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ღchapter thirty two ( hermione's strange behavior )
THE STORM HAD blown itself out by the following morning, though the ceiling in the Great Hall was still gloomy; heavy clouds of pewter gray swirled overhead as Aster and Jules joined Hermione, Harry, and Ron at the Gryffindor table, examining their new course schedules as they ate breakfast.
A few seats along, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan were discussing magical methods of aging themselves and bluffing their way into the Triwizard Tournament. "Today's not bad... outside all morning," Ron said, who was running his finger down the Monday column of his schedule. "Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures..."
"Double Divination this afternoon," Harry groaned, looking down. Professor Trelawney kept predicting Harry's death, which he found extremely annoying, and Jules found incredibly fun.
"You should have given it up like me, shouldn't you?" Hermione huffed, buttering herself some toast. "Then you'd be doing something sensible like Arithmancy."
"I love Divination, at least I did at Ilvermorny," Aster frowned. She had iridescent green shadow on her eyelids, and her cheeks were a rosy-pink, fingers were covered in crystal rings, and a couple of different stones dangled from the necklaces around her neck. She had thrown a shawl reminiscent of Stevie Nicks over her uniform, and looked like a mini, more tame version of Professor Trelwaney.
"You're eating again, I notice," Ron said, watching Hermione adding liberal amounts of jam to her toast too.
"I've decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights," Hermione replied haughtily, Jules and Aster exchanging confused glances.
"Yeah... and you were hungry," Ron grinned.
There was a sudden rustling noise above them, and a hundred owls came soaring through the open windows carrying the morning mail. Instinctively, Jules looked up, but there was no sign of Sable's pale coat among the mass of brown and gray. The owls circled the tables, looking for the people to whom their letters and packages were addressed.
A large tawny owl soared down to Neville Longbottom and deposited a parcel into his lap- Neville almost always forgot to pack something. On the other side of the Hall Draco Malfoy's eagle owl had landed on his shoulder, carrying what looked like his usual supply of sweets and cakes from home.
Trying to ignore the sinking feeling of disappointment in her stomach, Jules returned to her porridge. Was it possible that something had happened to Sable, and that her mother and father hadn't even got her letter?
She remained distracted through her classes for the day. Transfiguration with the Slytherins that morning, and Care of Magical Creatures with all four houses after, as electives always were depending on the distribution of students between the classes.
