A riddlesome adventure

Chapter 8- A Festive Surprise

You wake up in the morning after having the whole girls dorm to yourself. It would almost be nice if you didn't have to spend the next THREE weeks with THE MOST annoying person ON EARTH. 

You tread as lightly as possible as you go down the stairs, hoping to sneak out before the Riddster catches you but, to your dismay, he's waiting for you at the bottom of the staircase. Well lucky you. 

The two of you head down for breakfast in the Great Hall. Even Riddlebob's walk is annoying- he walks as if he has two hands for feet and he can't quite sustain his body and so he walks in short, quick movements, picking up his feet an irritating amount off the ground. When you get to the Hall there's an odd scent awaiting you and a definite draft blowing across the knees. A leaflet brushes against your leg- you read it and it is a poster saying:

HOGWARTS TO CLOSE OVER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS:

ALL STAFF AND ELVES TO FINALLY SPEND THE DAY WITH THEIR FAMILIES.

NO STUDENT TO SPEND THE HOLIDAY IN THE SCHOOL. 

Your heart stops. No student to spend the holiday in the school. Sadly, there can be no question of your spending the holiday anywhere else. You know that Riddley is an orphan so you assume there's no question of him going either. You're planning on spending the summer with Vacuole's parents so you don't want to push your luck by spending Christmas there too. There seems to be only one option. You and Riddlag will have to stay there in secret. You show this to Roddleo and the two of you seem to agree without even mentioning it. There is no way either of you is going home for Christmas. 

There is now a couple of apparent obstacles- the most important being: how are we going to eat? You voice this to the Riddlemister and he  clearly knows the answer. He leads you out of the Great Hall and down a flight of stairs. Down here is a stone corridor- he leads you to a mundane painting of a fruit bowl, tickles the picture of a pear which laughs and forms a door. He clearly knows his way around better than you- which is a bonus. You open the door and enter a large kitchen. One of the best things about staying in school for the holidays is that you can still use magic and quite soon there's a bubbling pot of spinach, ham and papaya soup on the hob. You and the Biddler have a spot of trouble finding the soup spoons but quite soon you both have a full tummy and a warm gullet.  

It's a miserable, rainy day and so you find yourselves in need of a hang out spot. The Slytherin common room seems a little dreary on a day like today so you both brainstorm where to hang out. This time, it's you who finds the answer. Just down the corridor is the Hufflepuff common room, concealed behind a stack of barrels. Your brothers had foolishly told you how to get in and they'd also told you how comfy and cosy it is. You lead the Biddlebobster back down the corridor to the concealed entranceway and you tap the correct barrel in the tune of Helga Hufflepuff  which reveals the door. At least your family did something for you. 

The Hufflepuff common room is just as comfortably situated as your brothers had described. You can even see yourself living there. You can see the life you had always planned for and wonder if your parents and brothers are together now, sitting round the old kitchen table- perhaps they're even thinking about you. But you aren't Plobbus McFinn any more and that dream was always just that; a dream, you did what you had to do. You're Luci Pobbsmufnn now. 

In your reflections, you'd almost forgotten about the Beddllefroblobster, who seems impressed that you know where one of the other common rooms are. You wonder if you might have given too much away. You spend the afternoon playing wizarding chess and practising advanced spells. The two of you have long surpassed the first year curriculum and it's perhaps even fun having an equal for once. Before long it's dark. You head off back to your rooms and anxiously await the dawn of Christmas day.