|
Dinner at Gryffindor table was lively. Philip defended himself from the good natured taunts about Flying Practice and James gave his personal reenactment of Dung's magic carpet ride for the benefit of Lily and Freddy. Serena forgot all about James snubbing her and she squealed and giggled throughout the story of Dudley Dursley's trip at the mercy of Mundungus.
Near the end of the meal, Professor McGonagall surprised them all by pausing at their table on her way past.
"Miss Potter, remember your engagement this evening," she said, and continued on her way. She didn't seem angry to James, but he was never certain with her.
"What did you do now?" he asked, watching McGonagall exchange words with Professor Krum as they stood at the end of the Slytherin table.
Lily rolled her eyes and stuffed another fork of potatos into her mouth.
When they reached the common room, Philip and James sat down at a table and started their homework, hoping to get a good start on their papers for Krum before Astronomy that evening. Lily and Freddy sat at the end of the table, whispering until Lily stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder.
"Well, off to meet my doom," she announced.
"McGonagall give you detention?" James asked.
"No, it's worse," Lily sighed. "I'm tutoring Duke Dursley." James' jaw dropped. "Every subject. I have to be in the library to meet him in ten minutes."
"McGonagall is making you tutor Duke for detention?" James reminded himself not to cross the Headmistress.
"Something like that, yeah. Three nights a week until he's caught up. I've got Astronomy Tuesday and Thursday, and now Duke on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. She says I'm ahead in my classes and that this would be a good outlet for my leadership skills. Personally, I think she blames me for the banner at breakfast this morning."
"You are responsible for the banner at breakfast this morning," Freddy chimed in with a grin. Lily punched him in the shoulder and laughed.
Philip's brow furrowed and he turned to James. "When are we going to check out Jacobson's wardrobe, now? We have Astronomy tonight."
"It'll have to wait. We'll figure something out." Lily took her bag and checked her watch as she stood up. "Don't you two go without us." She turned and left through the portrait hole. Freddy took a book from his bag and moved over to the couch in front of the fire.
James turned to Philip. "Let's go to the library and do our Potions essays there. That way we can watch Lily's thing with Duke."
"What if the other Slytherins are there?" Philip asked.
"Exactly," James answered, "I'd like to see them after Lily's finished with them, if they try anything."
Lily and Duke were not in the Library, however, and the boys began the research for their aconite essays. Finding the listing for aconite in the New World Magical Encyclopedia, James chided himself for not recognizing the name immediately. This paper would be much easier to write now. He'd once overheard his father discussing Wolfsbane and Wolfsbane potion with Aunt Hermione and their friend Mr. Lupin, who was a werewolf. James remembered that Harry had been especially keen for James to get to know his friend, but he'd seldom visited in the last few years and though he seemed like a very nice old man, James remembered feeling uncomfortable around him.
After taking a few notes and bibliographical information, he gave the book to Philip and took a pencil and parchment over to the Potions Reference section. He looked and found several newer books containing information on various Wolfsbane Potions, learning that this potion was a fairly new and controversial development. James wondered if something like this would be discussed at the upcoming Magic Council or if it was important enough. He knew that werewolves were still struggling for their rights, but wasn't exactly sure what that meant. Rather than study politics in the hour or two he had left to work, he decided to study the potion and its ingredients and see if there was anything interesting there. After all, Wolfsbane was noted for harming and even killing wolves, right? That's how it got that name. Why would a werewolf knowingly prepare and drink something so dangerous, he wondered. Then it struck him. Wolfsbane Potion isn't the only potion to use this ingredient, so I should probably look at other potions and find out why aconite is used in them as well. On a roll, he forgot about Philip and lost himself on the floor of the Potions section, scribbling out Potion names and the properties of aconite in them, his mouth open and tongue moving as he concentrated.
Completely unaware of the time, James was surprised when Philip found him there on the floor beside stacks of books and announced that they were being kicked out of the library.
"Come on, James. Pick a book and let's go! We have to get our things for Astronomy." Philip said as he helped James stack books on the trolley. Philip had finished his paper, and James felt that he had enough information for at least three feet, and he'd try and complete it during Astronomy.
James knew somewhere in his mind that he should be paying more attention to Professor Wiles. He should be watching for clues about Jacobson, he thought, but his essay still distracted him and he found himself poking his wand and a quill into his bag so he could scribble sentences inside when the professor wasn't looking.
When they went up to the dormitory for bed, he closed the curtains on his bed and completed the paper neatly while the others fell asleep.
--------------------
|
Hogwarts Journeys; Ch. 9-25, To be written!
evlpez Hogwarts Journeys; Ch. 9-25 Jan 17 2005, 08:05 PM
Jan 17 2005, 08:05 PM
