Part 2
Albus, Paulettina, and Nicholas all entered the Great Hall together, and as they did, roughly a thousand pairs of eyes turned on them and observed them carefully, a little whispers broke out. They just held their heads very high and went to their table. As they passed the Hufflepuffs, Albus saw Gabriella turn her head away, her nose very high. Albus grinned and took his seat, Nicholas on one side, Paulettina on the other.
The first years were sorted, and Gryffindor got several new additions to their family. Then Professor Golander stood and said a few words, and the feast finally began. As it did, a late summer storm broke out and they all looked up at the roof to see the dark clouds rolling in, the bright claps of lightning, and hear the thunder as it rumbled about the castle.
"How terrible," Paulettina said as another flash of lightning illuminated the faces of those around her, "Especially for the unfortunate people who have Herbology tomorrow."
Albus nodded. Nicholas was paying no attention to anyone or anything, except his food. Albus glanced down the table. All of the Gryffindor girls were wearing red dresses, with square-cut necks and a yellow ruffle (it sounds garish, I know, but it was actually quite lovely), and with a skirt that fell to the floor. The boys all wore red trousers, white shirts, and red coats with yellow embroidery, the tails hanging to their knees, and black boots. Of course, they all wore their black robes and their black hats for the feast (an especially precarious operation for the girls fourth year and up, to pin their hats on without mussing the rest of their hair).
Albus thought it was a shame that Nicholas was so preoccupied, as there was a very pretty Ravenclaw sitting opposite him at the next table, who was giving him appreciative glances, that he was completely ignoring, so absorbed was he in his roast turkey. Albus was just leaning over to elbow him in the ribs, when, as he did, he caught a glimpse of the curly-haired Hufflepuff - what was her name? Polly or something? - that had been in the carriage with Gabriella, and who had not said anything but hello and good-bye. She saw Albus looking at her and quickly averted her eyes.
"Did you want something Albus?" Nicholas said.
Albus realized he was very close to Nicholas, who was looking at him like he was insane, and murmured, "That Ravenclaw is looking at you."
Nicholas looked around as though he did not understand what was going on, and, seeing the Ravenclaw, a girl with a delicate complexion and red hair, just smiled a little, obviously uninterested, and returned to his meal. The Ravenclaw sniffed, and turned to her friend on her left, looking very disappointed.
The feast ended eventually. Albus was glad he did not have the always dull and frustrating
task of leading the first years up to the dormitory. He touched his Head Boy badge again, as if to make sure it was still there, and then proceeded up the staircases and through the hallways, escorting Paulettina all the way.
"I am rather tired," Albus yawned, pulling off his robes and then his coat, "I think I shall retire. Are you going to stay up and scribble away some more?"
"Hmm?" Nicholas looked up, "Yes, I rather think I will. I still am trying to figure out exactly what combination pine root and monkey flower will make the potion that violet. Every time I do it, it comes out rather on the blue side, and I know it is not working."
Albus yawned, "All right. Have a good rest."
Nicholas turned to his desk. He had gotten special permission from Professor Golander to have it. And, as there were only six boys in the dormitory (the two of them, and four other by the names of Geoffrey, Colin, John, and Henry), it was no problem at all.
Albus blew out his candle, closed his curtains, and fell asleep, glad to be back at his favorite place in the world, though he was not entirely sure he was going to enjoy the pressure of being Head Boy as much as he thought he would.
The next day, the storm still raged. All day it was gray and rather depressing, but Albus was indoors all day, so he had a generally good day. First lesson after breakfast was Transfiguration, which was taught by Professor Hartwood, a very likable fellow, no longer in his prime, and quite the old bachelor. At least, that is what they all thought of him. He was thirty-seven, and no longer eligible for marriage, unless it was out of pity or for his money. It was well-known all around that the teachers all held small estates here and there about the country, though they lived at the school during the year.
They were working with very large objects at this point in their scholastic careers. Turning tables into horses and each other into goats. Professor Hartwood liked to have a good time and encouraged them to be imaginative. So when Nicholas turned Albus into an ape, they all had a good laugh.
After Transfiguration was Defense Against the Dark Arts, taught by Professor Grace. He could not have been any more different than Professor Hartwood, who was most of the students' favorite teacher. Professor Grace was a dark man with a dark way of speaking and whom they all thought was rather evil. He had several rather gruesome creatures as a welcome back present for them, and seemed more evil than ever. It was just a great joke, of course, because that was just Professor Grace's way, but Albus had, in his fourth year, made the observation that Professor Grace seemed more alive during storms than in any other sort of weather.
After that, they all went down to lunch.
"You know, Albus," Paulettina said in a factual sort of way, "I simply can not help but
notice that a particular Hufflepuff girl seems to be keeping an eye on you."
Albus looked over at the Hufflepuff table and saw Gabriella Patil smiling at him without embarrassment. Albus nodded slowly and then turned his eyes towards his plate.
"She is, um, lovely," Albus murmured to Paulettina, "But I am really not interested in her. Her manner in the carriage was quite opposed to anything I would find attractive in a girl."
"Oh, well, that is unfortunate," Paulettina took a bite of her potatoes.
"Why?"
"I thought I overheard her saying your name in the hallway between classes. I think she is very pretty, and if it were not for her opposing manner, as you so eloquently put it, I think you would rather like her."
"I am sure that, if I am interested, I will inform you, and rely upon you to deliver a letter to her for me, informing her of what exactly my intentions are."
"I would be more than happy to," Paulettina smiled, "But she strikes me as rather shy."
"Her? Shy? I think not!"
"She seemed very reserved, what do you think, Nicholas?" Paulettina turned to Nicholas, who was sitting behind them, and was leaning over a spell book, reading a very long paragraph, his nose barely an inch away from the page. He was whispering quietly to himself, alternately turning from the book to the parchment in his hand, and writing furiously with his quill.
"Nicholas!" Paulettina exclaimed.
"What?" He looked up, very cross.
"Oh, never mind, go back to your work," Paulettina sighed, and turning back to Albus, said, "I am quite at a loss as to what to do with him. I shall never get him married off at this rate."
Paulettina turned to her food, and Albus saw Nicholas stop writing, and look up at Paulettina, smile a little, shake his head, and turn back to his work.
Albus, Paulettina, and Nicholas all entered the Great Hall together, and as they did, roughly a thousand pairs of eyes turned on them and observed them carefully, a little whispers broke out. They just held their heads very high and went to their table. As they passed the Hufflepuffs, Albus saw Gabriella turn her head away, her nose very high. Albus grinned and took his seat, Nicholas on one side, Paulettina on the other.
The first years were sorted, and Gryffindor got several new additions to their family. Then Professor Golander stood and said a few words, and the feast finally began. As it did, a late summer storm broke out and they all looked up at the roof to see the dark clouds rolling in, the bright claps of lightning, and hear the thunder as it rumbled about the castle.
"How terrible," Paulettina said as another flash of lightning illuminated the faces of those around her, "Especially for the unfortunate people who have Herbology tomorrow."
Albus nodded. Nicholas was paying no attention to anyone or anything, except his food. Albus glanced down the table. All of the Gryffindor girls were wearing red dresses, with square-cut necks and a yellow ruffle (it sounds garish, I know, but it was actually quite lovely), and with a skirt that fell to the floor. The boys all wore red trousers, white shirts, and red coats with yellow embroidery, the tails hanging to their knees, and black boots. Of course, they all wore their black robes and their black hats for the feast (an especially precarious operation for the girls fourth year and up, to pin their hats on without mussing the rest of their hair).
Albus thought it was a shame that Nicholas was so preoccupied, as there was a very pretty Ravenclaw sitting opposite him at the next table, who was giving him appreciative glances, that he was completely ignoring, so absorbed was he in his roast turkey. Albus was just leaning over to elbow him in the ribs, when, as he did, he caught a glimpse of the curly-haired Hufflepuff - what was her name? Polly or something? - that had been in the carriage with Gabriella, and who had not said anything but hello and good-bye. She saw Albus looking at her and quickly averted her eyes.
"Did you want something Albus?" Nicholas said.
Albus realized he was very close to Nicholas, who was looking at him like he was insane, and murmured, "That Ravenclaw is looking at you."
Nicholas looked around as though he did not understand what was going on, and, seeing the Ravenclaw, a girl with a delicate complexion and red hair, just smiled a little, obviously uninterested, and returned to his meal. The Ravenclaw sniffed, and turned to her friend on her left, looking very disappointed.
The feast ended eventually. Albus was glad he did not have the always dull and frustrating
task of leading the first years up to the dormitory. He touched his Head Boy badge again, as if to make sure it was still there, and then proceeded up the staircases and through the hallways, escorting Paulettina all the way.
"I am rather tired," Albus yawned, pulling off his robes and then his coat, "I think I shall retire. Are you going to stay up and scribble away some more?"
"Hmm?" Nicholas looked up, "Yes, I rather think I will. I still am trying to figure out exactly what combination pine root and monkey flower will make the potion that violet. Every time I do it, it comes out rather on the blue side, and I know it is not working."
Albus yawned, "All right. Have a good rest."
Nicholas turned to his desk. He had gotten special permission from Professor Golander to have it. And, as there were only six boys in the dormitory (the two of them, and four other by the names of Geoffrey, Colin, John, and Henry), it was no problem at all.
Albus blew out his candle, closed his curtains, and fell asleep, glad to be back at his favorite place in the world, though he was not entirely sure he was going to enjoy the pressure of being Head Boy as much as he thought he would.
The next day, the storm still raged. All day it was gray and rather depressing, but Albus was indoors all day, so he had a generally good day. First lesson after breakfast was Transfiguration, which was taught by Professor Hartwood, a very likable fellow, no longer in his prime, and quite the old bachelor. At least, that is what they all thought of him. He was thirty-seven, and no longer eligible for marriage, unless it was out of pity or for his money. It was well-known all around that the teachers all held small estates here and there about the country, though they lived at the school during the year.
They were working with very large objects at this point in their scholastic careers. Turning tables into horses and each other into goats. Professor Hartwood liked to have a good time and encouraged them to be imaginative. So when Nicholas turned Albus into an ape, they all had a good laugh.
After Transfiguration was Defense Against the Dark Arts, taught by Professor Grace. He could not have been any more different than Professor Hartwood, who was most of the students' favorite teacher. Professor Grace was a dark man with a dark way of speaking and whom they all thought was rather evil. He had several rather gruesome creatures as a welcome back present for them, and seemed more evil than ever. It was just a great joke, of course, because that was just Professor Grace's way, but Albus had, in his fourth year, made the observation that Professor Grace seemed more alive during storms than in any other sort of weather.
After that, they all went down to lunch.
"You know, Albus," Paulettina said in a factual sort of way, "I simply can not help but
notice that a particular Hufflepuff girl seems to be keeping an eye on you."
Albus looked over at the Hufflepuff table and saw Gabriella Patil smiling at him without embarrassment. Albus nodded slowly and then turned his eyes towards his plate.
"She is, um, lovely," Albus murmured to Paulettina, "But I am really not interested in her. Her manner in the carriage was quite opposed to anything I would find attractive in a girl."
"Oh, well, that is unfortunate," Paulettina took a bite of her potatoes.
"Why?"
"I thought I overheard her saying your name in the hallway between classes. I think she is very pretty, and if it were not for her opposing manner, as you so eloquently put it, I think you would rather like her."
"I am sure that, if I am interested, I will inform you, and rely upon you to deliver a letter to her for me, informing her of what exactly my intentions are."
"I would be more than happy to," Paulettina smiled, "But she strikes me as rather shy."
"Her? Shy? I think not!"
"She seemed very reserved, what do you think, Nicholas?" Paulettina turned to Nicholas, who was sitting behind them, and was leaning over a spell book, reading a very long paragraph, his nose barely an inch away from the page. He was whispering quietly to himself, alternately turning from the book to the parchment in his hand, and writing furiously with his quill.
"Nicholas!" Paulettina exclaimed.
"What?" He looked up, very cross.
"Oh, never mind, go back to your work," Paulettina sighed, and turning back to Albus, said, "I am quite at a loss as to what to do with him. I shall never get him married off at this rate."
Paulettina turned to her food, and Albus saw Nicholas stop writing, and look up at Paulettina, smile a little, shake his head, and turn back to his work.