First to Find

Hermione and Ginny crawled to their feet to look at the room around them.  An entire cavern filled with Giant Crystals, some thirty feet long and three feet wide, elsewhere an entire wall covered with crystalline growths.  The room was marvel upon marvel to look at, and the criss-crossing crystal sections made this unbeleivable room awash with nooks, crannies, tunnels and surprises.  Hermione found ran her fingers over a thin crystaline sword that sprouted from one wall, it was warm to the touch and seemed to pulsate with hidden power.  Hermione and Ginny explored the room in silence for several minutes taking in the beauty and wonder that laid before them.

All at once the door to the room swung open again, and in charged a small familiar looking man.  "Out of my way ladies, I've got a cache to find!"

"Professor Flitwick?"  Said Ginny.

And suddenly it all made sense to Hermione, "Little Charmer!"

But, already he was gone from view, ducking under one outgrowth and heading for the center of the chamber.

Hermione started to laugh, and turned around to find Ginny.  "He's little charmer!"  Hermione and Ginny locked eyes for a moment.

"And he's going to get my First to Find!" Ginny shouted.  And in an instant Ginny had turned and was running to catch up with the little professor.

It took a few moments but then Hermione was off as well chasing after the other two.  Over and under, ducking around a pillar of pure crystal, scurrying through an opening, climbing over a giant crystal table, through another opening and finally through to the very center of the room.  Light shined in from somewhere, reflected and refracted through thousands of crystals causing rainbows to dance around her.

"Wow", she heard Ginny say from nearby.  She felt Ginnys hand slide into her own and they stood there in the center of the room in silence.

It seemed ages later when Professor Flitwick emerged from behind a crystal table holding a small crystalline box.  He traced his fingers along the edge until the top faded away.  Then he pulled a small logbook out of the container, and using his wand he applied his sigil before placing the book back.  He walked over to the girls at that point, looked up and smiled.  "Better luck next time girls."

Hermione squeezed Ginnys hand and said "We didn't do too bad."

"Congratulations Little Charmer." Ginny added.

It was a long time before Hermione walked over and signed the logbook herself.  Today was a perfect day.