A/N: Thanks to:
Fawnwv- Thanks a lot! Wow, seven reviews from you!
Chapter 18- The Transfiguration Project
The seventh year Gryffindors sat down and became silent as Professor McGonagall walked into the classroom.
"Good morning everyone." She said, her stony face not changing a bit. "Before we get started, I have a new project for you. It will be a partner project." Everyone twisted in their seats, trying to decide who their partner would be. "And I've already chosen your partners." The class stopped chattering at once, and gave her their full attention. McGonagall stooped behind her desk, looking for something. She reappeared, a stack of old pillows or something similar in her arms. She set them down a moment on her desk. "Now, the partners are as follows. Peter, Katie. Remus, Chloe. Sirius, Jennifer. Jordan, Mary. James, Lily." Lily and James looked at each other, groaning. Meanwhile, everyone else was smiling, happy with the pairings (except poor Katie).
"Come collect your pillows. When we're all seated again I'll tell you about your task." They rose, getting into a line. James and Lily scowled at each other and refused to make eye contact. The line slowly moved. When McGonagall placed one in Lily's outstretched arms, she wrinkled up her nose in disgust. The pillow looked very old. Once, it must have been white, with silky white lacing, but now it appeared slightly yellowish. Either way, she took her seat, still refusing to look at James.
"You have one week to complete this project. This might take a bit of research if neither of you are familiar with muggle objects." The students looked a bit perplexed, so she quickly continued. "You are to transform this old pillow into a useful muggle object. You'll have to make it a good transformation; I'll be taking points off if it's only halfway there. And then you must explain to the class what the object is and why it's useful. I thought doing this project would be good for you. You have the rest of the class period to start on it."
Lily sighed, seeing that she had no choice but to go sit with James. "Well, we might as well get this over with." He grunted in response. "What do you want to transfigure ours into?"
"How should I know? Let me think about it first." He snapped.
"Fine. We're supposed to be working though."
"Well I am! Why don't you do the same?" he turned away, staring off into space and pretending that she had disappeared.
"Fine. If that's the way it is." She took out some parchment and started writing down possible things that they could change it into.
*****************************************
They seated themselves in the common room as the day ended.
"I think Sirius and I are going to work on our project. We'll talk with you guys later." Jennifer smiled, walking over to the corner where he was waiting.
"I think we're going to do the same. I wish we had longer than a week to work on it." Remus sighed. "I wanted to spend my evenings having fun, not doing this."
"Well at least you have a good partner." James told him scornfully.
"Shut up James! We might as well get to work. I've made a list. What have you done?" she asked in not a very nice voice. "Nothing, I'm guessing." Remus and Chloe quickly scampered off, not wanting to be in the middle of another fight.
"Actually, I have decided what we should turn it into. A computer!" he replied angrily.
"You've decided?! This is a group effort, Mr. know-it-all. And I've already decided that we're going to turn it into a television!" her face was becoming redder, and not with embarrassment.
"Ha! No we aren't!"
"Yes, we are! What, you think your computer is a better idea?!"
"Yeah, I do!"
"Well, it's not!"
"Yes, it is!"
"NO, IT'S NOT!"
They went on like this for almost a full hour, while the common room slowly emptied. Finally, Lily flung the pillow at him in anger and stomped up to her dorm.
**********************************
The other groups were getting on quite nicely with their projects, and working cooperatively with each other. It was, of course, much easier for them, though. When Sirius noticed Lily and James fighting once again, he walked over to Remus and Chloe, Jennifer trailing behind.
"We have got to do something! They're driving me nuts!" he announced.
"I quite agree. I'm sick of watching Lily sulk in our dorm." Jennifer said, blowing a strand of blond hair out of her face in annoyance.
"Let's talk to them, then. Jennifer and I will talk with Lily. You two," Chloe pointed at the guys, "talk to James. We have to get them to be nice to each other. I'm sick of listening to them complain."
"Agreed." Said Remus. And they all got up to go to their dorms, finding that James and Lily had left already.
When Jennifer and Chloe arrived at their dorm, they found Lily sitting on her bed muttering to herself. She attempted to smile at them when they walked in, but failed.
"Calm down, Lily. If you hate him so much, then why is he worth getting mad at?" Chloe asked. She was almost always the one to help settle arguments.
"I'm not mad." Lily said, trying desperately to act happy, but to no avail.
"Yes, you are." Jennifer responded.
"Why are you so mad at James in the first place? You never really told us what happened." Chloe knew what had happened, but she thought that if they could get Lily to spit it all out she would lose some of her anger.
"I was talking to Chris, he took what I said the wrong way, and kissed me just as James walked in. James freaked out, and overreacted, and it's all his fault!"
"You still love him though, don't you?"
"I do not! I hate him!" Jennifer and Chloe took one look at the expression on her face and burst out laughing.
Meanwhile, the guys were having a similar discussion in their dorm.
"She cheated on me, Moony, and you want me to forgive her?!"
"James, she tried to explain to you what happened, and you wouldn't listen. I really don't think it was her fault. Give her another chance." Remus was trying desperately to make James see the light, but it wasn't going so well.
"Never!" he yelled at his two distressed-looking friends.
*********************************
Voldemort sat in the Forbidden Forest, contemplating his next move. If only I had killed James when I had the chance. He remembered the incident quite well. I should have been quieter, and they would never have run in time. He laughed. He must have died of terror when he received that note I sent him. Too bad I wasn't there to see. No matter. Wormtail will inform me.
If anybody had seen him sitting there, they would have thought Voldemort was mad. He certainly looked it, smiling and laughing to himself. But quite frankly, Voldemort didn't care. If anyone had approached him at that moment they would have found themselves facing death. I can't wait to get my hands on you, James Potter.
He heard a distinct rustling in the bushes behind him, and spun around, his wand pointed at the noise.
"It- it is me, master. Please." He recognized Goyle's voice, and lowered his wand.
"Proceed. What do you want?" he asked roughly.
"I just wanted to inform you that I have found you some new servants. They're at Hogwarts, in their seventh year."
"Names?" Voldemort barked.
"Lucious Malfoy and Severus Snape. I saw them on the grounds the other day, and when they learned who I was, they were overly eager to join the Death Eaters. And surprised to hear that we hide out all throughout this forest."
"Tell them to meet me here tomorrow night. And tell the other Death Eaters as well. We're having a meeting."
"Yes master." Goyle bowed his head and loped off into the forest.
Voldemort stared after him, red eyes flashing. Good, more servants at Hogwarts. I shall have some special tasks for them to do. He smirked and sat back down on his rock.
A/N: I've been thinking about starting a new L/J story, and seeing which one you like better (I would update both, but the better one first). I already have a few ideas for it. Let me know what you think!
~Emily~
Fawnwv- Thanks a lot! Wow, seven reviews from you!
Chapter 18- The Transfiguration Project
The seventh year Gryffindors sat down and became silent as Professor McGonagall walked into the classroom.
"Good morning everyone." She said, her stony face not changing a bit. "Before we get started, I have a new project for you. It will be a partner project." Everyone twisted in their seats, trying to decide who their partner would be. "And I've already chosen your partners." The class stopped chattering at once, and gave her their full attention. McGonagall stooped behind her desk, looking for something. She reappeared, a stack of old pillows or something similar in her arms. She set them down a moment on her desk. "Now, the partners are as follows. Peter, Katie. Remus, Chloe. Sirius, Jennifer. Jordan, Mary. James, Lily." Lily and James looked at each other, groaning. Meanwhile, everyone else was smiling, happy with the pairings (except poor Katie).
"Come collect your pillows. When we're all seated again I'll tell you about your task." They rose, getting into a line. James and Lily scowled at each other and refused to make eye contact. The line slowly moved. When McGonagall placed one in Lily's outstretched arms, she wrinkled up her nose in disgust. The pillow looked very old. Once, it must have been white, with silky white lacing, but now it appeared slightly yellowish. Either way, she took her seat, still refusing to look at James.
"You have one week to complete this project. This might take a bit of research if neither of you are familiar with muggle objects." The students looked a bit perplexed, so she quickly continued. "You are to transform this old pillow into a useful muggle object. You'll have to make it a good transformation; I'll be taking points off if it's only halfway there. And then you must explain to the class what the object is and why it's useful. I thought doing this project would be good for you. You have the rest of the class period to start on it."
Lily sighed, seeing that she had no choice but to go sit with James. "Well, we might as well get this over with." He grunted in response. "What do you want to transfigure ours into?"
"How should I know? Let me think about it first." He snapped.
"Fine. We're supposed to be working though."
"Well I am! Why don't you do the same?" he turned away, staring off into space and pretending that she had disappeared.
"Fine. If that's the way it is." She took out some parchment and started writing down possible things that they could change it into.
*****************************************
They seated themselves in the common room as the day ended.
"I think Sirius and I are going to work on our project. We'll talk with you guys later." Jennifer smiled, walking over to the corner where he was waiting.
"I think we're going to do the same. I wish we had longer than a week to work on it." Remus sighed. "I wanted to spend my evenings having fun, not doing this."
"Well at least you have a good partner." James told him scornfully.
"Shut up James! We might as well get to work. I've made a list. What have you done?" she asked in not a very nice voice. "Nothing, I'm guessing." Remus and Chloe quickly scampered off, not wanting to be in the middle of another fight.
"Actually, I have decided what we should turn it into. A computer!" he replied angrily.
"You've decided?! This is a group effort, Mr. know-it-all. And I've already decided that we're going to turn it into a television!" her face was becoming redder, and not with embarrassment.
"Ha! No we aren't!"
"Yes, we are! What, you think your computer is a better idea?!"
"Yeah, I do!"
"Well, it's not!"
"Yes, it is!"
"NO, IT'S NOT!"
They went on like this for almost a full hour, while the common room slowly emptied. Finally, Lily flung the pillow at him in anger and stomped up to her dorm.
**********************************
The other groups were getting on quite nicely with their projects, and working cooperatively with each other. It was, of course, much easier for them, though. When Sirius noticed Lily and James fighting once again, he walked over to Remus and Chloe, Jennifer trailing behind.
"We have got to do something! They're driving me nuts!" he announced.
"I quite agree. I'm sick of watching Lily sulk in our dorm." Jennifer said, blowing a strand of blond hair out of her face in annoyance.
"Let's talk to them, then. Jennifer and I will talk with Lily. You two," Chloe pointed at the guys, "talk to James. We have to get them to be nice to each other. I'm sick of listening to them complain."
"Agreed." Said Remus. And they all got up to go to their dorms, finding that James and Lily had left already.
When Jennifer and Chloe arrived at their dorm, they found Lily sitting on her bed muttering to herself. She attempted to smile at them when they walked in, but failed.
"Calm down, Lily. If you hate him so much, then why is he worth getting mad at?" Chloe asked. She was almost always the one to help settle arguments.
"I'm not mad." Lily said, trying desperately to act happy, but to no avail.
"Yes, you are." Jennifer responded.
"Why are you so mad at James in the first place? You never really told us what happened." Chloe knew what had happened, but she thought that if they could get Lily to spit it all out she would lose some of her anger.
"I was talking to Chris, he took what I said the wrong way, and kissed me just as James walked in. James freaked out, and overreacted, and it's all his fault!"
"You still love him though, don't you?"
"I do not! I hate him!" Jennifer and Chloe took one look at the expression on her face and burst out laughing.
Meanwhile, the guys were having a similar discussion in their dorm.
"She cheated on me, Moony, and you want me to forgive her?!"
"James, she tried to explain to you what happened, and you wouldn't listen. I really don't think it was her fault. Give her another chance." Remus was trying desperately to make James see the light, but it wasn't going so well.
"Never!" he yelled at his two distressed-looking friends.
*********************************
Voldemort sat in the Forbidden Forest, contemplating his next move. If only I had killed James when I had the chance. He remembered the incident quite well. I should have been quieter, and they would never have run in time. He laughed. He must have died of terror when he received that note I sent him. Too bad I wasn't there to see. No matter. Wormtail will inform me.
If anybody had seen him sitting there, they would have thought Voldemort was mad. He certainly looked it, smiling and laughing to himself. But quite frankly, Voldemort didn't care. If anyone had approached him at that moment they would have found themselves facing death. I can't wait to get my hands on you, James Potter.
He heard a distinct rustling in the bushes behind him, and spun around, his wand pointed at the noise.
"It- it is me, master. Please." He recognized Goyle's voice, and lowered his wand.
"Proceed. What do you want?" he asked roughly.
"I just wanted to inform you that I have found you some new servants. They're at Hogwarts, in their seventh year."
"Names?" Voldemort barked.
"Lucious Malfoy and Severus Snape. I saw them on the grounds the other day, and when they learned who I was, they were overly eager to join the Death Eaters. And surprised to hear that we hide out all throughout this forest."
"Tell them to meet me here tomorrow night. And tell the other Death Eaters as well. We're having a meeting."
"Yes master." Goyle bowed his head and loped off into the forest.
Voldemort stared after him, red eyes flashing. Good, more servants at Hogwarts. I shall have some special tasks for them to do. He smirked and sat back down on his rock.
A/N: I've been thinking about starting a new L/J story, and seeing which one you like better (I would update both, but the better one first). I already have a few ideas for it. Let me know what you think!
~Emily~