iii. flying lessons and Christmas times

　THREE MONTHS INTO Hogwarts, Andromeda could easily say it was the adventure of her life, even taking into account Camp Half-Blood's small quests. The castle was a tapestry of enchantment, woven with history and mystery, providing her with a new adventure every day. Her days at Camp Half-Blood had prepared her for quests and challenges, but navigating the halls of Hogwarts brought a different kind of excitement.

　Much to professor Snape's chagrin, she was a genius in potions. No matter how much he tried to hate her, it seemed he was slowly realizing just how talented she had turned out to be. That didn't stop him from deducting points from Hufflepuff whenever she slightly raised her voice, but at least she'd stopped being the subject of intense interrogations about her knowledge during class.

　The Hufflepuff common room, typically warm and inviting, had taken on an even cozier atmosphere with the arrival of the holiday season. Bellamy and Andy had staked out a prime spot by the crackling fireplace, their laughter and banter dancing in the air like the embers.

　"Oliver told me that he'll get the sweets this weekend," Bellamy was assuring her.

　Older students got the privilege of spending some weekends in the little village close to the school. From what she'd heard, Hogsmeade was the only entirely magical village left in Scotland, which was sad.

　Christmas was drawing near, so when Andy was told that there was a village nearby where you could buy magical sweets, she immediately knew she wanted to gift her cousin Percy some. Bellamy's persuasive skills had convinced her brother, Oliver, to make the trip to Hogsmeade and procure goodies, and he'd extended the gesture to his sister's friends, which was nice of him.

　Amidst the chatter, Bellamy turned her attention to Cedric, "Hey, Ced, what class do we have next?"

　Andy watched as he assumed a thoughtful expression, his hand resting on his chin in concentration. "Hm, good question," he mused.

　"Think any harder and smoke will come out of your ears," she said, looking between both her friends extremely confused. "You know we have Flying class, you haven't shut up about it the whole week."

　"Ah, that's right!" Cedric nodded enthusiastically, face lighting up with recognition.

　She narrowed her eyes. "You're weird, Ced."

　A beat passed before their blonde friend took part in the conversation once again.

　"Wait, that's today?" Bell's eyes widened. "Merlin, that's awesome. I wonder what we'll learn this time."

　They've only had two so far, and the last one was the one where they learnt how to take care of a broom. In the first one, they'd learnt how to kick off the ground, and now they would be learning how to control their flying — even if some of them had already mastered it.

　"I bet it's something like knowing the equipment or some shit like that," Andy speculated. "When will we get to play quidditch? I want to learn, it isn't fair," she whined.

　"Actually, flying lessons are about teaching a witch how to fly, not how to play the sport," Cedric quipped, and once again Andy stared confused at him. A witch?

　"What's with the inclusivity?" she asked, staring even more profusely at him when she noticed strands of his hair turning pink.

　The bubblegum pink rapidly spread throughout his locks of hair, and both girls let out shrieks as Nymphadora Tonks appeared before them, a playful pout on her lips.

　"Ah, sorry, I got distracted. Quidditch, you know. I could have kept it up for a while more," the pink-haired girl said, a pout on her lips, as if she hadn't been impersonating their friend just five seconds ago.

　Then, the passage to the common room opened, and the real Cedric walked in, causing both girls to glance between the metamorphmagus and the blond-haired boy. He walked toward them, looking utterly confused when he noticed.

　"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked, hesitating when Tonks stood up and left with a wink. "Did I do something?"

　"No, not you," she said, shaking her head as she recovered from the bizarre encounter.. She'd find a way to get back to the older witch. "We'll explain later."

　"Well– then, Roger's outside," said Cedric, a thumb pointing toward the door he just came through, his voice carrying a note of urgency. "We have to get to our Flying lesson."

　"I thought we weren't supposed to show people the way to our common room, " said Bellamy, eyebrows drawn together in a frown.

　Andy chuckled at the comment.

　"What is Roger gonna do? Terrorize our housemates by reading with his feet up on a table?" She quipped with a playful grin.

　"More like terrorise me," mumbled Bellamy under her breath, her tone tinged with a mix of exasperation and fondness as they fell into step behind their friend, following him towards the entrance, where Roger joined them.

　As the corridor twisted and turned, the two girls walked side by side, their footsteps echoing softly against the old stone walls of the castle. Just as they rounded a corner, Mrs. Norris, Argus Filch's cat, materialized from the shadows, and Bellamy jumped, clutching Andy's robe with her fist.

　"She freaks me out," Bellamy admitted, her unease evident as she stared at the cat, who slowly blinked up at her.

　Cedric, who had been trailing behind with Roger raised an eyebrow at her confession. "Oi, don't bash cats," he chimed in, his tone light but his eyes betraying a playful spark. "I like my cat more than I like you, just so you know."

　Bellamy's frown deepened as she glanced between their friend and the cat.

　"Roger, Andy, are you hearing this?" she called out, her voice laced with incredulity as she turned toward them seeking solidarity.

　AJ exchanged an amused glance with Roger, lips pressed together in an attempt to not laugh. "Oh, we're hearing it loud and clear," she replied, a teasing grin touching her lips. "But I gotta say, Bell, you're letting a cat get the best of you."

　"And Ced," coughed Roger.

☄︎

　THEIR FLYING CLASS was a refreshing break from their studies, as they eagerly tended to their broomsticks and soared through the skies for nearly an hour. The exhilaration of flying, the wind rushing past her, was something Andy had all grown to love, although none of them were satisfied with the small amount of time they were given to fly.

　Upon returning to the castle, the festive air of Christmas began to take hold. Hints of holly and mistletoe adorned the corridors, casting a cheerful aura over the ancient walls. Professor McGonagall was in her element, reprimanding a student who hadn't turned in the permission slip for leaving the school during the holidays.

　For Andy, the decision was an easy one — she'd be staying. Her demigod heritage was dangerous, and Sally and Percy would be safer at home without her. One demigod was already dangerous, but two? This one time, Andy would avoid being as much of a burden to her aunt as she always was.

　As the holiday season neared, memories resurfaced in her mind about the letter her aunt had sent her regarding her godfather. She'd reached out, worried and put off, and Sally had shed some light on the situation. Apparently, her mum had chosen one of her best friends as her godparent, but between the war and his predicaments, whatever that meant, he'd given up his rights of raising her and given them to Sally and her family.

　Which was wonderful, just another parental figure that had disappeared from her life. Andy had won the lottery in that sense, because she'd reached number three. Although she wondered if her father counted at all. He was a god, after all, they have tons of children — there was evidence of that in the extensive amount of half-siblings she had back at home.

　As December unfolded, Hogwarts transformed into a winter wonderland. The Great Hall became a spectacle of shimmering decorations, and the castle seemed to glow with warmth despite the cold outside.

　On the morning of Christmas day, as the soft light of dawn filtered through the windows of the Hufflepuff common room, Andy stirred in her bed, the warmth of her blankets tempting her to stay cocooned in sleep. However, her peaceful slumber was interrupted by Bellamy, who shook her shoulders with an excitement that was infectious.

　"Come on, Andy! Our presents are in the common room!" Bellamy's voice was a blend of excitement and joy, her wide eyes shimmering with the promise of the delights that awaited them.

　As a child of the Sun god, she tended to wake up at first light, so she wasn't surprised nor angry when she realized that her friend had awakened her at the crack of dawn to open their gifts.

　The two girls, still in their cozy pajamas, joined the small gathering of students in the Hufflepuff common room, which were all of them — surprisingly, given the early hours. The atmosphere was intimate and cozy, with the soft glow of the fireplace casting dancing shadows across the room. The Christmas tree stood in one corner, adorned with golden ornaments of all shapes and sizes, while a stack of presents occupied another corner, each wrapped with care and festive paper.

　Andy's gaze swept across the collection of gifts, her heart fluttering with anticipation. The room was filled with an air of holiday spirit, a warmth that defied the chill that she knew lingered outside.

　As she moved closer to the array of presents, a small package wrapped in brown paper caught her attention. There, in the familiar handwriting she had come to know after reading time and time again the same letter, her name was written. Not just her first name, but her full name. She let out an exasperated sigh as she muttered, "Ugh, was the government name necessary?"

　Bell peered over Andy's shoulder at the gift, her eyebrows arching in surprise. "Your full name is Andromeda Juliette Jackson?"

　"Gods, don't remind me," she replied, rolling her eyes. "It was like my mum wanted me to get bullied."

　"Those are pretty names, just maybe not together," Bellamy said, wrinkling her nose. "It's a weird combination, not gonna lie."

　The morning unfolded in a joyful haze of unwrapping gifts and shared laughter. The mysterious brown package held inside Hershey's chocolate that miraculously hadn't melted. A smile graced her lips at the sight, wondering if her godfather had known they were her favorite, or if they were his. She'd always had a sweet tooth, ever since she was little — just like Percy, so she'd sent by mail some sweets from HoneyDukes, bought by Oliver Wood. Bellamy had gifted her the illustrated edition of Quidditch Through the Times, a perfect reflection of their shared enthusiasm and of the blonde's consideration for her dyslexia.

　She was currently unwrapping Cedric's gift, and her jaw dropped when the ripped paper fell apart and showed what was inside.

　"Ced, why would you get me this?" she gasped, turning the box of the telescope to look at the image. "These are expensive!"

　He waved off her concern with an easygoing grin. "So what? I'm rich, all that money should be going somewhere that isn't my dad's obsession with our garden."

　 Later in the day, as they were sitting around chatting, Bellamy turned to her. "Hey, AJ, are we going to the Astronomy Tower to use your stethoscope?"

　Andy blinked in confusion. "My— what? Sorry, are you talking to me?"

　"Yeah. I'm going to call you AJ now, what do you think, Andromeda Juliette?"

　 Andy, who had been called the same thing her entire life, found herself smiling. "Oh. I like it," "It's called a telescope, by the way"

　Bellamy shrugged. "Sounds basically the same, but alright. So... the Tower?"

　"Curfew already passed," Cedric reminded them.

　Andy shared a look with Bellamy, who shrugged. "And?"

　Cedric sighed, standing up. "You're terrible influences, I hope you know that. My dad better not find out—"

　"No one will catch us, Diggy, trust me on that."

　"Did you just call me Diggy?"

　Both girls ignored the boy, who inevitably followed behind them. Soon enough, they found themselves in front of Ravenclaw's common room, quietly debating who should go fetch Roger from his dorm.

　"Cedric, you're the only one who can grab him from his dorm, you're a boy!" Bellamy whisper-shouted at him.

　"Don't say it like that! You make it sound as if we're kidnapping him!"

　"We aren't?" AJ asked, eyebrows raised.

　She grinned, turning towards the entrance to the Ravenclaw Tower to hear the question. "I'm tall when I'm young, and short when I'm old. What am I?"

　The riddle echoed through the quiet corridor, and she almost snorted at the sight of her friends deflating in despair.

　"We're doomed," cursed Bellamy, turning around the way they came. 

　"Are we?" asked teasingly AJ, before answering confidently, "a candle."

　Her father was also the god of prophecies, and most of her siblings were known to figure out riddles with ease, thanks to the intricate ways in which the Oracle could twist its words to write their futures.

　"We got another genius in our midst," mumbled Cedric.

　He was the one who entered the Tower, and both girls giggled as he emerged, dragging out a sleepy Roger with tousled hair.

　"Were you already sleeping, Roro?" snickered Bellamy.

　"Shut up, Bellamy," he mumbled, yawning. "Where are we even going? We shouldn't be out after curfew."

　 "And still, you followed us," Bellamy sang. "The astronomy tower, of course."

　Guided by curiosity and a touch of recklessness, they reached the Astronomy Tower, their eyes drawn to the sparkling canvas of stars above. Andy and Roger shared their knowledge of constellations, revealing the secrets of the night sky to their friends. Even Roger, the ever-rule follower, was caught up in the wonder of the night sky.

　"You can't see stars like this from New york," Andy admitted, voice filled with awe.

　 Their magical night was abruptly interrupted by the arrival of a Gryffindor prefect, who couldn't deduct points from Hufflepuff but could certainly send them off to bed.

　 "I told you so," grumbled Cedric as they reluctantly began to head back to their dorms.

　 "You distracted me with the view!" she shot back.

ren speaks!
filler chapter, i am so sorry! The good news are that i'm filled with inspiration
and i'm working on the two following chapters!

i hope you liked it!