𝕬 𝕯𝖆𝖗𝖐 𝕷𝖔𝖗𝖉 𝖎𝖘 𝕭𝖔𝖗𝖓 | 𝑇𝑜𝑚 𝑅𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑒 |

Chapter 23- Hogwarts and the Half-Giant

Daphne and the other Gryffindor girls were busy packing their bags for the journey ahead of them. It was the generally anticipated winter holiday season once again and most of the students were preparing for the upcoming vacation. As per usual, Frankie was being left behind to hold down the fort for the rest of the Gryffindors. However, this year she was actually handling it all much better than she had in years past. She seemed to be okay with being left behind by her friends on an occasion that was supposed to bring so much joy.

"I'm surprised, Frankie. You don't look very sad we're leaving this year."

"Well, it's not like I'll be completely alone. I'll get to spend the holidays with Ethan and Minerva." Frankie smiled, as she cheerily jumped off her bed. She had a very mature, level-headed, attitude about staying at Hogwarts for Christmas this year. However, she still didn't really feel like being in the dorms watching everyone pack, though. It still kind of hurt a little and was not much fun.

Perhaps, the boys would be downstairs procrastinating, or she could sink onto the plush couch and read by the fire for a while in the rare solitude. She grabbed the copy of The Monster Book of Monsters that Ogg had given to her for an early Christmas present and began to walk to the common room. Unfortunately, when she got there, the only ones down there were a couple of first year girls. They were getting in all the gossip they could before the vacation started tomorrow. Frankie wasn't a big fan of the first year girls. Despite her efforts to be kind, they took one look at Frankie and her book, and ran past her for the girl's dormitory stairs. She sighed and stared down at her book's beady black eyes. The Monster Book of Monsters wasn't on the school supply list anymore after an incident a couple years ago, when a Slytherin girl's copy bit her in the ass and she tried to sue the entire school. Kettleburn somehow managed to talk himself out of heavy fines and possibly wizard jail. All he had to do was simply remove the book from the curriculum.

So, Frankie was the only one with a copy at school now. Not legally, of course. She had to keep it hidden for the most part, but it was harder to keep it from prying eyes around the common room. It was such a help with her Care of Magical Creatures homework. Then, someone came around telling the first years that it was going to try and eat them, which was technically true. However, it's not like she would just sit there and let it happen. Frankie sat down on the couch and was about to start reading when she heard a loud mixture of a hiccup and a cough coming from the stairs.

"I can't believe he fell for it!"

She turned around to see who it was and sure enough the usual suspects came clamoring down. Monty and Quin surrounded Ethan, laughing, while he was hiccoughing and leaning against the wall trying to keep going straight down the stairs. The laughter subsided as their eyes met Frankie's, staring at them from the couch.

"It's nice to see you here." Quin smiled, taking up a seat beside her on the couch. However, she ignored him, getting up off the couch and running to the hacking boy's side.

"What did you two do to Ethan?" Frankie asked, giving his back a concerned pat. He coughed and sputtered, trying to answer her, but it was in vain.

"Oh, it was nothing really. He just accidentally ate a Hiccough sweet we were planning on giving to Pringle as an early Christmas gift." Quin replied, like it wasn't a big deal. However, he didn't take into account his friend's desperate condition. Then, he spotted the weird book lying next to him on the couch. Quin picked the fuzzy thing up and turned it over in his hands. "What is this thing?"

"It's a book." she answered, simply.

"It doesn't look like any book I've ever seen." he remarked. He stared at the small black eyes and the toothy clasp, analyzing it even further. Frankie was about to yell at him to just put it down, but Ethan's hiccoughing got worse, and he once again had to brace himself on the wall for support. Frankie was too busy trying to help him to notice Quin starting to take off the leather strap bounding the book together.