Chapter 9
"You reckon?" said Ron, throwing his things randomly across the room (he was aiming for his trunk, originally).
"Yeah," Harry said. Hermione and Mindy glanced at each other. "His father's in Azkaban. Don't you think Malfoy'd try to get revenge?"
"What can he do about it?" Mindy commented.
"I don't know!" Harry said, frustrated. "He's up to something."
Ron and Hermione exchanged looks. "Harry," Hermione said quietly. Ever since they had disappeared from Fred and George's shop in Diagon Alley, Harry had full-heartedly shaped the now infamous, 'Malfoy-is-a-Death-Eater' theory. Ron and Hermione had automatically dismissed it, but Mindy, on the other hand, believed her brother.
"I," Mindy said, cutting off Hermione, "think we should take this seriously. His parents are Death Eaters and-"
It was a fight already lost. "Do you really think that You-Know-Who would actually take Malfoy? He's only sixteen."
"He seems to be taking whatever he can get his hands on," Harry replied, his eyes fixed on the window behind Hermione.
"It's unlikely," Hermione said adamantly.
"Catch them young." Mindy shrugged.
"I'm not sure…"
The next morning, they were set and ready to go. Mindy had packed the night before in hopes of preventing anymore stress than the one she was already suffering. She had met the rest in the kitchen to see the smooth Ministry cars glide to the front of the Burrow. Two grim-faced Aurors stepped silently out of each of the cars and stood, waiting.
Moments like this, killing time with small talk of what had just landed on the front page of the Daily Prophet, had soon come to an end. Mindy said good bye to a weeping Mrs. Weasley. Guilt had struck her like a bullet. This woman had acted as her mother for these last few months that had proved to be the hardest part of her life so far. Mrs. Weasley finally let go with help from Lupin, who had sent both Mindy and Krystal's trunks straight to Hogwarts with a wave of his wand. Mindy gave Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione a small smile. "See you at school," she said, before turning to the ignited fireplace. She was to leave early to Hogwarts, accompanied by Krystal, giving her a chance to meet with Dumbledore and get her class schedule.
The next thing she knew, she was stepping out of the fireplace with Krystal at her side. She looked around to realize that they had come out in what appeared to be a classroom. The lighting was dim; the only source of illumination was the weak glow of a few flickering candles around the room, boarding the dark drapes hanging from the walls. Long tables stretched across the room, a cauldron placed on each seat. At the head of the room was a small desk. Sitting at it was none other than Professor Snape.
"Welcome to Potions," Krystal whispered grimly. Snape must have noticed them, since he stood as they approached.
"Miss Smyth, Miss Klear, Dumbledore is requesting your presence in his office immediately," Snape said harshly with a sneer.
"Yes, sir," Mindy and Krystal chimed. They turned quickly towards the exit.
"These are the dungeons," Krystal explained. The long corridor was almost as grim as the Potions classroom. Stone floors and bare walls in the company of moving portraits here and there wasn't the most inviting decor. "See that wall over there?" Mindy nodded. "That is the entrance to the Slytherin common room."
"Don't the other houses get portraits?"
"I guess so."
Hogwarts looked more like a medieval castle than a school, continuing down the hall and up a marble staircase with detailed wooden banisters. At the summit of the staircase was the ground floor, the famous Entrance Hall. To their left were the grand oak doors of the castle. On the other side was the main staircase. This part of Hogwarts was quite at odds with the dungeons. A very intricate design shadowed the mysterious history of the castle. The canvas portraits were moving, and the candlelight gave off a captivating glow.
Another pair of doors, Krystal explained, was the Great Hall's entrance. Krystal led the way up a few more flights of stairs, which lead to further marble staircases and extensive corridors. Abruptly, she stopped at the head of the staircase they had just climbed. Out of breath, Mindy gasped, "I'm going to need a map."
"I know. I do," Krystal responded casually.
"So, we're lost?"
"I've never been to Dumbledore's office. I'm just following what people say."
Mindy rolled her eyes. "We can't make matters worse, can we? It can't be that hard to find. It is the headmaster's office."
"I
just know it was upstairs."
"We have been going up the stairs-
and upstairs, and upstairs, and upstairs." Walking down the hall,
she added, "Are you sure it's on this floor?"
"Well, no, but I knew it was upstairs."
"It can be on the Astronomy Tower for all you know!"
"Fine then, you lead the way!" Krystal snapped. "You're supposed to be the smart one."
She snickered. "Okay then. I'll do it. We've already wasted almost an hour. What more is there to lose?" It was decided. She paused as they climbed another flight of stairs, looking down. She thought she saw the stairs below her move.
"Well?"
Mindy ignored her and continued to look around. This floor looked the same as the last few. A portrait hung nearby. "Um…excuse me, sir?" The snoring man in a Robin Hood-like outfit shook himself awake.
Mindy stood there for a moment, wondering if she had made a mistake. She didn't know if this was actually permitted. "Hello, dear lady, Mr. Hood at your service." The portrait tipped his hat.
"Yes, er— Mr. Hood, sir, could you point us towards the headmaster's office?" The portrait eyed them carelessly and lifted an arm, pointing towards their immediate left. "Thank you…sir."
She happily glanced at Krystal, who was standing stiffly behind her. She made her way towards the given direction, Krystal catching up with her soon after.
"Even I could've done that," Krystal muttered.
"Why didn't you?"
."There are plenty of reasons-"
"-and I bet they're good ones too. You can do it on our way back." She acknowledged the bulky stone gargoyle sentinel at the entrance of Dumbledore's office. She recognized it at once.
"So, what are most of the passwords are like again? Didn't Harry say something?" Krystal eyed the gargoyle.
"Candy."
"Huh." Mindy nodded. "Dumbledore didn't give you a password, did he?"
"Of course not, which means you'll have to stand there and name all the candy you know."
"Really? What an honor. Er… Sherbet lemon?"
"Already had it."
Krystal snickered. "Pear drop?" she asked tentatively. "Licorice wand, no, okay, Drooble's gum." She paused and nothing happened. "I'm never going to get this. Bertie Bott's Bean things."
"Keep going."
"Why can't you just open. It's kind of important!" Nothing happened.
"Maybe if you ask it nicely?"
"Will you please let us in?" Krystal growled. "Fine! Ouch!" She had kicked the gargoyle.
"I was just kidding," laughed Mindy.
"Fizzing Whizbee?" Krystal guessed, standing on one foot.
The gargoyle remained immobile. "You try."
"I don't know any of your candy," Mindy told her.
"Doesn't matter, you need to learn or just make something up."
"Okay," Mindy thought, "Chocolate frog…or not. Sugar quill," she suggested. "Cockroach Cluster!"
The gargoyle sprang to life and jumped aside.
"Cockroach Cluster? I was kidding."
"Well, it worked."
Hurrying through the gap between the walls, they stepped onto the foot of a spiral staircase. It moved slowly upward in a continuous pattern as the doors closed behind, plummeting up to a polished oak door with a golden brass knocker. Mindy could hear voices inside as Krystal and her paused to listen.
"Honestly, I have my full confidence in her," Dumbledore's smooth calm voice flowed out of the office. "She will do fine, but I do suggest you keep a keen eye on her. It won't be hard now that you are appointed head of Slytherin."
"I assure you, Albus, I'll do all in my power," Professor Amanita's voice was also heard. "Sir, may I ask, did Severus actually step down?"
"Yes, the rumor is true. Stepped down willingly if I must say so myself." Mindy looked at Krystal, whose expression was as excited as Professor Amanita's tone.
"Yes!" she whispered wildly. "No more answering to Snape."
Mindy raised a hand to knock but the door swung open suddenly, missing the girls by inches. "Come in," Dumbledore told them. Mindy stepped in, followed by a glaring Krystal.
"I better be off." Professor Amanita smiled. "Yes, Ms. Klear, may I see you for a moment? Thank you, Headmaster."
"Have a seat." Dumbledore motioned to an empty chair in front of his desk and watched as Mindy looked around. She never imagined Dumbledore's office to be… well, impressive. A circular room, lined with pictures of previous headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were fast asleep in their frames. Also lining the walls were shelves of books of all different sizes. All around the room there were magical trinkets.
"Your office is very pretty, sir," Mindy commented as she sat.
Dumbledore smiled, "Thank you." There was a short pause. "Now, Mindy. I asked you once, I've asked you a million times, are you really willing to do this?" he asked.
"Professor, with all due respect, it's beginning to sound like you don't think I can cope with it –not just you, everyone, actually. From day one I've been asked these questions so many times that I can already tell when they are coming before the other person even opens the mouth. I am certain and definite in my decision," she elucidated. "The only doubt I'm having is the curriculum. I know I'm equipped mentally, but I'm in distrust physically despite my results in the O.W.L.s?"
"The scores don't lie," the wizard responded. "You earned the results you received. You have had practice testing before. The subjects are as hard as you make them. You have covered all those subjects faster than a regular student could ever accomplish. It would be almost impracticable, not to mention improbable to be successful, to ask a typical student to perform that. The testing approach was key. If I'm accurate, your entire Muggle education was focused on a foremost test, is it not?
"Knowledge in mathematics, language, science, and all those subjects that our typical student only has the basics of is the structure of what we instruct. The things you might find useless now helped and will continue to help you the rest of your life as a witch. You have superior knowledge in comparison to anyone we teach. If you have any doubt, ask one of you classmates how to write a standard narrative essay or what the square root of one hundred and forty four is. The point is that you have done magnificently, and we will be expecting great things from you. You could be surprised of your power." "A statement of that nature was hardly ever said. Such was the depth of the meaning. "Now, here are you classes."
Schedule
Transfiguration
History of Magic
Herbology
Charms
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Potions
(Astronomy)
"It is subject to change," Dumbledore reminded, "and since there are no Slytherins taking Arithmancy, that will be our meeting time. It's very important that we have time to cover anything you need to know, plus it's time to train in wand-work and, overall, dueling. You will be quite behind in this. It is tremendously important for you to catch up. You will have times you will need to defend yourself, and when that time comes, you'll be ready." The headmaster, again, gave her a smile. "Let's try something. Take out your wand..." Mindy shakily drew her wand out of the pocket. "We'll start small and go big in a short time." Dumbledore pulled out his own wand and a sheet of piece. "Levitation."
"Swish and flick, Wingardium Leviosa?" Dumbledore nodded as she preformed the spell… almost perfectly. Mindy shook her head. Dumbledore gave her an urging look. Mindy focused on the sheet and swished and flicked her wand, and before she even said it, it drifted above the desk.
Without a single "I told you so", Dumbledore merely beamed. "Congratulations."
She was thrilled. "You are underestimating yourself, Mindy, but let's move on to something more difficult. It's just like spelling. You don't practice every word. By spelling some basic words you can spell the majority just with you knowledge."
The feast was starting any moment; the Professor had lost track of time, the only flaw she had ever uncovered. Just as Mindy gripped the door handle, he beckoned her back. "One more thing before you begin." Mindy watched as he reached into his pocket and dug out a small badge." She stepped closer to investigate. "You have been chosen to be the new Slytherin Quidditch Captain."
Her jaw nearly fell to the floor. "What?"
"Professor Snape was having a rather difficult time deciding the new Quidditch Captain this year, so I brought up your name," he said, beaming. "When Professor Amanita took over his position as head of Slytherin House, it was made certain."
"Are you sure?" She nervously took the badge that clearly read QC on top of the Slytherin crest. "That was a rhetorical question of course." She smiled. "Thank you."
"Then it's decided." Dumbledore rose and guided her out the door.
"Umm— sir, what do you do with it?"
"You put it on your robes."
"So, it's like showing off?"
"You can say that." His head turned in the direction of a grandfather clock placed against the wall. "It's about time. The students are arriving to the castle as we speak."
Once outside, Krystal stood waiting for her. "How long have you been out here?" Mindy asked lightheartedly.
"Not long— had to take care of a few things that I can't tell you about." Krystal smiled.
She looked at her suspiciously. "Brutally honest, are you?"
"I was just saying before you asked, but anyway, what happened in there?"
"I can't tell you." She walked past her and down the stairs.
"Mindy!" Krystal retorted, chasing after her.
"I was kidding. Nothing happened. Dumbledore made me do a few spells, and then… well… I guess the other part isn't that exciting." She smirked.
"I'll judge that."
"Well, okay." Mindy added a few moments of suspense to something she had been waiting a whole three seconds to tell."
"Yes?" Krystal waited.
Mindy stopped in her tracks before shouting, "Dumbledore made me Quidditch Captain!"
"He what? You're kidding?"
"Nope." She pointed to her badge.
"I'm so excited for you. I guess that makes it easier for me. I'm going to try out for the Keeper position this year," Krystal commented, pointing out the fact that Mindy would be in charge of filling the open positions. A smile spread across her face. "What will Harry think?"
"Oh, he'll have something to say alright, especially when we kick his team's arse." Continuing on, Mindy already felt some sort of relief after her little talk with Dumbledore, but she knew that it would die any second now.
Sure enough, Mindy obtained a serious jolt of nerves as her ears took notice of the loud chattering voices down the hall, around the corner, and then right behind a pair of doors. "Are you okay?" Krystal asked. Mindy nodded. "Everyone is talking and eating. Nobody will even notice us."
She stood, stunned, completely entranced as she followed Krystal through the heavy doors of the Great Hall. The name suited it well, complementing its entire layout. Four long polished House tables stretched vertically from where she stood. She could see the staff table perpendicular to the rest at the head of the room. Candles hovered above the heads, sending bright lighting across the hall. Uniformed students lined the tables end to end like a large sea of black. Above all the magical aspects of the hall, the ceiling was certainly the most magnificent. It showed an exact replica of the night sky. If it was an enchantment or the real thing, she wouldn't have known. Only Hogwarts, A history, confessed the secret.
Krystal nudged her. Mindy gave a last scan to the tables, identifying each House by their proudly exhibited crest and colors. The Gryffindor and Slytherin tables were, thankfully, on opposite sides of the room. In step with Krystal, she noted Harry, Ron, and Hermione's surveillance and refused to make eye contact.
The nervous lump in her stomach gave another tug as they drew nearer to the Slytherin table. She smiled prettily as Blair stopped them and slid to the side, making room for them between her and— argh— Pansy.
"What took you so long?" Pansy asked impatiently.
"Well…" Krystal sat down, leaving Mindy room to squeeze next to Blair. She started her short explanation of how her parents supposedly freaked out and kept her and Mindy behind to escort them to Hogwarts themselves for safety reasons, giving Mindy a chance to glance around briefly. She was aware that most of the table was looking at her curiously. There sat Pansy, and Blair. Two large expressionless forms, evidently Crabbe and Goyle, followed. Crossways sat an attractive dark-haired boy who resembled Blair greatly. That had to be Blaise.
Mindy continued to glance down the table. Abruptly, her eyes faltered on a handsome blonde. Draco Malfoy. All resentment of this presumed Death Eater evaporated at that moment as a fleeting feeling of recognition swept over her. She had seen him before.
