Dark World
CHAPTER TWO: TWINS OF FATE
"Fate has written a tragedy; its name is 'The Human Heart.'"
The Harpy – Robert William Service
"UP AND AT 'EM!" Violet called as the bathroom was again teeming with girls dressing, putting make-up on, styling hair, washing, etc. I pulled on my traditional robes and wore them in a pale blue shade and fastened my cape on. I came sweeping out of my stall and went to my basin and applied some make-up before pulling my hair into an elegant yet untidy bun at the top of my head. The girls watched a little quieter than before as I finished applying my sparkly blue eye shadow and finished the light make-up with some mascara. I looked around.
"What?" I asked afraid I had done something wrong.
"Do you plan on wearing those ridiculous robes the entire time, Carter?" Kayla asked. I glared at her.
"Except on weekends." I said, "Got a problem with it Jenkins?" I demanded. She shrugged. Jill rolled her eyes and Amy pushed me out towards the Great Hall followed by Jill. We entered and the hall was a buzz with talk. A few heads turned including the Weasley twins. We pretended not to notice. Amy giggled.
"They're looking at you." She whispered excitedly. I felt the bridge of my nose turn a little pink. I slid into the seat between Jill and Amy. Violet sat across from us, and the girls began to talk about the schedule. (A|N: I don't remember the names of many classes being mentioned so I'm going from the course book list in book one.) Apparently after Transfiguration with the Gryffindors, they had Defense Against the Dark Arts with Hufflepuff next, elective which for me was a free period to learn about the school, History of Magic with Gryffindor, Charms with Syltherin, lunch, Herbology with Syltherin, Potions with Hufflepuff, and ending the day with Care of Magical Creatures again with Hufflepuff. I sighed and crammed the last of my toast into my mouth and followed Jill and Amy to the Transfiguration class room.
The two twins came in as the bell rang and one slid into the seat beside me the other in front of me. I scooted closer to Jill who was on my right, she rolled her eyes and winked at me.
"Open your books to page thirty-five and pass up your essays on transforming a mouse into an owl in. Ms. Carter this was their assignment over the summer. I expect a two meter long essay on the transformation of a mouse into an owl and it's process, history, etc. by Thursday." I groaned, only to minutes into a Tuesday class and I had homework already. I pulled a Muggle-style spiral notebook from my bags and scribbled the assignment down. My deep purple ink dried quickly on the thick paper and I set it back in my bags.
We were paired in groups, inter-house groups and I found myself sitting beside George Weasley. Prof. McGonagall placed a smooth piece of plywood in front of us. We all looked at her.
"I want you to turn this into a cane and then make it dance." I looked at George who was looking bewilderedly at the piece of wood. The teacher turned back to her desk and began to grade the essays, "Questions will be directed to myself and you can come and see me."
"Well, this is a review for me how about you?" I asked. The twin looked at me with those blue eyes. I hastily looked away and stood up holding the board upright.
"Review." He said standing up along side of me. I picked the piece of plywood up and tossed it up and down. I turned it over getting a feel for it. I sighed and then laid it down again.
"Sutekki kaeru." I said clearly and flicked my wand wrist. The board turned immediately into a cane. I smiled proudly and turned to George who was staring at me, "Care to do the honors?" I asked.
"Choreutus." He commanded with the same wrist flick and the cane burst to life and began to dance around like a can-can dancer. McGonagall looked up.
"Very well done Mr. Weasley, Ms. Carter." She said, "Now turn them back and then Mr. Weasley will help you start your paper." We sighed and I muttered the counter dance spell. George muttered the spell to turn the cane back to wood.
"Now how do you start an essay for McGonagall?" I asked getting out a well of black ink and a fresh sheet of parchment and a large black quill. George began to explain what McGonagall often wanted to be included in her essays. He scooted closer explaining the parts as I furiously scribbled down what he was saying.
"Stop." I paused for the second time in ten minutes. George pulled the parchment out from under my hovering hand. He looked over the last line of notes I had taken.
"I said clarify not classify." I rolled my eyes.
"Same difference." I said snatching back my parchment. He sighed.
"Well, if you get it wrong it's not my fault." He said in mocking disappointment. I grumbled and scratched out 'classify' and replaced it with 'clarify.' He gave me a small smug smile and continued. After forty-five minutes of Transfiguration the bell rang for dismissal. I thanked George who laughed, kissed my hand gentlemanly and said the pleasure was all his. This of course left Amy and Jill giggling all the way to DADA. I slid in the desk to see our professor walk in through a separate door and stand behind his desk.
"Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts, I am Professor Lupin and I'm glad to see some of your smiling faces again." He said. I smiled at the almost rag-tag looking professor. His hair was sloppy, his clothes were patched in a few places he was also developing a five o'clock shadow.
"Now today class we are going to learn how to protect yourselves against a abnormal sized anaconda." My mouth dropped a little. Since when did we need to know this? Was he loopy? Sure everyone knew Lord Voldemort was a parsel-tongue but why would he bring a anaconda to Britain?!? I sighed and began to scribble notes in a spiral book full of parchment.
At the end of the period I found myself exhausted from jet lag and the rigorous classes. I slunk out of the room towards the castle gardens. I collapsed on a cool stone bench. Putting my arms under my head and let my heavy eyelids slide close.
I was lulled out of my half-conscious state by voices approaching. They were arguing and the voices seemed to be familiar. I sat up and stretched seeing the speakers coming around the hedge. They started when the saw me sitting there rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. I glanced at my watch.
"Ten minutes? I only slept for ten minutes?!?!" I demanded glaring at my watch. The two twins came up to me as I picked up my stuff.
"May I ask you what you're doing here?" One asked. I noticed a small piercing on his right ear lobe and remembered George had had one in Transfiguration.
"Resting. I have a free period this period." I said sleepily. I pulled my bag strap over my head and started walking towards the castle.
"Where are you going now?" Fred asked. I shrugged.
"The library probably. I want to finish McGonagall's essay as soon as I can." I said turning towards the library away from the classrooms. The twins followed.
"Well, we can help there." I raised an eyebrow as George opened the door for me. I sighed and walked into the library and headed for the main desk. Madam Pince sat at the desk.
"Umm, Madame Pince, where could I find a book on animal transfiguration and it's history?" I asked. She looked up and then shuffled through a stack of books. She handed me two thick novels. When they landed on the desk dust clouds rose from their pages. I waved the dust away coughing slightly. Fred and George hacked waving the dust away dramatically. I rolled my eyes, 'Drama Queens.'
"Prof. McGonagall said you might be along for these." She said crisply and made me sign them out. I sighed and signed my scrolling signature on the crisp parchment. I pulled the books off the desks and then staggered under their weight almost loosing my balance. George took one of the books from me and Fred took the second one. I thanked the librarian and we left.
"Where to now Madame Carter?" Fred asked.
"Gardens again." I said. We walked along in a comfortable silence until I asked, "You know you don't need to do this. Or do you want me to owe you something?" I asked as I held the door open this time. They walked down the stairs towards the gardens and we sat around the fountain.
"Well, we just have these inventions and were wonder if-"
"You would help us sell them over in America." George said finishing his twin's sentence. I raised my eyebrows sitting between them. I picked up the book from Fred and read the title, 'From Water to Wine: A History of Transfiguration Spells.'
"I see, so you want me to be your foreign sales market representative." I said, opening the book and looked at the table of contents. 'The Beginning of Animal Changes, page 1053.' I turned in the book until I found the page.
"Sort of . . ." George said and began to leaf through his book. I sighed and began to put down notes. I finished the notes with twenty minutes left in the free period. I noticed a few other Gryffindors room past staring at us oddly. I sighed and put the book in my bag. I took the other book from George and began to copy notes out of there. I looked over to see Fred snoozing at my left and George fiddling with his wand and transfiguring a couple sticks into dancing canes. I smiled and began to scribble to notes down quickly.
What seemed like too soon the bell rang and voices filled the previously silent air. I pushed the book into my bag and stuffed my notebook in after it. I watched George push Fred off the bench and the boy woke up dazed.
"Come on." I said sweeping off towards the History of Magic room. The boys jogged after me and I soon found myself flanked by two red headed tricksters. We hurried up the two flights of stairs and a few pictures whispered behind hands as we passed.