(a/n—I have a couple more reviews, and have decided to keep up the fic just because its my first one. J )

Chapter 4

Let the Classes Begin!

With a yawn, Rachel reached over and switched off her 7 o'clock alarm, which had started blaring the Weird Sisters newest hit "Double Double". She fumbled into some robes and grabbed her bookbag, glancing at the schedule for the day.

9 AM Double Transfiguration with Gryffindor

10:45 AM Charms

12: 15 AM Lunch

1:30  PM Double Care of Magical Creatures with Hufflepuff

Midnight: Astronomy

On her way to the Great Hall, Rachel spotted Jackie and Cathy coming up from a nearby staircase. She would have waved, but they were with Will and Henry and were never very talkative in the mornings anyway. Instead of sitting at her own table and being pestered by Paul yet again, Rachel took up her spot at one end of Gryfinndor's, next to Angelina. She seemed to be deep in conversation with Tom Wood over a small game board of some kind, with little zooming pieces violently slamming into one another.

"So anyway, the Sloth Grip Roll should work nicely against Hufflepuff in the first match Angelina." Tom Wood prodded his miniature model of the Quidditch Pitch with his wand and the players zoomed back into his bag.

"Sounds good Tom, thanks." Angelina replied, in a breathy, high-pitched voice that was very unlike her.

"You liiiiike him!" Rachel whispered as he walked away, taking a seat with a sly grin on her face.

"Whatever, he's the captain." Angelina replied hurriedly, looking any way but at Tom.

Rachel smiled to herself, and wolfed down some toast. Shortly it was time to go, and she poked Angelina with her wand, tapped her watch, and headed out of the Great Hall. On the way, she noticed Jackie and Cathleen were….otherwise occupied with Will and Henry, ("Man, he's gonna suck her face off!" Angelina stuck in, with a look of great disgust) and Paul was over in the corner showing something to his brother Romulus.

 There was a great burst of light from their corner, and few shocked gasps from those sitting nearest to them. Romulus rushed past, and out of the corner of her eye (she was trying not to act interested) Rachel could have sworn he had no eyebrows. Rachel cast a hard look in Paul's direction, noticed Angelina a little ways ahead, and raced off to Transfiguration.

An hour and a half later, the 6th years emerged from Professor McGonagall's classroom sweaty and covered in a green and yellow ooze. They had been trying to turn snails into Mimbulus Mimbletonia, but their inexperience had resulted in small explosions of Stink Sap. "Scourgify" had succeeded for the first few times, but seemed to deaden after that. There was no time to shower before Charms, and the Ravenclaws arrived in quite a bad sort to Professor Flitwick.

"Why the long faces?" squeaked the small man from atop his pile of books as the class took their seats. He glanced at the students, most of whom were rubbing away fruitlessly at their robes, and decided he was probably best not knowing.

"By this time in your study, you are well aware of the basic charms needed  in the magical world, do you agree?"

 Vague nods and questioning looks.

"Well, this semester you will be assigned a project that will test not only your intelligence, but your maturity and moral fiber. In pairs, you will raise a hypothetical child, choose his or her traits and skills, and keep them in good health. As your Christmas exam, your child will be exposed to an obstacle course of sorts, each testing what it has been taught." Professor Flitwick looked extremely excited at the prospect of this project, and all the students had been shocked into silence.

Rachel noticed that Xiashu Gong, (a stout boy with an odd haircut that looked like he had had a bad bout with a lawnmower), had his mouth hanging open and was drooling onto his desk. Martha, one of Rachel's roommates, turned slightly green and scooted away from him.

"Now your partners," everyone in class instantly began whispering, "will be chosen by me." A distinctive groan rippled through the classroom.

"Bruggs and Tottle" were called first, much to the delight of a couple that had been making out under Jim Brugg's desk most of class. Rachel listened avidly to the names; unsure about whom she wanted to be paired with. Paul was the smartest by far, but definitely the most annoying. She got slightly anxious as everyone around her picked up their supplies and moved, leaving only her and Lupin remaining. She sighed and walked over to his desk, avoiding his gaze.

"Could be worse," she thought to herself, as Martha looked rather faint next to Xiashu.

With a bit of a start, Rachel realized that Professor Flitwick was talking once again.

"The charm 'genero anthropos' will cause a projection of your child to appear. They will all start out looking the same, but will change uniquely to suit each pair. Make sure to treat them with kindness, or they will run away! All projections will remain in my class, and you will only be able to interact with yours during class time! Alright, you may begin!"

Rachel looked at Paul, shrugged her shoulders, and took out her wand, and rolled up her sleeves.

"Genero Anthropos!"

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