Wish Upon A Star

Breakfast

Ashlyn couldn't sleep that night. She was worried about Harry, of course. But more than that, his name coming out if the Goblet of Fire was a reminder that she had to start acting now. She needed to prepare better, practice more.

The Gryffindors were partying downstairs, Ashlyn suspected Harry must have been back, and the noise didn't die down until midnight. By now Ron and Harry would have had their falling out. She noticed Hermione sitting on her bed, probably thinking and worrying.

An hour later Hermione went to bed. Ashlyn pulled on her cloak and climbed out of the portrait hole and went straight to the seventh floor. She walked past the plain stretch of wall thrice, and her practice room opened.

She hurried inside, noticed that the book she had left on the table, the last time she had used it, which was two days ago, was placed back into its shelf. She walked along the aisles pulling out books on disillusionment charms and occlumency. She brought a pile of heavy books, which she dropped on the wooden table, and began reading.

Around two in the morning, she started to practice. The moment she wished she had objects to practice on, the room gave her a pile of random objects. There was paper, a quill, a butterbeer cork, and whatnot. She practiced the charm at least a hundred times before she tried it on herself. She watched herself slowly blending into the surroundings, like a human chameleon, just like all the things she had charmed before did. But she wasn't satisfied yet. She decided to take a break, by switching the topic. She laid down all the books on occlumency open.

When Ashlyn woke up, she found herself lying on a big fat hardcover book. She got up and massaged her stiff neck, as she wondered what the time was, and as if on cue, a clock appeared on the table showing -7:15. It was seven-fifteen in the morning, breakfast must have already begun.

Using the disillusionment charm on herself, she ran all the way to the Gryffindor common room. Luckily, she didn't have to reveal herself to the Fat Lady, as the portrait swung open when she reached there. Ron climbed out, looking sullen and angry. Ashlyn sighed as she slipped past him. Ron didn't even notice.

"Ron," she called lifting her charm.

"Where did you come from?" Ron said spinning around on the spot to look at her. 

"I was just disillusioned," Ashlyn said. "Going down to breakfast?"

"Yeah," Ron sighed. "And don't ask me where the Great Harry Potter is. I don't know and I don't care," he snapped.

Ashlyn sighed. "Ron, you should go have breakfast. Eat something, clear your head. I still have to freshen up. See you in class," 

And with that, she hurried upstairs.

Hermione wasn't in her bed either. Ashlyn quickly changed and went down to the Great Hall. She looked up and down the Gryffindor table but didn't see Harry or Hermione, then she remembered that they would be taking a walk near the lake. She went up to the Gryffindor table, summoning a goblet, and filled it with pumpkin juice.

Ashlyn was so preoccupied with her thoughts that as she walked out into the grounds, she didn't hear Cedric call out to her. She didn't notice his face fall when she didn't respond.

Ashlyn ran out to the lake, where she saw Harry and Hermione talking.

"Hey! What did I miss?" She panted as she reached them.

"Sleep is what you've missed," Harry said sharply. "Hermione told me"

"Huh?" 

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