The Novelle Diaries & The Wampus Cub

Chapter 15: Quidditch

Contrary to what Snape had stated, detention was in fact a very lonely affair. Filch had set Wren, Erris and Rory on separate tasks around the castle. Whilst Rory had been set to work scraping gum from under classroom desks and Erris had been instructed to polish wooden panelling in one of the upstairs corridors, Wren found herself standing at a sink soaking and peeling labels off of old potion bottles. The task was mind numbingly boring and by the end her fingernails were sore from picking at the pappy paper and glue residue.

However, she vowed that this punishment would not dissuade her from speaking out again, even though she had received a rather scolding letter from her mother telling her to keep her head down, which was rather ironic as it was her mother whom she had got this particular trait from. Delphi Novelle had never been one to stay quiet when faced with injustice or bullies so the fact that she was surprised her daughter had turned out any different was quite baffling to Wren.

She sighed as she looked at the mountain of clean potion bottles on the draining board then looked at the clock on the wall. A smile spread across her face as she realised her penance had been paid. Taking off her apron, she left the class room with a merry skip of freedom and made her way to the common room. Rosewaine had been on Chirrup duty that evening which meant she had also had no time to do her homework. It looked like a long night of team work ahead to hit their deadline of the next morning.

'Good evening, how was detention? And have you learnt anything?' Rosewaine asked, feigning a serious, wize tone.

'Dull as eating sawdust and not a jot. I do not repent.' Wren replied with a mischievous grin as she slumped down into a chair at one of the study desks.

'Oh don't let Filch hear you talk about eating sawdust. He'd think that was a good idea to punish students.' Rosewaine warned, only half in gest. The caretaker was a bitter old man who despised children and took great pleasure in watching them suffer. Why he had chosen to work in a school was anyone's guess.

'Right. One essay about the delicacies of transforming crockery, coming up.' Wren sighed as she dug out a roll of parchment and a quill.

Just then Erris stumbled through the common room door looking exhausted. His split lip was healing well however his jaw and cheek had turned a rather deep plum colour contrasting with his pale complexion.

'Evening. It seems you fared worse in detention than me.' Wren noted as she watched the boy flop down into the chair beside her.

'The polishing wasn't the problem but there was a portrait of a knight and a fat horse that constantly yelled insults at me and challenged me to fights. His voice grew so irritating that it gave me a migraine.' Erris explained as he produced his own homework from his bag.

The trio began to write their essays, exchanging notes and phrasings to help each other out. By the time ten pm came around, they were all writing their conclusions and thinking about their pillows.

It seemed that now Erris had found friends to stand by his side, the insomnia had subsided a little. He still experienced night terrors and woke up in the night but it was easier for him to return to sleep because he no longer felt like he had to slay the monsters alone. Wren and Erris had also mostly stopped their late night talks though from time to time they found themselves meeting up in the common room. It was never arranged before but Wren would hear Erris' dorm door open and his footsteps patter down the stone spiral staircase and she would follow. He would play the piano and she would listen or they would talk of their childhoods and interests but now it was simply because they wanted to be alone together rather than the only chance to speak freely. Rosewaine and Rory were wonderful friends but there were times when the two more introverted children wished to be in each other's calmer presence alone to recharge.