Not Quite What Was Expected

“What the hell is a Chiere Root?” Scorpius asked. Rose gave a sigh, with an expression on her face that read “oh that’s just too easy!”

“How’s your hand though mate?” Albus asked.

“Fine, Madam Pomfrey says I can go to Transfiguration, it’ll heal on the way there,” he smiled. The four headed off to Transfiguration, passing Albus and Rose’s cousin Victoire in the corridors.

“Oh hello my dears!” Victoire said cheerily.

“Why are you so happy?” Rose asked.

“Oh, nothing, just, Teddy-bear sent me an owl!” She smiled from ear to ear.

“So, what did teddybwear send our ickle Vicky?” James asked, coming from nowhere.

“OH! James Fred Potter! Will you grow up!?” Rose shouted. That was a shocker; no one ever called James by his full name before.

“Woah! Hey, don’t let me get your hair in a bunch!” James raised his hands defensively and walked away laughing.

The three boys shifted away a little as the two girls gossiped about the letter Teddy Lupin had sent to Victoire.

“We’re going to be late,” Scorpius sighed loudly. The two girls said goodbye and Rose hurried to catch up to the boys.

“So, what was the big news?” Albus asked.

“Oh, Al it’s just wonderful! Teddy has asked Victoire to the Yule Ball!” Rose said excitedly.

“Rose, it’s only the first day at school! The Yule ball isn’t until, December!” Albus roared with laughter.

“Oh shut it Al! It’s really sweet! Who knew that Teddy was this much in love with our cousin?!” Rose giggled with glee.

“Um, well, I did, mum, dad, Lilly, James, er, Hugo, oh yeah, Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermio-” Albus said ticking each name off a finger.

“Okay, okay, yes we all knew,” Rose said, exasperated by her cousin.

“I still feel it’s a bit like incest, seeing as my dad’s Teddy’s Godfather, and he’s Victoire’s uncle, it’s just weird.” Al sighed.

They entered the Transfiguration classroom with a minute to spare.

“Alright, everyone here?” The teacher asked.

The teacher was none other than Professor McGonagall.

“Yes,” the students answered. They all had their Transfiguration textbooks, parchment, quills and ink out on their desks.

“Right, today, we will learn how to transform an inanimate object to a living breathing one,” McGonagall said.

She instructed the class on how to do so, with a twirl and swish of her wand, and reciting the spell, a candle stick on her desk jumped to life!

“Why, hello! Where am I?” the candle stick asked.

“At Hogwarts, school of witchcraft and wizardry,” McGonagall answered. The candle stick bowed as McGonagall flicked her wand again turning the candlestick back to its pervious lifeless state.

The students all gave a go at it, turning books and watches from inanimate objects to living, breathing, talking things.

The bell rang, signaling lunch hour. McGonagall gave them an essay to write on why they needed to have use for such a spell, the essay was to be 300 words long.

“Time to go get our books, see you in the Great Hall Al!” Rose said with a wave, grabbing Jacob by the wrist they headed off towards Gryffindor common room.

“Shall we go get our books then?” Scorpius asked. Albus nodded and the walked the long way down the corridors and to the dungeons.

“Wonder when our first flying class will be,” Albus sighed, his father had let him try out those toy broomsticks that would hover about two feet off the ground, and when the visited Grandma and Grandpa Weasley, they were allowed to ride on the real brooms, such an exhilarating feeling, riding a broomstick.

“Did you hear me?” Scorpius asked waving a hand in front of Albus’ face.

“What? Oh, sorry. I was daydreaming about flying lessons,” Albus said with a sigh.

“Our time-table has been changed, says we’ve got Flying two periods after lunch,” Scorpius said jabbing a finger at the glittering green letters that had replaced History of Magic.

“Wicked!” Albus cried in delight.

“Pulforded,” Scorpius said to the door. The bolt unlocked and there was yet again another loud crack just as the stepped over the threshold.
The mysterious boy who was in the room earlier was there again, still reading his book.

“Er… hello,” Albus said to the boy. He looked up from his book and closed it with a snap.

“Hello,” he said, his voice was smooth and icy, it made the hairs on Albus’ arm stand on end.

“I’m Scorpius, this is Albus,” Scorpius said.

“Mark,” the boy said, he stood up. He was tall.

“Er, don’t you have class?” Scorpius asked.

“Sick,” Mark muttered.

“Hospital wing?” Albus suggested. The boy grinned at them, and they understood, he was skiving off. Albus and Scorpius said a quick goodbye and headed up to the dormitories to get their books, Herbology and the Defense Against the Dark Arts.

“I still think that boy is the one who made that noise,” Albus said stuffing his Herbology book in along side his Defense Against the Dark Arts text.

“I still think it was that guy,” Albus said sternly.

“Still think what was which guy?” Rose asked.

“Oh, hi,” Scorpius said to Rose and Jacob.

“No guy, just, nothing,” Albus said with a sigh.

“Tell me later?” Rose asked as the other two boys walked ahead.

“Yeah, I guess. Our History of Magic class got changed to Flying!” Albus told her.

“Yes, I saw,” Rose said rather unhappily.

“I didn’t know there was mail during lunch times,” Rose said changing the subject. She didn’t like flying very much. Albus looked up to see a few owls flying in through the window. One of which was his owl, Merlin.

“Heya, Merlin, what’ve you got for me today?” Albus asked as the bird perched on his arm and he stroked the feathers. Rose untied the letter for him.

“Thanks, see ya Merlin!” Albus said as the bird took off. He opened the letter, it was from his dad.



“Let’s go eat, I’m starved,” Albus said after finishing the letter. He went to join Scorpius and his fellow Slytherins.