---Aaron---
I walked into my Potions class prepared for an hour of fun. This was my favorite class of the day, because we learned spells and potions and got to do magic. Katherine was already at our table, chatting with Ashley as they took out their homework.
"Hey Aaron," Katherine said as I sat down. "Can I compare my answers with yours on this Spells worksheet?"
"Sure," I replied as I pulled a sheet of paper from my binder and handed it to her. Immediately, she and Ashley were huddled over it like it was the best thing in the world. I didn't see why she had to double check with me. I mean, sure everyone calls me the smartest kid in the school, along with Indigo Clay, but Katherine is definitely top five in my opinion. She's smart, quiet, pretty, and fairly popular too. Overall, a great person if you ask me. Her answers are pretty much correct near a hundred percent of the time. Why bother to ask me?
"Katherine, let me see that," said Lucian Oaks, my friend who sat next to me in the same table. She looked up from her paper, then handed him my worksheet.
"Alright class," our teacher, Mr. Felton called out. "Turn in your homework, and take out your Potions 101 textbook. Today we will be working on…." He paused for dramatic effects. "…making stuff disappear in a puff of smoke!" Excited whispers shot out from around the room. Everyone like making stuff disappear. Especially when there's smoke. Katherine flipped to a tabbed page and brought out our "potion kits".
"Here, I got everyone's so we don't have to get up again," she said as she passed them out to Ashley, Lucian, and me. "I pre-read this lesson, and I think I get it."
"So, class, please settle down and watch me first. Carefully, because making potions is dangerous work. Especially this one." We watched Mr. Felton spread out his various jars and beakers. Katherine and Ashley had their pencils poised above the paper, ready to take notes as soon as he starts. I picked up my pencil too. Lucian followed suit.
"First, you get your big, clean beaker. Everyone see this? Now get three small test tubes. In the first, you put in one teaspoon of this lime green powder, which is fungus smaragdi, or Mushroom's Emerald. Add three drops—three drops only, class—of hydrochloric acid mixed with water, and stir. See the reaction?" Mr. Felton held up a test tube with a purple liquid that seemed to glow.
"Ooh," murmured the class. Our table's pencils scribbled furiously.
"Now in the second test tube, you put in two powders: the pink one labeled squid auribus and the silver one labeled luna fatales, and---" as he went on and showed us every single step, I wrote down every step and powder, plus amounts and reactions.
"Your turn, class!" Mr. Felton clapped his hands after he made an eraser disappear. "Try it on the provided rocks!"
Our table laughed and talked as we measured montes papilio, mixed yellow and blue powders together, and tried our solutions on the rocks. Poof! A burst of smoke in front of my face made me cough. As I waved it away, I noticed Katherine doing the same. Our rocks had disappeared—along with the Petri dish we were experimenting on.
"I guess the amounts were too large," coughed Katherine as she fanned the air in front of her face.
"I suppose so. You think Mr. Felton will be mad at us for demolishing school property?" I gestured at the empty table in front of me.
"Nah, he wouldn't care. He'll probably just give us new ones and say 'Be careful next time and double check measurements'."
"I suppose so." I looked over at Lucian. He was frowning at his rock, which was emitting a thin chimney of smoke.
"It didn't disappear!" exclaimed Lucian. "But it's smoking. Wonder what that means?"
"Mine changed color. Is that normal?" asked Ashley, pointing at her rock. The once-gray rock turned neon orange.
We laughed. "I'm pretty sure that's not supposed to happen, Ashley," I said between laughter. Mr. Felton walked over. We stopped laughing and looked at him. He inspected our results as we all tried to explain what had happened at the same time.
"We kinda messed up," announced Katherine.
"We're really sorry made the dish disappear," I offered.
"I don't know how this happened, Mr. Felton. I'm sure I did everything correctly," stammered Ashley.
"Is my rock going to explode?" asked Lucian.
Mr. Felton waved our concerns aside and shushed us. We watched, silent and confused, as he inspected our experiments and looked at each of us. We looked back with innocent eyes. He appeared to be deep in thought, and muttering to himself. I caught bits and pieces here and there: "...can't believe it....so soon....Protectors...." I looked at Katherine. She met my gaze with the same look in her eyes. She had heard too.
"What is this all about?" I mouthed to her. She shook her head.
"I have no idea. Are we in trouble?" she mouthed back. I shrugged. Just then, another teacher walked in---Ms. Wilson, another science teacher in the school. She walked over, and her mouth formed an O. She quickly closed her mouth when she saw that we were looking at her. Then she and Mr. Felton hurried to a corner and had a heated discussion. We strained to hear. The rest of the class was oblivious.
"....it has to be!" said Mr. Felton in a loud whisper.
"....too early...." was Ms. Wilson's reply. We leaned even more in our seats, but still only caught bits and pieces.
"...must be.....experiments...prophecy...." defended Mr. Felton.
"....can't be....unexpected.....impossible..." argued Ms. Wilson.
"...can't....leave them....exposed!" cried Mr. Felton. A bit too loudly. We looked at each other with alarmed, wide eyes. They were talking about us. Were we in danger? From what? Who?
"...can fight.....defend themselves.....talented and smart.....better off on their own!" Ms. Wilson shot back. Then they turned and looked at us. We quickly turned around and pretended to be working on our lab analysis. They turned back around.
The bell rang, startling me. As we packed up our stuff, Mr. Felton approached our table.
"Are you mad about the experiment?" asked Katherine worriedly.
"No no no, that's okay. Science, right? You gotta ruin something," said Mr. Felton airily. Too airily. Then he hesitated and looked over his shoulders at Ms. Wilson. She gave him an encouraging nod.
"Okay, I need you four to read over and study these books," he said, handing us four dusty worn books. "I know you guys are smart and stuff, but...still better to be prepared, eh?" Then he shooed us off to our next class.
As we walked to our next class, I examined my book. It was dark green with old fashioned gold lettering. "Defense Against the Dark Arts", it read. I flipped through the yellowed pages. Small fine printing and large elaborate drawings jumped out at me. This was going to be an interesting book. I glanced over at Katherine. She had a royal blue book, and the title read "Defense Against the Dark Arts, Special Edition". Curious.
I pondered the meanings of Mr. Felton's worries, Ms. Wilson's shock, and our new books. What was happening? Why are we the only ones seemed to be affected by this new turn of events? At least my friends and I were all in it together, right?