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Josie trudges towards Transfiguration class when Regulus falls into step beside her.
"Good morning," she greets.
He glances at her and responds, "Hello, jolie fille." His tone shifts as he utters the French words.(Pretty Girl)
"What does that mean?" Josie inquires.
A mischievous smirk plays on his lips. "Would you like me to whisper it into your ear?"
Yes. Josie's retort is swift. "Stop that," she says, averting her gaze.
"I can't help it. You're fun to mess with," Regulus teases.
Josie shoots him a glare, and the next moment, they find themselves inside the classroom. They walk together to their adjacent seats, gathering their materials.
As class commences, Josie absentmindedly picks at her nails.
Suddenly, a whisper reaches her ears, causing Josie to lift her head in surprise.
She turns towards the slightly ajar door from which the whisper emanates. The Grey Lady, visible through the crack, whispers something once more before fading away. It is an unusual occurrence, as Josie rarely interacts with the Grey Lady or any other ghost.
Her focus snaps back to reality when someone touches her hand.
"Josephine?" Regulus calls out.
"Sorry, lost in thought," Josie replies, regaining her attention.
She listens intently as Professor McGonagall addresses the class. "This week, you will be working with your partners to write an essay on the vanishing spell. Optionally, you may attempt to perform it when submitting your essays, but it's not mandatory."
Papers land on the desks. "You may begin now and work on it throughout the week."
Regulus leans closer and whispers, "Would you like to meet in the library later to work on it?"
"Sure," she whispers in response. Josie can't help but turn her head to check the cracked door, half-expecting the Grey Lady to reappear, but she is nowhere to be seen.
~~~
Josie arrives at the library early, eager to indulge in some reading before meeting Regulus. With an occlumency book in her hands, she delves into its pages, immersing herself in the intriguing subject.
The book provides a comprehensive account of occlumency and its counterpart, legilimency. It vividly describes the sensations one experiences during legilimency, the discomfort of having one's mind laid bare for someone else to explore. Josie can't help but recall the painful memory of the previous year's first meal, where she felt that invasive probing. She distinctly remembers locking eyes with Dumbledore, convinced that he was the one responsible. His sudden aversion of her gaze only strengthens her suspicion.
