Chp 38: Cross Examination
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Looking down at his arm he saw it was entirely the grey stone colour and texture of the wall, with some kind of field blending his features into the flat surface of the wall, giving him a degree of congnative dissonance as he felt the arm he couldn't see.
----
Location: Transfiguration Courtyard
Date: November 3rd
Adam was standing outside McGonagall's classroom drumming his fingers against his thighs, waiting to be called in.
An older Gryffindor perfect had singled him out in the corridor after he left herbology and said that Professor McGonagall required him to come to her office after class.
'You think they worked out who it was Calcifer, there's no way they could have known'.
'I don't know, maybe there's some magical way of working it out ... divination perhaps or some form of magical tracking'.
'Well I'm going to find out' sighed Adam.
Inside he could hear a colourful conversation going on between McGonagall and some one else.
The door swung open and out walked Filch giving Adam a dirty scowl as walked past.
"Hateful children" spat Filch under his breath.
"Come in please" called McGonagall from inside the room.
Adam turned the corner, getting a familiar view of the transfiguration classroom. The room was tall with three rows of desks sitting in the centre of the room with more than enough space surrounding them for a wide variety of caged animals and candles to sit comfortably throughout the room. Towards the end of it was sat Professor McGonagall on a large dark wood desk.
"Good afternoon, Mr Potter".
"And you Professor, how can I help".
"Do you know why-y I've called you in here?" asked Professor McGonagall.
"Uh because I wasn't where I was supposed to be".
"I guess that does in a roundabout way get to the crux of the issue".
"It does Professor"?
"Of course Mr Potter, you have some explaining to do I need your account detailing what went on with the troll, what led you to intervene and how you managed to kill it intentionally or not. Hermione has already given me hers and luckily for you, she explained the situation with your deafness or else you would have been living in detention with me from then to the end of the year".
"Uh well Professor ... I wasn't really feeling up to eating at the feast, I had a lot going through my mind".
"Oh, I apologise Mr Potter I had not thought to remember the significance of the day in respect of your parents".
'What!!!!'
"Uh ... yes Professor exactly ... and I just needed some air so I went wandering the corridors to clear my mind and then I caught sight of the troll" replied Adam with something new to think about.
"And may I ask Mr Potter, why didn't you come find a Professor straight away".
"Well I was going to..."
'You massive liar you'll give ol-bad faith a run for his money' snickered Calcifer.
"... But then I heard a scream".
"Oh dearie me".
"And I guess my my body moved before I could think".
~ Plus Ultra OST plays in the omniverse~
"I assume this was when you came upon the troll attacking Ms Granger".
"Yes".
"Now what strikes me as strange Mr Potter, is the first thing Ms Granger reports seeing is you charging the troll".
Minerva looked down at the statement she had taken from Hermione.
"Quote, he leaped across the room almost to the ceiling height at the troll, before the troll struck him sending Adam flying towards me" said McGonagall giving Adam a stern look.
"What on earth made you do something so stupid, we are wizards we do not brawl like muggles ... pardon my language".
"To be honest I thought I had it" said Adam smiling faintly.
"This was no laughing matter Mr Potter the troll, you got very lucky, the blow must only have glanced you else you would not be standing before me" reprimanded McGonagall.
"Sorry, I'll try and avoid the troll next time Professor".
One of McGonagall's eyes twitched. She took a deep breath.
"Now ... Mr Potter, as I saw and heard myself there was a flash and loud bang and then the troll was less a head may I ask what spell you used".
"Um, I didn't use a spell per se it was as they say accidental magic".
"Hmmm as I guessed .... Mr Potter I will take that explanation in good faith this time but don't let me see you in this office again without good reason"
"Um thank you Professor may I go now".
"No one more thing Mr Potter, I have a book for you, to make sure you don't have any more accidents, it is a few years ahead of where you should be but you have already established that you are a risk and have an aptitude for it, but be careful with it I want it back".
She handed over a book titled 'Chasing Thunder: A Guide to Elemental Manipulation by Hlóriði Thorson'.
"Thank you Professor I'll take good care of it" said Adam cradling the heavy tome thicker than the door.
"Now out with you shoo, enjoy the rest of your evening and stay out of trouble Mr Potter I already have enough to deal with with some idiot dressed as a clown on the loose".
----
Adam found the twins again just outside the great hall before dinner.
"I did what you asked now pay up" said Adam with a little aggression.
"Oh, George we got an aggressive one over here".
"Ahahah".
"I almost got caught by Snape".
George whistled through his teeth.
"Blimey mate, take this" said Fred handing over a scrap of paper signed by Professor Flitwick addressed to Percy Weasley.
"You need a slip to get in, not just for permission, but there's a charm on the entrance to the restricted section and if you don't have a slip it'll record your name and the staff will be right on top of you the next day, found that out the hard way didn't we George" said Fred.
"That we did Minerva was not a happy chappie ... she was not" replied George.
"And you got this how".
"Stuffy Percy, is less organised than he likes to think he is" said George tapping his nose.
"Now we've got to dash, moves to make, pranks to plan, snakes to serenade" said Fred necking a potion only for his face to begin to shift into the shape of a Slytherin girl in the year above Adam.
"See ya Adam good doing business with you old chap" said George necking his potion and sharing a laugh with Fred as they pranced through the door of the great hall towards the Slytherin table sitting themselves to either side of Adrian Pucey, each laying a hand on his shoulder only for him to go red and blush.