Know Thyself {Neville Longbottom}

IX. Ginger

Often associated with Yuletide, Ginger is a valuable herb that possesses a variety of magical properties. This warming spice adds power to spellwork and is useful in quickly bringing plans to fruition.

We were greeted with the sounds of music and laughter as we approached Slughorn's office. The formerly tame space had been transformed into a veritable feast for the eyes. Draperies of emerald, crimson, and gold lined the room, adding an element of intimacy to the gathering. There were quite a number of people in attendance, milling about by the tables laden with hors d'oeuvres and pastries. Dozens of red silk lanterns were clustered above our heads, creating the illusion that the ceiling had disappeared entirely.

"Say what you want about Slughorn, but at least he knows how to throw a decent party," Cece noted from beside me. 

"It doesn't even feel like we're at Hogwarts anymore," I replied, slightly awed.

The extent of my party-going experience was limited to the Yule Ball and I felt largely out of place at such an exclusive gathering. Many of the guests belonged to elite social circles, but Cece was familiar with events such as this because of her parent's involvement at the Ministry of Magic.

"Don't look now, but that man in the corner," she whispered, "the tall one with the gloomy disposition, is a vampire,"

"You're telling me there's an honest to Merlin vampire here and I'm not supposed to look?" I hissed back, craning my neck to catch a glimpse of the unlikely guest. 

"My Uncle Roderick has seen quite a few in Albania. I'm surprised Slughorn was able get him on the grounds though, must have been a fair amount of paperwork involved,"

"He looks rather hungry," I observed, "it's a shame Zacharias Smith isn't here. I would be happy to introduce them," 

Cece let out a devilish giggle and our discussion turned to theorizing the potential feeding frequency of vampires.

__________

Some time later, Cece was engaged in a heated discourse about the latest magical clothing restrictions with a fashion designer from Paris. I stood quietly by and used the opportunity to survey the crowd in hopes of spotting Neville. My gaze landed on a familiar figure clad in spangled silver dress robes that made them stand out easily from the crowd. Excusing myself, I hurried over to say hello.

"Oh, Luna," I exclaimed, "it's so lovely to see a friendly face. Who are you here with?"

"Hello Laura," she replied, "Harry invited me, but I have no idea where he is at the moment,"

"I'm sure he'll turn up soon, are you enjoying the party?" 

"I haven't been to any parties before this so I have nothing to compare it with, though there are an alarming amount of Nargles," she leaned closer, "and that man there has a swarm of wrackspurts around his head,"

"I see, well that's not too surprising, Slughorn has all manner of people here tonight,"

"Have you met the vampire, Sanguini, yet?" she asked with obvious enthusiasm.

"Oh, no," I shook my head, "I think I'll keep my distance from him, thanks,"

"I was just speaking with Eldred Worple who spent time living among them, and he insists they're really quite civil,"

"I'll take his word for it," I smiled, "well, I'd best be getting back,"

I made sure to let Luna know that I would write to her over the break and proceeded to search for Cece among the guests, however, in my absence Slughorn had joined her in conversation and it didn't seem as though she would be making an escape any time soon.