Beauxbatons [Charlie Weasley]

Lessons

"Welcome back, class, welcome back!" Professor Kettleburn's jolly voice sounds from the tree-line.

A second later, he emerges from the Forbidden Forest, hobbling along on his wooden leg, grinning, as per usual, from ear to ear.

"Now, everyone, today we will be moving on from the Glumbumble, and turning our attention towards Diricawls! So, who can tell me what they know about these famous creatures? Ah, Thomas, of course!"

The weeks at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry have flown by, Isabelle having made it all the way to the end of October. Apparently there's a big Halloween feast tonight, as well as a party afterwards, only for the sixth- and seventh-years.

Maisie, Noah and Ollie, and even Tonks as well, begged the French girl to come to the party for weeks on end, and she finally agreed only a couple of days ago, much to their excitement. The four of them went last year for the first time, of course, and said it was so much fun, all of them looking forward to it immensely.

Isabelle supposes she's excited for the party tonight, albeit a little nervous. Or a lot nervous. This will be her first ever party in another country, with a whole bunch of people she doesn't fully know.

"The Diricawl, known to Muggles as the Dodo, and believed by them to be extinct, is a plump, fluffy-feathered and flightless magical bird, native to the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean," Thomas answers.

He's the only one that ever seems to talk in this class. Charlie Weasley never even says a word, and when Isabelle brought him up with the Gryffindor trio, Maisie insisted that he hardly ever speaks to anyone.

Amelia, on the other hand, never speaks unless she has something rude to say. And seeing as Isabelle was working with the Slytherin girl for almost two months, Amelia had plenty of opportunities to pick on her.

She would criticise everything the French girl did, even the way she took notes in class. It seemed to be her favourite hobby — picking on Isabelle until she appeared miserable.

Thomas noticed once, and snapped at her for it, but Amelia simply rolled her eyes, completely unfazed. Only when Isabelle finally told Noah and Ollie about it, and they cornered the Slytherin girl and yelled at her to back off, did she finally stop.

She hasn't even looked at Isabelle since.

"Excellent, excellent, that's right!" Professor Kettleburn exclaims, clasping his real hand with his fake one. "Take five points for Ravenclaw!"

Thomas, like always when he answers a question in class, looks back at Isabelle and winks. She smiles.

"While Muggles believe this bird to be extinct, in reality, it exists and has the ability to disappear and reappear elsewhere as a means of escaping danger, similar to apparation, while Muggles remain unaware. The International Confederation of Wizards had not seen fit to reveal that the animal still exists, since it seemed to raise Muggle awareness of the consequences of slaying their fellow creatures indiscriminately," Professor Kettleburn explains, before smiling around at us all once more.

"Now," he says cheerily, pacing up and down in front of his four students, "I think it's time to mix up the pairs! Amelia, you can go with Thomas this time, and Isabelle can go with Charlie! We can stay in these pairs up until the Christmas holidays, and will be working on Diricawls and Fwoopers before then!"

He ushers them into their pairs, Charlie looking completely indifferent to working with Isabelle, while the French girl is just sighing in relief at not having to work with Amelia anymore. She glances at Charlie and sees him staring at her out of the corner of his eye, but as soon as he sees her looking, he turns his attention back to the front, his arms constantly folded.