Au Revoir - Chapter Seventeen
CHARLOTTE FELT HORRIBLE AS SHE woke up the next morning. She was hot all over her body, her nose was stuffy that she couldn't breathe properly, her head was pounding and her body ached as she got out of bed.
"Charlie, you look horrible!" said Lavender as soon as she left the bathroom already dressed in her school robes.
"Thanks, Lav – really needed that one," croaked Charlotte, coughing.
Charlotte took out her school robes and a pair of school shoes from her trunk, slamming it shut.
"Charlie, I think you need to go to Madame Pomfrey," said Parvati, who was tying her hair into a ponytail as she watched the blonde as she sauntered tiredly towards the bathroom to take a shower.
"No, I'm alright," she said, clearing her throat, "Say – where's Hermione?"
"She went down for breakfast – she told me to tell you to hurry up or you'd miss it," said Parvati, carrying her book bag, ready to leave the dorm with Lavender.
"Alright – thank you,"
After a few minutes, Charlotte was dressed in her own school robes and was slipping on her school shoes, trying to ignore her aching body.
She lazily trudged down the common room, only to be greeted by Seamus and Dean who were leaving as well.
"Geez, Charlie – you look terrible," said Seamus bluntly in his Irish accent.
"What a nice thing to say to a girl, Finnigan," said Charlotte sarcastically, coughing loudly as the portrait opened, the three of them making their way towards the Great Hall for breakfast.
"You sure you're alright?" asked Dean, concerned about the blonde's well-being.
"I'm fine, Thomas – probably just need some breakfast," said Charlotte as the passed the entrance hall and entered the great hall, walking towards the direction of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"Hey guys," Charlotte plopped herself next to Harry, stealing a piece of his bacon.
"You know, you really have a knack for stealing other people's food," said Harry as she piled her own plate with pancakes and bacon.
"'ou look orr'ble," said Ron, his mouth filled with food.
Charlotte grumbled, "why do people keep telling me that?"
Harry placed the back of his hand on Charlotte's forehead, "You're burning up!"
Charlotte swatted Harry's hand away, "I'm fine."
Hermione opened her mouth to speak but Professor McGonagall came to them and handed out their new course schedules. Charlotte chose Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures as her electives – she dropped out of Divination like Hermione.
Charlotte massaged her temples, trying to ease her pounding headache.
"Today's not bad... outside all morning," said Ron, while reading his own schedule. "Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and Care of Magical Creatures... damn it, we're still with the Slytherins... "
"Why do they always pair us with Slytherins?" croaked Charlotte as she stabbed her bacon with a fork.
"Double Divination this afternoon," Harry groaned, observing his own schedule.
"You poor thing," said Charlotte, dramatically patting Harry's head, messing up his already messy hair.
"You should have given it up like me and Charlie, shouldn't you?" said Hermione briskly, buttering herself some toast. "Then you'd be doing something sensible like Arithmancy. "
"You're eating again, I notice," said Ron in an amused tone.
"I've decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights," said Hermione haughtily.
"Yeah... and you were hungry," said Ron, grinning.
Charlotte put her head on her hands, her headache getting worse by the minute.
"Charlie, I really think you need to go to the Hospital Wing," said Hermione, putting down her buttered toast on her plate.
"Yeah – I think I'll go," said Charlotte, unable to bear her headache. She slung her bag on her shoulder and quickly stepped out of the Hall.
Suddenly, a figure bumped into her and Charlotte staggered before steadying herself.
"Oh – sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going,"
Charlotte looked up and saw Cedric Diggory's tall figure standing before her.
"It's fine," she said, giving him a weak smile before making her way to the stairs.
Heavy footsteps thudded on the ground from behind her, Charlotte whipped her head back and saw Cedric jogging up to her.
He stopped in front of her, panting slightly.
"Um – do you need anything?" asked Charlotte, staring curiously at the handsome boy in front of her.
"I – um – I just wanted to know if you're alright?" asked Cedric, his cheeks flushed.
Charlotte fought back a grin from escaping her lips and cleared her sore throat, "I'm actually going to Madame Pomfrey – I'm feeling a bit under the weather today,"
"Oh – I'll walk you there if you don't mind,"
Charlotte was taken aback – it's not every day a handsome Hufflepuff prefect offers to bring her to the Hospital Wing.
"Alright," said Charlotte, smiling at him kindly.
The two of them trudged up the stairs in oddly comfortable silence – Charlotte was having a hard time carrying her school bag with the number of books she stored in it.
Cedric noticed this and took the bag from her and slung it on his shoulder.
"No – it's alright, I'll car-"
"It's fine – and besides, we're almost there," said Cedric as they climbed up the first floor.
Handsome, AND a gentleman... thought Charlotte, as they entered the double doors of the Hospital Wing.
"Already, Ms. Andrews?" asked Madame Pomfrey, ushering her towards an empty bed.
Charlotte smiled sheepishly at her in response as she sat down on the bed.
She's been at the Hospital Wing countless times, so it wasn't really a shock to Madame Pomfrey that she was back there. It was a bloody miracle that she even managed to get good grades from the amount of time she spends in the Hospital Wing than in class.
"I think I have a cold," said Charlotte coughing as she felt her throat itch.
Madame Pomfrey excused herself to go to the back to get a potion for her, leaving Charlotte and Cedric alone.
Cedric had dropped Charlotte's bag at the edge of the bed, and he was silently observing the drowsy girl on the bed.
"So – um – have you taken your breakfast yet?" Charlotte asked, breaking the silence between them.
"Unfortunately – no," said Cedric, chuckling, "I was – but then I bumped into you an-"
Madame Pomfrey came back with a potion in hand. She handed the potion to Charlotte who took it, grimacing at the awful taste.
Madame Pomfrey finally noticed Cedric in the room and ushered him out, "See you around?"
Charlotte smiled weakly, "see you,"
...
Unfortunately for Charlotte, she missed Herbology.
Unlike her three friends, Charlotte actually liked Herbology.
She liked nature in general.
And that is why she chose Care of Creatures for her elective.
As the booming bell echoed around the castle, Charlotte bid Madame Pomfrey a good-bye before making her way to her next class down the sloping lawn towards Hagrid's small cabin at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
She quickly made her way towards Harry, Ron, and Hermione who were walking towards Hagrid's hut.
"Hey guys," said Charlotte as she walked next to Harry, "what did I miss?"
"Feeling any better?" asked Harry.
"Better than this morning," she answered before turning towards Hagrid, who was standing outside his hut, holding Fang's collar.
Fang was whimpering, wanting to take a look at the insides of the several opened crates in front of Hagrid's feet. As they got closer, Charlotte swore she heard minor explosions coming from the box.
"Mornin'!" Hagrid said, grinning at Charlotte, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Be'er wait fer the Slytherins, they won' want ter miss this - Blast-Ended Skrewts!"
"Come again?" said Ron.
Hagrid pointed down into the crates.
"Eurgh!" squealed Lavender, jumping backward.
Charlotte took a peek and looked at it disgustedly. They looked like lobsters – but without the shells.
Charlotte thought they looked disgusting – they even smelled disgusting!
"Oh bloody hell," said Charlotte, scrunching her nose at the smell.
Every now and then, sparks would fly out of the end of a skrewt, and with a small explosion-like sound, it would be propelled forward several inches.
"On'y jus' hatched," said Hagrid proudly, "so yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yerselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project of it!"
"And why would we want to raise them?" said an annoying voice that is owned by non-other than Draco Malfoy with his stupid goons chuckling like it was the funniest thing in the world.
Hagrid looked stumped at the question.
"I mean, what do they do?" asked Malfoy. "What is the point of them?"
Hagrid opened his mouth, apparently thinking hard; there was a few seconds' pauses, then he said roughly, "Tha's next lesson, Malfoy. Yer jus' feedin' 'em today. Now, yeh'll wan' ter try 'em on a few diff'rent things - I've never had 'em before, not sure what they'll go fer - I got ant eggs an' frog livers an' a bit o' grass snake - just try 'em out with a bit of each. "
"First pus and now this," muttered Seamus.
Charlotte turned to her friends, "pus?"
They shrugged and picked up handfuls of frog liver and lowered them into the crates.
Charlotte was squeamish the whole time. She found it pointless that they were feeding Blast-Ended Skrewts who looked they don't have any mouths.
"This is pointless – they don't look like they have mouths!" Charlotte whispered to Ron, who squirmed as the skrewt came close to his hand.
"Ouch!" yelled Dean after about ten minutes. "It got me. "
Hagrid hurried over to Dean, "Its end exploded!" said Dean angrily, showing Hagrid a burn on his hand.
"Ah, yeah, that can happen when they blast off," said Hagrid, nodding.
"They blast off?" said Charlotte, baffled.
"Eurgh!" said Lavender once again. "Eurgh, Hagrid, what's that pointy thing on it?"
"Ah, some of 'em have got stings," said Hagrid in a very joyous tone.
Charlotte – who had her hand in the crates like Lavender – quickly withdrew her hand. "Bloody hell!"
"I reckon they're the males... The females've got sorta sucker things on their bellies... I think they might be ter suck blood. " said Hagrid.
"Well, I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive," said Malfoy sarcastically. "Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting, and bite all at once?"
"Oh shut up, Malfoy – skrewts might not be pretty but they're actually pretty useful unlike you," snapped Charlotte throwing the frog liver into the crate in anger.
Draco sent a scrutinizing glare at Charlotte, which she raised an eyebrow at – daring him to reply.
"Dragon blood's amazingly magical, but you wouldn't want a dragon for a pet, would you?" added Hermione, equally infuriated as Charlotte was.
At the corner of her eye, she saw Harry and Ron grinning at Hagrid who secretly smiled back at them.
Charlotte briefly remembered Norbert from during their first year – but that was it, she only remembered Hagrid owning him for a brief period of time but she doesn't exactly remember what happened to Nobert after.
"Well, at least the skrewts are small," said Ron, breaking Charlotte's train of thought.
The four of them made their way towards the castle for some lunch before the next class started.
"They are now," said Charlotte in an exasperated voice, "but once Hagrid's found out what they eat, I expect they'll be six feet long. "
"Well, that won't matter if they turn out to cure seasickness or something, will it?" said Ron, grinning slyly at her.
"I only said that to shut Malfoy up," said Charlotte, hotly. "I can't believe I'm saying this – but I think he's right. The best thing to do would be to stamp on the lot of them before they start attacking us all."
They sat down at the Gryffindor table and piled their own plates with some lamb chops and potatoes that were set on the table.
Hermione started to stuff her mouth full, with lamb chops that Charlotte, Harry, and Ron stared at her as if she grew five heads.
"Er - is this the new stand on elf rights?" said Charlotte. "Stuffing your mouth with lamb chops and potatoes?"
"No," said Hermione, as she could muster with her mouth bulging with sprouts. "I just want to get to the library."
"I'll come with!" said Charlotte, stuffing her mouth with lamb chops and potatoes like Hermione.
"What?" said Ron in disbelief. "Charlie – Hermione – It's the first day back! We haven't even got homework yet!"
Charlotte paid no attention to him and continued stuffing her mouth, occasionally drinking some juice to help the food go down without her choking.
As she finished, she hastily wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and swung her glass of juice to her lips and emptied its contents.
Hermione and Charlotte leaped to their foot and departed from the Great Hall at Ron and Harry – who stared at them, bewildered.
"See you at dinner!" called Charlotte as the two made their way out.
"Oh – I forgot!" said Hermione, stopping abruptly in front of the entrance of the library.
"This came for you – I don't know who's it from though," said Hermione, handing her a box with an envelope stuck on top.
Charlotte grinned enthusiastically, "It's probably from dad,"
Hermione looked skeptical, "I dunno – the owl that delivered it looked like a school owl,"
Charlotte raised an eyebrow and first opened the envelope, taking out a small piece of parchment.
You can fall from the sky and you can fall from a tree, but the best way for you to fall is to fall in love with me.
- D
Charlotte laughed, "Oh my god – that's one of the cheesiest puns I've ever read!"
Hermione took the note out of the hands of the chortling blonde, who was now sprawled at the ground.
"Who do you think this D is?" asked Hermione, who was now observing the back of the note.
Charlotte got up from the ground, brushing off the tears of joy that escaped from her eyes. "Dunno but I do hope I get more puns like this,"
...
A few minutes before the start of afternoon lessons, Hermione and Charlotte were already seated for their Arithmancy class. They had it with the Slytherins and Charlotte was alright with it as long as they kept their mouths shut.
The classroom was filled as soon as the bell rang, and Professor Vector started the introduction.
They spent the hour working on problems which Charlotte found a bit hard – she kept asking Hermione for help who happily obliged.
The bell rang around the castle, signaling the end of class.
Hermione and Charlotte joined the huge crowd of students that were going towards the Great Hall for dinner. Soon they saw Harry and Ron who looked like they were in a bad mood.
"Lots of homework?" said Hermione brightly, as the both of them caught up with a grumbling Ron and Harry. "Professor Vector didn't give us any at all!"
"Well, bully for Professor Vector," said Ron moodily.
They reach the entrance hall that was filled with people lining up for dinner. They had just joined the end of the line when a loud, annoying voice rang out behind them.
"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!"
Charlotte, Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned and saw tweedle dumb with tweedle dumber and tweedle dumbest, who looked pleased about something
"What?" said Ron shortly.
"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" said Malfoy, holding up a copy of the Daily Prophet. "Listen to this!
FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC
"It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles is not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."
Malfoy looked up from the paper. "Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?"
Charlotte growled, clenching her robes. Stay calm, Charlie – Malfoy is just being an annoying prat as always. She thought, breathing heavily.
Everyone in the entrance hall was listening now. Malfoy straightened the paper with a flourish and read on:
"Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene."
"And there's a picture, Weasley!" said Malfoy, flipping the paper over and holding it up. "A picture of your parents outside their house - if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"
Ron was shaking with fury. Everyone was staring at him.
"YOU SHUT UP, MALFOY!" said Charlotte, charging at him but only to be held back by Harry and Hermione.
"Get stuffed, Malfoy," said Harry quickly before Charlotte makes a scene. "C'mon, Ron... "
"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter? I suppose you did too, Andrews? Since 'daddy' doesn't love you anymore," sneered Malfoy. "So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"
"IS YOUR LIFE THAT PATHETIC THAT YOU TAKE THE MICKEY OUT OF OTHER'S LIFESTYLES? YOU'RE A TOSSER! I HOPE YOU CH-"
"You know your mother, Malfoy?" said Harry, cutting Charlotte off. Both Harry and Hermione had grabbed the back of Charlotte and Ron's robes to stop them from launching themselves at Malfoy – "that expression she's got like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?"
Malfoy's pale face went slightly pink.
"Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter. "
"Keep your fat mouth shut, then," said Harry, turning away from Malfoy, pulling Charlotte with him.
BANG!
Fortunately for Charlotte, she had fast reflexes and was able to dodge Malfoy's attack.
Several people around them screamed, Charlotte whipped out her wand from her robes and pointed it to Malfoy – but before she could hex him back, another BANG echoed around the entrance hall.
"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!"
Professor Moody limped down the marble staircase with his wand pointing at the now ferret version of Draco Malfoy.
Charlotte stared in silence – her wand still pointed at Malfoy the ferret, who was on the ground, shaking in fear.
"Did he get you?" Moody growled to Harry.
"No," said Harry, "missed. "
"LEAVE IT!" Moody shouted.
"Leave - what?" Harry said, bewildered.
"Not you - him!" Moody growled at Crabbe as he was caught crouching down to pick the Malfoy the ferret up. It seemed that Moody's rolling eye was magical and could see out of the back of his head.
Charlotte gaped – what the bloody hell.
Moody turned to where Crabbe, Goyle, and Malfoy the ferret where standing. The ferret gave a squeak and took off towards the direction of the dungeons.
"I don't think so!" roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again - it flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, and then bounced upward once more.
Charlotte's face contorted from terror – to amusement.
"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned," growled Moody as the ferret bounced higher and higher, squealing in terror. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do... "
The ferret flew through the air, its legs and tail flailing helplessly.
"Never - do - that - again -" said Moody, speaking each word as the ferret hit the stone floor and bounced upward again.
"Professor Moody!"
Professor McGonagall hurriedly ran down the staircase with her arms full of books.
"Hello, Professor McGonagall," said Moody, casually bouncing Draco with his wand.
"What - what are you doing?" said Professor McGonagall, her eyes following the bouncing ferret's progress through the air.
"Teaching," said Moody.
"Teac- "Charlotte tried stifling a laugh as Professor McGonagall dropped her books upon realizing, "Moody, is that a student?" she shrieked.
"Yep," said Moody.
The way Moody says it casually made it harder for Charlotte to stifle her giggles.
"No!" cried Professor McGonagall, running down the stairs and pulling out her wand, pointing it at Draco the ferret. A loud snapping noise rang around the entrance hall and Draco reappeared on the floor, pink in the face, and his hair all over the place. He quickly got to his feet, wincing as he did so.
"Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment!" said Professor McGonagall wieldy. "Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"
"He might've mentioned it, yeah," said Moody, scratching his chin unconcernedly, "but I thought a good sharp shock -"
"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"
"I'll do that, then," said Moody, staring at Malfoy with great dislike.
Malfoy looked like he was about to cry from pain and humiliation. Charlotte felt a slight pity rising from the pit of her stomach – or is it from hunger?
"Oh yeah?" said Moody darkly, limping forward a few steps. "Well, I know your father of old, boy... You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son... you tell him that from me... Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"
"Yes," said Malfoy, aggrieved.
"Another old friend," growled Moody. "I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape... Come on, you... "
He dragged Malfoy by the arm and marched towards the dungeons.
Professor McGonagall waved her wand and the books that fell soars into the air and piled up into her arms.
"Don't talk to me," Ron said as Charlotte, Harry, Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table.
"Why not?" said Hermione in surprise.
"Because I want to fix that in my memory forever," said Ron, his eyes closed with a beatific expression on his face. "Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret. "
Charlotte, Harry, and Hermione dissolved into laughter, and Hermione began doling beef casserole onto each of their plates.
"He could have really hurt Malfoy, though," she said. "It was good, really, that Professor McGonagall stopped it -"
"Hermione!" said Ron furiously, his eyes snapping open again, "you're ruining the best moment of my life!"
"Our lives, Ronald!" said Charlotte, in a fit of laughter. "I still can't believe I saw Draco Malfoy as a ferret!"
Hermione grumbled and began to eat at top speed again.
"Don't tell me you're going back to the library this evening?" said Harry, watching her.
"Got to," said Hermione thickly. "Loads to do. "
"But you told us Professor Vector -"
"It's not schoolwork," she said.
"I'll come by later," said Charlotte, calming down from her laughter. "I need to read ahead for Potions,"
There were a bunch of things that Charlotte wasn't good at – and one of them was Potions.
She was never good at the art of Potion making – she preferred Charms or Astronomy.
Within five minutes, Hermione had finished her meal and departed from the Great Hall to go to the library.
Unlike lunchtime, Charlotte took her time in eating her meal – helping herself with seconds.
"Moody!" said Fred so suddenly, making Charlotte drop her spoon, making a loud clang as it collides with the metal plate. "How cool is he?"
"Geez, Fredster," said Charlotte, picking up her spoon from her plate.
"Beyond cool," said George, sitting down opposite Fred, next to Charlotte.
"Supercool," said Lee Jordan, sliding into the seat beside George. "We had him this afternoon," he told Charlotte, Harry, and Ron.
"What was it like?" said Harry eagerly.
"I bet it was brilliant!" said Charlotte as she swung the goblet filled with pumpkin juice to her lips, emptying its contents.
Fred, George, and Lee exchanged looks.
"Never had a lesson like it," said Fred.
"He knows, man," said Lee.
"Knows what?" said Ron and Charlotte in sync.
"Knows what it's like to be out there doing it," said George impressively.
"Doing what?" said Harry.
"Fighting the Dark Arts," said Fred.
"He's seen it all," said George.
"'Mazing," said Lee.
Ron dived into his bag for his schedule.
"We haven't got him till Thursday!" he said in a disappointed voice.
"Damn – I can't wait!" said Charlotte, as she finished off the last of her meal.
Charlotte felt like someone was staring at her and caught the eye of Cedric at the Hufflepuff table, who offered her a kind and charming smile.
Charlotte felt her face turn pink and smiled back at him warmly before turning back to her meal.
"What're you smiling at?" asked Ron, looking behind him.
Charlotte glared at him, leaning forward to flick his forehead.
"Ouch!"
"Mind your own business, Weasley," said Charlotte, stuffing her mouth with food.
"I was just asking, geez," he mumbled, before turning back to his meal.
As Charlotte finished, she wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her robe and packed her things, slinging her school bag on her shoulder.
"Well boys – I'm off," said Charlotte, leaping up to her feet and sashayed away from her friends.
"To the library?" she heard Fred ask.
"Yupp," said Harry and Ron together watching their blonde friend as she sauntered out of the Great Hall.