Hera

{Chapter Thirty-Three}

Somehow, Hera had fallen asleep along the way due to the soft hum of the train chugging along the tracks across the Scottish hills when she awoke with a start when someone nudged her. Her head snapped up, seeing one of the Patil twins staring at her. "Hey...uhm, the train will be arriving at Hogwarts station soon. I thought you'd want to get changed in your robes before we arrive." 

It was Padma, already dressed in her Ravenclaw school robes. She didn't seem to be bothered that she was talking to Hera, and instead, on her face was a look of concern. Hera immediately sat up, and saw that Lavender and Parvati were staring at her, causing her cheeks to turn into a bright red. She immediately looked down and grabbed her things before running out of the compartment. 

A million thoughts ran through Hera's head as she made her way down the narrow passage towards the bathroom where she could change into her school robes. Why did Padma, Parvati and Lavender not look shocked or at least leave the compartment when they realised that she was in there? Why did they all look so concerned for her? Every compartment that she had passed, showed that many of her fellow school mates had already changed into their school garments, and she had overslept. 

Occupied with the many how's and why's,  Hera was not paying any attention to where she was walking. "Oof!" Came a voice, a very familiar voice---one that she didn't anticipate to hear so soon. "Cassiopeia?" 

Her breath was caught in her throat as she forced a smile on her face. " Troy."  She greeted him, and a wide smile spread on his lips. Troy had grown much taller over the summer, and he was towering over her, which was very tall--considering the fact that Hera was quite tall for a girl her age. "It's been a while."

" It has. I apologise I didn't go for your birthday tea, father had tickets and I just had to go."  He said sheepishly, but she shook her head. "Oh, no it's okay, it wasn't a big ordeal." 

Troy took a moment to look at her, taking in her appearance as if he had never seen her before. "This is a new look on you."  He said, commenting on her wild curly locks that framed her face. Hera could feel herself blush, "Uh, well, yes. I decided to go for a new look this year." 

He smiled and leaned in. Hera could feel her breath stop as he got closer, and her heart started to beat in her throat. His hand reached up and brushed a few stray strands away from her face. "Well, I think I like this new look on you." 

The world seemed to stop around Hera as her heart continued to beat faster against the confines of its cage. She had never realized just how light the color of his irises were, and even in the dim lighting of the corridor sconces, they reflected as a silvery-almost metallic hue. They seemed mesmerizing. 

"Hera?" Came a different voice, snapping her out of her little trance, and she immediately took a step back, turning around to see a short black-haired girl pummeling into her with a huge embrace. "HERA! Oh thank Merlin, I had been looking for you all this time--where were you?!"

Elena Huang held her best friend in a tight embrace, fearing that she'd disappear if she let her go. "I had to sit with Millicent Bulstrode of all people! Do you know what that's like? She just couldn't shut up about Goyle--Goyle of all people! She has a huge crush on Goyle." She rambled on, not realizing that there was someone standing there with them. 

"Hello, Elena." Troy greeted her. 

She froze, before slowly letting Hera out of her grasp and turning around to look at the boy. She looked him up and down. "You've gotten taller." She said bluntly. 

He laughed, "And you're still short as ever."

Before she could explode on him, she took a deep breath and gave him a passive smile. "Well, if you excuse me and my friend here, we will get going. As you can see, she still needs to get changed into her robes." 

Without waiting for a response, Elena grabbed Hera and dragged her all the way to the bathrooms. Once the door was closed, Hera sighed in relief, until her friend whipped around to give her a solid glare. "Do you know just how long I had been searching for you on this train?" Elena had her hands on her hips, and her eyebrow twitched as she stared at Hera. "Where were you hiding this whole time?"

"Well..." Hera couldn't think of an excuse. Truthfully, she hadn't thought much about her own friends on the train, since her mind was occupied with more...difficult topics. Even so, she felt relieved to be in the presence of a welcome face. Seeing Elena somehow lifted just a bit of the heavy weight that hung over her shoulders. "It's honestly a long story..."

Elena pinched the bridge of her nose. "Before you tell me all that, you better get changed. The train will be arriving at the station soon."

Nodding, Hera obeyed and quickly changed into her school robes, when she felt a heavy weight in the pocket of her coat. Slipping her hand inside, she felt the envelope that Yvonne had given to her before she boarded the train. She froze for a moment, before shoving it deeper into her pocket. That could wait until she was alone. 

Leaving the bathroom stall, she found Elena leaning against the counter top of the sink, waiting for her. Her hair was cut shorter, just below her shoulders while her face seemed to be slimmer, as though the baby fat on her cheeks had disappeared, and her skin seemed to be paler than when she had last seen her best friend. Perhaps it was because she had to spend the school holiday in the European weather. 

"Have you heard?" Elena spoke up, immediately as she exited the stall. 

"Heard what?" Hera asked, feeling a jittery static grow in her stomach. 

Elena leaned forward. "Well, rumor has it that Hogwarts is hosting the Triwizard Tournament this year!"

The curly-haired girl almost let out a sigh of relief. She had thought Elena would have heard about the incident at the Quidditch World Finals. "The Triwizard Tournament? What's that?"

With her hand over her mouth, Elena couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You live with Draco, who had not been talking about this nonstop and yet, for some reason, you do not know what it is?!" She looked like she was going to faint. "It's only the most thrilling, dangerous, and utterly spectacular event to grace the wizarding world! Durmstrang and Beauxbatons will be coming all the way here to participate! Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons—three of the most prestigious wizarding schools in Europe—come together for a monumental competition. It's a fierce contest that tests the bravest and most skilled students, AND the victor will win the coveted Goblet of Fire! "

"The Goblet of Fire?" Hera repeated. 

"Yes!"

Hera could recall Uncle Lucius mentioning something along those lines, but because of her own busy schedule during the past summer, Hera didn't pay much attention. He had even mentioned that he had once considered sending Draco all the way to Durmstrang, if Aunt Narcissa had not insisted that he stay closer to home. "I've heard of it, but honestly, I don't understand much of it to really care...perhaps it's just a rumor."

Elena huffed, rolling her eyes at her best friend. "Well, we'll see about that. If it truly isn't just a rumor--" She squealed, "We'll be meeting so many new people--the French! I honestly can't wait!"

As her shorter friend continued to gush about the Triwizard Tournament and the all the new variety of foreign boys visitng Hogwarts, Hera couldn't ignore the sense of foreboding that loomed over her, the weight of the envelope hidden in her pocket seemed to grow heavier and heavier with each passing moment, and she couldn't help but think that contents of that very letter had all to do with the upcoming Triwizard Tournament.