Hide & Seek

Chapter 17 - Rudiment

Chapter 17
RUDIMENT

rudiment
(n.) a mere beginning; the first step of many

NEVER in all her years of schooling had Gemma wanted a class to last forever as much as she did that Tuesday. Especially not History of Magic.

Yet there she was, wishing that Professor Binns wouldn't notice the steadily ticking hands on the clock, would become deaf to the loud chimes signaling that classes were finished for the day, despite it only being eleven-thirty.

As her fellow classmates all stood excitedly from their seats at the loud ring, Gemma sunk even deeper into her seat. Across the room, Harry appeared to be doing the exact same thing.

He was putting his textbook into his bag at an agonizingly slow pace, the scrape of his chair against the stone floor of the classroom drawn out dramatically.

Only when he was standing astride Gemma's own desk did she begrudgingly stand and gather her things.

"I don't suppose we could somehow manage to get ourselves admitted to the Hospital wing before the end of lunch, do you?" said Gemma, her sweaty grip making it difficult to tighten the cap on her lone bottle of ink.

"I think we could break all of our limbs at once, and they would still make us compete," said Harry, "Probably just see it as bit of an extra challenge."

Gemma let out a harsh sigh in resignation, tugging at the ends of her hair as they made their way out into the corridor.

The whispers were even worse than the previous weeks, not a single student even attempting to use their intrigue as the two champions made their way through the castle.

"So, have you figured out how you're going to..." her voice dropped off as a particular group of their peers seemed to lean closer to them as they passed.

Harry seemed to understand as he grimaced.

"Professor Moody told me to play to my strengths, but if I can't get my hands on a broom my Quidditch skills aren't much use." Harry's words were quiet as to keep them away from over-eager ears.

"Well, you've been getting pretty decent at that Summoning Charm."

Hermione, Ron, and Gemma had witnessed Harry's numerous attempts at the specific spell the entire day prior. They'd spread out in the common room, Gemma and Hermione pouring over stacks of books to try and glean any information they could, and Harry and Ron shouting Accio! every ten seconds as flyers flew off the bulletin to their outstretched hands.

Unlike Harry, Gemma wasn't sure she had any strengths to play on that would aide in her hopeful victory.

She was a decent Seeker as well, but she could barely manage to get her quill to move, let alone an entire broomstick.

"What about you?" Harry asked as they descended the marble staircase into the entrance hall, "Did you and Hermione find anything helpful last night?"

"No," Gemma harrumphed, "Everything we read already seemed to be common knowledge."

"Hm. What about Moody's advice? What are you really, really good at?"

"I suppose I'm decent at school, but unless I plan to read the bloody thing a bedtime story, I don't think that will help me much," Gemma sighed.

They pushed through the crowd at the mouth of the Great Hall, maneuvering their way up the aisle toward the Gryffindor table and taking seats to the right of Ron as they swung themselves over the long wooden bench.