THIRD YEAR - EARLY JUNE
Solstice looked up from the essay she was writing. Professor Greenwood was absorbed in his own work, but it didn't look as if he was writing - the strokes of the quill weren't right. Cautiously, Solstice sat up straighter, craning to see what he was doing. He was sketching. It looked as if he was drawing a stone circle - like Stonehenge, but with a lot of the stones missing. It was, she realized, a drawing of how Muggles apparently saw Stonehenge, not as a complete circle of capped stones, but with gaps and missing stones, the remaining standing stones tilted at crazy angles. She'd heard that every year, thousands of Muggles gathered at the ancient monument, celebrating midsummer - completely unaware that among their number were a few wizards who could see the circle as it really was, rather than a haphazard ruin. For a moment, Solstice felt a flicker of sympathy for Muggles, unable to see one of England's most impressive monuments in its full glory; then she remembered what she'd wanted to ask.
"Professor...?"
"Hmm?" he replied distractedly, still absorbed in his sketching.
"Professor - what's the Great Rite?"
That got his attention. He put down his quill and looked up at her. "Where did you hear about it?" he asked cautiously.
Solstice reached into her school bag, and pulled out a large, battered book that she'd borrowed from the library. "I read about it in here. At least - it mentions it several times, but it never actually says what it is."
"I see." He paused for a moment, considering what level to put his explanation on. "The Great Rite is sex magic," he said simply. "In some cultures, it's done when the fields are planted, to ensure a good harvest. I wasn't planning to talk about it for a few years. It's very advanced magic, because it requires focus and concentration that most people aren't capable of, even as adults."
Solstice nodded, apparently satisfied with the explanation. She wrote a few more words on her essay, then looked up again. "Why are the other kids so silly about sex?"
"How do you mean?"
"Well... any time something to do with sex is mentioned, the girls blush and giggle, and the boys laugh and make jokes. Usually the jokes aren't even funny."
Professor Greenwood smiled. "I know what you mean about the jokes. Some adults are like that too."
"But why?"
"Well - for most people sex is a very private thing, and often they feel embarrassed talking about private things. So they laugh, or make jokes, or change the subject, to cover up how they feel." Solstice nodded, and he went on, "Elementals tend not to feel that way. It's just one of the personality traits that makes us different. We see sex as being just another thing that the body does - like breathing or eating. So we don't feel embarrassed talking about it. Most girls of your age would feel very uncomfortable discussing sex with their teacher - especially if their teacher is a man. Come to think of it, a lot of teachers would feel just as awkward!"
Solstice looked sceptical, and he grinned, and added, "You'll have to take my word for it. But as you get older, you'll learn more about how other people see things - especially that non-Elementals often see things very differently from Elementals. The important thing is to respect how other people feel. It's not fair to make them feel uncomfortable."
"Okay." Solstice looked thoughtful, suddenly frowning, and Professor Greenwood said, "What else? You can talk to me about it, because it doesn't make me uncomfortable."
"Well - one of the boys said something about Elementals and sex - he said we were... promiscuous, but I don't know what that means. Then everyone laughed - and they were laughing at me."
"Ah yes." Professor Greenwood sighed. "Promiscuous means that someone has sex with a lot of different people, and many people think that's wrong, especially if it's a girl. I'm afraid Elementals have a reputation for being promiscuous - not because it's true, but because non-Elementals simply don't understand that we just have a different attitude to sex."
"But - that's not fair, if we have to respect the way they see things, but they don't respect us in return."
"No, it's not fair - and that's just life. A lot of things aren't fair."
"Well, I don't even want to have sex - not till I'm a lot older, anyway!"
"And that's fine. If you don't want to - even when you are older - you don't have to. Not for any reason. But there is one more thing you need to know..."
"Yes?"
"You will have to be more careful than other girls, because you won't be able to use a charm to stop yourself getting pregnant. The other girls have the option to use a charm instead of a potion, but you don't have that choice. Well - you could also ask the boy to perform the it for you, but you have to be certain that he can do it, properly so you'll need to learn it anyway, so you can tell him. All the girls at Hogwarts learn how to make a contraceptive potion - in Fourth Year, I think. And the charm is taught to all students later."
Solstice sighed. "It all sounds very complicated."
"Yes. It's complicated for everyone - just a bit more so for Elementals, because we have a different way of looking at things, that other people don't always understand." He glanced over at her parchment. "How are you doing with that essay on the use of animals in weather magic?"
Solstice looked down at the parchment. "It's a bit confusing - some of the rituals seem quite simple, but people hardly ever use them."
"Such as?"
"Well - " she pulled another book from her bag, and opened it at a marker. "It says here that a way to encourage rain is to bathe a cat... but that it's not a popular ritual. I mean, there are always lots of cats around, so you'd think..."
"Solstice... have you ever tried to bathe a cat?"
"Well no, but..." she suddenly giggled, as she pictured the process. "Oh, I see!"
"Exactly! Sometimes perfectly good magic just isn't... practical." The bell rang, and Solstice started to gather her books and papers. "Potions next?" Professor Greenwood asked.
"Yes. I really like Potions, Professor Slughorn says I have a natural talent for it."
Professor Greenwood nodded. "Most Elementals do - that's one reason why we're good herbalists. Anyway, you'd better get going, or you'll be late."
By the time Solstice arrived in the Potions dungeon, Professor Slughorn was already there, handing out ingredients. "Ah, Miss Flidae, I'm delighted you decided to join us at last."
"I'm sorry, Professor, but it's a long way from..."
"Yes, well - next time you're late I'll deduct house points. Take a seat, please - I believe Mr Lupin is the only one without a partner..."
Solstice made her way to the back of the room, and dumped her school bag beside the workbench where Remus was already setting up a cauldron. He smiled at Solstice, and she said, "What are we making today?"
"We're revising Shrinking Solution. I've already started cutting up the daisy roots - why don't you skin the shrivelfig?"
"Okay." She set to work, carefully running the tip of her knife down the skin of the shrivelfig.
Most of the time, the students picked their own work partners, but occasionally, as was the case today, Professor Slughorn assigned them at random. James Potter was at the desk in front of Remus, with another Gryffindor girl as his partner, while the other Marauders were on the other side of the room. Lily was at the bench next to Solstice, and by her expression, it was clear that she had something she wanted to tell her. After five minutes or so, she leaned over and said, "Guess what?"
"What?"
"Vincent Algethi asked me out!" She spoke quietly, but at least two other students besides the two girls were suddenly paying attention. James's head snapped around; and on Lily's other side, Snape looked up from his daisy roots, his expression darkening.
Oblivious to the boys' interest, Lily and Solstice leaned closer together. "But he's a fifth year," Solstice whispered.
Lily nodded. "Yes. And he's gorgeous!"
Snape flung a handful of chopped daisy roots into the cauldron, and began slicing up caterpillars with considerably more force than necessary.
"So you said yes?" Solstice asked, her voice rising slightly.
"Of course I did."
"So where are you going to go? Is he taking you out for the Hogsmeade visit on Saturday?"
"Yes. But he asked me to go for a walk by the lake this evening, too." She looked at Solstice a little anxiously. "I know I was going to watch you training Hoot today, but - would you mind terribly if we put it off? If you do, I'll tell him I'll go for a walk tomorrow, but..."
"No, it's all right. I don't mind. Maybe I'll take Hoot to watch the Quidditch practice instead."
"Thanks!"
The girls turned their attention back to their work for the moment. Lily glanced at her friend, remembering how jealous Solstice had been, back in the autumn, when Lily seemed to be spending time with other friends. She really didn't seem to mind now. Lily grinned, and leaned over again. "I bet you'll get asked out by someone soon," she said, only half-teasing.
"Me?" Solstice giggled, and her hand shook as she poured leech juice into the cauldron she was sharing with Remus. She peered into it anxiously, wondering if she'd added too much, but then shrugged and turned back to Lily. "Who'd ask me out? I'm still just a kid..."
Lily looked at her appraisingly. "Hmm... you know, I think you've actually grown a bit."
"Really?"
"Yes. I'm sure you're taller."
Solstice grinned. "If I am, it's not much. Remember what happened in the library?" The girls both grinned. Reaching for a book on a high shelf, Solstice had tried to use the second-lowest shelf as a step, slipped, and brought a pile of books crashing down on her head, resulting in a painful bruise on her forehead, the loss of ten house points, and a stern lecture about the proper use of the library.
"Solstice - is the rat spleen ready?" Remus asked.
"Yes, I've just finished cleaning it." She dropped the lump of red flesh into the cauldron, and they both watched as the contents bubbled briefly, then turned brilliant green." They grinned at each other. "I thought I'd put in too much leech juice," Solstice explained, "but it looks as though it was just right." They began to clean up their bench, while Lily looked worriedly at the potion she and Snape had created. Instead of bubbling, it continued to steam slightly, remaining a murky brown colour.
"I don't know what went wrong," she said.
Snape scowled. "I think I put in too many sliced caterpillars," he muttered.
"Oh - well there's not much we can do about that. Maybe we'll get a mark for at least knowing what we did wrong."
At the bench where James was working, the cauldron suddenly gave out a prolonged hiss, and clouds of vile-smelling pink smoke billowed into the room. Above the exclamations of disgust that rose on all sides, James's partner could be heard saying, "I told you that was ferret liver, not rat spleen, you were using! Why didn't you listen..?"
Filing out of the dungeon at the end of the lesson, Sirius said, "What happened? You made that potion perfectly the first time we made it."
James shrugged. "Must've been distracted," he said shortly, and changed the subject.
Solstice climbed the stairs to her dormitory that evening, expecting to find it empty, but instead found Lily lying on her bed, apparently engrossed in a book. For a few minutes, neither girl spoke. Solstice had set a fresh candle in an iron candlestick, and was searching for her matches. It looked as if she'd lost them, which was a nuisance. Not many people at Hogwarts had them, having no need for matches when they could produce a flame with a wand, but Professor Greenwood had provided Solstice with a supply so that she didn't always have to rely on others. Finally, she turned to her friend. "Lily - light this for me, please. I can't find my matches."
Lily silently pulled her wand from her pocket, and pointed it. The candle wick flared, and Solstice said, "Thanks." She set the candle on the window ledge, before asking, "So how was your walk with Vincent?"
Lily slammed her book shut with a bang. "He's an absolute git!" she said angrily.
Solstice frowned. "What happened?"
"He couldn't keep his hands to himself. I told him three times that I didn't mind if he put his arm round me, but to stop letting his hand go so low."
"And - he wouldn't stop?"
"Oh, eventually he stopped that. But the next thing I knew, he reached around and put his hand on my... well, anyway - if he doesn't have a black eye tomorrow, I'll know I didn't slap him hard enough!"
"Oh."
"And then - " Lily's eyes sparkled angrily at the memory, "he had the cheek to ask me if I was still going to Hogsmeade with him on Saturday! I always thought he seemed nice, but it turns out he's as - as arrogant as - I don't know..."
"Potter?" Solstice suggested.
"As bad as Potter and Black put together!"
Solstice grimaced. "What a horrible thought!"
Lily sighed, then grinned, feeling better now she'd let off steam about the incident. "Well, anyway - I suppose you want some peace so you can meditate. I'll see you later." As the sound of her footsteps faded away down the stairs, Solstice sat down in the window alcove, drawing her legs under her, and moving the candle so she could rest her gaze on it comfortably. It was warm in the dormitory - it was June, after all - and she reached over and opened the window a little. In the sudden current of fresh air, her candle flickered and went out.
Solstice looked at it in exasperation. Now she'd have to go down to the common room and get someone to relight it for her. She reached to pick it up, but as her fingers touched the wax, the wick suddenly reignited. Solstice examined the candle suspiciously. Maybe it hadn't gone out all the way... but she was sure it had. She frowned as a thought struck her. She licked her finger and thumb, and pinched out the flame, making sure that it was completely out. Then she focused her gaze on the wick, and slowly reached to touch the candle again. There was a tiny crackle, and the flame flickered to life.
She tried again several times, and quickly found that she didn't even have to touch the candle. She could relight it just by concentrating. She sat for a few minutes, enjoying the feeling of triumph. Then she snatched up the candle and hurtled down the staircase. "Lily, I can do it! Look!"
Lily looked up from the sofa where she was reading a magazine article that Aralia had pointed out to her. Solstice set the candle on the table beside the sofa, stepped back a little, and lit it. "Solstice! You've never done that before! Lily exclaimed.
Solstice grinned. "No - I didn't realise I could do it yet." She whirled around and ran to the portrait hole.
"Where are you going?" Lily sounded confused, and Solstice turned back just long enough to say,
"I have to show Professor Greenwood!"
Professor Greenwood was writing a letter when Solstice hammered on his study door. Wondering what was wrong, he opened the door, but one look at Solstice's face told him that whatever had happened, she was pleased. "I can finally do it!" she announced. "Watch!" She took a candlestick from over the fireplace, set it on the Professor's desk, and demonstrated her new talent.
"Can you do it consistently?" he asked.
"Every time."
"Try something bigger..." He glanced around. There was no fire burning in the fireplace, but there was wood piled there, and Professor Greenwood said, "Light the fire - but do it gently! Try not to burn the school down..." Solstice grinned - her tendency to work unfamiliar magic on too large a scale was a running joke between them. She concentrated for a moment, then the logs ignited, flames leaping up the chimney. Professor Greenwood extinguished the fire, and said, "Try again with a touch more control." Solstice nodded, and this time the flames were much smaller. Once again Professor Greenwood put out the flames, then smiled at Solstice. "Congratulations. It looks as if your adult magic is starting to manifest. It's too late in the term to do much with it, but in September you can start to study fire magic properly."
"And moon magic too?"
"Certainly. Although you may not be able to work it for a couple more months. The ability usually comes a little later than fire magic."
"Can I try it on my own?"
"There's no harm in attempting it." A sudden thought struck him. "Solstice! There's just one thing..."
"Yes?"
"I know it's tempting, but don't try anything at full moon."
"Why not?"
Professor Greenwood hesitated. He couldn't explain the real reason; normally he would never consider withholding the truth from his student, but in this case... "There are things about the moon that you won't understand for a while yet. It could be dangerous for you to go out at full moon. It's not something to fool around with. Promise me you'll stay inside after dark at full moon."
Solstice sensed that there was something more behind his warning, but all she said was, "All right - I promise."
"Good." He grinned. "And so long as you're careful, you can practice fire magic. But don't try setting fire to anything you shouldn't!"
"Okay. I'll be careful."
"I'm glad to hear it. The last thing we need it - oh, I don't know - the Gryffindor Seeker's underwear spontaneously combusting during an important match..." Solstice looked at him sharply, and he gave her a conspiratorial grin. "Off you go. I've got a letter to write."
Running back up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room, Solstice wondered how Professor Greenwood knew she'd been involved in that legendary incident at the Quidditch match back in Second Year. He'd never said anything about it before, but it was surely too much of a coincidence for him to use that example if he didn't know - especially with the way he'd grinned. She laughed to herself, and paused at a window, looking out at the darkening grounds, and the moon starting to rise in the east. It was just about full; it was a pity Professor Greenwood had made her promise not to go out at full moon, but maybe in a couple of years, it would be okay.
She continued on her way, remembering as she climbed through the portrait hole that she wanted to check her notes on the Shrinking Potion with Remus. She glanced around, but he wasn't with the other Marauders. "Where's Lupin? I need to check something about that potion?"
"He's not feeling well," James told her casually.
"Oh. Is he in the hospital wing?"
Sirius nodded. "Yeah. But his books are on the table..." Sirius reached over and rummaged in the pile, extracting a battered notebook. "Here's his Potions notebook."
"Thanks." Solstice took the notebook, and began to flip through it; with her attention diverted, she didn't notice the glance that passed between the three remaining Marauders.
