Growing Through Time (A Harry Potter au Story)

2

The great hall was filled with students; the morning of the first visit to Hogsmeade made everyone above third year excited to get outside of the school walls and spend time in the all-wizarding town, shopping, exploring, chilling out and overall having fun. The students below third year... well they were not as happy.

Running, Paula skidded to a stop at her seat on the Gryffindor table, and sat with a thud. Brushing her short brown hair out of the way, she turned towards a neighbourghing student, who was Tom, and asked,
"Has an owl dropped a letter for me?"
"No, why?"
"I'm supposed to receive my Hogsmeade permission slip," She said, slightly annoyed, reaching across the table for a blueberry muffin, " as always, my mum has to send stuff like this last minute."
Laughing slightly at his friend stuffing her face with a muffin angrily, Tom turned back to his book titled, 'Wizards' chess and different winning tactics'.

Since the time they walked out of the train, the groups of friends slowly got together, despite the house differences; Molly, Mindy and Bryony got into Slytherin. Kurtis into Ravenclaw, Brody into Hufflepuff. And last but not least, Tom and Paula into Gryffindor. Throughout first and second year, the group of friends got aquaintenced and befriended, and by third year they were insepreable.

Back in the great hall, the distant screach of an owl, caught Paula's attention making her look up just in time to see a grey Tawny owl fly above her and drop a brown envelope on her plate. Grabbing it eagerly, she ripped it open and read over the reply.
"Yes!" Throwing her hands in the air, she smiled widely.
"You got the letter then?" Tom asks, grabbing an apple and standing up. Following his lead, Paula stood up, fixing her grey-ish brown jumper, and walked out of the great hall.
"Yeah."
Walking through the hallway they reached the courtyard, where the others were waiting with Mcgonagall standing at the front steps with everyone elses permission slips. Once outside in the cold October breeze, Paula skipped towards the stern looking teacher, whilst Tom went to join their friends who stood further away, nearer the pathway to the Hogwarts gate.
Hand outstreched she said,
"Just came in ma'am." grinning as Mcgonagall took in the slip of paper, she spun around and with a bounce in her step, walked off to a waving Brody and co.
•
Standing with her friends, Brody watched as Paula came towards them. She stood there, a yellow and black woolen scarf wrapped around her neck, grey trainers tapping against the gravel, as Tom chatted with Kurtis and Mindy.
Letting out a heavy sigh Mindy spoke in a pompous voice, moving her hands around to prove her point,
"...I'm telling you Hollyhead Harpies are better than Puddlemere United. They beat their as-"
"Hey guys! Are you all ready? Should we head to the carriages?" Paula declared, interrupting the growing argument about Quidditch and the best teams in the UK.
Forgetting about their previous conversation, they answered simultaneously,
"Yeah."
"Sure lets go!"
"Umm.... guys..." Molly mumbled out, shifting her gaze between Bryony and the others, "Me and Bryony will stay here. At school.  So yeah... we'll see you later today, okay?"
Standing dumbfounded, the only thing Brody could do now is blurt out,
"Uh, why?"
"No, form to give in. Mum thinks it pathetic and stupid to go out there." Bryony spoke up, gently fixing up her curly space buns.
"Aww, hun, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you can come next time!" Brody said, trying to cheer up Bryony.
"Yeah, well of you guys pop, before all the carriages go!" And with that she skedaddled away with Molly into the warmth of the quiet school corridors.
•
The black leather benches dipped under the weight of the group, Brody leaning her back against the wooden back piece. The carriages were driven by 'magic' as everyone says, yet Paula told her friends otherwise, saying how 'black horses, with long bat wings' were always there maneuvering through the pathways and driving them back and forth from the station and Hogsmeade.
A misty breathe escaped between Brodys parted lips as she observed the mountain sides, a thin layer of fog obscuring them.
I wonder if those 'horses' are there driving us now, she thought.
"You know the carriages were much fancier when we first got them." Mindy remarked, looking down at her black fingerless gloves.
"Yeah but these aren't that bad." Paula answered her, shifting in her seat trying to catch a glimpse of the oncoming village.
"True, but the ones we had at the beggining of second year had a whole cabin, instead of being open. I'm not trying to be fussy or anything, but they have gone a bit downhill, don't you think?" she looked at her friend awaiting an answer, when a carriage from behind them came trotting by.
"Your starting to sound like Malfoy, Mindy. I would watch out, or soon you'll be strutting through the hallways like that git!" Kurtis roared from the carriage that contained Tom, Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were in fits of laughter, Seamus' face littered with tears.
"Oh shut it Orris!" Mindy snapped at him.
"Or what?"
"Or this."
Brody covered her face in her hands, partially to hide her laughter and partially to cover up in embarrassment at her friend immaturity. What did she do? Let's just say she flipped him off.
Suddenly, they came to a stop, Paula and Brody lurching forward slightly from the force of the carriages. Laughing it off, they carefully watched as Mindy hopped of and walked towards the boys, who decided they want to take the seperate ride with Seamus and Dean, ditching them, and punched Kurtis in the arm, who in return let out a grunt of pain. Mindy then leaned in towards the group and spoke quietly. So quietly, infact that all Brody could make out of it was that she definitely threatened them.
With that she marched away, frizzy hair bouncing in a ponytail down her back, a smirk etched onto her face, as the boys behind them stood transfixed and pale. Sending them a last glance Brody followed Mindy towards the village entrance, Paula just shuffling along behind them.
•
"So what exactly did you tell them?" Paula asked, referring to the 'small talk' Mindy made with the guys at the Hogsmeade entrance, her hands wrapped around a mug of tea she ordered.
Smiling, she took a gulp of her Butterbeer, savouring the sweet warm liquid that cascaded down her throat, and simply stated,
"I threatened them...and 'gently' told them to bugger off.''
Or something along those lines,she thought.
-- "I would've said this before, but Brody wouldn't approve of it, so I'm saying it now; don't ever fucking compare me to Malfoy." she hissed, low enough for them to hear, "Because I know where you spend your time and I know where you sleep. I swear to everything holy that your mothers will cry when they see what I've done to you."They all nodded meekly, faces drained of colour or previous humour. —
Taking another sip of her drink, she watched as her friends snickered at her violent behaviour, their faces tinted red and grins plastered to their faces. They all were sitting in the Three Broomsticks in a secluded corner near the warm fireplace, the cozy atmosphere cheered the three teens up from the gloomy air outside. The quiet chatter in the background drowned out the misty shadows hum that hung in the outside, created by the dementors which have become temporary guards of Hogwarts, due to a mass murderer escaping, named Sirius Black.
Near them an empty table stood;  a simple round wooden table with three chairs surrounding it. All of a sudden the high-pitched bell of the door rang, signaling someone entering or leaving. Mindy would've bet on the former, as the noise of laughter rang through the whole building, vibrating of the walls.
"These are going to be great....absolutely....going to love it...."
"Never going to expect it..... old Snape will even fall for it.... yeah.."
Bits of the oncoming peoples conversations caught Mindy's ear, but she turned her attention away, looking back at her friends, who were beforehand disscussing their favourite halloween sweets.
"There was this small shop selling muggle items in it, just round the corner. Do you want to go in to find a binder for you? They might sell them there?" Paula asked Brody.
"Oh no, it's alright. I would love one, but my parents woudn't let me get one, you see."
"They don't have to find out." Mindy put in, hopefully.
Mindy, as do the others of their friendship group, know about Brody and her hoping to transition to a boy. Since finding out about it last year near the summer break, each one of them tried to get Brody to use some sort of magic to help through the process and quicken it up, yet she refuses, wanting to do it the muggle ways.
"Don't say that Mindy! I can't keep something like that away from them."
Staring her friend in the eyes Mindy answered with a simple shrug and a 'meh'.
A distruptive clatter of noise, made the three turn to face the now occupied round table. Two tall ginger twins and a shorter dark-skinned guy in dreadlocks sat laughing over an object they hid from view.
Curious, Mindy sat up straighter trying to look above their heads, yet to no avail. She heard a small clinking of porcelain from them and rustling of packaging as one of the gingers popped a chocolate frog in his mouth, leaning against the back rest of the chair. His face was scattered with freckles, an expression resting between a smile and a smirk was visible, his brown eyes glistening with humour.
"What is that?" Paula asked quietly, looking at the now revealed object. It was a simple white porcelain teacup, it's rim finished of in a wavy design, and the saucer had a golden rim, finishing it of. It seemed normal, nothing suspicious about it, yet it seemed like the source of the boys laughter.
Wierd...Mindy thought, not feeling very trustworthy towards them, her brow furrowed under her glasses.
Turning their attention towards the trio of girls, the boys looked at them confused.
"You're talking to us?" one of the ginger twins asked pointing at himself and his companions.
Staring him in the eye with a bored expression, Mindy folded her hand over her chest, as Paula blushed and looked down from embarrasment at being noticed.
"Nah, we were talking to the deer head above the fireplace." Mindy answered sarcasticly. Snorting Brody and the dark-skinned boy bent forward, holding the side of their table for support, smiles spreading across their faces.
Grinning, the other twin reached over and gently grabbed the teacup, and came to place it on the girls table. Mindy eyed it cautiousy, whereas Paula took hold of it and brought it close to her face.
"It's a teacup. Have a look at it." He states, with a straight face, something his companions were having trouble to do. Noticing packaging by their feet Mindy focused on the words written on paper;
'Nose-biting Teacups'
Oh shit, Was her first thought.
"Don't touch it!It's-" Mindy got cut off, as the rim of the cup streched out and caught hold of Paula's nose pinching it painfully.
As Brody helped pull it off her friend as she cried out in pain, tears welling in her eyes, Mindy stood up angrily reaching out for her wand and pointing it at the boy with dreadlocks, threateningly.
"Mindy no!" Paula called out, rubbing her nose, "Remember? No magic out of Hogwarts."
"Right."
Stashing the wand away she formed her hands into fists, the boys eyes grew in realisation of her actions, and swung at his nose.
Crunch!
She made contact with his face as the others gasped in shock.
"That's not what I meant..." Paula breathed out.