Chapter Four: Untitled
"Hey, this is great!" Ron exclaimed, looking from his schedule to his new friends. "We've got every subject together!"
Hermione grabbed the schedule while munching on her buttered toast. "That's true. I've only got one subject that we haven't got together, and that's Arithmancy. You've got Divination for that." She commented.
"That's great, right, Sakura?" Harry said, blushing a little. Privately, Ron thought he had a slight crush on Sakura as well.
Sakura grinned at him, ignoring Syaoran's low protective growl. Eriol chuckled behind his hand. They finished their breakfast of English muffins, buttered toast, and pumpkin juice in peace after that, their silence temporarily having been interrupted by the arrival of their mail and packages through the owl post. Two brown school owls delivered Syaoran and Sakura's mail. Syaoran's mother had sent him a letter that he immediately pocketed. His sisters had sent him letters as well, with a package of sweets that they had told him was for 'Kawaii Sakura-chan and their Kawaii little brother' to share with each other. Blushing a little, he glared at Eriol who was smiling evilly at him, holding Nakuru and Spinel's letter in his hands. He had already pocketed Tomoyo's letter safely in his robes.
Sakura had received four letters: one from her father, one from Touya, and one from Tomoyo, and the last one from Yukito. The letter from her Otou-san was warm and pleasant, and she was still smiling after reading it.
Touya's letter should have been funny, if only he hadn't called her 'kaijuu' in the very first sentence and if only he hadn't enclosed a necklace in his envelope that made Syaoran irritated. Touya had said that it could drive away evil spirits and to use it well. Actually, his very words were, "Wear this always, okay, kaijuu? It's for driving away evil spirits like that Chinese Gaki who's reading my letter beside you!" She wore the necklace nevertheless. It was a gift after all, and the emerald star pendant on it glittered beautifully. Sakura sweatdropped when she read the next sentence that was obviously for Syaoran all in capital letters, "STAY AWAY FROM MY IMOUTO, YOU GAKI!!" Looking to her side, she saw that Syaoran was indeed reading Touya's letter from over her shoulder, a vein popping on his head and his hands tightly clenched into fists. Muttering a frightened "Hoeee," she quickly switched to Tomoyo's letter.
It was a little long, all about Tomoyo lamenting the fact that she couldn't videotape her 'precious and SO KAWAII Sakura-chan' and that she couldn't make her anymore costumes. Sakura earned multiple animé-ish sweatdrops while reading it, but in the end, she was touched by Tomoyo's words. Sakura-chan, we can't be together like we were before, but just remember that I will always look after you, wherever you are. Smile always and be the genki Sakura-chan that I we know and love. Zettai daijobu da yo! Tomoyo-chan P.S. Say hello to Li-kun for me. I sent Eriol-kun his own letter.
Sakura's last letter was pleasant enough, Yukito telling her that Yue and Kero-chan were alright and well at his house, except that Yue was always getting pissed off with Kero and Kero was always annoying Yue-san. "However," he wrote "we have actually progressed from Yue-san trying to shoot Kero-chan with his arrows ten times a day to five times a day, so I really think that they will be getting along with each other fine soon. Take care always!"
Syaoran shook his head at Yukito's letter. "Yukito-san is ever the optimist, ne?"
Standing up, Eriol shouldered his bag. "You know, we'd better get going. We have Transfiguration first period." He turned to Ron, "Didn't you tell me that our teacher for that subject is McGonagall-sensei?"
Ron blinked at his usage of another foreign term. "Yeah, and she's very strict." Shoving his last piece of toast into his mouth, he stood up as well, pulling on Harry and Hermione's arms. "C'mon, we better go."
Syaoran stood up, brushing some stray crumbs from his uniform. He offered his hand to Sakura, who smiled up at him and took it immediately. He hefted his small backpack and glanced at Sakura's handbag. "You want me to carry that?"
Sakura shook her head and tugged on his hand. They followed after the others who had gone ahead of them already.
**
"I really don't know what you three have reached into your studies of Transfiguration, Ms. Kinimoto, Mr. Li, and Mr. Hir-hirwi-how do you pronounce your name again?" Asked a flustered Professor McGonagall.
Eriol stood up politely. "Hiragizawa, Professor. But I really wouldn't mind if you called me just Eriol."
Blushing a little, she nodded. "Fine, Eriol. What are we going to do about that?"
Syaoran spoke up. "Professor, why don't you continue on with your normal lesson plan? I'm sure we could catch up," saying so, he, Sakura, and Eriol took out their wands from the bags. All three had received ordinary wands from Dumbledore because he knew that it would cause a commotion if they used their own magic at school.
McGonagall studied the three from the top of her spectacles. "If you say so." Addressing the whole class, she told them, "Today, we are going to start transfiguring more complex subjects. Ms. Granger, please come up to the front of the room."
Taking a few deep breaths, Hermione stood up from her seat beside Ron and Harry and walked up to McGonagall. The Ravenclaws, who took that class with the Gryffindors, looked on with interest. "Now, I would like you to Transfigure my desk into a bed. You know how to do that, right?"
"Yes, Professor." Taking another deep breath, she pointed her wand at the desk and uttered a silent incantation. A second passed, and with a popping sound, a bed complete with pillows and sheets took the place of the desk. The Gryffindors watching applauded the grinning Hermione, who was blushing slightly. She returned to her seat still smiling.
"Very good, Ms. Granger. Five points to Gryffindor." McGonagall said, giving her a rare smile. She called on a Ravenclaw student to do the same. When the student had transfigured the desk to a four poster bed and back, McGonagall awarded him five points as well. "Now, would the class please all stand up and move to the sides? Thank you."
The students did so, wondering what McGonagall was going to do.
"Eriol, come up to the front of the room."
He broke away from the crowd but he couldn't resist giving Syaoran another evil smile and in return, Syaoran started glaring at him again. "Not again," Sakura muttered to herself.
"Now, I would like you to try transfiguring all the chairs and desks into one-seater sofas, and I want you to do it simultaneously. I know that it is far harder than what I asked Ms. Granger and Mr. Caldwell to do and I will understand if you will not be able to do it, but I really need to know what you three are capable of doing. Do you understand, Mr. Eriol?"
"Perfectly, Professor." He replied with a calm smile. Turning around, he winked at Sakura and Syaoran before raising his wand, ignoring the murmurs from the other students. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed behind his glasses and his wand glowed red. With another loud pop, before their very eyes, all the chairs and desks became little black and dark blue sofas.
After changing the chairs and desks back with the same nonchalance that he had shown earlier, Eriol walked back calmly, ignoring the amazed stares of the other students, even Hermione, who was gaping at him. Ron turned to her with wide-eyes. "That was supposed to be impossible, right? I thought McGonagall was kidding when she told Eriol to do that!"
"It was impossible! I thought only seventh-graders could do that!"
Harry ignored them, his eyes narrowed at Sakura, Syaoran and Eriol who were conversing with each other as if nothing had happened. 'There's something weird about them.'
"Hey, this is great!" Ron exclaimed, looking from his schedule to his new friends. "We've got every subject together!"
Hermione grabbed the schedule while munching on her buttered toast. "That's true. I've only got one subject that we haven't got together, and that's Arithmancy. You've got Divination for that." She commented.
"That's great, right, Sakura?" Harry said, blushing a little. Privately, Ron thought he had a slight crush on Sakura as well.
Sakura grinned at him, ignoring Syaoran's low protective growl. Eriol chuckled behind his hand. They finished their breakfast of English muffins, buttered toast, and pumpkin juice in peace after that, their silence temporarily having been interrupted by the arrival of their mail and packages through the owl post. Two brown school owls delivered Syaoran and Sakura's mail. Syaoran's mother had sent him a letter that he immediately pocketed. His sisters had sent him letters as well, with a package of sweets that they had told him was for 'Kawaii Sakura-chan and their Kawaii little brother' to share with each other. Blushing a little, he glared at Eriol who was smiling evilly at him, holding Nakuru and Spinel's letter in his hands. He had already pocketed Tomoyo's letter safely in his robes.
Sakura had received four letters: one from her father, one from Touya, and one from Tomoyo, and the last one from Yukito. The letter from her Otou-san was warm and pleasant, and she was still smiling after reading it.
Touya's letter should have been funny, if only he hadn't called her 'kaijuu' in the very first sentence and if only he hadn't enclosed a necklace in his envelope that made Syaoran irritated. Touya had said that it could drive away evil spirits and to use it well. Actually, his very words were, "Wear this always, okay, kaijuu? It's for driving away evil spirits like that Chinese Gaki who's reading my letter beside you!" She wore the necklace nevertheless. It was a gift after all, and the emerald star pendant on it glittered beautifully. Sakura sweatdropped when she read the next sentence that was obviously for Syaoran all in capital letters, "STAY AWAY FROM MY IMOUTO, YOU GAKI!!" Looking to her side, she saw that Syaoran was indeed reading Touya's letter from over her shoulder, a vein popping on his head and his hands tightly clenched into fists. Muttering a frightened "Hoeee," she quickly switched to Tomoyo's letter.
It was a little long, all about Tomoyo lamenting the fact that she couldn't videotape her 'precious and SO KAWAII Sakura-chan' and that she couldn't make her anymore costumes. Sakura earned multiple animé-ish sweatdrops while reading it, but in the end, she was touched by Tomoyo's words. Sakura-chan, we can't be together like we were before, but just remember that I will always look after you, wherever you are. Smile always and be the genki Sakura-chan that I we know and love. Zettai daijobu da yo! Tomoyo-chan P.S. Say hello to Li-kun for me. I sent Eriol-kun his own letter.
Sakura's last letter was pleasant enough, Yukito telling her that Yue and Kero-chan were alright and well at his house, except that Yue was always getting pissed off with Kero and Kero was always annoying Yue-san. "However," he wrote "we have actually progressed from Yue-san trying to shoot Kero-chan with his arrows ten times a day to five times a day, so I really think that they will be getting along with each other fine soon. Take care always!"
Syaoran shook his head at Yukito's letter. "Yukito-san is ever the optimist, ne?"
Standing up, Eriol shouldered his bag. "You know, we'd better get going. We have Transfiguration first period." He turned to Ron, "Didn't you tell me that our teacher for that subject is McGonagall-sensei?"
Ron blinked at his usage of another foreign term. "Yeah, and she's very strict." Shoving his last piece of toast into his mouth, he stood up as well, pulling on Harry and Hermione's arms. "C'mon, we better go."
Syaoran stood up, brushing some stray crumbs from his uniform. He offered his hand to Sakura, who smiled up at him and took it immediately. He hefted his small backpack and glanced at Sakura's handbag. "You want me to carry that?"
Sakura shook her head and tugged on his hand. They followed after the others who had gone ahead of them already.
**
"I really don't know what you three have reached into your studies of Transfiguration, Ms. Kinimoto, Mr. Li, and Mr. Hir-hirwi-how do you pronounce your name again?" Asked a flustered Professor McGonagall.
Eriol stood up politely. "Hiragizawa, Professor. But I really wouldn't mind if you called me just Eriol."
Blushing a little, she nodded. "Fine, Eriol. What are we going to do about that?"
Syaoran spoke up. "Professor, why don't you continue on with your normal lesson plan? I'm sure we could catch up," saying so, he, Sakura, and Eriol took out their wands from the bags. All three had received ordinary wands from Dumbledore because he knew that it would cause a commotion if they used their own magic at school.
McGonagall studied the three from the top of her spectacles. "If you say so." Addressing the whole class, she told them, "Today, we are going to start transfiguring more complex subjects. Ms. Granger, please come up to the front of the room."
Taking a few deep breaths, Hermione stood up from her seat beside Ron and Harry and walked up to McGonagall. The Ravenclaws, who took that class with the Gryffindors, looked on with interest. "Now, I would like you to Transfigure my desk into a bed. You know how to do that, right?"
"Yes, Professor." Taking another deep breath, she pointed her wand at the desk and uttered a silent incantation. A second passed, and with a popping sound, a bed complete with pillows and sheets took the place of the desk. The Gryffindors watching applauded the grinning Hermione, who was blushing slightly. She returned to her seat still smiling.
"Very good, Ms. Granger. Five points to Gryffindor." McGonagall said, giving her a rare smile. She called on a Ravenclaw student to do the same. When the student had transfigured the desk to a four poster bed and back, McGonagall awarded him five points as well. "Now, would the class please all stand up and move to the sides? Thank you."
The students did so, wondering what McGonagall was going to do.
"Eriol, come up to the front of the room."
He broke away from the crowd but he couldn't resist giving Syaoran another evil smile and in return, Syaoran started glaring at him again. "Not again," Sakura muttered to herself.
"Now, I would like you to try transfiguring all the chairs and desks into one-seater sofas, and I want you to do it simultaneously. I know that it is far harder than what I asked Ms. Granger and Mr. Caldwell to do and I will understand if you will not be able to do it, but I really need to know what you three are capable of doing. Do you understand, Mr. Eriol?"
"Perfectly, Professor." He replied with a calm smile. Turning around, he winked at Sakura and Syaoran before raising his wand, ignoring the murmurs from the other students. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed behind his glasses and his wand glowed red. With another loud pop, before their very eyes, all the chairs and desks became little black and dark blue sofas.
After changing the chairs and desks back with the same nonchalance that he had shown earlier, Eriol walked back calmly, ignoring the amazed stares of the other students, even Hermione, who was gaping at him. Ron turned to her with wide-eyes. "That was supposed to be impossible, right? I thought McGonagall was kidding when she told Eriol to do that!"
"It was impossible! I thought only seventh-graders could do that!"
Harry ignored them, his eyes narrowed at Sakura, Syaoran and Eriol who were conversing with each other as if nothing had happened. 'There's something weird about them.'