14 Thursday

It felt as though McGonagall was paying her extra special attention in Transfiguration. Noelle knew it was likely due to the conversation she'd had between her and Dumbledore, but she still wished the professor would pay more attention to the other students. For once, she might even prefer that to be Harry.

They were learning Crinus Muto, which allowed the caster to change their hair color and style at will. Of course, most students were finding this to be hilarious. Kade shortened his hair and the tips turned silver as he frosted them over. She watched as he turned to Paul with a laugh and pointed it out. Another girl spiked her hair up and turned it purple, waiting for the laughs before changing it back to its original color.

Professor McGonagall did her rounds, checking on each student's work, but Noelle could see that her sights were targeted on Noelle. She stopped at her desk, looking over her hair which was already back to its original state. "Mind a bit preoccupied Ms. Lestrange?"

Noelle tried not to outwardly sigh or roll her eyes. "Yes ma'am."

"I trust you received my owl?" McGonagall put her arms behind her back.

Noelle was just glad everyone else was too busy to notice their exchange. "Yes ma'am."

"Good. When you go on Saturday, I suggest you dress warmly." She moved on to the next set of desks.

Noelle leaned her head on her desk, praying for class to be over.

Divination class. Professor Trelawney was having the students read their tea leaves again. Her eyes appeared huge behind her large rimmed glasses. It only helped accentuate her eccentricness.

She paused in the middle of the room, stating for possibly the thousandth time, "There's only so much I can teach you from books, you need the gift to truly learn."

Miraculously, everyone in the class somehow had the gift. Noelle knew that many took this class as an elective in order to get an easy A. Many students would make up predictions in the future, spinning a tale of woe for the professor so she would believe in their abilities. The thing Noelle wasn't sure about was why Trelawny couldn't just check everyones' work if she herself truly had the gift. But, perhaps Noelle understand even less about divination than she thought she had.

She looked over to see several girls in the class pretending to tell one another's futures.

"You'll find love soon, only to be heartbroken after the fact." One girl said to another, the latter Noelle recognized as Lavender Brown, a Gryffindor.

Lavender giggled and took the teacup away from her. "Stop it guys, I take this very seriously you know."

And she did. Of the class, Noelle only knew of Lavender because she had the best grade in the class and was utterly fascinated by the science behind it. Even Hermione Granger, who loved anything and everything having to do with classes and learning, had given up her first year in the class, not able to understand or glean anything from it.

"I mean it Lav! When are you going to tell him how you feel?"

Lavender turned away, looking down into her own teacup. "Eventually. I will though. This year for sure."

Noelle wished she already had her legilimency under control so she could target the young girl's thoughts. She wondered who she had her sights set on.

Lavender looked up and caught Noelle staring at her, who quickly tried to look busy doing something else. She pretended to read something off the board behind Lavender, nod seriously, and then take notes, furiously scribbling about nothing in her notebook.

Class was called to a close shortly after and Noelle gathered up her books and quill.

Noelle looked out her window which hung just above the lake's surface. It brought to mind whether the lake ever flooded, and what the Slytherin students would do if their dorm became a lake in and of itself. Still, the water was beautiful in the moonlight.

The girls were all talking about Qudditch tryouts the next day, and who they thought would make the team from each house. Another thing Noelle didn't care about. Sports.

A shadow fell across the lake, gliding across it rapidly. As it drew closer, Noelle recognized it as Thoth, coming to land on her sill. He dropped a handwritten note on her bedside table.

Glad the other girls' focus was elsewhere, Noelle took her time looking it over. The outside was addressed to her in a pretty calligraphy type writing.

She opened the note, reading it over in her head silently. "Hello. I'd like to get to know you a little better outside of DnD. Would you consider exchanging notes with me? I make it a priority to know all the people I play with and you're the only one new to the group. When you get the chance, have your owl send me a response. -Azraeyn"

Noelle wanted to read into his note, but, from what she could tell, he was genuine in his words as just wanting to get to know her. She'd received no other indications that he wanted otherwise during their game sessions. She pulled out a piece of paper and her quill and hastily wrote a response.

"Sure. It'll give me something to pass the time at night, when all the other girls gossip and talk about their latest conquests. My owl has a name by the way. It's Thoth." She paused and added a smiley face, hoping her tone would come across as joking. "What would you like to know? -Noelle"

As she gave Thoth her response, she laid back in bed to sleep. Only one more day until her first training session with Queenie.