Muggle Sensitivity
Merlin's law dictates anything that can go wrong, will.
The war is over and McGonagall feels it's time that something is done about the breach between wizards and muggles. What better way to mend that union than to send her returning seventh years into the muggle world for the semester.
The new Muggle Sensitivity instructor reminded me uncomfortably of the pokemon professor. With his matching name and scarily similar outfit I wouldn't be surprised to find that he was taking day one of the first semester to cosplay. Surely tomorrow we'd have a perfectly acceptable Professor to go over the mundane laws of a world I was born into.
No sooner than the thought crossed my mind a miniature cauldron plunked down before me. It looked like something left over from last Halloween or -if judging my the cheap chipped coloring- maybe even hundreds of Halloweens past.
"Dont be shy," he shook it a bit letting the slips of parchment scratch against one another. I took a slip unfolding it without much thought. Naturally there was a name inside, "read it aloud. Oh and then grab another and another until you have six people on your team." Splendid. This, boys and girls, is why you always pay attention in class.
Despite being a muggle born I was still forced into Muggle Sensitivity just as every other returning seventh year. Headmistress McGonagall could not have been less concerned when I presented her with a detailed argument explaining why I should be exempt from that farce. She had been happy to listen, but ultimately unmoved. She insisted that fair was fair and when I opened my mouth to argue she released a world weary gust of air through her already pursed lips. She seemed to age before my very eyes, for once showing her wrinkles as evidence of her age instead of examples of her wisdom and I fell for it. Her next words rooted me to my seat even now. They are what spurred me to keep pulling even when the pickings only got worse. Harry Potter Ronald Weasley, Pansy Parkinson, Blade Zabini, Luna Lovegood, "I need everyone to get along," Draco Malfoy.
I need everyone to get along. Those words made it possible to align my strips without throwing my books to the ground. The fatigue painted clearly on her face was my strength and my guide. So I ignored the Slytherins jeering from the opposite side of the classroom. I ignored Harry's look of disdain and Dean's look of pity. I ignored it all.
Until Professor Oak dropped a packet in front of me. The contents were composed of roughly twenty slips of bleached factory cut slips of paper -not parchment- all held together with a neat staple set horizontally on the left corner. My classmates whispered excitedly although some sounded less than thrilled. Muggle sunbathing and muggle bars were a few things I heard amongst the chitter chatter.
Lost I began flipping through the packet.
Objective; Garner an understanding of muggles.
Below were tips, obvious tidbits that any fool would know, that were key to surviving the muggle wo- wait what? My inspection of my packet became more thorough in spite of my vigorous page flipping.
Finding a job will be your first priority. You have a week. Should you fail you will be returned to Hogwarts to try again next semester.
More flipping.
Rent can be paid in check or money order form. See page 5 for bank explanations.
By now I was nearing the end, scanning for anything -anything- to prove I hadn't already deduced the meaning of this class assignment.
This may be a grade, but the ultimate reason we're doing this is for your understanding. So have fun and make friends. See you in January.
"You're sending us to the muggle world?" I was standing and I was shouting and I shouldn't have been. Eleven years of my life had been spent there in a world that never rejected me as openly as this one. My family once lived there. I once lived there. I'd wanted so badly to study calculus and chemistry and now I had a chance.
"Even Granger doesn't wanna go back," someone behind me was snickering, making comments while I tried to control my breathing. Even if I pretended to be obliviated I knew why I didn't want to go back. I'd always know and no amount of self inflicted memory loss would take it away, but McGonagall's words, her exhaustion, came back to me.
My parents were in Australia permanently broken at my hand, but McGonagall was still here and she was as much of a mother as I had right now. So I eased back into my seat, staring at the packet as if it were vile.
Harry asked if I was alright but the bell rang so I took my packet, stuffed it into my bag and made certain to disappear around the corner before he could pressure me into an answer.
I was fine the next day. Neville was good for a lot of things and a no strings attached kind of relationship was one of them. He worshipped me in the shadows but kept his distance in daylight. With that being said Harry's constant inquisition was grating on my last nerve. With the Hogwarts express leaving in less than twenty minutes he was better off worrying about his luggage. Trunks weren't commonplace in the muggle world and as a muggle raised half blood he should probably know that.
Ron on the other hand was in desperate need of assistance. It would seem that my warning to pack last night went unheeded so he was busy sorting through his trousers separating things into piles labelled either muggle friend and not muggle friendly.
What had I done to deserve these brains I had for friends ?
As much as it pained me my role of team captain didn't end with these two. The Slytherin dorms were a considerable distance away so I left with my luggage rolling after me leaving Ronald and Harry with a final warning to not be late. This was a group grade.
Malfoy and his team were seated by the entry, each one upon their trunks like kings and queens of small kingdoms. Pansy found a way to perch herself upon the curve of her trunk looking both delicate and powerful.
While they had done better than my friends they'd also forgotten that muggles didn't lug around trunks or wear impressive robes. That's when Luna, strange teleporting Luna, appeared beside me and told them what I'd been trying to word delicately.
"Muggles don't dress that way." She'd gotten it right down to her luggage. I could tell that her over sized tank top was once her button up and her pants were faded denim jeans stolen from my charity pile. Very good. Professor Oak seemed to share my thoughts as he came hopping down the hallway my friends in tow.
"Ten points out of five hundred for thorough research." He gave the other four an exaggerated once over before waving his wand. Colors and fabrics began to bleed and mesh until the outdated garb of the pure blooded wizards transformed into that of normal teenagers. Green and blue t-shirts and jeans for Harry and Ron respectively while Blaise got away with what I could only describe as hipster chic. His button down was tucked into his royal blue jeans all held up by a red belt. Malfoy and an undeniable hand in his book outfit. No other teenage boy would have bothered to believe that an untucked shirt was a good enough symbol of youth. He'd lost his robe (much to his obvious dismay) but his pants remained dress pants even if they were baby pink now. His tie matched at least and hung untidily from his neck as he grimaced.
Pansy's tailored halter dress loosened about the breast but tightened around the waist, flaring at her hips. It shortened an inch or two and what was once just straps became half sleeves.
"Now remember," it would seem he was back in professor mode. He began handing out tiny cellular phones, something that surely cost the school a fortune, explaining briefly that should there be an emergency we were to call him. He went over a few commonly overlooked clauses within the packet including; no alcohol, no mind altering substances, no sex. There were others, but what did it actually matter? Getting through to people as hard headed as the ones I was paired with wasn't going to be worth my time. This speech wasn't worth his time.
Our flat was barely made for three people let alone seven. The packet clearly indicated that should we want to upgrade we would have to work for it. For the moment we were provided with the bare essentials, a week's worth of beans and rice, a single ream of paper, seven pens, seven pencils, fake ID's and our good sense. The rest was up to us.
Malfoy was the first to snap as he toyed with a bean, "fuck this." He was up before anyone could grab him, but luckily Blaise caught hold of his arm. It had only taken a few words to calm the tantrum swirling within the blonde.
"Draco, your probation." Draco Malfoy was at the mercy of the Headmistress at the moment. One wrong move would land both him and his mother in Azkaban to pay for their crimes against humanity. Four months of beans and rice or ten years of dementors, only a fool would choose wrong.
He dropped back into his chair, glaring holes through his beans. Pansy was the first to speak up after than as she picked daintily at my best attempt at fried rice, "so how do we get jobs?" In the time we'd been here I'd arranged several interviews for tomorrow for myself, but when she asked I handed her the newspaper directing her to the circled listings.
"They're more open to hiring young women and they pay decently enough. There are open interviews for the one in red." Against his better judgment Malfoy peered over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow as something unsavory caught his attention.
"Why don't the pictures move?" The idea of explaining why paper could contain stagnant photos but not moving ones was beyond me at the moment so I shrugged. I was exhausted and the thought of Luna, Pansy and I all making it onto that one lumpy bed only worsened my fatigue.
Tomorrow we could figure it all out, but as it was this assignment was turning out to be pretty lousy.
Chapter One of Muggle Sensitivity turned out how I liked it to. Chapter two SHOULD be up by tonight. I'm just making sure it aligns well with later chapters. Review please!