Chapter Twenty One

Choices

The train ride back to school was a lot more fun for Mia than the one home had been. With Lily her friend again, the two of them played exploding snap with Hugo and Cassie, to a backdrop of Lily and Hugo recounting their holidays. Lily was going to be a bridesmaid at Teddy and Vic's wedding in the summer, and she spent twenty minutes describing the dress she was going to wear, oblivious to the fact that no one cared.

After dinner that night, most people headed straight to bed, but in the Gryffindor common room, James, Fred and Chris were doing a roaring trade in a new batch of MIs.

"Roll up, roll up!" James was shouting. "Come and get your new and improved MIs – now with an added stinging hex to keep your private messages private!"

"How does that work?" a fourth year demanded. "Won't everyone just get stung?"

"Everyone except the intended recipient," James explained. "Once you send it, anyone who tries to open it – apart from whoever it's addressed to – will get stung." He glared meaningfully at Josh Young, who shoved past him on his way up to the dormitories. Mia thought she could probably tell where this new 'improvement' to MIs had come from.

The first lesson for the Gryffindor second years on Monday morning was double Transfiguration, a fact that Lily was quick to bemoan at breakfast.

"Whose idea was it to start our week with a double dose of Duncan?" she grumbled at her cereal.

"Some git's," Hugo shrugged, looking up at the staff table, where Professor Duncan was talking to Professor Nilsson. "Although, knowing you, you'd probably complain whatever we had first – it's too much like hard work, or it's too far away, or you have to go outside..."

Lily thumped him, and they all laughed. As they were finishing eating, Professor Longbottom started walking up and down the table, handing out forms to all the second years.

"Option forms, for your third year subjects," he told them. "To be handed in to me by the end the month."

Mia looked down at her form, and read:

'THIRD YEAR OPTIONS: All third years are required to take on two or three additional subjects. You will have undertaken taster sessions in all subjects and should be able to make an informed choice (if you need further guidance, please speak to your subject teachers and/or Head of House). Students who choose to take two subjects will have three supervised study periods a week. Please indicate whether you wish to take two or three subjects, and mark your top three (if taking two subjects) or four (if taking three subjects) preferences, in order. (In the case of timetabling difficulties leading to an inability to allocate you your first choice of subjects we will endeavour to notify you).'

Below this, there were tick boxes next to 'I wish to study three subjects' and 'I wish to study two subjects (and have three supervised study periods)', and space to write numbers to indicate their preference next to the subjects 'Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Muggle Studies and Wizarding Social Studies'.

"What are you taking, Mia?" Lily asked, as they headed up to Transfiguration.

Mia hadn't quite decided yet. "Care of Magical Creatures," she said. "And then I think Social Studies... and maybe Arithmancy or Ancient Runes... I haven't really decided."

"I'm taking Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies," Lily said.

"Why only two?" Hugo asked. "You don't really want supervised study periods, do you?"

"Yeah, I do, cuz it'll actually make me do some work," Lily grinned. "And I'm not going to have as much time next year, cuz hopefully I'll get onto the Quidditch team. Have you decided what you're taking, Hugo?"

Hugo nodded. "Care of Magical Creatures, Muggle Studies and Social Studies," he said. "Although sometimes I think third year subject are just a distraction – a fun distraction, but I'd rather stick with the basics."

"I like them..." Lily pouted.

"Yeah, but you like them because they're fun," Hugo reasoned. "Is anything you do when you're grown up actually going to have anything to do with Care of Magical Creatures or Muggle Studies?"

"Probably not," Lily conceded. "But who cares about being grown up right now – I'm only twelve."

They found Louis waiting for them outside the Transfiguration classroom.

"Have you decided what options you're gonna take?" Lily asked him, as Professor Duncan opened the classroom door.

"Come inside, and put your options forms away," he said. "Anyone I hear as much as mentioning third year subjects in my class will be in detention – you can debate the merits of Divination vs Arithmancy in your own time."

That put an end to all the discussion, and the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws filed into the classroom in silence, although Lily was muttering under her breath that Professor Duncan was mean.

After Transfiguration, they had History of Magic, which was a lot easier to carry on a conversation in. Louis told them that he was definitely taking Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, and he was still undecided between Muggle Studies and Care of Magical Creatures for his third option. Lily couldn't understand why everyone else was taking three options, and everyone else couldn't understand why she was only taking two subjects.

Whilst the second years puzzled over their third-year options forms, in the meantime, they had exams to be revising for. There were no exams for their third-year subjects, as they were only taster sessions, but even so, they still had plenty of other subjects to study.

Danielle had reverted to three Quidditch practices a week, and she was becoming almost unbearably crabby, as she revised for her NEWTs and trained at Quidditch harder than ever, until James told her he was going to take one practice a week, and she wasn't allowed to come. Then the team got a glimpse of what kind of Quidditch captain James would make, if he was chosen next year (and Mia expected he would be, since he was more of a leader than Fred, and, if Mia was being honest, probably the better player); he worked the team very hard, but was also up for a little fun, providing the work got done. And he was extremely fond of drills.

Whilst Danielle's style was to talk about where the team's weaknesses lay and then address them in a game set-up, James preferred to address weaknesses in drills. He made the whole team participate in passing drills with the Quaffle, because he said they all needed excellent reflexes and coordination, and then sent Roxanne and Mary off to practice their aim by hitting bludgers at each other, whilst he and Fred worked on their manoeuvres and tried to put goals past Mia.

"Don't worry, Mia!" Fred called, as he and James managed to score yet another goal. "Hufflepuff won't be anywhere near as good as we are."

Mia grinned, knowing most of what he was saying was general good natured banter – Hufflepuff were a good team.

"Alright, guys," James called. "Gather round – Roxy, Mary!"

Roxanne and Mary flew over to the goal hoops. Samuel, in pursuit of the snitch, didn't hear.

"Hey, let's have some fun," James grinned. "Let's see if we can work together and block Sam and get the snitch before he does."

"What's the point in that?" Roxanne asked.

James shrugged. "It's fun, and it'll give Samuel a run for his money."

The team spent fifteen minutes attempting to stop Samuel getting the snitch, but he eventually caught it.

"You guys are idiots!" he said, landing on the ground, panting for breath. The rest of the team landed beside him, grinning and giggling.

"Well, you've proved you can take on a whole team of idiots, so you should have no problem with taking on Cadwallder," James grinned.

As the end of April approached, the second years had to hand in their options forms. In the Inter-House Common Room the night before they were due in, everyone was debating the merits of one subject vs. another, and those who'd already picked their subjects trying to persuade their friends to take the same as them.

Mia was still trying to decide between Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, and Louis, who was taking both, sat down to help her weigh up the pros and cons.

"Arithmancy's probably harder," he reasoned, "but then I guess it can be more widely applied too – there aren't many jobs where you can use Runes."
"You could always not do either, and have study periods with me," Lily suggested.

"Or pick something really random, like Divination," Hugo grinned.

Mia pulled a face. "I don't think so."

"Well, what's it going to be?" Louis asked, waving the form in her face. "Arithmancy or Runes?"

"Runes," Mia said eventually. "There's too many numbers in Arithmancy."

Louis laughed. "Well it is about the magical properties of numbers..." he said.

Mia took the form from Louis and filled it in. "There," she said. "Done. Now we just have to remember to give them in to Professor Longbottom in Herbology tomorrow."

"Why aren't you at Quidditch practice?" Lily asked Mia, suddenly realising it was Thursday evening, which was the usual day for Gryffindor Quidditch practice.

"Danielle had a study group, so we're gonna have one last practice tomorrow night," Mia explained.

"Nervous?" Hugo asked. The Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff game on Saturday would decide the Quidditch cup, and the whole school was gearing up for the game.

"Some," Mia nodded. "But I think we're ready – there's not much more we can do..."

"You're going to win," Lily said confidently. "Danielle'll kill you if you don't."

"Mmm," Mia agreed. "But then I guess it is her last chance to win the cup, so... If I were in her position, I'd probably be the same..."

"You're supporting Gryffindor, aren't you, Louis?" Lily asked.

"I guess so..." Louis said. "Privately, maybe. But I'm sitting with Zoe, so..."

"So you have to support your girlfriend's team, of she'll ditch you, like Dove did Mac," Hugo grinned.

"Precisely," Louis said.