D/N: We don't own anything!
Chapter 5 Permission Forms and Black
By: Tookdreamer
On their way back to their dormitories Maria, Jacqueline, and Steffanie met up with Peter Pettigrew the small chubby round cheeked boy who was always tagging behind James and the others all the time. He was carrying a big stack of books from the library and dangerously close to running into one of the suits of armor.
"Whoa careful there Peter!" cried Steffanie as she just got out of his way.
"Here want us to give you a hand with some of these?" offered Maria holding out her hands.
"No I canumph!"
The tower of books came toppling down from his arms and lay scattered about him where he had tripped and fallen. A couple of the heavier thicker volumes hit poor Peter on the head. He cursed under his breath.
"Here are you ok?" asked Jacqueline who held out a hand to help Peter up.
"Yeah I am fine, thanks." Peter looked very disgruntled and had one hand over the large bump that was now protruding from his blonde head.
"Here we can help. Wow, for what class is this for?" Steffanie asked picking up a tattered copy of Magical Fungi and You.
"It's for Herbology, Professor Sprout assigned us this massive essay on five magical mushrooms or fungi that we have to turn in next week on Monday."
"But that doesn't sound that bad", said Maria clutching now like five books in her arms.
"Nah it really isn't it's just the research that's going to be murder...oh bloody hell I think I tore this one..." Peter held up a copy of Mushrooms! whose spine was dislocated from the pages.
Jacqueline with a flick of her wand repaired the book once more.
"Thanks", said Peter grinning as he holding only two books led the way to the Fat Lady's portrait, Jacqueline, Steffanie, and Maria all trailing behind each carrying either five or four heavy books.
"Quite the gentleman this one", muttered Maria to Jacqueline who nodded and frowned grumbling.
"Fizgig", said Peter as the portrait swung open.
Peter and the girls stepped inside the cozy warm Gryffindor Common Room. The fire was blazing in its hearth and the comfy squashy chairs that sat in front were occupied by three boys.
"There you are Peter we thought you'd never come!" James said looking up from the couch.
"Sorry James but it was a lot of books and"
"Oi Peter what do you think you are doing!" Sirius had gotten up from his chair and ran over to Maria taking the books away from her. Maria was grateful her knees were beginning to wobble.
James and Remus also got up from their chairs and alleviated Jacqueline and Steffanie from their loads. Sirius shot Peter a dirty look. Peter didn't seem to have realized what was wrong with the situation.
"Why are you having these girls carry the books for you Wormtail?"
"Oh well I-"
"Oh nothing! Sorry about him he's a little slow", said Sirius turning once more to Maria with a hearty smile. Maria smiled back weakly.
"Oh that's alright thank you though." Jacqueline said as she sat down by the window.
"I still don't understand why you need all those books for one essay", said Steffanie eyeing the big tower that was now obscuring Remus from view on the table.
"Oh we all need them for our own essays", replied James cheerily.
"And you sent Peter to go down to the library to get them all for you?" said Maria raising an eyebrow. "By himself."
"Well...yeah!"
Steffanie and Jacqueline exchanged glances. Remus Lupin seemed to have found something interesting with the fire.
"Oi, Quetsall did you sign up for the Triwizard?" James asked.
"Yes, how about you?"
"Of course," grinned James he placed his hands behind his back and closed his eyes.
"How about you Remus did you sign up?" Steffanie asked.
Remus looked up from the fire, and shook his head.
"I have to go and have a talk with Dumbledore beforehand. But I want to go; it sounds like a good opportunity."
Sirius let out a bark like laugh. "Watch yourself mate! Sometimes the way you talk I wonder how I became your friend. Better start getting your act together or you'll never get a girl."
Remus frowned. "What's that suppose to mean?"
"Later Moony, later", said Sirius, still flashing his winner smile.
"And what about you Sirius?" asked Jacqueline.
"Me? Are you kidding my mum hates me there is no way she will even sign the permission slip."
"So you're not going then?" asked Maria sounding a little disappointed.
"No, I never said that", said Sirius with a mischievous grin.
James laughed and do did Peter. Remus rolled his eyes and propped up a book and began to read.
"Don't worry though I'll make sure I can come and cheer my fellow Gryffindors!" Sirius smiled once more and winked.
"Well its getting late good luck on that essay," said Steffanie.
"Yeah good night!" called Maria and Jacqueline.
The boys bid them good night, and Sirius added "Don't let the hippogriffs bite!"
Once upstairs the girls chatted on about what Sirius meant by coming to watch them anyways, Steffanie mentioned how Dumbledore wouldn't allow it but then again it was rather hard to keep Sirius and James apart. Maria brought the conversation round to why Remus would have to talk to Dumbledore.
"Because of his illness, remember" answered Steffanie.
They were on Remus' mysterious illness when a voice interrupted their conversation.
"What about Remus Lupin?" asked Michelle who had been quietly reading in her bed.
"Nothing", snapped Steffanie as she climbed into bed.
"Are you entering the Triwizard?" asked Michelle addressing Maria and ignoring Steffanie's rude remark.
"Yes, how about you?"
"Same here! Oh I hope we are both chosen to go. I have so wanted to go to Durmstrang! I have visited Beauxbaton before in fact I don't know if I told you but I went to a summer course there..."
And so she continued to ramble on again about her summer course there. Thankfully though Rebecca came out of the shower and interrupted complaining that her cat, Luna, had gone a missing again.
After reassuring her that they had not seen it the girls all went to bed. Michelle, Rebecca, and Maria left their candles on as they brought out a book to read. Rebecca read from a Star Trek book, Michelle, read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, and Maria read The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkein.
Steffanie rolled her eyes. Jacqueline commented on how all of them read too much before disappearing behind the hangings.
The next day at breakfast Jacqueline, Maria, Steffanie, and Rebecca all sat together chatting on about their new classes. Maria's eyes were sweeping the Ravenclaw table searching for Sarah. She spotted her and excusing herself from the others hurried over.
"So what's this new girl like?" she asked.
"Oh she is um..."
But what she was Sarah could not finish for Professor McGonagall had called for attention. Maria headed back to the Gryffindor table. Dumbledore stood up and waited for absolute silence.
"I have an announcement to make. Before we begin our meal we have with us a new student that has joined us late this year. She is transferring from Beauxbatons and is to enter he sixth year here at Hogwarts let us all make Bellatrix Black feel welcome."
There was a polite applause and many people craned their necks to get a better look. Professor McGonagall had brought out the stool and the tattered old sorting hat. Bellatrix Black trailed after her. She was a tall pretty girl with a slim figure and beautiful raven black hair that fell past her shoulders and almost down to her waist. She reminded Maria of one of those models in Muggle magazines. A couple of the boys whistled and even made cat calls, but were quickly stopped by a stern look from Professor McGonagall.
The girl sat down on the stool her expression cool and resound. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head and after what seemed like two seconds the hat called "Slytherin!"
The Slytherin table applauded and many of the boys were patting each other on the back. Only one person amongst them did not join in the applause. Severus Snape continued to read his book, too absorbed in its pages to realize what was going on. Bellatrix got up from the stool and flashed a smile at the Gryffindor table before joining her new classmates.
Maria turned to see who she could have been smiling at. Then she noticed Sirius who looked as if something foul had crept under his foot as he stared down at his eggs.
"Yes, well done Bellatrix! And once again welcome to Hogwarts!"
Polite applause filled the hall once more.
"Now let's eat!"
The plates were filled with food and everyone began. Soon after a couple of minutes the mail came and everyone looked up expectantly. Maria and Steffanie both held their breath as two owls landed by the butter and toast each with a letter tied to its leg.
"Thanks Peregrin", said Maria as she fed her barn owl a piece of bacon before it flew off.
"Did your mum sign it?" asked Steffanie.
"Yes! Did yours?"
Steffanie held up her permission form and grinned at the signature. All down the table there were moans and cheers coming from students who got back their permission forms.
"It's all right Wormtail", said James cheerfully patting Peter on the back as he stared at his own letter.
Remus had received a strange letter that had emerald ink on it, with what seemed to be his permission form. He looked up at Dumbledore who gave him a wink.
After breakfast the group formed in front of the Great Hall before classes started to exchange any good news.
"Yeah I got my permission form signed of course", remarked Matt who was waving his permission form in the air.
"Yes now all we have to do is give the form to our head of house and then we might be chosen as one of the twelve!" squealed Sarah flashing a truly happy smile.
Jacqueline looked on disapprovingly as she steered Justin away muttering something about studying in the library. Justin looking at the permission forms all in the meanwhile with envious eyes.
"So Sarah, are you going to tell us about that new girl Bellatrix?" asked Maria as she Steffanie and Sarah headed down to the dungeons for Potions.
"Yes sure, but not now Professor Scales is suppose to give us a hard lesson today on the Polyjuice Potion." Sarah said as they lined up with the other Gryffindors and Ravenclaws that were now waiting for Professor Scales.
"Oh right but can you tell us about her later then?" pleaded Steffanie as Professor Scales drew closer to his classroom, bumping into one student causing his enormous glasses to slip off his equally large nose.
"Of course", muttered Sarah,"maybe outside on the grounds after class." She slipped inside earnestly getting a seat in the front row of the class.
Two painful hours of Potions afterwards the group was settled on the grounds underneath the beech tree by the lake. It was such a lovely day and they weren't going to spend their study hall time cooped up inside the castle.
Here Sarah told them specifically about Bellatrix. "Oh she's really nice. You know she's related to that seventh year Sirius Black from Gryffindor. Yeah apparently they are cousins. But you know the funny thing is that after I had shown her the school and was taking her out on the grounds she asked me if I liked Dumbledore. Strange huh?"
"What did you say?" asked Matt munching on an apple.
"I told her that of course, I think he is an excellent Headmaster and one of the best that Hogwarts has seen. She seemed very quiet after that. Then she asked me the most random question. She inquired about my family and their background. I told her that I was Muggleborn and that my father worked in transportation. She was very silent after that and didn't say much only nodding here and there whenever I would point something else on the ground. And whenever she looked at me it was as if I was this spider that was stuck on her shoe or something! It was really odd because before she was acting so sweet."
"I think she doesn't like Muggle-borns then", said Maria thoughtfully.
"Nah, you think?" Matt said finishing his apple core and making it disappear.
Maria shot him a dirty look. "Well that's fine because I am not so sure if I like her either", Maria retorted grabbing a granola bar from her bag and ripping half of it furiously.
"No neither do I", announced Steffanie pulling forward a piece of parchment and beginning the Potions essay that Professor Scales had assigned on the Polyjuice Potion and its' dangers.
"Oh, so she's his cousin that' why she smiled at the Gryffindor table she was smiling at him", Maria thought out loud.
The rest of the group stared at her; Maria explained what she had seen in the Great Hall.
"I think he knows something that we might not", said Sarah as she too was already scribbling aimlessly away on her essay.
"Yeah", said Matt and sighed. He was just about to look for another snack in his bag when Sarah scolded him to do his homework. He grumpily obeyed and took out a big book about Defensive Spells and started his Defense Against the Dark Arts homework.
While Maria was writing her own essay her mind drifted back to those letters that Remus had received earlier, she wondered who had sent it to him, though she guessed it must have been Dumbledore, but why? 'Hmm maybe I'll ask James later,' she thought as she continued.
The bad effects of the Polyjuice Potion are...
