Through the Pages of Time: Joey’s Hogwarts Tale

Slytherin students had been acting strangely lately. Joey had mentioned this to Angelina more than once, having noticed the unusual lack of snide remarks from them during classes. It was as if the usual air of rivalry had dissipated overnight.

Flami and her best friend had visibly fallen out. The two girls, once inseparable, now sat apart, deliberately ignoring each other even when their paths crossed. Their chins lifted in defiance, their gazes carefully avoiding one another.

"This is so weird!" Joey exclaimed while practicing the Petrification Spell with Angelina in Defense Against the Dark Arts. The usual cacophony of screams and groans from misfired spells surrounded them, but she couldn't focus on anything except the odd Slytherin behavior.

"Mind your own business! You just hit my arm!" Angelina scolded. Her right arm had turned to stone—unfortunately, the one holding her wand. She chuckled wryly. "Well, I guess I can't fight back now."

"Wow! That means I succeeded!" Joey cheered.

"It's only a success if you immobilize your entire target, not just an arm," Professor Alfik interjected, walking over with a bemused expression. With a simple spell, she restored Angelina's arm.

"But I still managed to disable her!" Joey argued, only to find herself suddenly unable to move. Her entire body stiffened like solid stone, leaving only her eyes capable of movement.

The class fell silent. The Gryffindors hurriedly gathered around Joey, trying to determine who had accidentally—or intentionally—cast the spell on her. The Slytherins stood by, some watching with interest, while others hesitantly joined the Gryffindor crowd.

"It was a silent spell," murmured a nearby Slytherin boy.

Professor Alfik smiled approvingly. "Correct. Slytherin earns ten points."

The boy puffed up with pride. A moment later, Joey felt her body loosen, regaining control. As soon as she was free, she jumped and stretched, eager to shake off the lingering stiffness.

"Silent spells are so cool!" she gushed, her eyes shining with admiration. "I want to learn them!" A spell that didn't even give opponents a chance to react? That was the pinnacle of magic!

"You'll learn them in your later years," Professor Alfik said, checking her watch. "For now, focus on mastering the Petrification Spell. You have an hour left, and those who fail will have homework. So, I suggest you hurry."

The threat of extra homework sent the students into a flurry of practice. Joey and Angelina made steady progress, managing to fully petrify each other just after the Weasley twins. Soon enough, a few Gryffindors turned their practice into a game, launching surprise spells at their unsuspecting housemates. The room erupted into a chaotic melee, with students getting petrified mid-motion, their expressions frozen in comical surprise.

Angelina was among the unlucky ones, her eyes darting toward Lee Jordan, who was chuckling nearby. Joey took the hint and swiftly petrified him in retaliation. Fred, ever the prankster, lay Lee on the ground and surrounded him with tiny white flowers from a potted plant. This, of course, inspired others to do the same, and soon, Lee was lying in the midst of a delicate floral arrangement.

When Professor Alfik turned around, she was met with the sight of half the Gryffindors frozen in place, the rest with stiffened limbs. She let out a deep sigh before announcing their punishment: a two-foot-long essay on the proper use of the Petrification Spell.

The groans of protest were immediate. Those who had been petrified moments earlier now chased down their attackers, determined to get revenge. The classroom dissolved into playful mayhem, with Joey and Fred darting around as Lee and Angelina pursued them. George, laughing, called out, "Joey, Lee's gonna grab your braids! Angelina, get his dreadlocks!"

Ignoring the chaos, Professor Alfik led the Slytherins to the far side of the room, wisely choosing not to intervene.

The weather outside was pleasant despite the clouds. The warmth of early spring lured many students onto the castle lawns for a midday stroll. The last class before lunch was History of Magic, and Professor Binns, ever the absentminded ghost, mistakenly dismissed them an hour early. Not one student corrected him. Instead, they exchanged gleeful grins, grabbed their bags, and bolted from the classroom.

Angelina insisted on returning to the dormitory to fix her hair. "It got completely messed up in Defense Against the Dark Arts," she complained.

"See? That's what a real girl should be like," Fred and George teased Joey.

Rolling her eyes, Joey shook out her braids, letting her thick curls puff out wildly. "If I weren't worried about making my mother sad, I'd shave it all off!" she grumbled. "It's such a pain to deal with every morning!"

The twins shook their heads, following her as she sprinted toward the Black Lake. As she reached the shore, she spotted something—a thick, dark tentacle breaking the water's surface.

"Whoa! What was that?!" she gasped, rushing forward to get a closer look.

A girl was sitting by the lake, knees drawn to her chest. Joey was about to speak when she recognized her—Flami from Slytherin. Great. Just her luck.

But something was off. Flami was... crying.

She hurriedly buried her face in her knees when she realized someone had seen her.

"Did you see that octopus leg just now?" Joey blurted out, momentarily forgetting the situation.

"I didn't see anything! Go away!" Flami snapped, her voice thick with suppressed sobs.

Joey hesitated. She and Flami had never been friends, and honestly, they often butted heads. But seeing the proud Slytherin girl in tears made her pause. She waved at the twins, signaling them to leave, before plopping down next to Flami with a grin. "Not leaving! Want to duel?"

Flami lifted her head, her red-rimmed eyes glaring. "You don't know anything! You're just here to mock me!"

"What? What are you talking about?!" Joye shot back, just as annoyed.

Flami inhaled sharply before whispering, "That rat... that rat was Peter. Peter Pettigrew—the traitor who betrayed the Potters."

Joey froze. "What rat?"

Through sniffles, Flami explained. Peter Pettigrew had been captured and exposed, leading to Sirius Black's exoneration. In his trial, Peter had given up the names of numerous Death Eaters who had evaded capture, including many of their classmates' parents. Azkaban now held several pure-blooded wizards who had once thought themselves untouchable.

Joey listened, wide-eyed, absorbing the revelation. Flami, in a bitter voice, added, "Now, Slytherin is divided. Some believe the Dark Lord is truly gone and want to align with Dumbledore. Others... are waiting for his return."

Joey scoffed. "Well, they'll be waiting forever."

Flami turned away, unwilling to face her optimism. As Joey stood to leave, Flami suddenly muttered, "Be careful. People think you were the one who gave Dumbledore the rat."

Joey blinked, then shrugged. "Let them think what they want. It's not like they can Avada me in school, right?" She grinned. "Hey, your face is all dirty, like a little kid."

"Sod off!" Flami snapped.

Joey burst into laughter, the tension between them momentarily forgotten.