Artemis Hexley and the Portrait of the Vault

Chapter 3: Trials and Tribulations

The first week of term passed by in a blur, and for the fifth years, it was not a fun week at all. It seemed as if every lesson, the teachers kept mentioning the importance of the exams they would be taking at the end of the year. By Friday, Artemis was sick of hearing about the O.W.L.s.

"I don't even care about my Arithmancy grade," she muttered to Rowan after their first Arithmancy lesson of the year, which Professor Vector had started with a fifteen minute speech on revision techniques. "We all know I'm going to fail it."

Rowan, predictably, had already made a timetable for her revision, and was studying every single night in the library. In the interest of being responsible, Artemis had taken to joining her and doing the same, until Friday night, when she had her first detention in the kitchens.

When she arrived, she realised that she was not the only student there. Sitting on a low table was Jae Kim, a Gryffindor boy in her own year.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him, hopping up onto the table next to him.

"Got caught smuggling ever-bashing boomerangs into the castle in my trunk," Jae said. "McGonagall sent me here as punishment. Apparently she got the idea from Sprout. What about you, what are you in here for?"

"Let's see," Artemis started to count on her fingers, "sneaking out after hours, flying into the Forbidden Forest, breaking into Filch's office, directly disobeying Professor Dumbledore..."

"You really are a funny kind of prefect."

"Don't I know it."

"Jae Kim! Artemis Hexley!" a high-pitched voice called out. Artemis turned around to see a house elf, clad in a pillow case, standing on the bench next to her. "My name is Pitts, Sir and Miss, and I am in charge of the kitchens. Follow me, please and thank you."

Artemis shrugged at Jae, and the two of them followed Pitts the house elf to large stove, a sink, and a pile of pots and pans.

"There is pots and pans to be cleaned, and food to be cooked," he told them. "Professor Dumbledore tells me you cannot use magic!"

"Do you want to cook or clean?" Jae asked, after Pitts had walked away.

"Don't mind, really. Maybe cooking?"

"Are you any good at cooking?"

"I'm alright. My mum sometimes isn't well enough to cook, so I learnt how to make some things."

"Like what?"

"Eggs on toast, beans on toast, marmite on toast..."

"What a wide and varied repertoire," Jae said, sarcastically. "Can you make anything that isn't toast-based?"

He smirked at her. Artemis thought for a moment, before grinning back at him.

"Rarebit," she said, proudly.

"That's just cheese on toast."

"Fine, I'll clean."

It turned out that Jae was quite the chef. Artemis watched over the top of the dishes as he threw ingredients around, occasionally stopping to dip a spoon into his concoction and taste a small amount, frowning slightly before reaching across for something to add. After an hour and a half, both he and Artemis had finished their respective tasks.

Artemis wasn't sure what Jae had made exactly, but it looked like a sauce of some kind, and it smelt good. She wiped her damp hands on the front of her robes, and leant over to dip her finger into the mixture.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jae said, slapping her hand away. "Use a spoon, you animal!"

"But then I'd have to wash up the spoon!"