The fact that Flitwick now wanted to see him after class was not sufficient to quell the grin Joel wore as he stared hard down at the desk, trying desperately to look somber.  He’d wanted to break up some of the bizarre tension, and Hadley’s sudden laughter was proof that he’d made progress – he felt sure of it.  That he oughtn’t to have been making that sort of effort during a lecture was beside the point.  Anyway, the lecture seemed to be over and shortly all sorts of things were being passed around for experimentation.  

Joel rolled a smooth, pebble between his palms, watching Hadley make an attempt on her feather and glancing at the incantation in the book.  He’d experimented with this spell already this year, for Halloween.  He’d been dressed as a Troll, and wanted his skin to be that bland, forest color that Trolls were supposed to be.  He’d done it himself, and thought the color of his charmed skin looked pretty similar to the color of the troll pictured in the book he had, but his roommates had told him it was awful every time.  Eventually, an older student had helped him out and everyone seemed satisfied, though Joel thought his own attempts had looked just as good.  Today, supposedly, he would perfect the spell. 

Hadley’s feather didn’t look remarkably different when she’d finished with it, and that encouraged Joel somewhat.  At least he wasn’t he only one who’d found this difficult.  He reviewed the spell in the book, which was familiar from his recent attempts with it, and pronounced the incantation, visualizing the color blue in his mind, the way the text explained he should do.  A moment later, the pebble on the desk was a slightly splotchy bright blue.  Not too bad at all.  Certainly easier than troll green.  

“It’s because of the party you know, not because of you.”

“Huh?”  Joel looked up from his blue rock, and noticed how Hadley was getting closer.  He leaned in too, expecting a secret or gossip of some sort, curious.  

“That’s why everyone is laughing at us. The girls know...you know, Arithmancy...."

“I don’t take Arithmancy,” he said, confused.  He had the idea that it was a lot of Divinations with extra maths thrown in, and he wasn’t keen for that sort of lessons.  Why in Merlin all of the girls should be laughing at him over not taking that class, however, he had no idea.  “Do you?  I’ve heard it’s pretty good for finding out things.  Better than tea leaves, anyway.”  Joel reached for a feather, looking over his shoulder at T.J. who was staring at him again.  “Did somebody predict I was going to get you into trouble?  I swear Flitwick isn’t going to do anything to you.  It’s me he’s after.”


JOEL WATKINS