Magic Child

Snide Remarks

The morning came against my protests. The sun shone and the birds chirped, but here I was, dreading the beautiful rays of sunshine filtering through the midnight blue curtains. An ominous feeling in my chest had built up overnight. Sloane being in the hospital, not being able to go to class with me, was like a piece of me missing, as melodramatic as that sounded.

Blair and Taline promised that they would include me, but I knew that it wouldn't be the same. We were all friends, but not best friends. They were different types of bonds. Taline and Blaire spent all of their time together, and I knew that I would be the third wheel. All I wanted was to have my best friend back.

Transfiguration passed in a fast manner. I was the first one to turn a match into a needle. I had an aptitude for Transfiguration, but today, despite my success, I was still frustrated.

Class ended, and all of the Gryffindors tried to squeeze out of the small Transfiguration door at the same time, literally running straight into the Slytherin house on their way to Potions. There were many curse words, dropped books, and flailing students flying about.

Malfoy catcalled to our group, to me in particular. He was standing, lucky enough to have not fallen down in the mayhem. "Heard that your idiot friend Potter is in the hospital wing. How'd she get there? Did she break a nail? Did she trip over a make-up box?"

The girl next to him, the one with brown, dark curly hair and an omnipresent grimace plastered on her face, Plione Zabini, chuckled. She purred, "Good one, Caelum," draping herself on him in a way that could not have been more clearly obvious.

"Shut up, 'Caelum'," I mocked Plione.

Caelum pushed off Plione with a scowl. She didn't look put off. She seemed used to that sort of behavior. "Why don't you shut up, Lupin. You're no better than Potter." Caelum smirked at me.

I drew my wand, angry at him for insulting my friend who had risked her life. So did he, but I had a head start, so I cursed him first.

"Furnunculus!" I yelled.

"Anteoculatia!" He yelled back.

Boils erupted all over his face. Not just any boils. Large green ones. I was starting to feel a tad bit queasy at the sight of them.

Tingles covered my head. They weren't uncomfortable, but I was worried. I reached up, and I felt long, hard appendages which I assumed were antlers were sticking out of my head.

I knew that it was a long shot, but I willed the antlers to disappear. I was a metamorphmagus, after all. I could change it. But I couldn't because I couldn't concentrate. Caelum and I had drawn quite a crowd, considering that nearly half the first years were already there when it started. It was too noisy, and I was too nervous to even try to get rid of the antlers.

I'm interrupted by Galin, the Hogwarts caretaker. He has a noticeable slouch and raspy voice that may have come from yelling at too many students. "And what do you think that you're doing?"

Caelum couldn't talk, so it was up to me to think of an excuse. "We were-" I stuttered, trying to think of an excuse. I was usually much more sharp-witted, but at the moment, I was flustered and tongue-tied.

"Detentions. Both of you. In my office, six o'clock. Go to the hospital wing first, though." He gestured to Caelum and I. "The rest of you, off to class." The huge crowd of spectators dismantled immediately.