An American at Hogwarts

Chapter Seventeen

A/N: Happy Paddy's Day everybody!🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

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The rest of the week dragged by, mostly because all I could think about was how hard it was to wait for news on Quidditch tryouts. I had to just toughen up and get though some muggle school work, too, which never made the week easier. So far in English we were just supposed to read a book, which wasn't too bad. Quite possibly the highlight of my week after Quidditch tryouts came Wednesday during my PE assignment: keeping an elevated heart rate for an endurance run. Since stairs weren't really endurance, I decided to run a few laps around the lake after class. I can safely say I've never seen so many wizards confused at once before.

As soon as Lupin let us out of DADA, I ran up to the dorm, put on running shorts and an old SHIELD t-shirt of Nat's, and then headed down to the lake. I wasn't wearing my robes, so I got a bunch of stares as I walked out of the castle. Just as I was heading down the sunny slope towards the lake, Percy caught up to me.

Dammit.

"Alexa! What on Earth do you think you're doing?" he demanded, hustling to catch up to me and match my brisk pace.

"Working out," I answered simply. Maybe he'd finally get tired enough of my vague answers that he'd just leave me to it.

I should've known that wouldn't work.

"What do you mean 'working out'? And why aren't you wearing your robes? You're supposed to be in uniform at all times during the week unless you're in your own common room!"

I sighed. "It's weird to me that wizards apparently don't have this concept. Working out is where you go do physically strenuous tasks to get stronger or faster or whatever else. And you can't do that in robes and a collared shirt."

"So you're planning to... what, exactly?"

"Run laps around the lake for half an hour for my PE- uh, Physical Education muggle class." By now we'd gotten down to the shore of the lake. I started stretching (literally so important before a run), and turned on the heart monitor that was going to prove to my teacher that I actually did stuff.

"I suppose there's nothing wrong with that... Just please, next time, you must wear your robes at least down to the lake over your workout clothes," Percy finally gave in. "This whole thing still seems quite strange to me."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure it'll all make sense some time when we have to run from a Balrog or whatever other crazy thing the wizarding world decides to cook up next. Then you'll see exactly why staying in shape is such a good idea."

With that, I started my jog around the lake along with a timer on my watch. Percy stayed where he was, giving his head a light shake as I jogged away. I didn't care. I'd given up on the possibility of wizards understanding me all the time when my Wizard of Oz reference fell flat on the train.

At least I'd gotten away before he'd remembered to dock me points for being out of uniform.

As I got about halfway through my first lap, I quickly realized that Percy's questions weren't the only ones I was gonna have to deal with. The next group of people was waiting on the far end of the lake, giving me all kinds of judgey looks. It was that blond Slytherin Malfoy and his little posse from the train.

"What the hell are you doing?" he scoffed as I jogged towards them.

"Using Oxygen and Glucose to produce Carbon Dioxide, Water, and ATP through aerobic respiration," I said without missing a beat. Bruce had tried to teach me Biology a while ago, and while I didn't enjoy it much at the time, the utter confusion on Blondie's face made the long lessons more than worth it.