|| Setting: || Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

|| Time: || After lunch, Tuesday, around 12:45 p.m.

|| Starting Place: || Great Hall

~

The Great Hall was filled with chattering people, the sky above bright and sunny with barely a wisp of a fluffy, white cloud in sight. The candles weren't needed as they floated in the air, but they were still lit and beautifully shining. Each table was pretty raucous, but the Gryffindor table, as always, was the most. It was hard to tell the tables apart, as most of the students wore black cloaks, but above each of the four tables, there was a banner labeling it as one of each of the Houses. On the far left from the entrance, there were the Hufflepuffs, a badger hanging high above them in gold and yellow. On the middle left, there were the Ravenclaws, an eagle on their banner in blue and black. To the middle right, there were the Slytherins, a snake above them in green and black. And finally, to the far right, there were the Gryffindors, a proud red and gold lion embroidered on their banner, it's mouth open so you could almost hear it's roar.

Among the Gryffindors, there was a particularly loud group, laughing and messing around, which earned them annoyed glances. It was a group of four people, all gathered around a large box of Bertie Bot's Every Flavor Beans. It was a girl's turn, one with scarlet red hair and green eyes, she seemed to be the oldest of the group; but it was doubtful that she was the ringleader. She took the box, concentrating before picking up a light brown colored bean and plopping it into her mouth. A few seconds later, the girl scrunched up her nose, holding her hand over her mouth to stop herself from spitting it out.

"Pencil shavings!" She exclaimed, once she'd finished chewing it. Honestly, she'd only ever smelt it, and it tasted like dusty wood.

"Nice going, Leia." Snickered the boy next to her, he had sandy hair and light brown eyes, but they shined with good-nature, telling the redhead that he didn't mean it.

Leilani Nevaeh, otherwise known as Leia, rolled her eyes and was about to shoot a retort when the bell rang, signaling that it was time for their third block class. With a sigh, she picked up her leather school bag as the students around her milled about and headed to their various classes. Checking her schedule one last time to make sure she knew where she was headed, she set off beside her friends, her wand in her hand and her bag across her shoulder.

The sandy haired boy was Hunter, and their two friends were Christine and Braxton. Leia was the oldest, she was a fifth year, while the others were fourth to second years. But Braxton seemed to be the leader of them, running on ahead with a grin, he was one of the fourth years.

The four, along with the other Gryffindors, were headed for Herbology, with Professor Longbottom. Leia thought he was a great teacher, nice and not bad looking. But it wasn't like she went around and gossiped like the other girls, she'd rather stay in the back of the class and observe and make fun of the people who tried too hard to be popular. The ones who died trying to be teacher's pets, the popular ones who spread lies and hated the small group of four for doing exactly the opposite; revealed the truth.

But that didn't matter as they entered the large Greenhouse, the windows letting in the sunlight as it touched the plants. It wasn't like in the forests where the sunlight cast dappled shadows from the leaves, causing shapes and intricate designs. Rather, it cast straight shadows caused by the beams holding up the glass structure, which she found boring. She much preferred to be under a tree, just studying the different shapes and whatnot that the outside cast.

There was quite a lot of chatter before Professor Neville Longbottom entered, hanging up his dark green cloak on the coat hanger before coming to the front of the class. "Hello everyone, welcome again to Herbology. Today we'll be dealing with Chinese Chomping Cabbages-"

"Try saying that five times fast." Hunter muttered under his breath, causing the group around them to try and hold back their laughter.

Leia shook her head, glancing around the room. It smelled thickly of earth and plants, which really made her nose smart and her eyes water, if she concentrated on it too long that is. The Gryffindors were on one side of the room, the Hufflepuffs were on the other.

While Hunter and Christine tried chanting it under their breath, it wasn't as hard as it seemed, Professor Longbottom continued with his instructions. "Can anyone tell me what these special cabbages are used for, specifically?"

A hand from the Hufflepuff side of the room shot up, causing a few stares and eye rolls from both sides of the room. The hand belonged to a boy with orange hair and tan eyes, almost like the feathers of a barn owl. When he was given the go ahead by the Professor, he spoke softly, but firmly, so it was obvious he knew what he was saying. "The leaves of the cabbage are used in the Skele-Gro potion, which helps mend and regrow bones, sir."

Neville nodded, a smile lighting up his face. "Very good, Griffin. Ten points to Hufflepuff for the answer and usage of the potion. Now, Madam Pompfrey needs more Skele-Gro so we're going to help by feeding the cabbages today. Does anyone know what they eat?"

He looked around the room for an answer before a Gryffindor hand in the front shot up, it was one of the girls that liked to pick on other people, Leia really didn't fancy her. The girl's name was Chayden and Leia hated, but kinda had, to admit she was rather pretty. "Don't they like carrots, Professor Longbottom?" She asked it in a quiet, shy voice, a smirk lying behind the mask of the shy girl she wore.

Again, Neville nodded, though his smile somewhat dulled. "You are correct, Miss Tanning. Five points to Gryffindor for answering, and can anyone tell me why they like carrots?"

Everyone seemed a bit stumped at this one, though Christine raised her dark hand, speaking when she was called on. What she said next she had been dared to do by Braxton, who was grinning ear to ear already. "Maybe because they don't carrot all?" She phrased the pun slowly, and once people understood it, the entire class filled up with laughter, even Professor Longbottom couldn't help a small chuckle.

"Unfortunately, no points to your House for that pun, though it was well made."

Though Neville was now explaining what it was that made them like carrots, Leia couldn't focus. That was because the boy who'd answered, Griffin she thought was his name, had been thrown a crumpled up piece of parchment, and his face paled when he read it. She didn't have time to think about it long, or call it to the attention of her friends before it was time to listen to their instructions, which she knew she couldn't miss; Herbology wasn't really her thing.

Professor Longbottom was telling them that they first needed to get a few carrots to satisfy the cabbage's hunger, and bring it back to their own individual tray. Then, he'd come around and give them each a cabbage. Unfortunately, the eyesight of the cabbage wasn't that good, so he warned the class to be careful and wear gloves when feeding the carrots to their cabbage. Although they didn't have teeth, a bite from the dastardly things would still hurt quite a lot.

Now equipped with instructions, the class began to move, each putting on the pair of gloves that was laid out for them on their tray. Leia hesitated, wondering if now was the time to call to attention what had happened. Would that kid be okay?

Shrugging off her unease, she did as her professor said, gathering three carrots and taking them back to her station to wait for a cabbage. She didn't try to make eye contact with anyone from either side, save for those of her friends. But again she was unable to say a word, frustration building up within her as she was handed a small cabbage.

It looked completely like a regular cabbage, for the most part. It just wasn't round, so it looked like someone had taken a cabbage and stretched it so it was a bit longer than it usually would be. Well, that and the fact that it had small, beady black eyes right above it's curved line of a mouth, which you almost couldn't see.

The class worked in silence for a good while, people mainly focused on feeding their cabbage carrots while not getting their own fingers gnawed on. As the scarlet headed girl was feeding the last carrot to her cabbage, a sudden confused and surprised scream filled the room causing people to look up.

Griffin Darius, the tawny-eyed boy from earlier, had a cabbage clamped onto his fingers.

His face was shocked, and rightly so, as he hadn't expected it to happen. Having finished feeding his carrots to his cabbage, the greedy bugger had thought it was getting another when the boy's hand had gotten just a bit too close.

And the class found it absolutely hilarious.

Many people from both sides had dropped to the floor, holding their stomachs in their laughter, eyes streaming out tears. Leia and Professor Longbottom seemed to be the only ones not laughing.

Neville immediately came to Griffin's aid, removing the cabbage by enticing it with a real carrot. While the boy wasn't in tears, he was clearly distressed, and his professor lead him out to be taken to Madam Pompfrey.

"Did you see that kid? What a screw up." Hunter scoffed with a shake of his head, Braxton and Christine were still laughing to hard to speak, but gave nods of approval.

Finally, Leia couldn't take it anymore, swiping her paper copy of a book and hitting it against the back of Hunter's head. It wasn't hard enough to do some damage, just enough to sting. "That guy did nothing wrong, don't make fun of him. Or might we just as well be like Chayden or her petty followers?" With that, she crossed her arms, looking at her cabbage crossly as a clear sign for them to shut it.

Thankfully, they did, falling quiet while the rest of class chattered on, poking fun at the poor boy. Leia just closed her eyes, knowing she'd just have to let it go. He seemed to be a whole class ahead of them, so she didn't understand why people were being jerks about it.

Sighing, she finished feeding the carrot to her cabbage, who seem pleased to be attended to again. With an unhappy look, she pushed the event to the back of her mind, she couldn't help him. Besides, what was the possibility that she'd ever see him again?