Black's Return {Jade Book 3}

Chapter 13

A week later, I was really beginning to regret taking on Animagus lessons with Sirius Black.

Naturally, he had sworn me to secrecy. I couldn't exactly tell everyone that I was becoming an unregistered Animagus under the guidance of Sirius Black.

I spent almost all my time in the library.

One afternoon, I was writing out my exam timetable – the exams were fast approaching.

MONDAY

9 o'clock, Arithmancy

9 o'clock, Transfiguration

Lunch

1 o'clock, Charms

1 o'clock, Ancient Runes

Blaise and Anja walked over to the desk I was sitting at. "Uh, Jade?" Anja asked.

I looked up. "What?"

"How in Merlin's name are you going to sit two –" she began.

I shook my head. "I've told you not to ask me that kind of thing!"

Blaise looked suspicious. "And where are you on Sunday afternoons?"

That was the time of my lessons with Sirius. "In the library, isn't it obvious?" I grabbed my half-written essay and continued writing it. "I've got so much work to do!"

Anja raised her eyebrows. "Well, honestly, Jade, just drop a subject or two!"

"I can't do that!" I gasped. That would be insulting to the teachers, after all. The only subject I didn't enjoy was Care of Magical Creatures.

"Actually..." I trailed off. "I could drop Care of Magical Creatures."

Anja and Blaise looked at each other. Blaise was taking Care of Magical Creatures and we spent the whole class muttering in undertones how boring the classes were.

All we ever did was feed these boring creatures called Flobberworms.

"What...what's it like?" Anja asked uncertainly.

I explained how we fed Flobberworms...and fed Flobberworms...and fed more Flobberworms.

But I didn't drop any subjects. I did all the exams.

***

Some were definitely easier than others.

For Transfiguration, we had to turn a teapot into a tortoise. I succeeded, though I wasn't sure how much like a tortoise it actually looked.

Next was Charms. We had to do Cheering Charms. I did quite well – Blaise burst out laughing and grinned all of that exam.

The Care of Magical Creatures exam was extremely boring – we had to keep our Flobberworms alive for an hour.

In Potions, we had to make a Confusing Concoction. It wasn't very difficult, I was very good at Potions – an inherited talent.

In Defense Against the Dark Arts, we had to pass an obstacle course made up of the creatures that we had learnt about in class previously.

I got to the last obstacle easily. I knew this one would be a Boggart. I climbed into the trunk and a Dementor appeared. "Riddikulus!" I shouted and the Dementor started dancing, then tripped over.

I laughed and climbed back out of the trunk, still smiling.

Lupin smiled at me. "Well done."

Did he know that his old school friend was in the grounds right now, in the shape of a dog?