Defense Against The Dark Arts

What's The Point In a Shack That doesn't Even Shriek

31st August 2022

I feel so bad, I've written about 100 words this month :/ Thank goodness for pre written chapters. Warning for language in this chapter

The village of Hogsmeade is fairly busy, with lots of students pottering around, shopping, gossiping and, well, I'm not really sure what those people are doing, but they seem to be having fun, so me and Percy just quickly walk past, dodging the pasta being flung about.

"They can do magic and spells, but that's what they spend their free time doing?" I can't help but mutter to Percy as we walk past.

He snorts and shrugs. "I've seen weirder."

"Well, so have I, but it's camp, so we kind of have an excuse. Nothing excuses them from that."

"So what time were we meant to be at the Shrieking Shack?" Percy asks, thankfully changing the subject.

I look up at the sky and attempt to squint at the sun, but it's too cloudy, and so I settle for looking at my watch instead. The telling the time thing with the sun did work last time, but it only works when you can actually see the sun. "Ten to four. We have enough time to get there."

Percy nods, and we continue out of Hogsmeade, along a muddy track that already has a few sets of fresh footprints.

"But, like honestly, what's the point in a shack that doesn't even shriek?" Percy mumbles as we walk closer to the abandoned house.

"What?" I tilt my head in bemusement, and stop walking to stare at him. "Percy, what do you mean by that‽"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I was thinking out loud."

"Super weird thoughts you're having," I mutter and then we are at the Shrieking Shack, and we quickly knock on the door. Hermione surreptitiously peers around the door, and then opens it wider so we can step in.

It's shocking how a few glass jars of blue flames can brighten a dingy shack up, and Harry and Ron seem to be in the process of applying some sort of cleaning spell on everything. There are three other people already here; Ginny, someone who I think is Neville Longbottom, but I'm not sure, and Luna Lovegood, a very memorable person, as in our first lesson with her, she saw my sword and then claimed she had once cut her hair with such, although it didn't work in repelling the moon frogs. (I had silently accepted it, and carried on with the lesson.), and they are all helping clean up the place, and arranging some stained and torn sofas.

Ron and Harry nod at us as we come in, and Luna doesn't seem to notice, too busy stringing up flowers, but Ginny waves us over. "Hey, can you help us move some chairs from upstairs? The meeting is due to start soon, and we underestimated how disgusting this place is," she asks.

When the other students start coming in, the place almost looks nice, with enough seats for everyone, and no dead mice underneath them, which is always a bonus.

"No Slytherins yet," I mouth at Percy, from where we are standing in a corner, watching everyone sit down and chat.

"I'm sure they'll come," Percy reassures me quietly. To be honest, we are both banking on the fact that those Slytherins that we invited will come, as it took so long convincing Ron, Hermione and Harry that not all of them are the same, and on a slightly different level, that the divide between the houses will slowly lessen. There was deep mistrust between Camp Halfblood and Camp Jupiter, and that was down to a few individuals - cough cough Octavian - and here it's even worse, the hatred starting at a younger age, before they've even stepped foot in Hogwarts, and sure, a club won't fully change that, but we can try.