²𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 ─ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲

𝟹 || 𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚝

iii. bouncing ferret

ϟ 

The storm had blown itself out by the following morning, though the ceiling in the Great Hall was still gloomy; heavy clouds of pewter gray swirled overhead as Matilda, Padma, and Lisa Turpin, a Ravenclaw in Matilda's year that Padma had befriended over the summer holiday, examined their new course schedules at breakfast.

"Can you believe I have classes all morning?" Padma groaned as she turned her new schedule around so that Matilda could see it. "I am not a morning person. Everyone should know that."

"Well, maybe if you'd get yourself on a sleep schedule, like me, you wouldn't be so tired in the mornings."

Matilda offered her advice with a simple shrug of the shoulders and while taking a careful sip from the hot, silver teacup in her hand. Padma rolled her eyes, turning her schedule back around.

"Matilda, you run on four hours of sleep," Padma argued.

Matilda shook her head, readying herself to correct her friend.

"No, I sleep twice a day for four hours," she corrected Padma. "It's called biphasic sleep."

Padma didn't look convinced though. Her problem being that she had never heard of biphasic sleep before.

"Matilda," Lisa Turpin spoke from beside Padma. "What's your schedule like this year?"

Though a fellow Ravenclaw, Matilda had never considered Lisa Turpin a friend, and she still doesn't. They had only spoken a handful of times, and their longest conversation lasted for a boasting twenty seconds. It was their first year at Hogwarts and Lisa had lost her quill and asked Matilda if she had one to spare. Hesitantly, Matilda lent her a quill, but not to be nice, she just didn't want to lose house points because Lisa came to class unprepared.

But it seemed as though Padma had become friends with the Turpin girl over the summer holiday. And for a reason unknown to Matilda, Padma decided to continue that friendship at Hogwarts.

"Oh, I can answer that," sighed Padma. "It's likely Matilda has been allowed to take every class offered."

"Really?" Lisa asked, her expression surprised. "Every class offered?"

Matilda sighed and rolled her eyes. She hated when people spoke for her, especially when they were wrong.

"As a matter of fact, Padma," said Matilda. "I will not be taking Muggle Studies as I don't need it."

"Oh Merlin!" Padma fake gasped. "Someone call Madam Pomfrey, Matilda Winters is slacking off, she must be ill."

Before Matilda was able to respond to Padma's sarcasm a sudden rustling noise came from above them, and a hundred owls came soaring through the open windows carrying the morning mail. Instinctively, Matilda looked up, amongst the sea of grey and brown, there was a small patch of white. It was Pluto. She smiled as Pluto soared down and perched on the table in front of her with a letter between its beak. Most likely from her either one of her parents, wishing her luck on her first day of classes.