Scribblifors! (2nd years)

Harcourt was glad that school was back in session again. He hoped all his students returned safe and sound, even though he knew that a few might not return. It was common for a few students to not come back, to either help their families or they got sick or....... Harcourt didn’t want to think about. He walked around the room, passing out his syllabus. This was a bit of a new concept for him, but he thought it might help him and the students.


”Good morning class. Take your seats and look over the syllabus. Then, let’s play a game of hide and seek,” he said to his magical piece of chalk, who wrote it on the board. He smiled and turned himself into his object. Then, he waited, patiently. He hoped they would figure it out much sooner this year.

Arya was the first to arrive to Transfiguration. Lunch was right after, and she was already dreaming of it. I hope there's bacon, she thought, smiling at the prospect. She headed to a desk and plopped her bag down. Where was the professor? The room was dead silent. Arry looked at the board and read.

"Oh, bloody hell, Harcourt," she said loudly (but endearingly). "Not this again!"

She thought she might have heard a little laugh, but couldn't tell where it was coming from. With a sigh, she started looking. Professor Harcourt was secretly her favorite; they'd had a fairly close relationship ever since he showed her the ropes of flying. She really didn't mind his eccentricities.

"What're you doing..?"

Arya turned to see Edwin standing in the doorway.

"Harcourt's hiding again," she pointed to the board.

Adele wandered to the Transfiguration classroom, still tired. She'd been too excited about classes starting to get enough sleep the night before.

"Oy, Adele," a familiar voice whispered. Seamus leaned out from behind a stone pillar a few feet from the classroom.

"Morning, Seamus," she smiled, wondering why he was so weird.

"Got somethin' for ya," he grinned, pulling a small square of parchment from his pocket.

She took it from him and looked at it. "It's blank, Seamus." The Irishman shook his head, and she looked again. Adele pulled out her wand and tapped the paper lightly. At once, gold letters began to appear.



"Pass it along," he nodded, rushing off.

Adele put it in her robe pocket and walked into the Transfiguration room. Students were looking around in a daze. He must be hiding again, she thought, intrigued.

"Okay, dibs on the hat rack," she shouted.

Mira nibbled on a roll as she hurried up from the kitchens to the Transfiguration classroom. She'd woken up late that morning, so there was no time for breakfast. Instead, she sneaked into the kitchens and the house elves were nice enough to wrap up a few things to take with her.

"There you are!"

The Hufflepuff jumped with a start and turned to see Elsa smirking at her.

"I missed you at breakfast, lazy bones," her friend joked.

"I know, sorry," Mira smiled. "I was up way too late last night."

"Doing what?" Elsa asked eagerly, probably hoping for something scandalous.

"Organizing my school things into two different satchels so I don't have to take everything out during lunch and repack the stuff for afternoon classes."

Elsa frowned. "It's my mission this year to loosen you up."

Mira laughed and they reached the classroom. Students were wandering around aimlessly, so she walked over and read the board. Harcourt is the greatest, she thought happily, picking up a small crystal bookend.

Kolby walked into Transfiguration and sighed. Harcourt was hidden. Again. Nice that he's keeping thing similar, he thought, looking around the classroom.

"Kolby!" Devan greeted, jumping on Kolby's back. They fell to the ground and the class laughed.

"Sod off Devan," Kolby said, pushing him off. Mick helped both of them up.

"Can we please go a class where Kolby isn't picked on?" Alec said, joining the group.

"Talk to the king of Class Clowns," Kolby said, pointing to Osmond and Devan.

"Are you two really going for that title this year?" Mick asked.

"You know it!" Devan exclaimed. The group laughed and Kolby rolled his eyes. He approached Harcourt's desk and noticed a few buttons on his desk. He picked up a pretty gold one, his guess for Harcourt's game.

Harcourt sat patiently as people made their guesses. He smiled to himself and cast the counter charm.

"Congratulations Mira! Ten points to Hufflepuff! Now, everyone, take your seat and welcome back to Hogwarts!" Harcourt greeted happily. He was happy to see everyone back.

"Now, let's begin, since our little game is over. As you can see by your syllabus, we are turning objects into quills, which can come in handy if you need to leave a quick note to someone or forget your quill in the common room. Now, everyone grab an object from somewhere in the room," he instructed.

"Remember, the smaller the object, the better the spell will work. But, if you're up for a challenge, a bigger object may be the thing for you," he reminded them, leaning on his desk. He waited until they returned to their desks.

"Now, I'm going to demonstrate. Watch closely." Harcourt said, as he drew his wand and pointed it at the chalkboard. "Remember, Transfiguration is also about visualization. So, I'm visualizing the quill......and, now the spell. Skrib-luh-forz!"he cast, a purple light coming from his wand. He said the spell slowly, so the students could hear how he pronounce it. The chalkboard shrunk and transformed into a quill. Harcourt smiled and picked it up off the floor, showing it to the class.

"Now, it's your turn. Good luck," Harcourt instructed, sitting behind his desk.

Deirdre had been in the process of looking around when she saw Kolby and the other boy hit the ground. It made her roll her eyes though she was smiling a little bit. It seemed nothing had changed much while she was gone.

When she heard the professor giving instructions she grabbed a small book to use the spell on. She would've preferred something smaller but what was life without a challenge. It was quite impressive seeing him turn an entire chalkboard into a little quill. Something te look forward te in ta years te come.

The girl tried to visualize the quill in her mind. One with a bright blue feather and ornate silver pen. Once she was sure she had the image in her mind, she waved her wand over the book.

"Scribblifors!" She spoke. Nothing happened. Not even a small spark of magic. Maybe she was rusty still from being inactive so long.

Arya settled in and took a deep breath. Transfiguration was quite possibly her worst subject. I'd rather be trapped in a room with Dessa the unicorn, she thought begrudgingly. No, I take that back. She wasn't fond of Dessa at all.

"Do you have anything small I can use?" she whispered to Alec Masterson.

Her fellow Gryffindor searched through his bag and pulled out a little block of cheese. Arya stared at it.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"I get hungry during the day," he grumbled, holding it out to her. "Do you want it or not?"

Arry cautiously took it from him and set it on the desk. Her stomach rumbled. Maybe Alec's got the right idea. She took out her wand and closed her eyes. Green was her current favorite color, so she visualized a rather plain looking quill with bright green feathers.

"Scribblifors." The cheese was still cheese, but with a few green spots. Arya sighed and dropped her head down on the desk.

Adele frowned a bit when Mira got the points for Hufflepuff. It was literally the first day, but in Adele's mind it was never too soon to start earning points. Ravenclaw won the House Cup last year, and she was determined to win it again this year. And the Quidditch Cup.

"Hey," she heard someone whisper. "Adele!"

Adelaine turned around and saw Jon sitting behind her, leaning forward so much he nearly toppled his desk over.

"What?" she asked.

"Did ya get the invite?" he grinned.

"Yes.."

"Great," he smirked. "Now you've got to pass it along."

That was easy enough. Adele pulled the invitation out of her pocket. She opened it up - it was blank again. That's skill, she thought, folding it again. She looked around the classroom; Marigold probably hadn't seen it. Adelaine stood up and walked over to her desk.

"Marigold, have you got anything I can use for the spell?" she asked, discreetly dropping the invitation on her desk. "I'll use this book, thanks." She grabbed the small book on the desk and hurried back to her seat.

Mira grinned, proud to have won Hufflepuff points on the first day. Perhaps they'd win the Cup this year. She shuffled through her bag for an item to use for the spell, and pulled out a little cloth heart her father had made for her years ago. Harcourt will be able to change it back at the end of the lesson, she assured herself.

"Okay, here we go," she said, placing the heart in front of her. "Scribblifors."

Nothing happened. Nothing happened, because Mira literally didn't even have her wand out.

"Wow," Elsa laughed. "You really are tired."

"You do know what a wand is, don't you?" Jon turned and said.

"Without it, you're just saying funny words to a piece of cloth," Edwin joked.

"Thank you guys, I understand," she rolled her eyes and sighed.

Mira pulled herself together and took out her wand.

Deirdre looked up when she heard her friend call out to her and smiled. "Hello, Marigold. It's good te see you." And it was. She hadn't seen her friends in such a long time. It was good to finally be well enough to return.

The Irish lass tried not to giggle when the professor cleared his throat at them. It probably wouldn't be good to get in trouble her first day back. So she just gave her friend a gesture to say they would talk after class and returned to the task at hand.

She pointed her wand at the book once more, focused on the image in her mind, and recited the incantation. "Scribblifors!" This time half of the book became silver from the cover to the pages. It was better than nothing.

"Ummm....well okay," Marigold managed to get out, watching Adele walk away with the book she just grabbed. She looked at the invitation and tucked it in her pocket, not wanting to draw Harcourts attention. Marigold dug around in her bag and pulled out a glove she could use.

"Alright, Marigold. Same process. Take your time and focus,"she thought to herself, closing her eyes and clearing her mind. She slowed her breathing and focused in on the quill in her mind: simple, brown quill. Taken straight from a Quail. She opened her eyes and pointed her wand at the glove.

"Scribblifors," she said simply. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Marigold sighed and she heard Elsa chuckle next to her.

"A bit too much concentration, huh Goldie?" Devan asked her. Marigold glared at him and Elsa laughed as Devan walked away. Marigold sighed and pointed her wand again at the glove.

"Scribblifors," she said again. A purple spark flew out of the tip of her wand and the glove became a quill. Marigold smiled. Well, that's a bit better. At least, I don't have a hybrid this time, Marigold thought to herself. She put the quill on Harcourt's desk, asking him to change it back to her glove. Once he did, she walked slowly back to her desk, reading the invitation, her wand to the paper. She smiled and walked up to Elsa, dropping it on her desk. She then went to the bookselve and grabbed another small book.

Arya turned the block of cheese over onto another side, as if this was the problem.

"Scribb-"

"Arya, take this," Elsa whispered, tossing a note on her desk.

"-lifors," she finished, not sure what had just happened. The note scrunched up into a stick shape and murky-green feathers sprouted from the end. She and Elsa stared at it for a moment.

"Interesting..." Elsa commented. "Does it...still open?"

Arry set her wand down and picked up the paper quill. She delicately pulled at it, and only the bottom piece unfolded.

"Hufflepuff is throwing a party?" she asked. Elsa quickly put her hand over her mouth, which Arya swatted away. "Well, it's a bit odd looking, but it still works."

She looked around the room, then tossed it onto Kolby's desk.

Adelaine had been watching as Arya accidentally turned the invitation into some weird paper/quill hybrid. She stifled a laugh, and turned back to the book on her desk. It occurred to her that she may have snatched away the object Marigold was using. Sorry, Belet, she thought with a smile.

"Blast this bloody thing," Jon was grumbling behind her.

"What's up?" she questioned, twisting around to face him.

"I'm no good at Transfiguration, I may as well just give up now," he huffed, aiming his wand at a stone bookend on his desk. "Scribblifors!"

The bookend rattled around a bit and a single blue feather popped up on the surface of it. That's just...unnatural, Adelaine thought with a grimace, turning back around.

"Alright, you," she muttered to the book, picking up her wand and concentrating with all her might. "Scribblifors."

To her very pleasant surprise, the book turned into a neat little leather quill with a white feather.

"Wow..that's a first," she said aloud.

Kolby was trying to get this spell right. He was having some problems. He yawned and got up to stretch. He went to the class bookshelf and grabbed a book for him to practice on.

"Having problems?" Devan asked him. Kolby shrugged. He was just tired and he couldn't focus.

"Scribblifors," he cast on his book. It turned one-third of the way into a quill and Kolby sighed. He wanted to pound his head against the wall.

"Keep trying Kolby," Harcourt called out to him. Kolby nodded and kept trying to complete the take at hand. After the fifth try, Kolby sighed and stretched again.

"Scribblifors," he cast again. It worked this time. He smiled and put his head down, feeling a headache coming on.

Now that Mira had her wand in hand, she gave the spell another go.

"Scribblifors," she said, suppressing a yawn. The cloth heart sat still. "Oh, I have to picture the quill...Right.."

"Maybe from now on you should only stay up late on weekends," Elsa suggested, then shuddered. "Never thought I'd say something like that."

Mira laughed. "Those are definitely words I never thought I'd hear from you."

"Lucky for you the party is on a Saturday," Jon chimed in, having trouble with his stone.

"Party?" Mira wondered. "Another dorm one, you mean?"

"It's Hufflepuff, this time," Ed leaned over and grinned. "Something I never thought I'd say."

With a frown, Mira sighed. The way Slytherin's turn had gotten out of hand, she'd kind of hoped the party thing was done for good. Oh well, she thought. We'll make sure it goes smoothly.

"Okay, come on," she muttered to her cloth heart. Mira closed her eyes and pictured a white feathered quill. "Scribblifors!" The cloth twisted up into a quill! It was more beige than white, but still.

Harcourt was happy to see the 2nd years completing and experimenting with the spell. He was happy that they were learning and he loved his job.

"Alright class. I'm so glad we've had this time together. But, it's time to say so long. All of you finish up with your current object. Then, bring your object up and I will change it back to normal. After that, you are dismissed. Have a good day," Harcourt told the class.

He watched as everyone left the class and talked about various things. He smiled to himself. He loved his job.

After the invitation fiasco (which she hoped Kolby would notice sitting on his desk before the end of class; what if Harcourt found it?!) Arry saw that there were only a few minutes left. Time was running out, and she still had a gross looking block of cheese in front of her.

"Don't wanna fail Trans on your first day, do you?" Elsa asked cheekily.

"Shut it," Arry snapped.

Alright, old girl, she thought confidently. Ugh, that's how my dad talks to the horse. Okay, c'mon Arya. A bright blue quill with a white feather appeared in her mind, and she tried to hold that image as she raised her wand.

"Scribblifors!"

The cheese morphed into a blue stick with a gray feather. But there was no tip. Class was dismissed, and she groaned. Technically not a quill..On the bright side, he doesn't need to know I was picturing a white feather, she told herself. I'll get at least an A. She brought the stick up and handed it to Harcourt.

"No need to change it back, it's not my cheese," she said, before saluting him and walking out.

Kolby had fallen asleep and when Harcourt started talking, he jolted up. A note was magically on the desk. He picked it up and looked it over. He smiled. It was a Hufflepuff party. He folded it up and tucked it in his pocket. He was probably the last person to see it.

"Come on. Let's go get some food," Mick told Kolby. Kolby yawned and nodded.

"Do you know?" Kolby asked, showing him the note. Mick smiled and nodded.

"I'm on the planning committee," Mick told him. Kolby laughed and smiled.

"I hope theres pasta for lunch today," Kolby commented. Mick nodded in agreement. Pasta sounded good.

Marigold had completed the spell and she felt very accomplished. It had been a successful day so far. She thoroughly enjoyed Transfiguration, even if it makes her a little frustrated. She smiled to herself and repacked her bag.

"Hey. Marigold. Can you give me something for this?" Elsa asked, pointing to her hand, which now has a bruise.

"What did you do?" Marigold asked. Elsa shrugged.

"I just bumped into something. I bruise easily," Elsa explained. Marigold nodded.

"Let's go to the hospital wing, just so I don't get in trouble," Marigold told her. Elsa nodded and they left the classroom and made a quick stop by the hospital wing.

Mira's stomach grumbled as soon as the bell rang. Just in time, she smirked. She packed up her bag and gave her quill a once-over before bringing it up to Harcourt. After the professor changed it back, she gingerly folded up the little cloth heart and put it in her pocket.

"All set?" Jon asked beside her.

"All set," she replied.

She, Jon, and Edwin headed to the Great Hall together. Elsa had gone off with Marigold, which was curious; those two never really hung out alone together.

"I am so pumped for this party," Ed grinned, in a daze.

"Oh, me too, mate," Jon nodded. "We've gotta work extra hard to impress. People won't think Puffs can throw a party."

"Well, let's not get too crazy," Mira interjected quietly.

"Alright, mum," Jon rolled his eyes, and the two boys laughed.

Adelaine was quite pleased with the way her quill turned out.

"Professor Harcourt," she asked politely, setting the quill before him. "If you wouldn't mind, could I possibly keep the quill once you're done with it? Actually, it was one of your books...but I don't think it was an important one..." She sighed, and shook her head. "Nevermind, I'll practice tonight and try to recreate it."

She smiled politely and turned to leave. To her surprise, Arya was just outside the room. Normally she would've been halfway through her meal by now. Adele caught up with her and they headed to lunch together.

It had taken Deirdre about five tries to get the silver quill to form from the book before Harcourt told them to stop. But instead of a feather at the end there was a page of the book sort of looking like it was cut to resemble a feather. Still, she was proud of herself for it.

"Here ye are, Professor." She placed the quill on his desk with a smile. "I'm really glad ta be taking your class again. It's a lot of fun!"

With a short farewell Deirdre took off down the hall to catch up with her friends. After all, she wanted to spend as much time with them as possible after being gone so long.