Harry Potter and the Bucket List

Year 6 - 8

Beta: Cloudy

Here's the promised angst seasoning / punch to the gut depending on how attached you are to these characters. Mwah.

Warning: If you're already in a bad mind state, I would suggest holding off until the next couple chapters are posted so you can binge read straight to the ooey gooey warmth (epilogue coming soon and will be titled so you can easily spot it!). The story should be completed July 3rd, 2021. Please take care of your mental health. Love you.

(≖‿‿≖)ノ⌒●~*

The snow melted around the school as February arrived. It was replaced by cold, dreary wetness. Purplish-gray clouds hung low over the castle, and a constant fall of chilly rain made the lawns slippery and muddy. The upshot of this was that the sixth years' first Apparition lesson, which was scheduled for a Saturday morning and took place in the Great Hall.

I headed into the Great Hall with all of my snakes. The tables had disappeared. Rain lashed against the high windows and the enchanted ceiling swirled darkly above them as they assembled in front of Professors McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, and Sprout and a small wizard that I guessed was meant to be the Apparition instructor from the Ministry. He was oddly colorless, with transparent eyelashes, wispy hair, and an insubstantial air, as though a single gust of wind might blow him away. I wondered whether constant disappearances and reappearances had somehow diminished his substance, or whether this frail build was ideal for anyone wishing to vanish.

"Good morning," said the Ministry wizard, when all the students had arrived and the Heads of Houses had called for quiet. "My name is Wilkie Twycross and I shall be your Ministry Apparition instructor for the next twelve weeks. I hope to be able to prepare you for your Apparition Tests in this time.

"As you may know, it is usually impossible to Apparate or Disapparate within Hogwarts. The headmaster has lifted this enchantment, purely within the Great Hall, for one hour, so as to enable you to practice. May I emphasize that you will not be able to Apparate outside the walls of this Hall, and that you would be unwise to try.

"I would like each of you to place yourselves now so that you have a clear five feet of space in front of you."

There was a great scrambling and jostling as people separated, banged into each other, and ordered others out of their space. The Heads of Houses moved among the students, marshaling them into position and breaking up arguments.

"Thank you," said Twycross. "Now then—"

He waved his wand. Old-fashioned wooden hoops instantly appeared on the floor in front of every student.

"The important things to remember when Apparating are the three D's!" said Twycross. "Destination, Determination, Deliberation!

And on the lesson went.

I wasn't a natural at Apparition. I spun around and lost my balance several times in the beginning.

One time I spun around too fast that when I landed I actually bruised my tailbone. After the lessons were over, I hobbled over to the hospital wing. I was pink-cheeked when I had to go to Pomfrey and ask for a bruising salve.

Unfortunately...

Super... duper unfortunately... as I was asking for the bruising salve, Cormac McLaggen came in with a swagger and broken arm.

I knew he was a kiddo. I was mentally well into my forties, so I really shouldn't react, but he—he—made a comment about my bum.

It was just a reflex. My accio popped out both of his shoulders so quickly that he didn't even register what happened for several seconds after the pops were heard in the infirmary.