Freddie thought that returning to Hogwarts would make her feel like a child again, but when she walked through the gates two days later that wasn't the case. She hadn't been on the grounds since she graduated – in the past five years whenever she had visited Snape it was via the fireplace in his office. Somehow the castle didn't seem as large as it had when she was young, but it was still just as magical.
She'd worked at St Mungo's that morning, even though Hawkins had told her she could take the whole day off. The time had passed much more quickly at work and she'd gone home to change and get Ziggy before Apparating to Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament. She was wearing a lovely emerald green dress made of satin and had one of her finest black cloaks fastened around her neck. Ziggy leapt from her arms as she stepped through the gate and he immediately ran towards the castle. She chuckled softly, knowing he was going off to find his friend Mrs Norris, the caretaker's cat. She always tried to bring Ziggy with her when she visited Hogwarts.
There was a stream of students making their way from the castle towards the Quidditch pitch, though she didn't recognize any of them. Freddie didn't know if she was supposed to meet Snape in the castle or if he had already gone down to the field. She started down the path from the gates and almost joined the trickle of students before she saw a dark figure coming down the steps from the Entrance Hall. She knew it was Snape, he was the only man she knew who dressed solely in black. Walking next to him was Albus Dumbledore in one of his usual colorful outfits. The headmaster beamed as Freddie approached them, but Snape kept his expression impassive as he usually did.
"Miss Gray," Dumbledore greeted cheerfully. "I am so glad you could join us – and I must say you look lovely this evening."
"Thank you, headmaster," Freddie said with a polite smile. "Thank you for inviting me. I was surprised, but I'm happy to be here."
"Yes, I thought you would enjoy it," he said. The headmaster was still smiling but she thought he had a somewhat troubled look in his blue eyes. The three of them started walking towards the Quidditch pitch together, following a few yards behind the last trickle of students to leave the castle. "How have you been, Miss Gray? I heard Andrea made you her assistant this year."
"Oh," she said, surprised that he knew about that but then Dumbledore always seemed to know everything. "Yes sir, she did. I'm enjoying it quite a lot. I love the work, you know. Certainly keeps me busy."
"Excellent," he said with a nod. "Was that your kneazle I saw running into the castle as we left?"
"Yes sir. I hope it's alright that I brought him along – he's friends with Mrs Norris and it's been a while since we were able to come visit," she said, glancing briefly at Snape. "He's missed seeing his friend."
"Of course it's fine," the headmaster replied airily. "He's certainly grown into a magnificent creature. I remember when he was small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. You did an excellent job raising him."
"Thank you sir. He goes everywhere I go – he even hangs out in my office while I'm at work."
"It must be nice to have him close by. So, Hawkins gave you your own office, eh? I've heard you've been doing an excellent job there. You'll be next in line for Potions Master if Hawkins ever leaves, or when she retires. You must be proud, Severus."
"Yes, headmaster," Snape said softly but he was looking at Freddie as he spoke. "I am quite proud. Winifred has always been exceedingly talented."
"You taught her well," Dumbledore said as Freddie smiled happily.
"FREDDIEEEE!" called a voice loudly. She barely had time to look around, confused, before a tall, red-haired girl ran over and flung her arms around her.
"Ada?!" Freddie gasped as her friend pulled back to look at her. She almost didn't recognize her – it had been two years since she'd last been to France to visit Ada and the girl had grown at least five inches since then. They were the same height now. The freckled girl looked gorgeous in the blue dress that she knew to be the formal wear for Beauxbatons students. "You've grown so much, Adalene! I almost didn't recognize you. What are you doing here?"
"I came with the other Beauxbatons delegations," Ada answered, beaming. "I put my name in the Goblet of Fire, but you know Fleur Delacour got it instead. Madame Maxime let all of us stay though, to support Fleur."
"Why didn't you tell me you were here? Did you know?" she asked, looking up at Snape.
"I did not recognize her," he said, shaking his head.
"Professeur Snape, ravi de vous revoir," Ada said brightly, extending her hand to shake his confidently.
"It's good to see you as well, Miss Leroux."
Dumbledore was smiling pleasantly as he watched their exchange.
"I didn't realize you knew Miss Leroux," the headmaster said to Freddie.
"Yes sir, we met during the Potions Championship my last year. She was just 12 years old then, but she came in second place. We've been best friends ever since," she told him, which made Ada smile again and blush ever so faintly. "I visited her two summers ago, and we write almost every week – you never mentioned anything in your letters about the Triwizard Tournament, Adalene!"
"I wanted to surprise you, Winifred," Ada said teasingly. Usually only Snape called Freddie 'Winifred' and very few people called Ada 'Adalene'. It was a running joke between the two friends. "Oh I was so hoping you'd be able to attend one of the tasks! If you hadn't I was going to come to London tomorrow and surprise you at work."
"I'm definitely surprised!"
"Let's find our seats, Severus," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "We can let the girls get reaquainted before Miss Leroux has to join the Beauxbatons students. Miss Gray, please come sit with us in the teachers stands before the task starts."
"Yes sir," Freddie said obediently.
"I wish you could sit with me instead!" Ada said in rapid french as the two men walked away.
"I wish I could too, but Dumbledore invited me," she answered easily in the same language. She'd learned French from Ada over the last four years. When they'd met she couldn't speak any at all and now she was fluent.
"Your accent sounds so funny!" Ada giggled, switching back to English. "Professor Dumbledore invited you? Not Severus?"
Her friend knew that Freddie was involved with Snape and that they'd been living together since she graduated. She'd been reluctant to tell her at first, but the longer she and Snape stayed together the harder it was to keep their relationship a secret from the girl she now considered to be her best friend. Ada hadn't judged her for dating her former teacher, much to her relief, and they often discussed him in their letters.
"No- well, sort of. Dumbledore told him to invite me. I'm not totally sure why. You know how he's been these last few months. We've hardly spoken, then he showed up at work two days ago to invite me here. But only at Dumbledore's request. I think he has something up his sleeve, I'm just not sure what it is."
"Maybe he just thought you would enjoy seeing the last task?"
"You don't know Dumbledore like I do," Freddie said, shaking her head. "He always has something up his sleeve."
"Well I'm sure you'll find out. The third task is about to begin," Ada said, checking the silver watch on her wrist.
"I still can't believe you're here," she said wondrously. "And that you put your name in to enter the Triwizard Tournament! You're so different from the last time I saw you."
"I'm taller and I have boobs now," Ada chuckled.
"Not just that," she said, grinning. "You seem so...confident. Like a totally different person than the little girl I competed in the Potions Championship with."
"I am," she said happily. "I finally got out from under Lady Karen – she went back to Ireland and we got a new Potions Master. I'm not an apprentice anymore. I mastered Occlumency with the books you loaned me, although it took a while, and that helped a lot with controlling my emotions. I was able to tell the new professor that I no longer wished to study potions. I'm much more confident now and my magic improved with my confidence – or maybe it was the other way around? Either way I'm one of the best spellcasters in my year now."
"Tres bien!" Freddie said. "I'm so proud of you! I still can't believe you didn't tell me you were here!" She smacked her friend's arm lightly. "We could have met at Hogsmeade on the weekends!"
"Madame Maxime has kept us pretty busy. We couldn't let up on our studies just because we are at Hogwarts and she is the only one teaching us now – our carriage is over there. But, I asked maman and she said I can stay after the tournament is over and visit you. I can stay the whole summer with you, if you want me to! I have an interview for a job at your Ministry of Magic in August."
"That would be amazing! I'll have to ask Severus if you can stay with us, but I think it should be okay."
"Tres bien! I've got to go now," she said, checking her watch again. "Madame Maxime will be cross if I'm not there when the task starts. I'll see you later?"
"I'll come find you after," Freddie promised.
"À tout à l'heure," Ada said before hurrying off to find her schoolmates.
"Adieu!" Freddie called after her, then she went to join Snape in the teacher's stands.
Dumbledore had saved her a seat in between him and Snape and he waved her over when he saw her coming up the wooden stairs.
"You're just in time," the headmaster said brightly. "Ludo Bagman is about to announce the start of the final task."
Just then Bagman's magically-amplified voice rang out over the crowd from in front of the maze that had once been the Quidditch pitch.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each - Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!" The cheers and applause from the stands sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. "In second place, with eighty points - Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" More applause. "And in third place - Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"
There was more soft applause for Delacour, even from the rest of the Beauxbatons students who were seated with Ravenclaw. It was easy to tell the french girls apart from the Hogwarts students, as they all wore the same pale blue dresses and they didn't shout and cheer like the other students. They prided themselves on being prim and proper, they'd never do something as 'rude' as yelling. When Freddie had first met Ada the girl had been scared to so much as cough for fear of getting in trouble. She tried to spot Ada among the sea of pale blue. She thought she could see her friend's flaming red hair, but she was too far away to make out her features.
"So...on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" said Bagman. "Three - two - one -"
He gave a short but loud blow of his whistle, and the two Hogwarts competitors raced towards the opening in the 20-foot hedges that made up the maze. Freddie watched them go, wondering if one of the boys would be the first to reach the center of the maze.