Partners in Crime || PJOxHP || Marauders' Era

Tryouts

When Jessica came down the stairs the next morning at 3.00 am into the Common room, Sirius was nowhere to be found. She stretched onto a squashy armchair. The chess board was still there, intact- except for a single white piece having been moved. A small piece of paper was sticking out of the corner, and Jessica took it out, smiling.

'ARE YOU GHOST?' Sirius had written in pearly black letters.

Chuckling, Jessica made her next move on the board and wrote back on the paper- 'No, silly. I'm a completely alive witch. Are you alive, though?'

And with that, she comforted herself into the chair and stared into the glowing fire. She was worried. It was tryouts day, and Jessica was so unprepared that she knew she'd be toast the moment she entered the Quidditch pitch. 

But even worse than that was Jessica's dreams- she had seen a young boy- not much younger than her- stand tall over a group of teenagers younger and older than him. They were all seated on different animals... Jessica had seen young golden horses with horns... white unicorns... pegasi... and an elephant? 

The boy was wearing a purple shirt- his eyes sparkled sky blue, just like Jessica's, his sharp jaw seemed to cut through the air, and his hair was so brilliantly blonde that Malfoy would've been jealous. He almost looked too perfect to be a boy. His arms rippled with muscle, and the crowd around him were looking up at him like an idol. His wrist was dark, like he had a tattoo- a tattoo of an eagle.

"SENATUS ROMANUS POPULESQUE!" the boy had yelled. He raised his javelin into the air, and lightning cracked the dark skies. The rest of the crowd followed, shouting the same thing- Jessica had not understood it's meaning at all. And suddenly, the boy looked right into her eyes. His cold gaze bore a deep well into her soul. "To the end of Saturn, sister."

And that's when Jessica had woken up with a cold sweat covering her Camp shirt.

Jessica's mind felt fragile- like a piece of glass about to shatter into tiny shards. It had never been this way- she had never felt a realization hit her so painfully. She only had little time left at hand. She remembered the Oracle's words- Two children of the elder gods shall reach sixteen against all odds. She was a demigod- chances were, she wasn't even going to make it to twenty one.

Jessica stood up from her armchair and stretched. Well, she thought. No time to think about it. It is what it is.

***

Professor McGonagall marched into the Great Hall with the sternest look yet. "All third years will follow me," she said. "Patronus classes will take place in the Transfiguration Classroom.. now."

Jessica and Lily scrambled out of their seats and left their breakfasts untouched. Professor McGonagall's clicking heels were the only noise that echoed through the corridors as the students fumbled behind her silently- it seemed like Professor McGonagall had been having a very bad day, and it wasn't even eight in the morning.

She flicked her wand, and the Transfiguration classroom door swung open with a small BANG. Jessica and James exchanged nervous looks as they sat right smack in front next to each other, facing McGonagall.

Transfiguration was the only class Jessica and James actually got along, because Jessica was very good at it, and James was the best at it. They'd practice spells together and Professor McGonagall had taken a great liking to them- so great that she had asked the two to be seated right in front of her so she could give them extra credit and points on getting their spells better.

But at that moment, McGonagall seemed like a menace to society. She walked to her table and put her hands on the desk and leaned forward. "Good morning, students. Today, we'll look at Patronuses."