Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the characters of this story
excepting my characters and if you've read Harry potter you'll know who
they are. Well read and enjoy, or loathe, or whatever, just please PLEASE
Review! This story takes place in no particular time period, whatever
polkas your dots.
Ron clapped enthusiastically as the last first year was sorted into Griffindor. He was so anxious for the feast to begin he barely paid attention to the announcements Dumbledore was saying. It seemed his growling stomach drowned out most of Dumbledore's words, but he did pick up that several foreign exchange students were going to be coming to the school this year, Snape was the new defense against the dark arts teacher, and that a new teacher would be taking his place as Potions teacher.
"Please welcome your new Potions teacher Professor Xazor!" Dumbledore announced, enthusiastically clapping.
The man that stood up was middle aged, tall and thin. His hair was whispy white; it crowned a face that looked like its skin was too tight, a face that looked like it was trying to smile, but turned out more like it just swallowed a lemon, a face almost as pale as his hair. His lips were thin and red, and his eyes were icy blue, and looked like they could pierce straight through your soul. Although everyone applauded it was a forced applause, devoid of enthusiasm.
Ron stared at Professor Xazor, a chill running down his spine, the man already scared him.
"He's creepy!" Hermione whispered.
"Yeah," Harry whispered back, "he looks like a corpse."
Ron looked down at the now full plates, but his appetite had vanished.
One week later…
"He's worse than Snape!" Harry complained.
"Thank you mister obvious." Ron rolled his eyes, shifting the huge load of books in his arms that were their homework.
"Yeah, he makes Snape look like a boy scout." Hermione added. Even she was flustered by the amount of work Xazor had assigned them.
The dungeon, the next day…
Both Gryffindor and Slytherin students silently filed into Potions class and took their seats, and took out all the things they would need for class, including the five-scroll essay they had had to write. They had all learned this procedure on the first day, they had also learned not to cross Xazor, and he got crossed easily.
"Now class," Xazor said in his too high-crackling voice, "Today we will be making burning potions. Open your text books to page 127 and get going. I will be coming around to give you grades on procedure and then the final result. Remember this, it will be on your test on Friday, and if you have a question consult your text book before you ask me. Your new groups are listed on the board. Get going!"
The class which had so previously been still as a tomb suddenly erupted into motion. Hermione looked at the board moaned. She was being forced to work with Malfoy and some kid called Bane. She remembered that name…ah yes, he was one of the exchange students that had been put into Slytherin. With a name like that, it was no surprise.
"Why me? Why me?" she thought to herself as she got her stuff and moved over to where the two Slytherins were sitting. Draco was busy flashing nasty signals at Harry across the room, Bane was reading page 127 in his text book with his back to Hermione. It occurred to her she had never actually seen Bane up close before. All she knew about him was that his hair was jet black and he was a quiet secluded person. She sat down across from him, his head was down, his black bangs obscuring his face. Hermione was about to proceed to the grueling task of reading the potions instructions when he looked up. She froze, he was very, very handsome. (Despite what you're thinking right now, this is not a romance story)
His eyes were the deepest darkest brown she had ever seen, they were fathomless, it seemed they would swallow her up. His face was clam and in expressive, but somehow it seemed profoundly wise and understanding.
"Ok goth boy and geek girl, lets get going." Malfoy's drawling voice snapped her back to her senses. Bane's face continued to be blank and Hermione glared at Malfoy. Malfoy continued, "You peel the garlic cloves and you chop the salamander toes. Ill shred the rose petals." He shoved the garlic towards Bane and the gristly salamander body parts towards Hermione. A muscle twitched in Bane's jaw, Hermione grimaced and picked up her knife.
"I will do that if you want." Bane offered to do the nastier job. His voice was very calm, cool, and controlled. Hermione blushed, she didn't quite know why, "Thanks." She and Bane exchanged piles of potion ingredients.
Malfoy was being annoying, and to Hermione, offensive. His large mouth just kept spouting insult after insult, and never ran out of complaints. His whining drawling voice was beginning to drill into Hermione's skull, she was doing her best to ignore his words but it was a losing battle. Anger was rising inside her like condensation building up in a shaken soda bottle. Pretty soon she was going to blow her top.
Bane sat there the whole time, chopping the salamander toes, his calm slack expression never changing, even though much of Malfoy's nattering was directed at him. Hermione's first attractedness to him was beginning to become shaken, his level of calm and tolerance was unnerving. Was he some kind of cyborg? Was he born without a personality? No of course not, that was ridiculous, he just had a lot of patience, a LOT of patience. These thoughts flashed through her mind and mixed with her building annoyance and anger at Malfoy.
"…and I'm stuck with Mrs Mudblood here…" She heard Malfoy say, she was just about to burst out with some kind of response when she saw Bane flick his wrist, skillfully, precisely. The wrist flick caused the tip of his knife to send a full salamander toe flying, straight into Malfoy's open mouth.
Malfoys noise suddenly stopped, he choked, then was forced to swallow. His face twisted into a look of disgust.
" What was that?!" he demanded.
"A salamander toe." Bane answered coolly, as if he were just telling Malfoy what time it was, not even looking up from his work. Malfoy looked shocked, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
"That takes care of that vexatious problem." Bane said, looking up at Hermione, a ghost of a smile crossing his face. Laughter bubbled out of Hermione, Malfoy had looked so funny! She tried to suppress her giggles but couldn't.
Soon Xanzor came over, his piercing gaze assessing everything. He snapped, "What's going on here? Why is Malfoy on the floor? Stop laughing Granger, this is potions class not a comedy show." Xanzor's icy glare was enough to kill Hermione's laugh in her throat.
Bane never missed a beat, "He smelled the salamander blood and fainted, sir."
"Huh, wimpy spoiled rich brat." He leaned over, about to put his hands on the garlic ridden table but suddenly withdrew them and straightened up. "Don't let this slow you down, get back to work." He then stalked off.
Hermione smiled at Bane, he smiled back. Her liking for him was completely restored.
Across the room, Ron and Harry watched.
Ron clapped enthusiastically as the last first year was sorted into Griffindor. He was so anxious for the feast to begin he barely paid attention to the announcements Dumbledore was saying. It seemed his growling stomach drowned out most of Dumbledore's words, but he did pick up that several foreign exchange students were going to be coming to the school this year, Snape was the new defense against the dark arts teacher, and that a new teacher would be taking his place as Potions teacher.
"Please welcome your new Potions teacher Professor Xazor!" Dumbledore announced, enthusiastically clapping.
The man that stood up was middle aged, tall and thin. His hair was whispy white; it crowned a face that looked like its skin was too tight, a face that looked like it was trying to smile, but turned out more like it just swallowed a lemon, a face almost as pale as his hair. His lips were thin and red, and his eyes were icy blue, and looked like they could pierce straight through your soul. Although everyone applauded it was a forced applause, devoid of enthusiasm.
Ron stared at Professor Xazor, a chill running down his spine, the man already scared him.
"He's creepy!" Hermione whispered.
"Yeah," Harry whispered back, "he looks like a corpse."
Ron looked down at the now full plates, but his appetite had vanished.
One week later…
"He's worse than Snape!" Harry complained.
"Thank you mister obvious." Ron rolled his eyes, shifting the huge load of books in his arms that were their homework.
"Yeah, he makes Snape look like a boy scout." Hermione added. Even she was flustered by the amount of work Xazor had assigned them.
The dungeon, the next day…
Both Gryffindor and Slytherin students silently filed into Potions class and took their seats, and took out all the things they would need for class, including the five-scroll essay they had had to write. They had all learned this procedure on the first day, they had also learned not to cross Xazor, and he got crossed easily.
"Now class," Xazor said in his too high-crackling voice, "Today we will be making burning potions. Open your text books to page 127 and get going. I will be coming around to give you grades on procedure and then the final result. Remember this, it will be on your test on Friday, and if you have a question consult your text book before you ask me. Your new groups are listed on the board. Get going!"
The class which had so previously been still as a tomb suddenly erupted into motion. Hermione looked at the board moaned. She was being forced to work with Malfoy and some kid called Bane. She remembered that name…ah yes, he was one of the exchange students that had been put into Slytherin. With a name like that, it was no surprise.
"Why me? Why me?" she thought to herself as she got her stuff and moved over to where the two Slytherins were sitting. Draco was busy flashing nasty signals at Harry across the room, Bane was reading page 127 in his text book with his back to Hermione. It occurred to her she had never actually seen Bane up close before. All she knew about him was that his hair was jet black and he was a quiet secluded person. She sat down across from him, his head was down, his black bangs obscuring his face. Hermione was about to proceed to the grueling task of reading the potions instructions when he looked up. She froze, he was very, very handsome. (Despite what you're thinking right now, this is not a romance story)
His eyes were the deepest darkest brown she had ever seen, they were fathomless, it seemed they would swallow her up. His face was clam and in expressive, but somehow it seemed profoundly wise and understanding.
"Ok goth boy and geek girl, lets get going." Malfoy's drawling voice snapped her back to her senses. Bane's face continued to be blank and Hermione glared at Malfoy. Malfoy continued, "You peel the garlic cloves and you chop the salamander toes. Ill shred the rose petals." He shoved the garlic towards Bane and the gristly salamander body parts towards Hermione. A muscle twitched in Bane's jaw, Hermione grimaced and picked up her knife.
"I will do that if you want." Bane offered to do the nastier job. His voice was very calm, cool, and controlled. Hermione blushed, she didn't quite know why, "Thanks." She and Bane exchanged piles of potion ingredients.
Malfoy was being annoying, and to Hermione, offensive. His large mouth just kept spouting insult after insult, and never ran out of complaints. His whining drawling voice was beginning to drill into Hermione's skull, she was doing her best to ignore his words but it was a losing battle. Anger was rising inside her like condensation building up in a shaken soda bottle. Pretty soon she was going to blow her top.
Bane sat there the whole time, chopping the salamander toes, his calm slack expression never changing, even though much of Malfoy's nattering was directed at him. Hermione's first attractedness to him was beginning to become shaken, his level of calm and tolerance was unnerving. Was he some kind of cyborg? Was he born without a personality? No of course not, that was ridiculous, he just had a lot of patience, a LOT of patience. These thoughts flashed through her mind and mixed with her building annoyance and anger at Malfoy.
"…and I'm stuck with Mrs Mudblood here…" She heard Malfoy say, she was just about to burst out with some kind of response when she saw Bane flick his wrist, skillfully, precisely. The wrist flick caused the tip of his knife to send a full salamander toe flying, straight into Malfoy's open mouth.
Malfoys noise suddenly stopped, he choked, then was forced to swallow. His face twisted into a look of disgust.
" What was that?!" he demanded.
"A salamander toe." Bane answered coolly, as if he were just telling Malfoy what time it was, not even looking up from his work. Malfoy looked shocked, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
"That takes care of that vexatious problem." Bane said, looking up at Hermione, a ghost of a smile crossing his face. Laughter bubbled out of Hermione, Malfoy had looked so funny! She tried to suppress her giggles but couldn't.
Soon Xanzor came over, his piercing gaze assessing everything. He snapped, "What's going on here? Why is Malfoy on the floor? Stop laughing Granger, this is potions class not a comedy show." Xanzor's icy glare was enough to kill Hermione's laugh in her throat.
Bane never missed a beat, "He smelled the salamander blood and fainted, sir."
"Huh, wimpy spoiled rich brat." He leaned over, about to put his hands on the garlic ridden table but suddenly withdrew them and straightened up. "Don't let this slow you down, get back to work." He then stalked off.
Hermione smiled at Bane, he smiled back. Her liking for him was completely restored.
Across the room, Ron and Harry watched.