Chp 41: Waking Up

The morning after Adam woke up with the sweats and for the next week after as he was plagued with varying forms of the traumatic dreams which he had a sneaking suspicion were going to become prophetic. Christmas break was over and all the students had returned.

'I'm not saying that I want to take divination as an elective in my third year, but some insight would be nice' said Adam to Calcifer, stomping back to his Hufflepuff dorm ready to hit the deck as the first day of lessons had been to much due to the mass sleep deprivation he was experiencing.

Making his way into the common room, he saw a congregation of puffs milling around, some doing work, some chatting happily to each other, with a slightly chubbier few stuffing themselves with cake, which magically reappeared every few hours after consumption.

"Sup Adam" said Zacharias Smith

"Hi Zach how's are things ... good" replied Adam tiredly.

"Yeah we're all going to the Herbology Greenhouses, to grow our own potions ingredients Professor Sprout has given us all permission, wanna come".

"Uh yeah-h ... no sorry bud, I've not been sleeping to well recently, but thanks for the offer".

"Well, we'll be there, till curfew see ya mate" said Zacharias bounding off to the rest of the first year boys.

Adam went to cross the room before catching a glimpse of a rowdy group of female Puffs messing around loudly in front of his dorm.

'Thats a nope from me' he thought before spotting a nice padded armchair and plopping himself down on it.

'Aaaahh that's comfy' he thought as his eyes shuttered closed heavily and he fell asleep despite the babble around him.

----

"Do you know what's .... In ....." whispered someone close by.

As Adam came to the the streams of daylight had all but disappeared and the warm yellow glow of the magical lights cast a dim warmth over the cosy room.

'I must have fallen asleep, I guess I was tired'.

Not moving much Adam picked up on some whispering going on between a few students on the couch in front of him.

Staying perfectly still he channelled the warp carefully into his ears enhancing them so he could listen in.

"What do you thinks in there, a Dragon"?

"No way, how would they have even got a Dragon in there in the first place".

"It could be a curse gone wrong".

"Come on Dumbledore would have been able to get rid of a curse".

"So it must be some form of magical creature, I told you guys" said another loudly.

"SSSHHH, no need to announce it to the room, that would be my guess, but it doesn't make sense, why wouldn't they remove it"?

"We could check it out" said one.

"No way we don't know what we'd find there".

The older Hufflepuffs finished up their conversation got up and left.

'Hear, that Calcifer the goody two shoes puffs are having riske conversations'.

'Aahahhaha' laughed Calcifer.

'Well I'd tell them it's a threeheaded dog, but I'd be exposing myself a little bit, eh'.

'Well they're not entirely wrong it is a magical creature and it has to be there for a reason".

'What you think it's protecting something' replied Adam his forehead creasing.

'Exactamondo my pupil' giggled Calcifer cheekily.

----

Adam was almost done brewing the Pompion Potion in potions the next day, once again sat next to Morag.

Adam cast the pumpkin head jinx on the bubbling potion completing the process.

"Great success, this time Morag I think it looks good to give to Snape".

She peered over giving it a wiff, crinkling up her nose due to the pungent aroma it was giving off, sending Adam a thumbs up.

"If you have brewed it correctly, then the results should be most interesting. That was worth all the effort. You can go now, once you've deposited a labelled potion vial" said Snape.

Adam ladled the potion into two vials walking up to Snape's desk who gave him a dirty scowl as he put it down in a vial stand.

"Barely acceptable, Potter, though I'm sure Morag's mostly the reason for that".

Adam happy that Snape hadn't accidently broken his potion for once, considered this comment the higest of compliments.

----

"Adam-m" said Morag sweetly as they were making their way up from the potions.

"Yes, Morag, that is my name" he said teasing her.

"You know how we're friends shouldn't we spend some time with each other outside of class, we only ever talk in classes".

"Uh I had some plans for tonight" said Adam subconsciously tapping the vial in his pocket through his robe.

"Well what as it, I want in, there's only so much studying, even a Ravenclaw can do".

"I didn't realise that was possible" said Adam staring at her with mock fascination.

"No but seriously Adam, I'm bored out of my mind, every time I lose track of you your fighting trolls or exploring lost ruins".

'If only she realised that was just the tip of the iceberg' said Calcifer.

"I saw this neither admitting or denying anything but I get away with the stuff I do in my evenings by the skin of my teeth, I'm not sure it would be a good idea".

"Fine" she said grabbing him by his arm.

"What are you doing" asked Adam trying to pry her off.

"I'm not letting you go until you tell me what you're doing tonight" said Morag smirking like a certain fireball weilding egomaniac.

"Fine" retorted Adam pacing off towards the Hufflepuff commen room.

"Oi slow down" exclaimed Morag who was pulled along almost tripping.

Adam came up the flight of stairs alighted the corridor just next to the great hall before cutting a sharp right towards the spiral staircase going down towards Hufflepuff common room.

As he took the first step down at a shuffle, Morag yelped as she was pulled partially off her feet comically jumping onto Adams much larger frame at a full foot taller than her at 5ft 5 at eleven years of age, though that wasn't saying much as he was the tallest in the year by far.

"Adaaammm stttoooop -WHUMPH" said Morag as he bounded down the staircase five steps at a time, causing the air to be driven out of Morag each time he thudded onto each successive step.

Reaching the bottom of the staircase, he briskly walked towards, the entrance to Hufflepuff common room.

"You're not even out of breath you monster" said Morag as Adam began tapping on the barrel.

Which promptly opened in front of them straight in front of Professor Sprout.

"Mr Potter ... let Ms McDougal down".

"What..".

"Just because their feet don't touch the ground doesn't mean Ravenclaws are allowed into the common room" said Professor Sprout imitating a flapping bird with her arms.

"I wasn -".

"-Tut, Tut off you go now" said Professor Sprout.

"Ahahahaha" Morag burst into laughter as Professor Sprout turned the corner.

"What grox shit" said Adam red faced and embarrassed.

"Don't worry, maybe you should have just let me join you".

'When did you piss Tzeentch off' said Calcifer.

'I dunno, Kaldor did all the killing, maybe by association'.

Stewing internally, Adam turned round to Morag sharply.

"Fine ... I guess I can't stop you, you crazy girl the consequences are on your head ... No snitching, follow me I need some meat".

"Meat ... why" asked Morag secretly smiling as she got her way.

Adam didn't reply walking over to a nearby painting of a fruit bowl. Adam stuck his hand out tickling the painted pear. Which giggled, before metamorphising into a large green handle.

Pushing the handle down the painting, no door swung open.

Morag's mouth dropped open as she saw a room as big as the great hall, filled with tens of massive cooking pots with equal numbers of house elves preparing the massive amount of produce required to feed Hogwart's massive population of students every day.

"Hello, Bilm ... Cooky, I see you there, Krafty, Retch don't give me that look".

"Master Potter" a chorus of little voices responded back one house in particular wandering over.

"How can me helps Mr Potter today".

"Wigby my lil man, well I was wondering if I could grab a big peice of meat what it's from doesn't matter" said Adam giving the little elf a fist bump.

"Of course Mr Potter, you-good friend of house elves" said Wigby clicking his fingers, causing a lump of meat wrapped in brown paper to appear in Adams hands.

"Thanks if you guys want anything else just ask and I'll grab it for you".

"Of course Mr Potter you are too kind to us house elves".

"One can never be too kind Wigby I've told you this, now I'll see you all around keep up the good work said Adam showing a big thumbs up before swinging the door shut".

... ... ...

Morag stood mouth agape, wide enough to catch a fly.

"You good, I thought you wanted in, this is just setup step 2" said Adam waving a hand in front of her face.

"That's where the food comes from".

"Ob-viously" said Adam doing his best impression of Snape.

"Can we just come down here and get snacks".

"I can ... you can't you've got to get on the beautiful little fellows good side, a couple of weeks ago I was out on a run and saw Wigby collecting moss in the forest I asked what he was doing and he said he was collecting it for their houses, I said coool you need a hand and the rest is history they get nice warm moss to pad their little houses with and I get the occasional bit of extra food slipped my way".

"Could you grab me some shortbread every known and again".

"Maybe ... But thats not important I need you to meet me at the bottom of the main staircase at 1am tonight if you do that I'll show you what I get up to".