A Winter at Hogwarts

Where Things Went Wrong

I sat down at an empty seat in the great hall, ready for my N.E.W.T. exam. Winter found a seat next to me and the air became heavy again. Ever since last year, she had a bitterness towards me and Jamie.

It wasn't really my fault. Someone was going to give Winter a box full of chocolates that were laced with Amortentia, a powerful love potion. I still don't know who it was, but Jamie ended up snagging the chocolates from her and ended up falling head over heels for me.

As I was making my way to potions class, Jamie caught up with me and started being unusually nice. Throughout the potions class she kept staring at me with big eyes and a very flirtatious smile.

The bell rang, Winter was standing outside the classroom, (she had a free period) and Jamie gave my hand a squeeze and said "I'll see you tomorrow."

I slipped my hand right out of Jamies when she grabbed it, but I was too late. It was then that Winter saw it. My body froze at the look of disappointment in her eyes.

"That wasn't what it looked like." I said to her.

"Well...we never really dated...I never really made an official move...I suppose I should have seen it coming." Winter was holding back tears as hard as she possibly could, trying to blink them away, but with a futile effort. She walked away, silently sobbing, and we didn't speak a word to each other for a long time.

* * *

I finished writing about patronuses in my N.E.W.T. exam and set my quill down. Sitting back in my seat, a large sigh escaped me. Glad that's over. I thought to myself. The sound of quills still filled the air, and I had to dare a silent glance at Winter. She was still writing something, and there was nothing else to do, so I put my head down on my desk, thinking of a way that I could mend my friendship with Winter.

Every time I sat on the big yellow couch in the common room, she walked by with silence. When we did make eye contact, it was nothing more than blank stares. It had to stop, I mean we were in Hufflepuff for Merlin's sake. Would she listen if I tried to tell her again? With the way we went off on each other last year...it was hard to say.

Jamie and I had made our way down to the forbidden forrest to see if we could find an acromantula to study them for our N.E.W.T. exams. We should have brought Hagrid with us, but he was nowhere to be found.

The forrest was dark, even when the sun was out. Jamie wouldn't let go of my hand, even if nothing in the forrest moved, and it was dead silent. "Lumos!" I said, pulling out my wand and we could see more clearly.

There was a twig that snapped and we both turned around to see what it was. Jamie had her wand at the ready and lit as well. We looked around behind us for a few moments, and were about to continue on, but when we turned back around, we nearly died.

"Protego totalum!" I yelled as a large acromentula lunged at us. A large glass bubble surrounded Jamie and I both, protecting us.

Jamie was standing behind me, and when the giant spider moved, she moved. "Get away! Get away! Make it go away!" She screamed.

"Why did you want to come down here, when your boggart was a big spider?!" I half yelled at her.

"I don't know!" She hollered back.

There was only one, so I tried to develop a plan. Use your head, Vince. THINK!

I then remembered a spell that repels acromentulas. If I could get it on the other side of the protective charm I casted, I would be able to repel it and we could get out of here, I thought to myself.

It took some waiting, but when it got right where I wanted it, I said to Jamie. "Okay, I'm going to repel it. When I do, the protective charm around us is going to disappear, and we're going to make a run for it. Understand?"

Jamie nodded, still standing behind me.

The acromantula launched itself once more at us, and as the protective charm disappeared I yelled "Arania Exumai!" and a jet of blue light shot from my wand and the spider went flying backwards. I turned to Jamie, and this time, willingly took her hand. "Run!"

We both bolted for the edge of the Forbidden Forrest. When we came out, Hagrid was in his pumpkin patch.

"Blimey! Whatd'yeh think yer doin' in there?"

Jamie and I both panting tried to explain.

"There was....big spider..."

"Studying....N.E.W.T.s."

"Tried...attacked us..."

"We ran all the way up here." I said in one exhausted breath.

"Didn' they call it the Forbidden Forrest fer a reason?" Said Hagrid, scolding us. "Get back up to the castle. Both o' yeh. Let that big spider be a lesson fer yeh ter stay out o' there."

I had never seen Hagrid upset like that. Usually he's always sending letters to me to invite me down for tea, which I never declined.

When Jamie and I made it back up to the courtyard, she halted, standing in front of me. "You kinda saved my life, back there. Thank you." Without warning, she kissed me.

I gently pushed her back. "Woah...Jamie...didn't you make fun of me for being a mudblood?"

"Yeah, Jamie! Whatever happened to him being a filthy mudblood?" Said Winter from across the courtyard.

Winter had her wand raised and pointed in our direction. I didn't know who she had it pointed at but something told me she just saw me kiss Jamie, and now she was heartbroken. Looking closer, her face was red with fury and her eyes were moist with tears that she didn't want to show out of anger.

"You want to go rounds?" Jamie asked, raising her wand. "You don't want to underestimate me."

I stood back, not wanting to get involved in this. "Where do you think you're going?" Winter said, pointing her wand at me.

"I tried to tell you, Winter, things aren't what they seem. I have no beef with you, so if you want to fight her, be my guest." I replied, trying to walk away.

Winter sent a jinx at me that hit me in the back and I stumbled forward. "Hey!" Jamie yelled, and she sent a jinx at Winter.

"Expelliarmus!" Winter yelled, and Jamie's wand went flying. "Petrificus Totalus!"

Jamie fell to the ground, frozen, and Winter pointed her wand at me.

"Why do you want to fight me, Winter. You're a Hufflepuff, you're better than this." I said.

"My question is how could you kiss me and not assume that I wouldn't be hurt if you wouldn't have me after? Yes, I know it was just one night...but that's what I was trying to tell you before you swept me off my feet with a dance. That's why I'm angry. I'm angry at myself for lying. For telling you I would be happy whether or not we dated after, and....UGH!"

Winter sent another jinx at me and I blocked it. She sent another and another, jinx after jinx and I had to keep blocking. When she advanced, I had to take a couple of steps back until I was cornered.

"Winter! Stop!" I yelled, but she wouldn't listen. "Don't make me do this!"

Winter sent one more jinx that hit me in the chest. That's it. I thought to myself. Now, you've gone too far.

"Expelliarmus!" I yelled, and Winter's wand flew out of her hand. It was painful for us both, because that was the first D.A.D.A. spell we learned together. The next spell I sent at her was the second one we learned on our second day. "Stupefy!"

Winter was stunned, and while she was down, I grabbed her wand and Jamies. I walked over to Jamie and with my wand pointed at her, said "Finite!"

Jamie stood up and brushed herself off. I handed her wand back and said "Go back to your common room. I'll handle this." With a nod, Jamie walked back to her common room.

I walked back over to Winter and noticed she wasn't stunned anymore. She was just laying there. "Winter?" I said.

"Don't bother." She said, standing up. I gave Winter her wand back and before I could say "we need to talk." she stormed off.