Chapter Text
Study Hall was your favourite site at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Students were free to catch up on any missing assignment, prepare a test or two, or perhaps, take a break from the never-ending tasks of a witch or wizard-in-training. You planned on intriguing yourself with a good book and a cup of tea until classes resumed once more. The halls were usually crowded during this time of the day, so you decided to study in the Gryffindor common room for the next two or so hours.
Making way through the crowded corridors, your eyes caught a glimpse of Fred and George, out by the courtyard, fiddling with a few items from the joke shop in Diagon Alley. The twins were never the type to bore themselves with heavy spell books and encyclopedias of enchanted plants, instead, they chose to spend their study hall hours, fooling around with bewitched books and enchanted frogs.
You quickened your pace to avoid getting stuck in the cluster of students crowding the hallways.
In the common area…
It was silent, not a sound to be heard except the slight crackling of the fireplace and the muffled hoots of messenger owls drifting off to sleep. Normally, you were not the only one that chose to enjoy the cozy Gryffindor commons, but this time, you were left alone. You assumed everyone had gone to the library and decided to take out a few books of your own. ‘The Theory of Hippogriff Evolution’, was deeply engraved on the faded cover. It has been a favourite of yours ever since you were six years old. Everytime, the smell of old worn out pages filled you with a new excitement, tracing the dust cover leather spine revived old memories. It was a well-aged book, given to you by your father, who further inherited it from your grandfather, before you left for Hogwarts. This family heirloom meant the world for you.
A few minutes later, the entrance opened as Neville entered the common room. He seemed worried and was looking around frantically.
“Gran will kill me!” he mumbled to himself.
You shut the book and placed it on one of the tea tables. Neville’s clothes were dusty and there were cobwebs on his hair.
“Hello Neville, were you searching for something behind the old tapestries? There are cobwebs sticking on your hair.”
“Hey Y/N, I was just looking for my toad,” said Neville as he dusted his hair.. “He’s run off again, or well, hopped off,” he sighed in frustration and scanned the area.
“Oh, I’ll help you look…”
He stepped inside and paused for a moment, looking around the deserted commons.
“Y/N, are you alone? Where’s everyone gone?”
“I’m not sure, maybe in the library. I spotted Fred and George down by the courtyard.” you lifted one of the couch cushions. “Have you seen Hermione by any chance? I need to borrow her potion notes.”
“Oh, she’s with Ron, helping him out with his studies in the library,” he said as he frantically searched through a nearby drawer.
“Thanks for letting me know, I was getting worried a bit. Hey, wait—”
You could hear rustling nearby, followed by a low *ribbit*. You turned to see a once neat stack of papers, now scattered on a small wooden table.
“I think I hear him, near the papers...but be careful not to startle him...so he won’t run off again,” you whispered.
“Got it.” Neville quietly crept up to the ‘stack of papers’ with his hands extended. “I've got you now!” he yelled, as he leaped forward, catching the toad in his firm grasp.
“You did it! Now don’t let him run off again!” you breathed a sigh of relief.
“I won't, and thank you for helping me out.”
“Anytime.”
The Next Morning…
Nothing was better than breakfast time at Hogwarts. The Great Hall was packed with hungry students, anticipating their food. You scanned the Gryffindor table for an empty seat and found one in the corner.
“Hey! Hey! Y/N!" yelled a voice, over the loud chatter of the Great Hall. You were so lost in thought, you weren't paying attention to anyone around you.
"Oh it's you, Harry," you said, finally snapping back to consciousness.
"Thought we lost you there," his voice was calm and soothing. "Did you have enough rest?"
"I did, thank you for asking."
"I didn't see you at Study Hall yesterday. Neville told me that you were in the common area, though."
"Fred was looking all over for you. " Ron chimed.
"George as well," added Hermione, not bothering to look up from her book.
"Really? I didn't know that. I saw them in the courtyard yesterday", you said as you stood up and looked around, "are they here?"
"Not yet", said Harry. "You know how long it takes them to get ready."
"But they are usually one of the first ones here."
"Right, what could be taking them so long?" said Hermione, flipping through the pages of her book.
"Maybe they got caught up in a new game."
"Or they are arguing again," you rolled your eyes. "But let's not worry about them, it's nearly breakfast time."
Serving at Hogwarts was quite different from your home in London. As if magic, the once empty tables were decorated with beautiful dishes, right before your eyes, and the food was like nothing you've ever heard of before. This time around, the elves sent up Pumpkin Pasties, a flaky pastry with a meat-based filling. They were the best. Especially during the fall, you could get them filled with pumpkin then. Salted Kipper, sweet and savoury black pudding, sticky treacle tarts, soft crumpets, you name it. Cauldron Cakes were nice too.
"Nothing better than hot porridge to start the morning, right, Harry?" said Ron, shoving a spoonful of porridge into his mouth. "Perhaps too hot." he fanned his open mouth.
"Ron, please. Chew with your mouth closed," said Hermione as she buttered her toast.
“Hermione, would you happen to have the notes from potion’s class?” you said. “I missed the previous class.”
“I would love to help you Y/N, but I lent my notes to the twins.”
“Oh, um… I’ll get the notes from them later.” you looked around one more, “Speaking of, they still aren’t here.”
“Yeah, I’m sure they are going to be late to their morning classes.”
“Well let’s get to class, I’m sure we will catch up with them.”