The Calm Before The Storm

'Now, we wait.' Alexander said with a smile, 'and keep checking on them it until they've stewed for twenty one days. I told it would be dull.' He told her. Alexander himself had gone through that process twenty five days ago. Luckily for him he had a load of other potions and work to be getting on with, after all his NEWT's were almost upon him.

'Not that much different form myself.' He replied, 'Have you ever thought about trying out for the quidditch team?' The seventh year himself had once played seeker for a time but upon entering his sixth year his NEWT's began to take priority. He did miss it at times, in fact, Alexander couldn't quiet remember the last time he had flown a broomstick.

"STOP THAT PIGGY!"

The call rang throughout all of the dungeons, the eerie flash of lightning before thunder rumbled in and disrupted life as all knew it. Those in the classroom looked up from their work and glanced at each other, looking around to see where such a cry might have come from. The students had no idea, but could not wholly abandon a perfectly good distraction from their work either. It seemed, however, that they would not be affected by the strange cry. With sadness in their hearts, the students settled to continue on with their work.

And suddenly, chaos struck. A pig was launched into the room, carried on large wings that looked a lot like those of a hummingbird, but much larger. The poor pig was not in control of the movement of the wings, and was squealing its misery at the top of its lungs. The wings spun him around the heads of the students, before sending him diving towards a table with a Slytherin boy and girl.

Darcy ran into the room, misjudging how slick the dungeon walls were. Her foot went over her head. "Piggy-yyyyyyyyyyyyyy!" The word elongated into a cry as she fell flat on her bum.

Before Sierra could even reply she was cut off by a large scream from somewhere outside. No doubt some first year Gryffindor had walked into a prank, at least that is what made perfect sense apart from the squeal didnt sound like that of an eleven year old. Turning back to Sierra Alexander waited for her reply, that was until a large pig flew into the room.

Perhaps 'flew' wasn't the right word. It withered and bounced around the air narrowly avoiding some other students heads. Either the pig had been a hiddeous gargoyle come to life or a transfiguration gone wrong because there was nothing normal about it. Large wings, beautiful wings, seemed to be controlling the pig and the pig wasn't too please by it.

Before Alexander could even respond the pig had shot like a cannonball towards his and Sierra's table, crashing full pelt into the cauldron that was sent flying, it's contents splattering everywhere.

'MY POLYJUICE POTION!' Nott cried.

BOOM! Part of the seventh years polyjuice potion had cascaded into a nearby cauldron causing quiet the reaction. Not only was the cauldron now in flames but purple smoke was slowly filling the room send students hurrying out of the classroom in fear of whatever the smoke could be.

Turning in horror, fists clenched and a malevolent glint in his eye Alexander's eyes fell upon Darcy, another seventh year. Alexander hadn't formally met her but he knew enough about her that he didn't want to. She was a sailor. A sailor. What self respecting witch travelled the world in boat? The kind that sent mutant pigs flying around the castle it seemed.

'You!' He spat, 'Look what you've done!' He cried gesturing to the complete catastrophe her flying mutant pig, which was still whizzing around, had caused.

Sierra screamed when a pig ran into the room and aimed right at her and Alexander. It knocked over his polyjuice potion and sent it flying everywhere. Sierra screamed as the potion covered her and Alex. "Ewwwww! Its in my hair!!!!!!' Alex suddenly went off on the girl. It was rather scary. "Alex, calm down. It is ok." Sierra wiped the potion off her face and rested a hand on his shoulder, "We can make another batch." She was trying to get him to calm down and breathe. "Come on." She grabbed his hand and tried to tug him back toward the table away from the girl before he punched her or something. She bit her lip nervously and pleaded with him through her eyes.

Darcy had told her professor that any attempts to Transfigure the pig was going to end in misfortunate and heartbreak for everyone. But it was necessary for her to attempt as they were on the final stretch of preparation for their exams. Darcy had rolled up her sleeves and waved her wand... and then found herself running down several hallways and seveal more flights of stairs in her mad dash to catch the flying pig. People had laughed and pointed as she ran, but Darcy was not one to be humiliated. She just wanted to get the bloody pig.

Now she was lying on her butt on the cold dungeons floor. She had slipped in something, and now she was covered in potion. Murky, slimy, nasty potion. "Ugh." She staggered to her feet and brushed herself off, briefly distracted from her objective of catching the escaped bovine.

A pansy-of-a-boy had the gall to call her out. She quirked an eyebrow. "What's up your arse? Perhaps it's the high horse you rode in on. Your project is ruined, but so is mine. So calm yourself and help me catch that PIG!"

The last word was an exclamation as she lept onto the table and jumped into the air, arms grasping for the pig.

Tristan walked into the potions dungeon to see a... flying pig? Her stomach growled but she could not think of food at a time like this. No matter how delicious the pig looked, "What the hell is going on?" she asked as everyone tried to grab the pic. Well, one girl tried to grab the pig. A boy was yelling at the girl trying to catch the pig, another girl was trying to get the boy to stop yelling and they were both covered in what appeared to be polyjuice potion.

Sierra gasped when the girl started arguing back with Alex. This was not going to end well. You don't argue with Slytherins, especially members of the Dark Followers. "Alex, just ignore her. Please?" She sighed and continued trying to get Alex over to the table when another girl walked in. She was an older Slytherin around Alex's age. "This girl here let a flying pig in. Can you help us catch it?"

Alexander simply ignored Sierra. She was a fourth year and didn't understand how many hours it took to brew the polyjuice potion. Sure she could be told the length of time but until you were a seventh year, revising every other area of magic at the same time, she wouldn't be able to understand.

The cheek. Darcy wanted him to help catch the pig? After what her pig had done to his project he didn't see any reason to help. A part of him wanted the pig to fly around so much and tire Darcy out, make her sweat for ruining his project.

'The difference between your project and mine is that I have spent weeks perfecting my polyjuice potion.' He told her matter-of-factly. His voice had returned to a calmed state but Alexander wasn't at all calm inside. He was angry, enfuriated and Sierra had just called him 'Alex.

Turning to face Sierra he asked, in a polite tone most unlike how he was feeling, 'please don't call me Alex, and it's her pig let her catch it.' The Slytherin would cool down soon, there was nothing he could really do about the situation other that start a fresh polyjuice potion.

Glancing over his shoulder he noticed a girl he believed to be called Tristan, although he wasn't entirely sure. Ignoring her he turned to watch the flying pig, which had no sent jars of eyeballs, rat spleens and a large barrel of armadillo bile tumbling over with a smash. The smell was most dissatisfying.

Tristan sighed and took out her wand, Stupefy." She shot a stunning spell at the pig and watched as it fell to the ground. "There one problem solved. Nott, you gotta calm down, Mate. You're little girlfriend here is just trying to keep you out of trouble. All though why you're dating a 4th year, I'll never understand." She turned to the sailor girl and smiled evily, "As for you, keep better control of your stupid projects and this can be avoided in the future. Ok? Ok."

"Sorry, Alexander." She blushed and bit her lip when he lectured her about not calling him Alex. "I was just trying to help." She moved away slightly and hid behind her hair. Just then, the older Slytherin girl stunned the pig and turned to Alexander. Girlfriend? She thought she and Alexander were dating? She blushed an insane red and stumbled over her words, "I'm... Were not... He's..." She sounded like a down right idiot.