"Ever been to Hogsmeade, Lil?"
"Of course not, Ced. Do you really think that my father, Lucius Malfoy, would let me go to Hogsmeade?"
"I guess not. But you can come now. Got your permission slip?"
"Yes. Thanks to Mother. I honestly think that if it was up to her, I wouldn't have been disowned."
"Hey, let's not think about that. It's been two weeks. Let's just go to Hogsmeade and have fun for a bit."
"Yeah, you're right. I need to let it go."
--
"Ew, vomit flavour," Lili said, having just eaten a Bertie Bott's bean. The Great Hall was filled with students sharing and exchanging items from Hogsmeade at dinner.
"Haha!" Cedric laughed, eating one himself. "Oh, earwax."
Lili giggled, eating another one. "Ooh, cherry. I like this one."
"Hey Lili!" She looked up to see Fred throw her something from the Gryffindor table. Upon catching it, she discovered it was a chocolate frog.
"Thanks Fred!"
--
Lili and Cedric layed next to each other on the floor of the Great Hall in their separate sleeping bags. It was still weird to them. Every student had been ushered into the Great Hall and told that they would sleep there for the night. Lili could see Dementors surroundounding the school through the windows. The Gryffindors could be heard whispering about Sirius Black.
"Quiet!" Dumbledore's voice could be heard echoing through the Great Hall. "I understand that this is a time of confusion. With the possibility of Sirius Black in the castle, this is the safest place for you tonight. You will be watched over constantly, if not by a professor than by the Dementors. Do not be afraid. We will find him. Go to sleep now."
--
Lili and Cedric walked through the school, talking in their short break between breakfast and their first period.
"I have Defense Against the Dark Arts," Lili smiled. "It's the first year I've actually enjoyed it. Lupin is so cool."
"Do you have crush on him?"
"Ew, no. He's like twenty years older than me. He's just a really cool teacher and he knows what he's do-sorry!" Lili interrupted herself to apologise to someone she bumped into. "Luna!"
"Lili! Hello!" The pair shared a hug.
"Luna, I completely forgot that you started Hogwarts two years ago. Ravenclaw, right?"
"Yes, Ravenclaw."
"How's Uncle? Still writing that newspaper?"
"Yes, very much. He enjoys it."
"Well, that's good. Oh, sorry. Luna, this is my best friend Cedric. Cedric, this is my cousin Luna."
"Pleasure," Luna smiled, shaking Cedric's hand. "Anyway, I better be off. Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall."
"Good luck with that. We'll have to go to Hogsmeade together next year."
--
Sitting in Lupin's classroom, everyone was surprised to see Snape walk into the classroom. "Turn to page 394," He said.
"Excuse me, sir, but...where's Professor Lupin?" Harry asked.
"That's not really your concern, is it, Potter? Suffice it to say, your Professor finds himself incapable of teaching at the present time. Page 394." He pulled a screen down over the blackboard. With a candle blown out, a slide show began.
Lili eyed it with curiosity. "Werewolves?" She muttered to herself.
"But, sir, we've only just begun learning about Red Caps and Hinkypunks," Hermione called out. "We're not meant to start nocturnal beasts for wee-"
"Quiet!" Snape interrupted. "Now. Which of you can tell me the difference between an Animagus and a werewolf?" The slide changed to a photo of an attacking werewolf. "No one? How...disappointing."
"Please, sir, an Animagus is a wizard who elects to turn into an animal. A werewolf has no choice in the matter. Furthermore, the werewolf actively hunts humans and responds only to the call of it's own kind-"
Draco let out a low howl, garnering snickers from his fellow Slytherins.
"Quiet, Malfoy!" Snape snapped. "Though one must admit to feeling your pain. That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger. Tell me. Are you incapable of restraining yourself? Or do you take pride in being an insufferable know-it-all? Five points from Gryffindor!"
Snape began to address the class again. "As an antidote to your ignorance, I prescribe two rolls of parchment on the werewolf by Monday morning, with particular emphasis placed on recognising it." He suddenly looked at Harry. "Passing notes, Potter?"
Snape grabbed the note from Harry's hands and looked at it. "Not exactly Picasso, are you? I hope you demonstrate more talent on the Quidditch pitch this weekend then you do as an artist. If not, I fear you'll perish, given the weather forecast. Until that time, however, you'll forgive me if I don't let you off homework. Should you die, I assure you...you need not hand it in."
--
"Okay. Your first actual Quidditch match. Ready, Lil?"
"God no. Have you seen the weather out there? That's scary!"
"Oh, you'll be fine. I'm sure of it. A little rain never hurt anyone."
"Yeah, but a lot of it can."
--
Rain fell like needles as Lili zoomed through the pitch. She hit bludgers left and right, avoiding other players and the other Beaters on the pitch. She hovered stationary for a few moments, taking a breather and trying to get her bearings. A bludger whizzed past her and then Harry. She watched as he ducked, and didn't have time to react to the bludger coming straight for her.
It hit her broom handle, shattering it and causing her to spin wildly. She clutched tightly to the broomstick, trying to hold on and to stop it from spinning too much. Lili couldn't stop it from hurtling to the ground, but she braced herself for impact. She winced as she landed hard on her left arm, then just laid there for a medic to come.
--
"You all good, Lil?" Cedric asked. Lili was laying in the hospital wing, arm wrapped in a sling.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Mr 'A little rain never hurt anyone'," She teased.
"Okay, okay. You were right. But you're more fine then Harry. He almost got the Dementor's Kiss."
Lili looked over to see Harry laying in a bed close to her. She sighed, then started to get out of bed. "But he's still alive. And I'm the one with a broken arm."
"Stay in bed, Miss Malfoy!" The nurse, Madame Promfrey, called out. "Your arm is not healed enough!"
"Ugh, fine!" Lili called back. She didn't want to stay in this damn bed.
"Hey, it won't be too much longer," Cedric tried to lift her spirits.
"But I don't want to be here."
"I can stay with you. Madame Promfrey said it should only be a few hours more."
"Okay, okay. I'll stay here."
Comments (0)
See all