Going Soft | JAMES SIRIUS POTTER HP NEXT GENERATION

iv || transfiguration

Professor Clearwater folded her hands in front of the classroom, waiting for the chatter to stop. James hadn't noticed, and was still talking away to his friends.

"Transfiguration is so bloody easy, I don't see why we have to take it," Charlie was complaining.

"Easy? You get detention all the time for not doing your homework!" James exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's a waste of my time because it's too simple." Charlie waved it off.

"Everyone knows that transfiguration is not simple, mate." James scolded.

Someone cleared their throat, finally getting the class to quiet down.

"Thank you, Miss White." The teacher thanked Annabella.

James rolled his eyes. "Course it was her to quiet the class down, teachers pet." He grumbled.

"Do you have something you want to say to the class, Mr. Potter?" Professor Clearwater asked. "No? That's what I thought." She added on when James said nothing.

"Since many of you have fallen behind in your studies, and are refusing to turn in homework," the teacher began, looking right at Charlie, "today is going to be a somewhat simple day. You would have practiced this years prior, it's just to let me know that you're still practicing and are able to keep up with the class. You're going to be turning your desk into a dog, nonverbally."

Murmurs of excitement sounded throughout the room, at the thought of an easy day and getting to deal with dogs.

Charlie groaned, and put his head in his hands. "What makes her think I can do that."

"But Charlie, we've done it before, and since what we're doing now is so simple to you, surely you should be able to do it without a struggle!" James mocked.

Charlie rolled his eyes. "Shut up."

"Boys and girls, quiet down. After you successfully transfigure your desk into a dog and back, you will right one foot of parchment
on what we did today and why." The professor added.

"What we did today and why? We transfigured a desk into a dog because she thinks we're too daft to move on and do anything in our year level!" Noah quipped.

"Come on mate, just get started." Grant muttered.

James picked his wand up and stared at his desk, unable to remember how to move his wand to complete the spell. He looked to the desk diagonal from him and stole a glance at Annabella to see how she was doing it.

He noticed that when she was concentrating, she stuck her tongue out slightly and tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Mate, stop staring at Bella." Grant said, and nudged him.

James startled and looked over at Grant, to see that the slightly taller boy had a small smile on his face.

"Shut up." James grumbled.

"I didn't even say anything." Grant said, putting his hands up to show his innocence.

"I was just trying to see the wand motions." James defended, and stole another glance at her. She watched her nonverbally do the spell with a small swish and flick of her wrist, and suddenly a barking filled the room.

Annabella smiled proudly down at the dog, and gave it a little pat on its head before she repeated the spell, and suddenly her desk was before her again.

"Good job Miss White, keep up the good work." Professor Clearwater told her proudly.

James placed his attention back on his own desk, and did the spell. He blinked, confused as nothing happened.

People around him had already started to complete the task successfully, even Charlie had managed to at least sprout a tail from his desk.

James frowned, and kept attempting to make his desk into a dog, but it wasn't working. Frustrated, he sighed.

Annabella's attention was caught as he sighed unhappily, and she turned around to see him looking downhearted and embarrassed at his desk.

Today was a simple day, revisiting past lessons. James should've been able to do it.

He heard footsteps nearing him and he looked up, surprised to see Annabella looking at him hesitantly.

"Do you need help?" She offered.

"Why would he want help from the likes of you," Charlie sneered.

Annabella's face turned hard, and she looked at Charlie with steely eyes. "I wasn't asking you, please don't speak to me." She chastised, before turning back to James with a slightly softer expression.

James nodded, his cheeks flushing a light pink of embarrassment. "Yeah, sorry. When I try it, nothing happens. I dunno what I'm doing wrong."

"Show me what you're doing." Annabella said.

James nodded, and looked determined at his desk, and flicking, then swishing his wand. Nothing happened.

"Oh, okay! I see what you're doing," she began. "It's not a flick and swish, it's more of a swish and flick. You just got the order wrong, here, watch."

Annabella preformed the spell slowly for James to see, and then transfigured the desk back to its original state.

"Now you try." She told him.

James nodded, casting the spell in the way she told him too. Next thing he knew, a dog around the size of his desk was staring back at him, wagging its tail.

"Now transfigure it back." Bella told him.

James poured. "But what if I want to keep the dog?"

Annabella rolled her eyes. "That's not the point of today's lesson, James. Come on now."

James sighed, and transfigured the desk back in the way she taught him.

Annabella beamed proudly at him. "There you go! You did it." She said, patting his arm. "I've got to get back to my desk now to write the paper, I'll see you around James."

James stared confusedly at her as she left, and then turned to Grant.

"Mate, what just happened? She nearly killed me the other day? And now she's helping me?" He questioned.

"Ah, she wouldn't have killed you. I think she sort of wouldn't mind being your friend, and just doesn't want to admit it." Grant suggested.

James shrugged. "You know her better than me." He gave in, before turning back to his desk.

Feeling eyes on him, he looked up to see a Ravenclaw boy with curly brown hair regarding him with a glare. When the boy was caught, he turned his gaze away quickly.

James nudged Grant. "Who's that boy over there?"

"That's Tommy, Bella's friend. He's sort of in love with her though, but she doesn't realize." Grant informed him.

"Oh, okay." James said, suddenly feeling something uncomfortable tugging at his heart.

He didn't know why, but James didn't like that, not one bit.

~~~
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