The Sun, Moon & Stars

72. The Platinum Blonde Ferret

The storm had resolved by the next morning at breakfast. The sun peeked out of the fluffy white clouds, and the sky no longer looked to be an array of grey colours, but a pristine blue that brightened the grounds.

The Gryffindor table was buzzing with excitement, as it always was on the first day of a new term. Most students were analyzing their time-tables as they munched on a quick breakfast, or chatted with friends and dorm-mates. Even a select few individuals were crafting a plan to illegally enter the tournament; like Fred, George and Lee — much to Ophelia's dismay.

"You have a death wish." She said simply as she bit into a piece of her raspberry toast, waving her index finger at George accusingly, "It's dangerous."

"I'm not going to die." George huffed, "But your concern is appreciated."

She just shook her head as she went back to eating her breakfast.

"We're outside all morning." Ron said from across the mahogany table, "Herbology with the Hufflepuffs...and Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherin's. Damn it."

"Then double divination." Harry noted, looking down at her time-table with a groan, "I hate divination."

"I don't think anybody actually likes it." Ron pointed out.

"Some of us do." Came Lavender's voice from further down, where she and Parvarti sat, already diving into their divination textbooks. They were very passionate about the subject — always partners — and enjoyed listening to what Trelawny had to say.

"Right. Sorry. Just you two then!" Ron grinned.

They turned away from them with a huff, going back to their reading.

"You should have dropped it like we did." Hermione shrugged, gesturing to Ophelia and herself, "Then you could be taking something sensible like Arithmancy, or muggle studies. Something useful."

Ron grunted, choosing to not reply, though him and Harry both knew she was right.

...

Their first class was Herbology in the greenhouses with Professor Sprout, which Ophelia had always found enjoyable.

It was a pleasant day for this type of class. The weather was that nice, warm (but not too warm) temperature that came about at the end of summer and just before autumn. She also appreciated having it with the Hufflepuffs, who had a knack for the subject, and were much kinder than the Slytherin's had been in their split Herbology class in second year.

Professor Sprout was just as kind as she had been the previous year. Dressed in her faded, dirty overalls and those burnt orange leather shoes she never seemed to take off, she began their first lesson about Bubotubers, a plant that's pus is a magical cure for acne.

This lesson was fairly easy. They collected pus from the plant to deliver to Madam Pomfrey in the hospital wing, and departed from the greenhouses and went towards Hagrid's hut when the bell signalling class was over rang throughout the grounds.

Hagrid was already waiting for them, looking jolly as ever.

"Mornin'!" He smiled cheerfully as they approached, "We be'er wait fer the Slytherin's, they won' want ter miss this! Blast-ended skrewts!"

"Argh! Those are vile!" Lavender squealed, jumping backwards when Hagrid pointed towards the cages holding said creatures.

Ophelia thought Lavender's description was rather fitting, though she concealed her disgust for Hagrid's sake.

Blast-ended skrewts looked like deformed, slimy shell-less lobsters, with legs sprouting everywhere and no visible heads. She had seen diagrams in magical creature books back home, but had never spent too much time studying them since she had no real reason to do so. They looked vile though, Lavender was correct.