Elffire: Volume One - Secrecy and Sorcery

2nd Year - A Curious Christmas

Repetition sounds simple enough, but it requires a high level of patience, especially when the task we have been asked to practice, I had mastered in my first year. The Spongify charm was one which transforms an object into a bouncy or rubbery state, a spell which we had covered already in Professor Flitwick's class in our first year. Professor Mcgonagall had insisted it be a part of our second year study as it may come up in our end of year exams. I do see her point when she says we need to (in her words) "Optimise your performance and skill" for the practical element of our assessments.

I do see her point, there were plenty of people in the class who still couldn't manage to perform the spell on their books, each time they dropped it from their desk to see if it would bounce... it just dropped, emitting an echoing bang on the stone floor. I wanted to move on from this, we had been studying it all week, and I was beginning to run out of parchment to sketch on.

"So, did you see the notice board this morning?" George asked excitedly, watching his book bounce off the desk for the third time.

"No, why?" I asked.

"Hogsmeade, the last day of term..." Fred said.

"Oh, yeah." I nodded.

"So, you gonna make up for Halloween?"

"I don't have to make up for anything," I shrugged, "I already told you what happened that day."

"Yeah, but you'll come with us this time?" Fred asked.

"Maybe," I shrugged, still unsure.

"We'll take that as a yes!" Fred grinned stupidly, "So we're going!"

"-Going where?" a pretentious voice cut in.

"None of your business Carter, Sod off..." George shot.

"I heard them talking about Hogsmeade." said Warrington, who was on the other side of the table, closer to hear us.

Carter crossed her arms, pulling a smuggish look, "Oh, but you do know already that it's against the rules for second years to go to the village..."

"Yeah, and if you tell anyone we'll-"

"What?" she raised an eyebrow, "throw a couple of stink bombs, fill our dormitory with frogs again? You do know that Snape knows it is you three pulling these jokes, and if you so much as look at a Slytherin and he sees, you'll be in for it..."

"Empty threats Carter," I shot... "Threatening us with Snape, I'm actually a bit disappointed that you can't do anything yourself... just not that sharp..." I grinned, "I know, it must be difficult for you and Warrigton... sharing one brain cell between the two of you."

She pulled a sour look, thinking on what to say next, "Ok then, I won't say anything to Snape, but there is someone else I can tell..."

She eyed Mcgonagall, sitting at her desk and shot her hand in the air resulting in Mcgonagall approaching the five of us. "Anything the matter?" Mcgonagall asked through pursed lips at the sight of us all together.

"Actually there is... I was just wondering if you could remind Elffire and the Weasley's here of the rules regarding Hogsmeade visits, because from what they've been talking about... they probably need a refresher." she smiled, turning back around to face her desk.

Mcgonagall raised an eyebrow, looking down on us, "Do you care to tell me what she is talking about?"

"Nothing... it's nothing!" I rushed,

"Because if the three of you do intend on sneaking into Hogsmeade next week, you know already that second years are not permitted in the village."

"Yeah, 'course we do." Fred sulked.