Chapter 5: Formation of a team
When summer ended, Harry packed his things the night before and went to the dining room for breakfast. Today was the day that he would move into the Academy's dorms. Since the tour, he had been enamored with where he would be attending for the next seven years. The opportunity to prove himself was to prove himself, and his worth was not something he could pass up. Finishing his breakfast, he went to hug his grandfather goodbye.
"Do you have everything you need?" Asked Charlus.
"I do," patting his pocket, which held his shrunken trunk. "Everything I need was packed yesterday."
Charlus briefly eyed him, ". . .do your best and have a good term. I'll see you during the Yule holiday. This came earlier and will take you to the Academy's gates." He pulled out a stone that had been turned into a portkey and gave it to him.
"Send my best to the others," he said, accepting the stone and walked out of the house. Closing the door behind him, he walked outside the wards, activated the portkey, and then was whisked away.
Never being a fan of this form of magical travel, Harry stumbled a bit when he landed in front of the gates. He turned his head when two guards approached him. "Give your name, the year you will be in, and have your wand ready for evaluation."
"Harry Potter, first year." He summoned his wand from his holster and gave it to the guard without the scroll.
"Potter. Potter," the man looked through the scroll for the incoming first years till he found his name. "Yes, here you are."
"The wand is working perfectly and is definitely his," the man beside him gave Harry his wand back.
"You may proceed. Head to the auditorium to receive your dorm number and key," the man stepped aside to let Harry pass.
Returning his wand to its holster, he walked to the auditorium to receive his room key. A mixture of students of different years was already at the building, standing next to the wall, sitting under the trees in the shade, or leaving the building to go check out their rooms. Heading up the stairs, his senses immediately told him someone familiar was approaching from behind. So, turning his head, he saw Jeremy coming. When the boy saw him, he hurried over.
"Hey, Jeremy. I didn't expect you to be here this early and with no glasses. So you took my advice." Harry grinned.
Jeremy chuckled, "yeah, well, I wanted to get here before it became too busy." The two walked inside, where they got in line, and Jeremy explained that his mother had taken him to an optometrist a few days ago to get his eyes checked. "Surprisingly, it went a lot quicker than I thought it would. The healer gave me a potion, cast a spell over my eyes, and just like that, I could see perfectly. No more glasses for me."
". . .It certainly beats the alternative of always worrying about someone summoning them off your face or them being damaged." Harry laughed as they moved to the front. "Harry Potter, first year," he told the secretary. He then moved away after receiving an envelope containing his key with a room number on it and his class schedule.
A single housing room could fit a maximum of three occupants, each with three bedrooms, bathrooms, and a living room with a fireplace. Opening his envelope pulled out his key, which had his room number on it. Jeremy came over a second later, having opened his envelope. "What number did you get?"
"217. What about you?"
"Same. Looks like we're roommates this year."
"Seems that way," Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Who do you think will be rooming with us?"
"Hopefully, it's Andrew though anything can happen. Might as well go wait and see."
"True." The two friends left the auditorium building and decided to head to the residential building to check out their living spaces. While they went to their destination, several more students headed in the opposite direction toward the auditorium to receive their room keys and class schedules. "Classes start tomorrow, and we have Defense Against the Dark Arts, followed by Charms, Herbology, lunch, Arithmancy, and later History of Magic."
"That means each class period is an hour and fifteen minutes long unless we have to do a double period with a professor. So that means the school days won't end till around 5:30 p.m., that's not including astronomy since it occurs at night," Jeremy surmised.
As they neared the housing complex, someone called out to them. "Hey guys, wait up!" They turned around to see Andrew, Jade, Natalie, and Sophie coming.
"What's up, guys?" Jade hugged both of her friends.
"Nothin' much. We were just about to check our dorm. What room did you guys get?" Harry asked after he hugged Lauren, who replied.
"Me, Jade, and Sophie are in room 231. What about you two?"
"Room 217," said Harry.
"Same with me," Andrew smiled. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go," he pulled his friends' arms, dragging them inside the building.
In the short time they've spent together since the tour, the six of them became close friends and were practically inseparable. They went up the stairs to get settled in their new living quarters but promised to meet up outside once they got unpacked. The boy's found their quarters and rushed into their living space when Andrew unlocked the door. The living room was quite spacious, with two large sofas facing each other, a coffee table between them, a fireplace against the wall, large windows with a view outside, and three separate doors leading to their bedrooms.
"Dibs on the room on the right," Andrew sprinted to the room he wanted. Harry went to the one in the middle, and Jeremy took the one on the left.
To Harry, the room was big enough just for him, as it had a desk for him to work at, a bed, a nightstand, a dresser with a mirror, and two other doors: one for him to take a shower and the other was a closet. The best part of having a room all to himself was that he could customize it; however, he wanted. But that was for later, as he was supposed to meet the others outside, so he removed his shrunken trunk from his pocket and flicked his wand into his hand.
"Engorgio," he pointed his wand at his trunk, and the thing returned to its normal size. The opening it, he pulled out his things, got to work, and within an hour, pushed the trunk under his bed.
Seeing that his work was done left to sit on one of the sofas to wait for Andrew and Jeremy, who turned up a minute later, and together the three boys went outside to relax underneath a tree's shade. "Well, we got some time before the girls are done. And knowing my dear sister she. . ."
". . .is standing behind you lame brain." Andrew turned around to see Jade glaring at him with her arms folded across her chest. "And I will have you know that unlike you, I at least know how to organize and pick up after myself. Or do I have to remind you of yesterday's disgusting incident?"
Andrew flushed in embarrassment at what happened, "that would not have happened if you didn't come bursting into my room without knocking first. I told you I was. . ."
"This is going to take a while," Sophie rolled her eyes and sat next to Harry. "These two can go for hours."
"Ugh. I got it," Harry stood up and yelled. "Oi!" Clapping his hands together to silence them. "The two of you can bicker later! Right now, let's just sit and relax for the day since classes are tomorrow." Andrew and Jade glared at each other before sitting on the grass.
". . .Thank you," Natalie muttered. "Now that we're all unpacked and got our schedules, we'll need a game plan."
"You mean so we can study and help each other? Come Wednesday, we're going to be busy." Jeremy said.
"Understatement of the century, but at least this will be better than that garbage they teach in Hogwarts," Harry added. "I checked the syllabuses for the first years and have to say that it is pretty weak."
"Hmm. Three dragots say that Dumbledore and the Ministry had the curriculum lowered," Sophie giggled. "I still find it hard to believe that once a premier school has become nothing more than a laughing stock. Not much of a shock as to why parents choose to send their students elsewhere."
Andrew was of the same mind. The once proud Hogwarts school had fallen from grace, as several important classes were removed, and they only taught the bare minimum. "One thing is for certain, though. Whatever they do in Britain cannot affect us here."
"Here, we actually have the chance to learn advanced magic," Jade lay down on the grass to soak up some heat. "What do you think the International Magical Tournament will consist of?"
"Their division based. So that means they're only open to eleven-year-olds and up. They're comprised of multiple events in different branches of magic ranging from Transfiguration, Charms, DADA, Dueling, Potions, etc." Harry informed, having done some research about the tournament.
The six of them continued lounging around under the tree, in their rooms, or decided to go explore the Academy, discussing many different topics about what to expect this year. At the end of the day, they went to have dinner in the cafeteria and returned to the boy's dorm, where they spent the remainder of their time before heading off to bed for the night. For the next hour and a half, they played games, or in Harry's case, played his guitar until it came time for them to go to bed.
(0^0)
During the next two months, the students of Merlin's Academy found themselves busy almost every day with homework assignments, studying for quizzes and tests, and having to show their skills in different areas of magic. In the Charms classroom, the students were sitting in their seats writing down notes as Professor Thompson explained the principles of the lighting charm. "Being one of the most basic of all spells you will learn this year, you shouldn't underestimate its value. Why?"
Harry, who was in the third row and sat next to Natalie, raised his hand along with a handful of other students. The teacher then pointed to him, "because the spell could be used for more than lighting up dark places. One, in particular, would be that it has an advantage in combat, as it can make your opponent falter when covering their eyes from the sheer brightness." Mr. Thompson gestured his head for him to continue, "another use is that it could lead the way out of unfamiliar places or be used to find something you're looking for. The standard lightning charm won't work; that is where variations come in: Lumos Invenio and Lumos Dirigo."
"Correct. Moving on," he put the piece of chalk down on his desk and took his wand. "I will cast the spells to give you an idea of what they can do," with a couple flicks of his wand, the windows closed, darkening the classroom considerably. "First, the light location charm, Lumos Invenio Tory Brooks," a ball of light left his wand and went to the far left of the back row, where it levitated and glowed next to the girl. "And now the light direction charm, "Lumos Dirigo classroom's second exit." The familiar ball of white light left his wand, but instead of heading to a person, it hovered next to the professor's face as he began to walk, directing him to the room's other exit.
When he reached the door, he flicked his wand a couple times, and the windows opened, and the ball of light disappeared. Once the light from outside spread throughout the classroom, he returned to his desk. "Like the two variations of the lighting charm, there is more to magic than what several of you know. They require a different amount of focus and different wand movements, but more than that, they have different purposes."
He spent the remainder of the class going over the different effects of the charm and had them practice until the bell rang. "I want two rolls of parchment on the different effects of the lighting charm and its variations due by next class. Also, I believe it is prudent to inform all of you that you have an upcoming exam next week, so study hard." There was a collection of groans from the students as they left the room.
Herbology wasn't so bad for the day, as Professor Hopkins had instructed them on how to handle the different magical plants by providing the best sort of care. The only issue was that a few forgot to hand in their homework essays and chose to play games rather than pay attention. Say what you want about the man, but he did not tolerate slack nor put up with any shenanigans while class was in session. As punishment, he gave them detentions and zeros for the day. Harry had known about teachers such as the Herbology Master. . .but compared to his grandfather's and two uncle's strict natures, they'd make him look as gentle as a sleeping kitten.
Then it came time for lunch, and everyone went to the cafeteria. ". . . too much homework," Jeremy said as he sat down with his tray of food.
"Yeah, well, this is to be expected," Sophie turned a page in her Herbology book. "Next month is our semester exams, and our progress reports get sent out. I heard from the older students that once the semester ends, the Professors will have a meeting to discuss whether the students should follow the regular academic program or be given more advanced work to see if they qualify to move up sooner."
"Knowing the staff, they don't play," Harry drank some water from his goblet. "In this school, we're based on quality rather than quantity. A person can be an excellent student who gets high marks or excel in one category over another. However, it ultimately comes down to the person's affinity that determines whether they should be moved up."
"Andrew, you excel at Charms and Dueling, Natalie Potions and Healing, Jade Ancient Runes and Enchanting, Jeremy Wards and Alchemy, Sophie Enchanting and Arithmancy, and me Charms, Transfiguration, DADA, and Dueling. These are all the areas we specialize in."
"You forgot about ancient magic," Jade looked at Harry with a knowing smirk when he looked at her questioningly. "You've been doing research about the more obscure branches of magic, and am already getting a reputation. Several of the older students are calling you a unique prodigy. Best guess is they will likely approach you to either gain your favor or challenge you."
"Thing is though; I hate attention. I'm just someone who knows a couple things about magic," dragging his fingers through his unruly hair. "That said, if they decide to challenge me, then hopefully, it's interesting."
"Hmm, Harry, you're too much," Jade closed her eyes and giggled. One of the few things she knew about him was that he enjoyed the prospect of being challenged.
"Back to the point, Jeremy said, wanting to get back to what they were talking about. "Seeing how we each specialize in different areas, I guess that makes us a team."
"I like the sound of that. We sure make a dang good team," Andrew smiled. "The only thing is, what are we going to call ourselves?"
"Good question," Natalie said. "Probably be best if we think about it later, like when school is over for the day," she suggested.
"Nat is. . .we're going to need to keep our focus on the here and now. As I have a feeling that we're about to have a surprise exam in our next class." Sophie acknowledged.
True to what she said, after lunch, they went to Arithmancy, where they indeed had an exam courtesy of Professor Wilks. The exam took most of the period, with the students having to work on different math problems and explain how Arithmancy was used to help create and alter spells. While some of the students struggled, Sophie and Harry breezed through, with Jade following behind the two. Once done, they turned their exams in and left the classroom to wait for the others.
"That could have gone better," Jade groaned, taking a water bottle from her bag. "At least it's over," she continued after taking a swig of water.
". . . Plus, we have a longer break than the other students," chimed Harry. "Hopefully, this is our last exam for the day."
"Don't jinx it," Jeremy came out of the room along with a few other students. "We have History of Magic with Professor Smith later, and there's no telling what she has in store for us today." The dark-skinned History professor might be eccentric and somewhat unpredictable, but she did her job in teaching them about the history of the magical world. She made sure to teach the important things and didn't cut corners or show favoritism towards any magical species. The woman was fair and completely neutral in her viewpoints and explanations.
Soon enough, several other students started coming out, obviously done with their exams. Harry took out two pieces of candy and tossed them to a tired Andrew and Natalie. "Thanks," the latter said, unwrapping the sugar quill and popping it into her mouth.
"Better savor it. We have History of Magic in fifteen minutes," Harry informed. This was met with a groan from Andrew. He then threw an arm around his friend's shoulder, "come on. After class is over, we can relax before having to do our homework."
"Can't we just skip class?" He pleaded. This was met with a smack on the arm courtesy of his sister.
"You can unless you want detention and for mom find out. Don't forget she wants a letter from us once every three weeks and would not be happy to learn if either of us skipped class," Jade narrowed her eyes at her twin, who paled at the veiled threat of their mother finding out about what he suggested.
Inwardly groaning, Andrew followed as they went to their last class of the day. While walking, Harry remembered that he needed to send a couple letters himself.
History of Magic wasn't so bad. The professor had them copy notes from the day's lecture on how and why the MACUSA chose not to associate with the No-Maj for so long and why they had to get involved with the Great War. Harry and around a quarter of the students already knew most of this stuff as they had parents or relatives who either fought in the war, lived through it and were still alive, or were schooled in the history of the Wizarding World from an early age. No, one was more happier than Andrew, who bolted out of the class as soon as the bell rang.
By the time his friends caught up to him, he had thrown himself face-first onto one of the sofas in the quarters he shares with Harry and Jeremy. "All right, what's wrong with you?" Sophie asked. "You've been pale and fatigued all day."
"For real," Jeremy sat on the armrest beside him. "Since this morning, you've been moping and not yourself."
"Not feelin' it," said Andrew, who still had his head in the couch cushions.
"You are not feeling what?" Came a slightly concerned Natalie, who was wondering what was wrong with her friend.
Throwing his bag on the other sofa, Harry took out his wand, waved it, and muttered some diagnostic spells over the boy. A minute later, after the results returned, he hiked an eyebrow. "Well, that explains a lot."
"You got something?" Jade sent him a questioning look as he went to the brown cabinet by the wall.
Opening it, he pulled a familiar box from the second shelf and brought it over. Removing the lid, he scanned the contents for a minute before pulling out the vial he's been looking for. "Here, this should make you feel better," placing it in front of his head.
"Thanks," grabbing the vial, he uncorked it and quickly downed the potion. He wanted to gag at its bitter taste but sucked it up. "I'm gonna go lie down," rising from the sofa, he went to his room and got into bed.
When he left the room, the others gave Harry questioning looks ". . .it's the weather. The depressing weather has obviously affected him. Personally, I'm surprised he lasted this long without losing consciousness."
"What was that potion you gave him, and how long will he be out?" Jade asked.
"An antidote to curve out his symptoms. It will purge all of the negative effects generated by the weather, though for how long? It should take no more than an hour." the raven-haired boy admitted.
"I'm sending for one of the school's healers. Can a house elf come here, please?" At Natalie's request, a young male elf, by the look of him, appeared before them. "Our friend, Andrew, is recuperating from the effects of today's weather and was given a potion. Can you bring one of the school's healers?"
"Don will return shortly," the elf bowed, then apparated away. Not five minutes later, he returned with a middle woman named Ashley Atkins.
"Where is he?"
"The room on the right," Natalie replied and gave her the potion's vial he drank before heading in there. "He took the antidote before heading inside."
She nodded her head after sniffing the vial, "leave it to me," was all she said before heading into the room to find the boy asleep under the covers. She took her wand out when she got close enough and waved it over the boy to see what his diagnosis was. . . Only to see that his symptoms were a result of the current climate. The potion he took was running through his body, removing the negative effects. Then with a few more waves of her wand, she finally left and closed the door. "No, need to worry. It was only a minor sickness, and he is through the worst of it. He should be awake in about an hour, but I strongly suggest neither of you try to wake him up and keep the noise to a minimum."
"We will. Thank you for your time," Harry nodded to her. The others thanked her, and she turned to leave.
Natalie spoke before she could exit through the door, "um, Madam Atkins. A moment if you will?" The matron turned to her. "Will this ever happen again, or is it a one-time thing?"
"Rest assured, it is only a one-time ordeal," she answered. "Unlike the no-maj, witches and wizards experience things like this only once."
"She ain't wrong," Harry absently commented, causing everyone to turn to him. "I went through the same thing when I was six and was miserable for an entire day." He remembered how he felt when he caught it.
The lady then left to go fill out a report, and the elf apparated with a pop to return to what he was doing before leaving his post.
Jeremy then released a deep breath. "With that out of the way, I say we get some of our homework done. The more we get done, the less we'll have to do later."
"And can have more time to study for our upcoming exams," Harry added.
They pulled out some parchments, quills, ink bottles, their journals containing their notes, and the books they needed to begin working on their homework assignments. Finding their specialties, they started with the subjects which were easiest for them. Roughly an hour later, the door leading to Andrew's room opened, and the young Chinese-American wizard came out, rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes. "What did I miss?" he asked, looking at everyone in the room.
"It'll come to you. For now, grab your bag and get comfortable," said Jade, who finished the last sentence for her essay in DADA.
"What are you. . ." He looked at her with confusion for a minute before snapping his eyes open ". . .right, we have homework. Dang," he immediately sat beside her, pulled out his things, and got to work.
Harry, Jeremy, and Sophie couldn't help but try to stifle their amusement at their friend's antics. Natalie wore a smile, "better get a move on as dinner is in a half-hour."
A flushed Andrew glared at his friends. "Oh, shut up. With friends like you, who needs enemies?"
Everyone except for Andrew burst out laughing. Harry was in the middle of finishing his charms essay. His Transfiguration and Herbology assignments were already done since he used his free time to get a head start on them. "Relax, mate, we're just having a little fun. If you need help, just ask."
"Speaking of help, can I get some with this Transfiguration essay?" Natalie asked, showing him the section she was working on.
He looked through her work and found what she was struggling with, ". . .you're missing the final law regarding Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration: the Soul. The soul must remain intact for a multitude of reasons and never be torn apart. In addition, the soul cannot be altered, modified, or created, not through transfiguration or any other means. The only exception to this is if you transfigure or conjure animals, but even then, they don't physically have souls. Instead, they are based on the wills and emotions of the person who performs the spells used to bring them forward." Ensuring to give her some examples.
Transfigurations was one of the subjects that came naturally to him. So, needless to say, he knew what to do when it came to Transfiguration and could understand the complexities behind it. After helping her, Harry pulled out his notebook for Potions and began revising for next week's exam. While confident in his abilities when it comes to both theory and practical, that did not mean he was arrogant. . .rather it meant his natural abilities could only take him so far and that to rise to the top, he would need to work hard. That is what his grandfather, uncle, and Severus have instilled in him: to be proud of his abilities and who he was, but not to the point of arrogance. Or believing that he was the only one who was good at something.
Like him, Sophie was also studying her notes, and as time passed, her stomach growled, causing her friends to chuckle. "Seems like someone's hungry," Andrew put his completed essay for Charms away and was about to start on his other homework.
"Rightly so, as dinner started ten minutes ago," said Jade, who looked at the clock that hung on the wall. "Time does move fast, she closed her DADA book and put it along with her essay off to the side.
"Wait, hold on!" Andrew exclaimed. "I have to get this Herbology essay done."
"Bring it with you, and do it during dinner," a standing Harry suggested. Andrew looked at him like he had grown another head. "Look at it this way the sooner you get it done, the sooner you can help the rest of us pick out a name."
Clicking his tongue, "good idea. Seems like I am not the only one who can strategize in this group." Collecting what he needed, he joined the others as they left to get some dinner.
Entering the cafeteria and finding an open table wasn't a challenge despite coming in late. Once their trays were full, they sat at a table near the window and began discussing what occurred today. "Safe to say that it will get cold soon, and we best have our winter clothes ready." Natalie ate some of her green beans.
"True, but I just hope it snows this year," commented Sophie. Since she was a little girl, her parents would take her outside to play in the snow, as it made her feel alive. But that changed when her mother died while on an assignment from the ICW when she was seven. Her father finally told her a year later that her mother was killed by a group of dangerous dark witches and wizards. The snow and cold air make her feel closer to her mom, whom she misses a lot. "But you are right. We should get ready for the cold to come in. I estimate in about another three days."
"There is such a thing as warming charms," Andrew casually shrugged his shoulder while at the same time working on the rest of his essay. Though, to be fair, they do wear off after a certain amount of time." Before school started, he packed some winter clothes and brought a couple catalogs in case he grew and needed to place an order. Jade did the same; knowing his twin sister so well, she'd jump at the chance to go shopping. "A real shame we cannot go into town until our third year."
"Onto other news," changing the conversation. "Seeing as there are six of us, and we work so well together. What are we going to call ourselves?"
Jeremy tapped his chin with a finger, "given the fact that we specialize in different magical areas and our unique skills, we're going to need something original. How about. . . The Leviathans?"
"'Got a nice ring to it and is a good candidate," Natalie brushed away a few strands of hair from her face. Thinking for a second, a name popped into her head. "What about the Imperial Aristocrats? I.A for short."
"We have two potential names down. Are there any more suggestions?" Harry asked.
"The Ouroboros Squad."
"The Trinity."
They spent most of dinner thinking about the names they listed, trying to figure out which one suited them best. All the while, Harry stared at the dark starry night sky. For whatever reason, he felt more attuned to his magic as it flowed through his very person. Another thing he learned was to trust his magic and let it guide him and his actions. By the time they were done eating, the group had left the cafeteria, though they were still undecided about a name. Heading back to the residence hall, Harry continued to look up at the stars, but this time felt more at ease; he unknowingly tuned out the others to feel the magic around the Academy. While unable to explain the weird feeling inside of him, he felt as if his magical core was trying to tell him something. It was like something inside him was about to be born—something powerful and animalistic. What could it be, he thought?
Just as they entered the boy's spacious living room, an idea popped into his head. "Let's go with the Ouroboros Squad." Everyone looked at him when he sat down. "I mean, think about it. The six of us make up a group, and we're all unique in our own ways. We each specialize in areas others do not, whether in magic or real-world applications, and can each contribute to helping one another grow in different ways."
"It would give us a sense of unity and leave others in shock," Jade thought about the name and the effect of what others would think of them. "I like it. The Ouroboros Squad. Ouroboros for short."
"Then let's take a vote," Jeremy folded his arms. It was a deadlock between: The Ouroboros Squad and The Trinity. "Majority vote wins. All for Trinity show of hands." Sophie and Natalie raised their hands. "Those for Ouroboros?" He, Harry, Jade, and Andrew each raised their hands.
"The name Ouroboros Squad wins by a majority vote," he announced. "So what's next?"
"There will need to be rules," Sophie replied. "To begin. For instance, if a major decision needs to be made, then we should take a vote. That'll settle any disputes or disagreements."
"We promise to remain loyal and protect one another," said Harry.
The group spent the next half-hour deciding on the rules they wished to set for themselves. Some were approved. A few weren't. In the end, they all came to an agreement.
(0^0)
Through the rest of the term, the newly formed team slowly started to make a name for themselves. Several of the other students, along with many of the professors, could be seen talking about the six first years. They had their own individual talents and unique traits that made them stand out in their own individual ways. Sophie was obviously the smartest of the group. Andrew was the strategist. Jade was skilled at getting information. The common sense/healer was Natalie. Jeremy, the analyst, and negotiator. And Harry became the Leader.
On the day the students were due to go home for the Yule break, there was excitement mixed with nervousness. They were happy that school was over for a time, and they could go visit their families and play outside. But the end of the term meant their progress reports would be available, and quite a few were anxious to find out what their marks were for the semester. Being the early riser that he was, the young Potter heir got out of bed and went to do his morning workout routine, which meant running across the shore and swimming in the cold ocean. The weather may have been chilly, but it wasn't something he was not used to. When done, he returned to his room, grabbed a change of clothes, showered, brushed his teeth, and sat in a meditative position in the living room in front of the fire, enjoying the heat. He didn't want to bother with the envelopes on the coffee table, as he knew they contained his and his roommates' grades. Closing his eyes, he began to meditate.
A couple minutes later, Andrew and Jeremy finally woke up and came out of their rooms wearing casual clothes. "I will never understand how you can be an early riser, especially since the semester has ended," the latter said. "We now have two weeks to relax and enjoy ourselves without needing to do any schoolwork."
". . .That's unless you're one of those who refused to do their holiday homework early." Andrew yawned and sat next to his friend before the crackling fire. "Boy, I sure hate to be them," a big smile crossed his face. Andrew tried to poke Harry in the arm when he received no response, but his hand was caught in a vice grip.
Desperately trying to pull himself away, Harry's grip tightened. "Ah, Harry, please let go! It hurts!"
Harry's eyes immediately snapped open when he heard his friend's plea. Turning his head, he saw what he was doing and immediately released his grip on Andrew's hand. "Sorry, Andrew. I didn't know you were up."
"Yeah, holy cow," wiggling his hand out. "You got one heck of a vice grip. For a minute, I thought you were going to break my hand."
Then with a nervous chuckle, "sorry about that. I was meditating and was unaware that either you or Jeremy had awoken."
"Why meditate in the first place?" Jeremy picked up their results from the table and handed it to them.
"Several reasons," Harry began. "It eases my mind and spirit. Plus, it allows me to connect with my magic to better understand what it is trying to tell me. Meditation also helps me with my occlumency shields."
"What's occlumency?" The brown-haired boy seemed confused. "I never heard of that before."
Before he could respond, Andrew spoke, "not surprising, as it is an obscure branch of magic that helps protects someone from a legilimencer's mental intrusion. Despite being old, it is very useful. Rumor has it that those who are skilled in the mind arts have a better chance of mastering nonverbal casting."
"Do you and Jade know occlumency?"
"Only through theory," he said, opening his envelope.
"The members of my family have been teaching me, though granted, I am still considered a novice," Harry had also opened his envelope and pulled out the parchment containing his grades. "I can recommend you some books on occlumency. They may not be as good as a real teacher, but they'll give you an idea of how to get started and teach you how to protect your inner thoughts. It would keep people from entering your mind."
"I'd appreciate it. Thanks," Jeremy read through his results:
The Semester Results of Jeremy Samuel Walker First Year
Passing grades: Failed grades:
O- Outstanding P- Poor
E- Exceeds Expectations D- Dreadful
A- Acceptable T- Troll
Charms: O (96)
Defense Against the Dark Arts: O (95)
Transfiguration: O (94)
Herbology: EE (88)
History of Magic: EE (86)
Astronomy: EE (85)
Potions: O (90)
Care of Magical Creatures: O(90)
Arithmancy: O (95)
Ancient Runes: O (100*)
Alchemy: O (100*)
Dueling: O (95)
The * means that you have earned exceptionally high marks in the subject and are being considered a candidate to move up in this class.
Signed, Lorena Claire, Deputy Headmistress of Merlin's Magical Academy.
Then it was Andrew's turn to look over his results:
The Semester Results of Andrew Daniel Huang First Year
Passing grades: Failed grades:
O- Outstanding P- Poor
E- Exceeds Expectations D- Dreadful
A- Acceptable T- Troll
Charms: O (100*)
Defense Against the Dark Arts: O (100*)
Transfiguration: O (95)
Herbology: EE (85)
History of Magic: EE (88)
Astronomy: EE (84)
Potions: O (95)
Care of Magical Creatures: O (93)
Arithmancy: O(96)
Ancient Runes: O (96)
Enchanting: O (95)
Dueling: O (100)
The * means that you have earned exceptionally high marks in the subject and are being considered a candidate to move up in this class.
Signed, Lorena Claire, Deputy Headmistress of Merlin's Magical Academy.
This was followed by Harry:
The Semester Results of Harry James Potter First Year
Passing grades: Failed grades:
O- Outstanding P- Poor
E- Exceeds Expectations D- Dreadful
A- Acceptable T- Troll
Charms: O (100*)
Defense Against the Dark Arts: O (100*)
Transfiguration: O (100*)
Herbology: O (100)
History of Magic: O (95)
Astronomy: O (96)
Potions: O (100*)
Care of Magical Creatures: O (100)
Arithmancy: O (100*)
Ancient Runes: O (100*)
Alchemy: O (100*)
Dueling: O (100*)
The * means that you have earned exceptionally high marks in the subject and are being considered a candidate to move up in this class.
Signed, Lorena Claire, Deputy Headmistress of Merlin's Magical Academy.
The boys compared grades and were overall satisfied with their scores. That was when they heard someone knocking on the door. Andrew went to open the door when the knocking failed to cease. "All right, all right. Keep your shirts on. I'm coming," he said and opened the door. "Was that really necessary? I said I was coming," eyes were narrowed at his sister and friends who stood on the opposite side of the door.
"We didn't hear you," Jade said, pushing past him while Natalie and Sophie gave him apologetic looks. The girls sat on one sofa as the boys took the other. "So, what were your grades like? We already opened ours."
The guys showed their scores, and a minute later, the girls produced theirs, with Natalie being the first:
The Semester Results of Natalie Euphemia Dawson First Year
Passing grades: Failed grades:
O- Outstanding P- Poor
E- Exceeds Expectations D- Dreadful
A- Acceptable T- Troll
Charms: O (92)
Defense Against the Dark Arts: O (95)
Transfiguration: EE (88)
Herbology: O (98)
History of Magic: EE (85)
Astronomy: EE (86)
Potions: O (100*)
Care of Magical Creatures: O (91)
Arithmancy: O (94)
Ancient Runes: O (93)
Healing: O (100*)
Dueling: O (92)
The * means that you have earned exceptionally high marks in the subject and are being considered a candidate to move up in this class.
Signed, Lorena Claire, Deputy Headmistress of Merlin's Magical Academy.
Next was Sophie:
The Semester Results of Sophie Charlotte Newman First Year
Passing grades: Failed grades:
O- Outstanding P- Poor
E- Exceeds Expectations D- Dreadful
A- Acceptable T- Troll
Charms: O (100)
Defense Against the Dark Arts: O (100)
Transfiguration: O (100)
Herbology: O (100)
History of Magic: O (98)
Astronomy: O (98)
Potions: O (100*)
Care of Magical Creatures: O (96)
Arithmancy: O (100*)
Ancient Runes: O (100*)
Enchanting: O (100*)
Dueling: O (98)
The * means that you have earned exceptionally high marks in the subject and are being considered a candidate to move up in this class.
Signed, Lorena Claire, Deputy Headmistress of Merlin's Magical Academy.
Then finally Jade:
The Semester Results of Jade Elana Huang First Year
Passing grades: Failed grades:
O- Outstanding P- Poor
E- Exceeds Expectations D- Dreadful
A- Acceptable T- Troll
Charms: O (96)
Defense Against the Dark Arts: O (93)
Transfiguration: O (95)
Herbology: O (91)
History of Magic: EE (86)
Astronomy: EE (88)
Potions: O (100)
Care of Magical Creatures: O (94)
Arithmancy: O (93)
Ancient Runes: O (100*)
Enchanting: O (100*)
Dueling: O (96)
The * means that you have earned exceptionally high marks in the subject and are being considered a candidate to move up in this class.
Signed, Lorena Claire, Deputy Headmistress of Merlin's Magical Academy.
"Nice! None of us got anything lower than an Exceeds Expectations." Jade stretched her arms and legs out. "We're even being considered candidates to be moved up."
"Easy, sis. This is only the progress report. Come next term, they're going to start evaluating us more. I imagine they will be giving us more difficult assignments to see if we meet their expectations." Andrew commented. "But for now, we should take advantage of the fact that we have the chance to unwind."
"I'm with you on that one. We've earned the opportunity to relax and enjoy ourselves. Let's grab some breakfast and enjoy ourselves before we leave for the break."
"As much as I like this place. I would like to go home and see my parents," Natalie replied.
Harry then asked. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go. I'd like some food before I leave. Besides, my grandfather and uncle will be waiting for me."
Going to grab their things, they agreed to meet in the cafeteria before heading to the school's gates. After a quick breakfast and some light chatter, the students scheduled to leave for the break went to wait by the gates under a set of wards designed to keep them warm. There were four ways they could leave: by a member of the staff or one of the school's house elves, the next would be the portkey their guardians provided for them, the guardian comes to pick them up, or if they have an apparition license and can apparate themselves home.
"Well, I'll see you guys after the Christmas Holiday. Later," after exchanging hugs with each of them, Harry walked outside the wards and school gates and activated his heir ring to portkey himself home.
Appearing outside his house's wards, he ran to the door, took out his key, and opened the door. Walking inside, he found his grandfather and uncle sitting on the couch before the fire.
"Did you have a good term?" The latter asked.
"Yes, uncle. I received high marks for my first semester," quickly composing himself to act like a proper heir. He knew what the man was thinking, pulled his grades out from his pocket, and handed it to him. Once it was in his hand, he went to go hug his grandfather.
Arcturus smiled when he looked through the boy's grades. "You took your education seriously. Good. These are the results I expect from a member of the House of Black." He praised. "Now, onto other business. In your letter, you said you wished to make a request. What is it?"
A/N: Harry and his friends have completed their first semester of school and have each returned to their respective families. The six of them have formed a group: The Ouroboros Squad. 'Ouroboros' for short. They each have their own specialties and unique traits.
What do you think his request could be? I'll let you all think about that.
Next Chapter: Surprise and End of the First Year