Avoiding academic responsibilities and finding alternative pastimes was Aurora’s new favourite thing to do. It wasn’t that she was unaware that she needed to study or that gaining good grades would help her achieve her dream but it was before the winter break and Hogwarts had far better things to be concentrating on instead of being cooped up inside the common room.. or worse still, the library.

She’d made a promise to herself that she’d begin her revision after Christmas but she’d enjoy herself for the time being by taking a casual stroll around the Great Lake in search of a creature to befriend or a human to bother with her presence. She’d considered taking her ice skates out too whilst the weather was cold enough but decided against it in case the surface wasn’t frozen enough and knowing her lack of gracefulness (ironic considering she was quite the accomplished ice dancer) she would find the weak spot and fall straight through. It would be quite funny to see but she didn't fancy hypothermia before she travelled back home.

It was on this stroll that she spotted her fellow fifth year Claw leaning against the beech tree. She skipped her way over, slipping on a patch of mud at the lake’s shoreline but recovering enough to keep herself upright as she slid along. “Woah!” she skidded to a halt, using the tree trunk to balance herself. “I guess I didn’t need my skates to go sliding around today” she laughed.