Chapter 4 - Transfiguration project
Katie hurried up to the Gryffindor common room, collected her bag, and returned downstairs for transfiguration. She was actually looking forward to it, transfiguration had always been her best subject, and she preferred it to History of Magic any day. When she arrived at transfiguration she found Lily sitting on the front row of the class, next to the same blond haired girl Katie had seen her talking to at the feast. She hurried over and took the seat next to Lily, greeting her as she sat down.
"Hey Lily." Katie started unpacking her things.
"Hey Katie. Have you met Joanne yet?" Lily indicated the girl sitting next to her. Katie shook her head. Lily quickly introduced them and they chatted randomly about various things until Professor McGonagall arrived.
"Good morning class." she said, walking up to her desk at the front.
"Wands out?" she looked around the room. "Good. Please also get out your copy of the Standard book of spells, grade six. You will also need some parchment, ink and your quills."
There was a gentle rustling throughout the class as everyone collected their things. When she saw that everyone had their books out she proceeded to draw up a very complicated series of instructions on the board. Katie managed to follow them up to number 14, but then Professor McGonagall started mentioning things Katie had never even heard of. All the while people were muttering about the instructions, wondering why she would set them working with things they didn't even know existed until two seconds ago.
When Professor McGonagall had finished she turned around to face the class.
"Now, you have probably guessed that these are very difficult instructions, and you most probably have not even heard of the majority of the ingredients." There was a general murmuring of agreement throughout the class. Professor McGonagall nodded.
"That is why this will become a project rather than one lesson. I will sort you all into pairs- yes Miss Jones, I will sort you.
-I have put pairs of numbers into this hat," she indicated a battered old wizard's hat, "you will each come up and collect a number, and those that match will be your pairs. You will need to write down these instructions, then it is up to you to find out how to complete them. Should you have any trouble with the ingredients, please feel free to come see me. You will have two weeks, not including lessons, to complete this. You will be receiving a grade, so work hard!" with that she turned around and held up the hat, indicating for each row to come up one at a time and collect a number.
Katie walked up to the front with Lily and Joanne, and warily picked out a number from the hat. Katie got number nine, Lily got three.
They all returned to their seats and waited for the others to pick up their numbers. Eventually everyone had picked a number.
"All right class." said Professor McGonagall. "Pair up, write down the instructions, and get to work. You only have this lesson to work on it, then it's up to you, so make use of your time well."
Katie looked around the class trying to find out who had been number nine as well. She glanced upon Sirius, who was casually flicking a piece of card with a large nine written on it. Katie was relieved to say the least, Gryffindors did transfiguration with the Slytherins and she didn't fancy another confrontation like last time. She stood up, gathered her things and headed over to where he was sitting.
As he saw her coming over he grinned.
"Phew, there was me thinking I'd end up with some Gorilla from Slytherin!" Katie grinned too and sat down, unpacking her things.
"Me too, I didn't much fancy pairing up with one of them for two weeks." Sirius nodded. "Right, well come on let's write this down."
Just as she was about to start writing she caught sight of an agonized looking Lily, who had apparently been paired with none other than James Potter. Katie laughed out loud and pointed this out to Sirius.
"Well if it isn't our two little love birds." he said, making swooning gestures, earning him a piece of parchment right in the face. He laughed, obviously he would be enjoying two weeks of torturing Lily. James however couldn't have been happier, sitting there smiling blissfully like an idiot.
Katie laughed again, then settled down writing the instructions. Sirius followed suit.
An hour later they were sitting in History of Magic, looking as dead as the ghost who was teaching it. Katie was slumped down on her desk by the window, casually fiddling with her quill. She hated this subject, well, maybe it wouldn't be that bad if you could actually stay conscious through it. She looked around the class, just about everyone was slumped down like she was, bored stiff.
Katie spotted Sirius, who was looking dazedly into space. She remembered Lily in transfiguration.
Katie rolled up a piece of parchment, made sure Professor Binns wasn't looking, and threw it directly at his head. He jerked back to reality as it hit him, looking around for the culprit. Spotting Katie twiddling her thumbs and trying to look innocent, he picked up the parchment, and threw it back. Katie caught it and grinned, silently praising hours of chaser practice.
Checking Professor Binns was still droning on, she turned around and aimed for Sirius. Just as she was about to throw she spotted James gazing at Lily. With a grin she aimed at him instead, the parchment bouncing off his head and on to the floor. As he turned around and spotted Katie she immediately pointed to Sirius, who sat open mouthed looking betrayed. James grinned and threw it at Sirius instead, who then rolled up his own parchment and threw it at him, as well as the one James had thrown.
By the end of the lesson, James, Sirius and Katie had gone through eight pieces of parchment, without Binns even noticing a thing. As they left the classroom Sirius snuck up behind Katie, and before she had time to react, had lifted her up in the air and over his shoulder.
"Hey!" Katie cried, struggling to get back down. Sirius however grinned, holding her more securely.
"Hey!" repeated Katie, "Let me down!"
"Not until you say sorry for hitting with me with the parchment!" Katie pouted.
"No way! You should have been paying attention! It's not my fault your big head got in the way." Sirius laughed.
"Come on, one little 'sorry' and I'll let you down." Katie sighed and folded her arms. If it would shut him up and make him put her down, she was all for it.
"Sorry." she said, like a little kid who didn't really mean it.
"With cherries on top?" asked Sirius innocently.
"Now you're pushing it." With a bark like laugh Sirius let her down, avoiding the hand aimed at his head.
"Well if you two are done I'd like to get some lunch!" said James, and dragged them both off in the direction of the Dining hall.
Yeah I know, another short chapter, ah well. And yes things are meant to go this slowly....I meant that to happen...yup...anyways, please review! I want to know if people are still reading it! pretty please? with cherries on top?