As I stepped into the Gryffindor common room, I sighed with displeasure. So much homework! And all of it is due tomorrow. I also have tests in Ancient Runes, Transfiguration, and Potions. Ugh! This is going to be a long night.
In the corner, Harry and Ron were playing Wizard Chess. I went over to them.
"Hey," I said. "You guys realize how much homework we have tonight?"
"Of course we do," Ron informed me without looking up from the game, "We're just not doing it."
"Ron's not doing it," Harry corrected. "I'll start after this game."
"Sure," I muttered, knowing it would be several more hours before "this game" ended.
I sat down on one of the chairs by the fire and pulled out my Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook. I might as well start with my ten-inch essay on Banshees. Two hours later, I was just finishing my concluding paragraph.
"Checkmate!" shouted Harry suddenly, startling me and causing me to spill my inkwell all over my essay. I gaped at my now-ruined paper.
"Impossible!" roared Ron. Although I was extremely angry, I had to agree. Harry is as bad at Wizard Chess as Neville is at not losing anything for more than a week.
"Harry! Ron! You just ruined my essay! I spent forever on it!"
"You can just fix it with magic," Ron said nonchalantly, his eyes on the game, trying to figure out the flaws in Harry's move.
He was right, but that didn't make me any happier. I pointed my wand at the wet parchment and the stains receded.
"Time to study for Transfiguration," I sighed. Professor McGonagall was testing us tomorrow on our ability to transfigure a matchbox into a flower. Of course, I had already perfected this, but a little more practice could never hurt.
What to transform? I glanced around the room, stopping at where Harry and Ron were staring intently at the chess board.
I waved my wand and suddenly the chess board transformed into one, fat spider. Ron's eyes widened and face paled, and he ran up the stairs into his dormitory faster than I've ever seen him move.
Harry flicked the spider off the table. "What was that for?" he complained.
"That was for your own good," I answered. "Go tell Ron to start his homework. Or next time, I'll put the spider on his head."
Grumbling, Harry slouched upstairs to talk to Ron.
I smiled. Peace and quiet at last.
Then I looked at all the books piled on the table. This was going to be a long night.