Chapter 10
*
"Here are your dormitories," said the woman, showing the ex-PLC students around the school. "You will all be assigned a person who is to help you around the school." "Harry," begged Christina. "Harry will help me round the school." "Indeed he will," nodded the woman. "Here." She handed them all slips of paper. "Now, this is a program of what you will be doing throughout the week. Enjoy your stay, scholarship students." "Uh.thanks," said Rachel, staring at the paper. She frowned. "Damn it. We've got flying first thing tomorrow." "Cool," grinned Michelle. "What's wrong with that?" "It's with Hufflepuff. We won't see you guys till Transfiguration," explained Rachel. "Oh." nodded her friends. "Well, Ravenclaw's with Gryffindor first, for Potions," shrugged Angeline. "And the majority of us are in those houses. So I guess it works out for the best." Then, under her breath. "Especially without those two maniacs." "My friend," scowled Rachel, her voice venomous. "Come on, Michelle." "Hey, wait!" cried Angeline. "I---" The Slytherin door slammed in her face. "Humph! How rude," sniffed Angeline. "Well, Cho Chang's showing me round the school. So I'm going." "Hip hip, hooray," said a muffled voice, from the other side of the door. Stephanie laughed, as did Victoria. Angeline stopped, making a face. "Shut up, Rachel." Then, turning her back on them, she tossed her hair, and stormed off in a huff. Slowly, the Slytherin door opened, and Rachel's head appeared. "Ah! Michelle killed---" screamed Christina. "Shut up," sighed Rachel. Then she grinned. "Heh, heh, heh. We've got flying with Oliver Wood." "Rachel!" cried Michelle in exasperation. "Huh? I thought he was teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts," said Stephanie. "Apparently, he's also teaching Flying. He's just a temporary for Defence Against the.whatever." Rachel shook her head. "Blaah. My tongue keeps getting twisted." "Like her head," muttered Michelle. If looks could kill, she would have died five times. "And it's mind, you ignorant little twerp," hissed Rachel. "None of you are very fond of each other, are you?" remarked Artemis. "This is a nice place," said Elspeth, looking around in wonder. "Hopscotch with topics," muttered Rachel. "Hopscotch?" asked Elspeth. "I do believe it is a children's game in which they draw chalk boxes on the ground, in which the player must hop through, without touching the lines," said Artemis. "Mm.you would know, after playing it so often," nodded Rachel. Artemis went red. "How did you kn--- I mean, that's preposterous!" spluttered Artemis. "Yeah.sure." Rachel suddenly stopped. "Hey! Where's Root 'n co?" "Don't you mean 'Julius and co?'" asked the boy. "Really. Your grammar is extremely confusing. I wouldn't be surprised if I found out that I had jumped through an entire time-frame." "For your information, Count Dracula." growled Rachel. "My grammar is probably better than yours!" "Mm hmm." said Artemis, nonchalantly. "Yes. Of course." "Don't you use that tone of voice with me, you arrogant brat!" Rachel's eyes began taking on a dangerous gleam. "Arrogant?" laughed Artemis. "Arrogant? Butler." his voice trailed off as he realised that his big manservant was nowhere in sight. "Butler, where are you?" "Somewhere not here," said Rachel, smiling. Artemis began to sweat. "Butler? Come here," he said, doing his best to keep his voice steady. Michelle also began smiling evilly. A wicked grin lit her features like a candle in a lantern. "Butler." the teen's voice was growing hoarse, and his eyes began darting around in panic. The girls watched him, with growing amusement. "Sorry to interrupt you all, but Butler is not here," said Dumbledore, suddenly appearing beside Artemis. The boy gave a squeak and leapt back, recovering just in time to stop himself from stepping off the edge. The stairs had moved again, leaving a blank space between Artemis and death. This wasn't right! He, the great criminal mastermind should not die like this! Not when the last sound he had made was an undignified squeak! Artemis hung in mid-air, pin wheeling, his foot searching for a hold that wasn't there. "Help.me." he begged. Now he certainly mustn't die! Not after asking for help! "Idiot," Rachel reached forward, grabbing his wrist and yanking. "Ow," Artemis yelped, falling forward. "Thank you, Rachel," beamed Dumbledore. "Now, Artemis, you are a wizard, and your manservant, Butler, has been sent off the grounds. He has gone back to your mansion, after beating Crabbe and Goyle half to death." "Good on him," said Rachel. "What?" Artemis. "Well, I just wanted to tell you. Have a pleasant education at Hogwarts," and with that, Dumbledore strode off, whistling cheerfully. "I'm a wizard?" asked Artemis, looking shocked. "Naw.y'don't say?" asked Rachel. Once again, the air filled with her sarcastic words. "What did you say?" Artemis gaped at her. "Nothing just that you're a stupid idiot and---" Rachel shoved him back over the edge. "You're ungrateful." "Hey! What are you doing?" screeched Artemis, looking below and feeling sick at the sight of the ground so far below. "Pull me back up!" Rachel lifted one finger off his wrist. "Rachel, are you crazy?" gasped Amelia. "Pull me back up, you crazy person!" said Artemis, trying unsuccessfully to pull himself back onto ground. "Say thank you," another finger. "For what?" Another finger. "Thank you!" cried Artemis. His arm was almost wrenched out of its socket, as he was dragged unceremoniously back up. "You're welcome," drawled Rachel. "I hope you've learned your lesson." "Of course I have! Never stand near moving staircases when there are nutcases near you!" snapped Artemis, ignoring the pun. "Doesn't your arm hurt enough?" asked the girl. The boy ran into his dormitory, screaming. Rachel grinned. "And that, class, is how you get rid of pompous idiots." "Rachel," groaned Victoria.
*
"Here are your dormitories," said the woman, showing the ex-PLC students around the school. "You will all be assigned a person who is to help you around the school." "Harry," begged Christina. "Harry will help me round the school." "Indeed he will," nodded the woman. "Here." She handed them all slips of paper. "Now, this is a program of what you will be doing throughout the week. Enjoy your stay, scholarship students." "Uh.thanks," said Rachel, staring at the paper. She frowned. "Damn it. We've got flying first thing tomorrow." "Cool," grinned Michelle. "What's wrong with that?" "It's with Hufflepuff. We won't see you guys till Transfiguration," explained Rachel. "Oh." nodded her friends. "Well, Ravenclaw's with Gryffindor first, for Potions," shrugged Angeline. "And the majority of us are in those houses. So I guess it works out for the best." Then, under her breath. "Especially without those two maniacs." "My friend," scowled Rachel, her voice venomous. "Come on, Michelle." "Hey, wait!" cried Angeline. "I---" The Slytherin door slammed in her face. "Humph! How rude," sniffed Angeline. "Well, Cho Chang's showing me round the school. So I'm going." "Hip hip, hooray," said a muffled voice, from the other side of the door. Stephanie laughed, as did Victoria. Angeline stopped, making a face. "Shut up, Rachel." Then, turning her back on them, she tossed her hair, and stormed off in a huff. Slowly, the Slytherin door opened, and Rachel's head appeared. "Ah! Michelle killed---" screamed Christina. "Shut up," sighed Rachel. Then she grinned. "Heh, heh, heh. We've got flying with Oliver Wood." "Rachel!" cried Michelle in exasperation. "Huh? I thought he was teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts," said Stephanie. "Apparently, he's also teaching Flying. He's just a temporary for Defence Against the.whatever." Rachel shook her head. "Blaah. My tongue keeps getting twisted." "Like her head," muttered Michelle. If looks could kill, she would have died five times. "And it's mind, you ignorant little twerp," hissed Rachel. "None of you are very fond of each other, are you?" remarked Artemis. "This is a nice place," said Elspeth, looking around in wonder. "Hopscotch with topics," muttered Rachel. "Hopscotch?" asked Elspeth. "I do believe it is a children's game in which they draw chalk boxes on the ground, in which the player must hop through, without touching the lines," said Artemis. "Mm.you would know, after playing it so often," nodded Rachel. Artemis went red. "How did you kn--- I mean, that's preposterous!" spluttered Artemis. "Yeah.sure." Rachel suddenly stopped. "Hey! Where's Root 'n co?" "Don't you mean 'Julius and co?'" asked the boy. "Really. Your grammar is extremely confusing. I wouldn't be surprised if I found out that I had jumped through an entire time-frame." "For your information, Count Dracula." growled Rachel. "My grammar is probably better than yours!" "Mm hmm." said Artemis, nonchalantly. "Yes. Of course." "Don't you use that tone of voice with me, you arrogant brat!" Rachel's eyes began taking on a dangerous gleam. "Arrogant?" laughed Artemis. "Arrogant? Butler." his voice trailed off as he realised that his big manservant was nowhere in sight. "Butler, where are you?" "Somewhere not here," said Rachel, smiling. Artemis began to sweat. "Butler? Come here," he said, doing his best to keep his voice steady. Michelle also began smiling evilly. A wicked grin lit her features like a candle in a lantern. "Butler." the teen's voice was growing hoarse, and his eyes began darting around in panic. The girls watched him, with growing amusement. "Sorry to interrupt you all, but Butler is not here," said Dumbledore, suddenly appearing beside Artemis. The boy gave a squeak and leapt back, recovering just in time to stop himself from stepping off the edge. The stairs had moved again, leaving a blank space between Artemis and death. This wasn't right! He, the great criminal mastermind should not die like this! Not when the last sound he had made was an undignified squeak! Artemis hung in mid-air, pin wheeling, his foot searching for a hold that wasn't there. "Help.me." he begged. Now he certainly mustn't die! Not after asking for help! "Idiot," Rachel reached forward, grabbing his wrist and yanking. "Ow," Artemis yelped, falling forward. "Thank you, Rachel," beamed Dumbledore. "Now, Artemis, you are a wizard, and your manservant, Butler, has been sent off the grounds. He has gone back to your mansion, after beating Crabbe and Goyle half to death." "Good on him," said Rachel. "What?" Artemis. "Well, I just wanted to tell you. Have a pleasant education at Hogwarts," and with that, Dumbledore strode off, whistling cheerfully. "I'm a wizard?" asked Artemis, looking shocked. "Naw.y'don't say?" asked Rachel. Once again, the air filled with her sarcastic words. "What did you say?" Artemis gaped at her. "Nothing just that you're a stupid idiot and---" Rachel shoved him back over the edge. "You're ungrateful." "Hey! What are you doing?" screeched Artemis, looking below and feeling sick at the sight of the ground so far below. "Pull me back up!" Rachel lifted one finger off his wrist. "Rachel, are you crazy?" gasped Amelia. "Pull me back up, you crazy person!" said Artemis, trying unsuccessfully to pull himself back onto ground. "Say thank you," another finger. "For what?" Another finger. "Thank you!" cried Artemis. His arm was almost wrenched out of its socket, as he was dragged unceremoniously back up. "You're welcome," drawled Rachel. "I hope you've learned your lesson." "Of course I have! Never stand near moving staircases when there are nutcases near you!" snapped Artemis, ignoring the pun. "Doesn't your arm hurt enough?" asked the girl. The boy ran into his dormitory, screaming. Rachel grinned. "And that, class, is how you get rid of pompous idiots." "Rachel," groaned Victoria.