The rest of the week past without another embarrassing incident for Sarah, though Merula kept smirking at her every time they met eyes. True to their word, her friends never mentioned R again. The topic of conversation seemed to consist entirely of the field experience assignments. Sarah and the others weren't the only ones leaving school the following week; Liz would be accompanying them to the ministry, and Sarah heard that several students were sent to Hogsmeade to help with various businesses, while still others had been sent to intern at the Daily Prophet.
"So, what do you think we'll be doing?" Barnaby asked her. "I hope we get to see the Magical Creatures department."
"That'd be cool," she said.
On Saturday evening, after their back-to-back quidditch practices, they'd finally had a chance to spend some time alone. Sarah had pilfered a few sweets from the kitchens and met Barnaby up in the astronomy tower.
Now, they sat near the edge of the open tower, looking out over the darkened grounds. It was nearly curfew, but Sarah didn't see them getting into trouble, as long as Corey didn't turn them in.
She looked down to the fountain below them. Engorgio, she thought, trying to make the fountain's spray increase. She stared at it a while, finally holding her palm outstretched like Merula had done. Engorgio. Engorgio. Engorgio!
The fountain remained unchanged.
"What are you doing?" asked Barnaby, eyeing her outstretched hand.
Sarah let it drop with a sigh of frustration. "Just practicing wandless magic."
"Oh."
For some reason, this seemed to upset him. He leaned backward, looking down at his hands.
"Hey, I've got a surprise for you," she said. She reached into her bag. "I haven't had a chance until now." She handed him a package wrapped in green paper. "Happy Birthday!"
"Happy birthday?" he asked, looking down at it.
"I was going to give it to you in Diagon Alley, but you never showed up."
"Sorry about that."
She shook her head. "I'm sorry you had to spend your seventeenth birthday with your Gran. Go on, then."
Grinning, Barnaby tore off the paper to reveal a box with Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions scrawled across the top in gold lettering.
Puzzled, Barnaby lifted the lid and pulled out a set of brownish-black fabric. "New robes!"
"They're lined with dragon hide," she explained, "so you can play with the salamanders in the reserve and not get burned."
His eyes widened as he felt the material. "But...dragon hide is really expensive!"
"I've been saving up for a while," she admitted sheepishly. "So don't go having anymore growth spurts, I won't be able to replace these. If they even fit you now," she added as he stood to hold them up to himself. "Did you grow another two inches this summer?"
"Two and a half!" he said proudly, beaming at her.
He bundled the robes in one hand and helped her to her feet with the other, pulling her in close.
"Thanks, I love it," he said. "And so will Madam Pomfrey. She's getting annoyed with me always coming in with burns."
"No problem," she said, allowing herself to be pulled in for a long kiss.
She was sad when he pulled away to reach for something out of the pockets of his own robes. "I've got something for you too."
"But my birthday's not for months."
YOU ARE READING
Hogwarts Mystery Year 7
FanfictionIt is Sarah Spellman's final year at Hogwarts. The vaults have been vanquished, and no one has heard from R since they failed to uncover what was hidden in the vaults. Sarah's friends are eager to put the past behind them and enjoy their final year...
