The Great Hall was abuzz with students saying their goodbyes, suitcases being dragged across the stone floor, and a general air of excitement as Christmas holidays approached. Jason sat at the Gryffindor table with Harry and Ron, the three of them staying back at Hogwarts while most others were heading home.
Ron was poking at a piece of toast with his fork, looking unusually glum. Harry seemed equally quiet, fiddling with a loose thread on his robes. Jason, on the other hand, watched the chaos of farewells with an amused smirk.
"Cheer up, lads," Jason said, leaning back in his chair. "We've got the castle to ourselves".
Before either could respond, Jason's Ravenclaw friends approached him in a huddle.
Vik was the first to step forward, giving Jason a firm handshake. "Alright, Jason. Take care. I'll be sending you a gift, so don't forget to open it on Christmas Day."
"Thanks, Vik," Jason replied with a grin. "I'll be waiting for the owl."
Tobi and Simon followed, each slapping Jason on the back. "Don't get into too much trouble while we're gone," Simon said with a wink.
"No promises," Jason said.
Finally, Josh approached, putting on his best pureblood heir voice, his chin raised dramatically. "Jason, now that we've become friends, it's only proper for me to send you a gift. Consider it an honor to receive something from House Bradley."
Jason stifled a laugh and matched his tone. "Of course, my lord. It shall be my greatest honor to accept your magnanimous gesture."
Both boys laughed before pulling each other into a quick hug. "Take care," Josh said as he left to board the train.
After the Ravenclaws had left, Hermione approached the trio, her suitcase in tow and her robes neatly pressed. She sat down across from them, her sharp eyes darting to Ron.
"You haven't packed," she said, her tone matter-of-fact.
Ron shrugged. "Change of plans. My parents decided to visit Charlie in Romania for Christmas, so I'm staying here."
Hermione raised an eyebrow and looked at Harry and Jason. "What about you two?"
Harry was the first to answer, his voice quiet but firm. "I don't want to go."
Hermione's expression softened. Everyone at the table knew why Harry would rather stay at Hogwarts.
Jason clapped Harry on the shoulder. "Cheer up, mate. We're going to make this the best Christmas ever. Snowball fights, lazy mornings, endless games—you name it."
Hermione turned to Jason. "And you? Why aren't you going home?"
Jason gave her an easy grin. "Because you're going. I figured I'd take the chance to study more while I'm here."
Hermione blinked, a bit taken aback. "Study more? Jason, you're already ahead of me ."
Jason shook his head. "Not every subject, Hermione. Just Charms, Transfiguration, and Potions."
Ron snorted, nudging Harry. "Hear that, mate? They're practically fighting over who's read more. We'll pass our exams without even trying with these two around."
Harry chuckled. "Starting to doubt that, actually. They're miles ahead."
Ron waved it off. "No tension, Harry. I've got Jason to help me. He only teaches the stuff that matters—none of that extra fluff."
Hermione frowned, sitting up straighter. "Ron, you barely passed the last History of Magic test. Maybe you should be worrying."
Ron shrugged. "Like I said, I'll study with Jason. No way am I slogging through every single detail with you."
Harry grinned. "Why not? She does score better than both of us combined."
Ron shook his head vehemently. "Because she'd start at the very beginning, and I don't have the patience for it. Jason's got the shortcuts, Harry."
Hermione let out an exasperated scoff, grabbing her suitcase. "You're going to regret this, Ron." She turned on her heel, heading toward the train without another word.
As she disappeared, Ron leaned back with a satisfied sigh. "Peace and quiet at last."
Jason smirked. "You're braver than I thought, Ron. "
Jason exchanged a knowing glance with Harry, both of them laughing as they watched Ron stuff his face with another piece of toast.
Jason leaned back in his chair, a small smile playing on his lips as he watched Harry and Ron's playful banter unfold. Ron, now fully engrossed in polishing off the remnants of his toast .
"She's always got to have the last word, hasn't she?" Ron muttered, crumbs falling onto his robes.
Harry chuckled. "You do make it pretty easy for her."
Jason snorted softly, shaking his head. "You two could have your own comedy show. 'The Boy Who Lived and the Boy Who Eats.'"
Ron narrowed his eyes but couldn't suppress a grin. "Laugh it up, Ravenclaw. We'll see how funny you find it when exams roll around, and you're buried in study notes , all Ravenclaw become chicken at that time by brother told me"
"Pressure?" Jason said with mock horror, pulling out a small notebook. "what Pressure"
Harry and Ron exchanged a look, their faces lighting up with mischief.
"Jason," Harry began with a smirk, "you've got that look."
Jason raised an eyebrow, flipping open his notebook. "What look?"
"The 'I'm-about-to-show-you-how-much-better-I-am' look," Ron said, pointing at him with a butter knife. "It's downright rude, that's what it is."
Jason laughed. "You wound me, Ron. I'm merely taking stock of my progress. Care to join me in a little self-reflection? No? Thought not."
Jason skimmed through his notes, ticking off spells and concepts he'd already mastered.
Transfiguration: Year 1 [DONE]
Simple Object Transformation: Pebble to marble? Match to needle? Done and dusted.
Minor Animal Transfiguration: Turning a mouse into a toad wasn't exactly easy, but it worked.
Basic Shape Shifting: Wood into a bird? That one had been tricky. The wings were still a bit lopsided, but it flew.
Simple Size Alteration: Shrinking a piece of cloth had been fun until it disappeared entirely.
Colour Change: Turning a white flower into red? Simple. Though the black cat into white had led to some unexpected hissing.
Simple Material Alteration: Water into ice and back again. Handy for cold drinks.// only for bringing down temperature
Basic Object Animation: A dancing feather? Check. A spinning coin? Easy peasy.
Simple Disillusionment Charm: Making a quill almost invisible had felt like a proper wizarding moment.
Basic Illusion: A flickering flame—more of a party trick, but still useful.
Simple Humanoid Transformation: Turning a scarecrow into a humanoid figure. A bit creepy, but effective.
Jason scribbled a note in the margin: First-year Transfiguration? Check.
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Basic Jinxes and Hexes: Tickling, leg-locking, confusing, impeding, jelly-legging. Fun, but they'd need practice in a duel.
Defensive Spells: Protego and Repello Inimicum—lifesavers if you could cast them fast enough but this are only basic version too slow .
Dark Creatures: Trolls, pixies, and boggarts. Let's just say he wouldn't be needing any backup.
Non-Verbal Spellwork: Just the basics, but promising.
Disarming Charm: Expelliarmus. A staple for any wizard worth their wand.
Jason tapped the page. "Easy peasy, but practice is key," he muttered to himself.
Herbology
Jason flipped to the next section. "Ah, Herbology. The subject where dirt and plants become magical," he said aloud, earning a glance from Ron.
"Talking to yourself again?" Ron asked, grinning. "Sign of a genius, that
"Or madness," Jason quipped. "But thanks for the vote of confidence."
He scanned his notes:
Pumpkin: Good for potions and pies. Noted.
Gillyflower: Gillywater potion ingredient. Handy.
Puffapod: Fireworks and pranks? Interesting.
Fanged Geranium: Defensive uses, but best handled carefully.
Mandrake: Loud and deadly. Earmuffs required.
Wormwood: Potions galore.
Hops: Brewing—one to note for future extracurriculars.
Nettle: Medicinal. Could be useful.
Snapdragon: Propagation. Fun word, less fun plant.
Basic Greenhouse Maintenance: Weeding, watering, and soil prep. A bit too much like gardening.
"Nothing too advanced needed here," Jason murmured. "I'll let the classes take care of the rest."
Potions
Jason flipped to his final section and sighed. "Potions... the bane of my existence."
Ron chuckled. "You? Struggling with something? Impossible."
"Oh, I've got the recipes memorized," Jason admitted. "But practicing is another matter. Ingredients don't grow on trees, you know."
Ron snorted. "You do realize some of them literally do grow on trees?"
Jason gave him a look. "Yes, Ron. Thank you for that insight. My point is, they're hard to come by unless you've got access to the Potions cupboard—or gallons"
"Your gran wouldn't send you stuff?" Harry asked, looking up.
Jason sighed dramatically. "Not after I told her I wasn't coming home for Christmas. She's been in a foul mood ever since. I'll have to grovel. Maybe throw in some chocolates. Or a promise to visit over Easter."
"Good luck with that," Ron said, grinning.
Jason leaned back, snapping his notebook shut. "Thanks, Ron. Your support is overwhelming as always."
"Anytime, mate."
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if you are enjoying drop power stone