Hidden Talent

Chapter: 16

It was early December when a light dusting of snow began to form across the grounds of the Scottish plain. It had been barely a week since the First Task when Cedric was released from the schools hospital wing, one side of his face still a splotchy red from his healing burns, but thankfully there was no lasting damage thanks to Madam Pomfrey's care.

Jack was kind of upset that he'd missed the rest of the First Task, mainly Fleur's round, but at least he wasn't the only one to faint at the sight of Cedric's boiling face. A good dozen Beauxbaon girls had also collapsed at the same time, along with a couple Hogwarts students, so no one really noticed when he ended head-first into Ling's lap and it wasn't like Ling minded at all.

Sitting down at their table for breakfast, Jack and his friends began to dig-in to the mountains of food. They needed to finish quickly if the wanted to have time to read their mail and get to class on time, having arrived late due to Johnny over sleeping.

"This was not my fault" the blond defended himself as he spooned his cereal quickly into his mouth between words, glaring a Hikaru "Somebodywas keeping me up late thanks to their snoring"

"Hay! How is it fault I'm all stuffed up?! I caught a cold saving you from the lake!"

"Let's just agree that it's Peregrine Derrick's fault then, okay?" Ling suggested, glaring over at the 7th year Slytherin who'd pushed Johnny into the lake a couple days ago.

"Agreed" the three nodded, sending dirty looks over to the culprit.

"I've come up with a new curse, if you want I could test it on him" Jack offered.

"What's it do?"

"Shrinks someone down to the size of a grain of rice" he explained, receiving looks of awe and horror "What?"

"As wicked as that would be; someone could step on him..." Johnny laughed nervously.

"And that's over-kill" Hikaru nodded "Plus, we don't wanna end up in Azkaban for getting another student killed"

"How about shrinking his underpants instead" Jack suggested, earning him evil smirks and a shared look between the group. Snickering darkly, Jack pulled out his wand and aimed it at the elder Slytherin. Hiding his action under his robes, as not to get in trouble, Jack whispered quietly "Subter-rice"

As the impending screech rang out through the Great Hall all eyes turned to the sight of the Slytherin Quidditch teams Beater fell back off his seat, thrashing around as he reached down his trousers desperately, followed by the sound of fabric tearing.

"Mr. Derrick! What do you think you are doing?!" Professor McGonagall barked over the roaring laughter of the students, bolting from her chair and down the isles to the teen who lay bonelessly on the floor, followed by the school matron.

Jack quickly put away his wand as bent over the table laughing uncontrollably, only to notice Neville grinning at him from his own table. Smirking, the Goth gave the Gryffindor a cocky two-fingered salute before giving Ling a low-five under the table.

As Professor McGonagall dragged the semi-conscious teen out of the Hall the daily owl post began flying in and dropping off mail to the eagerly waiting students.

Clumsily catching a letter from his family's tiny Negros-Scops owl dropped down onto the Goths head, it's small fluffy form nestling into his spikes. "Hay! Quit it, you demented little lint-ball!" Jack scolded, swatting at the bird messing with his hair, only to be bitten in response "Ow!!!" he whined, tearfully sucking on his bleeding finger and giving Johnny a pitiful, pleading look.