Chapter 7
"Dragon Doorways"
Tabitha was all smiles after the Care of Magical Creatures class, as was Rory who was gushing over how "cute!" the little Griffon Emyuu was. Jessie walked behind them, appearing to be sullen as she walked along, paying no mind to anything else, lost in her own world.
Rory poked Tabitha, "Well, where to now?"
Tabitha studied her schedule, "I have Potions left for today and then we break for dinner and then finally some free time."
Rory looked at her own schedule "Ooh, I have Transfiguration next! I can speak with Professor Grenich more about the Quidditch deal, maybe she knows about the rumor, ya think?"
Tabitha gave a shrug looking across the vast valley and the school itself, finding herself finally admiring its beauty, sadly thought, it was too late, since this was their last year here at Salem Witches Institute.
"Something's in your head again." Rory said, eyeing Tabitha, who had been lost in thought. Tabitha smiled, turning to glance at her friend.
"I was just thinking what a shame it is that this is our last year here, I'm just beginning to fully admire the campus." Tabitha explained.
Rory grinned and said jokingly "I think you've been out in the sun too long." Tabitha laughed and playfully poked her friend. Rory looked at her schedule, and frowned. "I'm gonna be late, I have to run Tabs, need to go pick up Caleum from the room before I run to class. I'll see you after class in the Great Hall, same table that we sat in during lunch, ok?" Tabitha nodded in reply and Rory ran off across the field towards the back door to Swiftwing's dormitories.
Rory ran quickly up the winding steps, never faltering once, grinning, since this might be good practice for Quidditch. She arrived at the password-blocked door; upon which was an iron dragon that seemed to be trying to crawl from the door itself. Rory spoke clearly so that the figure could accept the appropriate password. "Silver Scales and Ivory Teeth!" The dragon's eyes lit the color of green and a few latches released.
Rory pushed open the door and hurried inside, closing it tightly behind her, hearing the locks click shut. Rory dashed through the common room, running up the stairs towards the room she shared with Tabitha. When she burst in, she found her cat Caleum asleep on the windowsill, lazily relaxing in the sun. She scooped up the cat and ran from the room again. "I can't be late for this class!" Caleum had woken up and stared at his master with sleepy golden eyes. Rory ran on, hoping to get to her class in time.
Rory dashed into class just as Professor Grenich was standing up to begin the lesson. The girls all turned to look at her, and she grinned guiltily around the room.
"So nice of you to join us, Miss McCullech," Professor Grenich said, trying to suppress a smile, "Kindly take your seat."
Rory slid into an empty spot next to Morgan Felton, and Caleum hopped out of her arms and sat down on the desk. Rory sighed, and pushed him over to one side, so she could put her books down.
"Well," Professor Grenich said, "Now that we're all here, let's begin." She waved her wand at the chalkboard behind her and the word "Animagi" appeared on it. "The main focus of Transfiguration this year will be human transfiguration. Seeing as all of you have made it this far, I have no doubt that you'll all come out of it alive."
A few girls exchanged nervous glances. Professor Grenich grinned and continued, "At the end of the year, you will each be allowed to apply for an Animagus License. If you pass the test, the American Ministry of Magic will add you to the list of the select few who may call themselves Animagi."
With this, Professor transformed herself into an elegant black raven. The girls ooohed and ahhhed as she flew once around the room and touched back down, in human form once again at the front of the room.
Rory leaned over to whisper to Morgan, "I never knew she was an Animagus, did you?"
Morgan shook her head, "No way. But wouldn't it be cool to be able to do that?"
"Definitely," Rory agreed.
The rest of the class was spent reading up on legendary Animagi of the past, and they were each instructed to pick on and write a three-page essay about them. As class finally ended, Rory gathered up her books and stood up, waiting for the rest of the class to clear out.
"What're you waiting for?" Morgan asked, picking up her own books, "Come on, I wanna get dinner."
"This is our chance to ask about the possible rematch rumor," Rory said.
"Oh, right," Morgan nodded.
Once the other girls had filed out of the room, Morgan and Rory approached Professor Grenich's desk. The professor glanced up at them, "Can I help you, girls?"
"Um.yes, actually," Rory said, "There's this, um.rumor going around that we might be going over to Hogwarts for a Quidditch rematch.is there any truth to that?"
Professor stood up, smiling at them. "I'm sorry girls," she said, "But our trip to Hogwarts this year has nothing to do with Quidditch." Then she ushered them out of the room, "Now go on, I'm sure your friends are waiting for you in the Great Hall."
Rory and Morgan then started the trek towards the Great Hall, with Caleum padding along in front of them. "Wow.bummer," Morgan said, "No tournament this year."
But Rory wasn't looking as down as Morgan expected. "A trip to Hogwarts." she said, her eyes misting over, "Maybe Oliver will be there."
Morgan rolled her eyes, "Boy, you've got it worse than anyone I've ever seen," she said, "And this is the girl who used to claim 'men are the enemy'."
"Oh shut up," Rory said, going red, "Oliver's different. You know that."
"Yeah, yeah, he's a dreamboat," Morgan said, "Now come on, I'm starving." She picked up her pace, and Rory had to hurry to catch up. As the disappeared around a corner, Caleum turned down a different corridor, off to explore on his own.
Tabitha was all smiles after the Care of Magical Creatures class, as was Rory who was gushing over how "cute!" the little Griffon Emyuu was. Jessie walked behind them, appearing to be sullen as she walked along, paying no mind to anything else, lost in her own world.
Rory poked Tabitha, "Well, where to now?"
Tabitha studied her schedule, "I have Potions left for today and then we break for dinner and then finally some free time."
Rory looked at her own schedule "Ooh, I have Transfiguration next! I can speak with Professor Grenich more about the Quidditch deal, maybe she knows about the rumor, ya think?"
Tabitha gave a shrug looking across the vast valley and the school itself, finding herself finally admiring its beauty, sadly thought, it was too late, since this was their last year here at Salem Witches Institute.
"Something's in your head again." Rory said, eyeing Tabitha, who had been lost in thought. Tabitha smiled, turning to glance at her friend.
"I was just thinking what a shame it is that this is our last year here, I'm just beginning to fully admire the campus." Tabitha explained.
Rory grinned and said jokingly "I think you've been out in the sun too long." Tabitha laughed and playfully poked her friend. Rory looked at her schedule, and frowned. "I'm gonna be late, I have to run Tabs, need to go pick up Caleum from the room before I run to class. I'll see you after class in the Great Hall, same table that we sat in during lunch, ok?" Tabitha nodded in reply and Rory ran off across the field towards the back door to Swiftwing's dormitories.
Rory ran quickly up the winding steps, never faltering once, grinning, since this might be good practice for Quidditch. She arrived at the password-blocked door; upon which was an iron dragon that seemed to be trying to crawl from the door itself. Rory spoke clearly so that the figure could accept the appropriate password. "Silver Scales and Ivory Teeth!" The dragon's eyes lit the color of green and a few latches released.
Rory pushed open the door and hurried inside, closing it tightly behind her, hearing the locks click shut. Rory dashed through the common room, running up the stairs towards the room she shared with Tabitha. When she burst in, she found her cat Caleum asleep on the windowsill, lazily relaxing in the sun. She scooped up the cat and ran from the room again. "I can't be late for this class!" Caleum had woken up and stared at his master with sleepy golden eyes. Rory ran on, hoping to get to her class in time.
Rory dashed into class just as Professor Grenich was standing up to begin the lesson. The girls all turned to look at her, and she grinned guiltily around the room.
"So nice of you to join us, Miss McCullech," Professor Grenich said, trying to suppress a smile, "Kindly take your seat."
Rory slid into an empty spot next to Morgan Felton, and Caleum hopped out of her arms and sat down on the desk. Rory sighed, and pushed him over to one side, so she could put her books down.
"Well," Professor Grenich said, "Now that we're all here, let's begin." She waved her wand at the chalkboard behind her and the word "Animagi" appeared on it. "The main focus of Transfiguration this year will be human transfiguration. Seeing as all of you have made it this far, I have no doubt that you'll all come out of it alive."
A few girls exchanged nervous glances. Professor Grenich grinned and continued, "At the end of the year, you will each be allowed to apply for an Animagus License. If you pass the test, the American Ministry of Magic will add you to the list of the select few who may call themselves Animagi."
With this, Professor transformed herself into an elegant black raven. The girls ooohed and ahhhed as she flew once around the room and touched back down, in human form once again at the front of the room.
Rory leaned over to whisper to Morgan, "I never knew she was an Animagus, did you?"
Morgan shook her head, "No way. But wouldn't it be cool to be able to do that?"
"Definitely," Rory agreed.
The rest of the class was spent reading up on legendary Animagi of the past, and they were each instructed to pick on and write a three-page essay about them. As class finally ended, Rory gathered up her books and stood up, waiting for the rest of the class to clear out.
"What're you waiting for?" Morgan asked, picking up her own books, "Come on, I wanna get dinner."
"This is our chance to ask about the possible rematch rumor," Rory said.
"Oh, right," Morgan nodded.
Once the other girls had filed out of the room, Morgan and Rory approached Professor Grenich's desk. The professor glanced up at them, "Can I help you, girls?"
"Um.yes, actually," Rory said, "There's this, um.rumor going around that we might be going over to Hogwarts for a Quidditch rematch.is there any truth to that?"
Professor stood up, smiling at them. "I'm sorry girls," she said, "But our trip to Hogwarts this year has nothing to do with Quidditch." Then she ushered them out of the room, "Now go on, I'm sure your friends are waiting for you in the Great Hall."
Rory and Morgan then started the trek towards the Great Hall, with Caleum padding along in front of them. "Wow.bummer," Morgan said, "No tournament this year."
But Rory wasn't looking as down as Morgan expected. "A trip to Hogwarts." she said, her eyes misting over, "Maybe Oliver will be there."
Morgan rolled her eyes, "Boy, you've got it worse than anyone I've ever seen," she said, "And this is the girl who used to claim 'men are the enemy'."
"Oh shut up," Rory said, going red, "Oliver's different. You know that."
"Yeah, yeah, he's a dreamboat," Morgan said, "Now come on, I'm starving." She picked up her pace, and Rory had to hurry to catch up. As the disappeared around a corner, Caleum turned down a different corridor, off to explore on his own.