Clary had asked Lenox to Hogsmeade and he'd said yes. Rajani tells herself she doesn't really care, but listening to her roommate excitedly recount the day makes her stomach twist uncomfortably.

It's been doing that a lot recently.

So she throws herself into school and making herself look good to the Professors so she'll improve her chances at being selected as a Prefect. This means especially making an effort in Potions class, which she's never been particularly outstanding in.

"Well done Ms. Misra, you improved this week." Professor Snape notes on a Thursday, when he hands back the potion she'd made with Finn in their double-block on Monday. "Perhaps you should continue to work with Mr. Lopatkina-Paluch."

Rajani nods politely. "Thank you Professor." She smiles with everything she's learned from years watching adults interacting and pretending to like each other. "I'll be sure to partner with Finn in the future."

Professor Snape nods briskly and then turns to scold a couple of Hufflepuffs who had apparently done terribly on the assignment.

"I prefer switching partners." Finn observes. He's seated behind her, which Rajani hadn't been aware of but she's become so adjusted to Finn showing up randomly where you least expect him that she barely jumps at his words.

She checks that Professor Snape is still growling at the Hufflepuffs before she turns to face her year mate. "Yes well, Professor Snape says we should work together, so for the time being we'll be working together. Besides, everyone else in our House has paired off rather comfortably." She adds, glancing to where Lenox and Clary are sitting together. Normally Rajani likes teaming up with one of them during Potions, but with that option off the table she's stuck with either Finn or a Hufflepuff so it's not like either of them really has a choice.

"So I'll work with the Hufflepuffs. I've done it before."

Rajani instinctively finds her eyes skirting towards a certain shaggy-haired blond from the other House before yanking her focus back to Finn. She's done it before as well, and it had not turned out pretty for either of them.

"I suppose but wouldn't you rather work with a fellow Slytherin?" She points out, hoping her nerves aren't showing as much as she feels like they must be.

Finn raises an eyebrow. "You know, we'll never be able to make the rest of the school like us if we don't talk to them."

"And your constant switching friends because the current group is boring certainly gives a great impression." Rajani can't help it. It's rare she uses honesty as a weapon against her classmates, but she's just a little bit desperate to not have to work with a Hufflepuff in the one class she desperately needs to improve in. And nothing else seems to work on Finn from what she's seen.

Finn blinks, clearly caught off guard. "Huh. That is surprisingly insightful Raj." He tilts his head, and Rajani feels uncomfortably like he's trying to look through her, somehow map her brain with just his gaze.

She flicks her hair to distract herself. "That isn't an answer Finn. Are we partners or not?"

He grins. "You know what? Sure, we can partner up. I think it will be interesting."

And that's not ominous or anything, but Rajani figures she can handle her weird Housemate just fine. Regardless, it's better than the alternative.

Queenie and Eugene catch up with her after class, and Queenie elbows her lightly.

"I see you up to the Professors Ms. Misra. Don't think I'm going to make getting Prefect so easy for you."

Rajani adopts an air of innocence. "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about." She responds primly, and Queenie laughs.

There's still definitely a tension between them when it comes to the Prefect badge, but they mostly try to play it off as a joke between them and Rajani is glad for it. The last thing she needs at the moment is extra drama with her best friend.

"All seriousness, want to work on the essay after Defense today?" Queenie adds.

Rajani sighs. "We could probably work on it during Defense and learn more than if we paid any attention." She responds morosely. "It feels like we haven't had a good Defense professor since first year."

"Well our luck is bound to change eventually." Eugene points out optimistically. "Next year's professor will probably be fantastic!"

"Don't jinx it." His girlfriend warns with a small smile. "But I hope so. I wouldn't mind trying for a NEWT in that class but it's not much fun to learn the material outside of class."

"I feel terrible for the fifth and seventh years this year, having to deal with so many terrible professors in a row." Rajani observes. "I'd imagine any of them who do well on the standardized tests have had to put in a lot of extra effort since the teachers certainly aren't helping."

Despite the complaining all three of them do pay attention when they get to their Defense class, which can't be said for all of the Hufflepuffs who share the class with them.

"And that was useless. Did any of you catch what she was talking about with the Grindylows?" Clary and Lenox join them as they exit the classroom and head down towards the dungeons to study together. "Honestly teachers should have to take a class in being loud enough for the back row to hear."

"Projection." Queenie supplies. "And nope, I didn't hear a thing, not for lack of trying. She could at least use a spell to throw her voice, that's what Coach Crowell used to do."

"Coach Crowell didn't even need to do that. Say, speaking of have any of you met the new Coach?" Eugene adds, and from there Lenox ends up taking over most of the conversation, talking about the odd new teacher and her yellow eyes while Clary and Eugene pester him with questions.

Queenie rolls her eyes at Rajani in amusement, and Rajani responds with a weary smile of her own.

The next day boasts even more stressful classes for Rajani, starting straight away with Ancient Runes.

She sits beside Queenie of course, and takes careful notes the way she's learned to from working with Ed the past few months. The class drags on, and Rajani feels ready to sleep at multiple points, but she manages to pull through and she's pretty sure she didn't miss any parts of the lecture due to zoning out.

She'll check with Queenie during lunch though, just to be safe.

Unfortunately she'll have no time before or after then to really check in with her friends. Fridays are absolutely relentless for the fourth year Slytherins. While some of them do have a break after breakfast, when Rajani has Ancient Runes, from that point forward it's back to back classes straight through the day, plus Astronomy at night.

"I hate our schedules this year." Nia grumbles as she and Els hurry into the greenhouse with only moments to spare before class begins. "Some days we have next to no classes. Other days it's an endless slog through all the worst ones."

"Shh. Class is starting." One of the Ravenclaws hisses, and Nia rolls her eyes at the group.

They have a double block until lunch, and Rajani finds herself partnered up (Professor Sprout almost never lets them pick their own partners, much to the Slytherins' collective chagrin) with Leona Poole, a brunette Hufflepuff and Ed's little sister. Which isn't the worst case scenario, but it certainly isn't the best either.

Leona at least stays mostly quiet, which is unusual for the girl but Rajani isn't complaining. It's a long two hours regardless, but they're slightly less exhausting than they could have been.

It's only in the last thirty minutes of class that Leona finally attempts conversation outside of making comments about the Flitterbloom they're tending.

"So you and my brother. Is that happening or what?"

Rajani is very briefly taken off guard at the abrupt inquiry, but she quickly recovers and fixes Leona with an irritated glance. "What's it to you either way? It's not your business."

Leona shrugs. "It's my brother, and I'm just curious. I can't get a read on you, but if you are interested he'd say yes."

Rajani carefully maintains her expression. "Great to know, I absolutely needed your confirmation on that." She responds primly, with what she knows is an underlying current of dismissiveness. She's not talking about Ed with his little sister. "If that's all I believe we're ready to transplant the Flitterbloom."

Leona rolls her eyes but complies and drops the topic.

Internally Rajani is reeling. She has been thinking about maybe asking Ed to Hogsmeade, but she isn't sure if it's because she's actually interested or if it's a result of the weird feelings she gets from seeing Clary and Lenox together. Getting confirmation of Ed's interest from his sister, who must know since she seems to know almost everything, just makes things that much more complicated.

Rajani solves it the way she's been solving all her unpleasant and confusing feelings recently and shoves it to the back of her head to be fretted over when she's trying to sleep. Once class ends she latches on to Queenie and focuses entirely on reviewing Ancient Runes during the proceeding walk to the Great Hall and for all of lunch.

Queenie lets it happen, but Rajani knows she'll be getting questions later that she's not going to want to answer.

Sure enough, that night while they're all gathered in the common room waiting to head up to the Astronomy Tower, Queenie pulls her down the hall to their dorm room.

"Okay, what's going on?" She demands. "You've been jumpy for a while now and today was it. You're telling me what's going on. Is it the Prefect thing? Because if it is-"

"It's not!" Rajani immediately interrupts. "It's not that at all, whoever gets it will have earned it fair and square. It's... Leona Poole said some stuff about Ed in Herbology today and it freaked me out a little."

Queenie's eyes light up slightly in excitement. "Oh really? And what did Poole have to say about our Eddie, hmm?" She grins and leands closer. The two of them have settled on Queenie's bed and the shifting of the mattress causes the girls to almost fall on top of each other.

Rajani finally lets herself relax slightly when Queenie laughs and backs up again. "Nothing much really. I'm just thinking about asking him to Hogsmeade is all and I guess it's freaking me out a bit."

Queenie shows extreme restraint as she pats Rajani's shoulder. "It can be super nerve-wracking to ask someone out." She agrees. "Take your time, and if he's a jerk I'll sic Clary on him."

That gets Rajani to laugh. Clary has recent taken to teaming up with Elspeth to go after people who bad-mouth their fellow Slytherins. The most recent attack had a Gryffindor boy walking around with hot pink skin for an entire day before the Professors reversed the charm.

"Thanks Queenie. I mean it, if you make Prefect you'll deserve it."

Queenie bumps her shoulder lightly as they stand up to rejoin the rest of their friends back in the common room. "Same to you Raj. Snape is going to have a tough time choosing prefects this year."

Rajani is glad that they talked, as it makes the weekend's study sessions a lot easier to focus through. Then Monday arrives and her stress levels ratchet right back up.

"Happy birthday!"

She's woken by Clary pouncing onto her bed from across the room, which is honestly not a very enjoyable way to wake up.

Rajani groans and pulls her pillow over her head. "No." She responds flatly.

Clary pokes her relentlessly until she finally rolls back over and moves the pillow so she can glare balefully at her friend, who just grins and hops off her bed.

"Up and at 'em Raj! We let you sleep in a bit but you need to get dressed now." She announces.

That wakes Rajani up. "What? Why didn't you say so, what time is it?" She quickly swings her legs over the edge of the bed and gets up, only to have to lean against the wall at the head rush the quick position change causes.

Queenie puts a hand on her shoulder. "Not so late that you don't still have plenty of time, chill girl. We wanted you to be well rested for the big one five."

Rajani grumbles under her breath as she grabs her robes and hurries to their bathroom to change. So far being fifteen is markedly worse than being fourteen.

They do make it to breakfast with plenty of time to spare, and she gets gifts from her parents, Sahana, and Mayra in the post that morning which does cheer her up slightly.

"Happy fifteenth, Raj." Ed stops by their group on his way out with his friends, and Rajani smiles up at him.

"Thanks Ed. But how did you know it was my birthday?" She asks, rather certain she's never told him.

He grins. "Your owl dropped off presents. I put two and two together."

Queenie nudges her as the sixth years leave. "He was watching you." She giggles, and Rajani groans.

"Merlin Queenie, not today please." But privately she's quite pleased.

Monday is Rajani's second favorite day schedule-wise since she has the entire afternoon off, and only two classes in the morning.

"How did you do on the essay?" Eugene asks as they exit the Muggle Studies classroom later that day.

Rajani grins. "I can't complain. You?"

He makes a face. "I could. It's an A, but he made a lot of corrections so I'd say it was probably a close call."

"I did pretty well. We can work together on the next one." Lenox offers as the group make their way towards the dungeons for their double Potions block.

Eugene nods. "That would be great! Hey Alas, how did you do?"

Alasdair is trailing behind the group, studying his own returned essay. He looks up at his name.

"Decently well but he took points off that I disagree with. I'll likely arrange to speak with him about it, he's quite good about giving back points if we can make a solid argument."

"Good to know for the future." Rajani observes, offering a smile at the Asian boy when he looks her way.

Double Potions goes rather well, though Rajani will have to get used to Finn comparing potion-making to some strange Muggle nonsense called Chemistry. She thinks she manages to feign polite interest while he's talking though, so she chalks it up as a win.

Then class is over, and Rajani is only too happy to decide to take the rest of the day off from worrying about school.

It is her birthday after all.

It will be the first time since coming to school that Ana hasn't celebrated Halloween with her now-graduated group of friends. She taps at her bracelet distractedly as she lets her current group of acquaintances chat around her during breakfast.

It's also the first year she hasn't had school on her birthday, and she's not quite sure what to do other than study. But the moment he'd found out the she's turning fifteen - which had been exactly a week before - Jerome had insisted the group of them should do something to celebrate.

Honestly Ana dreads whatever Jerome might be able to think up that he would term a 'celebration', but both Shaun and Amelia had agreed so she's stuck with it now.

The one positive is that they are all still Ravenclaws, and Amelia insists they spend at least the morning studying and working on assignments for class before doing anything celebratory. Ana is only too happy to work on her Divination essay, which both Shaun and Jerome join her on as they're both also in the class.

"Which symbol is the one for good fortune again?" Jerome asks, looking over at Shaun in clear confusion. "I know it's not the clover because I always think that's it and I'm always wrong."

"Horseshoe." Ana supplies. "The clover foretells of an imminent loss of wealth. Which really feels more like racial bias against the Irish to me."

Shaun snorts. "I thought the same."

Jerome meanwhile is eagerly scribbling down their conversation. "Cool, thanks Ana! Hey, do you think you could help me study for the midterm examination? I barely passed the class last year but I really want to take the NEWT level."

He looks up at her with wide-eyed honesty that catches Ana a bit off-guard. She's always thought that Jerome must have to put in effort to mix things up as much as he does, but apparently he really is trying. The new information pushes her to nod in response.

"Sure, I did rather well in that class last year. May I ask why you want to take it in NEWTs?"

Jerome beams. "Thanks! I really want to work in the Department of Mysteries and you need a NEWT in Divination for that."

Ana hadn't expected that, and she wonders if Jerome is really qualified for such a high-intensity job. But she doesn't voice her concerns and instead merely nods again and returns to the essay.

Jerome leaves the library about an hour before lunch, saying that he'll meet them in the Great Hall later. Ana knows he's off to prepare the 'celebration' and she sighs to herself, still not sure if she's looking forward to it or dreading it.

"Where did you get that bracelet? If I can ask?"

Amelia's question startles Ana, and she realizes she'd been once again fiddling with the bracelet Eric had given her. "Oh, it was a birthday gift a couple of years ago from a good friend. It assists with Occlumency."

Shaun tilts his head curiously. "I wonder how that works?" He muses aloud. "I've heard of certain objects assisting certain branches of magic but none of the books I've read on the subject have explained it very well."

Ana blinks, and finds herself shrugging slightly. "I'm not quite sure either. Perhaps we could find Aidan, he tends to be well-versed in things like that."

Making the suggestion that someone else knows something better than she does - and a Hufflepuff at that - leaves a bit of a bad taste in the back of , but it's not untrue. Magical objects have always just been part of her life - she's never really considered too deeply how they function on a theoretical level. It makes sense that a Muggleborn unaccustomed to such things would have more in depth questions on how they work.

Ana will have to correct this particular blindspot when she has time.

For the time being she quietly returns to her essay and does her best to push away the part of her mind that's currently cataloguing everything she currently knows about magical objects and which books she has that may provide more information on the topic.

She doesn't get much further in the essay despite her attempts to stay focused, so she puts up no resistance when Shaun declares that it's time to head to the Great Hall. The three of them pack up their textbooks and leave the library, along with most of the students who had also been studying there.

"Hopefully Jerome got everything organized. He went a little crazy on the planning." Shaun sighs.

Ana's worry increases ten fold, but she resolutely stays quiet on the topic.

Jerome ends up getting to the Great Hall nearly twenty minutes after they arrive, and he's covered in dirt.

"Everything looks good! I can't wait to see your face, you're going to love it." Jerome flings himself into the open seat next to Shaun that they'd saved for him and starts scrubbing at the mud on his arms. "I know seventeen is the really big birthday, but this is the first one we're celebrating with you so I figure going all out is perfectly reasonable."

Ana disagrees, but the brunet looks incredibly pleased with himself and she figures that he is trying to do something nice, so she shouldn't rain on his parade.

Even if it is her birthday that he's comandeering.

After they finish lunch Jerome herds them all out onto the grounds. It takes a moment for Ana to orient herself - she's not often outside so she's not as familiar with the landscape - but she realizes they're heading for the Groundskeeper's hut located just next to the Forbidden Forest.

"You know we're not allowed into the Forest unsupervised, right?" She notes, not slowing down. If they're caught it will be easy enough to blame Jerome, and she hasn't been in the Forest yet so she is curious.

But they don't quite reach the forest, instead turning towards the ramshakle hut at the edge of it. She frowns but remains quiet. At least if this turns out to be an awful waste of time she at least still has the Feast and all it's spooky decorations to look forward to in the evening.

"Okay, close your eyes now!" Jerome instructs excitedly. Ana levels him with an irritated look.

"Really?" She asks dryly, and Jerome wilts slightly.

"Okay, don't close your eyes." He agrees quickly. "But um, anyway, tah-dah!"

They round the side of the hut, and Ana actually stops in her tracks, stunned at the image that greets her.

Several Magical Beasts are corralled in the garden behind the hut, and Ana stares at them in genuine surprise.

"What... is this exactly?" She asks once she's recovered. She notices that the giant groundskeeper standing off to the side, beaming. What was his name again?

Jerome looks so incredibly hopeful. "Well, I know you're teaching yourself about Care of Magical Creatures so you can take the OWL next year, but I thought maybe some hands on experience with an expert would help? There's only so much you can learn from a textbook."

He's not wrong, and Ana is honestly touched that he'd actually put thought into what she would like when planning this. She'd assumed he'd just do whatever he would expect for his own party.

"This is... this is actually really nice Jerome. Thanks."

The brunet beams and bounds over to where the groundskeeper is waiting. "Well then, let's get learning!"

Ana has to admit that the idea is really ingenious. While plenty of things most certainly can be learned from a textbook, she'd be the first to agree with Jerome that some things need to done practically to understand the full extent of them.

The groundskeeper - Hagrid, she learns is his name - does his best to be helpful by explaining how to handle the creatures, but for the most part Ana finds him rather annoying, constantly telling her things she already knows.

Amelia and Shaun are having fun at least, and despite herself Ana is as well. She particularly is taken with the Fire Crabs.

"They seem ta like yeh!" Hagrid observes as she sketches one of the crabs on the extra parchment that she's almost certain was slipped into her bag by Amelia when she wasn't looking that morning. She's thankful for it now of course, but she thinks her roommate could have given her more of a heads up since she apparently knew what Jerome was planning.

"Yes, well, I quite like them as well." She responds distractedly, trying to get the curve of the crab's tail correct. "This one isn't full grown yet, is it." It's not really a question, more an observation to herself, but Hagrid takes it as an invitation to tell her all about Fire Crab development.

"They star' out qui' small yeh know." He explains happily. Ana tunes him out for the most part, having read plenty on fire crab development already. 

They spend the entire afternoon studying (or really playing in Jerome's case) with the creatures, and they bid Hagrid goodnight only when the sun has completely dipped below the horizon and even the beasts are starting to look tired and hungry.

"So? Good birthday surprise?" Jerome prompts hopefully as they walk back up to the castle.

Ana gives him a half smile. "It was excellent, thank you Jerome."

"Jerry." He corrects, even though they both know at this point she's never going to use the nickname - it's habitual on both sides.

"I can't wait to see the decorations they've put up this year." Jerome continues chatting as the group reaches the castle doors. "The professors really go all out for Halloween!"

"Fitz says they do the same during Christmas." Shaun adds. "I admit I wouldn't mind seeing that at least once before we graduate. Maybe next year I'll stay over Winter Break - I can study for OWLs at the same time."

"That's smart." Amelia nods in agreement. "I bet the library is much quieter during break, you could probably get a lot more done."

Ana hums her own concurrence. It actually wouldn't be the worst idea to stay over break, though she gets plenty enough done at home as well so it's less of an issue for her than she knows it is for some others.

"Hey, we should all stay next year! We could all study together!" Jerome suggests excitedly, but Ana quickly shuts him down before he can get too invested in the idea.

"I more than likely wouldn't be able to. My parents more than likely won't like the idea much. Perhaps seventh year when I'm an adult, but fifth year is likely pushing it."

Jerome deflates slightly, but he nods in understanding. "Yeah, I guess I'd want to see my little brother too. He's just turned seven and I bring him his gifts over break - he'd be sad if I sent it by owl."

This comment of course sets Shaun off on the one topic he's happy to ramble on about - his siblings. Ana really can't relate so she and Amelia stay quiet as the boys eagerly talk about their younger siblings, and instead admire the decor lineing the corridors.

This year the halls are painted in conjured shadows that flicker with the hint of something moving within them. Ana thinks she spots eyes a few times, and she quite likes the simple yet appropriately unsettling atmosphere that it inspires.

The Great Hall is of course the centerpiece of the decorations, and even the boys pause their conversation to admire the floating jack-o-lanterns and divebombing bats that hover overhead against a blood-red moon that's just large enough to be uncomfortably close.

"I love this holiday. Nothing like a good fright." Jerome says happily as he ducks one of the incoming bats. "I hope that one day we'll have Charms on Halloween and Professor Flitwick will teach us how to conjure some of this stuff ourselves."

"Some of it is likely just variations of things we already know." Amelia observes as the group settles themselves at the Ravenclaw table. "And conjuration is a branch of Transfiguration, not Charms, which is NEWT-level. We wouldn't be taught it until our last two years regardless of whether our classes occurred on Halloween or not."

"Aw poo, no way am I going to manage a high enough OWL to make NEWT Transfiguration." Jerome sighs.

Shaun pats his shoulder. "That's not true, you've improved a lot! And there's still a whole year to get better."

Ana doesn't say anything, as she's rather inclined to agree with Jerome on that particular front. At least he recognizes his own incompetence in classes now - Ana remembers in their first year how eager he was to answer questions that he didn't actually know the answers to, embarrassing the entire House in the process.

"Well whether or not you make it, you can always study on your own." Amelia points out. "Or ask one of us to tutor you. Teaching is the best way to learn after all."

"That is true." Ana admits. "Going back through old lessons with Marcus during our tutoring sessions has helped a lot."

The food appears just then, the usual mouth-watering array of Halloween-themed treats, and conversation is placed aside in favor of eating for about thirty minutes. Once they've finished off the pumpkin pie cooked up for dessert, the four head back up to Ravenclaw Tower, and Ana all in all thinks that it was a satisfying birthday all around.

At least until she heads up to the dorms to drop off her bag before joining the others for a mini chess tournament and finds herself face-to-fact with Evie Jones, her until now surprisingly scarce roommate.

Ana tenses slightly, hoping against hope that her birthday won't be ruined now by one of Evie's explosive accidents, after everything has gone so well.

"Um, hey." Evie shuffles slightly. "So I heard it's your birthday?"

Ana sighs and steps past the Muggleborn so she can deposit her bag on her bed as she'd initially intended. "It is, I'm officially fifteen as of three fifty six this afternoon."

"Third oldest Ravenclaw in our year then!" Evie attempts a smile, but quickly drops it at Ana's annoyed look. "Not the point, right. Look, I got you a book?" She holds out what looks like a rather worn copy of a book - Ana can't quite make out its title, "And um, I was hoping we could call a truce? I know you don't like me and everything and you were kind of mean to me a lot, but I was hoping-"

Ana cuts her off before she can really start rambling, taking the book out of her roommate's hands so she can properly examine it.

"Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Anderson?" She reads the title, and Evie nods hopefully.

"I've seen you reading the Grimms' stories and I thought you might like to read the other half of the writings that make up basically all Muggle children's stories?" She looks hopeful. "So, um, truce?"

Ana admits that it's a well thought-out gift - Evie clearly does have some Ravenclaw merit after all. "I didn't think we were fighting," She responds instead. "But of course. I'll see you tomorrow Evie."

Franziska has never been made quite as aware of the Quidditch season starting as she has been this year. Between her boyfriend still being quite enthusiastic about the sport despite no longer pursuing an interest in playing and Leona excitedly counting down the days she'd have a much harder time not knowing the exact date and time the first match between Gryffindor and Slytherin will kick off the season.

Leona still wakes her up the morning of November fourteenth excitedly shrieking that the first game is that afternoon. As if the entire House didn't already know.

And okay, Franziska is on her period right now so maybe that's not helping, but Leona's enthusiasm is grating on her nerves ever so slightly as the brunette proceeds to wake their roommates in the same manner that she'd roused Franziska.

"All of you are coming of course, it's my first match as the announcer!" Leona insists excitedly as the girls groggily get dressed for the day.

"Of course we will Leona." Jemma assures the other girl. "We would never miss something so important to you."

"Just maybe let us get some food in our system before expecting us to be quite as awake as you are." Tonks requests, yawning hugely. "Some of us were up way too late writing essays."

Jemma looks over at the pink-haired girl scoldingly. "You wouldn't have been if you actually did your homework before the day it's due." She points out with a sigh.

Tonks waves her off with a grin. "I never get lower than an 'A' though, the professors are encouraging my bad habits! Really it's not my fault."

Jemma just sighs again while Kiera giggles at her friend's declaration. The five girls then head up to the common room, where the boys of their year are already waiting.

Tyler rushes straight over to Leona. "You excited about the game?" He asks. "I bet you're gonig to be awesome! Easily better than the last guy."

"That won't exactly be hard, he was an to anyone who wasn't Slytherin." Cian points out, and Franziska is surprised to see him there. He's one of the few Hufflepuffs who usually doesn't go to games, unless he's physically dragged by either Henry or Donaghan.

"He was nice to us and Ravenclaw whenever we beat Gryffindor." Tyler offers. "But yeah, he wasn't great. I don't think announcers should be allowed to be so biased."

"Is it possible to ever have a truly neutral announcer though? Whoever it is will always be rooting for their own House." Aidan points out as the group starts moving towards the barrels to exit the common room. "That's the problem with having students as announcers. Although," He amends, "I suppose teachers probably retain their House biases as well, if Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape are anything to go by."

"Professor Sprout and Flitwick too." Henry pipes up. "They're just not as obvious about it, but I've seen them get really crazy at games before."

Franziska doesn't hear whoever responds as it's her turn to crawl through the barrel out of the common room. She joins Donaghan, Kiera, and Tonks who are already outside and waiting for the rest of the group.

"You all are going slow." Tonks whines pitifully. "I require nutrients to function and I am being denied."

"They've started in on a Quidditch debate." Jemma announces as she emerges a minute or so after Franziska. "We may want to go ahead to the Great Hall without them, you know how long those can go on."

They wait a minute longer and are joined by Cian, but when no one else comes they give up the last four of their yearmates and head to breakfast without them.

"You think Gryffindor or Slytherin is going to win this year?" Kiera wonders after a moment of silence. "It's been back and forth so far, so technically the lions are due for a win."

"Yeah, but the Slytherin seeker is a demon on his broom." Tonks points out. "Charlie is my bro but I'm not sure he'll be able to keep up. He couldn't last year."

"Are we seriously having a Quidditch debate? I thought we'd ditched the others to avoid that." Cian grumbles, and the others laugh - even Franziska, who had been thinking the same, cracks a smile.

Jemma takes pity on him and does steer the conversation towards talking about their studies and her progress with the first year study group.

"Oh, and Frannie I've been meaning to ask, I'm thinking of starting a similar group for the second years. You're friends with Roderik, right? Could you ask him to see if his yearmates would be interested in something like that?"

Franziska blinks, then gives a half nod. "I can ask, but he's kind of introverted, I'm not sure how comfortable he'd be asking people about that."

Jemma hums. "I understand it's no pressure. I just don't know any of the second years - I've already asked Saundra to talk to the third years about it."

Franziska pushes down the need to make a face at the name. Saundra Caldwell, to her credit, has managed to keep everything it's proper color and shape so far during the year, but Franziska knows that sooner or later one of the third-year's 'experiments' is going to go wrong again and somehow Franziska will end up being in the middle of it. Like always.

Thankfully her impending doom-by-third-year doesn't happen at breakfast. The rest of their group join them about halfway through and Leona spends more time talking than eating so when they're getting ready to leave Jemma shoves a few pastries into the excited girl's hands.

"No announcing on an empty stomach. Now go meet with Madame Hooch for the pre-game check we'll see you later." The blonde instructs, and Leona dutifully shoves an entire donut into before saluting and running off. Jemma sighs.

"You are such a mom." A voice teases from behind them, and Jemma smiles brightly as she spins around.

"Hi Drake, good luck today." She gives her boyfriend a hug in greeting. Drake grins in response and returns the hug.

"What, no good luck hug for me?" Evera pouts, and Jemma laughs but gives her other best friend a hug as well.

"You guys will be great, I'll be cheering from the stands." Jemma promises.

"Are you joining me and Badger in Gryffindor or staying in Hufflepuff?" Brandon, who'd been with Drake and Evera, questions as the now slightly larger group continues their walk to the Great Hall. He grabs Franziska's hand as he speaks, and she squeezes it in greeting.

Jemma looks conflicted. "Well, I was planning to stay in Hufflepuff to support Leona since it's her first game, but I guess I could sit in Gryffindor." She offers uncertainly.

Franziska clears . "Actually I was going to sit in Hufflepuff this time Brandon." She informs her boyfriend, who looks disappointed. "Sorry, this is a huge deal for Leona. I gotta support my friends."

Brandon looks miffed, but doesn't protest. He's spent enough time with Franziska's Hufflepuff friends at this point to know full well how much the first match means to Leona and that Franziska's logic makes sense. "Fine, but next Gryffindor match you have to join me in the Gryffindor stands." He says, and she nods.

"Of course, that's the deal." She gives him a quick peck on the cheek as they reach the Great Hall. "Now you lions go eat, you need your energy. I'll see you after the game." She adds directly to Brandon.

Jemma stays behind to talk a bit longer with Drake and Evera as the rest of them head for the Hufflepuff table. She joins them a few minutes later, accompanied by the four Housemates they'd left in the common room earlier.

"You know it's fine if you sit in Gryffindor." Leona is saying as the five sit down. "I totally get supporting your boyfriend over your friend-friend. I don't want to cause a rift between you guys so early in the relationship."

Jemma sighs and shifts uncomfortably. "I'm not sure I want to sit in the Gryffindor stands." She admits. "I like sitting with you guys during games, it's fun. And I really do like the Gryffindors but it's not really the same."

"You get used to it." Franziska offers. "I was nervous my first time sitting there last year but Holly and Brandon were good company. You can sit with us next year at the Gryffindor - Ravenclaw match, that way you'll at least have one Hufflepuff with you." She offers.

Jemma offers her a smile, but Franziska can't tell how genuine it is, a rarity coming from her most open classmate. "I'll think about it. Anyway, Leona, don't you have to do a pre-game check in thirty minutes? You should probably hurry up with breakfast."

Leona swears, and both Jemma and Franziska tell her off for the language earning laughs and some teasing from the rest. Breakfast slips into it's usual comfortable routine after that, with the one exception of Leona sprinting off earlier than the rest of them.

They spend the hours between breakfast and the start of the game pretending to study, though not much actually gets done with the exception of Cian's music theory since he still refuses to engage very much with the rest of them. They then move en masse to the Quidditch pitch along with a majority of the school, and the fourth years find themselves about halfway up the Hufflepuff stands.

"Well, they're not the worst seats." Aidan observes with a slightly frown. "I hope we'll be able to see everything though."

As if on cue one of the older students - a seventh year if Franziska remembers correctly - sitting behind them passes down a spyglass. "Here, we've transfigured enough for most of us at the top here." She smiles at them warmly as each of the accepts their own spyglass.

"Thanks Mary." Jemma says as she accepts her gift from the seventh year girl. "You really didn't have to."

Mary shrugs easily. "Hey, it's no problem, it was really good practice for NEWTs this year."

They chat with the older students for a bit as the rest of the school gets settled, and then a familiar voice sounds over the entirety of the pitch.

"Good morning Hogwarts! Are you guys ready to get this Quidditch season started?"

The crowd cheers, but none louder than the Hufflepuff section, some who even stand up and whistle their approval.

Leona sounds quite pleased by the response to her very first announcement. "That's what I like to hear! My name is Leona Poole and I'll be your commentator today. Now let's welcome our teams! From Gryffindor we have Sylvester, Fawley, Jarvis, Sylvester, Cadwallader, McKay, aaaaaand Weasley!"

The Gryffindor team parades onto the field, waving at the crowd as most of them cheer.

"From Slytherin we have Quinton, Flint, Taylor, Macmillan, Lindsay, Tatum, aaaaand McLeod!"

The Slytherin team doesn't get quite the same fanfare as Gryffindor, mostly being booed and hissed by the other three Houses though Franziska admires that Leona had introduced both teams with no bias. She wonders if that will hold up when it's Hufflepuff's turn to play.

The team captains - Kent Sylvester and the female Beater that Franziska thinks might be Tatum - shake hands, and then Madame Hooch releases the snitch.

"The snitch is in the air!" Leona shouts happily. "And now the teams are mounting their brooms... Madame Hooch has thrown the Quaffle, and Flint snags it away from Sylvester! Not a great start for Gryffindor, but that was a clever play by the snakes."

"Boo, don't encourage them!" Franziska hears someone shout from the Gryffindor stands, but Leona pays them no mind.

"Sylvester isn't taking that sitting down though, she's right on Flint's trail. She hates not getting what she wants, which is actually useful here!"

And that's when Franziska realizes exactly what Leona, the girl who knows everyone's secrets, being the Quidditch announcer is going to mean for the players. Through her spyglass she sees Evera flush angrily and flip the bird towards the announcer's stand as best she can without falling off her broom.

"I get why you came now." She hears Donaghan say, and turns to find he's speaking to Cian.

"A bit of schadenfreude never hurt anyone." Aidan observes cheerfully.

Franziska gives him a look. "No one here knows what that word means Aidan, we're not going to be able to pick up whatever set up you just gave." She informs him dryly.

"You're tetchy today." Henry notes. "Time of the month?"

Franziska might strangle him.

Jemma quickly pushes at Franziska's spyglass to stop the impending attack. "We ought to keep watching the game guys, it's a big day for Leona." She reminds them. That gets everyone to settle back down and refocus on the game.

It's tight, but it's clear early on that Slytherin has a slight advantage over Gryffindor that the lions are struggling to overcome. The two new Chasers on the Slytherin team - Macmillan from their grade and a trollish-looking boy who Franziska doesn't know - aren't shy about using borderline illegal moves that Madame Hooch can only call every so often despite Leona all but ranting about the cheating.

Aside from them though, the Slytherin seeker McLeod is holding up well against Charlie as the two swoop overhead with their eyes peeled for the snitch, matching each other swerve for swerve.

"What a play by Fawley and Sylvester! Ten points to Gryffindor and the lions keep possession of the Quaffle!"

The one positive is that the Gryffindor team is improving their plays as they go, adapting to the new Slytherin tactics and, Franziska notes, overcoming the apparently insurmountable rivalries they'd had at the start of the game. She's relatively certain Evera has never passed to Fawley or vice-versa in any of the games they'd played the year before.

Still, it's not enough to overcome Slytherin's early lead, and in the end Gryffindor loses, though Charlie does manage to grab the snitch.

The Hufflepuffs leave the stands generally less enthusiastic than when they'd walked on, and Franziska decides to go find Brandon to offer some comfort. She's feeling a bit bad now about not sitting with him, but honestly she prefers sitting in the Hufflepuff seats so the guilt peters out rather quickly.

"Tell Leona she did great for me." She says quickly to Jemma who nods and smiles in response, and Franziska hurries off to find her probably crushed boyfriend.

She does feel a little bad that she doesn't actually feel that bad about not already being there when the game ended.

The defeat by Slytherin isn't the best start to the Quidditch season, but Myr finds that their team is actually playing better now than they had been before the loss. A common enemy seems to be more binding than team spirit.

Evera and Jacob in particular have somehow managed to successfully put aside their petty disagreements (that Myr is ninety eight percent certain Jacob engages in just to rile Evera up) while on the pitch, if not off of it. They're passing to each other with no snark, and Jacob even gives Evera a compliment after a successful maneuver between her and Drake that had been rather difficult to pull off.

But once they've landed, it's back to squabbling.

"Honestly those two are ridiculous." Kent sighs as he collects the brooms at the end of their last practice of the year, watching his sister and Jacob sniping at each other as they head for the locker rooms to shower and change back into the school robes. "They get along brilliantly while playing now - I think their dynamic is even better than Evera and Drake's and those two have been inseparable since the first year train ride." He shakes his head. "I'll never understand girls."

"That's why you're still single." Brandon announces cheekily. He'd been watching the practice from the stands and now joins them on the pitch. "How long are you guys going to take because I need Charlie for a thing."

"Is it a thing Charlie's older brother might want to know about?" Kent checks.

Brandon smiles innocently. "I don't think so." He insists, and Myr knows immediately that the two of them will be up to something they don't want the prefects - and thus the teachers - to know about. "It's harmless really."

Kent just sighs. "Sure it is. Don't burn the school down."

"I'm pretty sure that's not possible but okay!" Brandon agrees with a grin that Myr doesn't trust at all. But as there's really nothing he can do about it without knowing what exactly 'it' is, he simply sighs and head into the locker rooms himself.

Fifteen minutes and a hot shower later he's changed back into his school robes and is heading to the Great Hall for dinner, accompanied by Fiona and Evera who had waited for him to finish.

"Do you remember anything from the first half of History of Magic because I can't." Evera whines. "Why did that have to be our first exam, why not Charms or..." She frowns. "Aw jeez, I'm going to fail everything but Charms."

Fiona pats her on the shoulder sympathetically. "No you won't, we'll study together. It's just exam stress making you forget everything right now."

"I'd be happy to help with Transfiguration if you like. I'm actually doing well in that class for once." Myr offers as they reach the Great Hall and head to where most of their year has already settled at the Gryffindor table.

"Proper wands." Holly blurts out as they sit down. "That's why you're doing well. Just saying." She grins cheekily at Myr's eye roll. She's told him the same thing every single time he's mentioned his improved spellwork, and it is getting slightly stale.

"I think we could all stand to practice a bit more what with mid-year exams approaching." Nabila points out. "I could help anyone who needs it with Care of Magical Creatures."

"Excuse you, I can help anyone who needs it with Care of Magical Creatures." Charlie very quickly replies, and Myr sighs as he starts putting food onto his plate. While quiet most of the time, Nabila becomes almost comically animated when it comes to magical creatures, and there's been a constant and unspoken competition between her and Charlie over who's doing better in the class ever since they both scored perfectly on their mid-term exams the year before.

As Myr doesn't need help in Care of Magical Creatures he tunes out the war of passive-aggression that starts up and focuses on eating, hoping that for once it will be a peaceful meal.

His hopes are dashed within minutes by two certain first years.

"Myr, tell Oliver that sneaking a broom onto campus is always illegal, even in a hypothetical situation."

"Myr, tell Percy to stop having a stick up his arse!"

Myr pushes down a groan. Ever since the first time he'd interceded in one of Percy and Oliver's spats months ago, the two boys have latched onto him as a mediator for their arguments. They don't get as bad as they had at the start of the year, but the duo are still far from cordial.

"Oliver calling people names isn't going to help anything. Percy, if it's just a hypothetical it doesn't hurt anything to entertain it, so long as it's clear that it's just hypothetical."

"And if it's not?" Percy frowns fiercely over at his roommate, who responds by sticking out his tongue.

"Then you tell Bill and wash your hands of it. You've got no authority here Perce." Charlie pipes up cheerfully, and his younger brother sags slightly.

"Alright." He mumbles, pushing his glasses up despite them already being snug against his face. "I'm sorry Oliver." He adds, and it sounds like he's physically in pain as he gives the apology.

"You don't sound it." Oliver replies irritably. "Honestly, how you're related to Charlie bloody Weasley-"

Charlie laughs as the two first years walk away, starting in on another quarrel. "It's good to see Perce making friends outside of the family."

Holly raises a skeptical eyebrow. "You call that being friends?" She states dryly as Oliver pushes Percy into one of the second years.

Charlie laughs. "Perce likes debating, kid's a total nerd. We all thought he might end up in Ravenclaw honestly, I'm pretty sure he's read more of my textbooks than I have." His tone is teasing, but Myr recognizes the brotherly affection as Charlie talks about the youngest school-aged Weasley. "And Oliver is a good kid, and very adaptable. Once they get past this bumpy stage they'll get on great I rekon."

"Or you're being optimistic because you're his brother and have a blind spot when it comes to him?" Fiona asks knowingly, and Charlie laughs and shrugs.

"Also a possibility." He concedes. "But I doubt it. I'm brilliant at understand magical creatures after all!"

And with that the debate starts back up again. Thankfully Myr manages to finish the rest of his meal with no further interruptions.

By the time they've all finished eating the mostly playful arguing has settled down and the group has decided to spend their time before Astronomy class that night planning a study schedule for the upcoming midterms.

Since Myr finishes his meal first, he volunteers to go up to the common room early and grab the seats by the fireplace before anyone else can grab them. They're the best spot in the entire Tower and as such they're almost always occupied.

There are a few people already in the common room when he arrives, which isn't unexpected as it's really only at absurd hours of the morning that the room is completely empty, but thankfully none of them are using the fireplace area, and Myr quickly spreads himself out so as to reserve as much of the space as he can.

The rest of the evening is a blur, but a productive one he's rather sure. At the very least they solidify a study schedule for the upcoming week before they have to start the trek up to the Astronomy Tower.

Myr is glad that fourth years have Astronomy at eleven at night - after the one AM classes the year before the extra hour of sleep is greatly appreciated.

They get to the top of the Tower just before eleven and wait patiently for the sixth year NEWT students to finish their class and head down.

Bill Weasley ruffles his brother's hair as the siblings pass each other. Charlie swats at him lightly and then tries to ineffectually fix the mess Bill had made of his hair as the fourth years file out onto the top of the Tower where Professer Sinestra is busy ordering start charts, as she always is at the start of class.

While she gets organized the Gryffindors talk amongst themselves, mostly about upcoming exams but also plans for winter break.

"We're going home of course, but mum said we should invite some friends by for the New Year." Charlie says. "So if any of you are interested just tell me so I can tell her how many people we're expecting."

"Does that include me?" Remi asks suspiciously. He very rarely spends time with the group anymore, only lingering when they're in class with the Slytherin or Ravenclaws and he doesn't have his cousin Tyler to talk to.

Charlie shrugs. "Why not? I bet the twins would love to hear about that prank you tried a couple weeks ago. I only ask that you don't teach them anything, they're enough of a handful as is."

Remi looks surprised by the response, and honestly Myr is a bit startled as well. Although he's a generally nice person, Remi has never really been able to mesh well with the rest of their group, always being a little too self-focused and destructive for the others to want to deal with him.

Charlie grins at Remi's expression but doesn't comment. "Just tell me sometime before we all leave." He addresses the entire group.

Myr knows his mother and Cadi would likely encourage him to go, but as much as he likes he friends he's rather certain he still likes spending the holidays with his family more.

"Well I'll be there. Anything to get away from my family for a bit." Holly declares. "Is it okay if I bring Willow as well? I know you guys don't know her well but I think she's as tired of wedding plans as I am."

Charlie shrugs. "Sure, she's a Ravenclaw right? My brothers might ask some inappropriate questions about her House but if she can handle that she's welcome to come along."

"Alright class, come get your star chart for the evening!" Professor Sinestra finally finishes with the sixth years' star charts and begins the fourth years' class, which effectively brings the conversation to a stop as everyone focuses on listening to the lecture and charting as many stars as they can during it.

They head back down the Tower, passing the first year Gryffindors as they go. Charlie reaches out to ruffle Percy's hair as they pass, but the younger Weasley ducks out of the way, swatting Charlie's hand as he does.

Fiona laughs. "Didn't you complain when Bill did that to you?" She points out when Charlie starts pouting.

Charlie sticks his tongue out slightly. "Yeah, but it's older brother privilege." He insists.

Fiona shakes her head slightly in amusement. "Siblings." She observes to Nabila. "I'll never understand them."

Nabila shrugs and yawns in response.

They get back to their dorms just before midnight and Myr very quickly fades into sleep.

Myr sleeps in about thirty minutes the next morning, as he doesn't have class after breakfast and thus can afford to arrive to the meal a bit late. The food never vanishes until every student has left, which Myr has learned to take full advantage of on days when his classes don't start until ten.

Almost everyone is still waking up and getting dressed when Myr rolls out of bed, save Brandon who's the only person with a class at nine and is as such already down in the Great Hall, likely sitting with his girlfriend at the Hufflepuff table and conspiring with Aidan on his latest potion. Myr still isn't exactly sure what it is that Brandon is trying to brew, but so far all he's succeeded in doing is losing several House points and nearly singing his own eyebrows off.

"Last day before midterm studying." Drake groans as they walk down the stairs to the common room.

"If you studied regularly during the year midterms wouldn't need their own week specially set aside for studying." A voice behind them notes, and Drake shoots Myr a long-suffering look as the two glance back at Percy Weasley, who had apparently exited his room behind them just in time to hear Drake's comment.

"Perce, don't lecture the older students, it's bad enough that you told off Snape yesterday." Oliver groans, appearing behind his roommate.

That gets Drake's attention. "You did what now?" He asks, eyeing the third Weasley incredulously.

"Is that why we're suddenly fifty points lower in the House Cup race?" Myr asks, and Percy flushes slightly.

"He was making fun of one of the Hufflepuffs, which really isn't going to help the poor girl learn anything!" He grumbles. "I simply told him that bullying students isn't a particularly effective teaching method."

Oliver laughs. "You said a heck of a lot more than that." He grins, punching his roommate's shoulder and causing Percy to stumble and fall onto Myr, who thanks Laurel and her Quidditch training for his ability to catch the boy and not fall down the stairs himself.

"Sorry." Percy mumbles as Myr helps him straighten back up. Drake and Oliver have gone on ahead, their conversation very quickly turning to Quidditch and fading into the ambient noise always present in the Gryffindor Tower.

"Not your fault. Are you alright?" Myr answers automatically. At Percy's nod he turns to continue down the stairs himself, the still-flustered Weasley close behind him.

Myr scans the bustling common room and makes his way over to Fiona and Nabila, who easily allow him to join their conversation about the Care of Magical Creatures midterm paper as they make their way out of the common room and towards the Great Hall.

"Which creature are you doing your essay on?" Nabila asks, animated as ever when speaking about creatures. "I'm doing mine on Erumpents. I know we haven't gone over them yet, I don't think we do until the end of next year or maybe early sixth, but Ohus has to be sent to a reserve this year and I really wanted to write about him since I'm going to miss him." She frowns sadly as she speaks about her own pet erumpent - though honestly Myr had never understood how her parents had gotten the go-ahead to give their extremely young daughter an endangered, XXXX classified beast as a pet and thinks the relocation is a good idea.

It's nice to talk to the girls though. Although both certainly have the familiar Gryffindor fire, it's a little more toned down than the rest of the House, and Myr has been feeling rather overwhelmed by his friends as of late. He's definitely ready to go home for the holidays and have some time to himself away from all the magic.