Author's Note
Thank you so much for 1 million reads!
So what do you guys think of the new cover? ☺️
***
Professor McGonagall's last words of warning scared Jenna immensely. She had no idea what her brother needed from this book. She didn't even know whether he was looking for a specific spell, or a potion, or another form of magic. What she did know was that he was reckless and foolishly courageous, and that wasn't a good combination.
On her way to the Gryffindor common room, Jenna skimmed through the pages of the Quest to the Impossible Magic book, and the variation of different magics in there amazed her. From spells that could make a corpse look alive for sixty seconds, or potions that could freeze time for one hour except for the person who drinks it, all the way to explaining the ways of becoming Animagi, the book was filled with different magic that were so complicated and dangerous to try, and almost impossible to succeed at.
But there were also a few magics explained in there that were truly impossible. For example, Jenna saw that this book contained dark spells that could allow someone to fly, but it also stated that no wizard or witch had ever managed to succeed at it.
After flipping through its pages as she walked up the stairs of the Gryffindor tower, Jenna finally reached the section about Metamorphmagi. It stated in the book that these wizards and witches are born with such magical power, though there are precious few ways that someone could become a Metamorphmagi.
The process needed someone who had excelled at Transfiguration, way beyond the N.E.W.T level. A potion also has to be made, though a small mistake in it can cause the person's body to become scrambled, so that their eyes would replace their mouth, and that a hand would grow on top of their head.
Jenna shuddered at the thought, glad that she was born with it and didn't have to go through all that. Although her interest was caught in the next page, where the book stated that an extremely powerful Metamorphmagus had the ability to even transform themselves into different animals.
Jenna read through it with envy. She was only powerful enough to change her hair color or smoothen her skin, and the best she could do was to turn her nose into a pig snout as a joke or transform her hand into a lobster's claw to scare James.
Just as she was about to reach the passage where the book explained how Metamorphmagi could work on their ability and grow more powerful to be able to transform their whole body all at once to look like someone else, Jenna reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
Biting her lower lip, Jenna closed the book and stared down at it with wonder as she stood in front of the common room's entrance. Maybe she wasn't born powerful enough to transform into an animal, but she knew with the help of this book she could grow her powers enough to be able to change her whole appearance.
Imagine all the pranks you can pull if you manage to do this, she told herself. Imagine all the trouble you can get out of...
"Would you like to come in or are you going to stand here all night?" the Fat Lady's sharp and snarky voice snapped Jenna out of her thoughts.
"Right... in a minute..." Jenna muttered, and then, she quickly got her backpack off her shoulders before stuffing the book inside it and saying the password to get inside.
The common room wasn't empty, and many students were sitting all around, some catching up with their homework and studies, and the younger ones chatting and enjoying their time together.
Jenna briskly made her way across the room, but just as she was about to sneak up the spiral staircase and toward the girls' dormitory, she came to a stop when someone yelled after her from inside the common room,
"Oi! J.P!"
Jenna cursed to herself as she turned around slowly, seeing James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter walking toward her from across the crowded common room.
"Well?" James whispered in a hushed tone once they had reached her. "Did you manage to get the thing?"
"No," Jenna lied, trying to hold her hair from changing color. "Professor Dumbledore gave me the permission slip, but McGonagall said she's studying the book herself at the time. But she said I can get it from her next week."
Jenna looked back into James eyes, trying not to give any sign of lying.
At last, to her relief, James groaned in disappointment. "Fine. I guess one week later won't hurt."
"You know, McGonagall said that's an extremely dangerous book. There's not one single spell or potion in there that is easy," said Jenna, right before the boys could turn around and leave. "Why do you even want it?"
It was Sirius who answered her this time, grinning arrogantly the way he always did; the way he always knew would piss her off, "Ask no questions, and hear no lies, Jenny."
Jenna glared at him before rolling her eyes and walking upstairs, hoping that she could read the book privately throughout the next week, before having to give it to James and his friends.
Disappointed though not giving up, the four boys returned to their corner in the common room and sat behind the table.
Peter threw a yearning glance at the seventh year students who had gathered around the fireplace on the couch, which contained the best seats in the whole common room.
"Why can't we ever sit by the fireplace?" Peter groaned, placing his chin on the palm of his hand. "Those older students think they own the place."
"That's because we haven't shown them who's the boss here yet," Sirius said with a smirk, his mind suddenly brewing different ideas. "I recently read about this spell that possessive witches and wizards use on their valued objects. It makes other people itchy if they use or even touch them. We can put that spell on the couch, so no one but us can sit there."
"Yeah! That would be awesome!" Peter clapped his hand together with a sly grin.
Remus chuckled, lowering the book he was reading. "I actually like the idea of sitting by the fireplace for a change. Imagine reading books with a cup of hot coco in front of the fireplace on a snowy winter day —"
"It's not just about the fact that those are the best seats in the common room," said Sirius. "It's about showing these people who runs this place! We'll let them know that it was us who cast that spell, but in a really subtle way, so we wouldn't give them enough proof to give to a professor and get us in trouble. What do you say, James?"
There came no reply.
Sirius frowned, turning to look at James who was sitting right beside him, though he was looking at someone across the common room. "James?"
James finally shook his head, turning to face him. "What?"
Remus sighed. "Just get that book out of your head. It's a stupid and dangerous idea anyway."
"I wasn't thinking about the book." James rolled his eyes. "There's something else."
"What is it?" Peter asked worriedly.
"The Hogsmeade visit is coming up," said James.
Sirius shrugged. "So?"
With a little grin, James gestured his head at someone. When the other three boys followed his gaze to see who he was looking out, they found three third year girls sitting across the room, doing their homework. Remus recognized them immediately; Lily Evans, Marlene McKinnon, and Alice Fortescue.
"So," James began, his grin growing wider as he said, "I want to ask Evans out."