Just going to say thank you.
To the 900 people who have read the first chapter of my book.
I also want to say thank you to those of you who have kept reading and supporting me with you beautiful comments!
Chapter Seven
- Ravenclaw Pride -
Four boys walked into the room chatting among each other. "I'm mean what is the Headmaster thinking?" One of the boys, who was even taller than Teddy, said. "A Werewolf, in the Ravenclaw Tower?"
Finally, one of the boys, a small plump boy with sandy blonde hair noticed Teddy and sharply nudged his friend in his side. They all stared at him in turn. "Hi." Teddy said holding up his hand in a small wave.
"Hi..." The incredibly tall boy who'd been speaking replied uncertainly, stretching his 'i' awkwardly.
The other three boys simply nodded a hello and walked over to their beds quietly. The tall boy took a small step back, attempting to look at the golden plaque on the door with Teddy noticing. "So, you're Tesdon Lupin?" He asked, sounding as though he hoped that his name wasn't Teddy and he was just in the wrong room.
"Yes. But everyone calls me Teddy. I mean, what kind of name is Tesdon?" He laughed, a little over the top.
"Name's Terry Boot." He said, giving a fake, uneasy smile and walking over to the bed decorated with Quidditch posters and equipment. "This is Frederick Holoman, but we just call him Freddie." He pointed to the plump boy who was sitting on his messy bed beside Teddy's. He gave Teddy a similar uneasy smile, before stuffing his face with a handful of Gummy Dragons that he'd retrieved from his open chest.
"Over there, that's Leonard Belby. And before you ask, he prefers to be called Leonard, not Leo."
"Hey, Leonard."
Leo was the only one to wave casually at him from his bed, surrounded by the uneven piles of books. Yet he didn't smile or even look up for that matter. His nose was buried into the pages of his book. 'Ruins From Ancient Times: Advanced Level'.
"And over there with the plants, that's Daniel."
Teddy recognised Daniel immediately. He'd been the boy that he had stared at earlier in the Common Room, before he had given Teddy a cold glare. He watched as Daniel began to water his plants, not even looking at Teddy. "It's nice to meet you." Teddy smiled politely but Daniel didn't respond.
Terry looked between the two. "He's not much of a talker."
"Oh. It's nice to meet you all."
They all just nodded and found something to keep themselves busy. Teddy's smile faded as he opened his suitcase and began putting all his clothes in the white chest at the end of his bed.
'At least they're not bullying me,' he thought to himself. 'In fact they don't seem to be paying much attention to me at all. It could be worse.' He jumped as he closed the lid and saw Freddie lying on his stomach, staring at him closely. "You frightened me." He forced a light laugh. Freddie blushed before offering his opened packet of Gummy Dragons.
"Do you want one?"
Teddy looked down at Freddie's trembling hand and smiled. He put his hand into the packet and pulled out two long red and green Gummy Dragons. "Thanks." He said, beginning to chew on its tail. His eyes drifted down to the opened chest. "I guess you don't waste your Hogsmeade trips do ya?" He grinned and Freddie closed the lid, embarrassed. "I meant that in a good way." He quickly added but Freddie just smiled and opened on of his Quibble tabloids.
Teddy sighed, beginning to decorate the posts of his canopy bed with pictures. Outside he could hear the other students walking down the corridor to their rooms. He returned his attention back to the pictures. One of Harry, Ron, Hermione and himself standing in front of the Hogwarts Express in their second year, their hands wrapped around each others shoulders. The next was of his father and him, standing outside of their small cottage in Hogsmeade. And the last was of Arkie, waving and occasionally blowing him a small kiss.
When he turned around the other boys had already changed out of their robes and were dressed in their pyjama's. He quickly did the same, hanging him wooden wolf necklace on the post with the pictures. Although there were no candles or lights in the room, the starry ceiling lit it up just enough so that he could see. "So, what year are you guys in?" He asked.
"We're all sixth graders, like you." Leonard responded, flipping his page, his glasses hanging on the end of his nose.
"Cool, what a coincidence."
No one responded and instead he laid on his bed, unsure of what to do with himself. Eventually he tried to go to sleep, but it was so weird to know he was not the only person in the room and for some reason that kept him up long into the night. He could hear the steady breathing of Terry and the light heavy snores of Freddie next to him. It felt so different to look up at a starry sky instead of stone, but he had to admit, the sound of the whistling wind was soothing. Eventually, his eyes lids felt heavy and he barely noticed as he drifted off to sleep, his head laying sideways on his pillow.
"Morning." Teddy said after realizing he wasn't the only one to have gotten up early. Daniel was sitting at the edge of his bed, using a small pair of gardening shears to clip a strange red bush that was covered in a thick yellow sap. The black haired boy barely looked up. but his forehead twitching slightly showed that he had heard Teddy. "You know, my girlfriend's into Herbology too. You may know her."
When he gave no response Teddy gave up trying to make conversation and instead grabbed a sheet of parchment and his quill.
Dear Moony,
I got my OWL results back last night,
I've written the below if you want to see.
Anyway, I've moved into the Ravenclaw dorms and I have to admit
it's very different compared to my old room.
I wasn't give a very warm welcoming, as you could've probably guessed
but my roommates aren't actually that bad.
There's Terry Boot, who I've only just recognised as the
Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain. He's got a FireBolt broom! I know right!
Then there's Freddie Holoman.
You should see all the pranks this guy's got locked away.
I wonder if I'll ever be able to show him the
Marauders Map,
I feel like he would like that.
Leonardo Belby is a bit of a bookworm and I have yet to see himself without
a book covering his eyes.
And finally there's Daniel (whose last name I am yet to learn).
So far he hasn't spoken to me or anyone.
It's still really awkward here at the moment,
but I made the right decision...
I think.
Good luck at the upcoming full moon. I'll be
thinking of you!
Love,
Teddy Lupin
Teddy made a quick mental note to drop by the Owlery later on to deliver give his letter to one of the school's owls. He looked up as Leonard stretched in his bed. His glasses were balanced on the closest pile of books, which he blindly reached for. But like Teddy had guessed last night, the pile was unsteady and tumbled over, knocking over two more stacks. The loud bang was enough to wake both Terry and Freddie up with a jolt.
"Merlin's Beard, Leonard. Again!" Terry ground, covering his face with his hands. Freddie blinked in the harsh sunlight glowering through the windows.
"Sorry," Leonard mumbled, putting on his glasses and beginning to pick up the hundreds of books spread out across the floor.
"Here, let me help." Teddy offered, crouching down beside him. Soon the piles were rebuilt. Teddy smiled when Leonard told him there was a specific order he kept his books in.
"Honestly, the bookcase is just there!" Terry grumbled leaping out of his bed in frustration. Freddie just rolled over in his sheets, burying his face in his pillow with a low moan. Leonard just rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Teddy." He said.
Teddy tensed looking up at him, but Leonard was too busy attempting to straight the stack of books to notice. "No problem." He got up and walked over to his side of the room.
"Come on, Freddie. Breakfast's is about to begin." Terry called out in a voice that told Teddy this was the usual morning routine they went through everyday. When Freddie didn't move Terry yanked off his bed covers.
"Alright! I'm coming! I'm coming!"
In a few minutes all four of them were changed. Terry, Leonard and Daniel's bed were made before they began to pack their schoolbags which they slung over their shoulders. Teddy struggled to keep up with them. "I'm off to the Greenhouse." Daniel said. Teddy's mouth gaped. It'd been the first time he'd ever heard him speak. Daniel had a strong British accent that caught Teddy completely off guard.
"Library." Leonard said simply, following Daniel out of the dorm. Teddy tried his hardest to make his bed as neat as the others, but was struggling with the corners. Terry glanced at him, but didn't offer to help. He grabbed his broom and left. The moment he did Freddie fell back on his unmade bed, letting out a tired yawn. "Not a morning person, huh?"
The blonde haired boy jumped, not realizing that Teddy was still in the room. "No, not really." He admitted.
"You guys seem to have a routine all down pat."
He shrugged. "Yeah, we've been roommates since our first year." There was silence as Teddy looked down at his makeshift bed then glanced at the others. He sighed, shaking his head and giving up. "Is it weird? Moving up here."
"A little weird, but more awkward than weird I guess."
Freddie looked slightly guilty and stared down at his hands. "Sorry... for giving you the cold shoulder last night."
"It's okay, I'm used to that sort of thing." He mentally cursed himself after seeing Freddie's cheeks grow redder with guilt. Slowly he piled his large textbooks into his school bag. Freddie watched him, his things already packed and lying on his chest. "Anyway, I should go if I want to send my dad this letter before Potions."
"Can I come with you?" Freddie surprisingly asked.
"Yeah, sure." Teddy said with an overenthusiastic nod. The two of them walked up towards the Owlery, both panting by the time they reached top of the stairs. "Honestly, I've never understood why they keep the Owlery so high up." Freddie panted in agreement, putting his hands on his knees while Teddy walked over to one of the school owls.
"So is it true?"
"Hm?"
"That you and your dad are part of Dumbledore's official army?"
Teddy let out a quick snort, his eyes following the owl that soared from the Owlery carrying his letter in its beak. "I wish. My Dad yes, but me... I don't think he wants me to have anything to do with the 'army'." He said, remembering the hushed tones of Remus and Tonks and the numerous time the Order had asked him to go upstairs while they had their meetings. "Besides, for now I'm just trying to graduate school. Make a few new friends. Guess I got one thing off my list."
"What? You graduated?" Freddie said in astonishment and Teddy laughed.
"No, I made a new friend."
"I'm your friend?"
"Sure, if you want to be." He leaned against the railing. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Freddie doing the same. "So what class do you have first?"
"I've got Potions first, then Dark Arts with Professor Snape." He said with a shudder. "I suck at the Dark Arts, great at Potions though- not when I'm under pressure of course. But I still got into the NEWT class."
"I didn't take you as a Potions Master." He asked, leaning to one side so he could face Freddie but still see the terrific view of the Black Lake. Freddie nodded. Teddy had begun to notice that the shaggy blonde boy, that reminded him almost of an upside down light bulb, couldn't seem to take a compliment without blushing. And owl flew over their heads and Teddy ducked, flicking a feather from his hair. "I'm in the NEWT level class for Potions too."
"Are you in any other NEWT classes, Teddy?"
"Let's see." He mumbled, thinking back to the result papers he'd left in their dorm. "I got into Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms and Potions, all with 'Outstanding's'. And I just made it into Transfiguration with an 'Exceeds Expectations'." Freddie looked surprised and impressed.
"That's really good."
"Thanks, Freddie. I'm gonna get a head start and go to Potions now, you coming?" He said.
"No, I'm okay. I'm getting breakfast first, aren't you hungry?"
"Nah, I'm good." He grinned, taking the first of many steps down the stairs.