Finding Her Parents: HP Fanfic

Chapter 6: Homesickness

Halloween was amazing at Hogwarts. Even if Peeves, the school's everlasting Poltergeist, deemed it his duty to fulfill the trick part of trick-or-treating. Peeves had taken the challenge of creeping up behind knights and "booed" the children, which disrupted not only the knights, but the staff, students and everything else between. He continued to do so until Professor Longbottom pulled some sort of tongue-twisting hex on him, which is when Peeves decided to start throwing student's notebooks and quills at other students. Teddy found him uproarously funny, until Peeves tried to throw a gargoyle at him later that day. Audri had never seen Professor Ash so angry before. Normally she was a kindly, and funny being, but when Peeves endangered students, Professor Ash was another woman.

Many of Audri's professors, with the exceptions of Professor Binns (the History of Magic teacher) and Professor Durant (the Transfiguration teacher), were very merry. Professor Longbottom allowed them to deal with precarious plants. Old Sluggy even had an upcoming Halloween extravaganza, to which both Teddy and Audri were invited, as well as one guest for each. Together, Teddy and Audri walked from the Common Room to the Great Hall, to wait for their guests. They would all eat together, just in case Slughorn only had appetizers. Everyone knew how Teddy could get when he didn't have a full meal three times a day.

Once in the Hall, they saw a fluttering of bats against the enchanted ceiling, and floating Jack-O-Lanterns in between the four tables and lining the walls. Some were carved so intricately as Dumbledore or Nearly Headless Nick, while others were simple faces that boored unto yours. They sat, looking at the Halloween feast before them. It was so magical and so unlike home, Audri almost cried. She was beginning to realize how deeply she missed her parents. Grace normally made simple sandwiches, so as to get to Richard's parent's faster to celebrate with his younger sister and her children. They would take all the 'cousins' trick-or-treating and end up back at Nana May's, that was what Richard's mother insisted her grandchildren call her, even Audri, who she seemed to love the most. There, they would eat an assortment of goods, such as pistachio pudding, because it was green, and filled with worms, and Audri's favorite, chocolate bread-pudding. Nana May made bread-pudding as good as the Hogwart's elves.

Finally, Indira and Ethan met them, after a talk with Professor Ash about attending Sluggy's party. She waved at them as she strode to the long table at the end of the hall.

"Do wizard children go trick-or-treating?" Audri asked, helping herself to steak and kidney pudding.

"Sure. Muggles made it famous, but modern Wizards take their kids out for some fun as well. We just don't dress up. Don't wanna be rude to a goblin or troll, eh?" Teddy smiled lopsidedly and piled his plate with turkey and more.

"My mum doesn't," Ethan said sadly. "But my muggle Aunt Viv took me once, when my mum was on vacation. Mum wasn't very happy with Aunt Viv after that."

"Why not?" Teddy asked, spewing yams all over Ethan. Audri hit him, which made him bashful and apologize. Indira just shook her head, before spooning a bit of Shepard's Pie into her mouth delicately.

"I suppose it's 'cause Mum's a witch? My dad said she has a great uncle who's part dwarf, but I'm not sure how much I believe that." Ethan shrugged and went back to eating quietly. Audri nodded and mulled the thought of Halloween over.

"Do you miss your parents?" Audri asked nonchalantly. Thankfully, Teddy took that to mean Harry and Ginny.

"They've just barely left, but I guess I do miss Harry and Gin a bit." Teddy's eyes twinkled.

"We all miss our parents, but we will see them in some months time, right?" Indira said wistfully. Audri nodded again. Teddy took a cursory glance at his watch.

"Blimey, we need to head down to Sluggy's." He took a last bite that was so large he looked like a bull frog with so much food stuffed into his mouth. The other three chuckled at his face, before strolling out of the Great Hall and opposite of the Hufflepuff dorms. It always seemed gloomier near Potions and the Slytherin dorms. The halls were darker and tapestries were more gory. Audri remembered how Luna said Harry once took her to a Slughorn party. She called it quite fancy and said Slughorn knew very many famous people.

The Professor's office was filled with people, and looked nothing like an office. It looked more like a purple tent that was big enough for a carnival. Little house elfs with platters of food and drink waited on various people or glided past, allowing guests to grab for themselves. It seemed as if a bell was rung when their feet stepped into the room, because Slughorn met with them immediately.

"Oh this is quite the jig, eh?" Slughorn's eyes marveled at his party. "I'm very glad for you youngsters to join me! There are some of your friends here, I believe you know of a lovely Miss Regina Bell of Gryfindor?" He ushered them towards the center to see their fellow first year who was chattnig with her friend, Lane Windsor, and a few Ravenclaws.

"Hello, Teddy!" Regina hugged him, before politely welcoming the others to her little circle. Teddy was obviously the most popular Hufflepuff first year.

"Wonderful! I'm so glad you youngsters could make it. There are some important people here, make yourselves known! I must be saying hello to..." But he was barely heard of the din of noise as he strode away from them.

"Hey, it's the captain of Holyhead Harpies! Gwenog Jones," Ethan said, misty-eyed.

"I met her once, years ago, when Ginny was on the team. She wasn't very nice to me. Don't think she enjoys children much," Teddy shrugged, rejoining his former conversation of the feast.

"She looks very serious." Audri quietly noted. Indira nodded as if this were a very important fact.

"Good evening," Professor Longbottom smiled at the group of children.

"Hello, Profesor," Audri said, causing the others to turn and make their greeting.

"Audri, I think there's someone waiting for you by the punch bowl." He said, inclining his head and glass of Firewhiskey towards the other side of the room. Audri look strangely at the profesor before taking his advice, and dragging Indira with her to a great bowl of punch on the other half of the room. A woman with long scraggely bonde hair was chatting with a tall dark-haird man, with a hooked nose.

"Luna!" Audri ran up and hugged her "godmother" of sorts. Luna hugged her back, shaking Indira's hand.

"It's a very lovely party, isn't it?" Luna smiled demurely. "This is my fellow naturalist, Rolf Scamander."

"Hello, sir," the girls said politely. He was kind looking, and shook their hands vigorously.

"Very nice to make your acquantance. Luna has told me much of, Audri." He smiled crookedly.

"I'm sorry for not replying to your last letter. I figured this would be much more exciting if it were a surprise," Luna said. "Have you heard abuot the werewolf?

That night went better than it's home-sickly beginning, with Luna, Neville and Rolf telling of their adventures in the forests of China, as well as their times at Hogwarts. Audri missed her parents a little less after seeing Luna and Professor Longbottom at the party. There were a great many stories she now knew of her teacher and confidante.

I'm so sorry this is late and not a really swell chapter. :( I will try to speed things up a bit and help reveal more of Audri's parents, although you all should know of Snape. ;) I dedicate this to my close friend, GryffGirl7, for her patience with me, and because she's been waiting for this crap-tastic chapter. I hope the next will be better for you.