Wolfsbane

Wind Up for a Bad Joke

            

The next day I rushed to eat my breakfast, as I had yet to figure out where Elias was. He hadn't been in the common room, and I walked up and down the Slytherin table for over ten minutes looking. After several questions, three wrong turns, and a very strange conversation with a Hufflepuff prefect named Kindle, I found Elias in the library. He was half asleep over scattered pieces of parchment, and a breakfast plate that had been picked at. I prodded him, and he let out a girlish scream. He held his chest, his breath coming in heavy spurts as he looked over at me.

"Geeze Booth, give a lad a warning next time. You got me at a good time, potions happens to be the only academic I'm any good at, when I'm not busy sleeping that is. What can I do for you this morning?" I shuffled my feet and mumbled about Dumbledore's office, unsure if Elias was messing with me or had genuinely forgotten. By the fleshy smack of the palm of his hand against his forehead, it had been the latter.

"I'm sorry Booth, lets go. Dumbledore is probably waiting." I checked my watch, and indeed, he would be waiting. Class would start in the next five minutes, and I sincerely hoped whatever business the headmaster had with me, would be quick. I'd hate to be late for my first lesson, that would be sure to lose me house points, or gain the wrath of my fellow housemates. Or both. As we rushed down the hall, I noticed two figures standing in the middle of the hall, and recognized them as Professor McGonagall and Sirius Black. Elias stopped near them, and bowed to Professor McGonagall before taking a deep breath.

"This is where I leave you Booth. If you need anything, come find me later, I'll probably be in the library again, just so you don't have to look too far. Good day Professor, I'll see you in third." Elias continued on down the hall at a walk, before checking his wrist, and then breaking into a dead sprint around the corner and out of sight. Professor McGonagall gave me a sad look before motioning her hands at the stature to my right.

"Alright, both of you in front of the statue, I'll send you up to the headmaster." Sirius moved before I did, and stood in the right circle of one of the big wings on the eagle. I stood in the curve of the left, and Professor McGonagall flicked her hands at the statue and said a strange word. I wondered if it meant anything. As the statue ascended in a clockwise circle up the stone shaft, Sirius turned to me.

"The headmaster wanted to talk to you too?" I nodded my head, not wanting to get involved with Sirius. He seemed kind, but I didn't have high hopes of a friendship with someone from a different house, let alone the house I should have been in.

"You're awfully quiet." I looked at him through the corner of my eye, and then rolled them.

"Yes, I'd like to get whatever this is done with so I can go to class." The statue came to a grinding halt, and the both of us struggled to catch our balance. I looked forward to see a set of doors, large and ornate. Headmaster Dumbledore's office. I wonder what it looks like on the inside. We stood in front of the doors, both of us wanting this to be over with, and afraid to move at the same time.

"Ladies first." I turned my head quickly to regard the statement.

"Just because I'm a girl, doesn't make me a lady. So, you first." Sirius shook his head, and took a single step backwards.

"My father says that girls should always go first, it's polite and proper." I rolled my eyes again before moving to push the big door open. Dumbledore was standing near a bird perch, his fingers softly moving over brilliant red and orange feathers. He looked over as Sirius pushed the door closed behind us. I stepped deeper into the room, and stood next to Dumbledore as the bird cooed at him.

"Yes Miss Booth, your namesake. Have you ever seen a phoenix before?" I felt a cheeky smile make its way to my face before I replied.

"Of course Professor, every morning I look in the mirror." Dumbledore's face cracked a smile, but the moment was gone when we both heard a snicker come from behind us. We both turned to see Sirius with a hand over his mouth, glee lighting the grey of his eyes, turning it to silver. He cleared his throat and pulled his hand away.

"Sorry Professor. It was clever." Dumbledore smiled again and moved to sit behind a large wooden desk. He motioned at the two seats in front of the desk, and Sirius and I moved as one to take a seat.

"You both must be wondering, why I would pull you away from your first classes. I'd like to offer both of you something, that has never been done before at Hogwarts, or any school for that matter. You both seemed quite-distraught-with the results of your sorting. I'd like to offer you the chance to live in the house you believe you rightfully belong." I felt my eyes widen, and my heart started beating faster in my chest.

"Why would you do that?" Dumbledore smiled again, this time the action looked secretive.

"An experiment of sorts. There are conditions that must be met however. You must first spend one month in your sorted houses, and if at the end of that month, you decide that you would belong somewhere else, I will allow you to switch for one week. You will not be granted the common room password, and you will be chaperoned by that house's prefects to and from all your classes and meals. If you decide that house is the better fit, you will be made a permanent member.  One other thing as well, you must come to a consensus, if you both do not agree to switch, it will not happen. Now, off to class, and take time to think." Dumbledore turned his eyes towards the desk, effectively ending the conversation, and dismissing the two of us. As we descended the stairs side by side, I couldn't help but think this was some sort of trick. I desperately wanted, desired, needed, to be Gryffindor. Dumbledore had given me hope. 

"Which way is potions?" I turned my head towards Sirius as we walked down the hall together.

"The dungeons. The potions room is near my common room. Come on, we better hurry or class will be over before we get there. Hopefully Professor Slughorn will understand." We reached the potions room as class was ending, and the stream of students on the way out made it nearly impossible to get in. An elderly gentleman was standing near a bubbling cauldron, a dopey smile on his face. I stepped closer, and prayed he would understand.

"Excuse me sir, are you Professor Slughorn?" He turned to regard me, and he let out a joyous chuckle.

"Yes my dear! What can I do for you this fine day?" I took a deep breath as I got ready to explain.

"Sirius Black sir, and this is Phoenix Booth. Professor Dumbledore had borrowed us this morning for a special task, we had hoped we would be back before class was over. Please forgive us." I looked over at Sirius as he had answered for me. Professor Slughorn's eyes widened and he let out a boisterous laugh, and I wondered if maybe he had drunk one too many of his potions.

"The apology is unnecessary, Dumbledore always has his reasons, and I've never been one to question them. You two should be off to your next classes though."

"Yes Professor, but I would like to ask if you could tutor us later today? I'd hate to be behind in class, and the only way to catch up is with a private lesson." He nodded very enthusiastically as he turned towards his desk again.

"Of course! Stop by after supper and I'll help the two of you brew your first potions at Hogwarts. For this class you do need a partner, and I have already paired up the other students, so I do hope you two will get along. Shake hands with your potions partner." Sirius and I eyed each other, before shaking hands and leaving to head towards our next classes.

"So, what do you have next?" I looked at him from the corner of my eye before responding.

"Flying. I'm headed to the pitch. You?" He let out a groan and hunched himself over as we walked.

"Charms. I don't have flying until fifth. Anyway, I guess I'll see you in the potions room after dinner. What time do you want to meet?" I shrugged my shoulders as I tried to figure out what time would be best.

"Half seven maybe? Great, we'll meet outside the potions room then. I'll see you later." I turned to head towards the quidditch pitch and out towards my next class, a funny thought in my head. Just as I was passing through the courtyard to my class, Sirius came barreling back towards me, his voice screaming out my name. I paused and waited for him to catch up, thinking I was about to miss my next class because of him.

"I was just thinking, Dumbledore set us up for a bad joke." I grinned at him, knowing he had caught the same thought I had.

"A Slytherin walks into the Gryffindor common room. What a joke it could be. See you around Sirius." He nodded and turned to run back the way he had come. I could only shake my head as it really dawned on me, that Dumbledore was either brilliant, or completely mad. I had yet to decide which he was, and I guessed it would take much more than a wind up for a bad joke to make a clear decision.