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CHAPTER TWENTY ONE;
❝ THE TRANSFER STUDENT ! ❞
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⠀⠀⠀The month of November flew by and now, the Quidditch season was fast approaching, next month in January. James and everyone who wasn't a Ravenclaw had no clue who the Ravenclaw house's Quidditch Captain was because of strict instructions Manon had gotten Professor Flitwick to give out to her housemates. Apart from that, Manon had avoided wearing her blue and bronze, Captain badge all year but she supposed, she would have to make her debut soon. There was really no opportunity to hide it anymore.
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⠀⠀⠀And so, she hatched a little plan. The weekend that was coming wasn't a Hogsmeade one and it was when the four Quidditch captains would be conducting their separate house trials. Manon had scheduled her team's to be on Saturday - right after Gryffindor's ended. It was simple really, she'd march onto the pitch with the team spots she had already covered: seeker (which was her), two chasers and one beater, with the third chaser being on probation. Plus, she'd wear her Captain badge.
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⠀⠀⠀Today was Thursday, the first of December and Manon was going by her day normally but now using all her free time in a juggle between her studies and sketching a rough draft of her Quidditch strategy for the year.
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⠀⠀⠀"Please tell me you're almost done with that Quidditch thing," Kate whined jokingly as they all gathered and sat down at the Ravenclaw table at dinner time, her hand latched onto Manon's robe and pulling them to annoy her.
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⠀⠀⠀In response, Manon rolled up her large and thick piece of parchment and gave her a good whack on the head from across the table.
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⠀⠀⠀Kate flinched, scooting closer to Charlotte on her left. "Ow! Great Merlin, have ever tried out for Beater?"
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⠀⠀⠀The others chuckled as they added food onto their plates, feeling the regular mood setting surrounding them like a thin blanket.
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⠀⠀⠀It was all normal until Dumbledore stood up, when they were a couple of minutes into wolfing down their food. The unmistakable tap of silverware on a goblet, which could only be Minerva McGonagall, alerted all students to fall into silence and pay attention to the Headmaster who was patiently waiting at the podium, in the front with a calm smile on his face and hands clasped in front of his abdomen.
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⠀⠀⠀"Very sorry to interrupt your eating students. I'm sure you're all very tired and hungry after a day full of academic activities," he apologized, sweeping his eyes around the big hall, "But as it is so, it is important for me to inform you of a new addition to your student body.
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⠀⠀⠀"We have a new transfer student from Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in America. He's a sixth year student and his sorting has yet to take place. Students, please welcome Atticus Accardi!"
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⠀⠀⠀Applause started to ring out as a side door, near the front of the hall, opened and a tall boy stepped into the light. He had a great, wide smile on his face, showing off his perfect set of white teeth, as he shook hands with Dumbledore, both exchanging small words of greetings.
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⠀⠀⠀Manon was slightly impressed - he was tall. From where she was sitting, she assumed that he was around a little greater than 180 cm. She couldn't see his eyes from here but they looked light coloured under the warm glow of the torches on the stone walls and he also had a well defined, square jawline that looked cutting from the side. And finally his hair, that was literally a mass of slightly curly, dark brown strands which distinctly reminded Manon of a dark coloured mop but it was okay since he was hot.
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⠀⠀⠀Dumbledore guided him to the stool that everyone had now noticed; the same one that had embraced the butts of every Hogwarts student in history and will most probably, continue to do so when they will be sorted into their houses. The ever so memorable Sorting Hat with it's rip for a mouth and folds for eyes was then placed over his head and like how it had happened with everyone else, it flopped down to his ears, covering his eyes.
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⠀⠀⠀"Has there ever been a record of transfer students?" questioned Jeremy, looking slightly confused.
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⠀⠀⠀Charlotte shrugged nonchalantly in response, "There might've been. Not like we've been living here since the Founders' era."
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⠀⠀⠀"Well, there should be some cases like this one. I mean, with our lengthy history, there's bound to be at least one student who transferred here," remarked Kate, before taking a sip of pumpkin juice from her goblet.
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⠀⠀⠀"Oh well, who gives a fuck?" Lucas said in amusement, "He's here now, isn't he? Doesn't matter."
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⠀⠀⠀Manon hummed in agreement, but didn't say anything. Whatever the situation was, it did seem quite odd to receive a transfer student, as they neared the middle of the term, in sixth year. And, it's not like receiving transfer students was the norm here either. Hell, they didn't even know if there ever had been one.
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⠀⠀⠀Lucas drew in closer again, eyebrows scrunched together to express his confusion and curiosity. "Hasn't it been long enough, yet?"
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⠀⠀⠀"I swear. A girl's gotta eat and this asshole isn't letting me," whined Charlotte as she eyed the half-eaten salmon wellington on her plate and the honey garlic chicken she was going to devour next.
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⠀⠀⠀"When has anything ever stopped you from eating, Lottie?" Jeremy snorted, finishing a lamb chop off his plate.
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⠀⠀⠀"Touche, Terence."
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⠀⠀⠀Suddenly, a deafening, glass-shattering yell disrupted their little conversation.
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⠀⠀⠀"RAVENCLAW!"
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⠀⠀⠀"When the fuck can I eat in peace!?"
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⠀⠀⠀Manon turned her head over to Charlotte, as she contributed to the applause, to see chunks of salmon slathered across her frowning mouth. A few dropped down in her lap and Charlotte let out a low growl that even Remus could label as werewolf-ish.
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⠀⠀⠀Their raven haired friend choked back a laugh, along with Kate while the two boys squealed in delight and guffawed, slapping the table and falling on top each other, in a moment the entire Hall could easily label as over-dramatic and a major overreaction.
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⠀⠀⠀"We don't know them," Kate informed everyone at the table that had looked over in concern, cringing so hard, it was a surprise she hadn't died from embarrassment. Manon on the other hand, closed her eyes as if in pain, to avoid forming eye-contact with anyone.
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⠀⠀⠀"Great Merlin, when can I finally die?"
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⠀⠀⠀I'm so sorry for taking so long to update but it's here! Don't forget to vote and comment. Who do you guys think Atticus Accardi is? Comment down right here!
⠀⠀⠀Love you all! Thank you for your love and support, your reads, votes and comments never fail to make me smile :)
love,
greystcrms