Slug Club
It was a few days after seeing adult Remus and Sirius. I thought about them. From time to time. I still missed them. I will always miss them.
Enough of that. The days that followed were uneventful. Halloween was just like last Year. Although I was a bit more sad this Halloween. Kinda wished I hadn't remembered what Halloween meant. That was Saturday. Sunday. I just hung out in the boy's Dorm. No surprise there. Monday was fine. Nothing exciting there.
And now that leads to today. Tuesday. November 3rd. Meaning. It was Sirius's birthday. And not any birthday. His seventeenth birthday. Which means. Sirius is now of age. And considered an adult in the Wizarding World. Come this Summer. He was aloud to use magic. Outside of school. The second in our group of five to come of age. First was Peter. On September 9th. Next was Remus. His birthday was in March. March 10th. Next was James. On March 27th. And last. Was me. I don't turn seventeen till the last day of July. Yay. Everyone I knew would be seventeen. Before I turned seventeen. Yay.
Anyway. Back to right now. It was the end of Potions. And Slughorn had asked me to stay back. I didn't know why. I haven't done anything wrong. And I don't think I did terrible on the homework. So why was Slughorn holding me back?
"Thank you for staying back, Miss Wolfe." Slughorn said.
"You're welcome, Professor. Is there a reason you held me back? Have I done something?" I asked.
"Oh, no. Oh, no. You have done nothing wrong or anything like that." I let out a breath. "I just wanted to talk to you about something. I was going to ask you this last Year, but when I heard that you were only staying for Fifth Year, I let it go. Now that you are staying for the remainder of your education, I have decided to offer my suggestion up again."
"Oh?"
"Yes, well, you see, I have a little gathering, usually a dinner, or a party or two. I have some of my best students attend. I am having one of these dinner this Friday, and I was hoping that you would be able to attend." Slughorn explained.
Oh. So this was about the Slug Club. A Club filled with Slughorn's favorites. I knew Lily was in it. The boys weren't. I didn't know anybody else who was in it. Only Lily.
"I would be my pleasure to come on Friday." I answered.
Slughorn beamed and clapped his hands once. "Wonderful, wonderful. It will be nice to see you there. Just arrive at the classroom opposite of this one at five o'clock."
"Thank you, Professor Slughorn."
"You're most welcome, Miss Wolfe. Now off to your next class. Don't want to be more late than you already are." Handing me a note to give to my next Professor. I nodded to him. And left the room. And on to my Defense class.
***
I opened the door to the Defense class. It squeaked.
"Stupid door." I thought to myself. Closing the door behind me. And then walking down the desks to where Professor Kilgore was. The classes eyes following me the whole way.
"Sorry I'm late, Professor Kilgore. I have a note." I said. Once I got to him. Handing him the note. He took it. And read it.
"That's quite alright, Miss Wolfe, that's quite alright. We were just working on our assignments from yesterday. Please, take your seat." He replied. Motioning to where I usually sat.
I nodded. Turning around. And taking my usual seat. Next to Remus. And getting out my work.
I had not even been sitting for ten seconds. Before a note came my way.
"What did Sluggy want?" I recognized James's handwriting.
Making sure Kilgore wasn't looking. I wrote back. "He invited me to the Slug Club dinner on Friday."
"Really? So, you're going to be part of the Slug Club now?" Sirius wrote.
"I don't know. I'm just going to the dinner."
"Lucky, you have the dinner with Lily." James.
"Do you know who else is in the Slug Club?"
"No idea." James.
"Me neither." Sirius.
"I think a couple Slytherins, a Ravenclaw, and maybe a Hufflepuff, but I'm not sure. You'll have to ask Lily. I think you and Lily are the only Gryffindors now. There were a couple Seventh Years last Year." Remus.
"I'm surprised you're not in it, James."
"Yeah, well, it's probably because I'm a troublemaker."
"No doubt about that." Sirius.
"Shut up, Padfoot." James.
"Never, Prongs. Hey, Aspen, you think Friday is a good night to go?" Sirius.
"Why wouldn't it be? Full moon is only tonight."
"Oh, I thought it was until Friday." Sirius.
"You're thinking of last month. Are you good, Siri? You've been awfully forgetful lately."
"I'm fine." Sirius.
"Ok. Well. Yeah. I'm good for Friday. You ready for tonight's fight?"
"Hell right I am!" Sirius.
"What fight?" James.
"Sirius and I are fighting in animal form. We decided it on Friday. This will be the second one. And I'll pin him down in no time."
"No you won't. I'm gonna get you this time." Sirius.
"You have fought before?" James.
"Yeah, on Christmas last Year. I fought Sirius and Remus. I won both times."
"I can't wait to see that!" James.
***
It was now the full moon. Our transformations were complete. Sirius, James, and Peter were bound to show up any second now. I was sitting on the floor. Twitching my tail.
"Why do I get the feeling that your too excited for this fight?" Rem barked.
"This is fun for me. Don't know why. It just is." I barked back. "Hey, Rem?"
"Yeah?"
"Have you noticed anything strange about Sirius? He's been very forgetful. And something just seems off to me. Have you noticed anything?"
"No, I haven't. I'm sorry. I can ask him if you'd like?"
"No. It's fine. Don't worry about it. If there is something wrong with him. He'll tell us eventually."
"You're right, Aspen."
Just then. I heard a creak on the stairs. I jumped up. And wagged my tail. A second later. Sirius bounded in. His tail was wagging as well.
"You ready?" He barked.
"You bet I am." I barked back. Crouching down.
***
Let's just say. I won that fight. Again. Though. This time. It did take me a little bit longer to pin him down. About a minute this time. It was impressive. I still won though. He was chill about it. So. That was fine. The others were impressed with us as well. All in all. It was another. Good. Full moon.
***
It is now Friday. The night of the dinner. I was currently walking down to the room with Lily. She was excited. When I told her I was going. Though. When I asked her who else was in the Club. So wouldn't tell me. No matter how many times I asked her.
We were at the door. I pulled down the bottom of my dress.
"You look fine, stop stressing about it." Lily told me.
"I know. I'm just nervous. I don't normally do these types of things. I've only gotten dressed up once. I'm not a big fan of dresses. Only skirts. And even then. Not that much. As you've probably seen."
Lily laughed. "Yes, I have noticed that. Now, come on, or we'll be late."
"We are literally right at the door." Touching the door in front of us.
Lily just shook her head. Smiling. Before opening the door. Instantly. The smell of food. Hit my nose. I took a deep breath. It smelled so good.
"Ah! Welcome, Miss Evans and Miss Wolfe! Please, sit down!" Slughorn called out. Motioning to two seats on the other side of a table. We smiled at him. Before walking to the seats.
When I sat down. I looked around at the other people around me. There was one Hufflepuff. The same Hufflepuff that was talking to those girls who were gossiping about me. I gave him a slight glare. There was also a Ravenclaw. I think she was a Year younger than me. She looked really familiar too. I couldn't remember where though. I then looked across from me. I did a double take. One of the boys was Severus. I quickly looked away. I haven't spoken to him since O.W.L.s. I looked at the other Slytherin. It was Regulus. Sirius's younger brother. He was in Fourth Year.
"Great! Now that we are all here, I think some introductions are in order, especially for you, Miss Wolfe. Everyone hear were here last Year, so they all know each other, but you might not know some of them." Slughorn said. He first motioned to the Hufflepuff. "This is Alec Griffith, a Hufflepuff in your Year."
"Yes, he was in my Herbology class last Year and this Year. Right?" I asked the boy. He nodded.
Slughorn then motioned to the Ravenclaw girl. "This is Sybill Trelawney (picture her with glasses). She is a Year below you, in Ravenclaw." I now knew how I recognized her. She looked a lot like she did as an adult. Just with a younger face.
Slughorn motioned to Severus. "You probably already know Severus Snape." I nodded. "And finally, this young man right here is Regulus Black, Slytherin two Years younger and Seeker for the Slytherin Quidditch Team. You know his brother of course."
I smiled. "Yes, I do. Sirius one of my best guy friends." I nodded to Regulus. He nodded back.
"Everyone else, this is Aspen Wolfe. A fine Potions maker and in her other subjects I've heard, especially in Defense Against the Dark Arts"
"Yes, Potions and Defense have always been my favorite subjects to learn."
"You were home schooled, right?" Slughorn asked.
I nodded. "Yes, for my Second, Third, and Fourth Year."
"What about your First Year?"
"I went to the American Wizarding School. Ilvermorny."
"And how was it there?"
I shrugged. "Ok. I guess. I like it a lot better here. Than at Ilvermorny."
"If you don't mind me asking, what House were you in, at Ilvermorny?"
"I don't mind, Professor. I was in Thunderbird."
"That's equal to Hogwarts' Slytherin." Regulus said.
I looked at him. "Yes. It is. I guess some people change Houses over time." I shrugged.
"Now, what about the rest of your family? Do you have any siblings?" Slughorn asked.
"Yes. I have a twin brother named Harry. Though he decided to stay home schooled. He probably would have been in Gryffindor as well. He was in Wampus at Ilvermorny. And he definitely hasn't changed since we were Sorted in First Year."
"Interesting. And what about your parents? What do they do?"
"Well. They mostly taught my brother and I. I don't know what they do besides that. I've never asked. We've moved around a lot. So I don't really know."
"Where have you lived?"
"We spent my brother and I's first year in Godric's Hallow. Then we moved to Little Whinging. Then to some where near here. Then to London. Then to some state in New England. I don't remember the State. In America. By the ocean. Then we moved back to England. In Surrey. Now we live near Cokeworth." I lied. Not completely. I did live in Godric's Hallow. Harry went to Little Whinging. I went to here. I spent a Summer in London. America, Surrey, and Cokeworth were the lies. Though. The lying is easily coming out.
"My, you have been to a lot of places. How is New England? Never been to America myself." Slughorn asked.
"It's nice. Like I said. It was by the ocean. So that's nice. The weather is weird sometimes. It'll be sunny. And then it'll be raining. All of a sudden. It's temperamental. But it's nice there." It's a good thing I've read about the State's before. This would have been interesting if I hadn't.
"Interesting. And how are you liking Hogwarts now?"
"It's great. I would rather have been here. Than at Ilvermorny. I've made some great friends." I nudged Lily with my elbow. Smirking. She smiled.
"Yes. You said before, that Sirius Black is one of your friends?" I nodded. "Then you must also be friends with James Potter too then?"
I smiled. "Yes, I am. James is also one of my best guy friends as will. Another one being Remus Lupin. Though James can be a handful sometimes."
Lily shook her head. "I must agree with you there, Aspen."
"Yes, Potter and Black can be troublesome."
"You have no idea." I agreed.
"Have you ever met James's parents?"
"Not yet. I have heard of them though." I knew where Slughorn was going with this. Getting information on James's father. His father was Fleamont Potter. He was a famous Potion maker. Making the Sleekeazy's Hair Potion. It's what made him famous.
***
The rest of the dinner went by fine. It was actually quite nice. I kinda liked it. Would I do it again? Probably. I wouldn't mind it. Though I was glad. When it was over. It meant that I could take off the dress. I took it off. As soon as I stepped into my Dorm. Lily laughed. I just ignored her. Getting into some more comfortable clothes.
