Pandora Black: DemiWitch

Finding Flamel and an Egg

I cannot express how happy I was when the snow finally went away. It was still chilly, but I was able to put away my wooly hat and mittens. Exams were slowly creeping up on us and Hermione and I seemed to be the only ones, besides Percy Weasley, worried at studying. I had no idea if here at Hogwarts, you have to repeat a year if you fail enough of the exams and I definitely didn't want to find out. 

One morning, Hermione, Harry and I were studying in the Great Hall. Ron was supposed to be studying with us but he was just messing around with his Chocolate Frog cards. I looked up from my parchment when Hedwig landed nest to Harry's book. 

"Hey Hedwig." Harry greeted. I gently stroked Hedwig's feathers, which she seemed to like. 

"Look at you playing with your cards. Pathetic! We've got final exams coming up soon." Hermione scolded Ron. 

"I'm ready!" Ron defended himself. "Ask me any question." He challenged. 

"All right, what are the three most crucial ingredients in a Forgetfulness Potion?" Ooh! I know this one. This one was easy because one of the ingredients was Greek-based. 

"I forgot." I snorted. 

"Dora, do you know?" Both boys turned to me. 

"Lethe river water, mistletoe berries and valerian." I said confidently. 

"How do you remember that?" Ron asked. 

"Well, Lethe is the River of Forgetfulness in the Underworld. That's how I remember the first one. The other two are just simple." I said.

"And what, may I ask, do you plan to do if this comes up in the final exam?" Hermione asked Ron. 

"Copy off you?" He said with a shrug." 

"You're not going to be able to do that forever, Ronald." 

"Exactly! Besides, according to Professor McGonagall, we're to be given special quills bewitched with an anti-cheating spell." 

"That's insulting! It's like they don't trust us." Ron said, holding up a card and groaning. "Dumbledore again!" 

I looked up as I heard scattered laughing and saw poor Neville hopping down the Great Hall as if his legs were stuck together. 

"Leg-Locker Curse?" Ron asked Harry. Maybe I can use this during the Prank Wars that seems to happen every summer. A few summers ago, Travis and Conner mixed all of my cabin's makeup together and we had been furious. I had never seen Silena that upset and Drew was positively livid. 

"Malfoy." Harry guessed. I sighed. My cousin didn't seem to be able to make up his mind. When we end up paired for Potions or anytime we run into each other and his posse isn't around, he actually seems pretty nice but then he turns around and bullies the other Gryffindors. Like, can we say split personality? By this time, Neville had hopped over to us. 

"You've got to start standing up for yourself Nev." I said, on my guard ready to catch him if he loses his balance. 

"How can I do that? I can hardly stand at all!" Neville wobbled dangerously. 

Seamus jumped up from his seat with his wand raised. "I know the counter-curse!" 

"No, that's all I need... you to set my bloody kneecaps on fire!" I snorted and covered my mouth to hide my grin. 

Seamus' face went pink and he slammed his wand down onto the table. "I don't appreciate the insinuation, Longbottom. Besides, if anyone cares to notice, my eyebrows have completely grown back!" That was true but that didn't matter once he turned around to leave and revealed a bald spot on the back of his head.