Jane Fizzle and the Philosophers Stone

Chapter 11

    Branson can't believe her eyes when she sees that Jane and Scarlett are still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired, but perfectly cheerful. Indeed, by the next morning, Jane and Scarlett think that meeting the three-headed dog has been an excellent adventure, and they are quite keen to have another one. In the meantime, Jane fills Scarlett in about the package that seems to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spend a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection.

    "It's either really valuable or really dangerous," Scarlett says, putting some bacon on her plate.

    "Or both," Jane adds.

    "Or both," Scarlett agrees with Jane, nodding.

    But as all they know for sure about the mysterious object, is that it is about two inches long, so they don't have many ideas of what it can be without any clues about it. Neither Bill or William show the slightest interest in what lays underneath the dog and the trapdoor. All William cares about is never going near the dog again. Even Randy notices something is wrong with William and asks about it, but William doesn't say a word.

    Bill is now refusing to speak to Jane and Scarlett, which they're glad about because Bill is apart of the Zane Gang. All they really want now is a way of getting back at Branson, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrives in the mail about a week later.

    As the owls flood into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention is caught at once by a long, thin package that's carried by six, large, screech owls. Jane is just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel, and is amazed when the owls soar down and drop it right in front of her, knocking her bacon to the floor, much to her disappointment, feeling sad that her bacon was dropped, but happy about the package. The owls have hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl drops a letter on top of the parcel, Scarlett picking the bacon up and putting it on her napkin, also sad for the bacon.

    Jane rips the letter open to read first, which was smart of her because it says:

    'DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE!
    It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Mason Miller will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session.
Professor Evans'

    Jane has difficulty hiding her glee as she hands the note to Scarlett, watching happily as Scarlett's eyes grow wider and wider as she reads it, her mouth dropping, looking back at Jane with a squeal. "A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Scarlett moans enviously. "I've never even touched one."

    They leave the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall, they find the way upstairs barred by Bill and Vasper, Vasper teaching Bill how to play Sticks, Zane in front of them. Zane seizes the package from Jane and feels it. "That's a broomstick," he says, throwing it back to Jane with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Fizzle, first years aren't allowed their own."

    Scarlett can't resist it. "It's not any old broomstick," she says, "it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Zane, a Comet Two Sixty?" Scarlett grins as Jane. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."

    "What would you know about it, Herbert, your father would never let you own such a thing," Zane snaps back. "I suppose you and your brother would have to play make-believe using the brooms you use to clean your house." 

    Before Scarlett can roll her sleeve up, Professor B rounds the corner, following one of his rats and holding another one. The five of them freeze in their tracks and Professor B looks at them awkwardly. Looking around, he sees what's about to happen. "Not arguing, I hope?" he asks, picking up the rat that was making a run for Scarlett, Jane cringing in disgust and horror.