Thanksgiving
Gen was out of the Hospital wing, in what seemed like no time, though time seemed to go by very fast for her at any rate. Without sleep she felt like a day was a minute, and an hour was a split-second. It was strange to be back in class though. She had missed a lot, though Hermione had tutored her while she was out of class. Nothing seemed to be going right. In transfiguration they were having a test on transfiguring inanimate objects to come to life, and Gen knew nothing about it. Charms was the same as usual, which didn't make it easy, though it didn't make it hard. Gen and Neville still couldn't make any magic happen, though Hemione insisted that Gen had done magic before. Gen couldn't seem to remember ever doing magic, but Hermione insisted that she had cast the Alohamora charm on Halloween. History of Magic was boring, as usual, its torpor only interrupted by Harry transfiguring his History book to do a tap dance across his desk.
"Why can't we ever manage to do that when we have to?" Harry asked Ron. They had both failed their test on animating, inanimate objects, yet they seemed to be doing just fine. Defense Against the Dark Arts served no purpose, as no one took Quirrell seriously, especially Gen. Even if Draco wasn't doing it with her, she was making fun of him in class. She knew she had to find some way of making Harry and Ron suspect him, but she couldn't think of any way, plus it might be better to just let them find things out on their own.
Gen sat in potions, with her cauldron partner, Justin Finch-Fletchley. He seemed to have a cold, and every time he went to measure out their exact amount of chopped flobberworms he would cough, and loose his count.
"Stop," Gen said, "just stop!" She was irritated with the way things were going, "you're going to spill!" She took the measuring cup from his hand, and measured it out herself, as Justin sat there feeling rather useless, tossed the chopped flobberworms into the cauldron, and ran her finger down the crease of the book, trying to find the next step. As she was measuring out a tablespoon of ground unicorn's horn she heard a great sneeze, and then a sizzling hiss. The muscles in her back tensed up. She was afraid to turn, and see what Justin had done.
"Oops…" Justin said with a frown as Gen turned around looking positively murderous. He had sneezed on the cauldron, putting the flame out.
"Light it again," she said icily. He turned the knob on the Bunsen burner, but it wouldn't light, "Justin," she said coolly, "if you don't get that lit in five seconds not only will our potion fail, but you will find yourself with your tongue wrapped around your neck five times, and then nailed to the desk." Wide-eyed he pulled out his wand, and tried to light a bluebell fire, but it was no good. Gen started to count, "five, four, three," Justin started to panic, "two, one, PROFESSOR!!!" Gen shouted, throwing her hand into the air.
"Yes Miss Bangle?" Snape asked gently. He was rather fond of Gen as a student. She was the top in the class, though he wouldn't admit that she was the top of all the first years, because Malfoy was his official teacher's pet.
"Justin sneezed on the Bunsen burner, and it wont light now," she said in a tell tale voice, as Justin bit his lip.
"Finch-Fletchley!" Snape said, and Justin looked up in fear, "if you're going to be going around ruining other people's hard work why did you even come to class? Go to the hospital wing, and get that cold of yours cleared up, and don't come back till it's gone!" Snape pulled a box out of his pocket, and tossed it to Gen, who caught it nimbly. She was, after all, a natural born seeker. She studied the box carefully. It was emerald green, with sliver trim, and had the slytherin crest on its hinged, and locked lid. She opened it, and saw that it was full of matches, noting that they each had a green tip, and silver lettering on the wood that said "Severus Snape." On the inside of the lid there was an inscription.
The flames can only be put out
by sprinkling powdered unicorn's horn
sparingly on them.
She took one match, and lit it, putting it under the cauldron. It made a small silvery fire beneath her cauldron, and she continued to make her potion, jamming the matchbox into her pocket, and forgetting about it. The potion was a giggle potion, and as the class finished up making them the air was thick with vapors from it, and laughter from the first years. It even eased Gen's mood. Justin didn't come back at all that day, but Gen insisted that Snape give him full credit, as she was in good humor. Snape obliged, but only because Gen batted her eyelashes at him. She was beginning to wonder if his only feelings toward her were that of a trusting teacher. No matter. Gen was in a good mood, and she couldn't care less what Snape thought.
She walked cheerily to lunch, her books under her arm, giggling to herself, but when she got there neither Ron, Harry, nor Hermione were there. She stood wonderingly for a moment, staring at the place where they should have been, and then remembered something. They had made plans to meet in the Library at lunch. She did an about face, only to run into Malfoy.
"So," he said "can't find your boy friend eh?"
"Um, no…" Gen said confused, but laughing, "I was just heading for the…" her voice cut out as she burst into laughter.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing," Gen said trying to smother her snickers, "nothing, I…" She couldn't control it, "I have to go." She sidestepped him, and ran out of the hall laughing, hoping that he wouldn't be too mad at her. As she wound her way down a long corridor to the library she composed herself, then entered the library with a mere smile on her face. Ron didn't notice her strange happiness, as he was absorbed in a book. It was leather-bound, about five inches thick, and looked positively boring.
"What are you reading?" Gen asked with a snort.
"Hmm?" Ron looked up from his book.
"What are you reading?"
"A book."
"I'm not an idiot, what book?"
"'Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century.'"
"Why are you reading that?" Gen laughed. Ron's only answer was a shrug as he looked back to the book. Hermione walked over, flanked by Harry, and dropped three similar sized books down on the table.
"Okay," She said, "Harry, you're going to read 'Notable Magical Names of our Time,' Gen, you're going to read 'Important Modern Magical Discoveries,' and I'll read 'A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry.'"
"Pardon my asking," Gen said looking at the giant, dust covered book Hermione had set in front of her with distaste, "but why are we reading these?"
"We're looking for Nicolas Flamel," Hermione said as if it was the obvious answer.
"I thought we were here to study," Gen said confused, and started to snicker as the afterthoughts of the potion came back in a wave.
"Well, this is more important than studying at the moment," Hermione said, accompanied by both Ron and Harry looking up at her, eyes wide, mouths gapping. They were both wondering if she had really said what they thought she had said, but Hermione was ignoring them, as well as Gen's additional laughter. Quickly Ron went back to his book, as Gen and Harry hurried to find a good place to start in their books. The four sat reading for all of lunch, but found nothing. Gen had expected this, but didn't know if it was appropriate to say anything.
Thanksgiving was coming. Gen was excited about having a Thanksgiving feast at Hogwarts. That is, until she found out that Britain doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving. She found out about the lack of turkey day from Harry. She had been going on, and on about how she couldn't wait for the holidays to start, especially all the turkey. It was a week from Thanksgiving itself when she was saying all this, and she couldn't suppress her excitement.
"In less than seven days we'll be eating more turkey than you can fit in a size four cauldron!" she said with glee twirling about a statue of Godric Gryffindor, feeling particularly giddy as the four walked to transfigurations.
"I think your calculations are a bit off Gen," Harry said with a slight smile.
"Why's that?" she asked, stopping in mid skip.
"Christmas isn't for another month," Hermione laughed.
"Not Christmas you sillies," Gen said, continuing with her skipping, "Turkey day!"
"What's Turkey day?" Ron asked, sounding excited at the prospect of a holiday he'd never heard of.
"Thanksgiving…" Gen frowned as the three began to look confused.
"Isn't that an American holiday?" Hermione asked.
"Er…" Gen paused to think, trying to remember her history.
"We don't celebrate Thanksgiving," Harry said giving Gen a weird look.
"Well," Ron smiled hopefully, "maybe we do at Hogwarts!"
"Oy, Fred!" Ron shouted that night as the four entered the grand hall for dinner, "do we celebrate Thanksgiving here?"
"Euh…" Fred looked at Ron funnily, "not that I'm aware of."
"What's Thanksgiving?" George whispered to Fred, and Fred just shrugged. Ron seemed very disappointed, though not as disappointed as Gen, who had been going on about how wonderful Thanksgiving was. It was one of her favorite holidays. Not so much because of the food as it was for the having her family actually acknowledge the fact that they were "thankful" for her. When Thanksgiving day came around the corner she wished each of the three a happy Turkey day, but it wasn't a happy Turkey day. They were sitting in the library pouring over stacks of random books they had plucked from the bookcases when Gen stood up.
"That's it!" she said, finally snapping, "if I don't get some Turkey right now I'm going crazy." She stood, and picked up her bag, and slinging it over her shoulder, "come on! If Hogwarts won't give me Thanksgiving; I'm getting it myself. Come on Ron lets go." Ron was all to eager to go, but the others seemed a little held back. "Fine then," Gen said with a coy smile, "when we get back from stuffing our faces we'll come and tell you in full detail how wonderful it was." That got Harry, and Hermione followed, only because she didn't want to be left out.
"Do you know where you're going?" Hermione asked attempting to keep up with the three who were walking abreast, at top speeds through the corridors.
"Yes," Gen said with a faint smile, "though I don't know the way." This made Hermione furious, and she stopped in her tracks, threatening that she wouldn't go with, which didn't actually work, so she started after them again. They wandered for a while; going down numerous flights of stairs, before finding what Gen was looking for. They found themselves in a broad corridor brightly lit with torches and decorated with cheerful paintings, all of them paintings of food. Gen walked to where there was one gigantic painting of a bowl of fruit, and reached up to it, trying to think. She stood, her hand hovering just above the banana, as she tried to remember which fruit it was that she had to tickle. After much deliberation, while Ron, Harry, and Hermione watched her rapt with confusion, and aw Gen reached forward, and tickled a great pear. It squirmed about, giggling, and then turned into a door handle, which Gen turned, and pulled opened.
"Wow," Ron whispered. He was the only one of the four who could speak, as they looked in on a room the exact size of the great hall, but much different. It was filled with pots and pans, and house elves rushing about.
"Come on," Gen said as she walked into the room, closely followed by Harry and Ron, who were followed by Hermione who tottered after them gazing in amazement at the kitchens. "Excuse me," Gen said sweetly to the closest house elf, "Hermione here," Gen said pointing to Hermione, who snapped out of her gaze, realizing that she was getting put into Gen's lie, "she's American," Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Gen cut her off, "and she's mute," Hermione closed her mouth, "and she misses having Thanksgiving, and that's today, and we were wondering if you could possibly supply us with some turkey and mashed potatoes, and gravy, and cranberry sauce," she started to get carried away, "and olives, and stuffing, and cider, and rolls, and pie, and ice-cream, and candied yams, and roast beef and…" at this point Ron was drooling, and several other house elves had stopped what they were doing.
"Say no more," a squat little elf said with a smile before hurrying off. Several elves helped each other set up four chairs, and a table, and seated the four friends. In less than two minutes the table was covered with just about everything Gen had named, and more. Strangely there were no individual plates, or eating utensils, but this didn't deter Ron. He started in with his hands, stuffing a whole buttered roll into his mouth at the same time he was picking up a bowl full of olives. Harry had the common sense to ask for some plates, or at least a fork, and the elves complied. The four set to shoveling loads of mashed potatoes, and turkey onto their plates as the House elves watched them with interest. About an hour and a half passed before Gen couldn't possibly eat another bite. She had eaten, if possible, more than Ron, as Ron had past out about halfway through his second pie. The table was still covered in food, as the elves continued to bring more and more to them. Harry was just finishing his pumpkin pie when Ron snorted, and scared himself out of his sleep. He shot up out of his chair, and then sat back down, dizzy. His face was covered in whipped cream from the pie he had been eating. Gen threw him a napkin as she ate her fifth, and final helping of candied yams.
"We should go to bed," Hermione said, watching Ron wipe his face clean with Gen's napkin, "It's nearly nine o'clock." The three agreed, and the left, only after the elves had made certain that they had filled their pockets with éclairs, and other delicious smelling pastries.
"And all this time I thought it was some great feat taking food from the kitchens, like it made Fred and George legends. It's like they want you to take their food…"
Chapter Fourteen is finally done!!! Happy Late Thanksgiving! The marching season is almost over, and then my schedule will clear up a bit, but after that I have choir gigs, so I'm sorry if this doesn't start going really fast until January. I hope to finish Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the beginning of December. Please, please review!!! I need the feedback.