Feeling rather well rested, Rowan, awoke very early the next morning to meditate as was her common practice. Tracing the energy within her body, she followed the pathways within her body to see how thick they'd grown over the summer. She still couldn't teleport to places she'd never been to. Her ability may develop further with time, she would just have to wait and see. That or she had already reached her limit.
Inside her mind mapscape, she added more to Hogwarts including the route from Hogwarts to the Hogwarts Express. She could only add bits and pieces of the Forbidden Forest since she had only seen parts of it. Though ever since Professor Adric, her power had exponentially grown again. She was not worried for the time, but she didn't trust there wouldn't be a price in the future as a result.
Withdrawing back into her mind, Rowan reflexively clears her mind as she'd been doing each day for her mindscape. Anything of importance was put away or rearranged to be placed in semi-hidden places or left out into the open. Finished she pondered on what she should concentrate her research on this year. Salazar's first volume had not produced anything of interest. Since she was not placing much value on either of the volumes, she had brought with her, beyond learning any potential spells found within the tomes.
Though over the night, Rowan had begun to regret agreeing to aid the marauders to become animagus. Becoming an animagus didn't involve so much as research, it is more important to find a place to hide, (which she already knew the perfect spot), borrow several ingredients from Professor Slughorn's storage, and somehow convince Severus to create the needed potions, (which was not her problem).
On a side note, Rowan needed to further her research on the soul. Though she wasn't sure what would lend a helping hand. Perhaps anatomy volumes would be a good place to start. If there are any differences in how wizards view the body versus modern medical physiology. There could be a potential clue to be found.
Satisfied that she had a plan in place, Rowan arose and readied herself for the day. Finished dressing, she descended into the common room, but it is still too early to set out for the Great Hall. She sits down to wait in a comfy chair watching the flames in the hearth.
Footsteps came down the staircase leading from the male dormitories, Rowan glanced up. It is a Slytherin 5th year, she is only somewhat familiar with. It is this year's Slytherin Prefect, Darcy Travers. The youth in question is scholarly looking with pale skin and semi-pink lips. Prefect Travers nodded his chocolate-colored head at her, before briskly striding out of the common room.
"I guess Prefect's must start their day earlier than others," Rowan mused out loud, but not that she had ever noticed before. But then again, if it was not a matter of interest to her, Rowan had the bad tendency to ignore the smaller details.
Settling back down Rowan startles at hearing pounding footsteps rushing down the staircase from the female dormitories. A 5th-year female Prefect is still tugging on her robes as she rushes past Rowan. The female Prefect didn't even notice Rowan in her haste.
Recognizing that panicked gait, Rowan sagely murmurs, "Running late, I know that feeling."
By the time Rowan is ready to head to the Great Hall, Regulus sleepily trots down the stairs and offers Rowan a sleepy smile. "Good morning, Rowan," he yawned.
"Good morning, Regulus," Rowan said as they strode out of the common room. "How did you sleep?" Rowan asked as they made their way through the cool dungeons.
"Not bad at all," Regulus rubbed the last of the sleep out of his eyes, before scowling at her. He hadn't slept the prior night before at Prince Manor all because of Rowan.
Rowan hides a smirk knowing exactly the reason why Regulus is scowling at her and instead feigns ignorance. "Well, that's good to hear," Rowan said. "I never did ask Regulus have you signed up for any extra-curricular courses beyond Gobbledegook?"
"The four of us thought it might be fun to try Xylomancy," Regulus sheepishly admitted. "But I don't like divination. So, Barty and I signed up for Art, while Dirk and Letitia went for Xylomancy. Apparently, Dirk finds it rather fascinating to use twigs for Divination. Personally, I think it's a whole load of crock."
"I feel the same way," Rowan drily agreed. "But next year for your third year, Regulus, you have to take two more courses. Divination is a rather popular class to take due to its ease. Care of Magical Creatures is to be rather fun or, so I am told. I did not sign up for either class, to be honest. So I can't say, but Severus and Terry are taking both courses."
"I'll keep that in mind," Regulus thoughtfully answered as they entered the Great Hall. The sky of the Great Hall showed a somewhat cloudy sky with a sunbeam peeking through the clouds. "Mm, based on what you said, Care of Magical Creatures doesn't sound too bad. I'll have to wait and see what my other options are."
"That's what you say, now," Rowan Teased as they sat down.
Sniffing about, Rowan served herself some nice hash browns, eggs, toast with a dash of ketchup on her eggs, and potatoes. Along with a glass of orange juice, she happily began to dig in. Taking a bite of her food, Rowan says, "Any luck with getting a cat yet, Regulus?"
Regulus flushes a bit in embarrassment at failing to have convinced his parents over the summer. "No, but I think if it was a gift from someone whose father and mother couldn't very well decline then it could work."
"Oh, well, then we shall just have to see about that," Rowan knowingly smirked at the idea of getting Regulus a kitten for Christmas. It greatly appealed to her. And she knew her grandfather would want to stick it to Orion and Walburga Black.
"Oh, well if isn't Prince and her latest lover boy," the nasal voice of Quyen Crowley loudly said from behind them.
Sneering Rowan turns to say, "At least I have one." Immediately Regulus flushes and steadily keeps his gaze down knowing better than to intervene between a girl's spat.
The wavy dark-haired girl sourly scowls at Rowan, "Well, I never!"
Swiftly coming to her friend's rescue a gaunt third-year girl with plastered murky hair to her skull hurries forward. Hortense Sicca hurriedly hissed, "At least she's not dating a child!"
Arching an eyebrow, Rowan frostily retorts, "Oh, is that what Gil Goyle thinks of you? Well, I would suppose you would know given that he is a sixth year this year."
Hortense Sicca loudly begins to choke as the third member of their posse comes to her rescue. A bloated-faced girl with sausage-sized curled hair, Gertrude Fowl defensively says, "Well, at least we weren't caught out with a boy all night!"
"Oh, you mean dear old Xeno?" Rowan chuckled. "I wasn't out with him so to speak as he has no interest in dating at the present moment. And even if I was, he's a pureblood what of it?" Unable to think of any other comebacks, the three girls flounce further away to sit down in a huffy stint.
"Ye gods and little fishes," Rowan muttered under her breath. "What unfortunate luck do I have running today?"
"At least Tiffany wasn't here," Regulus finally piped in. "She'd had torn their hair out."
Rowan loudly snickers, "That she would have, while Silvia would have given them a nice black eye. Bethanie, on the other hand, would have politely stared them down and made them feel like insignificant cockroaches."
Regulus hid a bashful smile at the image, before grabbing a crepe as Rowan quickly followed suit. By the time, Rowan had gotten to her second plate of hazelnut chocolate stuffed crepes with whipped cream, everyone else had arrived. They all made small talk as they ate.
Not long after, Professor Slughorn appears with the school schedules and begins to pass them out. "Potions, Charms, and DADA," Terry remarked. "Not too bad for the first day."
"Yes, well, you don't have Gobbledegook," Rowan grimaced as Severus flashed her a smirk.
Ignoring her smug younger brother, Rowan asks, "Bethanie, will you be joining the Hogwarts Orchestra after all?"
"Mm, mother was pleased with my talent for music and allowed it," Bethanie said with a grin causing her long, auburn hair wavy hair to ripple at her sudden movement.
Rowan didn't comment on the fact that the spray of freckles across Bethanie's nose had vanished over the summer. Either a potion or some sort of treatment had been given to vanish them. And she knew for a fact that Bethanie had not minded them, it had to be that mother of her that must have ensured the change.
Glancing over at the dark-haired, sharp-featured Silvia, Rowan didn't see anything different. Silvia must have noticed Rowan's glance because she raised her blue-gray eyes at her with a question in them. Shaking her head at Silvia, Silvia shrugs before returning to her plate. Silvia hadn't changed much over the summer but had grown a bit taller.
Tiffany on the other hand looked the same as usual, cute with her short strawberry-blond hair and bright blue eyes. Beyond the new wardrobe from France, there wasn't much that Rowan could ask about in public concerning Tiffany's being betrothed. Still, she did have some rather nice flawless smooth skin. She must be using some new moisturizer or beauty potion as Tiffany's skin didn't look this good before.
Terry looked much the same with his angelic, fragile prince features. His hazel eyes seem to sparkle, this morning having recovered from last night's exorbitant feasting. Though he had grown a bit taller that was something at least. Either way, none of them had really overall changed over the summer which strangely was a relief to her.