Bad Omens | F. W

Eleven - Bitter Sweets

    A mandrake leaf. It was so stupid, so simple, yet such a thing was needed for an animagus potion? During Sarah Jane's Herbology class, she was successful at stealing the tiny little thing and slipping it into her sling when Professor Sprout wasn't looking for once -- the woman usually watched her like a hawk.

    After that lesson, she found and explained to Fred that she wouldn't be able to speak for a while, keeping out any idea of her attempting to become such a thing out of the conversation. They found themselves in a quiet corridor and going silent anytime someone came past.

    "You still haven't told me what it is," Fred said as he looked around the corner to make sure no one would be eavesdropping.

    Sarah Jane frowned, she felt guilty for using Fred like this, but right now she was desperate.

    "I'll tell you after Christmas," she muttered as her eyes drifted down, "once the first part of the process is done, I'll let you in on it. But still, no George, okay?"

    Fred blinked, "process?"

    "Yes, I'm doing something magic related, something that could get me expelled if anyone even suspected me of doing it," she explained dryly.

    Fred stared at the girl for a second, "haven't you been threatened more than Harry with being expelled?"

    "Fred," she hissed, "I'm serious. Just, please, I need that vial as soon as possible."

    Fred sighed, "you're a piece of work, SJ," he said quietly at the sound of footsteps approaching, "you're seriously making me do homework for once."

    She frowned as the steps went down a different corridor, "you cannot mess this up, Fred, just one little mistake and I could end up in Saint Mungo's for months," she explained, (keeping out the Azkaban detail), and noticing Fred's eyes going wide as she added, "I wouldn't ask you to do such a thing if I knew you couldn't do it."

    Fred sucked in a deep breath and leaned against the wall, hitting his head a few times gently and saying, "it'll be done by Hogsmeade."

    Sarah Jane threw her one good arm around Fred, thanking him profusely which surprised the boy. He looked down at her and watched as she left before Professor McGonagall rounded the corner, looking at the boy confused.

    Sarah Jane that night at sundown found herself alone in the second floor girls bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror, ignoring Moaning Myrtle complaining about her presence. The girl's didn't like one another, not after what occurred with the polyjuice potion and Sarah Jane accidentally invaded the girls space, that being her stall, and vomiting into her toilet as she turned.

    Her nerves were beginning to hit her. She was really doing this, she was really going to attempt it and hope it worked. She took a deep breath and reached into her robes, pulling out her wand slowly to not drop it with her shaky hand. She laid it on the sinks edge carefully as Moaning Myrtle came behind her, the ghost acting as if she were grabbing her shoulders and leaning over.

    "What is it that you're doing," the ghost spat her question.

    Sarah Jane took another deep breath and pulled out the mandrake leaf from her sling, "something better than polyjuice potion."

    The ghost seemed intrigued, "does Harry know?"

    "No," the girl spat quickly as she brought it closer to her mouth, "he can't know. And if you were to ever tell him or try to I'll make sure he never comes into this bathroom again," she said, glaring at the ghost through the rusted mirror.