After lunch, Hector and the others went out into the courtyard to get a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, the weather on the first day of term was rather mediocre; the sky was covered with dark clouds, and the air was humid, as if it were about to rain.
However, no one had any intention of going back to the dormitories. For one thing, the Gryffindor tower was on the eighth floor, practically at the very top of Hogwarts Castle, so making the trip back took a lot of energy and didn't leave much time to rest, which hardly seemed worth it. Besides, it wasn't raining yet, and the scents of grass and damp earth lingering in the air were refreshing enough.
Consequently, Hector and the others paused in the courtyard, using the brief break before classes to relax. Harry and Ron stood together chatting about Quidditch, while Hermione, who had no interest in the subject, found a spot to sit down and opened Lockhart's *Voyages with Vampires*. The young witch was practically obsessed with the book, keeping her eyes glued to its pages whether she was eating breakfast or lunch.
Chapter 114