Hi, it's James. James Potter.

staring contests - year 1

When the end of February came near, the last patches of snow disappeared and everything turned muddy and dull.

The beginning of March didn't turn out any better and everyone was desperate for better weather.

The five were now rarely seen outside, except when they wanted to visit Hagrid in his hut, as they did right now.

"Tea, anyone?", Hagrid asked.

"Yes, please, I'm freezing.", Dominique sighed gratefully.

"I'll take some, too.", Leo said, shuddering.

"I don't.", James wrinkled his nose.

"Yeah, I know yeh don't always like tea, an' don't worry, I've made some hot chocolate 's well."

"Hagrid, you're a life saver!", James told him earnestly.

Hagrid chuckled: "Anyone else tea? Or d'you two want hot chocolate, too?"

"I'd like hot chocolate, thanks.", Alice said, and Lucas agreed.

Hagrid took a big pot from the fire, and poured hot chocolate into three big mugs.

"Did ya know, McGonagall's searching for a help for me, too.", he told them while he gave each one of them their mug.

"Really? Why that?", James asked.

"Well, I'm not as young as I was once, and this job really is demanding, especially if one has got to pull three first-years out of the forest every two weeks. I don't even wanna know how often yeh're in there without me knowing.", Hagrid pulled up one eyebrow.

It was true, since they've gotten back to school after Christmas holidays, they had taken several trips to the Forbidden Forest since they now had explored the school in so many nightly trips that they knew it by heart.

"Oh, you know...", James said shrugging.

"You wouldn't think so, but the forest is dangerous.", Hagrid continued, "Not to me, o' course, but to three first-years very much."

"Back to the help you're getting, has McGonagall already found someone?", Lucas threw in.

"Nah, still searching. But she intends on finding one starting next year. It's still a complicated job, it is."

"But you'll stay here at Hogwarts, right Hagrid?", Dominique suddenly said worriedly.

"Don't worry, ain't getting rid of me that easily.", Hagrid chuckled, "I'm gonna stay here, of course, and the help's only s'pposed to help. I'm still the gamekeeper here."

"You better be, what would we do without you and Fang?", Leo said.

"Get even more detention than you already do.", Hagrid said drily.

"Yeah, probably.", James said thoughtfully, "So Hagrid, look out for someone nice, will you?"

-----

The next day, they had Double Charms as the last lesson for the day, then it would finally be weekend.

The last half an hour they were supposed to give their Lumos and Nox Charms the final touch, so everyone finally mastered it.

When Professor Flitwick had given this instruction, he had pierced Lucas with his eyes.

As good as Lucas kept up in Potions, as bad he did in almost all the other subjects, except Herbology.

James had this natural thing where he got everything just right by the practice in class, but Lucas maybe should be thinking about doing his homework more properly, so he would have it easier.