[A little review of the characters presented thus far, in order of house, then introduction...
-Wesley: a Hogwarts house elf.
Ravenclaw
-Allison Wood: main character. Long wavy brown hair, hazel eyes. Seventh year Ravenclaw.
-Elizabeth Clay: a dorm-mate and best friend of Allison's. Tall and willowy blonde, grey eyes. Seventh year Ravenclaw.
-Amber Ross: a dorm-mate and friend of Allison's. Small, pixie-like blonde, bright blue eyes. Seventh year Ravenclaw.
-Elisabeth Scharkey: a dorm-mate and friend of Allison's. Expressive, bad-tempered girl of Asian descent. Seventh year Ravenclaw.
-Holly Williams: a dorm-mate of Allison's. Thin, sharp-featured blonde, green eyes. Seventh year Ravenclaw.
-Scarlett O'Riley: a dorm-mate of Allison's. Prefect. Ruddy-faced dirty blonde. Seventh year Ravenclaw.
-Antony Marwick: a house-mate of Allison's. Head Boy. Seventh year Ravenclaw.
-Rose Weasley: a cousin of James, Fred, Molly, and Roxanne's. Fifth year Ravenclaw.
-Luke/Lewis/Louis Weasley: a cousin of James, Fred, Molly, Roxanne, and Rose's. Fifth year Ravenclaw.
-Matt Edwards: an attractive house-mate of Allison's. Seventh year Ravenclaw.
-Stephen Stroupe: a house-mate of Allison's. Chaser on the Quidditch team. Seventh year Ravenclaw.
-Ernie Rousch: Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Ravenclaw Head of House.
-Kayla Milam: the final dorm-mate of Allison's. Tall, athletic and blond. Chaser on the Quidditch team. Seventh year Ravenclaw.
-Maggie Anderson: a house-mate of Allison's. Small and mousy-haired. Chaser on the Quidditch team. Fifth year Ravenclaw.
-Carl Mauldin: a house-mate of Allison's. Built and gorilla-like. Beater on the Quidditch team. Sixth year Ravenclaw.
-Timothy McCullin: a house-mate of Allison's. Thin and gangly. Beater on the Quidditch team. Fourth year Ravenclaw.
-David Lankford: a house-mate of Allison's and her "secret weapon." Average-looking and nondescript. Seeker on the Quidditch team. Third year Ravenclaw.
-Victoire Weasley: James' cousin and Dominque and Louis' older sister. Engaged to Teddy Lupin. +3 Ravenclaw.
-Danny Devries: fifth year Ravenclaw.
Gryffindor
-James Potter: male lead. Tall and broad-shouldered, with messy black hair and amber eyes. Refuses to wear his glasses properly. Chaser One & captain on the Quidditch team. Sixth year Gryffindor .
-Fred Weasley: a cousin of James'. Tall and gangly, and a spread of freckles and light brown hair despite his dark skin. Sixth year Gryffindor.
-Molly Weasley: a cousin of James and Fred's. Head Girl. Seventh year Gryffindor.
-Roxanne Weasley: a cousin of James and Molly's, sister to Fred. First year Gryffindor.
-Hugh/Harvey/Tarquin/Hugo Weasley: a cousin of James, Fred, Molly, and Roxanne's, brother to Rose. Third year Gryffindor.
-Minerva McGonagall: Headmistress.
-Nick Riggins: a friend and year-mate of Allison's. Keeper on the Quidditch team. Seventh year Gryffindor.
-Lena Banks: a year-mate of Allison's. Overconfident, arrogant Seeker on the Quidditch team. Seventh year Gryffindor.
-Neville Longbottom: Herbology professor. Gryffindor Head of House.
-Lily Potter: James' younger sister. Beater on the Quidditch team. Third year Gryffindor.
-Teddy Lupin: James' godbrother. Engaged to Victoire. +5 Gryffindor.
-Danny Malcom: Chaser on the Quidditch team. Fifth year Gryffindor.
-Joe Kaufman: Beater on the Quidditch team. Sixth year Gryffindor.
Hufflepuff
-Chandra Hauge: Muggle Studies professor that had a constant cold. Hufflepuff Head of House.
-Mark van Hulle: Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain and Seeker. Short, brown-haired and muscular. Fifth year Hufflepuff.
-Lucy Weasley: James' cousin and Molly's younger sister. Sixth year Hufflepuff.
-Sterling Whisby: Chaser on the Quidditch team. Sixth year HUfflepuff.
-Robbie Mabb: Beater on the Quidditch team. Fourth year Hufflepuff.
-Kirsten Milbury: Keeper on the Quidditch team. Fifthy year Hufflepuff.
-Mickey Derickson: Chaser on the Quidditch team. Fifth year Hufflepuff.
-Aurora Camillo: Chaser on the Quidditch team. Fourth year Hufflepuff.
-Kendall Brown: Beater on the Quidditch team. Third year Hufflepuff.
Slytherin
-Mr. Ruppenthal: Caretaker.
-Darios Calvios: the Slytherin Quidditch Captain and Chaser. Blonde, arrogant and snake-tongued. Seventh year Slytherin.
-Ramon Naguchi: Astronomy professor. Slytherin Head of House.
-Albus Potter: James' younger brother. Surprisingly well kept hair. Seeker on the Quidditch team. Fifth year Slytherin.
-Quinton Alberta: Chaser on the Quidditch team. Third year Slytherin.
-Delia Difiore: Beater on the Quidditch team. Seventhy year Slytherin.
-Raphael Posados: Keeper on the Quidditch team. Sixth year Slytherin.
-Lorcan Scamander: Chaser on the Quidditch team. Sixth year Slytherin.
-Theodore Wisz: Beater on the Quidditch team. Seventh year Slytherin.
"Now, I'd like you to please turn your attentions to the diagrams on the board." Professor Rousch rapped his wand against the blackboard at the front of the classroom; instantly lines of chalk swirled across its surface. "See how the appearance of the Lethifold greatly resembles that of a dementor? Why is that significant? Miss Wood, if you will."
"Because the only known form of protection against a Lethifold is the Patronus Charm," I answered primly.
"Quite right! Five points to Ravenclaw. Now, can anyone tell me…"
"My uncle once faked death by Lethifold," Amber whispered to me out of the corner of her mouth. Her head was bent, like she was taking notes, but her long curly hair concealed her rather unflattering caricature of Professor Rousch. "We found him a few towns over with the local dentist."
I rolled my eyes and tapped my wand on her paper, drawing the ink on it together in a small blob. "You'd get in trouble if he saw that," I whispered back.
"Rousch? He wouldn't do anything," she retorted, looking put out that I'd ruined her doodling.
I gave her a sharp look and then returned to the lecture.
"… And for homework, a fourteen inch essay comparing and contrasting Lethifolds and Dementors. Particularly focus on identification and protection, please."
The bell rang. "Class dismissed."
"Fourteen inches!" I moaned quietly as the class began to pack up. "I've got Quidditch tonight!"
"Don't you complain," said Scharkey as she passed our bench. "You made the schedule."
"She's right," said Amber.
"Why was I made Quidditch Captain?" I asked the heavens. I stuffed my quill and ink bottle in the side pocket of my bag and swung it over my shoulder. "I hate work!"
We walked out of the classroom and started down the long spiraling staircase. Amber brushed her hair out of her eyes. "The better question is, why are you in Ravenclaw?"
"People can be in Ravenclaw without being hardworking," I snapped. "That's what Hufflepuff is for!"
"Hufflepuff is for wimps," Amber said flatly.
"Then why aren't you in it?" I muttered darkly.
"Hm?"
"Oh, nothing."
"Oh, nothing, my-,"
"Oi!" I suddenly called over the railing as I spotted a scrawny brown-haired fourth year exiting the office Professor Grabauskas, the Transfiguration teacher. "Sammy!"
The boy paused and craned his head upwards. "Aye? Wit?"
"Come visit me at lunch! And dinnae say yeh cannae jus' 'cause yeh dinnae watty!" I told him.
"Aye, aye," said Sam resignedly and walked away.
I turned to see Amber give me a strange look. "Wit? I mean what?"
She cocked her head to the side. "Ever notice that when you're with your brother your Scottish accent stands out more?"
"No," I said. "Ah haven'y—haven't. Let's go, we'll miss lunch." I swallowed a gaping yawn. I'd overslept this morning and had missed breakfast; my stomach cramped painfully at the thought of finally getting some food.
"Miss lunch, she says. As if we could actually…" Amber muttered. She skipped ahead anyway and was five or six steps down ahead of me before I realized it. I dashed to catch up.
At the bottom of the staircase I froze, paralyzed by a horrifying sight. Across the hall, Stephen Stroupe leaned against one stone wall, arms crossed and head bent low, talking with wee, mousy Maggie Anderson. I gaped as she blushed and clutched her books tightly to her chest and smiled a silly little girlish smile when Stephen moved closer, leaving hardly a foot between them. His gaze was soft as he made to brush an errant strand of hair from Maggie's face.
"That bastard," I whispered. Oh sweet, innocent Maggie! And that vile pompous prat Stephen!
"What?" said Amber curiously.
"Aye, Ah'll be having words wi' him," I promised darkly. "Th' howfin' fanny, messing with me perfect Quidditch team…"
"Excuse me?"
"Ev'rything's ruined naw," I moaned.
Just then Kayla Milam passed by, blonde hair swinging from side to side in a high pony. She sent a dirty look towards the couple, her eyes lingering a little too long on Stephen's easy grin, before stalking away.
"…Bugger," I finished.
"I can't even," Amber exhaled, throwing up her hands in frustration. "Let's go to lunch you great big buffoon!"
"I resent that," I muttered.
Upon finally entering the Great Hall, I fell upon the plate of steaming roast beef sandwiches and bowls piled high with glistening fruit. "I love life," I declared to no one in particular, fruit-speared fork stabbing into the air above to prove my point.
"I'm glad to hear it," said Amber, looking at my feasting with some distaste. "Hey, Elli."
"Hi," Elli replied distractedly. She was bent over a long sheet of parchment, her quill poised at the end of it. The tip pressed the parchment so hard that a large inkblot was forming. "What are four things that contributed to the eighteenth century goblin rebellions?"
"Well, you've got three already," I mumbled through my sandwich, peering over her shoulder. "I'd go with wand legislation."
She wrote that down and began to go further into depth with some frightening fervor.
"Ah, goblin rebellions," sighed Amber. "How nostalgic. I'm glad I'm done with all that."
"If I want to go into magical law," muttered Elli, brow furrowed in concentration, "then I have to continue with History of Magic."
"Magical Law," Amber repeated slowly, rolling her eyes for my benefit. I giggled and immediately choked on a chunk of honeydew. "How boring. Me, I'm aiming for the best."
"Healing," I pointed out after having to perform the Heimlich on myself, "does not seem to be up your alley, I'm afraid."
Amber shrugged. "Perhaps not Healing, precisely. I want to go more into research, like. You should be thinking of what you want to do too, Allison. You can't graduate undecided like you are now!"
I grunted noncommitedly. Truth was, I had already decided what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.
"Alli!"
"Oh, hey, Sam," I said, turning around. Sam rolled his eyes and slid into place next to me.
"What do yeh want with me?" he said.
"Oh, cuhm aff i'," I told him crossly. "Cannae ah talk to me wee brother without haven'y to haff a reason?"
"It's like a circus show," Amber whispered to Elli.
"No," Sam answered obviously. "If yeh dinnae need heehaw—" He made to get up.
"Sit!" I ordered, dragging him back down. "It wilnae hurt teh sit witch yer sister's friends."
"Do yeh no yer friends?" he muttered. "Ah haff me own life, Alli!"
I glanced toward the Gryffindor table, purposely letting my eyes pass over an animated James Potter to where Sam's two friends, Jesse Hubbel and Arthur Latimer, sat. My eyebrows shot up as I spotted the very pretty June Parker sitting next to them.
"Oh, ah see," I said. "Geh on, then. Geh mingle with the pretty girrel."
Sam granted me another eye roll before shoving himself away from the bench. I returned to my plate. "What?" I asked, aware that everyone was staring at me.
"Nothing," they all chorused.
I frowned. I had a small complex about my accent. See, my dad's a pure Scot through and through, but my mum is English. When we were little, Sam and I lived in Scotland with Dad's family, but after Dad stopped playing League we moved in with Mum's side of the family. The local village children often teased us about our accents, so we worked hard to talk and sound like English kids. But being with Sam, here in Hogwarts in the heart of Scotland, really makes me go back to how it used to be.
"Shove aff," I muttered, and, stuffing a last piece of sandwich in my mouth, I got up. "I have a free next, so I'm off to the library."
I'd work out my frustrations in Quidditch practice later.
"Oh, sweet, sweet Merlin," I groaned loudly as I lowered myself stiffly into the hot, gently churning water. I floated at the edge for several minutes before painfully pointing my wand at the numerous golden taps at the pool's other end. Sweet-smelling, purple liquid gushed forth from five at once, and shimmery bubbles began to spread across the surface. I moaned at the sensation.
The Prefects' Bathroom was large and laid with marble. Most of its space was taken up by a sunken tub the size of a swimming pool, within which I was currently submerged. As Quidditch Captain, I was entitled to its usage along with Prefects and the Head Boy and Girl, but this paradise was definitely built with muscle-sore, practice-weary Quidditch players in mind.
Work out my frustrations indeed. I felt a little sorry about pushing my players a bit hard, but soon shrugged it off. It had been good for them.
I was just getting comfortable when I heard the door open and close with a soft thud. Then someone began to whistle, low, off-key and most definitely not a member of my own gender.
"Shit," I said.
The whistling stopped abruptly. "Is someone there?"
Shit shit shit! It was James!
I took a huge breath and dived under water. I swam with long strokes to the farthest corner of the pool, which was partially blocked off by a statue of the nude Uwe the Unashamed. I ducked behind Uwe's leg and surrounded myself with as much bubbles as possible.
"Hello?" James called again. I felt, rather than saw, him shrug. "Must be my imagination," he muttered. There was some rustling and a soft thump.
I peeked through Uwe's legs and immediately whipped back around. Why didn't you just say someone was using the tub, you nincompoop! I silently berated myself, face boiling. Now James Potter is stripping right in front of you! The realization made my heart pound dangerously.
For reasons not yet clear to me, I slowly twisted back around. James had finished unbuttoning his shirt and was tossing it to one side. I sucked in a breath as he turned to face my side of the pool; I'm sure my eyes couldn't get any wider as I committed his shape to memory.
James had broad, tapered shoulders with a clearly defined collarbone, sculpted pectorals and rippling abdominals. His belly button ran long between two inverted lines that joined his hipbones and his—
I'm going to hell for this, I thought cheerfully. No, really, I'm definitely going to hell for this. Seventh circle and all.
His arm muscles worked as he fumbled with the clasp of his belt. Holy Merlin's twitchy right eye look at those triceps! Finally the clasp loosened and he dropped his pants.
Why are his legs so toned? He flies on a fucking broomstick! I mentally ranted. My legs don't look nearly so good, I thought, noting his defined quads and rounded calves with some jealousy. I smirked; he wore red boxer-briefs with tiny golden lions. Then I ducked under the bubbles again when he removed those as well. He's underage, for Rowena's sake!
I emerged timidly again when I thought the coast was clear. It was strangely silent; then—"I wonder whose clothes these are?"
I'm dead.
"Why would someone just leave their clothes here? Unless-," James paused, thinking. "Unless-,"
The door shot open with a bang. "Ugh, James, put some clothes on!" It was James' cousin Rose. "No one wants to see that!"
James quickly covered himself. "Rosie! What the hell are you doing!"
She turned away from him slightly. "Freddie's been looking all over for you. Something about Antony Marwick and a box of Nifflers?"
"Oh-Merlin's-hairy-nostril-I'll-be-right-out-just-let-me-get-dressed-shit-shit-shit!"
He whizzed out like a Wasps player at an Arrows postmatch party.
In his wake, Rose sighed and bent to pick up his bag and sweater. Then she paused, straightened, and stared right at me. She took a few steps toward Uwe's statue—
"Rosie! Let's go, you found James and you don't really need a bath right?" That sounded like that Louis Weasley.
"Right, of course," she answered hurriedly. She took one last glance around the bathroom and exited. The door swung shut like a Stunning spell.
I sank low into the water, overwhelmed with relief. Then all at once my muscles ached again. "I'll just stay here for a bit," I told myself. I swam over to the taps again and restarted the bubbles, then leaned against the edge and savored the memory of James Potter's glorious muscle structure.
[A/N: Yeah, I felt bad about leaving James out for so long, so I threw in that little tidbit at the end. Not that you guys are complaining, right? ;) Sorry about the shortness, I only just realized. Also, apologies for botching up the Scottish accent- if there are any Scottish readers out there who'd like to drop me some tips, I'd be ever so grateful.]
