Chapter Two
They hurried to get to their lockers, happy with their answer sheets.
"That was a close one," Thorne panted.
"Not for me, I'm so charming with my good looks." Finnick took a sugar cube from his locker and popped it in his mouth. "I could hypnotize anyone and anything," Finnick said matter-of-factly.
"You seem to doubt yourself."
"Fancy a sugar?"
"Offer it to your ladies," Thorne told him, shutting his locker.
"Of course, but I was just being the perfect gentleman."
"Let's go."
They got to the Physics classroom, ten minutes late, and handed in their 'homework'.
"Today we will be learning about Einstein's Theory," Mr. Branwell announced, writing 'Einstein's Theory' on the blackboard. "Einstein's general theory of relativity explains gravity as a distortion of spacetime caused by the presence of matter or energy. A massive object generates a gravitational field by warping the geometry of the surrounding spacetime," he explained eagerly, in the process dropping the chalk as he gestured wildly.
"This is so gripping," Fred said in a bored tone. "Hey George," he whispered scribbling a few notes that said 'I've got an idea, meet me in The Three Broomsticks after school. -Fred and George.'
He showed George the note.
"Wicked." He grinned.
They passed out the notes then settled back in their chairs and listened as Mr. Branwell animatedly talked about 'string theory'; his fourth tangent of the lesson.
...
Peony had shown Prim to the dorms but had left in a hurry, remembering that she needed to go to Drama.
Grateful that her luggage had been dropped off separately, Prim hurriedly unpacked, worried about being late for her first lesson.
A knock resounded through her room. Prim went to the door, expecting Peony, but instead she opened it to see Gale standing in the hallway.
"Hey Prim, settling in well?" he asked.
"Oh, hi Gale!" Prim said, looking up, "Yeah, I've made a couple of friends already actually…"
"Good, I'm glad you're liking it here." He smiled and walked into the room. "Katniss made me promise to look after you, so if anything happens you just tell me right away, okay?"
"Okay."
...
Three girls rushed into the English classroom. They put their homework on the teacher's desk.
"Today we will be starting our analysis of 'A Tale of Two Cities'," Mr. Herondale stated.
Peony sat up attentively, pen in hand.
"Ginny," he instructed, "hand out these extracts from Chapter One."
...
Charlotte knocked on the door of Principal Dumbledore's office.
"Come in," a voice called.
Charlotte sat down at a large desk. It contained many pictures of his much beloved dog, Fawkes; a desktop computer; and piles upon piles of paperwork. Dumbledore reclined in a plush armchair holding a silver pen with a fluffy pompom on the end.
"Lemon sherbet?" he offered.
"Ah, no thank you Principal. Actually, I came because of the email you sent me – you said it was urgent?"
"Yes, we are due an OFSTED inspection in the next few weeks. I assume preparations are already underway?"
"Yes, yes of course."
She didn't want to mention the lack of homework they were receiving from students, or the fact that some students seemed to be making a business of selling fake homework. Or that some students would be taken ill only to make a full recovery once they were allowed to take the day off.
With a mind to speak to a certain couple of students, Charlotte left the principal's office a few minutes later.
...
"Right, that's the end of this lesson." Mr. Herondale concluded, clapping his hands together, "Don't forget to put your names down to audition for the play. I'm expecting great things from all of you."
Peony raised her hand eagerly, "Um, sir? When will the auditions take place?"
"Thursday."
"This Thursday, sir?"
"No, last Thursday, Peony," he said, dead serious. "Don't be late."
Blushing profusely, she gathered her books, stuffing them unceremoniously in her bag.
The bell rang, and the students filed out of the classroom.
"That was a little mean, don't you think?" Tessa Gray was standing just outside the door, a pile of textbooks in her arms.
He opened his mouth to argue, but she silenced him with a look. "Sorry, Miss Gray," he said quietly.
She dropped her books onto the desk and shooed him away, "My class will be here in a minute."
"Of course." He flashed her a winning smile and strode out. Looks like she still hates me, he thought.
