The Unexpected Task [H.P.]

Chapter 9 - Arrivals

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On October 30th, the castle seemed alive with buzz and anticipation. When Hermione and Ron join me in the Great Hall, half of the hall is already filled with students all talking about the upcoming arrival of the other students.

They've barely taken seats as a great flutter of movement above us sounds, signaling the arrival of the post, and I glance up to find a familiar owl soaring through the air towards me. A moment later, Cinnamon landed in the crook of my outstretched arm, nipping lightly at my fingers as they reached to scratch his wind-ruffled forehead.

"Hi, boy." I whisper to him, untying the letter from his leg. I'd grown to greatly appreciate his deliveries as of late, which signaled a piece of home apart from my parent's letters- which have been infrequent and annoyingly undetailed recently.

Cinnamon took a swift bite of my muffin, which lay alone on my plate before soaring away over Ron's head, who was already diving into his second bowl of porridge. I open the letter, half interested, and do a quick scan to see what it was about- I'd not filled them in on my injury from Defense class, and don't ever intend on it. After determining that the letter was rather mundane, I tucked it into the pocket of my robes, promising myself I'd finish it later. I scanned my eyes across the hall and huffed when I noticed that there was only one subject- The Tournament.

"Everyone's talking about this damn tournament," I sigh, stabbing an apple with my fork, "It's as if there's nothing else worth talking about."

Hermione smiled over her eggs and chuckled at her Daily Prophet, "Yes, everyone is rather obsessed, aren't they?"

"Seriously! Did you notice how clean our common room was this morning? It's ridiculous." I sigh, picking apart a muffin without taking any bites of it. "It's not like anyone will see it anyways... No chance Durmstrang will sleep in our common room... Heard they've got quite the affinity for dark arts anyways. Sure they'd rather have Slytherins for roommates."

"Who's roommates with Slytherin?" Harry replies as he slides onto the bench next to me and pulls a plate of sausages towards him.

"Durmstrang, probably," Hermione answers as Ron looks up from next to her, "Emorie's on about the Common Room being cleaned, again."

"Those poor House Elves really had their work cut out for them, huh." Ron answers absentmindedly, taking another large bite of his cereal.

"House Elves?" I ask, inquiring about it with Hermione, who rolls her eyes.

"House Elves are this absolutely barbaric tradition with the Wizards here. Basically servants. They're the ones who clean and make our food, normally." Hermione sighs, looking dejected.

"Oh." I say, biting into my muffin.

"Hermione, House Elves like the work." Harry sighs, pouring a glass of water from a nearby carafe.

"Just because they 'like it' doesn't mean it's right, Harry."

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That day, nobody was able to focus properly, including the professors, and even Potions class was significantly more bearable than usual. When the bell rang early, Harry, Hermione, Ron and I were among the first few students out, snaking along the crowded hallways to the Gryffindor Common room, where we split and returned to our Dormitories. There, Hermione and I quickly put our bags away, and after she straightened out her tie, she retired to an armchair in the corner to read until I was ready.. In the bathroom, I watched as Lavender and Parvati swished around me, smoothing down each other's hair and reapplying lip gloss in mirrors, as I shook my hair out of its normal braid.