Chapter 3

Nell looked back and forth between the splintered portion of wall behind Marie and the wand in her hand. Marie's expression of awe quickly changed to one of anger.

"Nellie!" she roared. "Mum's going to kill you when she sees this! — I'm going to kill you!"

Nell rolled her eyes and pushed past her gaping sister. She waved her wand at the large hole in the wall. "Murus reparo," Nell said, and a new wave of plaster and paint flowing over the hole seamlessly. She lowered her wand and stepped closer to examine her work closely. "See? All fixed; no harm done."

"No harm done?" Marie's eyes flashed dangerously as she spoke. "You fired that at my head! You could've killed me!"

"Well, I didn't, okay? Calm down," said Nell. "And it might not have killed you..."

"Calm down? What did you say, you little —"

"What the hell are you two yelling about?" Andrew, Marie's older blood brother, suddenly came storming into the room with his thick physics book in hand. His blue eyes flashed angrily.

Marie immediately raised a trembling finger at Nell. "She did that! Nellie…she shot that spell at me and it blasted that hole in the wall. You heard that didn't you? But she mended it just now… But she almost killed me."

Nell faced her older sister boldly. "Shut up. You're the one who started it, anyways."

Andrew held up his hand. "Enough, you two. And put down those wands. The wall looks fine. Nellie, Marie, both of you just cut it out before we all get in trouble," he said sternly.

"Yeah, yeah," Nell muttered in annoyance.

Just as they began walking away, he continued to say, "But don't you let me catch you fighting again. You'll both be going off to school together in a week and neither of you better get into any fights there. Mum and dad will have your heads. Just be glad that neither of them were home this time…"

By the time he finished chiding them, Nell was already out of the room and halfway up the stairs.

"What was all that about?" asked Gash when she finally entered her bedroom.

Nell shook her head. "Nothing." She shut the door behind her and then pummeled down onto her bed headfirst. "Next Tuesday couldn't come quick enough. We'll be away at Hogwarts soon."

The meter-long snake slithered up and coiled up on top of her belly. "Shall I hide in your sister's bedcovers tonight?"

Nell couldn't help but give out a small laugh. "No, that won't be necessary. Last time you did that she nearly kicked you to death. I think I'll just hex the showerhead in the bathroom for the next time she showers."

"A fine plan," replied Gash.

Nell smiled to herself and laid her head back. "Then again, perhaps not. I don't think it would sit too well with mum or dad, especially before I head off to Hogwarts for the first time. Maybe I'll wait to get back at Marie when we get to the school," she said.

A quick knock at the door suddenly interrupted them.

"Nellie? You're father and I are home, dear," her mother said, poking her head into the room. Her eyes immediately darted to Gash. "What is that bloody snake of yours doing out of its cage? Go wash your hands right now. Haven't you even started packing yet? Haven't you bought any of your school supplies yet?"

"No," Nell replied plainly. She ignored the woman's orders and other questions and continued stroking Gash's scaly head.

"Well, it's about time you have. C'mon, get up! I suppose I have time enough…I'll take you down to Diagon Alley in ten minutes. We'll buy your books, supplies, and get you fitted for some new robes. Oh, and you're not taking that snake with you to Hogwarts. We'll buy you a proper bird or cat to take with you." Without waiting to hear any protestation, the woman shut the door and marched back down the stairs and out of earshot.

"You'd better not buy a bird or cat of any kind," Gash said.

Nell said, "Don't worry. I'll talk her out of buying me a bird. And I hate cats. The last thing I want is an owl screeching at me every other minute. I'm just glad Marie didn't tell her about our fight earlier."

"I agree."

Nell slowly rose and set Gash down on the bookshelf. "I'd better start getting ready, though. Mum really hates it when I keep her waiting too long." Nell threw on a clean blouse and rummaged through a drawer for a matching pair of socks. "I don't think you can come this time; you heard what the woman said. I'm going to be fitted for new robes, which means that old hag that runs the tailoring shop will be all touchy-feely to measure me. I don't think that a snake coiled up in my pocket would go unnoticed for very long."

"I understand," Gash said. "You can go without me for once, I suppose."

Nell finished putting on her socks and then slipped her feet into her old shoes. "Someone has to hold down the fort, right? Tell me if Marie tries to hex anything of mine," Nell said, smiling.

As she turned and walked out of the room, she heard Gash let out a snake-like chuckle.

By evening, Nell returned.

"Turns out my books and things were more expensive than expected. We didn't have enough money by the end to fit me for new robes. I'll be wearing Marie's old robes for now. I suppose you could have come along if you wanted." Nell lugged the rest of her purchases into the room. Amongst the things piled high in her arms was a fairly large-sized birdcage. "Oh, and did Marie decide to stop in at any point while I was gone?"

"Yes. She was thinking about doing something, but then left without doing anything. Good thing she's scared of snakes—otherwise you might've come back home to a bewitched bookcase, or something." Gash eyed the bird cage suspiciously. "Whatever is that for?"

Nell heaved the cage up onto her desk and set it next to Gash. "Well, I'm not sure I'm allowed to bring a snake to Hogwarts, so I figured I'd buy this just in case. The lady made me buy a raven, too, but I didn't want it. I secretly sent it off to the far reaches of China just a moment ago. But Mum saw me buy it—that's what matters. She'll expect to see me bring one to Hogwarts, though…"

Gash tensed his muscles and drew back a few inches. "Oh, no. If you're going to try what I think you're wanting to try, then… But, Nell, isn't that all a bit advanced?"

"Oh, I know what I'm doing," Nell said. She pulled out one of her sister's old Transfiguration textbooks and began flipping through its pages. "I've been reading about this stuff for years, Gash. And I know I can do it if I try. I mean, didn't I tell you about that spell that blasted a hole in the wall earlier today—or at least you surely heard it? Or that rat in the basement I managed to transfigure into a matchbox?"

"A full-fledged trans-species transfiguration spell is far different from a blasted wall or a rat turned into a matchbox," said Gash skeptically.

Nell gave Gash an intense stare.

"Ughh. Okay, but I want to see you successfully use that spell on no fewer than six frogs before I let you even point that wand at me," Gash hissed.

"I don't plan on trying it until the day we leave. I much prefer you as a snake, you know. I'll turn you into a bird just while we travel," Nell reassured him.