Disclaimer- I own nothing I just like to elaborate other people's ideas, especially J. K. Rowling.

Even though Astrid ran the entire way out to the grounds she was still ten minutes late getting to the greenhouses. It then took Astrid another five minutes to find her class in greenhouse three. Which then she only found thanks to Gilderoy Lockhart.

"Miss... umm..."

"White," said Astrid quickly.

"What are you looking for?"

"My Herbology class."

"Are you a second year?"

Astrid nodded.

"Try Greenhouse three."

"Thank you... err.."

"Gilerdroy Lockhart... Professor Gilderoy Lockhart. I am the five time winner of Witch Weekly's..."

He just noticed that Astrid had walked away towards Greenhouse three.

Astrid opened the door to the greenhouse and said quickly, "Sorry, Pro..." but she couldn't finish her sentence.

* * * She awoke the next morning in the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey, the school nurse, walked over to her shortly afterward. "Ahhh... you're awake, do you have a headache or anything?"

Still slightly stunned about being in the hospital wing Astrid replied slowly, "No... I feel fine... but what happened? The last thing I remember is being late for Herbology."

"It might be easier if I let your friend Catrina tell you she has been waiting for you to wake up. I had to send her to her common room last night, but she made me promise to get her as soon as you awoke."

Madame Pomfrey walked to her office for a second and then returned. "She will be down in a few minutes dear."

"Thank you."

A few minutes later the door burst open and Catrina ran in.

"Are you alright professor Sprout was worried... those Mandrakes are horrible their cry can kill... luckily for you though they were still very young seedlings. You only got knocked out."

"Mandrakes?"

"The plants that we will be working with for a while in class. They are used in lots of potions to help revive people and stuff like that."

After that statement Madame Pomfrey walked up again, "Umm... Madame Pomfrey when can I leave the hospital wing?"

"As soon as I'm sure that you're completely well."

"Any idea as to when that will be?" chimed Catrina.

"Well, you must stay one more night before you are fully recovered," Madame Pomfrey added to Astrid. "Oh, and Catrina if you don't hurry you will be late for breakfast." Looking at both girls she added, "I'll give you a minute to discuss homework."

"Oh, I forgot to bring that... I'll bring all of your assignments tonight. And so that you know Malfoy looked really worried right after you passed out." Catrina walked out before Astrid could push the matter.

The day passed very slowly for Astrid all she could do was sit in the hospital bed. Catrina helped though by bringing some of her books down at break. "Thanks," Astrid said rather sincerely... at least now she would not be bored.

Even though Madame Pomfrey told Astrid that she would have to stay in the hospital wing that night, Astrid somehow managed to convince her that she was in fact well enough to leave. Madame Pomfrey did give her some conditions though, "You must eat dinner in here tonight and then go straight up to your dormitory."

Astrid just wanting to get out of the hospital wing agreed.

Astrid ate her dinner more quickly that she usually would have and arrived in the common room before the dinner in the Great Hall was over. Since she had finished everything in the books that Catrina had brought her, she sat down on one of the sofas. Looking next to her she saw a copy of the months Quibbler and picked it up idly looking through its pages, but not really noticing anything that was in it. She was nearly finished when the portrait hole opened up and her classmates came back from dinner.

Astrid stood up and looked around for Catrina. After looking for nearly five minutes and asking both Cho and Padma, Catrina entered the Common Room with Luna. They were both carrying a pile of books.

Seeing Astrid they walked over to her, "We went down to the hospital wing after dinner to bring your books," started Luna and Catrina finished with, "but, Madame Pomfrey said that you'd come up here."

Astrid was about to bring up the topic of homework when Luna noticed the copy of the Quibbler that Astrid ad not yet put back down. "Ohh... did you notice the article about Professor Lockhart?"

"No, I umm... didn't really pay any attention to what was in it."

"Ohh... what about Lockhart? His first class was rather interesting... Cornish Pixies."

Both Astrid and Luna tried to conceal their laughter but failed dramatically.

"What's so funny about Cornish Pixies they can be very dangerous."

"My father did a piece on then about a year ago. Even if you think they're frightening, they're just harmless. I could handle them when I was a toddler! My father accidentally opened a cage of them at home."

"And I have read that they are easily distracted and if you don't react to them the pixies will just pretend that you're not even there... but if you're frightened then you can worry."

"Well, he didn't let them out of the cage, but I heard that he did yesterday, and that the pixies caused pandemonium."

Deciding to get off the topic of pixies Luna asked Astrid if she had read the article about the elfish colony just south of Britain.

"Wait you mean elves really exist... I thought they were just a myth."

Luna shook her head, "They are as real as you and I are."

Catrina looked at her watch and said, "Astrid if you plan on getting this done before next week you had better start now."

"Alright and I'll try not to be late for another class, you never know what may happen."

Astrid worked on everything she could understand and then asked Catrina for help with the rest. By the end of the night she had finally caught up and both girls knew they would be tired the next day.

On Friday morning Astrid thought to send a letter home to her mother explaining what had happened since her return to Hogwarts. In the letter she included Lockhart becoming a teacher, the Mandrake situation, and the fact that she wanted to subscribe to the Quibbler. She had completely forgotten about her detention for Snape.

It was that day that Astrid felt that she had truly caught up with her work, she decided that she would try her best never to miss the first days of school again because that was the only time the teachers would review. The rest of Friday was a blur for students and teacher alike; everyone knew that the first weekend of the year had finally arrived.