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As life went on for Veronica she realised just how much the gift of magic was wasted on her. She used to be filled with such excitement when she was a little girl first discovering her abilities. Her parents would tell her tales of Hogwarts, a brilliant school where special people like her went to learn how to control and use these abilities to do almost anything they wanted. Veronica especially loved listening to the story of how her parents met and quickly fell in love, making them both tell her their perspectives on what she saw as the most beautiful tale to ever be told.
She grew up counting down the days until she could finally walk the hallways her parents once walked, learn the spells that she watched her parents effortlessly perform around the house every day and live through the experiences they did, as well as find that special person, the same way her parents found each other. However, Veronica was quick to realise once she arrived that Hogwarts was not the same as the stories she grew up on and the dreams she had of her future came crashing down.
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Veronica walked into the Great Hall early on Monday morning walking slowly to the Hufflepuff table in order to make the most of her quiet time before it got ruined by the loud and obnoxious crowd of Hogwarts students, that is then usually followed by a banging headache that Veronica will have to deal with for the rest of the day.
She is currently busy nibbling on a bagel with cream cheese when she is spooked into looking up after something hits the table in front of her. Her eyes travelled from the Muggle Studies textbook that was now occupying the space, up the arms and all the way to the face of the owner of the textbook, her only friend Ernie Macmillan.
Well if she could call it a friendship. In her first year, she would always see Ernie in the Great Hall at breakfast, up early like her and so one of the few students sitting at the table. When they got sat next to each other in Herbology in their second year was when they started having short conversations, about mostly anything. He started sitting with her at breakfast but other than that they spend little time outside of classes together, Veronica understanding that Ernie has other friends that shes sure are better company than she is and she isn't that bothered, just happy to have someone there every now and again.
Except judging by Ernie's face today's conversation wasn't going to be simple small talk or an easy conversation to pass the time because Ernie's face was practically bursting with excitement as he kept eyeing the large shining goblet at the front of the Great Hall, which Veronica was trying very hard to ignore due to the horrible chills she got the previous night when she first saw it following the announcement of the Triwizard Tournament.
"You'll never guess who I overheard in the common room talking about entering the Tournament earlier!" Ernie said his voice rising with anticipation after every word. She barely had time to gesture for him to continue before he carried on "Diggory! I bet he would be an amazing champion don't you?!" He stared down at Veronica eager to hear her thoughts but only slightly deflating when all the brunette gave him was a timid shrug. "C'mon Ronnie you need to show more house pride! Imagine how good it would feel if the Hogwarts Champion was a Hufflepuff! Finally getting the recognition we deserve and shoving it up the other houses-" She quickly intervened with a firm but quiet cough, due to the looks from some of the students of other houses gave Ernie as the Hall began to fill up.
"You need to learn to monitor your surroundings before announcing your opinions so loudly Ernie, it could get you into trouble one day" she muttered to him, her pale features flushing from the sudden attention directed their way. Ernie barely acknowledged it, nodding to her before flopping down onto the seat opposite her and chomping into some toast.
They ate in almost silence after that, with Ernie occasionally commenting on certain articles written in the Daily Prophet that she'd already finished reading before he sat down. She wasn't in the mood to talk, that's nothing out of the ordinary, but what she does consider strange is the apprehensive feeling she couldn't quite shake off, ever since Dumbledore announced the Triwizard Tournament last night. She remembers her blood running cold and a sudden bolt of bad energy run through her brain once her eyes landed on the goblet that was dramatically unveiled in front of the students. She seemed to be the only one as everyone else was buzzing from excitement and so shes tried to forget about it, quite successfully too until Ernie brought it up again.
Eventually, she got up from her seat and exited the Great Hall, the majority of the school now eating their breakfast made quite a ruckus and so she left to engage in her thoughts in a safer and calmer environment. She wasn't worried about leaving Ernie as she noticed Hannah Abbott jogging over to him, probably to talk more about all the information they received last night, especially the two international schools that were due to arrive in about a months time.
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A few days later Veronica is walking up the steps of the Owlery to write to her parents as she always did to inform them of how her first few days of the term were coming along, as well as letting them know about the upcoming Tournament which shes sure they already know about.
As she rounds the corner at the top of the stairs she pauses, noticing that she was in fact not alone in the room, as there among the flocks of owls was Harry Potter, his backed turned as he scribbles onto a parchment, but she knew it was him due to the messy black hair atop his head and the Gryffindor robes. She gets a small glimmer of panic rush through her, as she does whenever left alone with somebody with the fear of having to make small talk, but it is increased as he turns around and notices she's there.
Suddenly her body freezes, staring at the boy with wide eyes as if she's been caught doing something she shouldn't be. Her heart races and her brain goes into overdrive as she thinks of something to say to make the situation feel any less awkward. Thoughts such as 'Helga he must think I'm a freak' are running through her mind until she finally pays attention and notices he's not even looking at her anymore and is tying a finished letter to his snowy white owl. Then he gets up and walks out, not even bothered by the small girl still standing there.
Veronica heaves a large relieved sigh, before using one of the many messenger owls that Hogwarts has to send her letter home and then leaving continuing on with her life.
But she couldn't get the interaction with the green-eyed boy out of her mind, thinking about it non-stop for a while as if that one moment meant so much to her. On the other hand, the brief meeting was already gone from Harry's as soon as he stepped out of the Owlery that day.
That was the first time.
YOU ARE READING
Undistinguished (H.P.)
Fanfiction[adjective] lacking distinction; unexceptional. Veronica Green is a simple and average half-blood. Hidden in plain sight and blending into the background are what she does best. Until her fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, wh...
