Myrtle5

“Oww!” cried Myrtle.

She opened her eyes and rubbed away the sleep from the corners. For a moment, she was completely disorientated. After a couple of minutes, she realised where she was. She was sitting in an armchair by the fire in the Gryffindor common room and Antoinette was prodding her.

“Get up you lazy thing! It’s the first day of school. You don’t want to be late. Hurry up and put your robes on. What on earth are you doing out here anyway?”

Myrtle held out her hand and Antoinette hoisted her up from the chair. Supported by Toni, Myrtle walked slowly up the stairs to their dormitory. Toni closed the hangings for her and Myrtle pulled off her pyjamas and slipped on her black school robes. She hid the invisibility cloak and Marauders Map under her pillow as she made her bed. Then she wrenched open the hangings and stepped out. Antoinette was waiting for her.

“I’ve got to tell you something,” Myrtle whispered as they made their way downstairs to breakfast. “Wait until potions, when I have you and Ben alone.”

Antoinette shot Myrtle a puzzled look, but said nothing. The girls proceeded with their breakfast.

After collecting their books, quills and parchment from the dormitories, the Gryffindor second years made their way down to the dungeons where they had their potions lessons. Surprised, they were not when they saw who awaited them outside the entrance to the dungeons. Gryffindors always seemed to be unfortunate enough to have to take potions with the Slytherins. Crabbe and Goyle leered at Myrtle, Ben and Toni as they made their way down the stairs. Luckily, before Goyle could open his mouth, Professor Mancini whisked along the corridor and beckoned them all into the dungeon.

“Good morning all. I trust that we are all much recovered from yesterdays journey.” She shot a sideways glance at Myrtle, Crabbe and Goyle. “Today we will begin by looking over a potion that I know you will have done last year. A potion that does, in fact, cure boils. I heard from Professor Cecil that this class had a bit of trouble mastering it due to the fact that certain people made the potion backwards and somebody ended up with boils all over their face.”

Myrtle smiled. It was true. Professor Cecil had so much trouble controlling the class that she spent much of the lesson yelling instead of checking potions. Crabbe had unconsciously reversed the potion and when he gave it to Goyle to sample, his face broke out with lovely, red boils. It had been a very amusing afternoon.

Myrtle, Ben and Toni collected all their ingredients and went to the back of the room. Whilst cutting up their ingredients, Myrtle told Ben and Toni all about the invisibility cloak and the piece of parchment her Dad had called the Marauders Map. All three made up their minds that they would, on Saturday, go to the library and see if they could figure out a way to work the map. After arranging their plans, Myrtle began to speak again. Even though Professor Black had told her not to say anything about the dream, she couldn’t not tell her best friends. She told them. Every little detail. Everything that Professor Black and herself had said in his office. Everything that was supposedly going to happen.

Toni went white with shock.

“I thought that your Dad defeated You-Know-Who?”

“Professor Black doesn’t seem to think that it’s him. That’s why I wasn’t supposed to tell you guys, so as not to raise any alarms.”

“I’m glad you told us. This way I know how much longer I’m going to live,”

“ Toni shut up!” Screamed Myrtle.

“Ms Potter, Ms Weasley, I trust that you have resolved your problem?” Professor Mancini had suddenly appeared at their bench. Her brown eyes were fiery with rage. “I do not care for outbursts in my class. I will be taking five points from Gryffindor.” Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. “And ten points each, for Misters Crabbe and Goyle, from Slytherin because they cannot keep their noses out of other people’s business!” She swept back out to her desk.

When the class ended, Myrtle, Toni and Ben left the dungeon in good spirits. It had been worth loosing five points just to see the looks on Crabbe and Goyle’s faces as Professor Mancini dealt out their punishment.

The next class before lunch was Charms. Toni was especially looking forward to seeing her Uncle Bill. He was as cool as could be. He wore a fang for an earring, had really long, red hair that he wore in a ponytail and even though he had been Head Boy when he was at Hogwarts, he didn’t worry much about rules like her other uncle, Percy did.

The charms classroom looked very different from the last time they all had seen it. It used to have fluttering fairies and small things in it to accommodate for the tiny Professor Flitwick. Bill had changed it all around. Glistening pictures of golden pyramids donned the walls. On Bill’s desk, sat a miniature model of a Quidditch pitch and a tiny model of a dragon.

“Hey, my Gryffindor pals!” Bill cried as they entered the classroom. “It’s about time you guys showed up. I’ve been waiting for you all day! For those of you who don’t know me, call me Bill. Don’t let me hear you calling me Professor Weasley. Fifty points will be taken off if you call me that.”