The next day brings heavy storms, and with it, our first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the year. The subject is always the same, but every year it feels like a different class. First year, sour Professor Gibson only taught us that he considered himself better than us. Last year, timid Professor Jordan gave up on teaching less than halfway through the year, and attempted to drown us in homework to make up for her ineptitude. This year, we'll be taught by Romeo Kami, the mediocre actor from Diagon Alley.
I look up at the ceiling, which reflects the flickering lightning and heavy clouds of the sky outside, although not a drop of rain falls on us. Maybe Professor Kami's classes will be better than I expect. Maybe we'll finally have a competent professor this year. At the very least, they're bound to be entertaining.
Swallowing the last spoonful of my porridge, I stand and follow Rowan to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. We take seats in the front of the classroom. No matter how educational Professor Kami's classes are, they're bound to be entertaining. Besides, Rowan is blind as a bat, and can't see the board unless she's in the front row.
I take out this year's textbook, A Riveting Guide to the Dark Arts. Professor Kami wrote it himself. Unfortunately, I haven't found the time to read it yet.
I flip open the book and scan through the table of contents. Vampires, boggarts, the Babbling Curse... Rictusempra? I frown as I read the list. We learned that in Charms last year. And ghouls...we aren't supposed to learn about those until fifth year. Is this the textbook for all of his classes?
"Hel-lo, students!" Professor Kami announces, sweeping into the classroom with a dramatic wave of his arm. He's dressed in bright red robes, with a darker red cloak fastened by a golden brooch. On his head is a red hat with bells that makes me think of a jester.
A few students respond, "Hello?', nervously. None of our professors have his personality.
"I am very excited to be teaching you all this year! Some of you may have heard of me, before- Romeo Kami? No?" He looks disappointed when almost everyone shakes their heads. His shoulders droop.
Rowan and I nod. He seizes on this reaction as if it's a lifeline. "What did you think of my performances? Were you amazed? Shocked? Did hours seem to pass in the blink of an eye, as you stood entranced by my skills?" he asks.
"They were- quite something," I manage. The one performance I saw certainly passed in the blink of an eye- because I was only there for five minutes. I don't say this, though, and he doesn't give me a chance.
Professor Kami nods enthusiastically. "You're speechless! You can't find the words to describe my mastery!"
I hold back a giggle. "Doubtless you are afraid my encore in the classroom will fail to reach the high bar I have set. Fear not, young pupils. Today we will be learning about one of the most feared creatures of all...the boggart." He looks around again, clearly expecting a reaction, but there isn't one. Everyone simply looks puzzled, except for Rowan, who has already read the entire book. Judging by her expression, boggarts aren't as terrifying as Professor Kami is making them out to be.
"A boggart takes the shape of your greatest fear," Professor Kami explains. "Now, I need two of you to help me for a demonstration. How about you, and... you?" To my horror, he points to me.
I stand up, along with Ben. He meets my gaze, and I try my best to look reassuring. Ben is fine demonstrating spells in Charms, but that's because it's familiar. Here, he doesn't know what's expected of him.
"Tell me your worst fear," Professor Kami instructs Ben. "What are you most afraid of? What would you least like to encounter when you're alone on a dark night?"
"Tornadoes," Ben says quickly. I frown. He's never mentioned being afraid of tornadoes, even though he's mentioned several of his fears. As his friend, I feel like I should know about a fear so great it's his boggart. Of course, he might be lying to avoid revealing his actual boggart to the class.
"You are going to play the boggart," Professor Kami says, turning to me.
"I- what?" I hold in a laugh. He wants me to pretend to be a tornado?
"Let's see your tornado impression!" Professor Kami says. "Make me feel the howling winds! Make me tremble before your might!"
"O-kayy," I say. I put my arms out to the sides and spin around, feeling like a complete idiot and not at all like an awe-inspiring tornado.
"No, no, no!" Professor Kami exclaims. I stop spinning and look at him. "Wind noises! Where are your wind noises?' he says.
I start twirling again, hissing in an approximation of wind.
"That's it! See how your classmate is shaking in terror before your fury!" Professor Kami praises me.
I look at Ben as I spin. He's shaking, it's true, but from a struggle to contain his laughter. His face is bright red. While I'm embarrassed to be making a fool out of myself in front of the entire class, at least it seems to have helped Ben relax.
Finally, Professor Kami gives Ben his instructions. "The spell used on a boggart is called Riddikulus. It's easy to remember because it sounds like 'ridiculous', and it will make the boggart look ridiculous!" There's an awkward pause. When it becomes clear that he's expecting a reaction, a few students giggle uncertainly.
"Now, how can you make this tornado funny?" Professor Kami asks.
"Ummm...make it sound like music instead of wind?" Ben suggests.
I glare at him the next time I spin by. He did not seriously just say that, I grumble silently.
"Excellent! Sing for us, wonderful tornado!" Professor Kami exclaims.
I sigh and try to think of a song. I hate singing, and I sound horrible. I'm always offkey. In the end, I simply sing the school song. "Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, teach us something please…"
"Wonderful! Now that, my friends, is how you defeat a boggart. If we could have a round of applause for our fine young actors-" There are a few awkward claps, but they soon die out. Professor Kami doesn't look fazed. He must be used to less-than-enthusiastic responses to his performances.
He awards us house points and then, mercifully, allows us to return to our seats. I duck my head over the textbook. Unfortunately, it doesn't provide much more information than his lesson. How am I supposed to learn from a textbook that has nothing to teach?
When we are dismissed, I shove the book in my bag and follow Rowan upstairs to Transfiguration. Rowan and Alana sit next to each other, in the front, and I sit behind them. There's an open seat next to them, but I don't like sitting in the front in Transfiguration.
Normally Tulip sits next to me, but today I'm joined by Badeea. I know her the least out of all my roommates. She's quiet and almost never talks. Right now, she's sketching something on a piece of parchment.
She sees me watching and angles the parchment so I can see. On it, she's sketched a quick outline of Hogwarts.
"It looks nice," I say. It clearly isn't done yet, but I can already tell that it will look like the castle.
Badeea smiles. "Thanks." She lowers her head and adds something to the drawing.
I pull out my textbook just as Professor McGonagall enters the classroom.
"Today we'll be learning about Animagi," she says. "However, you will not learn how to become Animagi."
I breathe a sigh of relief. Even if today's lesson is only theory, anything is better than more animal-to-object Transfigurations. I listen closely as she explains what an Animagus is- a person that can turn into an animal. I wonder what my Animagus form would be? I've always liked the agility and grace of a cat. I'd like being a cat.
I look around at my classmates, trying to guess what their Animagus forms would be. Rowan would be an owl. Badeea and Talbott are both solitary people, so maybe they'd be cats as well. Tulip would be a toad, I decide after a moment, thinking about how she always carries Dennis around. Alana would be some type of songbird.
I look over at Merula. Porcupine, I decide with a giggle. Prickly, just like her personality...and her hair.
I look back at Professor McGonagall and listen to the next part of her lecture. "Every Animagus is required to register with the Ministry, and list their name, form, and identifying mark. An identifying mark can be a characteristic you were born with, such as unusually colored eyes, or an acquired trait, such as spectacles."
Rowan's glasses would be her identifying mark. I sketch a quick drawing of an owl with rectangular markings around its eyes.
What would my marking be? Maybe my eye color. But while yellow eyes are rare in a person, they aren't so uncommon in a cat. Of course, I might not be a cat. I might be a...koala. Or something.
I look up just as Professor McGonagall vanishes. On the floor is a tabby cat, with spectacle markings like my drawing of Rowan. The cat jumps up onto the desk and sits there, watching us intently. Even if I hadn't seen her transform, I could have guessed that it's Professor McGonagall. No other cat has that piercing gaze.
I join everyone else in applauding her transformation. A small part of me has a sudden desire to cast Felifors on her, to see if being turned into a cauldron is really as pleasant as she claims. Unfortunately, I would be heavily punished for something like that. The idea is tempting, but my wand stays on my desk.
The tabby cat jumps down off the desk and transforms back into Professor McGonagall. She continues her lecture on Animagi.
"Becoming an Animagus is a very difficult process," she explains. "There have only been three Animagi in the past century. It is unlikely that any of you will ever become an Animagus."
That number seems very low, I think with a frown. Even if the process is very complicated, I would have expected more.
By the time the class ends, I have an entire page of notes. I tuck them into my bag and follow Rowan and Alana out of the room.
The three of us climb the stairs to our dormitory. Alana hums quietly as she picks up Hopscotch. The tryouts for the Frog Choir are today.
"You'll do great," I say. I smile reassuringly. Alana's been singing to us every day after classes end. She's a good singer. I'm confident she'll get the open spot.
Rowan echoes my reassurance. Alana smiles nervously. "Thanks."
"I mean it," I say. "Take a deep breath. You'll be fine."
Alana draws in a breath. In through her nose, out through her mouth... I've always found rhythmic actions to be soothing, and it seems to be helping Alana as well.
"I've got to go," Alana says. Her hands have stopped shaking. She makes her way back down the stairs. The tryouts are in the Charms classroom, since Professor Flitwick is conductor of the choir. I wonder how many students will show up. Will there be lots, or only a few? What if only Alana shows up? Then all her worrying would be for nothing.
I listen to the rain pattering against the window. I think of another friend who likes to sing, Nola. I haven't written to her yet, and I don't think I ever will. I can never find anything to say to her, when pretty much everything is a secret. Even though it hurts to lose my first friend, I've had to come to terms with the fact that some gaps are too far to bridge. We are worlds apart, separated by a divide words will never cross. Our law forbids it, and so, I have to let her go.