Chapter 11 How to Make Gold

Harry and Rose were the last ones to leave Potions class, both sporting brilliant blue tongues that they'd given one another. There was no rush, for the others had said that first-years didn't have any more classes on Monday until after lunch. Harry wasn't hungry, since he had actually eaten breakfast that day, so instead of going back to the Slytherin common room (where he had no desire to be), he suggested to Rose that they go outside. She nodded distractedly and was silent as Harry led her to his favourite little hill that overlooked the lake. It was funny to think that he already had a favourite spot, since he had been here for all of four days. Hogwarts really was a special place. Harry could have been happy just sitting in the sun and staring out across the lake, but Rose was so preoccupied that it was distracting.

"Whatchya thinking about?" Harry said at last, mostly because he was tired of being ignored. He most likely wouldn't be all that interested in whatever was eating her up. Rose was a lot like his sister in some ways, both were obsessed with getting to the bottom of every mystery they came across. Harry, on the other hand, could rarely muster the energy to care that much.

"I can't figure it out," Rose said, biting her lip. Her blue tongue was just visible between her teeth, and it made her look like she was suffering from some terrible disease.

"Well, I'm glad you cleared that up," Harry sighed, looking out across the lake again. Let her worry away to his heart's content. He was going to enjoy the sunshine.

"What?" Rose asked, not really listening to him. "No, it's just I can't figure out why she would lie."

"Lie... what do you mean?"

"Don't tell me you believe that girl is actually the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange?" Rose said in disbelief.

"W-well, why not?" Harry said defensively. He'd had no reason not to take Clytemnestra's word for it, and his first instinct had been to believe her.

"Harry," Rose said, shaking her head in patient bemusement, as if he were being incredibly foolish. "Bellatrix Lestrange was killed nineteen years ago at the Battle of Hogwarts. That girl is only eleven years old. You see the problem there, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Harry snapped, mostly because he felt stupid that he had realized no such thing. "It's just... well… it didn't sound like she was lying, did it?"

"No," agreed Rose, "No she didn't."

"Could it be that Bellatrix wasn't actually killed?" Harry asked hesitantly, trying to remember the stories that Cassy and Uncle Terry had told him of the Battle of Hogwarts. Of the two of them, Uncle Terry's accounts were much more memorable and far less reliable, despite the fact that he had actually been there. Harry's uncle tended to... add things. He doubted, for instance, that Harry Potter and his companions had really flown to the battle on a dragon. That was simply ridiculous. Where… where would they have even gotten a dragon?

"No, she was definitely killed," Rose said quietly. "People don't really bring it up much, but it was my Grandma Weasley who killed her in the end. I heard her talk about it once when I was supposed to be asleep upstairs. She definitely did it."

"Then... then I don't know," Harry said lamely, trying to think. Why would Clytemnestra think that she was the daughter of someone who died before she was born? That made no sense.

"All righ', Rosie?" Came the booming voice of Hagrid, who was walking past with two dozen logs in his massive arms. "How's yer firs' day goin'?"

"Hello, Hagrid," Rose said distractedly. Suddenly her eyes widened as she turned excitedly to peer up at the big groundskeeper. "Say, Hagrid, you're a professor, and a pretty important person around here, aren't you?"

"Oh I don' know abou' all tha'," Hagrid said, trying (and failing) to sound modest. "Course I am a senior professor, mind you."

"Then you must know about the Lestrange girl!" Rose said eagerly.

"Well now," Hagrid said in an unconvincingly airy tone, "What makes you say tha'?" They both stared at him without comment, and after a moment Hagrid scowled. "Yer as nosy as those parents of yers. The trouble they gave me when they were here... don' even get me started on tha'." Hagrid continued to scowl furiously, but there was simply no way to say no to Rose's eager smile. "Hmph. As a matter o' fact, all the professors were told about her, but it'll do you no good askin', I won' tell yeh... so don' even try it."

"But..." protested Rose.

"So who's yer young friend?" Hagrid said, clearly changing the subject. "Tha's quite a mane of hair yer got there, lad."

"I'm Harry, Harry Wiggins," Harry said nervously. If Professor Hagrid really was a senior professor, had he also already heard about Harry? Did he already not trust him like James Potter and who knows how many others?

"Are yeh now?" Hagrid said neutrally, studying him. Hagrid wasn't particularly scary, but he was still a huge man. Harry swallowed nervously.

"I had your sister Cassandra in my class this mornin', she's a good egg," Hagrid said, which Harry thought was encouraging. "Why don't the two of yeh come 'round fer tea on Friday, an' bring those Potter cousins of yers if yeh can. Some of yer cousins visit from time to time, Rosie, but ever since Teddy Lupin graduated no one visits regularly."

"Will you tell us about the Lestrange girl if we come?" Rose asked, merciless in her curiosity.

"I most certainly won'," Hagrid growled, brandishing a log at them in a scolding sort of way. "Now get goin' to lunch or yeh'll be late on yer firs' day."

"Alright," Rose said brightly, "see you Friday, Hagrid!" The sparkle in her eyes left no doubt in Harry's mind that she wouldn't leave Hagrid's without her answers.

Rose looked positively cheerful as she and Harry made their way back up to the castle. Harry was less optimistic that Hagrid was going to actually tell them anything, but he thought it was best not to tell her so. She was much better company when she wasn't obsessing.

"So what do you have this afternoon? We have History of Magic and then Herbology with the Ravenclaws," Rose said. She seemed way too interested in her classes.

"Herbology and then Charms, both with the Hufflepuffs," Harry said without much enthusiasm.

Rose nodded and said, "Makes sense, since if both your classes are with the Hufflepuffs ours would be with the Ravenclaws. Nev—I mean... Professor Longbottom teaches Herbology and he's an old friend of my parents. He's really nice to everyone."

"No way, Neville Longbottom teaches at Hogwarts?" Harry said, completely stunned. His sister had never mentioned that! He had never imagined that she would leave out so many things. "Did he really kill Voldemort's snake with the Sword of Gryffindor?"

"Sure, he loves to tell that story," Rose said with a laugh, "You'll see, that class will be a blast."

They went to lunch, and as they passed the Gryffindor table Rose cheerfully said goodbye to him. Harry sat all alone at the end of the Slytherin table, glancing at the food without much enthusiasm. Food didn't interest him, but the afternoon he had ahead of him certainly did. He could never remember being more excited for a class in his whole life. That was no surprise, really, since South London International Grade School didn't have a class on magical plants taught by one of his personal heroes. If it had, well, then he might have been just as excited to go to school last year too.

Harry went down to greenhouse one alone, since none of the other first-year Slytherins seemed to be around. As he entered the greenhouse, the distinctive smell of growing things filled his nostrils and put him at ease. It reminded him of his grandparent's house in the country that he'd visited often when he was younger. A few years back, Grandma Boot had shown him all her favourite herbs and plants from her garden, as well as her collection of giant pumpkins. Harry had loved visiting that cottage, just to get a sense of what living surrounded by magic was really like. He had never realized how much he associated the smell of growing things with the feeling of magic. Now both life and magic were all around, surrounding him completely. I'm really here, Harry thought to himself as he walked through the greenhouse, I'm really at Hogwarts... this class is going to be great!

The Hufflepuffs were already there, clustered five to a table around two four-person tables. That took some of the wind out of Harry's sails as he quietly made his way over to one of the other empty tables. Were they really so afraid of being stuck with a Slytherin that they all crowded together for safety? He didn't recognize any of the Hufflepuffs except for Sora, who he had sat with on the boat ride over from Hogsmede station. Sora didn't look over at him, and Harry tried not to feel hurt. Look, he didn't expect a friendly wave or anything like that, but he had really liked the fellow when they'd met briefly. How many people were going to hate him for where he'd been sorted? James... Sora... the list is getting longer, Harry thought to himself sadly, sitting all alone on a long bench that was half covered in dirt.

Samantha Crabbe came in next. She glared dismissively at the Hufflepuffs crowding around their table before sitting down beside Harry. "Damn, Simba, they look like we're going to attack them," she said, gesturing angrily at the Hufflepuffs. Harry was feeling pretty lousy by this point, and had no response.

"Careful," Samantha said loudly to a little Hufflepuff boy who was looking at them nervously, "He likes to bite people, I can't always control him." She made a big show of grabbing Harry's shoulder as if to restrain him. The boy's eyes widened in terror, but it seemed as if the boy couldn't look away. Without warning, Samantha snapped her teeth at the boy, and he looked away so quickly that he stumbled backwards. Harry shrugged Samantha off of him and glared at her. What was she thinking, going after the kid like that? Sure, it was annoying the way complete strangers were looking at them, but that was no excuse for...

"You think it's funny to torment someone for no reason?" Sora asked quietly, emerging from behind the table to stand across from Samantha. "It seems like all the things that people say about the House of Slytherin are true."

"No, it's not..." Harry started to say, but no one seemed to be listening to him. Samantha stood up too, moving to stand face to face with Sora. She was a couple of inches taller than he was, but Sora didn't look the least bit afraid.

"It's funny, isn't it... how everything ends up being our fault," Samantha said quietly. "The moment I walked in this class all you little 'Puffs were wetting yourselves because the big, scary Slytherins had arrived. What choice did I have? You've all decided you know everything about me."

"Everyone is responsible for their own actions," Sora said, not backing down an inch. "If you are not what people say you are, you just have to show them."

"But why should I always have to?" Whispered Samantha, so quietly that no one except Sora and Harry who was sitting nearby heard her. She sounded hurt, almost vulnerable... something Harry would never have expected from her.

"We all do, that is just the way of the world. You are not the only one with things to prove," Sora said, holding her eyes. No one spoke as the seconds dragged on; every eye in the classroom was on the two of them.

"I'm sorry," Samantha said at last, turning to face the Hufflepuff boy who dropped his eyes the moment she turned to face him. "I shouldn't have gone at you like that." The boy just looked up at her blankly. He looked more confused than anything else.

"And you," Samantha said, turning back to glare at Sora, "keep your lessons to yourself... and stay the hell out of my way." She bumped her shoulder into him as she walked past him, returning to sit beside Harry. Sora said nothing, but glanced over at Harry, nodded to him in recognition, and calmly returned to his seat.

"What an annoying git," Samantha muttered to Harry, gesturing at Sora as the other Slytherins (minus Clytemnestra) entered and sat together at the table across from them. Harry shrugged noncommittally. He would never have had the courage to say something like that to her, even though he had been thinking many of the same things as Sora. That boy was really something.

Professor Longbottom came bustling in moments later, saying, "Sorry I'm late, everyone!" He had a round, bearded face and a cheerful manner. He bustled around a bit, setting a few pieces of paper and a shiny little plant down on his desk before turning back to face them all. "Lost track of time and then forgot where I put my roster. I never did find that, actually," the Professor said, frowning at himself. "Well then, why don't you all go around the room and introduce yourselves. Why don't you start, miss?" Professor Longbottom said, gesturing to Samantha.

"Oh, I..." Samantha said, taken a bit by surprise. It was funny to see her flustered, and she looked much nicer when she wasn't scowling at everything. "My name is Samantha Crabbe."

Professor Longbottom looked at her curiously. Some of his early good cheer seemed to have evaporated. "I don't remember seeing that name on my roster this morning..."

"Well, it probably said Samantha F-Fisher," she said quietly, her hands curling themselves into fists under the table where only Harry could see them. "But I ha— um, don't go by that name... so please call me Crabbe... Professor."

"Alright, Ms. Crabbe," Professor Longbottom said, nodding kindly, "How about you, young man."

"Harry Wiggins, sir," Harry said self-consciously. Why was it that he was always so nervous when everybody was looking at him?

And so they went around the room, everyone introducing themselves. The Hufflepuffs were named Amber Fortescue, Tammy Twiddle, Curtis Nash, Otto McLaggen and so on. Harry tried his best to keep their names straight, but it was too many people introduced too quickly. The little boy that Samantha had scared was named Harry Warren... that one he could remember. He always felt a bond of sorts with the other Harrys of the world, as if the name they shared connected them somehow. He tried to catch Harry Warren's eye, but the boy was too nervous to look in his direction. That special connection stuff is probably just wishful thinking, Harry thought with a sigh.

About halfway through attendance Harry noticed that Clytemnestra still hadn't shown up. Where was she? Had something happened to her? He wasn't scared for her, of course, but it was strange that she would go missing. Bunking off on the first day didn't bode well.

They'd finished introducing themselves and Professor Longbottom had begun his introductory lecture on Herbology and the study of magic plants when Professor Mason entered, followed by Clytemnestra Lestrange, who looked as if she were trying to hide behind her long black hair.

"Sorry to disturb, Professor Longbottom, but I happened upon a missing student of yours," Professor Mason said casually.

"Oh?" Professor Longbottom said, regarding the girl curiously, "and who might you be?"

The three of them were standing right in front of the table where Harry and Samantha were sitting, and when Clytemnestra raised her head Harry got a good look at her face. She looked haunted, her eyes utterly dark and dead... just like she had in the Great Hall as she had passed him after being sorted into Slytherin. It looked like she was wearing a mask, and in a toneless voice she said, "My name is Clytemnestra Lestrange. I'm sorry that I'm late."

Professor Longbottom didn't say anything as Clytemnestra moved past him and sat down at the table with Harry and Samantha, but the lines on his face grew hard. His mouth arranged itself in a frown and Harry could see the faint outline of an old scar, just below the Professor's left eye.

"Neville..." Professor Mason said very quietly, his tone as full of concern as Harry had ever heard it.

"Thank you for bringing my missing student, Orpheus, but if you would please excuse yourself, I have a class to teach," Professor Longbottom said in a firm voice. "Be sure to arrive on time in the future Miss... Miss, or I will be forced to give you detention," Professor Longbottom said, seemingly unable to look at Clytemnestra or say her name.

Professor Mason nodded and turned to leave, giving Professor Longbottom a pat on the shoulder as he passed him. Harry couldn't figure out what was going on, but everyone seemed to be a bit on edge. Professor Longbottom continued his lecture on Herbology for a few minutes, but he seemed distracted and far less cheerful than he had been at the beginning of class. After he was done he said, "The best way to learn, of course, is to just dive right in. Why don't we get started growing some Indonesian Gold Lettuce?"

"Indonesian what?" Harry Warren said from one of the Hufflepuff tables, eyes as wide as saucers.

"Indonesian Gold Lettuce, Harry, is a rare plant native to one of the many uninhabited, unnamed islands in the archipelago nation of Indonesia. A friend of mine discovered the plant by accident when she was traveling the world in search of Nargle colonies," Professor Longbottom said, smiling fondly. Harry exchanged glanced with Samantha and was relieved to see the words didn't mean anything to her either. "It is extremely poisonous if eaten, so make sure none of you put any in your mouth by mistake."

"So if it's poisonous, why are we growing it?" Scorpius asked in a rather rude tone.

"Good question, Malfoy," Professor Longbottom said, giving Scorpius an odd look that Harry didn't really understand. "Because when flubberworms eat this lettuce it leaves behind two things, mucous and powdered gold dust."

"No way," Courtney whispered, her horse-face flushed with excitement.

"Yes way," Professor Longbottom said with a smile. "So, let's all get started."

The other students were as excited as Harry had ever seen them, listening closely as Professor Longbottom instructed them on the proper way to care for the strange golden plant he had brought with him. He handed out plants to each table, but Harry's table didn't get one.

"There is a special task that needs doing, if you don't mind," Professor Longbottom said after the other tables had got down to work. His voice seemed rather strained, and he had a big box in his hands that Harry couldn't see inside.

"These are flubberworms," the Professor said, placing the box down in front of them. It was full of maybe a hundred disgusting little worm things wriggling all over each other. "I need someone to make sure that they are all alive and healthy. You three don't mind doing it, do you?" Professor Longbottom was clearly refusing to look at Clytemnestra, although he seemed to be talking only to her.

"Um, wait a second..." Samantha started to say, staring at the box of flubberworms in front of her in horror.

"I don't mind," Clytemnestra said quietly, her dead eyes watching the worms squirm. Professor Longbottom nodded uncomfortably and walked away. Harry thought that he looked very troubled... almost guilty. Well, he should! Harry thought as he watched the professor walk over to one of the Hufflepuff tables. Why were they being singled out like this? Harry gulped and turned to look at the mass of flubberworms before him. Samantha was muttering furiously to herself as she reached into her bag to get her protective gloves while Clytemnestra calmly reached into the box and grabbed a slimy handful of the things. She must have something to do with this, it was almost as if she were being specifically punished for something. Whatever it was, she didn't seem to think it was unfair. Does that mean that she really was...? No, that didn't matter now. He needed to think about this later. Harry shook his head to clear it.

"You look like an idiot when you shake your head like that, Simba," Samantha said rudely, grimacing as she put her hand into the box. "Now hurry up and help me get this over with. I never agreed to help the silent princess with her issues." She glared at Clytemnestra, who said nothing; her face a perfect masks as she calmly focused all her attention on the flubberworms.

Harry sighed and pulled his own gloves out of his bag. This was not at all how he had expected the class to go.