The euphoria after winning the first Quidditch match of the season lasted at least a week, and the bitterness of Autumn was coming close by the time the constant smile faded from James's face and the memory of bludgers whizzing over the pitch became distant. The first few hard frosts were coming over the grounds, making everything sparkle with ice. Even though the windows rattled with the wind and the corridors were cold, it still made the grounds look beautiful, sparkling in the weak sunlight.
Halloween fell on a Saturday this year, so while the great hall was being decorated, everyone had a free afternoon. Even though it was cold and the wind was biting, most of the school turned out on the grounds, hands in pockets and huddled around small bonfires which some of the more ambitious students had conjured, despite the fact it was against the school rules. The Transfiguration teacher, Professor Martin was supervising making sure the students didn't try to kill each other, but he was rather relaxed. As long as no one set the whomping willow on fire, he didn't really care much what the students did.
James, Lucy and Fred were walking aimlessly around the grounds. Lucy was the only one who had bothered with a scarf and gloves, and she felt rather smug, looking at the other two, rubbing their hands and trying to warm them. They stopped at a massive bonfire that Hagrid had stoked near the empty pumpkin patch. There were groups of students, mostly fourth and fifth years around it, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at something the first years couldn't see. James snaked through the crowds, glad he was small and the other two followed in his wake.
When he got to the front, he saw what all the fuss was about. The bonfire was monstrous, there were several salamaders rushing in and out of the flames, sparks shining off of their slippery bodies as they darted through the fire. But what really caught his attention was a four legged creature, roaming about in the heart of the fire. "What is that?" James asked Hagrid, seeing the creature climb higher in the fire, up to the level of his shoulder.
"Tha'?," Hagrid said. "Tha's a firefox. They're really rare," he added proudly.
Now Hagrid had said it, James could see the foxes faces, lit up by reds and oranges. "Oh it's beautiful!" Lucy said, inching nearer the hot fire, seeing eyes black as coals.
"Yes," Hagrid said. "It'll die when it leaves the flames though. Needs the heat you see?"
"Couldn't you keep it in your fire inside?" Fred asked.
"No," Hagrid said. "Not hot enough for 'im. Too small too."
"How'd you catch it then?" Lucy asked.
"Found the ashes of him from my las' bonfire," he said. "Lit the fire with what was left."
"It's wonderful," James said, just as an older student threw a stick into the fire. The fox chased after it in a magnificent shower of gold and red sparks and embers. James smiled at it, and then turned around as a elbow hit him in the back. He whirled around, seeing Sally Jenkins, the Ravenclaw seeker, anger on her face. Actually, she looked more than angry, she was furious.
"Potter, you broke my arm and made me look like an idiot in front of the entire school!"
"I was playing a game," he said. "And your arm was fixed instantly anyway."
"That's not the point!"
"Quidditch is rough!" he shouted, catching other peoples attention now.
"C'mon, break it up," Hagrid said loudly. Sally ignored him.
"You're going to get what's coming to you Potter!" Then, before he could react, he felt hands on his shoulder, pushing him into the bonfire. Lucy screamed in shock, as did several of the other students. Hagrid was the first to act, hands reaching into the fire and grabbing James's robes and pulling him out. James could feel his skin burning and the sleeve of his right arm was on fire. Hagrid dragged him by the scruff of his neck and plunged his arm into the water butt outside his hut. The flames were extinguished but James could still feel his arm burning, unsurprisingly.
"Aguamenti," Professor Martin said clearly, having heard the noise and come over to see what was wrong. He pointed his wand at the bonfire causing a torrent of water to fall over it. The fire hissed, crackled and then died, the firefox vanishing with a puff of smoke and a small cry. "Miss Jenkins, come with me," he said, voice like ice. "You're going to see the headmistress. And fifty points from Ravenclaw. I daresay you'll get a week's worth of detentions too, but I'll leave that to McGonagall to decide."
Sally Jenkins looked scared. "Now!" Martin said. She had her head to the ground and followed the Transfiguration teacher back up to the school, silence in their wake. James needed the hospital wing, and Hagrid knew it. "C'mon," Hagrid said, half dragging half carrying James towards the castle. All James could focus on was the pain.
Once in the hospital wing Madam Merryweather slathered his arm with a thick green cream and then left it there to set. "You're going to have a sleepless night I'm afraid. It's going to sting as the skin heals. You're here until the morning."
"But the feast…"
"I'm sorry," she said. "Unless you want permanent scarring, you're staying here."
So James spent his first Halloween at Hogwarts in the hospital wing, his arm throbbing. The one tiny satisfaction was that Sally Jenkins had been forbidden from playing Quidditch for the rest of the year, had had a weeks worth of detentions, and her loss of points had made Hufflepuff overtake Ravenclaw in the race for the House cup. Now Hufflepuff were second, just behind Gryffindor by about thirty points. Lucy had told him when she visited. It was a silver lining, even though he was missing the live bats and the massive pumpkins which were big enough for him to sit inside. And pumpkin pie. God, he really wanted a slice of pumpkin pie.