The week rushed through quickly. The lessons were starting to get more practical now; Curtis was able to transfigure a match into a needle with significant ease, Professor Flitwick suggested that there might only be two or three more lessons of "wandwork", and Professor Quirrell actually used a spell, the first sign that he could actually do magic, even if that spell was just a summoning charm (of no relevance to the lesson).
Curtis had not yet told Hermione what Penelope had said about Snape. It was so vague that Curtis wasn't sure whether it was worth it. However, on Friday morning at breakfast, Hermione walked over to the Ravenclaw table and asked about it.
"Have you asked anyone about Professor Snape's past?"
"Yes, I have actually. I wasn't told anything clear, but apparently Snape has 'dabbled in the Dark Arts' before."
"Dabbled in the Dark Arts? No, that's wrong, or Professor Dumbledore wouldn't have him here as a teacher."
Professor Snape entered the Great Hall at this moment, walked to the teacher's table, and sat down. He stared at the Ravenclaw table as Curtis and Hermione were talking, seriously putting them off. He was certainly not eating anything.
Curtis nevertheless tried to continue. "Apparently, it's Professor Dumbledore's trust that keeps Snape out of Azkaban. Professor Dumbledore knows about his…dabbling…but obviously feels that Snape has redeemed himself somehow."
Hermione was sitting there thoughtfully (although continually glancing back at Snape to ensure he wasn't listening in). After a while, she spoke.
"I won't believe it of a Hogwarts teacher. I don't believe whoever told you that."
Curtis sighed. He knew that Penelope wasn't the sort of person to make this stuff up, but did not have the energy to argue with her. His energy was being sucked up by how much he was nervous about the day. Double potions in the morning and flying in the afternoon.
"Why don't you just check the library? Court records, recent dark witches and wizards, that sort of thing…"
Hermione suddenly sat up straighter. "Great idea, I'll go straight to the library after Potions this afternoon!"
And she walked off, leaving Curtis to eat his breakfast (he'd succumbed to eating chocolate cake for breakfast today) in peace. He had a quick look at the front and saw Professor Snape exchanging words with Quirrell, who had just entered the room. Quirrell was wriggling about nervously on his chair, straightening his turban, and probably, Curtis assumed, stuttering a lot. Was Professor Quirrell scared of Professor Snape because of Snape's past? It seemed likely to Curtis.
Suddenly, a rush of owls flew into the Great Hall. Curtis was used to this, it was the Owl Post. But today, in that flurry of owls, Curtis spotted something different to usual. He spotted Arthur, his own owl, flying in towards him. He dropped a letter in front of Curtis and then sat there patiently.
"I hope you like chocolate cake," Curtis said to him. "Because that's all you're getting." He fed his owl a tiny bit of chocolate cake, but apparently, that was enough, as he flew off.
Curtis looked at his letter. The name and address was written in his mum's handwriting. He breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worrying about his parents, he was expecting letters everyday but this was his first and he'd been at Hogwarts for almost two weeks. He opened and read it.
Hello dear. I hope you haven't been worried about your father and I, you might have expected us to write sooner. We just thought you'd like to settle in and make friends without getting letters everyday, that's all.
What started off as just having a cup of tea at Molly and Arthur's became a week staying there. I'm not sure how it happened, but we had a great time anyway. It was also comforting for your father and I to see magic first hand; it's not as scary as we first thought.
But enough about us, how have you been getting on? Have you enjoyed your lessons? Have you enjoyed yourself in general? Have you managed to make some good friends yet? Oh, and what house have you been sorted into? Oh yes, we know about houses from Molly and Arthur.
Please reply soon, love from mum.
Underneath this letter was a bit of writing in his dad's handwriting.
Hello Curtis. Not much to add onto what your mum says, just hope you're alright and enjoying yourself. I know you will be. Your mother and I bet on what house you'd be in. I said Gryffindor. She said Ravenclaw. Tell us who's right! Tell me about Professor Dumbledore as well, he sounds like an incredible man!
Speak soon, Dad.
Curtis laughed. It was typical of his mum to correctly guess something like his house at Hogwarts, he had always got the impression that his mum understood his deeper self more than his dad did. Curtis was pleased that his parents weren't so worried about him now, and he planned to write a reply to their letter later, after his Flying lesson. He thought he might recommend that they subscribe to the Daily Prophet as well, it was not uncommon for it to report on things happening at Hogwarts.
Potions was horrible again. Curtis really enjoyed the subject: the brewing and the theory. However, Professor Snape seemed determined to bully him today. Curtis wondered whether Snape had heard any of his conversation with Hermione.
Everyone had brewed potions individually today (Curtis was quite glad not to work with Ernie, who was far too pompous and loud for his liking). They were tasked with making a Babbling Brew, which Snape had explained at the beginning of the lesson as the 'prehistoric version of a Babbling Beverage, nowhere near as effective'.
Snape was inspecting the potions at the end by making everyone try their own, and seeing what effect it had. It seemed no one's potion did anything much, much to Snape's pleasure. Ernie did call Professor Snape by the name 'Mr Winkleton' after trying his, suggesting at least some effect, although Snape was not prepared to admit it. Snape finally got around to Curtis, who he seemed to have been saving until last.
"Grant! Drink."
Curtis drank the potion. A strange feeling overtook his lips; he was not quite in control of their movements.
"I'm sorry about your horse, Jim," slipped out of his mouth.
"I will not be spoken to like that!" Professor Snape whispered, trying to withhold a smirk from his face. "You will not call me 'Jim' in the future, you will refer to me as 'sir' or 'Professor'. 5 points from Ravenclaw."
This was Curtis' first loss of points, and he did not take it well.
"Sir. Give those points back!" There was a giggle around the class, Curtis had not meant to say it quite like that, but his Babbling Brew was still effecting him slightly. He tried hard to compose himself. "I didn't mean to call you Jim, sir. It's just the Babbling Brew."
Snape simply ignored Curtis' plea. "Taking a, no doubt, weak, Babbling Brew, is no excuse to say whatever you like to teachers Grant. Now, let's see…yes, I think you can have a detention here at 7 in the evening tomorrow, for trying to order me to give points back to Ravenclaw. I'm the teacher Grant, I will not be ordered around. I order you around. Class dismissed."
Curtis could not believe it. At his muggle school, he had never been reprimanded by a teacher for anything, and suddenly he was losing housepoints and getting detentions here at Hogwarts. Now even more than before, he wondered about Snape's history. Hopefully Hermione could find something really bad that Snape had done, and see to it that he does get put in Azkaban, because right now, Curtis felt that's where Snape belonged.
Curtis skipped lunch, he wasn't hungry after receiving that detention, and the prospect of a flying lesson was scaring him. Apparently it was being taken by a teacher called Madam Hooch, someone very passionate about Flying and Quidditch, but not someone very forgiving to those less talented.
About an hour after everyone had come back from lunch, it was time to go to the grounds, where the lesson would be held. Just before they all went though, Professor Flitwick, the head of Ravenclaw house, entered the common room with a short, dark-haired girl, Cho Chang (Curtis had become acquainted with Cho during his first few days at Hogwarts). Cho Chang quickly scuttled off to her friends, not enjoying the gaze the first-years were giving her.
"Thank you!" Professor Flitwick called out. "Ahh yes, sorry for being so last minute, I don't want to make you late. The door caught me on a bad day, asking me why Transfiguration is more taxing than Charms."
Curtis was certain he saw Flitwick mutter "Stupid, lying bird" under his breath, but ignored it.
"Yes, lucky Miss Chang was there to help me out with that…anyway! I just wanted to wish you first-years luck with Flying. Professor Snape, the lovely man that he is, was reminding me about how…ahem…well Ravenclaw have done in recent years at the Quidditch Cup…I won't lie, there's room for improvement. However, you are the future of our chances, and therefore I expect you to try as hard in your flying lessons as you possibly can so that next year, when you are eligible for the Quidditch team, we will have a wealth of new talent ready to join the team.
Of course, as you may well know, Harry Potter has been selected for the Gryffindor Quidditch team despite being a first-year. However, I'm afraid that you cannot expect similar treatment, as Potter joining the team was an emergency measure, as Gryffindor did not have a seeker. The one thing we can say for Ravenclaw is that we do at least have a team together."
Flitwick looked across at a couple of the older students and said "I hope you're not planning on letting us down this year as you did last year."
The group of people ignored Professor Flitwick, unaware he was talking to them. He turned back towards the first-years.
"Off you go then, mustn't be late!"
And Flitwick left the room quickly. All the first-years followed suit.
When they got outside to their Flying lesson, the Hufflepuffs and a teacher who Curtis assumed was Madam Hooch, were waiting. Madam Hooch was tapping her foot impatiently, looking at her watch just as they arrived.
"You're all late. Explain yourselves," she said.
It was Padma Patil who spoke up. "Professor Flitwick wanted to talk to us before we left."
Curtis thought that Hooch wouldn't be satisfied with that excuse, but to his surprise, she just sighed. "That man. Every year Ravenclaw are late for their first lesson because of him."
There were a few giggles from the Ravenclaws.
"Now what are you waiting for!" Hooch shouted suddenly. "Stand by a broom."
She pointed at a row of brooms that were standing next to all the Hufflepuffs, who were also standing by brooms. Everyone went to stand by their broom, some quickly, excitedly, others nervously, like Curtis.
"Now, put you right arm out over your broom, and everybody shout up!"
"UP!" everyone shouted.
It was a disaster. Curtis' broom hadn't even moved an inch. Others did move, but none went into anyone's hand, as Curtis presumed was the idea. Madam Hooch gave a disappointed look at everyone, as others continued to try and fail. Curtis had given up after one go, he didn't suppose he was ever going to be able to say up any better than he had before.
He quickly said to Padma, who was standing next to him, "I suppose wizards are simply too good to use our knees and hands to pick up the broom then."
Padma, who had also given up on saying up, laughed and said, "Well that's what we'll all be doing in a minute. Madam Hooch doesn't look like she can take much more of this."
And true to Padma's word, at that instant Madam Hooch spoke. "That'll do! Now to those who have failed to get their broom into their hands using Up, please pick up the broom and attempt to mount it."
Everyone had to have a quick glance around, expecting there to be someone who had managed to get the broom in their hands, but found there was no one. Lots of people giggled; Madam Hooch had suggested that there was at least someone who had succeeded in picking up their broom
Everyone now picked up their broom in a muggle-like way, and attempted to mount it. Madam Hooch went around everyone, correcting their grip.
"Now it's time to fly. Kick off the ground, hover a few feet high, and then come back down. Wait for the whistle!" she added, looking at a couple of Hufflepuffs who were just go. "A foolish boy yesterday decided not to and ended up injuring himself. Do not follow his lead."
She blew her whistle, and everyone tried to thrust themselves into the air. This was met with more success than picking up the broom, many people managed to get into the air, including Curtis. However, he was unable to hover as he'd lost the balance of the broom, and did well not to fall off. But people had managed to perform the task Madam Hooch had set them perfectly, and she seemed much more satisfied after this task.
They did this several more times, and then Madam Hooch challenged some of the better fliers to fly through some floating hoops, about 10 feet high. Curtis was not one of these people, but he had managed to hover successfully in the air before the end of the lesson, and was quite pleased with himself. It was not as bad as what he had thought.
In the evening, Curtis replied to the owl he had received from his parents, telling them how much he was enjoying the lessons, that he had been sorted into Ravenclaw, and that he loved Hogwarts. He decided to not mention friends in the letter, as he didn't want his mum to worry about his lack of friends. He also told his dad of Dumbledore's "announcement" at the sorting feast. "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" He knew that his dad would chuckle at that.
As he sent his letter, Curtis considered the friendships that he had made so far at Hogwarts. He hadn't really made any friends in Ravenclaw, and was merely acquaintances with the Weasley family. He did have a friend in Hermione, at least sort of, although he hadn't really completed warmed to her. She seemed like a bit of a know-it-all. But at least she was a friend who he could talk about things with. He had nobody else.
