Grey Eyes (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

9. A Crack in the Ice

"So, are you gonna do it?"

"Stop bothering me."

"Hey, I already did it. What are you taking your time for?"

"..."

"Are you even listening to me?"

"As of now, no."

I stare fixated at the wall behind Professor McGonagall, continuing to ignore Sirius' tiresome comments.

It's a warm, late afternoon with the sun setting lazily over the hills, the rays of blood red showering the clouds with a mesmerizing scarlet along the horizon. But I'm not out there, running off into the distance with some paunchy Italian man singing operatically in the background. No, instead I'm stuck in Transfiguration after another crowd of girls shoved me into the seat next to Mr. Playboy for the duration of the class.

I stare at the wooden block placed in front of me.

Supposedly, the lesson today is to transfigure it into a music box, but that doesn't interest me at all. Admittedly, none of my classes interested me since it turns out that I had learned much farther ahead during my homeschooled days.

"No way... it must be... don't tell me you don't know how to do it!" Sirius' exclamation interrupts my thoughts.

I break out of my daze and spin around in my chair to face him. "That's absurd."

Sirius raises an amused eyebrow. "Then why have you been rejecting that wooden block for half the period? If you could do it, you would've transfigured it a long time ago."

That is so not true. Though has it really been half the period already? Amazing... I should zone out more often.

I roll my eyes. "Eat dung, playboy. I was just thinking about some stuff, okay?" I pull out my wand indignantly. "Who says I can't do something as simple as this?"

With a flick of my wand, the block of cedar immediately morphs to form an intricately designed music box. It opens to chime out a lively tune. Hey, this actually looks kind of nice. Evidently, one of my better ones because I'd hate to reminisce about my first music box. Let's just say it didn't exactly fit in my house.

Sirius nods, impressed at the speed of my transfiguration. "Not bad," he says as he pulls out his own wand. "But have you ever done something as simple as this?" He waves his wand and in a poof of bright yellow feathers, my music box transforms into a canary and soars out the open window.

"Hey, my music box!" I turn to Sirius in exasperation. "You idiot!"

I'm about to cast a jinx on him when two rulers suddenly whack both of us over the heads. "You both are idiots!" I hear someone snap in a stern voice.

I look up to see Professor McGonagall glaring at us.

Oops.

"Indeed, a splendid transfiguration, Mr. Black, but unacceptable nonetheless!" she says disapprovingly. "There is absolutely no reason for the both of you to be fooling around in class when you are supposed to be practicing spell work!"

I throw Sirius an exasperated scowl. If only he didn't bother me while I was lost in my thoughts, then we wouldn't even be in this mess! That annoying insufferable piece of—

"Extra homework!" Professor McGonagall continues, ignoring our now gaping faces. "A two-foot essay on the mechanisms of transfiguring inanimate objects into animals and the potential complications of attempting the transfiguration without the proper theory. Due tomorrow."

She gives a huff and then strides away.

What.

What does that have to do with today's lesson? And how am I supposed to do this with all the homework from my other classes? And where on earth am I supposed to find this kind of information? And more importantly... why am I being punished too?!