212
Time for a change
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"I'm not sure I really fit in with my house," you say.

"Not the right house, eh?" repeats Slumblebore. "Well it wouldn't be the first time it has happened. Percy can pigeon hole people a bit too quickly at times - he is getting old now and sometimes I think his heart isn't really in it any more. Despite the fact that we feed him well and he gets to sing a song every year."

"Yes," you say, "I think it just all happened too quickly when I arrived at the school and I didn't really know what it is was going to be like in Lionpaw House."

"Hmmm," ponders Slumblebore. "With a bit more time you may come to like it, don't you think? You know that after Percy the Picking Pigeon has chosen your house you can't change it."

"No I'm never going to like it sir," you reply blinking back tears. "I'll just be miserable my entire life."

"Well... in that case there is something I can do. I said that you can't change your house after you have chosen it but luckily I am something of an expert in temporal magic - the magic of time. I can send you back in time to before you have chosen your house and you can choose all over again. How about that Arthur?"

You nod in reply. "Yes thank you sir."

"Well then, just step into this clock over here..." Slumblebore points to a large grandfather clock standing against the wall. The clock face is a little higher than your head and the main body of the clock has a small door, with a space behind that you can squeeze into.

"I'm going to set the time to after dinner on the first night..."

You can see Slumblebore's feet and flowing robes as he fiddles with the clock face above you.

"When the clock strikes three you will travel back in time, and if I have got my calculations right, you will also travel sideways in space to arrive in the great hall at just the right time. Remember to come and see me again in my office later on. Or do I mean earlier on? The magic is starting soon now, good luck!"

You can feel a tingling sensation as the magic travelling clock starts to power up. A faint sparkly golden glow feels the space that you are crouched in. You hear the clock strike one, two...