CHAPTER 54 – Before everything started (Part 6)
Now that Logan perfectly turned into an Animagus, he had nothing much to do for the rest of the year, except, of course, to attend classes. Funnily enough, the idea of becoming an Animagus helped him get better at potions and transfiguration, which at the same time helped the young wizard get points on Professor McGonagall’s classes, and at least not lose points on Snape’s classes. Logan couldn’t just understand why is that guy so stuck up with giving points.
It was almost as impossible as Gryffindor not getting its points taken on classes. He swore that it was a real feud what he had on the lions with how often he took points from them. Especially the twins, but being honest, it was not as if the twins didn’t deserve it. They were geniuses, but only when it came to pranks, and figuring out new ways to bother the teachers. This was funny when you consider the fact that they allied with Tonks and Tulip to prank the entire school.
Logan, who was targeted during an entire week, only for them to fail miserably, couldn’t help but sigh at their insistence at pranking people around. Thankfully for him, Arcane Eyes were a really good way to detect any jinx that came his way with the objective of pranking him.
Time passed, and soon, Christmas came across. Logan did his best to get a few gifts for his friends. At first, he thought about asking Madam Isabella for help, but finally decided not to and went on his own to pick gifts for them, most of those he got them on the muggle world, while he got something from Diagon Alley to gift Jake, as he was the only other muggle-born.
His gifts were nothing too precious or valuable, comics for Roger and William, sweets for the girls as he has absolutely no idea of what to gift them, and books about the wizarding world to Jake.
All of them could only smile awkwardly at his selection of gifts but decided not to say anything, seeing as he tried to do the best he could. He also received gifts from his friends, and surprisingly enough, he also received gifts from Marietta and Cho, who both thanked him once again for what he did for them, while Cho also thanked him for helping her with her studies.
He honestly had no idea that he was going to receive gifts from his underclassmen, so he got nothing for them. When he apologized, both Marietta and Cho simply waved it off and told him not to worry about it, as he has done enough for them.
He also got gifts for Tonks, Tulip, Talbott, Andrew, Badeea, Merula, Ben, Liz, and a few others. Though he mostly got sweets for them, except for a few like Tonks and Tulip, who he gifted some magic tricks from the muggle world, though, nothing really impressive, he also got Andrew a book called “10 tips for a successful date”, which made the later laugh awkwardly.
He also received sweets back from them, mostly decorated for Christmas, and a few curious stuff. Liz gifted him an advanced book on potions, her own book, with notes and tricks for potions, though he doubted it as impressive as Snape’s. Tulip and Tonks gifted him with different prank items, with a few well-hidden ones with the purpose of finally making him fall for their pranks, though that also failed when he detected them with Arcane Eyes, which, by now, he had activated all the time he was close to either them or the twins.
Lisandra got him a few gifts that she bought on her travels aboard. According to her, she went to New York and bought some souvenirs from there for her friends, which Logan thought wouldn’t like to receive anything from the muggle world, considering their usual attitude.
Once again, he stayed on Hogwarts for the Christmas Holiday, though he still wrote letters to Madam Isabella from time to time, which she reciprocated, even sending him some gifts of her own. He sent some sweets from the wizarding world to her as well as a thank you letter with the help of Muninn, who happened to stay most of Christmas Day with him.
After Christmas, classes soon started, and nothing really impressive happened. He did get the trick of controlling the mist that his Animagus form exuded, and now he could transform into his wolf-like form without worrying about people looking at him as if he were some kind of hellhound. Though there was still the thing about being an almost 2-meters tall wolf, even when standing on his four legs.
At one point he even questioned why wasn’t he a thestral, as it would be more simple to explain that it was similar to his Patronus, instead of trying to explain how he became a 1,85-meters-tall really-grim-looking wolf that, by the way, could decay things with a mysterious black mist.
When confronted by Andrew and Talbott, who were both curious if he managed to pull off the transformation or not, he had to say that he hadn’t tried yet and that he would probably wait for a couple more years before even trying. They both agreed and thought that it might be the best idea. Thankfully for him, both of them were going to graduate this year.
He also kept helping on the Hospital Wing with Lobosca, who was another graduating student, and who he learned, was an actual werewolf. Both of them were learning actual healing magic from Madam Pomfrey and turned into good friends who would help anyone that entered the infirmary.
With his 3rd year soon coming, there was something he had to do. It was finally time for him to select the elective classes he would be studying in his third year. He somehow thought about trying to assist all of the courses, but quickly decided against it, after all, he didn’t want to be stressed out with all the homework.
From all the possible classes, he picked just two out of curiosity and interest. These classes were Care of Magical Creatures, which was taught by a crazy man that looked like a Moody lookalike, with a prosthetic arm that looked like a pincer, and Study of Ancient Runes, or simply Ancient Runes.
The reason why he chose to study Ancient Runes was basically for his vocation, Arcanist. Some of his spells had the name runes on them, so he had to check if there was some relation between those runes and the one he will be studying. Apart from those two, the other classes weren’t really interesting for him, and he only had to pick two electives as the bare minimum, which he gladly did.
The end of the school year finally reached its end, but not before the Protectors of Hogwarts had a small goodbye party. After all, most of its founding members, and the core members of the organization, were going to graduate already. This, of course, included Logan’s friends, Tulip, Tonks, Andrew, and the rest.
It wasn’t a really long party, mostly some of them drinking and eating stuff that the older students got from the kitchen. It was also an excuse for them to celebrate having passed the N.E.W.T.s exams. Not all of them did excellently, but they still passed, in part thanks to the not-so-secret organization, where most of them had the chance to compare notes and help each other to train. Even some of the fifth-year benefited from this to pass their O.W.L.s.
This was also the goodbye party for most of them. While he tried to feign otherwise, Logan was indeed saddened, having to say goodbye from some of his great friends. After all, he has been sharing a lot of time with them, some of them have even helped him a lot, like Liz and Badeea, who helped him study, or Andrew, who pointed him in the right direction whenever he needed something.
Though, he was then comforted by the thought that this might not be the last time they saw each other. After all, London magical community wasn’t that big, and there was always a chance to meet them outside of Hogwarts sometime in the future. Except maybe for Andrew, who was planning to work as a curse breaker, and as such, expected to be traveling a lot around the world.
Not all of them were going to be gone, mind you. Some of them were staying for the next generations, including the twins, Cedric, a girl from Slytherin called Ismelda, and even Penny’s little sister, Beatrice, who was Ismelda’s friend. They were a year older than me, Cedric and the twins, so they barely were around us too much, they still asked pointers from us from time to time, as Cedric ended up being quite a great duelist too, and well, they were also half-interested in the twins' pranks.
{So many pranksters in this place, what the hell is wrong here…} Logan thought for a moment during the party, as he watched Ismelda and Beatrice talking to the twins, Tonks and Tulip about who was best to prank. It has to be said, that neither Penny nor Percy were happy with this, so they interfered to stop the group from trying any trick. Andrew and Merula had to be pulled into the show, as apparently, Ismelda respected Merula, and well, Andrew came with the package.
That was the final news he received, Merula and Andrew finally started dating. It took them long enough, but with half a year until their graduation, they finally decided to accept their feelings, even when it was quite hard on Merula’s end.
They all congratulated them, though Logan couldn’t help but think what kind of Japanese protagonist was Andrew to take so long on finally declaring himself, or at least die trying. “One can’t simply be so dense…” He muttered to himself while shaking his head. Cedric and the twins who were close to him, couldn’t help but look at him with deadpan eyes, contemplating seriously snitching on him to Lyra, word by word.
Soon, the school year came to an end. The last and only peaceful year he will ever get in Hogwarts, except for maybe Harry’s second year now that the big snake was dead. The time to go back home was getting closer and closer, and he could somehow feel excited, as the story was finally going to start. He was going to meet the child who lived.
Only a week was left for Hogwarts’ classes to end, and after the vacations, he will finally meet with Harry Potter and the rest of the Golde Trio. {I wonder how everything will turn out…} He thought for a moment, looking at the Forbidden Forest from his room’s window. “Oh well, I guess everything will be fine.”