Splinters

Chapter 7

Feet hit the stone floor as Penelope Ollivander raced to her class. "I'm a seventh year! I should be able to get to class on time, especially Transfiguration!" 

     "Miss Ollivander!" Professor Flitwick turned the corner of the empty hallway. She panted as she was forced to stop. 

     "Mornin', Professor Flitwick. Am I late to your class? I thought I had Transfiguration," she groaned. "Think, Penelope, think!" 

     Professor Flitwick chuckled. From his pocket, he produced a sheet of parchment and handed it to Penelope. "Tell Professor McGonagall that you were with me. She will understand."

     "Thank you so much, Professor," she breathed. Penelope took off down the hallway towards the Transfiguration classroom. 

     The door was closed and Penelope slowed to a stop before she entered the room. "Miss Ollivander, what was keeping you must have been of the utmost importance," Professor McGonagall spoke sternly. 

     "I was with Professor Flitwick." Penelope hurried to the front of the class, her hand outstretched with her note. 

     "Tell Professor Flitwick to inform me next time he keeps you after breakfast." She returned to her lesson. 

     Penelope searched the room till she found her four best friends. Sirius patted an empty seat next to him where his bag previously sat. "Thanks," she huffed as she sat down. 

     "Where were you?" Sirius asked out of the corner of his mouth. 

     "Not with Professor Flitwick, I would gander," James snickered. 

     "Found a new path through the Forbidden Forest. It was long than I expected," Penelope whispered. 

     A cough directed the attention of the three back to Professor McGonagall. "May I go on? Or is your conversation about the lesson itself?"

     "Sorry, Professor," Penelope spoke. Professor McGonagall eyed the three Gryffindors before returning to her lesson. 

     Penelope listened to the professor but slightly jumped as a note was slid into her hand. She opened it without looking and quickly looked down before allowing the note to burn in the palm of her hand. Are you coming to Quidditch practice? 

     Scribbling a Yes on the back of her hand, Penelope showed it to her quidditch captain, James. He shook her hand which made her chuckle. "Weirdo."

     Class soon ended and the five students were quickly out of the classroom. "Did I miss anything at breakfast?" Penelope asked as she stuffed a sheet of parchment into her bag. 

     "Nothing much," Remus said. He held open a book that Penelope could not see the title to. 

     "Did everyone do their Potions homework? The uses of Asphodel and how it could be used in our daily lives?" Penelope saw the looks on Sirius and Peter's faces. "How could you not remember?"

     "You only told us about it three times last night, Mum," James teased. Penelope glared at him and he held his hands up. 

     "It's a compliment, Penny. I recommend you take it." Remus closed his book. 

     The five Gryffindors made their way, albeit rather slowly, to the dungeons where Professor Slughorn awaited. "Penelope, how many hugs would it take to let me copy your parchment on the uses of Asphodel?" James asked. 

     "No way," Penelope laughed. 

     "I'll tutor you in Astronomy," Sirius tried to tempt the witch. 

     "Adhara is the second brightest star in Canis Major. It's also the 24th brightest in the night sky." Penelope smirked and wagged her finger. 

     Remus looked at James and raised an eyebrow. "You've already lost."

     "You haven't won yet, Moony," James huffed. 

     Too soon, the five arrived at the Potions classroom. Professor Slughorn rushed through the doorway just as they sat down. 

     "Good morning class!" Professor Slughorn announced. "Since this is your final year, I will be focusing on review potions in preparation for your N.E.W.T.s."

     Penelope and Remus grinned while Sirius and James groaned. Peter had pulled a muffin out of nowhere. It seemed that he couldn't care less about the announcement.

     "Peter," whispered Penelope, "do you have anymore food?"

     "I accidentally grabbed an apple, if you want that," Peter offered. Thanking the wizard profusely, Penelope took the piece of fruit. She had skipped breakfast that morning and hunger was finally catching up to her.

     Scratching on the blackboard at the front of the class drew our attention back to Professor Slughorn. "We will be going over Amortentia, today.  Who here can tell me what Amortentia looks like to the naked eye?"

     Penelope's hand shot up along with another Gryffindor, Lily Evans. "Miss Evans," Professor Slughorn called. 

     "Amortentia has a mother-of-pearl sheen as well as spiralling steam," Lily quickly answered. Penelope sighed and lowered her hand. 

     "Always the favorite," she grumbled. Remus nudged her in the ribs.

     "She's Slughorn's favorite. Professor Kettleburn seems to like you."

     "Yeah, Penny," James ranted. "You can't always be the best. But you're the best in my eyes," he joked. Penelope laughed as James held a hand where his heart should be. 

     "I love you too, Jamsie," she cooed. James pretended to faint and Sirius caught him. 

     "My, my, Miss Ollivander. You've won my heart," James attempted a terrible American Southern accent. 

     "Alas, my heart belongs to another!" Penelope declared. Sirius dropped James onto the floor. 

     "It belongs to me!" Sirius yelled. The three had gotten into their acting session so much, that the whole class has stopped their work. 

     "Mr. Black, Mr. Potter, very nice acting." Professor Slughorn chuckled as he complimented the two. "And Miss Ollivander, I very much liked your acting too. Ten points to Gryffindor."

     "Sure," Sirius uttered under his breath. "Acting."