The Old and the Startlingly New

The Professors were trying something new. That was the buzz around the Great Hall at breakfast. When the news had finally made its way down to the small cluster of sixth years at the Slytherin table, Elijah Krum had gone resolutely off of his breakfast. His stomach protested, still ravenous within him, but the young Bulgarian felt a little bit sick.

Transfiguration. That was his next class. Normally, that was a proposition that excited him. He'd always been a bit of a dab hand at it, after all. He hoped, one day, to develop himself as an Animagus - but that was a little while off. However, today, the Professors had decided that they were going to open up Transfiguration - and all of the other classes going on that morning - to multiple year groups.

The hope was that the younger students could learn from their elder counterparts and vice versa. It was a trial, of course. Something fun and a bit different to start the year off.

Spell-casting amongst people of his own age who he still didn't know very well was bad enough. Now, with the rest of the school - in a manner of speaking - in tow, as well? Merlin, Elijah thought, his eyes darting towards the door.

Somehow, though, Elijah made it to the Transfiguration classroom. Any attempts to turn around and make a beeline back to the Slytherin dormitory was prohibited by the tide of students making their way to their lessons. Thus, he found himself right in the mix - daunted, terrified, and clutching his wand for dear life with his sweaty left hand.

What was their first task, you ask? Well, in pairs or small groups they had to use the lapifors spell on a collection of broken goblets, plates, and other miscellaneous items with no use. The object of this task? Well, fill the room with rabbits, of course!

Elijah could barely suppress the groan that emanated from low in his chest.

Merlin help me, he thought.

That morning Hallie, who had woken late and missed breakfast, hurried into her usual herbology class to discover that none of her fellow Gryffindor Fifth Years were to be seen. In fact, the group of students presented before her was perhaps the most random assortment Hallie had seen. Gathered around a giant venemous tentacular were students both older and younger than herself, in fact Hallie was sure the tiniest boy cowering away from a lashing of vines was a first year Gryffindor she’d given directions to only yesterday.

‘I think you’re in the wrong class Miss Cooper.’ The Professor said, glancing over her register upon noticing Hallie’s arrival.

‘Umm... What’s going on?’ Hallie asked, her eyes scanning the classroom in search for some answers.

‘Wrong class, Cooper.’ The Professor reiterated.

‘Had you not overslept and actually made it to breakfast this morning then you’d have learnt about the new system our Headteacher wants to implement.’

‘Umm... W-what new system?’ Hallie asked again, her hand hurriedly brushing the tangles out of her hair that the herbology Professors eyes had come to rest upon.

‘Moving forward lessons won’t be conducted at the year group level. We’ll be having students from a variety of ages all in one class.’

‘Umm... Why?’ Hallie asked, her eyes wide and blank as if this was the most ridiculously random information she’d ever heard.

‘Because we believe students can learn a lot more from each other across year groups. It’s an effort to improve the quality of your education.’

Still confronted with a puzzled expression the Professor waved her wand and a piece of parchment fluttered through an open window of the greenhouse, landing delicately into Hallie’s palm.

‘There’s your new timetable Miss Cooper, now if you-‘

‘Oh well this sucks.’ Hallie interjected as she read the sheet before her.. ‘Double history of magic is not how I want to start my Friday mor-‘

‘Yes thank you, Miss Cooper! Now if you don’t mind kindly running along to where you’re supposed to be so I can continue teaching.’

And with that Hallie folded the parchment up, rolled her eyes and stomped out of the greenhouse. What in the world were the Professors thinking putting first years with fifth years? Didn’t they know Hallie had OWLs to study for? More to the point Hallie liked her timetable. She enjoyed her early morning herbology classes, her double transfiguration and Wednesday afternoons off. This new timetable was not what the Gryffindor would call an improvement to the quality of education.

Five minutes later Hallie had arrived at transfiguration, her favourite class which was now just a room filled with mostly second and third years. Oh, and they were practicing a spell she’d learnt last year. How boring.

‘Yep. This is definitely an improvement to the quality of my education.’ Hallie muttered as she slid into a chair next to one of the older looking students, Elijah Krum.

‘Please tell me this is all just a dream.’ Hallie said to the Slytherin gazing up at the ceiling as though wishing for the heavens above to let out some laughter and wake her from this bizarre reality.

It was the blonde, sleep-tussled hair appearing in his peripheral vision that shocked Elijah from his mute, panicked stupor. He looked to his left, rolling his wand across his palm with the tips of his fingers as he did so, and found himself sat next to a Gryffindor. That, though, was all he could honestly say he knew about her and he even stole that snippet of information from her robes.

Elijah clenched his teeth, suddenly struck by a bubbling sense of frustration at his own inadequacy. Once again, he was reminded of the gulf between himself and the students that had been at Hogwarts since their first year. He envied the girl so utterly in that moment. And Merlin … she was beautiful. Brilliant. Just brilliant. Now, come on Elijah. Words.

“We’ll wake up soon,” he said, surprised by his ability to be articulate, though his words did wobble a little bit, as though the English was thick and uncomfortable in his mouth. Perhaps it was just everything that was going on. “It can’t last too long, no? How will we ever learn exam content?”

He exhaled and reached up, thumbing his fingers through the front of his hair. “So … the professor said pairs or groups for the, uh, rabbits …” He let his eyes roll up to the sky, subtly letting her know just what he thought of the class thus far. “I’m Elijah, by the way.” He added, offering his hand to her as he let a smirk lift the side of his lips, turning the flirt on just a little bit to say, “and I am ever so lucky to be meeting…?”

When Hallie had first heard of the infamous quidditch players sons admittance to Hogwarts the rumours hadn’t been too favourable. One rumour was that Krum had failed his exams at Durmstrang, another was that he’d had taken a bludger to the head and forgotten which school he studied at whilst a third made him out to be so forgetful that he’s missed an entire year of school and had been expelled because of it. It was therefore a pleasant surprise that the boy’s English was in fact fairly decent. A little shakey? Could be better? Naturally, but, dare Hallie think it, the attempt was also somewhat of a turn on.

Following a splutter of laughter at his flirtatiousness, Hallie accepted his hand. ‘Fleur Delacour.’ she replied, her teeth pressing into her tongue in attempt to stop herself from laughing at her own humour. Oh how she amused herself.

‘Apparently so. We could partner up if you like and maybe you could teach me a thing or two.’ Hallie replied, tilting her head playfully before reaching for an old goblet that was flaking with gold and home to very worn Hogwarts crest.

Placing the goblet before Elijah Hallie smiled. ‘Show me something I don’t know.’

(Ooc: also apologies if I’m really rusty!)

“My father knew Fleur Delacour, love,” Elijah smirked, clasping her hand and leaning forward to incline his head with an overdone show of respect. “But if you are she then you look ravishing for your age, Madame.” He added a wink and let the chuckle bubbling in his throat finally break past his lips. “Any chance I can get your real name, Fleur?”

Elijah decided he rather liked her laugh. It was pretty and certainly it was the right response. He was on the right track here, at least. A bit of harmless flirting never hurt anyone. And Gryffindors were nice. So, at least, he could come out from this nightmare with a new almost-friend. He was making quite the collection of those lately.

“I’ll make no promises there,” Elijah chuckled, twirling his wand around in his hand as he felt his confidence lift a little bit. Transfiguration. His domain. He could impress her here.

He looked down at the goblet and glanced at her briefly, his smirk returning as he appraised both the item and the Gryffindor girl before him. She was a year younger than him, he figured. It couldn’t have been much more than that. She seemed to possess that sort of serious that only came with the upper years of education. She couldn’t have been anything under a fifth year, surely.

But how could he impress her properly?

Reaffirming his grip on his wand, Elijah made his decision about what he was going to do.

It wasn’t a rabbit but it was just as good, he thought.

The goblet took a moment once he’d cast his spell, as though it couldn’t quite decide whether to comply or not. It began to wiggle, then wobble, then all of a sudden – with a loud pop – the goblet burst into a bouquet of bright pink flowers.

Only … it wasn’t a perfect spell. The goblet wasn’t exactly destined to be flowers – or a rabbit, to be fair.

The bouquet took off, shooting towards the ceiling before exploding into a hail of fireworks that lit up the room. Elijah blanched and stepped back as the light fizzed across the ceiling.

“Well,” he exhaled. “I don’t know if that’s a lesson you want to take on board. Oh, ah—”

With a smile, Elijah leaned forward and picked up the flower that remained before extending it gallantly to the Gryffindor.

“For you.”

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(You're fabulous, don't worry!)