I Lived - Fred Weasley

Halloween

Celeste Malfoy is once again walking down to the Great Hall with a group of first years.

She was working on a potions essay due tomorrow and had told the boys to go ahead while she finishes up. Fred protested, saying she was no fun when she was studying. The blonde simply responded by turning his hair hot pink with a flick of her wand. When he asked her to undo it, she told him that he would be able to undo it himself if he studied more. He had left, rather annoyed (and a little amazed) at her, with George and Lee cackling at his new hair color.

When she had finished writing her potions essay, she made sure to leave her wand in her dormitory, just in case Fred tried to convince her to change his hair back during dinner.

And now, she walks down to the Great Hall with the first years for the Halloween feast. She strikes up a conversation with two first year girls, Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. The green-eyed girl decides that she likes the younger girls, finding them rather funny.

"Celeste, you're friends with Hermione Granger?" Lavender asks the older girl.

"I am," she affirms with a smile. "Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if you've seen her. You see, she hasn't been to any of our classes all afternoon."

The blonde is shocked by this information. She's about to respond when Pavarti beats her to it.

"She's been crying in the girls' lavatory," she explains. "'Says she just wants to be left alone."

"Why would she be crying?" Celeste asks, concerned for the girl.

"She wouldn't say."

The third year excuses herself and leaves to go find Hermione, not wanting her to be alone. The two girls don't always see eye-to-eye, but they do really care for each other.

She steps inside the bathroom and hears sniffles coming from one of the stalls. The blonde's thankful that this isn't Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, not wanting to have to deal with the ghost at the moment.

"Hermione?" Celeste says, approaching the stall. "It's Celeste. Can you tell me what's wrong?"

Hermione sniffles from inside the stall. "Please, just leave me alone. I'm okay, really." More sniffling follows.

"You and I both know that's a lie. Please open the door, I don't have my wand on me to unlock it and I don't want to have to kick it in on you. I imagine that might make things worse if I did."

There's light laughter that mixes in with the sniffling, followed by shuffling. The door is opened and Celeste's heart breaks at the sight of the girl. Her hair is a mess and her brown eyes are bloodshot. Tear tracks reflect off of her brown skin.

Immediately, the blonde pulls the brunette in for a tight hug. When she lets her go, the girls sit down in the stall, facing each other. "Tell me everything," Celeste instructs.

And that's exactly what Hermione does. She tells her about how she's been having a hard time making friends, how especially Ron and Harry seem to hate her, and how even some of the professors don't appreciate her eagerness to learn. Celeste vows to get the boys with something harmless, but mildly humiliating. Hermione laughs at that, but makes the older girl promise not to break too many rules. The girls talk for a while.

Hermione is telling Celeste about some interesting facts she's read in Hogwarts: A History, when they hear the door to the bathroom slam shut. Then, they smell something foul and hear something breathing.

They leave the stall to see what's going on. Hermione screams when they see a giant, ugly troll.

The girls run to the back wall of the bathroom, Celeste desperately wishing she had her wand. The older girl positions herself in front of the eleven-year-old, hoping to protect her at least a little.