(Ansh POV)
"Today we'll go over the Gamp's Law again." McGonagall speaks.
This is followed by a collective whining from the class, which takes all but one glare from her to quiet down.
"If you all think that you remember it well, let's test it. Mr. Malfoy, can you tell me the 5 exceptions to Gamp's Law?" McGonagall asks.
The look on Malfoy's face was priceless, from shock, to stammering over the answer, to finally giving up.
"Clearly, you all need a revision. And I would advise you all to take out your quills and start writing it down this time." She says, and then goes on to explain them.
No one was happy, but what can you say? Malfoy prover her point, and so, everyone took out their quills, while giving Malfoy the stink eye.
I, for one, was happy not to have to touch my wand. Not that it was a major concern anymore. Mr. Patil was already looking for ways to break the curse. I was surprised that someone would target an ambassador's son, but I was also thankful that it was not me, and a curse's fault. Now all I had to do was wait, and then it's Leviosa my life!
After class, as I was leaving, a senior student from Ravenclaw came finding me.
"You're Ansh, right? Madam Hooch wants to talk to you in her office after the day's classes." He said, and went away before even waiting for my response.
"What does she want now?" Padma asks on my side.
"I don't know, but I hope it doesn't involve me dodging bludgers." I respond.
Keeping that aside for now, I make way to the next class- Potions.
(Nymphadora POV)
"So, can I trust you not to tell anyone about this?" Dumbledore asks us all.
'I can't believe it. Someone cursed Ansh, and he couldn't perform any magic because of it. And to think I didn't even notice.'
"We are looking for a solution. In the meantime, just try to keep him occupied and his mind off magic. Can you all help me with this?" He asks us.
Seeing us all nod, he reminds us again not to let him or anybody else know about it, and then sends us off.
"To think our little friend was cursed, it must be someone from the snakes." Says one twin.
"For sure. They must be behind this. We have to get revenge for our friend." Says the other.
I am sure they just wanted a reason to play a prank on the Slytherins. After they leave, planning how to cause trouble, I look at the others.
'He doesn't have many friends.' I think. Apart from his sisters, the Weasley twins and me, the only other people here were Hermione and Penelope.
'That just means that I have to help him more. This can be my chance to repay him for saving me from that troll.' I think.
I leave, planning on how best to keep my friend occupied.
(Ansh POV)
I barely make it to the common room and collapse in the first chair.
"You look tired," Padma says.
"Congrats, your eyes work."
"What did Madam Hooch want?" She asks.
"To cancel free will. I'm doing broom drills every day now. Courtesy of Mother and Dumbledore. Starts today."
"Maybe that's good for you. You're talented."
"Yeah, and going pro means endless practice. That's exhausting. I'd rather focus on academia."
"Actually, true. If you fell and made your face even uglier, I couldn't look at you." She fires back.
I clutch my chest. "Ugly? This face?"
"Yes. No one told you, brother?"
"Maybe you should get your eyes checked. This face makes stars hide with envy. Girls trip over themselves just to see it. I could be a model, but my generous heart lets others keep their jobs. In fact—" I lean in an inch from her face. "—I should charge you for looking."
"Did you fall? On your head?" She starts prodding my skull. "Does this feel swollen?"
"Hands off, witch."
"Oh, you think my hands are dirty?" She rubs them all over my face and hair while I half-heartedly fight back, too tired to put up resistance.
Eventually, I give up. Her hands feel nice in my hair. I drift off in the chair and only wake when she shoves me to bed.
My last thought, 'I hate sports.'
"All right students, that would be all for today." Professor Flitwick says and jumps off his stack of books.
I'm thinking about what to do next when he comes over and speaks to me.
"Mr. Patil, Professor Sprout has a new batch of screeching seedlings and wants some help. Would you be up for the task?" He asks.
'Extra work, no way!'
"I am sorry Professor, but I promised Nymphadora to help with her assignment after class." I make up the excuse on the spot, hoping she'll back me up.
Professor Flitwick looks over at her, and she replies, "That he did, Professor. I am behind on my potions assignment, and we have it due tomorrow."
'I knew I could count on her.'
"But I think I'll manage on my own. So why don't you go ahead Ansh?" She says.
'This bitch!' I never expected such betrayal from her.
"Excellent, then why don't you report to her in the greenhouse after lunch?" Professor Flitwick says.
"Of course. Now that I don't have any other commitments, I absolutely can." I say, while staring daggers at the traitor. That's when an idea comes up, "Actually, why don't you help me, Dora? In this way, we can finish it faster, and then afterwards I can help you with your assignment."
Before Dora can reject the idea, or come up with an excuse, Professor Flitwick exclaims- "Wonderful idea! This way you can both help Professor Sprout and help young Miss Tonks with her assignment." He then leaves while just reminding us to be there after lunch.
As soon as he leaves, I turn to her, "So, you can do it on your own, huh?"
"Surely I can. Because there's no homework to begin with!"
"I know that! But I can expect some support, right?"
"And pass up the perfect chance to make you do manual labour, no way."
"Fine. Then enjoy doing the said 'manual labour' with me now." I say as we both leave for the Great Hall.
"Okay, my bad." She admits after a while, "But in this way, you got a partner to help you in the task."
"Oh, how lucky of me." I fire back.
"Yeah. And actually…" she hesitates for a second and then speaks, "I do need your help with the potions assignment."
I pause to look at her, the audacity of this woman!
"Please." She says before I can reject and grabs my arm, "Please help me. You are good at potions, and Snape will chew me out if I don't complete it."
"Just leave me. Look, I already have to help in the greenhouse because of you, and later also have flying class with Madam Hooch." I say as I try to get her off, "Ask someone else."
"No. just help me this once, please." she says, refusing to back off.
After trying to get her off for several seconds, I relent, "Okay fine. Just leave me, please. I'll help you."
She does so instantly, and I am left with one more task in my day's itinerary.
I go and sit at my table, eating while wishing for Prof. Sprout to suddenly get caught up in some other work and forget about this task. Or for someone to call me for a super important task…
"Remember to have your earmuffs on tight." After repeating that warning, she starts to work on repotting the screeching seedlings.
Dora and I look at each other and give up on getting out of this, and so we roll our sleeves up and get to work.
'They look ugly,' I think after observing one closely. Like, seriously ugly. I should be the one screaming here from looking at their face. Instead, all I can do is stuff them in the larger pot and cover them with dirt.
I wish I had my headphones right now for some entertainment, as I can't even talk to Dora with these earmuffs on. Instead, I busy myself with this task, hoping to get it over with as fast as I can. And looking at the vast number of these screeching monstrosities in front of me, it's gonna take a while.
To make it somewhat interesting, midway through, Dora and I turned it into a competition to see who would finish their half first. The result?
"I won!!" Screams Dora right by my ear, so I could hear it over the earmuffs.
I repot my last one with additional force, a bit icked over losing.
We remove our earmuffs, and right then, Prof. Sprout returns with a jar of something suspicious.
"Oh, you are done already! Splendid! You have been a great help, dear." She offers words of praise and then brings out 2 glasses and starts filling them up with a pink-ish liquid from the jar and passes them to us, "Here, have this special juice I made from herbs. It'll help you relax after that tiring task."
I take the glass and eye it suspiciously, "Professor, what exactly is in it?"
"That's a secret recipe of mine. Drink up, it tastes good." She says, in an assuring tone that does't work on me.
'Eh~ at least she won't poison me.' I think and take a hesitant sip.
"How is it?" Dora asks me. Waiting for my verdict before trying it.
I take a few more sips of mine and answer, "Not too good. Pass it over, I'll finish it for you." I reach for her glass and well, but she dodges and takes a huge sip.
"It's really good!" She says after tasting it.
"It told you it wasn't. why didn't you believe me?"
"I did. That's why I tried it. If you said it was good, I wouldn't have tried it." She explains, and I have to praise her for her smarts.
Prof. Sprout just chuckles at our antics and fills our glasses again after we empty them.
After leaving the greenhouse, we separate, with me heading for my training with Madam Hooch, promising to meet again later for her potion assignment.
I reach the field with Madam Hooch waiting for me, with another person by her side.
"Mr. Patil, you are here. Meet him, this is Mr. Oliver Wood- the captain of Gryffindor's Quidditch Team", she says, gesturing at the other kid. Then continues, "Today you are going to be practising with the Gryffindor Team for passing and controlling the ball."
Oliver offers me a hand, "I heard you were good on the broom. Looking forward to seeing it."
I shake it, "I hope I don't disappoint."
With intros done, he briefly explains to me how to pass the ball between players, the common manoeuvres for confusing the opponent, and how to keep the ball in possession, before taking to the sky. Believing in a hands-on approach rather than lengthy explanations.
He introduced me to the other players, already practising, and then I was flanked by 2 Weasleys.
"Hey there, little raven."
"Hope you are ready for this."
"Because Wood doesn't go easy, even on new recruits."
"And neither do we."
"But we promise not to break any of your bones."
"Atleast, not on purpose."
They speak in turns, and before the practice even begins, my neck hurts from alternating between them.
The practice begins on the whistle, and I immediately go for the ball, but am beaten to it by another player – Alicia, if I remember right.
I chase her as she races to the goal post, and just as I am about to touch her, she passes the ball to another player- Katie. As I turn my broom to go for her, she passes the ball back to Alicia, who immediately zooms for the post and scores before I can gain any speed.
"First lesson, don't blindly chase after the one with the ball." Comes Oliver's voice as he comes up next to me. "This is a team sport, play it like that. Trust and communicate with your teammate for plans beforehand," he advises and then goes on to say something to the goalkeeper, or it's Quidditch equivalent.
With that lesson, I turn towards my teammate- Angelina…
"You played well. I am honestly impressed with how well you played today." Oliver says with a pat on my shoulder.
"Ohh, praise from the captain."
"Even we haven't gotten that honour."
"Sigh~ you two. If you played more seriously instead of making my head hurt I would be grateful."
"Now, how can we do that?"
"Someone has to balance your seriousness in this team"
I made some small talk with them before slipping out. I was tired, less than yesterday, but still spent.
And just as I leave the changing room, I find Dora waiting for me outside.
'Right, the assignment!' I forgot about that.
"Finally done. I was starting to wonder if I had to go inside to drag you out."
"Dora, how about I just give you my assignment and you copy it?"
"NO!" She shouted, then in a lower voice, "I mean, no. like, Professor Snape would instantly know that I copied it. And I am interested in potions, so I want to do it."
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
"Well, you already did yours, right?" I nod at that, "Then tell me which books you used and I'll ask you any questions I have in them."
With that, she grabs my arm and pulls me towards the library.
Resigned to my fate, I quickly help her select the books I used, then sit down with my own copy of 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them', answering her questions as they come up. Half the questions she asked, I didn't even know the answer to, and we spent an hour extra just to find answers to them, as the questions seemed interesting to me.
So, our assignment took way longer than it needed to, and we only stopped when dinner time was almost up, racing to the Great Hall, hoping that desserts hadn't vanished.
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A/N: Part 1 of keeping MC busy. i am planning to write a part 2 and end it there, but if it becomes fun for me to write, maybe a part 3. but i'll try to wrap up in part 2 if possible.