Yellow || Fred Weasley

20 || a typical gryffindor

It was well into December, and the Hogwarts grounds was already covered in blankets of white as students started dressing warmer for the holidays. That particular morning, however, a strong blizzard hit the area, making it darker than it usually is even though it was still quite early in the day.

Gaia stood in the library of Hogwarts, dressed in a thicker set of Hogwarts robes with a thick Ravenclaw scarf wrapped around her neck, her eyes scanning across the covers of the books placed on the shelves for a book on Arithmancy to help her with the assignment. She grumbled in annoyance when she didn't see the title she was looking for amidst the books.

"Alright, Gaia?" Aisha asked as she walked up beside Ravenclaw, clutching a book on Divination in her arms, "What're you doing in the library? Shouldn't you be in Arithmancy class?"

Aisha was dressed similarly to Gaia, her robes and scarf showing the Hufflepuff colors instead of blue.

"Professor Vector decided to let us have the period to do whatever we want, preferably to do the homework she assigned over the holidays," Gaia explained, her shoulders slumping as she walked away from the shelves in defeat when she still didn't find the book she needed.

"How considerate of her," Aisha hummed, taking note of the scattered students across the library that seemed to be there for the same reason as Gaia.

Gaia plopped down on a table where she left her unfinished essay, a Slytherin student scribbling on her own parchment a few seats away. She picked up her quill and started writing down what she could remember from their lesson. Aisha followed, glancing at the Slytherin cautiously before taking a seat in front of Gaia. Gaia glanced up to see Aisha glancing at the Slytherin.

"Mariah's muggle-born, so you don't need to worry about anything," Gaia informed, watching the tension leave the Hufflepuff's body.

"That's nice to know," Aisha mumbled, "Which reminds me, have you heard about Harry?"

"What about Harry?" Gaia raised an eyebrow, not lifting her eyes from the parchment in front of her.

"The thing during Lockhart's dueling club," Aisha elaborated, opening the Divination textbook and letting her eyes fall on the pages of the book.

"Oh." Gaia looked up from her essay, "You mean the parseltongue thing? How's the kid, by the way. He's a Hufflepuff, isn't he?"

News of Harry Potter supposedly goading a snake to attack Justin Finch-Fletchley spread like wildfire. Nearly everyone in the school knew it before the day was even finished.

"A bit shaken up, but he's fine," Aisha shrugged, glancing up from her book for a split second.

The two went silent after that, each one busy with their own studying. Gaia was snapped out of focus when she heard the familiar voice of Harry. She whipped her head to the side to see him standing at the edge of a table where a group of Hufflepuffs sat. From what she could see, he was telling the something but the Hufflepuffs were visibly trembling. Harry's face showed frustration as his voice got louder and louder, although Gaia still couldn't hear what he was saying, before he stormed away from the table quite noisily, earning himself a glare from Madam Pince.

"You going home for the holidays?" Aisha asked, diverting her attention from Harry, who had already left the library.

"Hm? Oh, no. Mum owled Lele last week saying that she might be busy at St. Mungo's and dad's currently being swamped by work at the ministry so it might be best for us to stay at Hogwarts since they might not be around much. You?" Gaia answered, dipping her now-dry quill into the ink pot and continuing the essay.

"I'm staying as well. I told mum and dad that I wanted to stay," Aisha answered, turning to the next page of her book.

"Aren't you scared, though? With this whole 'enemies of the heir, beware' thing, you'd be safer back at home, being muggle-born and all," Gaia suggested, looking at her concerned.