Remember I update by the year but it has multiple parts, so be checking what chapter you're on so you don't lose your place. Please, please, please drop a comment on what you think. Thanks guys!
Everyone was seated down, waiting for the food to bloom on the plates around us, when a single clear 'ting' rang out over our heads. We all quieted down as Headmistress McGonogall set her fork down and stood. She looked out over all of us, her eyes resting on the Ravenclaw table as she spoke.
"It has come to the attention of the staff that some members of Ravenclaw house have been staying in the dormitories of the other houses. I want to make clear that this behavior is absolutely unacceptable, and an attendance will now be taken at eight exactly in Ravenclaw tower every night until the faculty deems it unnecessary. If you are not present for attendance, you will be administered an infraction, your parents will be contacted, and you may very well be expelled. Students attending night classes for Astronomy will now be escorted by a Professor. I expect all Prefects to assist in enforcing this policy, and those who refuse will be stripped of their powers and privileges. Carry on." she nodded and the food bloomed, but very few of the members of my table reached out.
"I suppose it was bound to get noticed." Keeli sighed, pushing her plate away.
"Or reported." We looked down to see a canary-yellow haired Eleanor digging into a shepherd's pie.
"I think I'm just going to head upstairs." Keeli sighed, and I stood up to follow her.
A good quarter of our house followed, immediately slinking off to our dorm rooms instead of lounging in the common room. Keeli and I lit the lights in our room and got to work on some homework not due for a few days, but we couldn't really focus. At the chime of eight we drug ourselves downstairs with the others to stand in front of Professor Flitwick and bear the long list of names being called out. Every single one of us were present, and he quickly rolled up the parchment before leaving. Eleanor stood importantly at the front of the room, clearly ready to give some sort of speech, but we all collectively headed up the stairs and ignored her. She'd be furious but I'd had as much gloating as I could take for one day.
We were all fairly melancholy Monday morning, and Keeli and I sat in the library as long as we dared Monday night before heading up the stairs for attendance. I'd never felt more like a prisoner as Professor Flitwick rolled up the parchment again, and we likewise headed upstairs to avoid the common room. Keeli was changing into her pajamas and I was rooting through my trunk when a sixth year girl walked into our room, bold as brass as she closed the door behind her as if it was her dorm.
"Um, can we help you?' Dorothy asked from her bed.
"Just need to borrow your window." she smiled brightly, walking between Keeli and Eunice's beds and pushing open the window pane.
"What are you doing?" Keeli asked curiously.
"Professor Flitwick can see my window from his chambers, you see, but in the light of this full moon I just have to paint the lake from the Astronomy tower." she waved her wand behind her and sprouted two beautifully feathered copper wings.
She climbed onto the windowsill and looked down at the roof of the seventh floor corridor some twenty meters below. She paused a second and I grabbed one of the potions from my trunk, walking behind her to hold it up.
"Invisibility potion, might help you stay a little more secretive."
"Thanks." she smiled and drank it, turning invisible before our eyes. We heard a whoosh of air and the curtains ruffled before silence met our ears and we figured she must have taken off. Keeli cracked the window so it'd appear closed, but made sure it would be easily accessible if the girl wanted to come back. About twenty minutes after she'd left there was a sharp knock on the door and Eleanor barged in without listening for a welcome.
"Have you seen Icarina?" she scowled, her head a deep red.
"Who?" we all asked at the same time.
"Icarina. Sixth year. She's not in her bed."
"Haven't seen her." we all said together again, and she scowled at the four of us. She stood there for a few more seconds before turning and closing the door without another word, and we heard her bang on the door of the second years below us.
We heard Eleanor return to her dorm at the top of the stairs a few minutes later, then a few pairs of steps trickle down the stairs every few minutes. It seemed the girl with the wings wasn't alone, and I counted at least eleven Ravenclaw upperclassmen who decided the curfew couldn't apply to them, as whatever they were working on was far more important.
Tuesday morning there was evidence of other little secrets, one of them being a good twenty students who were already at the breakfast table even though Keeli and I had been the first ones to leave the tower. Eleanor cast them a suspicious glance but without further monitoring there was nothing she could prove. I saw in her expression she resolved to monitor us more thoroughly, and I knew the students were already concocting more elaborate schemes as they delved into porridge and eggs. In DADA class Cad kept up a steady stream of questions about the new measures and I patiently answered them, at least grateful he wasn't encouraging me to revolt against Eleanor anymore than he already had. Louk took a very different route during lunch, spending the entire meal turned around on his bench whispering curses at my Head Girl. Double Herbology with Matt and Molly was at least a blissful two periods where the only thing I had to worry about was getting gored by a fanged plant.
After dinner Keeli and I shut ourselves up in the library again with a good majority of Ravenclaw students until seven fifty. After Professor Flitwick's roll call we all returned upstairs, and I flopped on my bed as we went into our room.
"Why does every day feel like such a chore now?"
"Because it is." Dorothy grumbled as she threw her robes to the ground. "Having to worry about where we are, and more importantly who might be spying on us."
"You're telling me." Keeli agreed, setting her wand on her night stand.
A knock on the window made us all jump, and I bolted up to open it. I thought it might be a Ravenclaw student wanting to get in, but instead Cad's grinning face met mine.
"Oh good, I got the right window."
"How many have you tried?"
"Don't worry about it. You promised me a broom ride, remember?" his smile was as wide as ever, and my face a mask of confusion as it usually was around him.
"Right now?"
"You said a lot of your housemates were sticking it to your Head Girl, right? Don't you want to too?"
"We're not 'sticking it' to anyone, it's just the curfew really cuts into our experimental time and-"
"Merlin's beard, Amelia, just get on the broom. I want to show you something." he huffed with a smile. "Only you Ravenclaws would totally rebel against your Head but for the single stupidest reason."
"Our experiments are not stupid." I scowled.
"Of course not, you know that's not what I meant. Will you please just come? You do owe me a broom ride."
I reached down and grabbed my coat and scarf from the top of my trunk, sliding my wand in my sleeve as I climbed up on the window sill. I remembered to look back at my roommates, and was met with determined stares. Keeli waved her wand at the door and I heard a clicking noise, Eunice waving her wand at my bed to have my pillows wiggle in a more person-shaped lump.
"Don't worry, we've got you covered." Dorothy nodded at me.
I nodded back and carefully stepped off the window sill, trying my best not to flop on the broom and send us plummeting thirty feet. Once I was situated I tightly wrapped my arms around his waist, squeezing my eyes shut so I didn't have to look down.
"You on?" he asked back, readjusting the strap of his bag.
"Yeah, just don't crash. If I die on this thing I will kill you."
"Noted." he chuckled as we flew away from the tower.
I felt the wind in my face as he flew, and it grew colder which I figured meant he was ascending. It was a fairly cloudy night with a thin crescent moon so luckily there wasn't too much light about, but my nerves were still in a bunch when I thought about the Headmistress looking out her window to see us flying off. He slowed considerably for a few minutes before picking up his pace again, and after a good long bit of flying I felt us descending.
"You can open your eyes now." he assured me, and I looked down to see us hovering just a few inches off the ground.
I stepped down carefully and he dismounted smoothly, gesturing with his hand at the scene in front of us. We were on a rocky coastline on top of a cliff, looking over a sheer drop dozens of meters below us where the ocean was pounding the rock. I stepped back as my vision swam, trying to keep my voice light.
"How far did you bring me?!"
"Not far, don't worry. Maybe a thirty minute ride back." he shrugged.
He pulled a gingham blanket from his bag, spreading it on the rocky surface before pulling out a jar with blue flames in it and a much bigger but much softer blanket that easily wrapped around us both. He sat down and patted the ground next to him so I likewise took a seat, gratefully accepting half the blanket.
"When I said I was okay with sneaking out, I didn't mean all the way to Spain."
He rolled his eyes. "You're so dramatic. We're barely off the grounds."
"How did you find this place?" I looked up and down the coastline but there was nothing to see except more rocks and a dark treeline further down the hill.
He shrugged. "I come out sometimes at night if I need to clear my head. I like to hang out here sometimes."
"Didn't take you for the brooding sort." I smiled, leaning on him so the blanket could wrap more firmly around us. "Anything you think about in particular?"
"I came here the night before we swapped Eleanor's shampoo. It really bothered me that I went against your wishes." he looked over at me.
"You're forgiven, don't worry. Those Ravenclaws would forgive you if they knew."
"Better to keep it on the down low, at least for now you know." he beamed, sliding his hand over so it was touching mine. "Maybe after she graduates you can spill the beans, so I can get some recognition."
"Aren't Gryffindors supposed to be selfless?"
"That's Hufflepuff's. Gryffindor's love to be recognized." he chuckled. "You should see the Quidditch meetings after games. 'No I blocked that', 'no that was my goal'."
"Are you playing in the next Gryffidnor game?"
"Not sure yet, but it's a strong maybe. I had a really good game last time and Captain said I might have a good enough arm to go against Slytherin."
"Does it bother you at all to play against the others?"
"Of course not, I love it!" his smile was so bright I almost felt warmth coming off of it. "That's one of the best parts, getting to play against your friends. Getting to see who is the best, who is just a little bit faster than the others. It's exhilarating!"
"I'd think it'd be difficult. I mean if you keep beating your friends someone is bound to have their feelings hurt."
"You just don't understand Quidditch." he shook his head. "I'd never be mad at any of the others for beating me fair and square."
"Suit yourself." I shrugged, leaning into him further as I yawned. "You seemed to really like those Clabberts last week."
"They were great."
"Do you think you'll pursue Care of Magical Creatures once we graduate?"
"How can I?" his tone mellowed a little. "I have to run the wand shop after I graduate."
"Oh, right. Well that's fun too. Getting to take camping trips often, and living right off Diagon Alley isn't nearly as bad as you make it out to be."
"You tell me that after you live there thirteen years, not two weeks."
"Well do you have to take over the shop the second you graduate? I'm sure your Dad would understand if you wanted to take a few years to work with creatures."
"I don't know. Maybe if I spun it to him about finding new wand cores, but he'd probably see through that in about ten seconds."
"Ollivander's only uses three cores right? I thought that was a trademark."
"It is, trust me I hear it every day. 'Can't use Sphynx feathers, they're too cryptic', 'Manticore hair is too vicious', 'Demiguise wands are too prone to turning invisible on their own'."
I giggled. "Did you actually try those?"
"Not me personally, no. I suggested them and my Father corrected me. Wandmaking has been around almost as long as wizards and witches and just about everything has been used at one time or another."
"What do American wizards use in their wands?"
"Depends on the maker, but they have some preferred ones. Thunderbird tail hair, Wampus whiskers or hair, and Horned Serpent horn. Rougarou hair used to be popular but it got a reputation for being preferred by Dark wizards so it fell out of use pretty much."
"Like Elder wands?"
He nodded. "Sometimes rumors are just that, sometimes there is some truth to them. Regardless, some people don't want to have a wand that they think broadcasts 'I'm evil!'."
"What's your wand made out of?"
"Dogwood."
"Isn't that prefered by tricksters?" I giggled and he blushed.
"No!"
"Yes it is."
"Maybe, but it doesn't matter. I love my wand."
"Doesn't everyone? I know I do."
"Beech right?" he squished his face up in recollection.
"How do you know that?"
"Family gift." he grinned. "Beech wands are subtle but beautiful according to Mr. Ollivander."
"I might know if I could ever manage to do a spell." I grumbled.
"You've done alright from what I've seen. You managed a Stinging Hex over break, and that's nothing to turn your nose up at."
I punched his arm. "I don't count those."
"Why not, that's perfectly countable."
"Those were in anger, and against someone who couldn't defend themselves."
"You're seriously making excuses for your brother now?"
"Of course not, but it doesn't mean I was right to lash out."
"Better than take it lying down." he shrugged.
"And attacking someone who is defenseless is right?"
"Well no, but someone hitting you is hardly an innocent." his voice grew hard and I looked up to see a dark expression on his face.
I laid my head on his shoulder and he looked down at me, his cold eyes meeting mine. "Hey, you okay?"
A small smile graced his face, but it was far from warm and sincere. "Let's just say your brother better hope we don't run into each other again."
"Seems he better hope he doesn't run into half my friend group."
"You're brothers comeuppance is something even Louk and I can agree on." he tried to smile more genuinely. "Let's talk about something else, I don't want this trip spoiled by talk of Louk and your brother. I didn't fly all the way out here for nothing."
"What did you fly all the way out here for?"
He blushed and broke our eye contact. "To stick it to your Head Girl of course."
"Mhm." I shook my head, looking back out over the ocean. "Thank you regardless, it's really nice out here. I feel like I can clear my head."
"That was the idea, it's why I love it out here so much."
"What do you do back home to clear your head?"
"Can't do much. Can't take my broom because of the Muggle neighborhoods nearby, and can't go in the Floo without alerting my parents. Usually I just take a walk around the Alley, or grunge in one of Knockturn Alley's stores to get in some trouble."
"That seems to be your favorite pastime."
"What can I say, trouble is my middle name."
"What is your middle name?"
"I just told you, trouble."
"I mean really."
"Could we pretend it really is trouble?"
"Nope."
"Well, what's yours?"
"Hazel."
"That's pretty." he smiled.
"Don't think that'll distract me. Spill."
He groaned. "Charles."
"That's not so bad. I'd thought it'd be something awful, like Alfie."
"Hey, I have a cousin named Alfie. " he laughed. "Completely for educational purposes, what's Louk's?"
"His middle name? How would I know?"
"You two are hardly ever apart, I thought it might have come up. I want it to be horrible so I can make fun of him."
"Sorry, you'll have to find out the old fashioned way: asking him yourself."
"Oh yeah, I'm sure he'll jump at the chance to share it with me. We're such close pals, you know."
"Does this mean I can call you Charlie?"
"I will throw you off this cliff." he glared at me.
I broke out in a fit of giggles. "You've already thrown me out a window, what's the difference?"
"Never going to live that down, am I?"
"Not a chance." I smiled. "Who else can say they've been thrown from about seven stories high and survived?"
"Maybe someone who doesn't bring it up every five seconds."
I just rolled my eyes and cuddled closer as a sharp, cold wind blew over us. The jar with blue flames was wedged between our legs and kept the area under the blanket plenty warm. It was mostly just my face that got cold, and I snuck a hand out to readjust my scarf. I rested my head on his shoulder and we lapsed into silence for a while, the sound of the ocean slowly lapping at my nerves to lull me to sleep.
We both dozed off a little in our blanket cocoon, but it was too uncomfortable for us to stay out too long. His watch said three as we finally gave in to the cold and packed up. I slid on the back of his broom with a little more confidence but I still kept my eyes firmly shut as we flew through the night sky. We slowed down again after a long time of flying quickly, just for him to pick up speed again. I leaned forward as the wind continued whipping around us.
"Why do you slow down?"
"You can't enter Hogwarts at speed." he yelled back. "I have to cross the boundary slowly."
I nodded, not sure if he could feel it or not but if we were nearing the castle I didn't want to make any more noise than I had to. He slowed a little and I knew we were nearing the tower, dreading the second I'd have to open my eyes to maneuver the window ledge.
I slowly cracked them open, luckily seeing the stone of the tower to focus on instead of the huge drop below me. Cad was hovering a little above the window so I could drop down onto the ledge and push the glass open, turning around once my feet were firmly planted on the ground again. The other girls were asleep and didn't seem bothered by my entrance at all save for Keeli who curled up in her blankets a little more because of the cold.
Cad descended a little until his face was at my eye level, his knees probably brushing the castle he was so close. I shook my head as I leaned out the window, keeping my eyes on his so I wouldn't look down.
"You're crazy, Charlie, you know that?"
"You're leaning out far enough for me to pull you to your death, remember that." he gave me one of his trademark smiles before leaning up to press a brief kiss to my cheek. "Goodnight, Amelia."
"Goodnight Cad."
I closed the window as he flew away, following his silhouette in the moonlight as I saw him do a couple loops. I chuckled as I pulled the curtains over the window, flopping on my bed to get a little sleep before classes.
The next morning I was in a pretty good mood, and not even Eleanor's evil glares in the bathroom mirror could dull my mood. Somehow knowing I'd beat her rules covered me in a protective armor that made me invulnerable to her usual torments. Keeli did her best to keep up with me all morning, nearly falling down the stairs as she tried to match my quick pace.
"Merlin almighty, what did you two get up to last night?!" she huffed as we had to wait for a staircase to change.
"Just flew down to an ocean somewhere and talked for a while."
"The ocean? Just how long were you gone?"
"It's not too far, but we were gone a while. It was nice to get away from everything."
I skipped into the Great Hall, sitting down and happily buttering a scone and indulging in some of the apple butter the house elves set out. Keeli gave me a suspicious glance as she sat next to me, reaching for a naked scone and taking a bite as she regarded me. She was about to speak when a whirlwind entered the Great Hall in the form of the Gryffindor house as usual. They came in with their normal shouting and shoving, but one of them peeled away and walked over to us. Cad flopped down on the bench next to me like it was where he belonged.
He gave me a dramatic wink. "Good morning."
"Good morning."
"You two are in a good mood this morning." Keeli kept her gaze on both of us.
"Oh you know how double Charms with the Hufflepuffs always puts me in a chipper mood."
"And we have double Transfiguration, I'd think you'd be in a better mood too." I accused her but she just shook her head.
"You two are up to something." she continued her glaring.
"Maybe I'm just glad to finally feel in control of something for once." I shrugged. "It's nice to know no matter how many rules she manages to have the adults put in place I can still manage to do something for me."
"Hm." she said finally, resolving to drop the subject.
"You know you can come to Keeli. I could probably convince Amber to come with me and take a passenger."
"No thanks, I don't much like brooms either, and I'm not too crazy about sneaking out as it is."
"Why not?" he seemed surprised that anyone could ever not like the idea of breaking the rules.
She shrugged. "No point in my opinion. The ball last year was one thing, but sneaking out for the purpose of breaking the rules just seems reckless to me."
"You're right, in fairness." I agreed, leveling a look at Cad.
"You love it." he stuck his tongue out at me. "Speaking of classes, can't wait for Ancient Runes this afternoon."
"Yes, I have the homework." I rolled my eyes and reached down for my bag. "You know you can come over here just to see me without asking for homework?"
He grabbed my wrist, sliding his hand into mine with a cocky grin. "I've already done the homework, dear Amelia, for your information. I was merely saying I was excited for the class."
"So you just wanted to brag you did the homework?"
"Of course not. Would I ever be so forthright? It's a difficult subject for sure, but for us intellectuals it's not all bad."
"I'll remember that when you're cussing out Professor Babbling for setting so much homework again."
"All I'm saying is we do have some lives outside her class, and she could do well to remember that before she sets us two obe-"
"Oi! Mervin!" a tall boy stood up from the Gryffindor table. "Your seat is over here, mate."
"Seems I've overstayed my welcome. 'Till next time." he leaned forward to peck a kiss to my cheek before strutting off to his table like he hadn't broken one of the unspoken rules of the Great Hall.
I blushed as I turned back to my breakfast, sliding two poached eggs onto my plate to join my half finished scone. Keeli gave me an inquisitive look but I shrugged before hurrying to finish my breakfast before we had to go to Transfiguration. Luckily her favorite subject put her off anymore interrogations, and I was safely in a seat next to Louk before she got too far down her line of questioning.
"Morning." he said testily.
"Morning." I raised an eyebrow as I sat next to him. "What's wrong?"
"Loveday is causing more problems." he rubbed his temples. "We're all but certain she's part of the reason your house has a roll call now."
"I'm sure she wasn't the only reason, I doubt Eleanor kept quiet." I shrugged, my mood preventing me from growing depressed on the subject. "We're taking it in stride. I've never seen Ravenclaws so steadfast. It's...refreshing almost."
"Steadfast?"
"Half the house sneaks out every night just to show her she's not going to come between us and our studies. You have to see the table is half full before the first students even come down."
"I just thought they were early risers. You guys don't want us retaliating and yet you're sneaking out at night?" he looked exasperated. "I don't understand you lot."
"We tried playing nice, and she made it quite clear she has no intention of leaving us alone so we're getting our space however we can."
"You know, one thing I've learned about your house since we've been friends? The thing a Ravenclaw wants most is just to be left alone."
I shrugged. "Depends on the Ravenclaw."
My good mood wasn't even dampened by the fact my tortoise was noticeably not a teapot by the end of class. Potions of course went better with us taking notes on graphorn horn in potions which I finished in a few minutes and had a chance to leaf through Moste Potente Potions which I'd already read about four times since I'd gotten it. I was debating between brewing a brain tonic versus Veritaserum during lunch when Keeli leaned over, tapping my arm and pointing to the door.
"Seems Eleanor finally figured out how to fix her hair."
The Head Girl's hair was, in fact, back to it's brunette. "About time. It's been that way for, what, almost two weeks now?" I flipped a page as I returned to my book. "I thought she was good at Charms."
"Knowing Cad, I doubt it was a one-note enchantment." Keeli sighed, returning to her food. "She replaced her quills over the last Hogsmeade visit too. There's only the bookshelf thing left from all their little pranks."
"We'd better be grateful. Maybe now everything will blow over."
"I know, and it's mean to wish her discomfort, but I won't lie and say seeing her hair didn't make me feel a little better as we sit through another roll call."
"Knowing Cad, I'm sure he has plenty more in store for her." I glanced up at the Gryffindor in question who was arm wrestling some of his Quidditch friends.
"Well, I really do hope he doesn't use them. Maybe with everyone making it a point to go to the roll call and exams coming up they might let us go back to being in peace."
"I don't know. Eleanor is suspicious, and I doubt she rests until she catches at least one person sneaking out."
"Here's hoping it isn't us." Keeli murmured as the bell rang and she headed to Divination.
Cad caught up to me before I'd even hit the first flight of stairs towards Ancient Runes, his smile wide and his hair thoroughly tousled.
"So, what are you doing after class?"
"Potion's Club."
"Oh right, it's Wednesday." he deflated a little before his smile returned. "Well, maybe I could come with you?"
"Don't you have the Weird Sisters Fan Club today?"
"Shh!" he looked around to make sure we were relatively alone. "I told you that in confidence."
"That was a secret? Why?" I chuckled.
"Well, you know, a tough guy like me can't go running around liking pop bands."
"I heard your squeal at the Winter Ball when they took the stage."
"Shhh!" he put his hand over my mouth, rushing me so we'd break away from the crowd of people coming up from the Great Hall. "You're going to destroy my reputation."
"Your reputation of what, being the Tallest Tower guy?" I giggled as I shoved his hand away.
"I'll have you know I still get compliments on my handiwork."
"I'm sure you do." I rolled my eyes.
"So how about it? Why don't I come to Potions Club with you?"
"No offense, but I tried bringing a friend once and it didn't work out so well. I really prefer it to be just me."
"Well alright." he sighed. "Guess I'll just have to sneak you out again."
"You know it'd be foolish to do it again so soon. Besides, I do need some sleep."
"You can't tell me you can't make a batch of Wide Eye Potion in about ten seconds?"
"Well, yeah, but-"
"Look, you didn't hear this from me, but there might be a totally not happening secret Quidditch game tonight. A kind of a show of solidarity with you Ravenclaws, although a lot of it is just giving us an excuse to sneak out."
"And you're going?"
"Well I will if my good luck charm says she'll go too." he gave me a hopeful look as we walked into the classroom and took our seats.
"If Eleanor finds out, she'll flay me alive."
"Then don't get caught." he gave me such a devil-may-hare smile I found myself folding.
"Oh alright, since if I get caught half the school goes down with me."
"That's the spirit!" he beamed as class started.
Presumably to placate me, he actually paid attention in class and even offered to do the homework with me before dinner once Potions Club let out. We got a decent way through it and I accepted it left me little reason to refuse to go, especially because from the sound of it a lot of people were going.
There was a high level of energy in the room and I could tell it was driving Eleanor insane because she kept doing a headcount to make sure we were all there and not covering for anyone. Keeli, Dorothy, Eunice, and I were in our room hunched over my spare cauldron rapidly trying to get the new potion I was trying out done before eleven o'clock. Keeli had already decided she wasn't going since Matt was electing to cover for his housemates, and Eunice said she didn't much like Quidditch, so instead they'd promised to help us coordinate our escapes cleanly. I had Cad picking me up via broom at ten but Dorothy had no such ride, and I'd agreed to devise a plan for her.
I opened the book Cad had gotten me for Christmas to a page labeled 'Spider Climb Potion'. It was a little bizarre, and the pictures more than creepy, but essentially it just allowed you to climb up walls and across ceilings like a spider. It seemed pretty simple but the other brews in the book gave me pause in trying it. I read through the recipe four times before having Dorothy look over and make sure she was okay with testing it.
The only thing that gave me true concern was it contained Black Widow venom, but as it had a section devoted on how to test the potion before you drank it to make sure you weren't poisoning yourself I shrugged and threw it in at the correct time the book instructed. It took about an hour to finish and I carefully inspected a sample to make sure it was exactly what the book said it should be. I put a dab on my wrist and waited to make sure I felt no irritation, that test being passed I took a deep breath and poured a teaspoon on my tongue.
I didn't necessarily feel any different, and after a few seconds I looked to my hands to see if there were any changes. I reached over to the stone wall of the room and pressed my hand to it, feeling a strange sensation like my pores themselves were grasping onto the stone. I followed with the other hand and kicked my shoes off, climbing up the wall like some kind of possessed lizard. I hung upside down from the ceiling, looking down on my roommates with a wide smile.
"You guys have got to try this."
Dorothy and Eunice jumped toward the cauldron, putting a teaspoon in their mouths as roll call was in just a few minutes, but Keeli was reading through Moste Potente Potions again seemingly too busy to be bothered with a fun time.
The three of us crawled around the ceilings with wide smiles, playing tag around the bedposts and climbing along the walls. It was strange at first, and it took a second to adjust to your center of gravity being changed, but once you got used to it it was second nature. I couldn't pick up my whole hand or foot at one time, I had to start at my palm and roll my hand off or it'd just stay stuck to the stone. I was able to support my weight on two hands alone, but climbing was easier when I only lifted up one appendage at a time or my muscles got too sore. We were hanging from the ceiling when a knock sounded on the door, all of us freezing as someone pushed it open.
Luckily it was a second year girl and not Eleanor, who screamed as she saw us hanging from the ceiling. She ran back downstairs and we all giggled, my fingers suddenly forgetting their traction and I crashed to the floor on my back.
"You can tell when it wears off." I groaned, rolling to my side and rubbing my ribs.
"Wee!" Dorothy's wore off too, but she'd positioned herself over her bed for a much softer landing.
We whispered on our way down the stairs with the others going to roll call, postulating all the situations it could be used for besides sneaking out of the castle. Dorothy wondered how it would fare on wet or slippery surfaces, like moss covered stone, and we resolved to make time one day to test it. Everyone seemed in a cheery mood as Professor Flitwick called roll, and he had a smile as he rolled up the scroll.
"I'm glad to see you all are getting your spirits back."
There were general murmurs as we headed for the stairs again, everyone not wanting to tell the Professor it wasn't our great attitudes but the fact we were flaunting his rules that very night that had us so chipper. Dorothy took a proper dose of the potion to test how long it lasted for her, so she'd know if she could make it down the castle in one or two doses, and she hung upside down from the ceiling to play cards with the timer on my nightstand clicked down from an hour. I wrote in the margins of the spell some notes I'd gathered, then joined the card game while we waited. At fifty five minutes she flopped onto the bed, ruining my perfect hand, and I marked it down before measuring out four phials for her use to get to and from the game. We weren't entirely sure how long it would take her to climb down so we prepared for the longest possible time she'd be out to be safe.
