Hey guys! I'm so sorry for not updating sooner, but in my defence, I did mention it last chapter. Anyway, I hope you don't hate me! So here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 5

September 5, 2030

The next two days go by in a blur as we settle into a routine and new friendships. Our group still sits together in the Community Hall, but we separate into smaller groups during classes, free time and meals. Xinia, Anica and I and sometimes Ciena often go off on our own exploring the castle and spend time alone. Otherwise, Ciena will hang out with Kimmy, George, Nick and Dylan. Owen and Hailey separated from the group, only really talking to us in classes and occasionally when we're in the Community Hall.

When Thursday rolled around, I couldn't sit still all day. I was constantly fiddling with my quill or shifting in my seat; annoying quite a few people. When the time for the lesson with Lupin came around, I raced to the Transfiguration classroom, arriving at 4:50. I felt heat rising to my cheeks as I realised I was early. I was about to knock on the door anyway, figuring there was no point in waiting outside if I was already here, when -

"Come in," I hear from inside the classroom.

I push the door in, spotting Lupin at his desk at the front of the room. He glances up, smiling.

"Miss Dinnick," he greets cheerily. "You're early."

I smile sheepishly, shutting the door.

"I don't mind waiting if you're busy," I say.

"Nonsense," Lupin says, standing up. "I was just reading, anyway."

I nod, walking a little closer, not sure what this lesson is going to be like. Lupin seems to notice my hesitation, so he beckons me closer, pointing at the chair in front of him. I sit down, noticing him doing likewise across from me.

"Before we get into it," Lupin starts. "I want to know how much you know about Metamorphmagi?"

"How do you mean?" I ask, a little confused.

"Well, do you, for example, know what limits we have? Or just how much we can change?"

He asks the question kindly, sounding curious.

"Um, honestly I haven't really tried. I mean, I've tried different hairstyles and colours and changing facial features, but not much beyond that."

Lupin nods.

"How about your height or your size?"

"I've never tried that actually," I say curiously. "Can I do that?"

Lupin nods again, a smile still on his face.

He concentrates, then suddenly, he's much shorter, although the rest of his appearance is the same.

I find myself looking at him in fascination, having never seen the process of changing before.

"Interesting, isn't it?" Lupin comments.

I look at him in surprise.

"The first time I saw a photo of my mother changing her appearance, I was enraptured," he explains. "It's quite different watching someone do it rather than doing it yourself, I found."

I nod, watching again as he changes back to his normal height.

"Why don't you give it a try?" he suggests.

"Oh," I say in surprise. "Sure."

I concentrate, willing myself to grow taller. It's different than changing the colour of my hair; a little harder, but the process is still the same. After a couple of tries, I manage to grow about a foot in height. When I look at Lupin, I realise I'm only a little shorter than him.

I look around, noticing how different everything looks from up here.

"Wow," I exclaim. "It's so weird. Everything's so...far away."

Lupin chuckles and I turn back to him.

"Is this what it's like to be tall?" I ask, normally being quite short.

"You don't notice it as much when you get older," Lupin laughs. "But yes."

I grin, changing back to my normal height.

"What else can I do?" I ask eagerly.

Lupin smiles, his eyes lighting up a little.

"You can do pretty much anything with enough practice," he says. "Well, almost anything," he amends.

I frown.

"What can't I do?"

"Change into an animal," Lupin expanded. "You also couldn't say, give yourself wings or webbed hands and feet either."

The information doesn't disappoint me too much, but it does dismiss a few ideas.

"Oh well," I sigh. "That's too bad."

"You also can't change your clothes or make jewellery appear on yourself," Lupin continues. "Unfortunately, those don't classify as human appearances."

I frown.

"Really?" I ask, scrunching my eyebrows. "Are you sure? Just because I've always been able to make jewellery appear on me. I mean, I haven't tried clothes, but I do know that."

Lupin looks at me curiously.

"Could you show me?" he asks in interest.

I nod, looking at my jewellery. I almost always wear the same accessories, although sometimes I switch rings to different fingers and change my earrings. Today, I've got the heart necklace on and two rings, plus plain earrings. I decide to add the rest of my normal jewellery, just to show Lupin.

I concentrate.

My other necklace appears, the infinity band rests on my thumb and my bracelets fall on my left wrist. I hold it up to show Lupin.

He stares at it in surprise.

"You say you've always been able to do that?" he inquires.

I nod.

"Ever since I first tried," I clarify.

He thinks for a minute, then his face screws up in concentration. I watch him, but nothing seems to happen.

After a minute he notices as well.

"Interesting," he murmurs. "I wonder…" he gets a thoughtful look on his face.

"What is it?" I ask, wincing a little at the sharpness of the question.

Lupin doesn't seem to notice though.

"Do you have a house-elf?" Lupin asks instead.

I look at him in confusion.

"Yes?"

"Would you try to change into them for me?"

I suddenly understand his thought process. I nod, concentrating.

Imitating people's looks is quite easy, and I often change myself to look like others for the fun of it.

I think about Blinky - my families main house-elf - and try to change into her. I can't seem to though, so eventually I sigh in defeat, shaking my head.

"That's alright," Lupin reassures me. "I just wanted to see. You can make jewellery, and I'm assuming other accessories, appear on yourself. However hard I try, I don't.

However, I can do this..." he trails off.

Suddenly, Lupin changes into a small creature with white hair growing out of its bat-like ears and bloodshot eyes, folded skin and a bulbous nose. A house-elf.

I gasp a little before he changes back, ruffling his hair a little.

"Do you mean that we have different abilities?" I question. "I can do things you can't, and you can do things I can't?"

Lupin nods, looking fascinated.

"I think so, yes.

My family always said my mother could and would often change her appearance. But they never mentioned anything about her changing into a vaguely humanoid creature. That makes me think that we have different parts of our abilities as Metamorphmagi. Meaning, she would also have a skill that neither of us could do.

I think it reflects our personalities," Lupin continues. "I've always had a soft spot for magical creatures that aren't treated the same as we are. That must be why I can imitate them."

"So that means I have an eye for fashion?" I sum up, a little amused.

Lupin smiles.

"Somewhat yes. But I think it more means you value your looks."

My face falls, thinking about what that means.

"Not that that's a bad thing," Lupin adds quickly. "It's actually a good thing. You care about your body and you want to look good and...I'm not helping am I?" he asks.

I shake my head, trying to smile.

"It's alright," I say.

Lupin sighs.

"Let me tell you about my family."

I frown, wondering why he's bringing them up.

"You'll understand later," Lupin explains. "Now.

Years ago, my wife's father was attacked by a werewolf. The same one that bit my father, actually. The attack left him with scars on his face. They mauled his features, which, apparently, were quite handsome before he was attacked.

His mother was devastated. His fiancee though, she insisted that she still loved him. Not that his mother didn't of course. But, to his fiancee, it didn't matter what he looked like. She insisted she was beautiful enough for both of them. And it's true. When they're together, I can hardly notice his scars.

Fleur knew she was beautiful, but she never flaunted it or put others down. Yes, she would often accentuate it, dressing nicely and adorning herself prettily, but it was for herself. She found the beauty in her husband through herself, and she was confident with her body and who she was.

So you see, there is nothing wrong with valuing beauty and looks."

His story makes me feel a little better.

"Thank you for telling me that," I say.

"It's no problem," he replies softly.

Something about his gaze is off. Almost...wistful? I shake it off, glancing at my watch.

"Oh," I exclaim in surprise. "It's 6:30!"

"Is it really?" Lupin lifts his right wrist to check the time. "Time flies," he mutters. "Well, unfortunately, I think we should call it a night."

He stands up, and I follow suit.

"Thank you for this," I say.

"Would you like to have another lesson?" Lupin asks.

I nod.

"If that's alright?" I ask tentatively.

"Of course," he assured. "How about next Tuesday, same time. That's the next time I'm available," he gives an apologetic smile.

"No, that's fine," I say.

I give him another smile before exiting the classroom and heading to dinner.

I tell Anica and Xinia about the lesson, and what I discovered. We then head to the Community Hall where we discovered we could prolong our time together. Eventually, though, we have to go to our dormitories to get some sleep.

That night I dream of different creatures and Metamorphmagi.

So I really hope you're enjoying this story. I know it's still a little uneventful, but I promise it will get better. As always, thank you so much for reading, and please leave a review. Also, if you haven't, please check out my Instagram account. Details for it are in my profile. Thank you!