Bedknobs and Broomsticks [HP fanfic; BNB Book 1]

Trials and Transfigurations

Mariah's hopes of fitting in a quick nap before class were squashed when the bell sounded for classes to begin while she was still a few corridors away. She ran tardy into a full classroom just as Professor McGonagall was finishing her notes on the chalkboard.

"Miss Jaeger, how nice of you to join us," said McGonagall crossly, her lips thinning.

"Sorry, Professor..." said Mariah distractedly, edging past a few students to an empty seat.

"Where've you been?" hissed the red-headed girl in the seat next to her.

"I lost my bag," replied Mariah softly, glancing around the room. The boy Kurt sat at the back of the room alongside both Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange. Why hadn't she noticed him before? Her thought process was interrupted as McGonagall began assigning partners.

Double Transfiguration with the Slytherins was never a happy affair. There was too much rivalry between the houses for that. Now that they were covering human Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall had them divide into pairs almost every class and take turns turning each other into different sorts of animals. Due to the uneven number of students from each house, one unfortunate Gryffindor would be paired with an equally unfortunate Slytherin. Already there had been several trips to the Hospital Wing because of this.

Everyone waited with baited breath then, as Professor McGonagall turned to assign the unlucky couple.

"Let's see... yes, Mansfield, you and... Miss Delacroix, I think. Yes, now, do try and stay civil for one class period."

Everyone looked from the nervous-looking Gryffindor to the haughty Slytherin girl and counted their blessings, splitting up into pairs. Mariah and Lily moved closer to the wall away from where Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin were paired. No one really trusted Peter's spellwork. He had his good days and bad days, though the latter usually outnumbered the former, and nobody wanted to be a casualty.

Mariah went first, and managed to successfully turn her friend into a small, peach-colored rabbit. She glanced around after untransfiguring her again.

"Lily, who's that?" she asked, nodding in the direction of a Slytherin pair in the corner. "I know that's Avery, but who's--"

"Kurt Lovell," replied her newly-human partner. "He's usually with the Lestrange brothers."

"Ah... does he share their pureblood fixation, then?" asked Mariah. Though few supporters made themselves known at Hogwarts, a select group of Slytherins was very vocal about it.

"No idea," said Lily, feeling her ears to make sure they'd gone back to normal. "Probably though. He's a pureblood, and I think the Lestranges are his cousins. He's definitely in that group of Slytherins though... Lapifors!"

Mariah had no time to reply. She suddenly found herself at eye-level with the floor, very furry, and oddly hungry for raw vegetables and grain...

Meanwhile, Geoffrey Mansfield was gritting his teeth as he forced himself to stand, his wand clutched in one fist. He turned to see his partner crossing the room toward him and could see that her expression was just as dark as it had been that morning, her lips still pressed tightly together with the slightest trace of a frown hanging on them. As she whipped her own wand out from her robes and raised it before her, Geoff had the distinct impression he was entering into a wizards' duel, not preparing to rehearse a simple transfiguration spell in class.

"Well?" she snapped. "Are you going to make me stand here all day?"

The Gryffindor raised his own wand, but before he could so much as open his mouth, Emilie had muttered lapifors under her breath. His wand clattered to the floor, and a miserable-looking rabbit was suddenly in his place. With a careless wave of the Slytherin's wand, Geoff reverted back to his gangly, ginger self. His elbow connected with the desktop as he grew back to his proper size, and a jolt of pain shot up his arm.