Lumos

“I still don’t understand why larger animals are so much more difficult,” Felicity groaned one afternoon, throwing her wand down in frustration. It clinked softly against the smooth, round stone she had been attempting to Transfigure into a bird.

“It might not be that,” said Ulric, gingerly stroking the yellow canary perched on his finger, looking pleased. “It could be the switch, going from changing animals into things to changing things into animals.”

“It’s rubbish,” Felicity complained. “I’m rubbish.”

“Everyone has a weakness,” Ulric pointed out.

“He’s right,” said Neville, leaning back in his seat to look at Felicity. “Except me, I’m rubbish at everything.”

“Not at Herbology,” said Ulric, frowning. “I’ll never understand how you all manage to keep your plants alive.”

Felicity smiled, feeling a bit better. “I see your point. I’m bad with Transfiguration, you’re terrible with plants.”

“I’m not terrible!” Ulric exclaimed. His cheeks went red as several students turned in their seats to see what was going on. Up front, McGonagall shot him a warning look. Ducking his head and picking up his quill, Ulric said more quietly, “I’m just not sure why it’s necessary. It’s not actually magic, is it?”

“Yes, it is,” said Neville. “Our plants have magical qualities or are used in magical potions and remedies.”

Felicity groaned softly. “Neville, you sound just like him when you talk like that.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Ulric shrugged.


That night, Felicity couldn’t sleep. She had spent the entire afternoon in the library with Ulric, trying to get the hang of object-animal Transfiguration, and had made no progress at all. Finally, frustrated with Ulric’s unhelpful tips (“Just concentrate! It’s not that hard.”), Felicity had left the library in a huff, snapping angrily at Sebastian to leave her alone when she saw him lurking between the shelves nearby.

After sulking in bed for an hour or so, Felicity decided to try and study a bit more, since she wasn’t tired enough to sleep. However, try as she might, she just couldn’t seem to stay focused. Time crawled by as she struggled through the dense reading material. Eventually, Lavender came to bed. A short time later, Parvati came up to the dormitory as well.

Just before midnight, Felicity made a noise of disgust and flipped the book closed. She was going to completely fail her final exams, she just knew it. She could imagine herself next year, still struggling to do simple spells while her friends learned more advanced and interesting ones.

Unable to shake one depressing image after another, Felicity climbed abruptly from her bed, thinking she’d have a glass of water from the pitcher by the window. She was halfway across the room when a book on Hermione’s side table caught her eye. It was the same large volume she, Harry, and Ron had been excitedly whispering over the other night. Hermione wasn’t in bed - she must’ve been down in the common room, still studying.

Cautiously, Felicity crept over to Hermione’s bed. The book was heavy and thick - it would be impossible to find exactly what page and passage they had been reading. Still, Felicity picked it up and flipped through the pages. A glimpse of color between two pages gave her pause and she opened the book wider, revealing a chocolate frog card that was apparently being used as a bookmark. Felicity took the card, examining the tiny photograph of Professor Dumbledore on the front, then turned it to read the passage on the back.

Albus Dumbledore
Current Headmaster of Hogwarts

Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon’s blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and ten-pin bowling.

Felicity laughed softly at the last part, then turned her eyes back to the page that had been marked with the card. The topic was alchemy, which immediately caught her interest. She sought and quickly found the name from the card, Nicolas Flamel. Two paragraphs in particular told her what she needed to know-

The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Sorcerer’s Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.

There have been many reports of the Sorcerer’s Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year-

Felicity blinked, shook her head, and reread the sentence to be sure she’d understood it correctly.

-enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight).

So this was what Harry and his friends thought was being guarded by a three-headed dog on the third floor, what they thought Snape was trying to steal. If it was this Sorcerer’s Stone, Felicity really couldn’t blame him - if she had a stone that could turn any metal into gold, her mother would never have to work another day and her family would be set for life - a very long life, if the part about immortality was true.

Snape trying to steal from Dumbledore was a disturbing thought but, Felicity reminded herself, Professor Dumbledore was credited as the greatest wizard of this age - what chance did Snape actually have to get this stone? And, honestly, what did it matter if he did? He’d live forever and be rich - but Felicity wouldn’t have to see him after she left Hogwarts and being rich might make him less sour and unbearable.

“If only,” Felicity quietly sighed, closing the book and replacing it on Hermione’s side table. Glancing at the empty bed, Felicity realized that she hadn’t thought to ask Hermione’s advice about her Transfiguration. She had better marks than Ulric - maybe she’d have better advice. And, if she started to go into one of her mind-numbingly dull rants, Felicity could feign exhaustion and escape to bed.

Slipping on her robe, Felicity stole from the dormitory and onto the landing at the top of the stairs. The common room was quiet. Felicity started down the stairs, but froze when she heard the distinct sound of the portrait hole being opened.

Seconds later, she heard Ron saying loudly, “It bit me! I’m not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon’s the most horrible animal I’ve ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you’d think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me, he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby.”

Felicity bit back a laugh - the image of Hagrid singing to a baby dragon was both precious and hilarious. But why did he have a baby dragon? It seemed dangerous and, clearly, it wasn’t something Harry and his friends wanted anyone to know about, since a moment later she heard Harry reading a letter aloud-

“Dear Ron, how are you? Thanks for the letter - I’d be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won’t be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn’t be seen carrying an illegal dragon.

“Could you get the Ridgeback up to the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it’s still dark. Send me an answer as soon as possible. Love, Charlie.

“We’ve got the invisibility cloak. It shouldn’t be too difficult - I think the cloak’s big enough to cover two of us and Norbert.”

Feeling she’d receive a rather awkward greeting if she made herself known now, Felicity crept back into the girls’ dormitory and got into bed, her mind racing. So Hagrid had somehow got his hands on an illegal dragon. A Norwegian Ridgeback, of all things, which she recalled from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was one of the most vicious breeds of dragon.

And Harry and Ron were going to try and wrestle this beast up to the top of the Astronomy tower in the middle of the night. Even if it was a baby, a dragon couldn’t be easy to handle. Felicity desperately wanted to help, but knew they’d be mad if they discovered she’d been eavesdropping.

Not to mention the invisibility cloak Harry had mentioned. Where on earth had he gotten such a useful thing as an invisibility cloak? She could think of so many things a cloak like that could be used for - even Fred and George, with their extensive knowledge of the castle, would envy Harry if they knew.

And it would make avoiding Sebastian so much simpler, Felicity thought longingly, picking Baltimore up from her pillow so that she could lay down. The kitten let out a mew of protest, but quickly settled into Felicity’s arms and was back asleep in seconds.


Later that week, a school owl arrived next to Felicity’s breakfast plate, bearing a letter. Ulric, who had been writing up study charts next to her, glared at the owl before returning to his notes. Curiously, Felicity took the letter from the owl and offered it a bit of toast, which it greedily snapped up before soaring away.

The note was in the same neat hand as the previous, the message ringing with the same self-help tone.

Finally got the hang of turning things into other things? Frustrated because they threw something even more difficult at you? Never fear – another guide is here.

As said previously, Transfiguration is all in your head. If you’re stuck thinking about creating life and all that, you’ll never succeed in turning anything into an animal.

The first step is to clear your mind, not to worry about the next steps. Just study your object. Now picture it coming to life – a heartbeat, breathing, maybe making a little noise. Picture it stretching (or shrinking) and taking on the qualities of the animal you’re meant to turn it into. Then cast your spell.

This one may take a bit of practice, but follow this method and you’ll be turning buttons into beetles before you know it.

“These letters read like something out of a witch’s guide to a cleaner house,” commented Ulric, leaning over to read the letter.

“It’s more helpful than you,” Felicity muttered.

“Sorry?”

“Nothing.” Rolling her eyes, Felicity tucked the parchment into her pocket, since she didn’t have anything to practice on and thought conjuring birds or beetles in the middle of breakfast was most likely against the rules.

Since it was Saturday, Felicity spent the afternoon outside by the lake, working on one of her many essays. The weather was finally starting to warm up a bit – spring was just around the corner. Ulric, she knew, was spending his day in the library, helping Neville with some Charms homework. Which would most likely lead to helping with all his other homework, as well, since Ulric seemed to have taken Neville under his wing and was determined he would pass all his classes with acceptable grades.

Felicity’s work kept her busy until sunset, when she gathered her things and hurried up to the common room. She was starting to feel like this was her life – class, homework, sleep, repeat. More and more, she found herself longing for the beginning of the year, when homework had been light and classes simple.

“Felicity!”

Just outside the common room, Felicity paused and turned to see Neville hurrying up the corridor, out of breath.

“Alright, Neville?” she asked him.

“No,” Neville moaned. “Have you seen Harry or Hermione?”

“Not recently,” Felicity told him. “Not since breakfast.”

“Oh, no.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Malfoy,” said Neville quickly. “I was just in the library and overheard him talking about them, how they’re going to be out tonight, wandering the corridors with a dragon, and he was going to get them caught and expelled.”

Felicity’s eyes widened. “When was this?”

“More than an hour ago – I’ve been looking all over for them.”

“Maybe they’re in the common room,” suggested Felicity. She was wrestling with whether or not to tell Neville that Malfoy was right – about Harry and Hermione having a dragon, at least. How did Malfoy know, anyway? And how much did he know? Did he know where they were taking the dragon and why?

The common room was crammed full of students, loudly chatting and laughing. It took several minutes of searching to determine that Harry and Hermione were not among the other students – they must’ve already slipped out.

“Maybe they won’t get caught,” Felicity suggested.

“But what if they do? We can’t just sit around and wait, knowing we could warn them,” said Neville. “I’m going back out.”

“Wait!” Felicity exclaimed, following as Neville scrambled out of the portrait hole. “What if you get caught?”

But Neville, already several steps ahead, didn’t hear her. It was already growing dark in the corridors and Felicity was terrified that every turn of a corner would land them face-to-face with one of the professors.

Don’t be such a wimp, she told herself. Are you a Gryffindor or not?

For a long time, they prowled the corridors, hiding in what shadowed places they could. Every breath of wind was Mrs. Norris’ tail brushing the walls, every flicker of light a professor bearing down on them. A lump of anxiety was nearly choking Felicity as they approached the stairs that led to the Astronomy tower.

“You don’t suppose-”

Felicity shushed Neville, cutting off whatever he’d been about to ask, as she heard footsteps. Half-panicked, she grabbed Neville and the two of them shrank into a corner, just out of reach of the light of Filch’s lantern as he appeared on the stairs, leading two students.

Harry and Hermione looked miserable, but they appeared to have managed to send off the dragon before they were caught.

It was a long time before Felicity or Neville could speak, let alone move. Their risk had been for nothing. Less than nothing, if they didn’t make it back to the common room. So, barely daring to breathe, they set off down the stairs and back toward Gryffindor tower. The hourglass that recorded House points was going to be lower in the morning. How many pointed would Harry and Hermione have lost? Would they even still be in school tomorrow?

“Nearly there,” Felicity whispered as they reached the base of the tower.

“This is a nightmare,” groaned Neville. “D’you think we’ve lost the House Cup?”

Felicity was about to answer when a flurry of footsteps sounded ahead of them – someone was rushing toward them. She grabbed Neville’s arm and they scrambled away from the approaching steps. Unfortunately, Neville slipped on his trailing robes and fell, nearly taking Felicity with him.

To keep from falling, Felicity clutched at a hanging tapestry, nearly tearing it from the wall. To her great surprise, she found herself drawn into the darkness behind the tapestry, a body crushing her against the wall of a hidden alcove and a hand pressed over her mouth. Before she could react, Felicity heard a loud voice out in the corridor exclaim, “Mr. Longbottom!”

It was Professor McGonagall. Felicity turned furious eyes onto her savior. Sebastian, staring at her with a pleading expression.

“Please, Professor, I was just-”

“Four students in one night, I wouldn’t have believed it! Save your excuses and come with me. Now, Mr. Longbottom.”

Neville fell silent and, together, his and Professor McGonagall’s footsteps retreated down the hall and around the bend. As soon as they were gone, Felicity forced her hands between Sebastian and herself and shoved him. His back hit the opposite wall with a muffled thud and he grimaced. “You alright?”

“Alright?” Felicity hissed. “Why didn’t you help Neville?”

“You’re welcome,” said Sebastian, his expression darkening. “You’re bloody lucky I was able to save you, James. There wasn’t time-”

“Why are you even here?” snapped Felicity. “Following me still?”

“Don’t flatter yourself. I was out and happened to hear you and Longbottom bumbling about and thought I might make sure you didn’t get yourselves kicked out.”

“Well, you failed, didn’t you? Now Neville’s got detention, if he’s not expelled!”

“I don’t care about Neville,” Sebastian growled.

“Is that why you’re doing this? Constantly following me, trying to get me alone, never giving me a moment to myself – because you want me to think you care about me?”

“Felicity, of course I care about you,” said Sebastian a bit more gently. “Before term, I thought we were going to be great friends here. I enjoyed your company. We shared secrets.”

“And then you turned into a complete ass,” Felicity retorted. “If you ever cared about me, you wouldn’t hide our relationship from your friends out of embarrassment or whatever your reasons. You wouldn’t let your girlfriend speak to me like garbage. And you certainly wouldn’t treat my friends’ getting into trouble with such indifference!”

“Felicity, shh,” Sebastian said hurriedly, glancing at the tapestry. “How am I supposed to get you to understand if you never listen?”

“Because your words don’t mean anything! Especially if your actions never match them. So, until you’re ready to give up your entitled behavior, please stop trying to talk me into ignoring it.”

With that, Felicity slipped out from behind the tapestry and set off down the corridor at a run. The Fat Lady’s portrait was in view within a minute and awake – Felicity wondered if Professor McGonagall had been questioning her about the flux of Gryffindors out of bed – Felicity irritably gave her the password and climbed through the portrait hole.

Guilt gnawed at her as she climbed into bed, noting the empty bed across the dormitory where Hermione should have been. She’d abandoned Neville, left him to be punished without her. What would she ever do to make this up to him? Would he ever forgive her? Sebastian hadn’t saved her – he’d put her into a horribly awkward position with one of her friends.

With the anger, anxiety, and guilt tumbling around in her head, Felicity found no rest that night.