Harry Potter and a Dangerous Liaison
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling and whatever genius invented Cruel Intentions… and Les Liaisons Dangereux I suppose.
A/N: I'm soooo sorry this has taken me so long. Also, I'm writing this on the spur of the moment, in a library in a remote town in the Lake District, on holiday. Its incoherence can, under no circumstances, be attributed to me. –shifty eyes-
Yes, yes, I know all my details relating to number and arrangement of the N.E.W.T. subjects are completely ridiculous but the 6th book wasn't out when I started this and, if it said in the Order of the Phoenix, well…to be honest I couldn't be bothered checking. I have, instead, based them on A levels (number, grouping system and timetable – and Yes I am evil and have given them the odd triple lesson mwahaha) If my errors in this area could kindly be glossed over, that would most helpful of you all.
So… with no more ado, on with the mayhem…
The Third Circle (Part 2)
Kathryn Mertuil – Lesson Timetable
Monday: Herbology, Herbology, Arithmancy, Free, Lunch, Potions, Potions, Charms, Charms
Tuesday: Arithmancy, Arithmancy, Charms, Herbology, Lunch, Free Potions, Potions, Free
Wednesday: Arithmancy, Arithmancy, Free, Potions, Lunch, Herbology, Herbology, Herbology, Free
Thursday: Charms, Charms, Free, Potions, Lunch, Arithmancy, Free, Free, Herbology
Friday: Potions, Potions, Arithmancy, Arithmancy, Lunch, Herbology, Free, Charms, Charms
Sebastian Valmont – Lesson Timetable
Monday: Potions, Potions, Free, Transfiguration, Lunch, Free, Defense against the dark arts, Free, Free
Tuesday: Defense against the dark arts, Defense against the dark arts, Free, Potions, Lunch, Transfiguration, Transfiguration, Transfiguration, Free
Wednesday: Potions, Free, Free, Transfiguration, Lunch, Defense against the dark arts, Free, Free, Free
Thursday: Defense against the dark arts, Defense against the dark arts, Potions, Potions, Lunch, Free, Free, Transfiguration, Transfiguration
Friday: Transfiguration, Free, Potions, Potions, Lunch, Free, Defense against the dark arts, Defense against the dark arts, Free
The green house was a disgrace, Kathryn decided definitely, as she sat at the grubby bench waiting for the teacher to arrive. This pathetic establishment couldn't even find interesting plants. She thought fondly of the Drakis Rardus that her father had donated to their previous school last year. The giant red plant had been quite the asset to the herbology department. And in any case, any plant that could expel fire was quite alright by her. At last the teacher, a rather short, squashed looking woman appeared in the doorway. Quite as bad as she had expected, Kathryn mentally sighed.
Ten minutes later, when the dysfunctional simpletons that surrounded her had fallen silent - well, near enough – the lesson finally started. "Good morning, class. Our first lesson of the term is to be a preparatory one. We shall spend our double lesson today going over a few basic principles that we shall refer to through the year. Let us begin."
There was a general scrabbling as the pupils frantically dragged parchment and quills from their bags. Their was no temptation to smirk as she looked down at her own materials, already laid out neatly in front of her, only growing disdain for the creatures with which she was to spend the rest of the year. It was ridiculous.
"Now, the first theory we shall discuss is "Level of Toxicity". You will see in you text books on page five that the relative volume and strength of poison a plant contains can be calculated using just a few simple sums." There were whispers of dissent from the less mathematically inclined around the room. They didn't think the jumble of numbers and odd lines looked simple at all. One such genius at the front of the room raised a podgy hand. "Professor? Professor!"
"Yes, Mister Longbottom?" What a name? You could hardly blame the boy for turning out as he had with something like that against him. She almost felt sorry for him.
"I… um… Isn't there some way to work this out with magic? I mean I've never been too good at numbers and things…" He trailed off pathetically. Kathryn merely rolled her eyes. That was what came of interrupting…
"Yes, dear, of course there is. But it's always worth learning alternate methods in case you are, for instance, without your wand for whatever reason. There is a spell that will provide a visual display of how poisonous the plant in question is. There is, unfortunately, no spell to demonstrate what quantity of toxin a plant contains. This is a problem on which Herbology and Potions experts have been intent on solving for some time."
They were split into pairs and given a few sample plants on which to test the spell, being told that the brighter the red glow that surrounded the plant when the spell was cast, the more poisonous it was. Colour charts were handed out and the green house gradually filled with the words "Puisifa verificus!"
Kathryn waved her wand lazily, not bothering to say the words aloud – she had mastered unspoken spells before she had learnt to ride a broom. The five cuttings in front of her glowed with various shades of green light; none of them were particularly menacing. One of the plants, she realized, was grass. This was ridiculous. There was a small gasp and she looked over to see a girl with freckles and plaits staring in terror at Kathryn's throat. It was only then that she noticed that her pendant was surrounded with an intense green aura. Damn, she'd forgotten that. With an icy glare at the girl, she swiftly tucked the necklace away in her robes. It was never a good idea to wear pendants containing Blood Root when people were shooting detection spells all over the place. People could get touchy about things like that…
The rest of Potions and his Transfiguration lesson passed, more or less, uneventfully. He spent the, ridiculously serious, Professor McGonogall's lesson amused by the incompetence of the student a row in front of him. The idiot-boy managed to turn his left hand into a fruit bowl before the lesson was over. It was pitiful, the dregs that this school let in. If this had been Vaugden, the boy would have been laughed out of the grounds. Or turned into a newt. There were still a few immature fourth years at Vaugden who thought that newtrification was the answer to everything.
Defense against the dark arts looked like being just as dismal. The class was a rag-tag collection of students, none of who seemed to have anything higher than common gossip on their minds. Then, something unexpected caught his eye. A boy with platinum hair was staring avidly at something hovering in the air before him. It glowed with a dim red aura. It couldn't be… could it? A Tjin? He had never seen one before, only read of their existence. A particularly malevolent form of spirit, supposedly no one outside Asia had managed to conjure one. Yet, there it was. Sebastian's gaze returned excitedly towards the boy. No one else seemed to have noticed his little trick, how extraordinary. Yes, there could be no doubt, he was the one. He would be the first.
A/N: Again, this isn't really where I wanted the chapter to finish but I have decided just to update it when I have the rest just so as not to keep you all waiting any longer. I'm soooooo sorry for the slow updates (on this and all my fics) I have had little or no time to work on them recently! –apologetic smileshrug- Anyway, hoped you liked this chapter so far. Read and review peoples
