Gryffgirl

One of the problems that Vinnie had was when she made a decision, but could not think of the proper words to express it.  She had played out the scenario countless times in her head.  She would meet with Sebastian in Professor McGonagall’s office.  She wouldn’t be alone, of course.  Professor McGonagall would be there and so would Professor Severus Snape.  Sebastian would be seated to the right of Professor McGonagall’s desk, as he had been when she had first met him.  She would stride towards him with purposeful, measured steps.  He would rise from his chair, and say: “Well, then Vinnie, my girl, what shall it be?” Everything ground to a ...

“Enter.”  Evelyn did not bother looking up when she heard the knock on her door.  She continued writing when Sebastian walked in, not bothering to look up until she finished writing the last sentence of the paragraph.  She capped her gold pen and stood up. “No need to be so formal, Evelyn!  This is your office, but I’m not a student who’s here for detention!” Sebastian laughed.   “Formality has its place, Sebastian.  My office is my workplace.  Even family and friends respect that.”  Evelyn responded evenly.   “Of course,” Sebastian remarked with a bemused smirk.  He lightly slapped the leather gloves that he was holding in his left hand a...

Severus stared at the whirling spirals streaming from the cauldron near Professor Slughorn’s desk.  Amortentia.  His mother had never brewed it in front of him, but she must have brewed it once long ago, because there were several notes in the margins of her Potions book describing its properties, along with some girlish heart doodles.  He tried to picture his mother as a carefree young girl, drawing the hearts during Potions class, but he could not.  A large heart inscribed E.P. and G.T. caught his eye.  Who was G.T.?  He didn’t dare ask his mother, and he knew that she would never tell him.  Some things were better kept secret.“What are ...

It was easier to move around the halls at night as a fox.  The scarlet vixen slipped quietly around the darkened corners, hiding behind statues and tapestries, occasionally pausing to sniff the air and bending her ears to detect the smallest noise.  She heard no footsteps, breathing, or any other indication of human presence.  That was good.  All of the Hogwarts students were now in their respective dormitories, or should have been since it was long past curfew.   Only the brave and foolhardy ventured out after curfew.  Argus Filch, the hated Squib caretaker and his bad-tempered cat, Mrs. Norris, were long gone, but his replacement filled ...

The empty hallways of Hogwarts were a vast echo chamber for Gus’ frantic footsteps as he sprinted towards Potions class.  He slowed down to a jog as he turned the last corner, steadying his breath and preparing to enter the classroom as quietly as possible.  Gus hoped that his absence hadn’t been noticed.  Professor Nott usually berated the class at the beginning of the lesson in lieu of taking attendance.  He was one of the few teachers who simply did not care if a student was in attendance, so long as the assignments were completed.  While the students worked he usually marked out notes on the board or sat at his desk, poring over potion...