Digging out Phoenicis
ChapterSeven – A Chat Between New Friends
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for original characters.
Summary: Jessica Bolts is in her sixth year at wizarding school when she is suddenly transferred to Hogwarts at the request of Dumbledore. Her life will be completely different as she meets new people and possibley finds love.
Jessica was sitting in the Defence against the dark arts classroom. Professor Umbridge was once again said her usual
"Put your wands away and take out your text books." She needn't have bothered only a few of the students had taken out their wands in the hope that they would be having a practical lesson. But like all their lessons this week, Professor Umbridge made them study the theory side of Defence Against the Dark Arts. As the class opened their text books Umbridge flicked her wand and the backboard filled itself with information about counter jinxes. The class began to copy down the notes into their books.
Jessica, who was sitting next to one of the windows in the classroom looked out to the warm, inviting grounds. There were no students in the grounds, all like her were in their lessons. All it seems, except one person, sitting straighter in her chair and leaning closer to the window Jessica saw the figure walk, almost run to the lake.
"Heh hem!" startled by the girlish cough that sounded right behind her, Jessica spun around. "Miss Bolts! I will not tolerate daydreamers in my class" unknown to Jessica, Professor Umbridge had walked around the class and stood next to her desk.
"I am really sorry Professor, it wont happen again."
"I will make sure that it wont Miss Bolts, I'm giving you detention."
Annoyed at herself, Jessica started taking the noted from the board.
Five minutes later she risked a look out the window, the lone figure, who she had seen to be Phoenicis, was sitting under the oak tree on the lake's edge. "Psst Ron."
Ron who was sitting in front of her turned around, "what?"
"I need to get out of the classroom, do you know how I can?"
"Yeah... here," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pastel, "chew the purple end and then when you are out of the class room eat the orange end. Got it?"
Taking the pastel from Ron, Jessica looked at it, it indeed was a multicoloured tablet, one half was orange and the other side was purple.
Taking a deep breath, Jessica bit off the purple end of the pastel. Within half a minute Jessica felt a quizzy feeling in her stomach. "Ron what does that pastel do?"
"It's a puking pastel… my brothers invented them."
"A puking…argh" and before she could finish the sentence Jessica felt the contents of her lunch rise from her stomach.
"Miss Bolts go to the hospital wing this instant!" Professor Umbridge screeched from the other side of the room, failing to hide the disgust in her voice, standing up Jessica rushed out of the room. Once in the corridor she pulled the remaining side of the pastel out of her pocket and shoved it into her mouth, the sick feeling instantly vanished, "wow I need to find out more about Ron's brothers." She said to herself as she ran down the corridor.
Once she reached the grounds, she slowed her pace to a brisk walk. Phoenicis she saw was still sitting under the tree and seemed to be in a daydream. When she drew near, he turned to look at her.
"Hey," she smiled at him, but Phoenicis could see a worried look in her eyes.
"Hey" he replied, he turned away from her and wiped his eyes with his hand.
"Are you ok?"
"yeah" he said looking back at her.
"Is it ok if I stay for a bit?" she said looking tentatively at him.
"Of course you can." He moved over so there was room for her to join him under the tree. "So aren't you suppose to be in a lesson right now?"
"Oh… yeah Defence Against the Dark Arts with Umbridge."
"So what are you doing out here with me then?"
"well I saw you come out here, and Umbridge gave me a detention for daydreaming, so I thought that I may as well come out here and see you because I have already got a detention from it." she said smiling nervously.
"Your skipping Umbridge's class? Make sure she doesn't find out or you will be in real trouble."
"oh I don't mind missing that class, I mean I've already read the text book so I know everything that we are going to be learning anyway."
"Hm… well that's a bonus isn't it." he said
"So why are you out here?" Jessica asked
Phoenicis looked out over the sparkling water of the lake, "I have a free period and I was in the common room, but I needed to get some air and clear my head."
"if you don't mind me asking, but is everything alright?" watching his eyes shift over the water.
Waiting a couple of minutes before he said anything, Phoenicis turned and looked Jessica directly in the eyes. "I'm not sure if you heard about it, but two years ago my brother…" his voice faltered
Knowing what he was trying to say Jessica quietly said, "Your brother Cedric was murdered by He Who Must Not Be Named."
Shocked, Phoenicis stared at Jessica in amazement. "How did you know that?"
"Hermione Granger told me, I hope you don't mind…"
"No, it's fine… everyone else knows."
"So you were thinking about Cedric?"
"Yeah," he said sighing heavily, "you see… it's his birthday today."