Once Upon A Time...
A/N: Thanx sooo much for reviewing...I wuv reading your reviews, make 'em interesting, if you review...and please review and make me happy! If this is getting really stupid, pointless, boring, etc., tell me!
Disclaimer: J.K...yeah, you know.
Chapter Seven: A Figure in the Shadows
Once they had finally managed to find the Transfigurations classroom (the door kept changing shapes—one minute it would be the table down the hallway, the next it would be a dusty suit of armor) and made their brief introductions to the Professor, they each took seats next to each other, near the back of the classroom.
Right away, the woman resumed her strict no-bending-the-rules-even-a-bit look. "This will be a class that will follow you all your years at Hogwarts—perhaps even beyond. I am here to teach you all the basics and introduce you to the concepts of Transfiguration, among the most difficult and prized skills of wizards. No fooling or horsing around in these perimeters are to be accepted, and I trust that you, my very own house, will follow that rule." With a final tight-lipped smile, she quickly turned Sirius's desk (it was positioned at the front center of the classroom) and changed it into a large, black dog.
A girl James didn't know let out an involuntary shriek. "A Grim! We're all going to die!"
Turning a disgusted face toward her, James rolled his eyes. "Yeah. A mass murderer is going to walk in a blast every one of us with some sort of killing curse."
This comment caused instant pandemonium—some people argued against him, some began talking about how true that statement was.
Finally, Professor McGonagall raised her wand and sent up a shower of multi-colored sparks. "Settle down...settle down...that was not a Grim, though, if it was, there wouldn't be..." she paused, pursing her lips together. "very dangerous anyway. Grim's are a figment of some wizards' imagination—possibly a witch frightened of dogs. And Mr. Potter."
James, upon hearing his name, straightened up instantly and smiled innocently at McGonagall (here, Lily couldn't keep herself from rolling her eyes). "What?"
"The famous killing curse is Avada Kedavra. I have no doubt that you will be learning it later on in your fourth or fifth year."
James nodded knowingly. "Yeah. I knew that. I just couldn't get my—" he pointed at his mouth—"tongue around the complicated syllables."
Sirius, at the front of the classroom, snorted loudly into his Transfiguration textbook, dampening the pages with spit. The same girl who had mentioned the Grim gave him a disgusted look and scooted away quickly. Noticing this, Sirius turned and leered at her, deliberately letting a dribble of saliva run down his chin.
The girl turned a shade of puce green and turned away.
Sirius grinned.
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"James whatever-your-middle-name is Potter! HOW COULD YOU!!!???" A very flustered Lily Evans shrieked as a large, clumpy glop of Muscle Thickening Potion was showered over her and her Potions partner. The class looked on in amusement as Professor Korksburn pushed his way through the throng of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. Lily, much to her unamusement, watched as James's arms and legs instantly grew harder and larger. From the staring he was giving her, she knew that she probably looked very much the same.
"Settle down...settle down," Korksburn panted in vain as he whipped out his wand and shot a few meager beams of light at the two partners.
James, muscular arms crossed, was rather enjoying the attention as bemused eyes were cast on him and Lily. "Maybe me and Lils here should go to Madame Pomfrey...whatever she does will work better than—" James waved away another stray jet of light before gliding smoothly out the door. Speechless, Lily dragged herself across the floor, surprised at how easily she moved with her new grown muscles. James was waiting for her, a smug smile plastered across his face.
"Who did a pretty good job of getting us out of there? Me!" he declared proudly.
Lily turned red with anxiety. "James whatever-you-middle-name-is Potter!" she screamed for the second time that day. She stopped. "Why did you want to get us out of there? Transfiguration is an important class..."
Grinning slyly through twinkling chocolate eyes, he leaned closer. "Because, honey bun, I love you so much!"
Lily narrowed her eyes and kicked James squarely in his very broad shins.
"Hey!" James picked up a foot and pretended to kick her, batting his eyelashes and giggling like an egomaniac. For his acting efforts, he was rewarded with another sound kick. Deciding not to get anymore bruises, he dashed down the hallway, with a grinning red-head in hot pursuit.
"Mr. James Harold Potter," a raspy voice whispered from within the shadows, as a tall figure peered around the corner to watch the two children.. A pair of malicious red eyes glinted through, penetrating the darkness like two sharp pinpoints of starlight. "Potter. Watch. Out." A small, curious looking instrument cradled in his arms hummed to life as the figure directed it towards James.
BAM!!!!
The noise echoed throughout the castle, deafening ears of those who heard. Heads snapped up. Teachers whipped out their wands, ready to battle. And Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, crept quietly out of his office.
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