Disclaimer: I own only Favian and a few of the prior-mentioned paintings, but I will allow Ms. Rowling to take them if she so desires. Which is unlikely.
I appreciate the Nowhere Girl's reviews. Thank you Nowhere Girl. There is A Stupider Wish by my friend SnogginGodess (call her ex-Gimli,) we wrote parts of it together. Eventually we intend to write The Stupidest Wish. You shall see.
Though I don't get too many reviews I still appreciate the few that I'm getting. Sometimes I wonder if anyone's actually reading this. I should've put "SEX" in the summary… probably more enthusiasm that way. Alas, you just can't have everything in life.
Enjoy.
Ron and Harry opted to stay and help me with my learning. Harry taught me the disarming spell, which took me four tries to master.
"What else is there?" Hermione asked Harry eagerly.
"Is there anything else?"
"Oh Harry-."
"Give her this advice, Harry. Favian, if you know what's good for you don't wander the streets alone at night and try to avoid You-Know-Who at all costs. And if you do happen to run into him…."
"Pray that you make it out with all of your limbs and your freewill." Harry smirked.
"How about I summon you?" I asked.
"Ah, I'll just be doing what I said earlier." Harry grinned.
"Well then." They talked to me about werewolves and vampires for awhile.
"Vampires must make physical contact with the garlic for it to have any effect besides fear." Hermione explained.
"Oh damn!" Ron snapped his fingers. "I wrote my bloody paper wrong for Snape! Luckily the…" Ron called him something that made Hermione cry out and say "Ron!" "-never got to collect it."
"You are so vulgar sometimes!" Hermione was incredulous.
"What is Professor Snape like and what does he teach?"
"He's…."
"Shut up Ron!" Hermione stopped him. "He teaches Potions and is absolutely dreadful. Favors Slytherins as they're in his House but takes points from all of the other Houses mercilessly."
"And he and my dad didn't get on well so he really hates me." Harry complained.
"I'll teach you some potions tomorrow, Favian, is that okay?"
"Yeah, that'd be good."
"Maybe we'll cover History of Magic of the next week as much as possible. Herbology… I'll try to get to that but we may not have time before school starts."
I shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you've taught me as much as you have."
"Are we getting our letter soon?" Ron asked Hermione.
"I don't know. Mrs. Weasley was talking about going to Diagon Alley for us while we cleaned… which we have to do by the way…."
Harry and Ron groaned.
"This house is awful, isn't it?" Ron mumbled. "Where's Ginny? Anyone seen her lately?"
"She's with Fred and George." Hermione answered.
"Oh jeez." Ron shook his head, smiling slightly. "I'd still like to find out where they got all that money from."
Harry colored slightly and diverted his gaze elsewhere. Nobody else noticed that. I thought he was obvious as hell but maybe he usually turned funny colors and looked anywhere but the focal points. Call me crazy, but he knew something.
A few days later I sat with Ron, Harry and Hermione on the boy's bedroom floor looking at Hermione's vast collection of complicated Potions' essays. I hoped it would make more sense with the ingredients in front of me. According to Ron and Harry, it was worse but Hermione rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue.
"Letters!" Mrs. Weasley said quietly. "Oh, where are Fred, George and Ginny?"
"Coming!" George shouted.
"George!" Mrs. Weasley hissed.
I cringed as Mrs. Black, the painting behind the black curtain I had noticed, began her screeching.
"FILTHY CHILDREN! DISGRACE TO THE WIZARDING NAME IN MY HOME! WRETCHED SON SHOULD BE FLOGGED IF I HAD ANY SAY!"
"Ah! SHUT UP MOTHER!" A man with shaggy black hair forced the curtains shut. I had met him on my second night at dinner. He was rather quiet at first but was pretty nice to me. Apparently he had been accused wrongly of murder some years ago and had been the first wizard to ever escape the wizard prison, Azkaban. "I cannot WAIT to figure out how to rid myself of that mess." Sirius Black jabbed a thumb at his mother's portrait.
Ginny and Fred stood on the stairs with their fingers in their ears. George was looking guilty by the head of the stairs.
"Come and get your letters then. Quietly, Fred and George."
"Mum, that's unfair! It was George, not me…." Fred argued.
"Don't take that tone with me, get your bottom into this room right now and take your letter." Mrs. Weasley looked down at the envelopes. "There's one for you too, Favian, dear."
"Thanks." I took the heavy yellow envelope uncertainly.
Dear Ms. Clark,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Unlike other fifteen year olds, though, we are unsure where to place you. Because the American Ministry of Wizards failed to recognize you as a witch you are clearly behind in your studies but due to you age and excellent skills in muggle schooling we have decided to vary your classes' grade levels.
Your booklists are incomplete at this point in time but all other materials are listed.
Sincerely,
Professor M. McGonagall; Deputy Headmistress
Uniform:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that your clothes should carry name tags
Course Books:
The Standard Book of Spells Summary Grades 1-5 by Miranda Goshawk and Proe Crastinator
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them by Newt Scamander
Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard
Other Equipment:
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
I goggled at my list and tried to figure out how much all of that would cost. And then I tried to figure out how long I would have to work to pay that debt off. It hadn't yet occurred to me that this school was going to cost money, and since I was legally dead at this point it would seem a little odd if I trudged up to a bank and demanded to make a withdrawal.
I wasn't the only one goggling at my letter. Ron seemed likely to topple over with shock. Hermione squealed with delight, on the other hand. Harry frowned and lifted an eyebrow, clearly as in the dark as I was.
"I'm a prefect!" Hermione started out loud but lowered her voice immediately, remembering the weird screaming painting. "I'm a prefect!"
"What else did you expect?" Fred snorted.
Hermione ignored him. "Are you Harry?"
"No. I had forgotten about prefects to be perfectly honest."
Ron squeaked.
"What is it Ron?" George asked. "Something trying to come out of your throat?"
"I'm… I'm…."
"Spit it out then. It clearly wants to go."
"I'm prefect."
"NO WAY!" Fred, George, Ginny and Hermione chimed. Harry and I stood there without making any noise. I didn't know what a prefect was, for starters, though I suspected it was something European and not just wizardly.
"Are you sure?" Ginny asked, inching over to read Ron's letter from over his shoulder.
"Is it real or is it a joke?" Fred asked.
"It looks real. Hermione, let's look at yours."
Apparently the two letters were identical.
"Ickle Ronniekins is a prefect!" George grinned, pinching Ron's cheek.
"Shut up." Mumbled Ron, turning a deep shade of red.
"What's in your letter, Favian?" Hermione asked.
I handed the parchment to her. She nodded and returned it to me.
"Well, we'll just be leaving our ickle prefect fwends now. We've got some work to be getting on with. Speaking of which…." Fred cleared his throat. "Favian, would you be interested in helping us with our work?"
I looked at Ginny who had been said to have been helping them earlier. She shook her head violently.
"I think… I'm not sure. What would I be doing?" I didn't want to make it seem like I was insulting them by saying no.
"Testing." Fred and George said together.
"Beneficial to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes." Fred winked.
"We'd be glad to give you a special discount if you'd help us."
"I'll consider." I lied. There was not a chance in the world that I'd be testing anything for them. I'd seen what their wonderful candies could do. Puking pasties, churlish chocolates, giggly gumdrops, it just wasn't good.
"Have it your way." With a popping noise the twins disappeared.
"I strongly recommend that you don't." Ginny burst out.
"Oh, don't worry, there wasn't a chance anyway."
"You don't need to be so polite all the time," Ginny said, "they won't snap at you if you're not. I mean… look at them."
I shrugged.
Mrs. Weasley came in a few seconds later.
"I'll take your letters and buy your things in Diagon Alley… oh, Favian you come with me dear. You have a lot to get, I suspect."
I nodded.
"Come then, we're traveling by floo."