VISIONS || part 1

Chapter 16: Let the third and final task begin

"I don't wanna!" I yelled has Hermione dragged me to lunch.

"But you gotta," said Hermione mocking my American accent. She switched back to British. "You have to eat enough today before the task. If you're hungry you won't be able to concentrate." I made my puppy eyes at her. Begging her not to force me to go. "Oh come on, Ari. No one's going to look at you!"

She was wrong. Very wrong. In anticipation to the third and final task, everyone thought it fit to look at me. As if I wasn't nervous enough. I agreed to join Hermione at lunch, but decided that I would sit next to her and use her as a shield. Harry was less stressed out about dinner, but more about the task. I think that to me it just felt so unreal that I still hadn't completely realized that the third task was tonight. She still had exams this afternoon, but seemed more focused on keeping Harry and me calm. I love her.

After lunch, Professor McGonagall went up to Harry to tell him some of the families were in a backroom. She saw me and told me my family was there too. Harry was tentative to see who was there and wondered who'd had been mad enough to invite the Dursleys. When we got there Mrs Weasley and one of her many sons were waiting him up. He smiled at the sight of them and I smiled because he seemed happy. I said goodbye to Harry when I saw my parents and walked over to them.

"Honey," said my dad. "Are you ready my dear?"

"I'm fine, Dad, thanks for asking!" I said sarcastically. "Yes, dad, I'm ready. I've been practicing a lot."

"Great, honey," said my mom. "What are those people doing here?" She asked pointing at the Weasleys. I sighed. My family valued being a pureblood very much. They're also very agitated due to the fact they're not a part of the sacred twenty eight. They, like many other pureblood families, despise the Weasleys and call them blood traitors.

"Harry doesn't have any other family. Would you rather have seen his muggle family here?" The look on their faces told me all I needed to know. "Exactly"

"I still don't understand why she's here," said Mom quietly. I shot her a look and she shut up.

"Do you guys want a look around? See the grounds?"

"That would lovely, Ariel," said my father. I showed them the grounds they were all too familiar with. They had missed the Whomping Willow so that one was new to them. After the bell signaling the end of the examination had rung, the three of us met with Eric in the Entrance Hall.

"You guys can sit at the Ravenclaw table and have dinner with me if you want," I said. "You too Eric."

"Mr and Mrs Mills," came the smug voice of Draco Malfoy. "Here to support our favorite champion?" Gag.

"Draco, how are you," said my dad and shook Draco's hand. My mom greeted him with two kisses on the cheek.

"Splendid. Can't wait to see, R, here win the triwizard cup," he said slapping my back a little hard. "Ouch," I whispered. I looked at his chest and saw that he had stopped wearing his Support Cedric Diggory badge. "How about we catch up during dinner at the Slytherin table?" Asked Malfoy. Completely ignoring my previous offer, the three of them followed Draco towards the table filled with students wearing green.

"Huh," I said and shrugged. I didn't even join them, but instead walked over to the Gryffindor table where Harry was sitting with Hermione and the Weasleys.

"Ariel, my dear," said Mrs Weasley and she hugged me tight. "So nice to finally meet you!"

"Likewise, Mrs Weasley," I said. I extended my hand towards the oldest Weasley boy and introduced myself. His name was Bill.

"Where are your parents?" Asked Bill. I looked over to the Slytherin table. "They're sitting with my brother," I explained.

Harry turned around to look at them and then looked back at me. He sighed.