Disclaimer: Do not own the Wonderful World of Harry Potter… is not making any money from my writings… DO NOT LIKE that Rowling has killed Sirius Black and have chosen to pointedly ignore that certain fact, allowing him to make an appearance here…
Note to readers: your reviews are welcome in only these types of formats: praise, gushing, skepticism, flames, anger, denial, repulse/disgust, and I suppose constructive criticism can be entertained as well…
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Jessica was only able to carry out her plan after school had ended. First, she went to the transfiguration class and lucky her, Professor McGonagall was still there. She knocked softly and entered. Professor McGonagall put down her pen and took off her glasses before focusing completely on Jessica.
"Professor, I'm sorry to disturb you. I need a favor," she began, her insides quacking. This must be how it feels to meet St. Peters on judgment day, she thought.
"Go on," said Professor McGonagall.
"I want, err... would like you to give me extra work worthy of 20 points," she said. If Professor McGonagall was surprised by her request, she hid it well.
"That is a most unusual request. May I ask why," she said smoothly. Jessica told her all that happened during potions and of what Harry had told her. Professor McGonagall nodded after she finished.
"So you want to earn back the points, so to say," she concluded. Jessica nodded.
"Very well. I'll pass you your assignment later tonight at dinner," she said. Jessica nearly wept with relief. She had been sure Professor McGonagall wouldn't agree, that Jessica deserved what she got. She must want the cup as much as Hermione, she thought. After Professor McGonagall, it was easy road all the way.
All she needed was extra assignment from five different teachers and she'd have it all covered. She aimed to earn the points by Friday that week, which was three days away. Professor Flitwick, Professor Vector, Professor Hiero, and Professor Sprout had all agree to help her. That night at dinner, she collected her assignment and rushed back to the tower before the other students returned. She spread out her assignment on the floor and sat crossed legged.
Many minutes later……
What have I gotten myself into? She grumbled. Well, she'd done it. Now to complete each homework. Jessica lost no time in starting. She ran up to her room and took out her pile of books. At first, sitting on her bed, she thought she'd tackle herbology. It seemed the easiest. She opened her Advance Study in Magical Herbs and began searching for it. After half an hour all she came up with was 'Toscious fungals are rare and dangerous, and poisonous when brewed into potions. Hardly any wizard or witches have ever encountered these plants in a lifetime'.
Argh!!! How is she supposed to write about it if no one has discovered it?! Professor Sprout, how could you do this to me!! She cried into her pillow, muffling the sound. She then opened her charms textbook and found out that to do the spell, she'd have to learn two new spells, and then merge them into one charm.
Feeling so disheartened, she didn't even want to read on the others. Transfigurate a rock into a tap dancing pineapple? Translate a whole two feet long parchment of the Ten Commandments into Atlantisian runes? And what the hell is the speed of light, density of sound with a three dimensional cross sectional of volume in dry mass?? She couldn't think anymore and her eyelids had begun to droop.
Tomorrow… early morning… I'll… start tomorrowww…without even keeping her books; she just pulled the duvet over her and the papers and fell fast asleep. Early morning came too fast. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw that Hermione was still sleeping. She turned over but was roughly poked by her wand (enchanted to poke her awake) muttering under her breath, she tiptoed around the room and got ready. Putting her books and wand into her backpack she made her way out.
To her good fortune, yesterday while looking for Professor Sprout, she had stumbled upon an unused classroom. Mentally making a note of the room and route, she decided to change her hideout to this room. So there she was early morning, freezing cold with only a magic fire to keep her warm and light the room. Jessica decided to do her charms assignment first. After reading the spells, she realized it wasn't as hard just tedious. She took out her wand and said: Bolarion. From the end of her wand, sprouted glass balls of shapes and sizes.
Now, she needed to add color. Leafing again through the book, she came upon a spell that turns objects in to various colors. Pointing to the glass balls that were floating in front of her, she chanted; Koloskus. Now, there were glass balls of various colors floating in front of her. All right, that's the first stage completed. The second stage was to merge the spells so she could produce colored balls from her wand.
But how? Come on brain think! Think! Think! From the back of her brain, an image began to appear. Jessica concentrated harder and the image became clearer. It was her fourth year charms class. What was the teacher saying? Nerds no brawns? No that's not right… come on brain, a little bit more… verb before noun... That's it! Verb before noun! She flicked her wand.
"Koloskus Bolarion!" she said. She held her breath as she watched glass balls take form at the tip of her wand. She had to bite her lip from screaming in joy when the balls that emerged were colored. One down, four more to go. She looked at her watch, and jumped in surprise. She had been there for an hour and had only ten minutes before the next class. She grabbed her books and ran to her history class. Professor Binns had always been boring, but now, with Jessica's eagerness to see Professor Flitwick, Binns classes were just intolerable. How she managed to stay awake would remain a mystery to her for all she remembered was racing out of the room, once the bell sounded.
She had two hours before the next class, and so far, she had secured 20 points from Flitwick. He had been very much impressed with her quick grasp of the concept and made her promise to help him decorate the Halls for Christmas. Since it was still only middle October, Jessica figured she'd have ample of time to wiggle her way out of it, so she agreed. What next, she thought as she sat crossed leg in her abandoned classroom. Only two days more.
Arithmancy. Thanks Megan, she thought fondly to the old lady that had brought her up and would let her run the minimart down the street. Jessica had realized she was a whiz at numbers and had nurtured her love for it. Of course, in elementary school it was known as arithmetic, she thought wryly. It took her exactly two hours and five feet of parchment paper to calculate the speed of light, densities of sound with a three dimensional cross sectional of volume in dry mass. She rolled up her assignment and sent it back to her room before breaking into a sprint for her next class.
She walked into transfiguration class a second before the bell rang and her brain was so tired; her body shifted to automatic gear, and set the system to cruise drive. If she had answered any questions correctly, then it was pure luck, because her brain had completely shut down.
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"Jessica? Hello? Earth to Jessica?" slowly, her brain began to stimulate. First, her middle brain was activated, so she was able to see a hand wave vigorously in her face. Then her front brain turned on, and she was able to compute that someone was trying to gain her attention. Finally, her hind brain click back to life and she was able to say;
"Granger, get your hand out of my face!"
"Welcome back to earth, where have you been?" Hermione asked grinning at Jessica's dazed face.
"Uranus," she replied, obviously not that dazed. Ron burst into laughter in the background. They were back in the Gryffindor common room. School was over for that day.
"Funny, Stanford. You missed lunch again," she said. Oh shit, that explains the gnawing feeling in my stomach, she thought. At the rate I'm skipping meals, I'm gonna have craters in my stomach walls to challenge the moon.
"Yeah, I've been busy," she said and got up. There were still three more assignments to do. But Hermione put a restraining hand on her arm.
"Wait, have this first," she said and held out a chicken sandwich wrapped in napkin.
"You packed this for me?" she asked staring down at the neat wrapping, her eyes wide. Hermione gave a shy smile and dropped the package into Jessica's lap.
"Yeah, that's what friends do," she said and smiled.
"Ron and I have prefect rounds to make, so we'll see you later. Eat it, okay?"
"Okay," was all Jessica could say. She stared at the sandwich. That's what friends do. Stop fighting it. It won't hurt you to be friends with them. Shut up brain, and just concentrate on the next assignment. Jessica took a big bite from the sandwich and went to retrieve her remaining assignments, then headed to the library.
Picking the most secluded area, she sat down and began on her runes. It took her only an hour and half to complete the assignment. Good old Professor Hiero, she thought. That left transfiguration and Herbology. She had one and a half day to finish. She wanted to hand in her work before Friday dinner.
"Alright, let's start with Herbology. It's a written assignment and you're in a library," she said softly to herself. However, after browsing for half an hour in the botanical aisle, she came up with zilch. Dejected she went back to her seat and rested her weary head on the cool surface of the table. Her eyes darted back and forth, around the library, trying hard to think. Suddenly she jerked up back into a sitting position. Oh my god, Jessica you dunderhead! It's so simple! She thought slapping her forehead for being so blind as not to see.
'Toscious fungals are rare and dangerous, and poisonous when brewed into potions. Hardly any wizard or witch have ever encountered these plants in a lifetime'
"Poisonous when brewed into potions, that's the key word," she said softly to herself. The information she wants is in the restricted area! She grabbed her Herbology assignment and ran to Madam Pince. She skidded to a halt in front of the lady.
"Jessica Stanford, there is to be no running in my library," she said, openly shocked at such behavior. Jessica grinned at her.
"But madam Pince, it was silent running," she said, throwing her best smile at the lady.
"What do you want child?" she said, trying hard not too laugh at Jessica's goofy face. Jessica handed her assignment to madam Pince.
"I was wondering if you could let me look in the restricted area for this fungal," she asked. Madam Pince nodded.
"Toscious is it? There's only one book in the entire library concerning the fungal. Come on," she said, and began walking towards the restricted area. Jessica couldn't help but pump her fist into the air. It earned her a few weird glances from the other students. Five minutes later, she was bent over a parchment, furiously copying down the five uses of Toscious fungal.
No wonder, this thing is restricted. Just writing about its deadly uses is making my quill curl, she thought. She was so into her work that she didn't realize, someone had been reading over her shoulder. Only when she had written down the final word to her essay did the person speak.
"What are you doing? Trying to kill someone?" Harry asked. Jessica jumped in shock and knocked her books to the floor.
"Harry Potter! Don't ever do that to me again!" she cried. She bent down and started to pick up her book. Harry helped.
"So what are you doing?" he asked again.
"If I continue to ignore you, will you go away?"
"Nope. So what are you doing?" he asked again. Jessica sighed.
"I'm doing extra assignments to earn some points, so I can make up for the ones I lost," she said. Harry couldn't believe his ears. Ms. I don't-care-a-sheep's-tail-about-anyone was sacrificing her free time doing extra work for her house?
"You don't have to look so surprise," she grumbled, and began packing her stuff. If he was here then Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head weren't far behind.
"I am surprise. I never knew you cared for the house," he said.
"I don't. I just feel bad, that's all," she said.
"You're something else, you know that Jessica?" he couldn't believe it. Maybe there really was more to her than meets the eye. He watched her flush a little from his praise.
"Is there something you want Potter?" she snapped. If he doesn't stop looking at me like that, I won't be responsible for my actions.
"Actually, yeah. I was looking for you to go to dinner," he said. Her heart fluttered a little. He was looking for her, to go to dinner with him? Could it be…
"Hermione doesn't want you skipping meals anymore, and sent Ron and I to look for you," Harry continued. Oh, Hermione sent him; she could feel her stomach drop.
"Yeah, okay. Go first I'll catch up," she said. Harry looked skeptical.
"I'll be there! I promise," she said.
"All right, but if you don't show up, it's not my fault what Herm will do to you," he said. That earned a small smile from Jessica.
"Harry, don't tell anyone," she said. Harry nodded.
"I won't," yet. He left the library shortly afterwards. She went to the green house and handed in her Herbology paper. Professor sprout looked very surprise and very please, that she awarded Jessica an extra ten points, for initiative. Professor Hiero and Professor Vector were also impressed with her rune and Arithmancy paper and awarded her the promised 20 points each. She then made her way to the Great Hall.
It was obvious that Hermione had been looking out for her, as she began to wave the minute Jessica stepped into the hall. You gotta give that girl credit. She never lets up. She walked over to them and Hermione scooted over to let Jessica squeeze in. before she sat, she briefly looked at the hourglass at the front of the hall. Gryffindors hourglass had increased by 80 points. Feeling much better and less tired she dug into her food, and actually had a civilized conversation with the other students.
"Jessica, do you play quidditch?" Harry had asked.
"A little, but I'm more of a football kind of girl," she replied. Dean Thomas, who was seated two places to her right, perked up.
"Football? Did you say football?" he asked.
"Yeah, I used to keep track of the premiere league, but its hard now," she answered.
"My brother owls me after every match, so I won't miss much," said Dean. Jessica's face lighted up.
"Are you serious?! So tell me!" she cried. A little away from them, Hermione felt her arm being poked and turned to her left.
"Herm, who's that?" Lavender asked. Hermione gave her a puzzled look.
"Jessica, remember her? Tall, black haired, occasionally obnoxious?" she said.
"That what I thought, but that can't possibly be Jessica. This one's acting like a normal human being. You don't think she's been possessed do you?" Lavender asked again. Hermione laughed.
"It's the one and the same. I guess she just wants to get along with everyone," said Hermione.
"Too bad it's happening only now. We could've been 100 points up," said Parvati from across the table.
Harry, who had been listening to them, while trying to teleport a marmalade tart five plates down onto his plate, almost blurted out about Jessica's extra credit work, but managed to stop himself in time. Oh, he had every plan to tell the others, but once she had succeeded. In a way, he liked having her trust him.
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A/N: That's a nice long one… so what y'all think?? Thank you for the reviews and I think it's only right that I respond to them, dun you think? ~_^ oh, and terribly sorry if anything was a miss and if my poor knowledge in biology offended anyone…
Stacey: Yay I have converted you… ^_^… I just hope you're not too disappointed in the end…
Ronandhermioneforever: thanks for that, I wasn't sure between the hole and the door knob, well, I'm the wiser now…
Sapphire: yes she did, in America, but she didn't like it very much it seems… o_O
Snow angel: ah… then I have bad news for you, as I write this, I have no plot in mind… but don't let that stop you from reading… ^_^
Brie cheese eater: do you honestly think so??...oh, okay… _
Coconut-ice agent h/h: Romance? Patience is a virtue, my friend…
Heero's girl: Thank you, thank you, I try to please… ^_^
S.N Blade: I'm not sure what you mean abt Lavender and Parvati??? Well, they have a bit in this update… ^_^