Chapter: Start of Classes

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He knew who his father was.

The first day of having potions, there were many negative comments that swirled around about Professor Severus Snape. Cato listened to all the comments and wonder why Snape acted in cruel, harsh manners.

Potion classes took place in the dungeons. The atmosphere was gloomy with only torches to light up the corridors. The air moist that it clung to their skins. A shiver ran through a couple of students as the temperature was board line freezing. The students stood in the corridors, waiting for the classroom door to open. Cato stood in the middle of everyone, thinking how the dungeon atmosphere fitted the potions professor. Whenever someone brought up the potion professor, Cato could hear the fear that laced their tones and the dislike.

A shiver went through Cato's body at the temperature. He felt the need to hover his hands over the torch flames to get some sort of warmth back in his body. He looked around the morbid, dark dungeons. It fitted the Slytherin house. Snakes do burrow in dark, cool places.

When the classroom door slammed open and in the doorway dressed in all black with an imposing posture that loomed over the wide eyes students stood Severus Snape. His dark eyes casted over each of their faces as if analyzing who would step out of line in his presence. A simple, sharp motion with his head gave the students the signal to enter. Not a word escaped anyone as they rushed into the classroom to a seat.

Cato stood in the middle of the classroom. He took in the sight of the tables where two stools were placed under. By everyone already gathering seats with somebody they knew, Cato felt a tick of annoyance for being the new kid.

He tried not to show his annoyance as he moved to the front of the classroom where there was a seat open beside a Slytherin boy. He was tall like Cato for his age, messy long past the shoulder length dark brown hair and pale skin as if he never stepped out in the sunlight that much. The way that he sat told Cato that he was reserved to himself, especially as he kept his head bowed the whole time.

"Do you mind if I sit here?"

The Slytherin boy looked up where Cato saw he had silver eyes. A small shake of the head had Cato grin. He set his messenger bag down underneath the table and sat himself down in the stool. He noticed immediately when he looked around the class that there were a few students staring at Cato and the Slytherin boy, whispering underneath their breaths. The action had Cato eyebrows to furrow together for a brief second.

"They are not talking about you. They are talking about how you sat down next to the kid that no Slytherin hangs out with because I do not like the Slytherin ways."

"Huh, really? Well, then, I am Cato Flamel." Cato held his hand out to the Slytherin boy with a grin.

The Slytherin boy stared at Cato's outstretched hand for a couple of seconds before he reached out, shaking his hand.

"Isaac Silver."

"Are you two quite finish with your introductions?"

Isaac went tense in his spot. Cato looked to the front of the classroom where Severus stood tall. His dark eyes went back and forth between Isaac and Cato before he turned his attention to address the class.

The whole time in class, every movement made by Severus was sharp and emphasized. The black cloak billowing behind him, the pause in his sentences, the way he turned his head to stare sharply at somebody with those dark eyes.

A flick of the wand toward the blackboard and writing appeared. The writing was in sharp cursive, but legible to read. The writing was a long list of ingredients.

The sound of quills scratching across the notebooks were in different paces. There were some students that tried to write every ingredient down and then there were others that continue to stare at Snape who began to pace back and forth in a slow manner before the class.

His pacing did not stop even as he explained what each ingredient was and what it did.

Snape turned quickly toward the class as he finished explaining each ingredient in the simplest form. Cato sworn he heard a few students take a sharp inhale when Snape had turned so sharply toward them.

"Mr. Trace, do tell me what the potion is that contains all these ingredients and when was it used?" Severus stared at the Gryffindor boy that open and close his mouth, nothing coming out.

"No? Pity. Ms. Ro?" Severus made a tsk sound then his question was shot to the Gryffindor girl that sat beside the Gryffindor boy that could not answer the question.

"No? Does anyone know?" Severus eyed each of them until one brave soul raised their hand.

"Um, a snuffling potion?"

"No, Mr. Cast, it is not a snuffling potion." Snape sneered, clearly not happy that one of his own house students, a Slytherin, got the wrong answer.

Cato eyes stayed on the blackboard where the ingredients were. With having a mother such as his, he grew up around this sort of field. He even helped her out with a few potions. She told him once that he had a knack for potions and that he taken after his father.

As Cato glanced at Snape, he saw the dark eyes glance at him and stayed on Cato for a few moments. He got a funny feeling that Snape was waiting to see if Cato knew. As if, Snape was waiting for Cato to prove himself that he was in fact his son.

Cato slowly, but surely, raised his hand up.

"Mr. Flamel, you wish to try?"

"It is the Shrinking Solution, Professor."

"Who invented the solution?" Snape asked immediately, eyes narrowing in a challenging manner.

"It was Zygmunt Budge. Though in history it was used by another known as Samuel Plunkett."

"Well, well, well, why is it that the transfer knows more than any of you and you have been here for two years already and should've read about this potion during the summer. Then again, having a mother like a Flamel does have its advantage." Snape explained, eyeing the class before his eyes rested back on Cato.

The mocking comment had Cato bite his tongue. He remembered how students talked about Snape who will not admit that you are right. Sometimes Snape will go to the point of proving that you are wrong by testing you more. He will not give any compliments to any other houses expect his own.

Before he knew what he doing, not caring if he got points knocked off or a detention, Cato open his mouth, drawing Snape attention.

"You have more to say?"

"Yeah, my mother may be a Flamel, but she told me that I had taken after my father in my potion skills."

The second he ended that comment, Cato saw how tense Snape became. Snape eyes widen before he collected himself. Snape stared down at Cato for a couple of seconds and Cato knew that he caught Snape off guard. It couldn't be helped that a smug smirk came onto Cato's lips as he managed to, technically, shut Snape up.

Snape put a sneer on his face. He looked away and stepped over to the blackboard to continue explaining the Shrinking Solution.

A small bump in the side and Cato looked at Isaac who stared at him with wide eyes for the backtalk to Snape.

Cato shrugged his shoulders as he pretended he didn't know. He turned his attention to the blackboard and paid attention to Snape.

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A minute before the bell ranged for the start of class, Octavia opened her classroom door. A smile on her lips as she let in her new sixth year students. She was shocked that there were only ten in total. There were five Ravenclaw, two Gryffindor, two Slytherin and one Hufflepuff.

Octavia's classroom was located in one of the towers that overlooked the Black Lake. The classroom was in a lower section of the tower, about three floors up from the main level of the castle. It was a view from the tower that overlooked the Black Lake. The classroom itself was bright due to the sun rising in the direction the classroom windows faced. The sunlight gave a soft golden glow. The walls were light stone. The classroom tables are made out of dark wood, polished until glossy and bouncing off the sunlight. Across the walls were posters of the body, potion ingredients, healing potion and spells, poisons, certain illness and so forth. A couple of cabinets were in the back of the classroom where the ingredients, cauldrons, phials and books were stored. Then a couple spots in the room, there were plants to give the classroom an even more calming, warm effect. Octavia found the classroom pleasant and lighthearted.

The students stared around their new surroundings, but soon their attention became attracted by Octavia's Thunderbird, Felix. The Thunderbird stretched out his wings and then he gave a soft trill from his perch. With new faces in the classroom, he sat up a bit higher on his legs and seem to bobble his head as he took everyone in.

"Please take a seat with another and don't partner up with someone in your own house. So mix it up please. For when you become a healer, a mediwizard or mediwitch, or a matron, you will see your patients as patients. What I mean by that is that you will not be discriminatory toward your patient because of their status or identity. Everyone is equal. If you have a problem with that or show problems throughout my classes, I will dismiss you for the day and you will miss what we learned that day. Trust me, you don't want to fall behind when it comes to this career." Octavia explained as the students took their seats.

"Now." Octavia clapped her hands and papers flew off her desk to be slide in front of each student.

"In front of you is what we will be looking forward to this year. As sixth years, you might feel as if you are relearning some of the potions, transfiguration, herbology, charms and DADA subject. Sort of a reviews of things. However, we will be advancing and honing down your skills. We will be working together to make yourself think quicker, figure out solutions, observation skills, and working under pressure. This will come handy as we learn about treating mental and physical conditions, illness and diseases and injuries." Octavia continued to explain as she stood in front of the class.

She could see clear excitement in most of their eyes at the opportunity to learn more about the medical field that they wished to pursue. A Ravenclaw raised their hand in the air. Octavia gave a nod of the head for them to speak.

"I understand that we will be learning all about treating a patient, but will we have the opportunity to actually treat."

"It's fifty-fifty. It's mostly seventh years that will be working with a mannequin that I could charm to act as if it has certain illness or injury." Octavia answered, nodding her head toward a part of her classroom.

The students glanced over to one side of the classroom to see a few mannequins were locked inside a tall cabinet with glass doors. There were various marks on the mannequins, mapping out parts of the body. In the past, many, many years ago, cadavers were usually used, but that was centuries ago.

"For now, we will be learning the basics. Therefore, for today we will be starting on the topic of healing magic, understanding and learning the various spells." Octavia said, a smile came onto her lips once she caught how thrilled her students were of learning.

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"Be sure to write eleven inch essay about what healing spells that you would use to deal with a splinching and why. If you find yourself writing more than do so, but try not to ramble nonsense." Octavia said while her students packed up.

A couple minutes later, the students left. Octavia did not have her seventh years the period before lunchtime.

She shuffle papers on her desk that were her lesson plans. She set them neatly on the upper left corner of her desk to easily see when she walked in front of the student's desk. It was not a bad first class and Octavia was happy to see how eager her student were about learning. She knew that subjects were interesting when one was interested in that subject. Her classes were to help her students pursue their future careers.

"Mom."

Octavia looked away from her desk and she saw Cato halfway in her classroom. His messenger bag swayed on his right shoulder, a book tucked underneath his left arm, and he had a look as if he ate something bitter.

"What's up?"

"Was he always so snarky?"

Arms crossed over her chest, a sigh escaped her. She knew that Cato will sooner or late question his father's actions and ways. There was no doubt in her mind that Cato heard the stories about Snape. By his expression, it was clear that Cato got a taste of how Snape was first handed.

"If you mean, did he always have a dry and sarcastic manner then yes." Octavia said.

"He tested me in class about my knowledge, but I, um, shut him up after a comment I made."

"Oh?" Octavia eyebrow rose in curiosity.

She stood in front of Cato, waiting for him to explain himself more.

"I mentioned how my skills in potions was due to taking after my father in potions."

"And this is why I told you that you take after your father with biting comments."

"And you! You have your moments." Cato said. He did not want her to think that she doesn't have her moments of biting comments.

"Okay, okay. Did he take points off you or give you detention?"

"Nothing. He did stop calling on me afterwards." Cato told her, with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Watch it, Cato. It might come back and bite you in the ass."

"I know, mom, I know. Well, I need to get to Transfiguration."

"Have fun." She grinned. She knew that Cato wasn't a big fan of Transfiguration even though he wasn't that bad at it.

Cato gave her a small wave and then he left the classroom.

Octavia walked up to Felix, petting the Thunderbird on the head. A smile came onto her lips as Felix let out a low thrill sound that was close to a purr. She pulled her hand away to walk over to her desk and sat down behind it. She began to reread the seventh year lesson plan even though she already done so many times the night before.

A knock on the door made Octavia to glance up.

"Headmaster." Octavia stood up from her seat at the sight of Dumbledore.

"Please sit. I was on a casual walk around the castle and decided to check up on you." Dumbledore said, making his way into her classroom and he came to stand before Felix.

"Oh, well thanks for the thought. So far, the sixth years seem very excited about focusing mainly on what they want to pursue for a career." Octavia said happily.

"That is wonderful to hear, my dear. I am happy that you are showing such excitement too." Dumbledore chuckled, his hands clasped behind his back.

Octavia glanced at the lesson plan then back up at Dumbledore. She saw Dumbledore eyeing Felix who was studying Dumbledore with tilts of his head.

"You can pet him. If he sensed that you were dangerous, he would've electrocuted you by now." Octavia said innocently.

She smirked when Dumbledore shot her a look over his half-moon glasses. She watched him turn back to the Thunderbird. Felix bowed his head as Dumbledore began to pet Felix head gently.

"Amazing how the Thunderbird and Phoenix are relatives. They do seem alike, but different appearances and abilities." Dumbledore smiled when Felix shut his eyes, a soft thrilled escaped him.

"Yes, it is amazing." Octavia smiled.

"I saw Cato through the hallway. He appeared to be enjoying his first day."

"Yes, he is happy about being here." Octavia nodded.

"Well, I will leave you to prepare for your seventh years. Good day." Dumbledore nodded to her and then he swept out of her classroom.

Octavia looked over at Felix who stared back at her with his gold intelligent eyes. He jumped off his perch to land on top of her desk. He walked across the desk, his large talons clicking against the wood surface and he came to a stop in front of a glass jar. He began to peck at the top of the jar cover, wanting what was inside. At the moment, inside the glass jar were peppermint toads.

"I still can't believe that Cato managed to get you to like some sweets. You're one strange Thunderbird." Octavia mumbled.

Opening up the jar, she plucked out two peppermint toads and dropped them on the desk. Felix hopped toward them, gobble them right up and gave off a happy squawk.

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Hi Everyone,

Here was another chapter.

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