Chapter Four: First Day of Classes
Charlotte and Isobel sat down at the Gryffindor table across from Seamus and Dean. "Can't you sit at your own table?" Weasley asked irritably as he took his seat.
"Why? It's more fun over here." Isobel stated, taking a bite of her bacon.
"Today's not bad…outside all morning." Weasley ignored Isobel and spoke to Harry and Hermione. "Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures."
"Damn! Double Divination this afternoon." Harry groaned.
"You should've given it up like me, shouldn't you?" Hermione remarked briskly. "Then, you'd be doing something sensible like Arithmancy."
"Or Ancient Runes." Charlotte added. "But I like Divination. It's funny."
"You're eating again, I notice." Weasley said lightly.
"There are better ways of making a stand about elf rights."
"Elf rights?" Charlotte laughed. "Hermione, they don't want rights."
Hermione bristled. "Oh, really? How would you know?"
"Because we have a house-elf. Dad offered to pay her once and the poor thing cried for three days straight because she thought she was getting fired."
"You have a house-elf? How come we've never seen her?" Dean asked.
"She has a small bedroom off the kitchen and stays in there after she's done cleaning and cooking." Charlotte explained. "The only time she doesn't cook is on my birthday. Then Dad or Uncle Remus cook."
Hermione sniffed in a disapproving way. "It's people like you and Ron who are propping up this unjust system!" She said hotly.
"I am not propping up an unjust system, Granger." Charlotte retorted. She slung her bag over her shoulder. "You just don't understand how this works."
"And why is that?"
"Because you're Muggle-born! You didn't grow up like this!"
Hermione gaped at her as she and the other three left for Herbology. The plants Professor Sprout had set up for the fourth years resembled giant black slugs with large shiny boil like pockets all over. "Bubotubers. They need squeezing. You will collect the pus-"
"The what?" Seamus asked, revulsion evident on his face.
"Pus, Finnigan, and it's extremely valuable, so don't waste it. You will collect the pus in these bottles." Sprout flicked her wand and several glass bottles floated over to each student. "Wear your dragon-hide gloves. It can do funny thing to the skin when undiluted."
Charlotte grimaced down at the ones on the crate in front of the Marauders. She couldn't remember a more disgusting lesson. As each pocket burst, a large amount of a thick, yellow-green liquid gushed out, smelling strongly like petrol. By the end of the lesson, the class had collected several pints. "This'll keep Madam Pomfrey happy." Sprout announced as she corked the last bottle.
The bell rang and they left; Isobel, Seamus, and Dean for Care of Magical Creatures and Charlotte for Ancient Runes. When her class ended, she had two pages of translations to do. She again joined Seamus and Dean at the Gryffindor table, sitting down beside the Irish boy, as Isobel was sitting beside Dean. Hermione, it seemed, was either starving or in a hurry, as she was eating faster than usual. Charlotte felt a little bad for her outburst at her friend, but she really didn't know much about wizarding culture, especially where house-elves where concerned. When the bell rang, Charlotte followed her friends to the North Tower. "How long do you think it's going to be before Trelawney predicts my death?" Harry joked, walking in between Charlotte and Ron.
"By the end of the lesson today." She answered. "Although, I could just push you down the stairs and solve that problem."
"Ha. You're hilarious." Harry said dryly. "How'd Sirius get acquitted?"
"I never asked. Although, since Dad works in the Ministry, the fact that he vouched for him could have helped."
"What does he do?" Harry asked curiously as she and Seamus took the table next to them; Dean and Isobel took the table on the other side of Harry.
"He works in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I'm not sure exactly what he does, though, but he's fairly high up in the Ministry and well-respected."
Harry started to ask something else but was interrupted by Professor Trelawney. "Good day." She peered at Harry with her usual tragic expression before moving on. "My dears, it is time for us to consider the stars. The movements of the planets and the mysterious portents they reveal only to those who understand the steps of the celestial dance…" Charlotte lost interest in her speech, doodling on the edge of her parchment. She'd crudely drawn a whole Quidditch game between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, when she felt Seamus poke her side. "What?"
The whole class was staring at her and Harry. "I was saying, dears, that you both were clearly born under the baleful influence of Saturn." There was a faint note of resentment in Trelawney's voice.
"Born under-what, sorry?" Harry said.
"Saturn, dear, the planet Saturn!" Trelawney was definitely irritated. "I was saying that Saturn was surely in a position of power in the heavens at the moment of your births!" She looked between both Potters. "You dark hair, tragic losses so young in life, I think I am right in saying you both were born in midwinter?"
Charlotte snorted. "We were born in July, two weeks apart." She answered.
Half an hour later, they were attempting to fill out a complicated circular chart to show the position of the planets at the moment of their birth. "I've got two Neptunes here. That can't be right, can it?" Harry said after a while.
"Aaaah," Ron mocked Trelawney's misty voice, "when two Neptunes appear in the sky, it is a sure sign that a midget in glasses is being born, Harry."
The four Marauders snickered loudly, but they were drowned out by Lavender Brown's excited squeal. "Oh, Professor, look! I think I've got an unaspected planet! Oooh, which one's that, Professor?"
Professor Trelawney peered at the chart. "It is Uranus, my dear."
Ron giggled. "Can I have a look at Uranus too, Lavender?"
"I want a detailed analysis of the way planetary movements in the coming months will affect you, with reference to your personal chart!" Trelawney snapped. "It's due next Monday, no excuses!"
The class reached the entrance hall. "Weasley! Hey, Weasley!" Draco's clear voice rang through the din of chatter.
"What?"
Charlotte tensed, her fingers on her wand just in case. "Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" Draco pulled a copy of the Daily Prophet out and waved it around. "Listen to this!"
He began to read the entire article, looking up once. "They didn't even get his name right, Weasley." And resumed reading. When he finished, he chuckled. "And there's a picture, Weasley! A picture of your parents outside their house-if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"
Ron was bright red and shaking with fury. Charlotte stepped up, not really sure which one she'd hex-Weasley or Draco. "Get stuffed, Malfoy." Harry snapped. "C'mon Ron."
"Oh, yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter? So tell me, is his mother really that porky or is it just the picture?"
Harry and Hermione both had a hold on Ron to stop him from launching himself at Draco and Charlotte instinctively moved to Draco's side. "You know your mother, Malfoy? That expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that or was it just because you were with her?"
She grabbed his arm when he started toward Harry. "Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter."
"Keep your fat mouth shut, then." Harry retorted, turning away.
"Bastard." Draco muttered, his wand pointed at Harry's back.
"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!"
There was a bang and Draco disappeared. Seamus yanked Charlotte back with him and right where he had stood was a pure white ferret. The entrance hall fell completely silent, looking at Professor Moody in apprehension. "This'll teach you to curse someone when their back's turned." Moody growled, bouncing the ferret up and down.
"Professor Moody! What are you doing?" McGonagall's shocked voice announced her presence.
"Teaching."
"Teach-is that a-is that a student?"
"Technically, it's a ferret."
Charlotte grinned in approval. She felt that Moody would be a cool teacher. "We never use transfiguration as a punishment! Surely Dumbledore told you that!"
"He might've mentioned it."
"You would do well to remember it." Professor McGonagall quickly transfigured the ferret back into Draco. "Go on." She ushered the students into the Great Hall.
"Just wait until my father hears about this!" Draco sputtered, moving away from Moody.
"Oh yeah? I could tell you tales of your father that'd curl even your greasy hair, boy!"
Charlotte fell onto her seat, laughing heartily. "That. That was gold!"
"Really? I figured you'd be pissed at Moody."
"Nah. Draco's a little git most of the time." She said unconcernedly. "So, guys, we have two pranks to plan."
"Yes, we do." Isobel agreed.
"But will it be worth it to prank Moody? He's a wee bit crazy."
Charlotte shrugged. "New Defense teachers get pranked and he's new. I just don't know how we're going to top our prank on the first years last year."
"We'll think of something." Dean reassured her.
Later that night, Charlotte pulled a piece of parchment out of her bag and began a letter to her dad.
Dad,
So, Mad-Eye Moody's our new DADA teacher, although I won't have his class until Thursday. He turned Draco into a ferret today for trying to hex Harry while his back was turned. AND, the Triwizard Tournament's taking place at Hogwarts this year! You knew and you didn't tell me! But, I can't enter. Only students of age can. But, the Quidditch Cup is canceled! It's a complete outrage! Hope all is well at the house.
Charli
