Clara Black and the Hidden Chamber

Life Sucks

We ended up friends by the start of August. We planned to meet up at Diagon Alley today.

"Mom!" I shouted. "Hurry up, I'm already out the door! We're gonna be late!"

"I'm coming, Clara, relax!"

As usual, I was in a pair of jeans, today, I had a gray T-shirt on, and Dad's black leather jacket on over top. It was hot, so I pulled my silky, black hair up in a ponytail with a clear thingy I found. In my pocket, I had the folded up letter from Hogwarts, and mp3. My earbuds were hanging around my neck. Mom and I Apperated to Diagon Alley. 

In Tom's bar, the Rhee's and their parents waved us over.

Mrs. Rhee asked politely if I've been having a good summer. She was smothering Adam, Frisk, and Emma. Mom smothered me. Finally, Adam, Frisk, Emma, and I took off. 

"Thank God!" Adam said the minute we were free. "I thought they'd never stop smothering us! We're goddamn teenagers! Well, except you and Clara, Em, but we wouldn't leave you anywhere."

"You better not, assbutt!" Emma says. "Or I'll hex you!"

Something I've learned from hanging out with them, is that Emma and Adam are complete Supernatural trash. They even managed to get me hooked. 

"Let's just get some cash and be gone," I told them.

Our parents trust us, despite their smothering, so they didn't mind letting us run around Diagon Alley on our own. Besides we all have phones on us. Honestly, some Muggle things are sensible. 

After we were done with Gringotts did we actually look to see what we'd need for the first time. Mine said:

SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS WILL REQUIRE

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk

Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart

Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart

Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart

Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart

Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart

Wandering with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart

Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart

I scoffed. Emma piped up, "What is it?"

"Gilderoy Lockhart books. Adam, Frisk, five dollars says it's a witch teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"You're on!" They say. Then Adam asks, "But what's so bad about Lockhart? Who even is he?"

He's a celebrity." I explained. "But he's an imbecile. I doubt he did half the stuff he says he did in his book. He's just a pretty face."

"So why's Gandolf letting him teach us?" Frisk asks. She calls Dumbledore, Gandolf as an inside joke. Apparently, in her and Adam's first year, she accidentally called him Gandolf because of the beard.

"Quirrell died last year," Emma said rolling her eyes. She has brains, that kid, and she's sarcastic as hell when she uses them. Especially, if she thinks we're being dumb. It's just one of her quirks. "If Lockhart's really that dumb, I can picture him doing it for publicity or something."

"I just hope he doesn't like teenagers." Adam says. "It'd be fun to torment him."

Well, him saying that kicked off Emma, Frisk, and I.

"Teenagers scare the living shit out of me! The could care less so long as someone'll bleed. So darken your clothes or strike a violent pose. Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me!" The four of us sing/shout.