The afternoon came quickly, Rose felt guilty and embarrassed at the same time, she missed a whole day of school, but now she had to face the whole school at dinner, taking as much time as possible she walked to the great hall. She took one step in, nothing happened she was expecting a huge round of whispers and sniggers, but nothing, she walked down the side of the Gryffindor table and sat next to Lily and across from Albus.
"Where were you all day?" Albus questioned, Rose reached over and grabbed a bread roll,
"Hospital wing." Rose replied shortly, Albus didn't seem satisfied with her answer.
"No you weren't because i checked there." Albus disagreed, Rose huffed.
"You know, sometimes i do things that i want to keep to myself Al, now can we just drop it." Rose retorted, Albus faced his plate again.
"Fine." he mumbled.
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Rose was having a inside battle whether to follow the teachers, maybe she could warn James about whats coming, the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons champions would find out.
As they walked back to Gryffindor Tower, Albus eyes Rose.
"You look ill." he said, Rose furrowed a brow.
"How do you mean?" Rose questioned, Albus examined her more.
"And you look like you were crying."
"Crying." Rose snorted. "Don't be silly Al, why would I be crying?" Rose blurted out quickly.
"You tell me." Albus demanded, Albus's green eyes burned into Rose.
"Come on, we'll be late for prefect duties." Rose carried on walking without a word.
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That night there was alot of tension between Rose and Albus, the dark, dank corridors seemed even more boring without the two talking. Rose wished she could get away from Albus for ten minutes, just to get a look at the creatures for the first task. If he came then he would find out , where she was all day or would he?, of course he would, he was clever, it was decided she was going on her own.
"I've gotta go to the bathroom." Rose said, Albus nodded.
Rose raced down the staircases until she was in the entrance hall, the portraits on the walls eyed her suspiciously, Rose wished she brought a cloak or something. Rose walked outside into the bitter wind, she shut the large door behind her, the trees rustled from the cold wind, Rose rubbed her arms for some warmth, though it didn't make much.
Suddenly Rose spotted two figures near the Beauxbatons carriage, Rose rushed over taking care not to be seen, Madam Maxime and Professor Varkenoff were talking in hushed voices on the outskirts of the forbidden forest.
"How did you know they are arriving tonight?" Professor Varkenoff questioned, Madam Maxime shrugged.
"Don't worry about zat Vicarn, let's just go." The two walked further into the forest, Rose at their tails, Rose kept one eye on the ground, making sure not to snap any twigs.
After ten minutes Rose wished felt like turning back, the further they ventured into the forest the colder it got, she was shivering uncontrollably and her teeth were on the verge of chattering, unexpectedly a tree root got in Rose's way, Rose gasped as she plummeted forward into a tree.
"What was zat?" Madam Maxime hissed, Rose kept still behind the large tree, she heard footsteps trudging over, quietly she covered her mouth with one hand to stop her heavy breathing. The footsteps were almost an inch away from, the tree, she knew it, she was caught, she wished a centaur or anything would interrupt them, as she braced herself to run, a piercing squawk echoed through the forest.
"Come Vircarn, it was probably just an 'inky punk." Madam Maxime said dismissively.
Professor Varkenoff walked away, Rose exhaled a huge breath she didn't know she was holding, she edged her way around the tree and followed them again.
"Vy don't you just tell me vat the creatures are?" Professor Varkenoff growled.
"Because Vicarn." Madam Maxime snapped. "I do not know what zey are eizer."
Professor Varkenoff muttered under his breath.
A few minutes later they came to a clearing, a large cage, almost like a birdcage for Dragons appeared.
"Vat are they?" Professor Varkenoff asked, Madam Maxime ignored him and walked on.
A frail looking man wearing dirty robes with greasy sandy blond hair greeted the two.
"'Ello Bernard." Madam Maxime purred.
"Olympe." the man greeted. "I zought you were coming tomorrow."
"What eez ze difference Bernard?" Madam Maxime questioned. "Now what are zese creatures." Bernard walked over and tapped the large cage making whatever was in there go mad.
"Zey are 'arpies." Bernard explained, Rose gasped.
"'arpies?" Madam Maxime repeated.
Bernard nodded. "Nasty lot to, zey are ze nastiest creatures we could find."
"How are they meant to get past Harpies." Professor Varkenoff exclaimed.
"If your school 'as brains and brawn you should be fine Vicarn." Bernard smirked.
"Wha' are you lot doin' 'ere." a gruff voice interrupted, Rose crouched down behind the bushes, Hagrid emerged from the forest.
"Monsieur 'Agrid" Madam Maxime shrieked.
"That's righ', now wha' are you two doin' out 'ere."
"Vat is it to you Hagrid." Professor Varkenoff snarled, Hagrid focused his ebony eyes on the cage.
"So I guess you found the 'arpies."
Madam Maxime nodded. "Zat eez why we are out 'ere Monsieur 'Agrid."
"That's chea'in tha' is." Hagrid sneered.
"That did not stop you last time Hagrid." Professor Varkenoff said. Madam Maxime turned to Bernard.
"Merci beaucoup, Monsieur Bernard." Hagrid stomped back into the forest, Madam Maxime and Professor Varkenoff shortly following. Bernard went back onto his little tent that wasn't far from the cage.
The knot in Rose's stomach tightened, Harpies, Why Harpies?. Rose had heard about them, they are noisy, hungry and protective creatures, they also had the body of a bird but torso and head of a woman, but Rose thought they were a Myth. She stared at the cage waiting for any sign of movement, finally she worked up enough courage to walk over. The clearing was a fraction warmer than the forest, due to the raging fire outside Bernard's tent, she padded along the dirt floor over to the cage and peered in, the cage was large like an average house.
SQUAWK!, Rose covered her ears from the earsplitting squawk, Rose looked up, six dark shadows were hunched inside on steel bars, one flew down at a rapid speed in front of Rose, she had never seen something so frightening in her life, the Harpy here was nothing like the mascot for the Hollyhead Harpies quidditch team. The Harpy had black feathers all over its chest and wings, but the face was fierce, she had black, bulging but piercing at the same time eyes, sharp jagged teeth and pointy features, Rose looked down at the claws, they were like hooks, Rose cringed at the thought of having one scratch you, Rose looked back into its eyes, they were like huge orbs, Rose felt as though she was in a trance.
SQUAWK!, "Aaaagh!" Rose screamed and sprang back
"'oo's zere!" Bernard barked, Rose sprinted away from the cage and into the forest, her heart started to beat fast and her mind was racing, none of the forest looked familiar, she didn't know where she was running. She stopped to catch her breath, she'd never been this far into the forest, every direction looked the same, her teeth started to chatter uncontrollably, and she was shivering violently, taking a chance she sprinted forward praying it was the right way. Soon enough she was safely out of the forest, she fell to her knees and took a breather.
Rose rose to her feet and headed for the castle, she couldn't wait to go back to the warm, cozy common room, and then tomorrow she could warn James about the first task.