Harry Potter and Claire Smith Adventures: Book Three

Hogsmeade, Tea, and Conversations

Chapter 8: Hogsmeade, Tea, and Conversations

It was now October and Defense Against the Dark Arts had become most people's favorite class. Only Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins had anything bad to say about Professor Lupin. Malfoy would make fun of Lupin's tattered, old robes in a loud whisper as Professor Lupin passed by.

But no else cared that Professor Lupin's robes were patched and frayed. It seemed the next lessons were just as interesting as the first. After boggarts, they studied Red Caps, nasty little goblin like creatures that lurked wherever there had been bloodshed. From Red Caps they moved on to kappas, creepy water-dwellers that looked like scaly monkeys, with webbed hands itching to strangle unwitting waders in their ponds.

If only all their classes could've been as exciting as their Defense class. Potions was miserable as ever. Snape had heard of Neville's boggart and it was obvious he didn't find it funny. Snape's eyes would flash menacingly at the mention of Professor Lupin and he was bullying Neville worse than ever.

Claire and Harry were beginning to dread the hours they spent in Professor Trelawney's stifling tower room, deciphering lopsided shapes and symbols, trying to ignore the way Professor Trelawney's enormous eyes filled with tears every time she looked at them. They couldn't like Trelawney, even though she was treated with respect bordering reverence by many of the class. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown had taken to visiting Trelawney's tower room at lunchtimes, and always returned with annoyingly superior looks on their faces, as though they knew things the others didn't. They would speak in hushed voices whenever they spoke to Claire and Harry, as though they were on their deathbed.

Nobody really liked Care of Magical Creatures, which, after the action-packed first class, had become dull. Hagrid seemed to have lost his confidence. They were now spending their lessons learning how to look after flobberworms, which had to be some of the most boring creatures in existence.

"Why would anyone bother looking after them?" Ron said, after yet another hour of poking shredded lettuce down the flobberworm's slimy throats.

The bell rang and they handed in the flobberworms.

"Thank Merlin the bell rang," Claire said. "I don't know how much longer I can take of that class. If Malfoy hadn't of gotten hurt, I bet we'd be having as much fun in that class as Defense."

"Yea, but Malfoy just had to go and mess up things," Ron muttered.

They walked to the Gryffindor common room. Once they were sitting in the common room, Fred and George, who were dressed in their Quidditch gear, came over to them. Harry, who realized he was sitting a bit close to Claire, moved a few inches away from her hoping the twins weren't coming over to scold him about being so close to her.

"There you are, Harry," Fred began.

"Wood scheduled a Quidditch practice for today." George finished.

"Oh, er—thanks," Harry said, relieved.

Harry disappeared upstairs to get his Quidditch gear. Fred and George followed Harry.

"So, what should we do while Harry's at practice?" Claire asked Ron and Hermione.

"Homework. We haven't started that Muggle Studies assignment. It's due next Friday, you know." Hermione answered, pulling out her Muggle Studies book.

"Hermione, we were assigned it today. We have plenty of time." Claire said waving her hand dismissively.

"Maybe you do, but I certainly do not. I have multiple assignments I need to get done for each of my classes." Hermione said, looking stressed.