After counting the lines in the wooden ceiling at least fifty times and listening to the other two girls' slow breathing, Alex sighed and pulled herself into a sitting position. The crimson curtains around her bed overwhelmed her. She slowly got up and headed to the common room. She sat herself in an armchair and stared absentmindedly at the low flames. Twelve years earlier she had been a hard-working sixth year, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, an apprentice for the Auror office and a decent Chaser for the Gryffindor team. All those things had vanished overnight and with them so had the spark, the will to pursue something for herself. Alex sighed and quickly made her way out into the Corridor. A few minutes later she was sitting on the cliffs next to the Black Lake. She spent the rest of the night there, staring up at the moon and wondering why she had been booted from Nusquam at that particular moment.
Before she knew it a particularly loud squawk made her jolt. A large Hippogriff was calmly rustling its feathers a few yards away. Alex bowed to it and quickly made her way toward the castle. The warm smell of breakfast wafted through the halls as she reached the Great Hall.
"Oi, Alex!" Fred waved her over.
"Good morning," she smiled slightly as she grabbed a piece of toast.
"You're not in your robes and you look even more exhausted than last-night," George noticed.
"Well, thanks," she muttered and quickly waved her wand to change into them.
"Are you sure you're a seventh year? I don't know what they teach at Ilvermorny, but it's quite advanced!" he continued.
"Uh, I'm good with Charms. I was chosen to transfer because of it," she rubbed the back of her neck.
"Say, are you any good at Divination?" asked Fred.
"I wouldn't take the class if a dragon was chasing me," she laughed. Alex was dreading walking into professor Trelawny, but she knew she woman usually stayed in her classroom drinking sherry.
"So, what classes have you got today?" asked Hermione suddenly plopping down next to Alex making her yelp.
"First I've got Transfiguration with Hufflepuff, then History of Magic and Charms with Ravenclaw, double Defense Against the Dark Arts with Hufflepuff and Ancient Runes with the birdies," Alex said. McGonagall had whipped up a heftily packed schedule for her.
"You're taking Ancient Runes, too? Harry and Ron said I was probably the only student in the whole school to take it," Hermione mumbled angrily.
"I've been since my fourth year, I find it reasonably useful," Alex replied, "say, Hermione, who is that teacher over there next to Professor McGonagall?"
"Oh, that's Professor Lupin, he's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, you see, we've been having trouble with keeping one for more than a year," Hermione answered, but Alex had stopped listening once she'd said his name. Alex quickly excused herself and almost ran to Dumbledore's office. After muttering the names of a few sweets, the gargoyle leapt aside, and she burst through the golden doors.
"Albus, why didn't you tell me Remus Lupin was teaching Defence ?" she panted. The Headmaster eyed her over his half-moon spectacles and covered his mouth to stop from laughing.
"Calm down, sit," the older wizard chuckled.
"Does he know I'm here?" she asked sitting down across
"Oh dear, it must have slipped my mind," Dumbledore shrugged.
"If he faints when he sees me it's your fault," Alex glared at him playfully.
"Fine by me. You should go, you don't want to be late to Transfiguration, do you?" he asked.
Alex nodded and rushed to McGonagall's classroom.
YOU ARE READING
A Draught of Firelight (Prof. Severus Snape x OC)
Fanfiction[...] "It's alright. You'll understand soon," she said as the flames swallowed her leaving the men staring at the burnt marks on wood floor. "It's a flower," Albus remarked as he knelt. The old man's eyes were shimmering brightly. "It's an oleande...
