Albus Severus Potter (A Harry Potter fanfic)

Chapter 8 - Like a lost puppy

Shruti's POV

I woke up the next morning to Simran being a wonderful little girl by yelling in my ear to wake up.

"Ugh," I groaned.

"Come on, we're going to be late!" she said.

"But I don't want to wake up," I mumbled, but I came out like bu-i-doe-wah-wak-uh.

"Huh?" Simran said looking genuinely confused.

"Meh," I said shaking my head and fall/rolling off my bed. I took a shower and changed into a dark blue dress. The first task was going to be soon and we were going to find out what we had to learn.

I ate breakfast with all the girls in our carriage; it was really quite big inside. It had an undetectable extension charm on it, so it was like the normal size of our dorms back at school! After a lot of eating food, I said bye to the girls and headed up to the castle.

I had been walking for quite a while now and I was pretty sure that I was going the wrong way. I looked around, but everything looked the same as everywhere else; big stone walls, stone floors, and stone ceilings. The corridor was empty so I couldn't even ask anyone where the meeting was. That was until I heard some footsteps heading oh my direction! Yay! I can finally get somewhere and not wonder around the big castle like a lost puppy. I looked to see who it was coming around the corner and I was met by the brown eyes of the boy from yesterday. He smiled at me, slightly confused. "Aren't you supposed to be at a meeting?" he asked me.

"I...err...yea-...how do you know?" I replied wondering how he knew that I wasn't supposed to be wondering around the castle.

"Oh my brothers Albus, you know, Hogwarts champion..." he explained.

"Oh yeah!" I said remembering yesterday.

"He said that you were a bit...strange...yesterday," he said. "But I don't think you are!" he added after seeing that I wasn't too happy knowing his brothers opinion.

I laughed and shook my head, "no its fine. I normally seem a bit odd when I first meet people. But about that meeting, where is it? I'm a bit lost."

"A bit? You're completely lost. The meetings nowhere near here!" he said through laughter. I just stood there, embarrassed. "I'll show you the way there," he said after he stopped laughing.

"Thank you," I mumbled.

"Come on, this way," he said leading me down another stone corridor.

"How do you learn your way around here when everything looks the same?" I wondered out loud.

"You get used to it," he said.

After a long while of just walking in stone corridors, and going down some moving stone staircases, we arrived.

Here you are," he said smiling. "I'm not allowed in," he added, as I didn't move. I pushed open the door and saw everyone seated around a large table.

∞

Albus' POV

We were all waiting for Shruti to get here, the meeting was supposed to start 20 minutes ago, and I was getting more annoyed by the minute. I was missing Quidditch practice because she was late! I heard could hear some voices from outside the door. Hoping it was Shruti, everyone trained their eyes on the door. As it opened, everyone could see that finally the meeting could start.

Shruti took the remaining seat which was, to my dismay, next to me. "Right then," said Lockheart brightly, as if nothing had happened. "The first task is a surprise, so sorry for misleading you there," he said with an ugly smile. "But you need to simply revise all charms, hexes, jinxes, curses, and everything else you think necessary for the surprise task. It will be taking place on 17th October. But I will warn you champions," he said, pausing dramatically. The whole dramatic pause thing didn't work with him, it just didn't. "The task could be very dangerous, very dangerous indeed. It could make you run away in terror-"

"Ah hem," said McGonagall, clearing her throat. "I think that's all, remember, you're only allowed to bring your wand. Bye." Thank you Professor!! I don't think I could have bear another word out of Lockheart's mouth!

We all left, I kind of ran because I had to get to Quidditch practice. James would probably already be there. I was Gryffindor seeker and he was captain, and a beater. I ran into the changing rooms and changed into my red and gold robes. I found my LightingBolt 350, the latest model, which James had brought down for me.

I ran over to the field and glanced up. I saw the team, and the snitch! YEAH! 2 in 1! That sounds like shampoo. I kicked off from the ground, hard and reached out for the snitch. I felt my fingers close around the cold metal and I heard a groan come from my right. I looked over to see an annoyed James. "You could have said you were here," he said.

"I caught the snitch didn't I?" I said. James just shook his head and went over to hit a bludger. After a while, we all headed to lunch. We had practise all morning on the weekends and 5-7pm on weekdays. It's harsh but James really wants to win.

When we walked into the hall and saw the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang tables with only a few people at them. They usually ate in their carriage/ship. I sat down by a happy Rose who, as usual, had her nose in a book. I couldn't find the pleasure in reading stuff like Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6. I don't even read that unless I really need to.

Once I had finished pigging out on all the amazing food, I got Rose, James, Lily and Hugo all together, so that we could all visit Hagrid. Hagrid was quite old, and although he didn't do much at Hogwarts, he still lived in a hut near the Forbidden Forest.

He obviously knew about me being in the tournament and my mad Quidditch timetable, so he said that he didn't really mind me, everyone else, not visiting quite as much. But we could all tell that he was lonely. We knocked on the big oak door and heard large, heavy footsteps approaching the door. The door opened to reveal a large man, 10 ft. tall, wearing a large moleskin coat with a huge smile plastered over his face. "'Ello" he said, brightly.

"Hey Hagrid," we all chorused back.

"Come in, come in," he said, moving back giving us room to come in. "Sit down 'n' I'll get us all some tea." He set about getting the tea while we found somewhere to sit down, amongst all of his stuff.

"So, how've you all been, good I suppose?' he asked.

"Say hello to the Hogwarts champion!" said James loudly.

"Shut up, James," I said, not wanting attention. But he didn't listen; I hadn't been expecting him to anyway.

"Well done," said Hagrid cheerfully. "I remember when your father was champion, he was only 14, but he still won. And I remember he gave the winnings, 1000 galleons, to your uncles Fred and George. They spent it on Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, you know, the place in Diagon Alley."

"Dad is awesome!" yelled James.

"Shut up, James," I said again, but he ignored me, again.

"How have you been Hagrid?" asked Lily politely, shutting up James and changing the topic in one go, go Lily!

"Well, I've been better," he replied. "Some flesh-eating slugs been at the pumpkins again. Really doin' my head in." We all laughed. It was funny how he could get so worked up about some pumpkins. We stayed there for a few hours and then headed back to castle.