Chapter 7: Not Bad, for my First Day
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.
Pyxis
"New course schedules for third years." Fred and George said handing us a parchment. I sat beside them and started eating breakfast.
I heard Draco tease Harry about the dementors but Harry ignored him. I saw Blaise smiled at me but Draco didn't even acknowledge me.
"Just ignore him, Harry. He's not worth it." Hermione said to him.
"Which reminds me, what happened to your compartment, Isis?" Ron asked.
I felt their stare at me. I even caught Blaise and Draco's stare that's somewhat worried.
"Nothing much." I lied smoothly. "When the dementor passed, though, I felt weak and gloomy."
"I think I heard someone screamed at a different compartment. Did you hear that?" Fred asked. Well, who I assumed as Fred.
"Not really. I was too scared about the dementor."
"Who are you with at your compartment?"
Uh oh. I don't have a cover up for that. But Lee Jordan came and intervened, saying that we'll all be late if we don't finish breakfast faster.
Professor Snape, the only one among the faculty to know about my identity, arranged my class schedules. I got all of the core subjects plus Divination and Ancient Runes. Hermione was ecstatic when she saw the last subject on my schedule.
Divination is our first subject this term; the classroom is located at the top of the North Tower. After a lot of turning and climbing, we finally reached the Divination classroom.
Like I imagined, it doesn't look like a classroom at all. It has small round tables and small little poufs. It's like the café I pass by on the way to school. The room has a strange vibe, though. Maybe it's just all the Divination-related materials around us. We all sat on the chairs, which is surprisingly very comfortable, and waited for our Professor. Moments later she just walked, more like glided, in the room.
"Welcome, my children. In this room you shall explore the mysterious art of Divination. In this room you shall know if you possess... the sight."
She's looked a bit weird. Well, not really. I also wear glasses and loose clothes. Okay, we're both a bit weird.
"My name is Professor Trelawney. Together we shall cast ourselves into the future. But you should know this. Whether anyone has the gift or not, books can only take you so far. It only clouds one inner eye."
"What rubbish." Hermione mumbled from beside me. Ron and Harry turned to us, surprised to see her there. I noticed her disappear and reappear twice on our way here, looking dishevelled when we got to the steps to the ladder. That means she took Muggle Studies and Arithmancy before this subject. The two boys in front must not have noticed her return.
"What?" Hermione asked them. They said nothing and turned in front.
"First, we will discuss about tea leaves. I want you all to divide into pairs." With that, everyone shuffled and paired up. Hermione and I exchanged glances and smiled. Lavender then appeared beside me, but noticed that I'm already paired up. I just smiled apologetically and she was quick to accept it and went to find someone else.
Professor Trelawney told us to exchange cups with our partners and refer to our textbooks to interpret what our tea leaves say. After a few minutes, she called Ron to explain what his partner's cup says.
"Uhmmmm... Some wonky sort of cross... that means trials and sufferings. When you turn it this way though, it looks like the sun, which means happiness. He will suffer but he'll be happy." Ron concluded.
Professor Trelawney grabbed the cup from him and gasped.
"Oh no! You have the grim!" She said horrified.
"The grin? What's the grin?" Seamus asked.
"The grim! Not the grim idiot." Parvati whispered harshly.
"It's the worst omen. The omen...of Death." She said.
Her conclusion about Harry's fate considerably changed the atmosphere of the room until the classes ended. I was actually glad when she dismissed us.
My next class is Ancient Runes, which is the same time as the trio's Care of the Magical Creatures. Hermione went with them to Hagrid's hut while I went to the classroom alone. Well, not for long because Hermione caught up halfway. I gave her a smile and we continued walking, chatting about what to expect in class.
After Ancient Runes, Hermione excused herself, telling that she'll catch up. I nodded and proceeded to the Great Hall, where I bumped to Blaise. Literally.
"'Lo, Butterfly. You okay?" He steadied me. "How's your stay so far?" I glared at him but was very relieved that nothing changed.
"Great! I just finished Ancient Runes. Where's Draco?"
"The git got himself hurt. He's at the Hospital Wing."
My eyes widened in realization. "Buckbeak."
"How did- Oh I won't even ask. Yes, the Hippogriff did it."
"But he provoked it, so technically, it's his fault." He laughed.
"Yeah." He looked behind me. "There goes the Gryffindors. See ya around, Butterfly." I just ignored the nickname, because Blaise won't stop anyway, and told him to tell Draco I said hi and get well soon.
I went in the Great Hall and sat down with my housemates. I just flipped open my Potions book when shouts echoed in the previously quiet room.
"Alicia!" The sobbing Gryffindor chaser surprisingly found her way to the empty seat beside me and buried her face in her arms.
"Mademoiselle, Are you alright?"
The wind was knocked out of me when the much taller girl hugged me. I placed my hands on her back and rubbed soothing circles to calm her down. The Gryffindor Quidditch team, plus Ron and Hermione was standing behind her. I gestured for them to take a seat and not say anything. After a few minutes of Alicia crying, and me whispering soothing words, she let go.
"My mum's gone. We all knew it was coming, she's very sick." I smiled a comforting smile and wiped her tears away.
"I understand completely. I lost my dad too when I was seven. It will be alright. Everything looks going down right now, but it will be alright, eventually."
"How did you cope?" Dark memories began to resurface in my mind, but I shoved it back down. I put both my hands on her shoulders and told her what I would tell to my seven year old self, if I see her again.
"It was very hard, Alicia. I didn't think I could do it too, back then. But I made it here. She's in a much better place now, your mum. You just have to be strong. Do it for your mum." She nodded. "Stay strong, and remember that it's not yet the end." I let go of her, seeing she's feeling a bit better.
"You should eat. I think we have chocolate cake for dessert." She smiled and did as I said.
After she finished eating, she left and went to our dormitory, accompanied by Katie Bell. I just noticed that everyone after Alicia earlier is all openly gaping at me.
"What did you do?" Oliver Wood asked.
"What? What do you mean?"
"You managed to calm her down." He said.
"What's wrong with that?" Then Fred and George sat on either side of me.
"Our dear Isis, you, are a miracle worker." They said.
"Yeah. No one's able to stop her since this morning." Angelina Johnson said.
"How'd you do it?" They all asked. I just shrugged.
"Je ne sais pas." I answered unsurely.
"Isis?" Harry called.
"Yes?"
"English, please?" I seem to be playing the part of a Beauxbatons Academy of Magic student quite well. I didn't even notice that I'm speaking French.
"Sorry. I said, I don't know." I smiled sheepishly. "Aren't you going to eat?" All of them probably had been gaping until Alicia finished eating. Their lunch hasn't been touched at all. They all seem to realise it to and joined me in eating lunch.
We got our first Defence Against the Dark Arts class with the Slytherins right after lunch. Hermione led the way to our classroom, but Professor Lupin wasn't there when we arrived. When he did, he guided us to the staff room upstairs. Professor Snape was present when we arrived, but he left immediately after seeing us.
The room was pretty normal looking, except for the rattling wardrobe. The boggart.
"Today we'll have a practical lesson. Can anyone tell me what's inside this wardrobe?"
"That's a boggart, that is." Seamus answered.
"Good, Mr. Finnigan. Can anyone tell me what a boggart looks like? Yes, Hermione?"
"No one knows. Boggarts are shape shifters. It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."
"Correct. That's what makes it most frightening. But there is a simple charm that can defeat a boggart. Without wands please. Say, 'Ridikkulus'."
"Ridikkulus."
"It's this class that's ridiculous." I heard Draco said from behind.
"Good. But so much for the easy part. What can really finish off a boggart is laughter. Think of a shape you find truly amusing. Neville, come here please."
Neville eyes the wardrobe nervously but approached Professor Lupin.
"What frightens you the most?"
"Professor Snafpt..."
"Didn't catch that Neville, sorry." Professor said cheerfully.
"Professor Snape." He said more clearly. We all laughed.
"Okay. I believe you live with your grandmother." Professor prompted.
"Yes. But I don't want the boggart to turn into her either."
"No. You misunderstand me here. What I want you to do is," Then he whispered something to Neville.
Neville looked doubtful but he stood in front of the wardrobe.
"Wands ready... Go!" With a flick of his wand, the wardrobe opened and revealed Professor Snape. Neville seemed frozen for a moment but he managed to make Professor Snape wear his grandmother's clothes. Everyone burst into laughter.
"Ron, forward," Professor turned the old gramophone on and the room was filled with a rumba music.
Ron steps forward and the boggart turns into a very big spider. He made roller skates appear in its feet.
"Parvati!" Hers was a vampire. She made it wear a Carmen Miranda outfit and it began shimmying.
.-.-.-..-…/.-..-..-../-.-..-..-…-/-…-…-.-.-.-
Draco
This class is so boring. But more interesting than our past DADA classes. This cast on my arm is getting troublesome. It's more than fine, but I needed to do this. Or I will be in trouble with my father.
"Pyxis!" She pulled out her wand and stepped forward. The boggart changed into a dementor.
She pointed her wand to it but she wasn't able to react, just kept on staring at the dementor in horror.
"Here," Lupin stood in front of her and the boggart turned into a silvery white orb.
"Ridikkulus." It turned into a balloon and it zoomed back into the wardrobe.
The golden trio was already on Raine's side. She still hasn't move from her spot.
"Isis? Are you alright?" I heard Granger asked while holding her by the shoulders.
"We already had much excitement for today. Class dismissed."
They all shuffled out but Blaise and I went slowly. I looked at Raine and saw her wipe tears away. I noticed Lupin looking at us and went out faster, proceeding to the Slytherin common room.
"Draco. Alright?" Blaise asked sitting on the couch beside me.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?"
"Well, you just saw the girl you like crying, with only the Golden Trio to comfort her. Even I would get jealous." He said carefreely. I hit him on the head.
"I do not like Raine, okay?" I growled at him. His grin just widened.
"Why are you so concerned about her? Why do you call her by her second name? Why did you left suddenly when you saw them?"
Here he goes again! I just hit him again and went out.
"Will you stop hitting me?!" I heard him shout before I got out.
As I was walking out the dungeons, I can't help but think about what Blaise said.
Why am I so concerned about her? Obviously because she is entrusted to us, that's why. My mother will kill me if I let her by herself.
Why do I call her by her second name? Pyxis is nice, but Raine sounds way better.
And why did I leave when I saw them? When I saw Raine surrounded by the trio? Well probably because our class ended and Lupin was looking.
I sighed as I lay down on the grass. I somehow ended up outside while thinking. I drifted to a nap thinking how wrong my answer is on the last question.
I woke up and it's already dark. I was standing up when someone spoke.
"What a beautiful night it is. Don't you think, Mr. Malfoy?" I turned and found Dumbledore standing not too far from me, looking up the skies. I did not reply to his question.
"That's Pyxis. It means compass in Latin." I looked at him and he's pointing up the sky. What does he mean? He looked right to my eyes. His stare looks like its staring to my very soul.
"Quite hard to find these times." He stared back to the sky. Oh right, Pyxis is a constellation. I remember her telling me that. Sounds like Black or Malfoy.
"All the students are in the Great Hall now, having dinner. You should join them." He simply said then left.
With that said, I made my way to the Great Hall. But then I saw Raine on the steps outside, staring at the sky. She looks so calm, with the moon illuminating her face beautifully. She turned to me when she heard my footsteps approaching.
"Draco." I smiled a tiny smile and sat beside her. "How's your arm?"
"Hey, Raine. It's fine, but very troublesome. How are you?"
"Fine." She smiled weakly.
"You don't look fine."
"You shouldn't have asked if you already knew." Before I can answer, she continued speaking.
"When a dementor comes near me, I see a person get killed." She said.
"The one that's killed. That's my foster dad."
"On my seventh birthday, I got out of school after a workshop and he picked me up, like always. But a car stopped us suddenly. The masked man got us out and shot my father in front of me. They put me in the car again and pushed it to the ocean. I almost drowned, but someone saved me."
After her story, she was already crying. I have no idea on how to deal with crying girls, so I just did what mother does when I was a kid. I put my good arm around her and used it to stroke her hair as she cried on my shoulder.
She calmed down after a while. But I still held her close to me. She turned her head and looked up at me.
"Thank you Draco. For everything." I let her go and suddenly missed her warmth.
"I'm hungry, let's go to the Great Hall." She nodded enthusiastically. "Me too."
We ran to Professor Snape, who raised an eyebrow at us. I thought he's going to deduct points away from us, but he just told Raine that the Headmaster wishes to see her after classes on Wednesday, before leaving with a dramatic swish of his robes.
"See you when I see you, Draco." She smiled before proceeding to the Gryffindor table.