A Raven and a Lion

Snowy Holidays

The next few weeks, however, were rather downhill at Hogwarts. Given the current circumstances, Lockhart and Snap offered a dueling course that all students could attend voluntarily. However, it seemed more like a ridiculous show that Lockhart was putting on and didn't really help. The end of the story was Harry being forced onto stage. There he was confronted by Draco Malfoy, who conjured up a snake, which Harry then spoke to with strange hissing sounds. It took Y/n a moment to understand. Then something clicked for her. That was ancient magic, Parseltongue, the language of the forked tongue. As a result, ninety percent of the students began to believe that Harry Potter was the Heir of Slytherin. Y/n found it rather silly, but she understood that people wanted someone to blame. Especially when another student was found petrified. This time a Hufflepuff boy. As a result, all activities such as Qudditch and student clubs were banned. The students were only allowed to walk around in groups accompanied by a teacher. Outside of class, they had to stay in their common rooms.

Y/n saw Maggy's relief when she was able to go home for Christmas. But because Olivia also went home, y/n felt pretty lonely at some point.

So on the morning of the third free day she decided to take a walk by the lake. Theoretically it wasn't forbidden. She didn't walk through the castle alone, she went outside. So basically she wasn't breaking any rules.

She put on some warm clothes and set off. The landscape outside was wonderfully snowy. Back home in London they rarely had snow, but here further north there was a lot of it in the winter.

When she reached the lakeshore, she simply fell back into the cold white blanket. She couldn't tell how long she had been lying there when a shadow suddenly appeared over her.

"Get out of the sun," she said when she saw Fred's face. They hadn't seen each other since they gave their presentation together. Of course, in class and sometimes by chance in the castle. But they no longer intentionally met. Why would they? After all, they hadn't been friends before the project. And as far as she remember, their presentation had ended with one of their typically unfriendly discussions. So what was he doing here?

Fred did as ordered, but then he also threw himself into the snow next to her. Seemed like he had joined her without bad intentions.

"Where is your double?" she finally wanted to know, because the twins were rarely found alone. "Georgie is sick. Lee is taking care of him right now, but I have to get back to it again later."

"Then you and your bacteria, just stay away from me, I don't want to spend Christmas in bed", y/n warned. Fred laughed. "It's not that bad. He's just whiny."

"Somehow I think you're even worse," y/n remarked, laughing cheekily to herself. Surprisingly Fred didn't respond to that and instead changed the subject. "Why are you here for Christmas? Your two friends both went home."

Now y/n turned her head to the side to look at him. "And you?"

"Our parents often go to visit our eldest brothers Bill and Charlie for Christmas. Bill works for Gringotts and Charlie studies dragons in Romania." Fred answered her counter question. Y/n raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "How many of you are there?"

Fred laughed. "Don't worry, Ginny's last. But Georgie and I look the best by far."

"Not easy, with so many brothers." Y/n ignored Fred's last sentence. She thought back to the beginning of the school year, when the youngest of the Weasleys had also gotten into Gryffindor.

"You all are Gryffindors, right?" she then wanted to know. Fred nodded. "Almost all of my family were in Slytherin. Apart from me and my crazy Aunt Brigitte."

"Is that so?," now Fred sat up and eyed her intently. "Now dark abysses are opening up."

Y/n rolled her eyes. "Well, the rest of the family calls her crazy. She's actually a kind-hearted person. I spend the summers with her."

"Don't you see your parents anymore?" Fred wanted to know. There was something pitiful in his voice. While y/n also sat up and dismissed his words. "It's not that tragic. You get used to it."

For a while they looked at each other in silence. Then Fred clapped his gloved hands together. "So, I have to go back in. The nursing service is calling."

Y/n held out her hand. "I'm coming in too. Otherwise I'll freeze my ass off."

Laughingly Fred pulled her up. "That would truly be a tragedy."

"You idiot!", y/n gave him a punch on his shoulder, but laughed too.