Salem Academy of Sorcery (Harry Potter)

Chapter Eight

Thanks for comments/votes! Hope you like this chapter, it's much longer than usual because I didn't know where to cut it!

Also, hope you're all enjoying HP weekend! This is the farthest I've written, so I'll write some more tonight while watching DH part 2!

Chapter Eight

Time passed slowly. Maybe it was because we were all getting impatient. We were anxious for the day the polyjuice potion was ready. Harry and Hermione have been thinking of a plan all afternoon. I didn't know much about any UK Ministry workers or how their Ministry worked, so I wasn't much help. They were trying to think of who we were going to impersonate and how to keep the actual people away from the Ministry while we are there. It was going to be difficult.

While they planned, Ron and I were sitting in the living room. The couch was dusty and the room was dark but I felt very comfortable here. Ron was funnier than I remembered and always had stories to tell. Each time he shared a memory of his childhood with me I found myself jealous. Not because I had a bad childhood for any means, but I was envious of the fact that he grew up with such a big and entertaining family. No wonder Idella was so excited to be apart of her new family.

"Hey Bradley, find a remedy yet?" Ron suddenly asked.

"No," I said shaking my head. "But during the reception Lupin gave me an idea. He told me a few others with strange conditions learned to control them. I've been trying lately, and I think it's been working."

"Really?" Ron asked interested.

"Yeah," I said smiling. "Before illusions of flames, with the heat of real flames, would appear on me without any thought and now when they do I calm myself and imagine them going away. And they do." Ron seemed fascinated. He began nodding and it looked as if an idea was forming in his head.

"So if they appear without you even thinking of it, can you burn anything when thinking?" he asked curiously.

"Hmm," I said now interested myself. "I never thought of it that way. I always focused on making them go away. I did try it a few times with Idella, but it was weak." When the flames appeared on me, they were simply illusions with scorching heat. There was never a burning effect on anything. Nothing around me ever caught on actual fire. Was I even able to conjure real flames?  

"Well give it a try!" Ron said enthusiastically.

"Can't hurt right?" I said with a shrug...hopefully it can't hurt.

For ten minutes I sat there trying to conjure a flame, but nothing. My mind was too distracted. Ron was silent and I tried to clear my mind. I pushed aside any thoughts or worries I had about my father, Kent, and anyone else in trouble. Closing my eyes, I imagined flames all around me. Finally my mind was clear until I heard Ron gasp. Quickly opening my eyes I saw what he was looking at. Although smaller than I imagined, there were flames on my right hand. "It worked!" Ron cheered. "Now touch something and think of catching it on fire!"

Without breaking concentration I reached for the flower pot. This would be a test of whether or not the flames could be real. As my hands made contact with the white petals the flower lit up in flames. My eyes widened with surprise. I wasn't expecting that. "Bloody hell!" Ron said. "Aguamenti!" he casted, putting the flames out leaving a now black flower and ash covered flower pot.