PRANKSTER [1] ↝ C. DIGGORY

eight

"They never found him," Clary overheard a Hufflepuff girl saying to her friends as they walked out of the Great Hall after lunch. "searched every inch of the castle but he was nowhere to be seen."

"Let's just hope we can get through the year before he kills us all," Clary muttered to Fred.

"Or at least until Christmas," he pointed out. "I always like the jumpers Mum knits for us, and I'd hate to miss out on the one for this year."

Clary rolled her eyes with a smirk as they headed up to the classroom for Defense Against the Dark Arts, all piling into the room eagerly to see what Professor Lupin had in store for them that week. However, as she took her usual seat next to Vasantha, to their surprise, it was Snape who stood at the front of the class next to the chalkboard.

"Where's Professor Lupin?" Vas asked Snape, raising her hand.

"Seems your professor finds himself incapable of teaching today so the headmaster has asked me to prepare a lesson to teach his classes today." Snape said. "Open your books to page three hundred and ninety-four."

Clary hurriedly reached into her bag, pulling the old book out and opening it up to the correct page, the top adorned with a drawing of a four legged creature resembling an oversized dog. It was up on its hind legs, its mouth open as it seemed to howl at the moon drawn above it.

"Werewolves?" Clary muttered.

"Now," Snape said, tapping the board where he had a slide up of another werewolf drawing. "the term werewolf comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for 'man', and wolf. Werewolf translating to man-wolf. Is there anyone who can tell me the difference between an Animagus and a werewolf?"

Clary looked around the class, seeing everyone else to look just as confused at Snape's words. They had briefly learned about Animagi in Transfiguration fourth year, but never in depth.

"No one?" Snape asked, sounding disappointed. "Can't say I'm surprised. Very well. An Animagus is a wizard who learns to transform themselves into an animal at will. A werewolf, however, has either been born as such, cursed, or bitten by a werewolf during a full moon. Therefore, a werewolf does not have a choice in these transformations and will only turn during a full moon, unlike an Animagus who can do it whenever they please.

"In addition," Snape continued on, switching slides. "the mind of an Animagus remains clear during transformation, unlike that of a werewolf. During a full moon, a werewolf has no recollection of their human life whatsoever. Now, however, with the use of a Wolfsbane potion, it is possible."

"Why are we learning all this?" Vas muttered, shaking her head.

"Assignment for Monday is two rolls of parchment on the werewolf," Snape said, emitting groans from the class, "with particular emphasis on recognizing it. Class dismissed," he said, everyone getting up and shuffling back out of the rooms.

"This is a load of rubbish." Clary said as they trekked back up to Gryffindor Tower to drop off their books and change into their Quidditch gear. "Two rolls of parchment by Monday? It's bloody Friday! Snape's gone mad, he has. Not even Hermione has that kind of time."

Setting her books down on her bed and undoing her robes, Clary quickly changed out of her sweater and skirt into a pair of pants and a Gryffindor jumper, pulling her hair back into its usual braid.

"Oliver's going to kill us," Vasantha muttered as they hurried back down the stairs, for once reaching the common room only mere seconds before Fred and George.

"Come on, if we're late, it's only going to be even harder," Clary reminded them as they hurried to the exit of the castle and then down the hill toward the locker rooms.

Reaching the locker room, Clary headed over to where the brooms were kept, pulling out her Cleansweep and passing Vasantha her Nimbus 2000. She grabbed the broom, grabbing her Gryffindor Quidditch cloak and pulling it on before handing Clary hers. Fred and George got themselves ready and grabbed their brooms before they went onto the Pitch where Oliver was already waiting alongside Harry and Katie Bell.

"Alright you lot," Oliver said. "after the match between Slytherin and Hufflepuff I devised our new strategy, allowing us to train even harder than before."

"Brilliant," George muttered sarcastically.

"Harry, go on and practice with the Snitch." Oliver instructed the younger boy, dismissing him back toward the open chest where the Snitch lay alongside the Quaffle and the Bludgers.

"Alright, Fred and George, you two are going to keep an eye on the Bludgers, as usual." Oliver continued on, moving down the line to where the two boys stood. "The real task today lies with you three," he said, moving onto Clary, Vas and Katie. "The three of you need to work to get the Quaffle past me. If we can't do this as a team, we don't stand a chance against Hufflepuff next weekend."

Practice was hell for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, to say the very least. Only a few times did the girls manage to get the Quaffle past Oliver, amidst his yelling at them to stay close to each other in formation. Eventually, the Bludgers were put back into the trunk and Fred and George were ordered to try and keep the Chasers from getting to the goal. They cheated, of course, but Clary had expected no less from the two of them.

"Alright, now make sure you get sleep tonight." Oliver ordered. "If any of you muck up your sleeping schedules, you're as good as gone for next weekend. That House Cup will be ours this year, and I refuse to let it be otherwise. Now, go on. Practice dismissed."

"He's lost it," Vasantha muttered as they left the locker room, heading up toward the Great Hall for dinner.

"You know Oliver," George reminded her, "mate's not going to stop until he gets what he wants. He's never led a team to the Cup before, and it's his last year."

"The Cup is his priority," Clary continued on, "and if he works us to death in the process... then so be it."