Freaks: Year One

The Christmas Party

"JASPER!" Harry yelled.

Jasper almost fell out of bed. Was someone hurt? He jumped up. "WHAT?"

Harry was staring at him terrified. "Lou is missing. I don't know where she went!" He was looking under his bed.

Jasper gave a small sigh, at least nobody was hurt. "Maybe she is in my trunk?" He went over to it, and opened it. "Sometimes she likes sleeping in there."

"She isn't under the bed." Harry said, lying on the floor, and he looked over at Jasper. "Is she in your trunk?"

Jasper shook his head.

"Ohhh, where would she have gone?" Harry asked nervously, rolling onto his back, and sitting up.

"Have you checked the whole dorm?"

"Oh, he has." Gifford mumbled. He had woken up, and was surveying the mess in the dorm. There were books, parchment, and other school supplies scattered everywhere.

"Help me look for Lou!" Harry said to Gifford. He swung the dormitory door open, and ran downstairs.

Gifford looked to Jasper. "I look up here, and you look in the common room?"

Jasper nodded, and followed after Harry who was now ripping the cushions off the couches, and chairs. "Mate, maybe don't destroy the whole common room?" Jasper started to put the cushions back in their designated places.

"Sorry, it is just I don't know where she would have gone!" Harry exclaimed looking under the furniture. "She was with me on my pillow last night."

"Your pillow?" Jasper asked. Harry nodded. "Are you sure you didn't squash her with all the moving around you do?"

Harry looked at Jasper incredulous. "I would never!"

"Not on purpose, but by accident?"

Harry shook his head. "No, she must have snuck down here somewhere." He continued to look, scaring one of the seventh year's cats.

Jasper decided to look in the book shelf for Lou. "Well what is her favourite snack?"

"Lemons." Replied Harry, trying to now push the couch over to the side.

Jasper looked over. "Lemons?"

"Mhm."

Jasper walked over to one of the tables with a fruit bowl in the centre, and was about to pick up a lemon to find Lou with when he saw her in the bowl nibbling on the lemon. Jasper carefully picked her up. "Found her!"

Harry went over, and took Lou from Jasper. "Oh, thank goodness!" He exclaimed. "I thought I lost you, now what were you doing down here, you silly Lou Lou." He kissed her head.

Jasper chuckled. "Well at least we found her."

"What is going on down there?!" A voice complained.

Jasper, and Harry shared a quick look, and said at the same time, "Let's go."

They both went up to the dorm to see that Gifford had flipped over the mattress in an attempt to find Lou. "Don't worry!" Harry said, making Gifford turn. "Jasper found her."

"Oh." Gifford said, staring at the mattress on the floor. "Well good I guess." He started to put the mattress back on the bed.

Jasper looked over to Jonathan who was still asleep. "How does your brother sleep through all this?"

Gifford shrugged. "I don't know, but it gives me some peace, and quiet."

Since it was the night before the holiday, Professor Slughorn would be having a Slug Club Christmas Party, and of course since Harry was in the club, he would be invited. The invitation had said he was allowed to bring a guest, so Harry decided to bring along Jasper since one, he was his best friend, and two he felt that Jasper would be very excited at the prospect of a wizarding party (even though the Slug Club was a bit of a bore).