Hogwarts is My Home (A Harry Potter Fanfiction), Part 4/7

Chapter 16

We go back to the common room once we tell the Irish goodbye. Draco is talking about Karkaroff.

"My parents are old friends with Karkaroff," he says. "In fact, Mother considered sending me to Durmstrang. I got stuck here, of course. I hear Durmstrang teaches the most about magic, every aspect of it."

"Well, it seems very cold at Durmstrang," I say. Nu don't leave me Draco! "I wouldn't like it. I like Hogwarts the best, Beauxbatons people speak French. I prefer English and sometimes Spanish."

"You speak Spanish?" Draco asks.

"Some," I say. "Grier knows more."

"Really?" Draco asks.

"Yep, I also understand the Beauxbatons when they speak French. I have become friends with a few," Grier says.

"So, three months until the second task," Ash says.

"Yo no hablo ingles," Grier says. I laugh.

"Tres meses más hasta la segunda tarea," I translate.

"Ah, si," Grier says.

"Ooookay," Draco says.

"Lol," Grier says. She loves to confuse people.

We talk a little bit more and annoy Draco with Spanish. Grier has a lot of fun confusing us by speaking a mix of Spanish and French. Soon enough, it's time for dinner. Dinner is delicious as usual. I have noticed that more people at Hogwarts have gone gluten free. Grier is happy that Dumbledore is thinking of a gluten free menu.

After dinner we talk more in the common room and do some homework. After that we all go to bed.

* * *

December falls upon the castle amidst wind and sleet. This makes Care of Magical Creature classes, now our only outdoor times since Quidditch is cancelled this year. Hagrid is still trying to keep up with the skrewts. As of right now, he's trying to see if they hibernate. They do not.

"Don' panic, now, don' panic!" Hagrid shouts as all of the students except the Gryffindors run into his cabin and barricade the door. The skrewts started to attack us when we tried to put them in crates. We stay there for the remainder of the class.

After Care of Magical Creatures, I have a free period, in which I catch up on some homework. I sit in the library then look up when I hear my name.

"Ashlyn, can I talk to you?" It's Brett. He looks upset.

"Yeah, sure, sit," I say. "What's wrong?"

"I still like Audrey, but I've told her I moved on and I have reason to believe she likes someone else," he says. "I just don't know what to do, it's so hard!"

"Hey, if she does like someone else, there's nothing you can do but be her friend and be there for her," I say. "Who knows, she might realize she's missing something, and that something being you?"

"Okay," he says. "Thanks." He gets up and goes over to another Gryffindor guy, Daniel Clarke.

After my free period is dinner, during which I stuff myself, since for some reason I'm starving. After dinner I have a Potions tutoring session with Seamus. I'm testing him on antidotes. Not like Snape has been doing with us, but on his knowledge of antidotes.

"What antidote is able to be given on the shortest notice?" I ask him when we sit at a desk.

"A bezoar," he says. "A stone taken from the stomach of a cow."

"Not a cow. . ." I say.

"Um, a goat, right?" he asks. "Oh yeah it is a goat!"

"Okay," I say. "What is an example of a potion that does not have an antidote and causes the drinker to have to wait until the effects of the potion wears off?"

"Polyjuice potion," he says.

"Right," I say. "What do ashwinder eggs cure?"

"Malaria?" he guesses.

"Right again," I say. "You should ace this quiz that Snape is about to give us."

"Should is the keyword in that sentence," he says. "Keep going, I spent all of my free period studying."

"What is bubotuber pus used for?" I ask.

"Curing acne," he says.

"Dittany?"

"Heals wounds and regrows skin."

"What counteracts the hysteria caused by eating Alihotsy leaves?"

"Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction?" he asks.

"No, Glumbumble Treacle," I correct him. These names though. "What is the key ingredient to a love potion antidote?" At the mention of a love potion, Seamus freezes up.

"G-gurdyroot," he says.

"What kind of gurdyroot?" I press.

"Extract of gurdyroot," he mumbles.

"Right," I say. "What is the temporary cure for lycanthropy?"

"The Wolfsbane Potion," he says.

"Right again!" I say. "I think you're ready for the test. Great job today, see you next week." I roll up my scroll of questions and depart for my common room.

"Bye," he calls after me.

"Bye," I say.

Draco intercepts me on the way to the common room. "Ashlyn, I was just in the kitchen and you'll never believe who I saw!" he gasps.

"Who?" I ask.

"Dobby," he says.

"Dobby as in your old house-elf?" I ask.

"The very same," he says. "And some elf that used to be Mr. Crouch's was there too. Winky, I think her name was. Dobby almost had a fit when he saw me."

"Wow," I say. I glance at my watch. "It's almost curfew, we better get back."

"Yeah," he agrees. We go back to the common room. I go to my dormitory and go to sleep.