Hera

{Chapter Seven}

Hera and Blaise sat in the Great Hall, eating their breakfast while the Slytherin quidditch team roared and joked about defeating the Gryffindor team. Hera dabbled her mouth her green and gold embroidered handkerchief, just as Aunt Narcissa had taught her.

"Who do you think is going to win Hera?" Blaise asked, figdgeting with his tie. Hera watched him try to correct his tie, watching him fail miserably.

"I think it's going to be Slytherin. I watched them on the pitch the other day and they're really fast!" The curly haired girl watched her friend struggle with the silver and green fabric in his hand. She shook her head before taking the fabric from Blaise.

She placed it around his neck before neatly and swiftly making the tie for him, repeating instructions for him to follow. Blaise watched Hera with curious brown eyes as she taught him on how to make a tie. She patted his shoulder when she was done, giving him the tiniest of smiles.

"There you go. Next time, ask for help when you need it. Don't do everything yourself." She suggested, going back to her toast.

"Thank you Hera. But I did not need your help. I was perfectly fine with doing it myself." He said arrogantly.

Hera hummed, not fully convinced by Blaise's statement. She bit into her toast with a unconvinced smile on her face. The dark-skinned boy stuck out his tongue at his curly-haired friend.

Hera could hear Lee Jordan, a third year Gryffindor, speak through the air. He welcomed every house and greeted all the professors before the two teams flew onto the quidditch pitch. A blur of green flew past Hera and Blaise, making her curly hair fly up with the chilly wind. She held onto her binoculars, looking at the Slytherin team while Blaise cheered loudly.

Soon after, the Gryffindor team flew onto the quidditch pitch in a blur of red and gold. The other three houses went up in a roar as they saw Harry Potter. Looking around the stadium, Hera's eyes immediately caught the bright flag that said 'Harry Potter for President'. A lion was drawn on it and it's detail was remarkable.

Madam Hooch flew onto the pitch before settling down. She had said something to to both the teams, the rest of the stadium did not hear what she said. Blaise was at her side, patiently waiting for the quaffle and the bludgers to be released along with the golden snitch.

Soon, the quaffle was released and Hera was excited through the first ten minutes of the game. The Slytherin team was losing, making her lose interest. She looked over to Blaise, who was yelling to the Slytherin Captain but obviously, he wouldn't listen to the dark skinned boy. A blur of green and a grey-black past by the crowd, it was way too small for it to be the Slytherin team. No one paid any attention to the green and grey blur except for Hera, her focus was on the blur rather than on the quidditch game. It flew past her yet again, making her hair fly up with the wind before it flew towards the Great Lake.

Hera immediately got up, leaving Blaise in the stands. She ran through the large crowd of cheering Slytherins. Like a snake. She thought to herself, quietly snickering to herself as she dodged Millicent Bulstrode who was just about to make her flat.

Hera held her hair flapping in the wind as she ran out of the quidditch stands and made her way down to the lake. The blur was perched on the dock that was placed over the Great Lake. She stopped in her tracks to take a breath. Her black curly hair was even wilder than before. She could recognise feathers as she walked closer to the mysterious looking bird. It's feathers were dark green and black and it's eyes were a startling grey. "Squawk!" It greeted, it's large eyes watching Hera.

Something clicked in her brain like a light bulb being switched on. The bird in front of her was an augurey, otherwise known as the Irish Phoenix. She had remembered reading it in one of the books in Aunt Narcissa's library. It was once considered an omen of death and used as weather forecasters as they knew the times when it was going to rain. Not sure of what she was supposed to feel, Hera walked towards the bird.

"Squawk!" Screeched the bird yet again, it moved forward. Hera keeled down and smiled.

"Aren't you a pretty bird?" Fumbling around and searching in her pockets, Hera found a piece of bread that was wrapped up in paper. She had taken it earlier in case she was hungry...or if Blaise wanted to eat. You could never tell with Blaise. She took the piece of bread and held it out for the bird to eat. The bird bowed its head and took the bread in its beak.

It cawed yet again, before leaving Hera by the docks. With a frown, Hera got up and walked back to the quidditch field. Feeling somewhat upset, Hera was near the quidditch field when the augurey flew above her. A bright baby pink flower was caught in its beak. It flew to Hera and perched itself on her shoulder, dropping the flower on her hand. 

It was a Gladiolus which symbolises faithfulness and loyalty. Hera smiled and muttered a thanks to the green and grey bird before it flew away. Leaving Hera in her own aura of content and happiness.