Tory Potter and the Pathological Liar

Halloween Troll

"Suspicious" was the first word that came to mind as I realized it was already October. I didn't realize how fast time had flown.

Between Harry's quidditch practices and Professor Dumbledore's private lessons, I had little to no free time. Add in homework, and I was quickly being swept away in a full daily life. Well, I suppose homework wasn't that bad since it was about lessons, which were becoming more and more interesting now that everyone had mastered the basics.

On Halloween morning, we woke up to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors.

Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in charms that he thought we were ready to start making objects fly, something we had all been dying to try since we'd seen him make Neville's toad - poor Trevor - zoom around the classroom. Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs.

My partner was Dean, who looked just as excited as I felt.

Harry's partner was Seamus while Ron was partnered up with Hermione.

I poked the feather with my wand before decided that I could probably make something that light float.

"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" Professor Flitwick squeaked, perched on top of his pole of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too. Never forget wizard Baruffio, who said "s" instead of "f" and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."

It was very difficult.

Dean and I wished and flicked, but the feather we were supposed to be sending skyward just laid on the desktop.

I got impatient and poked the feather with my wand, causing it to burst into flames.

Dean put it out with his hat, only for another fire to start the next table over.

Seamus had caused it, and we found something to bond over.

Ron, who was on Harry's other side, wasn't having much more luck. "Wingardium leviosa!" He shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.

"You're saying it wrong," Hermione snapped, "It's wing-gar-dium levi-o-sa. Make the ‘gar’ nice and long."

"You do it then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.

Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "Wingardium leviosa!"

Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about a meter above their heads.

"Oh, well done!" Professor Flitwick cried out, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"

Ron was in a very bad mood after that.

I looked at my feather, flicked my wrist, and said, "Wingardium leviosa." I was understandably disappointed when the feather floated about three centimeters off of the desk, never raising any higher.

"Well, that's a start," Dean said with false positivity.

"Yeah," I agreed, only to have the feather drop down to the desk. I sighed as I sat back in my chair. "Your turn."

Dean tried once again using Hermione's method and succeeded. He had an amazed expression as the feather floated up above our heads. His amazement died down to concern as he said, "It's not stopping."

"At least there's a ceiling so it won't float away," I said as I patted his shoulder reassuringly.

Our feather hit the ceiling and stayed there, even after Dean lowered his wand.