The Scamander ✧ Harry Potter Year 1

Chapter 9

It was an afternoon at Hogwarts, where the Scottish summer sun had not yet turned itself over to Autumn. The pleasant weather created a happy ethos amongst the students. But first, it was lunch, and I had very quickly abandoned my table along with the pleasant acquaintances I had made there when I saw Ron and Harry enter The Great Hall.

Classes had not long started, and the extra work was pilling in from all the teachers - all of who seemed adamant about keeping us busy until the winter. I had so far had classes with Gryffindors for Transfiguration in which I witnessed Harry and Ron get in trouble for their late arrival and had heard all about Harry's awful experience in potions with Professor Snape. The only other time I seemed to be scheduled to see Harry and Ron again would be in the upcoming Herbology class.

The Great Hall, this afternoon, did not seem to be used by students for joyful celebrations as I had once seen it. Now it seemed to be a second library for those students who liked reason to distract themselves from the rustle of their own quill on parchment with food and friends. It was among those very reasons that I myself couldn't seem to keep my own concentration on my Transfiguration homework - my worst subject by far, quite the annoyance for me as Professor McGonagall seemed to be the teacher to want to impress. It seemed that my enhanced ability in subjects such as herbology and Care of Mythical Creatures did not seem to translate well.

To my own credit, Seamus Finnigan was providing the most entertaining distraction as he practised his spells so miserably it became comical.

"Eye of rabbit, harp string hum. Turn this water into rum."

He looks inside and seemed disappointed, shaking his head and trying again, "Eye of rabbit, harp string hum..." I couldn't help but laugh at my entertaining distraction.

"What's Seamus trying to do to that glass of water?" Harry asks.

"He's trying to turn his water into rum," My laughter didn't cease, with Ron and Harry joining me pleasedly.

"He actually managed a weak tea yesterday, before-" Ron started before a mighty flash occurred. After the flash and smoke dissipate, the whole great hall looks on at the exploded cup and a charred, shaken Seamus. All the more distraction from my homework, as we all laugh at the misfortune of a classmate.

This distraction seemed to only follow another, as an echoing hoot followed in sequence by another descended down from the roof of the Great Hall. A flock of owls followed through, each with unique letters and packages from home.

A Newspaper parcel is dropped down by Ron and nothing for Harry and me, not that I was expecting anything, I had just sent away three owls after each one I remembered something I had forgotten to include and thought to just send another one to Grandpa, not wanting to miss a single detail. It also took a significant amount of parchment, to write a sufficient letter ensuring the safety of the three creatures who had stumbled into my suitcase, and also with enough pleading for Grandpa Newt not to immediately inform Dumbledore of such forbidden pets. I was fairly confident on the grounds of the stories Grandpa Newt had told me of his recluse life at Hogwarts, in which he was kept company by a plethora of dangerous pets.

"Can I borrow this?" Harry gestures to Ron's newspaper which I glance over his shoulder to read. "Thanks."