McKinnon

| CHAPTER SEVEN |

     Sarai sat on a cot in the Hospital Wing sipping on a calming draught. Dean had long since left, having to return to his next class for the day. Sarai's face was hot with embarrassment. She was the only one in her class that was not able to tackle to the boggart, and it was all because she felt unprepared. She had not stopped to think about the possibility that her boggart could have changed over the years, and it caught her by surprise. Worse, was the fact that her Uncle Remus was right. She was scared. She was scared of Sirius Black, scared of the consequences her father left for her to take the fall for. 
    Sarai stared into her goblet of the calming potion lost in her thoughts. She hadn't noticed any of the other students around her in the Hospital Wing. Staring intently into her potion she jumped when someone sat down in a chair next to her bed. 
    "Woah, relax." Michael Corner said before smiling, "It's just me." 
    Clutching her chest in an over exaggerated way, Sarai shot him an accusing look, "Warn a girl next time, would ya?" She said before breaking out into a grin. 
     The Ravenclaw boy laughed softly, shrugging his shoulders. "I didn't want to interrupt your staring match with your potion," He jested, before asking, "What is that anyway?"
     Sarai's face turned a light shade of pink, "A Calming Draught," She mumbled, "We were learning about boggarts today."
     Michael tilted his head in confusion, "Your Uncle's class? Is it bad?"
    Sarai shook her head, "No, of course not," She went on the explain what boggarts were, and what happened in the class. Eventually admitting her failure as a witch. 
    Michael listened to her thoughtfully, pausing for a moment before speaking, "Well it's not that big of a deal, Sarai." He comforted, "Anyone would be scared of Sirius Black. It's a perfectly normal fear to have, I think."
     Sarai hadn't mentioned her father's ties to Black, or the fact that Black was coming after her. The reassurance was starting to comfort her. "Thank you Michael," She said gratefully. 
    "Anytime," He replied, "Plus, I can't have you all sulky when you help me with my potions homework."
     Sarai laughed, "Fair, very fair. Meet me at the library after class?"
    He nodded and gave a wink as he stood up, "Wouldn't miss it." 

-- 

    After studying boggarts, and many reassurances to Remus, that she was okay, they studied Red Caps, which were these nasty little goblin like creatures. They moved on to Kappas, or water dwellers that looked like monkeys. So far, the entire student body loved Defense Against the Dark Arts, as it was their favorite class. Sarai only wished that transfiguration was a little easier of a class to understand. She was growing to dread any of Professor McGonagall's classes. Not because she was a bad professor, but solely because Sarai couldn't transform an object to save her life. She was beginning to think she was just doomed to fail the class. 
      She hung her head in shame as she waited on Michael to join her for their weekly tutoring lesson. The essay Professor McGonagall had assigned was based off of the Lapifors Spell. Which turned any object at will into a rabbit. It didn't help that anytime Sarai casted the spell, all that would result from it was the object she was wanting to transform would grow ears. it was pathetic. 
    "Why so glum, Sar?" Katie, asked as approached her table. She studied the transfiguration textbook right next to her and grimaced, "Oh, still struggling?" 
     Sarai threw her hands up, "Yes! I don't understand how people do it so easily, it's like learning a different language!" She exclaimed. 
    Her loud outburst was immediately followed by a harsh "Shhh!" From Madam Prince. Sarai winced, before turning back to Katie. 
    "I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong." She frowned. "Everyone else makes it look so easy."
    "Have you thought about getting some extra practice in?" Katie suggested as Michael approached, "You and Michael study together, I'm sure you two could practice in your free time." 
    Michael nodded his head, "Absolutely," He set down two steaming mugs on the table, before propping his books up to hide the mugs from Madam Prince. "Here, hot chocolate,"
    Sarai gratefully took the mug, as Katie bid them goodbye. "Has anyone told you you're amazing?" She asked. 
    "I could stand to hear it again," Michael said with a hum of amusement. He craned his neck to look at her parchment paper. Carefully he tried to decipher the sentences she had on her page, that had not been scribbled out. She had a grand total of three. "Hm, having a bit of writers block, do we?" 
     Sarai huffed, "It's not like there's a lot to say. It's a spell. It makes an object into a rabbit. Its transfiguration." She said flatly. "What's more to say?"
     Michael chuckled "Well," He started before turning a couple pages in her transfiguration textbook, "You could start by mentioning  the Etymology. 'Lepu' means 'hare' in Latin. Which is the language most spells are derived from." 
     Taking a small sip from her hot chocolate, she grabbed her quill and a fresh page of parchment and started on her essay. The pair began quietly talking amongst each other, as they worked on their transfiguration essays together. Neither of them paid any mind to anyone else around them. That included Madam Prince, who crept up behind them without their knowledge. 
     "No, food or drinks allowed!" She said in a harsh whisper causing the two to jolt. 
     They were promptly kicked out of the Library, each receiving a detention for breaking the rules. Sarai huffed, after being told that Professor Lupin would be hearing about the fiasco. 
     "We weren't doing anything wrong!" She exclaimed to Michael, as the two walked down the corridor. "We were studying! So what if we had hot chocolate, it's not like we were using any of her books." 
     Michael chuckled, as Sarai ranted about her wasted hot chocolate. "We can go to the kitchen and see if we can get another cup before dinner." He reasoned, trying to calm his fired up friend. "And I'm sure detention isn't that bad, it'll just give us extra time to study." 
     Sarai grumbled something incoherent in response, but followed anyway. In her head she just pictured the lecture she might hear from Remus for receiving detention in the first place. 

-- 

    The first of October rounded around the corner before Sarai could even blink. She had gotten into a good routine of things at Hogwarts. She spent majority of her time with Dean and Seamus during her core classes and dinner. Lunch was dedicated to Remus in his office, to focus some extra time on her homework, and to spend some family time. Michael and her shared both electives together, and time after class to study. And during breakfast, and after dinner, she spent time with Katie, Angelina, and Alicia. While neither of the girls were in her house year, she desperately needed some females in her life to share her time with as well. Hermione was constantly with Ron and Harry. And Lavender and Parvati were already the best duo in Hogwarts.
    While Sarai wasn't a complete introvert, she wasn't exactly known as Miss popularity. She had a small circle of friends which mainly consisted of Dean and Seamus. But she was slowly getting to know the girls a little better, and looked forward to the tutoring session and elective classes she shared with Michael. Currently, she was sitting with the three Gryffindor chasers in the common room once they had returned from their quidditch practice. 
   "Oliver's gone mad this year," Alicia complained, "This is his last year and it looks like he'll go bonkers if we don't snag the cup this year. He's got us training three days a week!"
    Sarai giggled, no hand coordination or good sense of balance on a broom she was very grateful she was not apart of the school's sport. "It's been his seventh year here, I'm sure he's just...excited." She said after carefully choosing her words. 
     Angelina snorted, "Sure, Excited." She said before changing the subject, "The first Hogsmeade visit is Halloween. You ready?" 
     Katie cut in for Sarai, before letting the third year girl go on another long rant, "Professor Lupin didn't sign her form. Said it's too dangerous with Black around." While Sarai sunk back into her arm chair, near the fire. 
    "Black's not foolish enough to try anything in Hogsmeade," said Alicia, "Ask him if you can go this time. Maybe he can go with you." 
    Sarai frowned. The full moon would be around that time, Remus was just now recovering from this past month's one. There was no way he would be able to make the trip down there. She just didn't feel right asking. Especially not after the boggart fiasco. She shook her head, 
    "No, it's alright. I'll just spend time with him that day. I already made Dean and Seamus promise to bring me back sweets from Honeydukes." She said mostly trying to reassure herself. "You guys have fun--"
    She was cut off by a loud voice that roared, "OY!" She snapped her head around to see who the noise was coming from, to see Ron lunge to the floor to where his bags were. He snatched his bags while Crookshanks, Hermione's new pet cat, sank his four sets of paws deep into his bags. "GET OFF, YOU STUPID ANIMAL!"
    He tried to pull the bag away from Crookshanks, but Crookshanks clung on, spitting and slashing. "CATCH THAT CAT!" Ron yelled. 
    Sarai rolled her eyes, before turning back to her friends. "Honestly," She muttered to herself. "I'm ready to turn in," She announced to the three before yawning. "See you tomorrow." 

--

  The next day in herbology, Dean and Seamus were busy scheming on different ways they could sneak Sarai into Hogsmeade, despite her protests. Her and Seamus were currently working on the same Puffapod while Dean was paired up with Neville. 
    "Just take one of the passageways Fred and George were talking about," Seamus said in a low voice, "No one would even notice, Sar."
   She shrugged while stripping fat pink pods from the plants and emptying the shining beads into a wooden pail. "We'll see, but I'll probably end up spending the day with Uncle Remus instead. I'll see if I can convince him to let me go with him on the next trip." Said Sarai, nonchalantly. 
    The full moon would be around the time of Hogsmeade weekend, so she had to adjust her priorities. She'd rather spend her time making sure that Remus was okay instead. Across the way, she could hear Ron, and Hermione talking to Harry about the same thing. Apparently, he too, was not able to go to Hogsmeade. His Aunt and Uncle had forgotten to sign his form so he was stuck in the same boat. 
    "Careful Weasley, careful!" Cried Professor Sprout as the beans he was currently pouring into the wooden pail spilled onto the floor.
     Sarai felt a sort of empathy for Harry. While she understood why Remus didn't sign her form, it was no secret that the family Harry lived with were muggles that treated him horribly. Maybe he'd be able to go next year. 

--