Backfire • Cedric Diggory [✓]

• TWELVE •

Hermione and Holland quickly tiptoe over the dirty cream-colored canvas tent as roars erupt from the crowd in the newly-conjured stands for the audience. The seats were about 20 feet high and rounded into a circle in a coliseum manner, resembling a smaller and more circular Quidditch pitch that were filled with excited witches and wizards from the different wizarding schools, accompanied by a few adults from the wizarding world and officials and such from the Ministry. It was November 24th, the day of the first task. Holland was anxious to say the least. The air was filled with excitement, chatter about who they think would easily claim the first win for the tasks, and Fred and George moving around to trying to get the children to put their money where their mouths were, having strapped suitcases to their chest and grabbing sickles and galleons from their fellow students. Holland was not even surprised by this, knowing very well that the twins really had a knack of turning everything into a business.

"Are you sure this is allowed?" Holland asked uneasily, she had wanted to take a peak at her scar-headed friend, but she wasn't too keen on having Cedric see her. Nice and civil things may be, she just couldn't find a way to make it seem platonic for her to see him right before the task when he's still quite impressionable, quick to switch emotions at his current state. But even then, whether Holland would admit it or not, she was actually scared for the Hufflepuff's life. She woke up with a start, all nervous about what he'd be going through as it was, seeing him minutes before he'd actually go through the task made her break a sweat. The two waited patiently for the professors guarding the tent to face the other direction, the two making a run towards the side of the tent.

Hermione became more alert when she saw a very familiar shadow near the side of the tent they were approaching, looking at Holland before calling his attention. Hermione presses her face close to where the fabric had an opening, letting a breath in and out before calling Harry.

"Pst," Hermione tries, making Holland bring a palm to her face. "Psst! Harry, is that you?" Hermione asks, nervousness apparent on her face.

"Yeah?" The green-eyed boy's voice responds, Holland's eyebrows raising in surprise. That was easy, she thought. She could only imagine how awkward it would be if the person to respond to Hermione's call was Igor Karkaroff. Holland swore she'd heard her parents talk about him. Not pleasantly, either. She had come to the conclusion that Igor Karkaroff was a dark wizard, if not only related to one. Holland had a manic hunch about the man, an unpleasant, unsettling, and baffling feeling about the man. What made it unusual was she'd often catch herself feeling the same kind of uneasiness around her Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, despite how entertainingly crazy he'd be in their lessons and the fact that he was actually a family friend. What made him even more suspicious was how her parents had responded to her last letter.

Dearest Holly Polly,
Dad and I are doing fine, love! Not a second ticks by that we're not missing you. Teagan's brought us the chocolate and we've finished all of it in one sitting. Dad says he misses you, he's not home, you see. But I'm sure he'd like for me to tell you how much he loves you. And me too, of course. Alastor is your professor, you say? Bit of a shocker, but I'm sure he's fantastic nonetheless. Can't say it's a bit peculiar as a lot of us from work haven't seen nor heard from him in almost a year. Must have been preparing for his teaching. Anyway, Dora seems to be spending more and more time for her training, I reckon in a few weeks time, she and I will be working side by side, lovely, isn't it?

Love, Mum

Holland knew nothing about teaching and preparations for such. But it was a bit weird how one of the most skilled aurors took a year's time off work before suddenly appearing out of the blue and had become a teacher. Another peculiar thing was, Holland's dad was not home. He and her mum usually wrote her separately, it was a bit weird that he didn't write back this time. But Holland shrugged it off, he was likely called for some emergency and was too busy with it.