Freddie woke to a very loud beeping, directly in her right ear. She groaned and swatted at it, wanting it to go away. She could feel Snape pressed against her back, so warm and comfortable. It was his hand on the side of her face, his watch that was beeping in her ear. She hit his hand and he reflexively squeezed her tighter. She felt him nuzzle the back of her neck, then he kissed her shoulder blade.
"Time to get up," he said, his breath warm in her ear.
"Mmph," she grunted and he chuckled softly.
"I will make tea, then you have to get up. It's Potions Championship day and I think you'll want to be alert for that," he said, and kissed her again before getting up. As his words sunk in Freddie rolled over on her back, feeling the warmth his body had left on the mattress, and she stared up at the ceiling. Potions Championship day. This was it. Everything she had been training for. She should be more than ready, she should be excited...instead she just felt a little sick.
"It's just nerves," he called to her from the other room. "You will be fine. The tea will help."
What if it's not just nerves? She thought with a fresh surge of dread and anxiety. What if Karkaroff poisoned me, poisoned the wine? I should have taken a bezoar last night like Ada said. Andrei could have drank poisoned wine and had the antidote. What if-?
"Please do not start panicking again," Snape said, interrupting her thoughts as he came back through the doorway with his tea set. "You are going to make yourself throw up."
"Do you think I should take a bezoar?" she asked, sitting up in the bed.
"No," he said simply, placing his kettle down on the desk. He sat down and opened a small tin, adding mixed tea leaves to the pot before using his wand to fill it with water. She watched him as he put the tip of his wand to the bottom of the pot, heating it slowly.
"What if someone-"
"You are not poisoned," he said without looking at her. "I would know if you are poisoned. You are fine."
Freddie made an uneasy noise and leaned back against the headboard. She didn't feel fine, but maybe Snape was right. Maybe it was just nerves. She'd never done anything like this challenge before.
"I usually am," he said, still focused on the teapot. "You should practice your Occlumency, it will make you feel better. Or recite some recipes, whatever it is you do to help calm you."
She nodded, even though he wasn't looking at her, and tried to clear her mind, focusing on the blank wall that was her shield. All sorts of anxieties were trying to seep through cracks in the wall and she took some deep breaths.
"Calming Draught," she said under her breath, not even realizing she was talking aloud. "Add six drops of fluxweed oil to one pint of purified water. Add the inner membrane and fluid from 3 bloodroot stems...Stir clock- no, that's not right - alternate clockwise and counter-clockwise stirring until the potion begins to steam. Mince one valerian root-"
"You're muttering to yourself," Snape said as he stood up from the desk. He brought her her tea and Freddie clutched the glowing cup like it was a life vest. "I would be very displeased if you broke my teacup, Winifred."
"Sorry," she said, her throat feeling tight.
"Drink," he said firmly, standing beside the bed. She took a sip from the cup but didn't really taste it. "Winifred, listen to me. You will do fine. You have prepared for this in every way that I could conceive of. You are more than ready." His voice was sure and steady and his words seemed to have a calming effect on her. She felt her heart rate slow and the lump in her throat disappeared. She took another drink from her cup.
"You have a remarkable skill," he continued in the same reassuring tone, not leaving her side. "You are talented and intuitive."
"You said all of that last night," she said with a weak smile.
"It bears repeating," he said. "You are the most talented student I have ever taught. You can do this, you will do this, and you will be fine."
He said the words with such firm conviction that Freddie found herself believing them. She felt her confidence starting to return. I can do this, she thought determinedly, taking a long sip of tea. I am the Potions Princess. I am a rockstar. I can do this.
"Feel better?" Snape asked.
"Yes," she said truthfully. "Thank you. I really do love you."
"I know," he said with a small smirk. "Drink your tea. There is still plenty of time to study before breakfast."
By the time 8 o'clock rolled around Freddie was feeling much more sure of herself. She was already dressed in her school robes, ready to represent Hogwarts in the Potions Championship, and Snape had put her hair up in a bun again. They'd gone through the flashcards twice and she had them in her pocket to go over again during breakfast. Snape had the five books she was allowed to take into the Garden and he was waiting for her by the door while she searched the room for her wand, starting to feel panic rising up again. What if she couldn't find her wand, what if she'd lost it, what if Karkaroff had stolen it, she couldn't complete the challenge without a wand!
"When did you last have it?" Snape asked her calmly.
"Last night by the lake is the last time I used it," she said. "What if I dropped it when I was removing my Disillusionment Charm?"
"Think, Winifred. Did you drop your wand by the lake?"
She thought back to last night and she shook her head.
"No, I definitely put it back in the sleeve of my dress," she said. She picked the velvet dress up off the floor and shook it out for the fifth time. Her wand wasn't there.
"Under the bed," Snape said suddenly, stepping forward. Freddie dropped to her knees and stuck her head under the bed. Ziggy darted out and she heard a clattering sound. She stuck her hand into the darkness and her fingers closed around what she knew to be her wand.
"Thank God," she said, relieved. She straightened up and brushed the front of her school robes in case she'd gotten dust on them.
"We're going to be late for breakfast," Snape said, glancing at his watch.
"It's your fault," she pointed out. "My wand was in my dress when you ripped it off."
"I do not recall you complaining last night," he said silkily and she blushed. "If you were irresponsible with your wand, that is not my fault. Your cat probably knocked it under the bed."
"Hmm," Freddie said, but they were in a hurry and she didn't have time to argue. "Alright, let's go. Ziggy, stay here. We'll be back in a little while. Be good."
They headed downstairs together and when they walked into the dining room everyone was already seated and eating. The doors to the patio were open, letting in the cool morning air. Freddie took her seat beside Ada and looked at the breakfast laid out before them. It was vastly different than the breakfast Freddie was used to at Hogwarts. There was no meat, no eggs, only croissants, baguettes, and toast with a few different types of jam, and a variety of cut fruit. There was coffee in place of tea, and a pitcher of orange juice.
"Good morning," Freddie said to Ada as she sat down, but the girl didn't respond. She was staring at her empty plate and her face was even paler than usual, making her freckles stand out more on her skin. "Are you okay, Ada?"
"Uh...I do not know," she whispered.
Freddie glanced around the table quickly. Dimitri was shoveling food into his face, oblivious. Akinyi was gulping down coffee in between bites of a croissant. And Andrei was ignoring them completely, his chair pushed as far away from Freddie's as he could get it.
"Are you nervous?" she asked Ada softly, where no one else could hear.
"Uh-huh," she answered, looking at Freddie finally. She looked on the verge of tears.
"It's going to be fine," Freddie told her, trying to use the same soothing tone Snape had used with her. She patted the girl's arm reassuringly. "You're brilliant and I know you'll do well. You'll be fine."
Ada smiled weakly but she didn't look comforted.
"You should eat something," Freddie encouraged. "You'll feel better if you drink some tea- er, coffee, I mean."
She nodded numbly and Freddie started putting food on both of their plates. She poured them both a cup of coffee. She didn't usually drink coffee, she preferred tea, but there was caffeine in coffee that would help keep her alert.
"Do you want cream and sugar?" she asked as she reached for the sugar bowl to add it to her own cup.
"Oui," Ada whispered, her voice barely audible. "Merci beaucoup."
"This is different than breakfast at Hogwarts," she said as she fixed the coffee, thinking maybe she could distract her friend from her nerves. "They serve a lot more food there – bacon, sausage, ham, eggs, pancakes, french toast, regular toast, biscuits, all kinds of stuff. We have orange juice too, and apple and pumpkin. And tea, of course."
"Le déjeuner est le plus important-"
"I can't understand you, Ada," Freddie interrupted gently, putting the cup of coffee in front of her once she'd finished stirring it.
"Sorry," she said, picking up the cup. "Most countries think breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but for us it is lunch. We eat a very light breakfast to get us through the morning, then we have a large lunch. Breakfast at home is always coffee and bread. Maman gets up early to bake the baguettes fresh."
Freddie was silent for a minute as she ate a croissant and drank some coffee, but Ada still wasn't eating. She had taken a few sips of coffee and was holding the cup in a white-knuckled grip.
"Eat," Freddie encouraged as she spread strawberry preserves on a piece of toast.
"Je n'ai pas faim," she said. "I cannot eat."
"You need to. Here-"
She picked up the piece of toast she had put on Ada's plate and slathered it with jam.
"Just a few bites," Freddie coaxed, offering it to her. Ada put her coffee down and took the toast reluctantly. Freddie wasn't satisfied until she finally took a bite.
"What are you, her mother?" Dimitri jeered from across the table, having finally finished eating three plates piled with food. "Are you going to spoon feed her, too?"
"No," Freddie shot back. "But maybe you need your mother to spoon feed you – you've gotten jam all over the front of your uniform. Is that how you're going to represent your school, all covered in food? I guess they don't teach table manners at Koldovstoretz."
Dimitri flushed in embarrassment and Akinyi spit out her coffee, laughing at him.
"They teach real subjects at Koldovstoretz," he growled, but his face was still red. "Curses and hexes. Dark magic. Hogwarts does not even teach you the Dark Arts, do they? Your school is a joke."
"We'll see who's laughing when I walk away that gold cauldron today," Freddie said dismissively. "Now mind your own business."
She turned her attention back to Ada who gave her a quick grateful smile before finishing the rest of her toast.
Freddie finished eating quickly but carefully. She was hungry but she wasn't about to scarf her food down and make a mess after she'd just ripped into Dimitri. She was finishing her coffee when Monsieur Benoit came to their table.
"How's everyone feeling this morning?" he asked brightly. "Feeling good? Confident?"
They all nodded or murmured their assent.
"C'est excellent!" he declared. "In half an hour we will all meet down by the lake and from there we will travel to the Enchanted Garden. You can use the time until then however you see fit - study, chat, or just relax. I'll see you all at 9 o'clock."
"Monsieur Benoit?" Freddie asked suddenly as he turned to go.
"Yes, Miss Gray?"
"Could Ada and I go out onto the patio where it's quiet to quiz each other with my flashcards?"
"An excellent idea, Miss Gray. Of course. Just be sure you give your flashcards and any other study materials back to your Potions Masters before the competition. That goes for all of you," he said, his voice suddenly serious as he looked around the table. "You are only allowed your wand and five books of your choosing during the challenge. A standardized potions kit will be provided to each of you before you enter the Garden. If you attempt to bring any other items, or if you are found to be under the influence of performance enhancing substances, you will be immediately disqualified."
"Yes sir," Freddie said with a nod. "Thank you."
"Good luck to you all," he said cheerfully as he walked away.
"Come on Ada," she said, pushing her chair back from the table. "Let's get out of here."