Digging for More (2) PV D. Prometheus fin

———Today, for whatever reason, class was especially boring. It was so dreadfully repetitive that by the time class ended, Prometheus chose to exit the castle and walk around outside, which was something he did not often do due to the unreliability of the weather. He decided to bring a thermos of hot chocolate and a sandwich so he could eat for a break, but he first had to find a good place to sit in the grass.

———While he walked around the lake in search of a place to relax, he noticed other students that had gotten the same idea of chilling there on a cloudy afternoon, knowing it was less likely to be as crowded as the sunniest days. Because he didn't see any of his friends to join, he decided to instead make his way to an area up ahead that looked empty and was shaded by some trees next to it, still being near the lake.

———As he got closer, he unwrapped his sandwich and started nibbling on it while he walked around to see which tree he wanted to sit under, stepping on some leaves that crunched a bit, and he heard some kind of rustling noise all of a sudden. Was there a bird or something, that I scared? He thought to himself nervously while he got closer to the noise. And then, he saw someone, sitting right in front of him.

———"Oh!" December exclaimed, then remembered to cover his mouth as he was still chewing. "'M so sorry, I didn't see you there--!" he said apologetically, while noticing a ferret next to her. Oh, that must have been her pet that was startled by me... He realized. "Sorry to intrude on you, again... Um, I'm Prometheus," he introduced himself, and then pointed to his sandwich.

———"Do you mind if I sit here, to eat? The other areas are a bit too loud..." he started to talk again, and then thought of something, and pointed to his thermos. "Do you want hot chocolate?" he asked, as he sat down near her and started to eat his sandwich again.

No. 410WC
Date. 3^rd of September, 2026
———Hogwarts' Great Lake
@December Prometheus

———Oh.

———It was just another student, maybe same year and age as her, who just looking for some quite, calm shelter. Millie got that feeling. Not that she hate the loud nor noisy people. She just prefer the solitude one. Maybe he is too. So she nod her head as an approval while this Prometheus boy took a vacant spot beside her.

———"I'm Ann. Millie Ann. Nice to see you."

———As this place technically is public spot not like a forbidden forest, Millie doesn't have any right to prevent him to do anything here with whatever activity he's doing right now. He just wanted to eat his sandwich in peace, so she let him be. There's no harm for her either whatsoever, so why not. Meanwhile, she have a right to do whatever she wanted too. But right now, Millie didn't even sure she can do that and finished it just today. The mystery is still a mystery she doesn't even know what or where to looking for the clue.

———"Do you want hot chocolate?"

———Startled by another sound he voiced after a brief silence, Millie glanced to the boy who so kindly offering the drink he brought inside that thermos which emitting a warm steam when he open the lid. Feeling a little embarrassed but can't lied to herself, she nod, "... Thank you."

———Honestly, it becoming more like an unplanned picnic. But well, who want to go out picnic in this uncertain cloudy weather anyway? Though, she doesn't mind that. She was glad enough he came and warmed this atmosphere around with his hot choco he brought.

———However, as if the solitude itself not yet want to fully engulf them, Millie widen her eyes when she saw Mr. Hobkin sneakily appeared behind Prometheus like he intended to steal the sandwich he was eating. Without much thinking, she rush on her feet, causing her great-granpa's notebook on her lap fall to the ground wide open at the random page, and quickly get her ferret with both hands.

———"What'd you doing?! I never taught you to be a thief!" she almost on edge while she lecturing Mr. Hobkin, then quickly shifted her focus back to Prometheus, deeply apologize to him. "I'm so sorry! He sometimes can be naughty but I never think he'll be stealing your snack like this."

———Do remind her once she got back to the dorm, she will give more lectures to this naughty fella of hers.

———Prometheus was grateful that the Ravenclaw girl didn't turn him away, and became more relaxed once she introduced herself to him. "Millie Ann," he repeated, "That's a pretty name!" He said earnestly. When she thanked him for the hot chocolate, Prometheus smiled, and started to make a conversation. "Of course, it's the least I can do... And anyway, now we both have something to eat! So, are y--" He stopped in his words as Millie suddenly shot up from where she was sitting, and had to cover his mouth so he wouldn't yelp in surprise. What is that about--? he started to think, before she spoke.

———"What'd you doing?! I never taught you to be a thief!"

———Finally he noticed that her ferret, the poor thing he had frightened earlier, was sneaking up behind him, probably to take his sandwich. Millie scolded her pet for that, and turned to Prometheus to apologize, but he shook his head to it with a joke.

———"No, that's alright, he's probably still wary of me from earlier...
————...Plus, I have a bunny, he's always stealing my food, so I'm quite used to it!"

———When Millie started to sit back down, Prometheus noticed the book that had slipped off of her lap when she stood, it was lying in the grass. The journal had fallen closer to him than Millie, so he thought to pass it to her.

——— "You dropped this a moment ago, here," He said, reaching for the book and bringing it up closer. Then, he noticed all the writing. He didn't mean to pry, and he will definitely just give it back... But he became curious about the contents, it appeared like someone was very dedicated to their writing in it...

——— "Did you write all of this?" He asked, while he held out the book for her to take.

No. 359WC
Date. 3^rd of September, 2026
———Hogwarts' Great Lake
@December Prometheus

———"You dropped this a moment ago, here."

———With that being said, Millie reflexively glanced back to the boy. He just picked up the book that dropped to the ground. Her great-granpa's notebook, for God's sake!

———Without much thinking, she snatched that out off Prometheus' hand. How could I be this careless? How if he took a peek of what written inside? No, unfortunately, her fear already happened when she realized Prometheus still hold his glance to nothing even though she already took back the book from him. Millie clenched her jaw, placed the notebook still on her lap, when once again, his voice came to distracted her more with, "Did you write all of this?"

———Now, she got no other way to run. He saw it. Although she doesn't know which page he looking at since the contents just quite vary, she still minded it since from the very beginning she found this diary of her great-granpa, he locked it with a charmed that she was sure she's the only one can looked at it that not even his children or grandchildren knows what it is. The question now is: should she talked about this secret to Prometheus which she just met today?

———"No, it is my great-granpa's," I'm sorry great-granpapa, I'm curious of you and have my own mission through your diary, Millie steeling herself with her choice. "You see, there is no one in my family is a wizard. Not even my parents, yes. But one day my father told me that my great-granpa probably was one, until I found this book that is his diary."

———She opened the leather cover to the first page which showed that questionable sketches Millie still have no clue what it is. "Papa said he was a hunter, collector, or something like that. That's why I thought this ... drawing is one of the things that can show me more about him."

———Millie didn't say more that's also why she came to the lake at this hour. She just sat still, letting him see that messy sketches more closely from the page above the brief footnote he also written on it.

———Millie took the book back quite quickly, which startled Prometheus a little, although he completely understood how possessive people can get over important things, he would know, for sure. Though she still seemed quite tense... Maybe it was a gift from her family or a close friend, which would make it very special to her.

———"You see, no one in my family is a wizard..." Millie started to explain to him, how not even her parents were wizards, until she was told her great-granpa may have been one... And that granpa was who the diary had belonged to. Prometheus nodded, he was intrigued, it started to make more sense as Millie kept telling him about it.

———"That's why I thought this... drawing, is one of the things that can show me more about him," she finally told him, which made him gasp at the story. That's so interesting... It all checks out, but it's still so confusing... So if her great-granpa was a wizard, that probably was why she became a witch, and explains a lot about the journal... Prometheus thought. But, I don't ever think I've seen something that looks like that drawing...

——————"So, your great-granpa being a wizard, he drew these notes in his journals..."

———Prometheus mumbled as he thought. He thought about what he knew about the wizarding world, and it felt like this should remind him of something, but he couldn't place it, which made him confused. But, maybe, wizards back then probably learned different things...?

———"Wait... did he go to Hogwarts and draw those notes here, or, maybe, were they taken from a different place?" Prometheus asked. "Though, I couldn't see it too well... Can I look at it?"

No. 305WC
Date. 3^rd of September, 2026
———Hogwarts' Great Lake
@December Prometheus

———She nods and give him the book. Very carefully. While doing so, she then thought of any possibility if what Prometheus said maybe was right. In different place which was not Hogwarts? Maybe. Millie went here solely because the footnote inscribed below the sketch mentioned the word "lake". She just not think of any lake since there is none around her house and only here, in this Great Lake.

———"That could be possible," Millie mumbled what came inside her mind while rubbing her chin. "I just thought that whatever he drew here, could might be found here. See," she pointed the cursive footnote written with black ink on the yellowish paper of the book. "'Not far from home: III.' Three creatures found near his home. 'Lake: VII.' Seven creatures found in ... or on the lake. Well, yes, he didn't wrote any detail if whatever this sketch is an aquatic, flying, or even land creature. And besides ... he really shouldn't draw if he can't, ugh."

———"But if you're guessed right, which different place exactly?" Millie wondered loudly and glanced to the boy, hand still on her chin. "He can go anywhere, sure, but the possibility is too wide."

———Sighed, she slumped her shoulder and leaned her back on the tree behind her. Letting Mr. Hobkin climbed to the top of her head, she looked straight up to the calm, somewhat dark surface of the Great Lake before her eyes.

———"I would like to checked on it myself but with that eerie vibe the lake emitted now, I doubt the creatures inside would just let me swam like that," she muttured and took a glance to the sky which getting gloomier. Then he glance to the side, studying Prometheus' face while he looking at the book. "How? Can you decipher that sketch my great-granpa drew?"

———As Millie explained further, Prometheus listened thoughtfully, and leaned over to look when she pointed to the pages. She was showing him what had been inked on the old pages, while reading it out, and the more he heard, the less likely he believed what he said earlier.

———"Seeing this, it doesn't make sense what I said about a different place other than Hogwarts..."
He speaks finally, taking his eyes away from the journal and looking to Millie. It seemed she wouldn't speak for the moment, so he thought about what she had been saying more.

——————'...I just thought that whatever he drew here, could might be found here...'

———Something about what she said he kept thinking back to. He didn't quite get what, because
————even when he knew what he was going to say, he wasn't quite sure of himself either way.

———"...Maybe, the Hogwarts library..." Prometheus started to say slowly. "Like... It was probably not written there, at least, I don't think there's a lake in the library, but..." Maybe... "Maybe, there could be books or old newspapers in the library, that match up with your great-granpa's notes!" He says.

———"And, well, if there's nothing similar to the journal, at least maybe you would find more info on your great-granpa himself there," Prometheus adds, absently fiddling with his hair. "There's bound to be... yearbooks, or wizarding lineage records, or something of that sort?" He suggests to Millie with a nervous smile.

———I have a feeling she doesn't need me to try an' help her much with this, it is probably something she will figure out herself, December thought to himself. But, lending an ear and a suggestion or two might be helpful, who knows...

No. 241WC
Date. 3^rd of September, 2026
———Hogwarts' Great Lake
@December Prometheus

———Hearing the boy's thought, she hummed in silence. Not that his idea is bad or she doesn't like it. Rather, with Prometheus' thought, Millie had just realized that she missed something she must do first before doing all of this.

———Just after a day on the new study year begin, Millie already visits the library to checked on something about magical creatures her great-granpa might looking while he's alive. But again, since she didn't have much clue on what exactly should she looking for on the books, she got nothing.

———The only things she missed is she forgot to look for his academical information. Although he has been graduates many years ago, it's not impossible that her great-granpa's information is still stored out somewhere, just like Prometheus said. She scratched her temple, trying to covered up her shame of forgetfulness.

———"Yeah. Maybe I should start looking for the very basic info first," she muttered while slowly closed the notebook on her lap. "I admitted I might be too blinded to searching for whatever he looking for directly without much intel I could used as a clue."

———Turning her head to the boy still sitting beside her, Millie smiled, "Thank you for your thought. I may start looking for it in the library tomorrow ... or another tomorrow. If we by any chance encounter each other again, either in the library or anywhere around the castle, don't hesitate to say hello, okay?"

———He looked over to see Millie's eyes on him and grinned. "Yeah, of course! I would like to see you again." He said with a nod as he started to sit up. The sky was getting foggier, maybe even it could rain sometime later, which could be fun, if he watched from behind a window... I wouldn't want to be outside while it rains. "We could study together! Or, maybe, something funner than studying, now that I hear myself..." He said with a funny face.

———As he was speaking, he leaned over to grab the empty hot chocolate thermos, and spotted Mr. Hobkins behind his new friend, Millie. "...Or, you know, if your ferret wants to steal my snacks again..." He teased Millie, referencing his sandwich from before that had nearly been taken by the cute ferret. Millie laughed a little at it, and Prometheus waved goodbye to Millie finally, as he started to walk back to his dorm.

———He thought happily about having made a new friend and what they had talked about while they were sitting together in view of the Great Lake, her investigations of her Great-Granpa's records, which seemed to him a difficult sort of thing to do. He stopped in his tracks as he thought about that, and turned around quickly to shout one last thing for Millie to hear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"Good luck!"