Wish Upon A Star

Detention in the Kitchens

As she trudged up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room, a tapping noise met her ears. She looked around to see a tawny owl tapping on the window. Ashlyn opened the window and let the owl in. She untied the letter and read it as the owl flew off. 

"It's from Moody," she said, answering the questioning looks from Hermione, Harry, and Ron.

"He says that I'm to go to do my detention today. It is preponed, due to the Triwizard Tournament preparation," she continued. Ashlyn sighed sadly. 

"See you, I guess," she said as she walked back to the portrait hole and made her way to the kitchens.

On her way, she met Cedric. 

"Hey," she said gloomily.

"An enthusiastic greeting" Cedric said as he walked beside her. "You looked troubled at dinner" he continued.

"Oh, that. That was just Harry, Ron, and Hermione being idiots," she said waving the newly formed embarrassment away.

"Then what is all this gloom and doom about?" Cedric asked, waving his hands around her head.

"Detention," Ashlyn groaned.

"For?"

"Moody. I blasted him across the classroom" Ashlyn said, slouching

"What?!" Cedric froze on the spot.

"It was by accident! He...kinda startled me. With the curses and all. The spider looked so pitiful and I just hated that curse. It happened by mistake. I didn't mean to do it!" Ashlyn ranted, waving her hands in frustration.

Cedric sighed and patted her back. "It's alright. Where are you doing the detention, by the way?"

"I'm supposed to scrub the kitchens without magic," Ashlyn said monotonously.

"That's near the Hufflepuff common room," he said sounding a bit too enthusiastic for the situation. He probably realised this and said in a more calm tone, 

"I'll walk you there. Do you know how to get in?"

"Yeah," Ashlyn said. "Tickle the pear"

"Exactly!" Cedric said brightly.

After a few minutes of casual conversation, they reached the kitchens. Moody was standing near the portrait of the fruit bowl.

"See you've got someone to escort you, Clarke," Moody said in his low growl.

"Good evening, Professor," Cedric said.

"In you go. I've arranged it with elves. And you can go to your common room, Diggory." Moody said as he tickled the pear, which gave a small giggle and the kitchen doors appeared. Ashlyn waved Cedric goodbye as he left, looking slightly uncomfortable.

Ashlyn walked in and two elves came, holding up a tray with a brush and two more elves came wobbling under the weight of the bucket with water they were holding.

"Thanks," Ashlyn said as she took it from them.

"Hello, Dobby! Hello Winky!" Ashlyn said when she spotted them.

Dobby had smiled brightly and given a deep bow, but Winky seemed to barely acknowledge her. Ashlyn sighed and got to work.

It was tedious. Ron had described how work was hard when they did it without magic and it all suddenly seemed like an understatement. Ron had a habit of exaggerating too. Maybe she was depending too much on magic, that manual labour seemed tiring.