled the room. Once it subsided, the headmaster continued. "Before we begin our feast, there are a few announcements I must share with you all."
He paused, for dramatic affect seemingly. A flurry of whispers broke out as students discussed what the announcements could be.
Ruth say Dumbledore give the room a small smile. "First of all, I regret to inform you all that the Inter-House Quidditch Championship will not be put on this year."
Dumbledore's sentence sparked anger and annoyance among the students. Looking down the Gryffindor table, Ruth say her sisters exchange looks of disbelief. Shouts and yells of disapprovement filled the room. Ruth heard a clear "That's rubbish!" come from one of the Weasley Twins. Which one, she had no idea.
"That is because." Dumbledore's voice could somehow be heard loud and clear over the student's chatter. "We need to make time and room for another event that will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."
By now, many students had gotten over the quidditch situation and were now anticipating what Dumbledore was going to say next. Only a few students were still glowering, Ruth noticed.
"I am proud to announce that Hogwarts will be taking part in and hosting the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore said with a satisfied smile. "And a one thousand galleon prize will be awarded to the winner."
More whispers broke out, louder this time. Everyone seemed to want to join this tournament, and found it to be a good replacement to the Quidditch House Cup.
Dumbledore waved his arms to gain silence once again. "I must tell you that only students aged 17 and older will be allowed to enter the tournament."
More noises of disapproval and disappointment. Ruth felt a headache coming on at this point. The complaints from the Weasley Twins traveled down the table and right into her ear.
"We will have two more schools joining us this year, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons," Dumbledore continued, despite the amount of students shaking their fists at him. "One champion will be chosen from each school to compete."
The discussion of the Triwizard Tournament continued as Dumbledore called for the feast to begin. Casper was of age already, but told Ruth that he "would rather go on a date with the giant squid" than enter.
Ruth found herself wishing she was 17. If she was, maybe she would become known as Ruth Ash, instead of 'the third Ash triplet'.
