Once again, Anezka found herself waking a few hours before dawn, stiff from the odd angle she had contorted herself into on the couch. The fireplace was still smoldering from the fire that had been lit the previous evening to combat the basement chill, depriving her of a spot to smoke without anyone smelling. Realizing that finding a place to take a drag was going to be even more complicated than finding the time, she swore crankily as she stretched. The thought crossed her mind that maybe it was time she quit. She'd only concocted and started smoking the things cause it was her mother's most hated habits, coffee, smoking and mild narcotics all wrapped up with magic.

With a yawn she stretched on to find her hand smacking into something cold and lumpy. "Uhhhh . . . what a stupid place to leave a plate of congealed pot roast!" Wiping her hand on the side of her shirt, she finished sitting upright and realized that she was famished. With a longing look at the pot roast, she wondered why and by whom it was left. A quick warming spell would make it edible again, but her suspicious nature got the better or her. No one would have left it for her. The Argent girls frankly didn't seem that nice, and she hadn't really talked to anyone else, so she highly doubted one of her classmates had left it. Even more dubious of an idea was that Snape had left it - and if he had, surely it was poisoned. With a small laugh, she reveled in the fact that her plan had worked thus far. She loved how the man so obviously felt trapped. He hated her but feared familial retribution if he did more than just yelled at her. That transfig Prof though, she was going to be a tough one. Anezka wondered what her name was again - MacOgle, Goggles? The thought crossed her mind that she really ought to do something about her short-term memory or lack thereof but she shrugged it off and finished standing. Taking a final longing glance at the plate, she finally reached over and shoved a few forkfuls in her mouth. After choking down a few bites, she reached for a cig and realized once again that she couldn't smoke it in the common room and felt that wandering the castle two early mornings in a row might be risky. Instead, she pulled out her Discman, deciding if she couldn't have physical stimulation, then she might as well have mental.

Within ten seconds of doing so, the plastic device was bouncing off one of the coarse stone walls, shattering into a thousand shards. The noise of it breaking was only overshadowed by her loud profanity. She had not realized that her muggle device would not work, despite all the enchantments she had put on it and now as she looked regretfully at the broken pieces on the floor, wishing she had put a cushioning spell on it.

"Well, there's nothing for it. Going to have to get the radio." Musical devices were the one place that Anezka believed the muggle had far outstripped the magical, but yet, stashed away somewhere in her trunk was a seldom used magical radio that would have to do. In the end it was for the best as she only owned about four CDs, three of which were bought by her mother, so were of course, useless and annoying music.

After having found her way in the dark to her room, she shuffled quietly, hoping to avoid a replay of the scene from the previous night. After successfully finding the radio wrapped up in an old t-shirt, she shoved it under an arm, grabbed a clean-ish uniform from the pile of laundry she had removed from the trunk in her search and headed to the bathroom.

After setting up the radio on the edge of one of the sinks and tuning into the WWN, she started the water in the shower. As the newscast, blathering on and on about the hunt for Sirius Black, droned on, she quickly stripped down and stepped under the water, enjoying to warmth. With half an ear she listened to all the updates, and wondered vaguely why the ministry had sent Dementors to Hogwarts. As far as she could tell 'to protect the children' was just a bunch of PR to make it sound like a good idea. Nasty buggers they were, to her mind. Her rule was never trust anything if you couldn't easily slit its throat, but clearly the British Ministry had different ideas.
The news ended and music suddenly filled the room, along with Nezza's very shaky and not all together on key alto, singing along. "Oh, my poor heart, where has it gone? It's left me for a spell . . . "

"Oh, dear sweet baby Merlin, I do not know which is more terrifying, the fact that you are singing along to Celestina Warbeck, or how badly you are singing along." Dawn had come by this time and Jade had risen and arrived in the bathroom for her morning primping.
Nezza stuck her damp head out of the shower. "What? I fuckin' LOVE this song!"

A horrified smile crossed the girl's face. "You know, somehow that doesn't surprise me."


Herbology, break, Charms, lunch, Muggle Studies, Ancient Runes. The paper listing Nezza's classes for the day glared in the morning light of the Great Hall, next to her breakfast plate. "Well, my day is starting on a high note then quickly nose-diving into an ever descending spiral down the toilet." She said to no one in particular. "Might as well say, Herbology, boredom, wand-waving, food, nap time and hell." Gretchen tried to give a sympathetic smile around the piece of dry toast she was eating, even though her eyes were on the tray full of sausages.

Jade didn't even look up from where her nose was scraping her Divination text, except to roll her eyes and quietly kick her sister under the table when she spoke up. "Could be worse, you could have History of Magic in the same day too." Onyx said.

"So, what's the Prof - what's her name? - for Herbology like? Any good, or just one of those tool bags that is better talking to plants then human beings?"

"Oh, Professor Sprout is alright. Her classes are usually interesting enough, and definitely a fair grader. Though, I'm not continuing on with Herbology. We both will be in Ancient Runes with you though."

"Goody?" There was what seemed to be a chink in the sarcastic tone that permeated Nezza's words. It was almost as if she truly didn't know whether or not she was supposed to be excited or even remotely pleased by the prospect of sharing a class with the twins.

"I have Herbology as well, do you need me to show you the way?" Gretchen finally spoke up, washing her toast down with some black tea, no sugar.

Anezka's face was a mix of incredulity and humor. "What, you mean the big glass buildings next to the castle?" Gretchen nodded, clearly not picking up on the sardonic tone. "Yeah, I think I can manage thanks." The words, while not entirely sincere, were not spoken meanly. She followed this by lifting up a tray in offering. "Chocolate scone?"

Gretchen's eyes grew large and greedy, and her hand slowly reached for one, then quickly dropped. "No thanks." She growled a cranky tone in her voice and walked away, covering her nose and mouth, as if to block out all hunger-inducing smells.

"Poor Gretch. I think not only did you compromise her diet, but that you also foiled her attempts to make you her new best friend. I must say that's the first clever thing you've done since you arrived." Onyx quipped.

"Why's that?"

"Well, let's see, she simple and selfish, to start off with." Jade started

Onyx nodded. "Yes, but even those we couldn't really hold against her. But she's also petty, vain and vindictive. We should know as we've shared a dorm with her for the past five years. I mean, we even tried being nice the first few terms."

Anezka snorted by way of a laugh. "That long, eh?"

"Yes, well she didn't give us much inclination to keep trying, seeing as she copied my second year end of term Astrology essay, and turned it in before me so I couldn't get any credit for it."

"And started telling everyone that our parents were avid supporters of He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named."

"Aren't they?"

"They have more important things to do then trail around on some maniac's coattails." Jade scoffed at Anezka's question. "In general she's sneaky and mean."

"And that is diffrent from any other Slytherin . . . how?"

The girls sighed in unison. "Because she's stupid enough that everyone knows that she's doing it."


Nezza skipped out of breakfast early. Her absences from meals were becoming common in the short day that she had been at school, but for the first time out of the past three meals, she actually missed part of her meal time to be early to class.

Inhaling deeply the minute she was in the greenhouse, she felt a sense of tranquillity wash over her along with the familiar scents of potting soil, greens and the sweet scent of Valerian flowers. Looking around to get her bearings as to how the greenhouse was laid out, she didn't notice when a short, middle aged witch who was just a little podgy, entered in behind her, trowel in hand, dirt under fingernails. "Yes, this one is one of my favorite of the greenhouses, as well. The smell is glorious in here, isn't it?"

The kind question gave Nezza a start, making her trip ever so slightly over her own feet. "Yeah, I smell Valerian, belladonna and what's that third scent?"

"Most likely the aconite. It too has a sweet smell. I always found it curious how the poisons always smell the nicest." The professor paused, sized up the girl in front of her and smiled. "You must be Anezka, the new girl."

Her black brow arched. "Must I be? Cause, really, I'm not that new. I've got at least two previous owners."

The professor laughed, a merry, earthy laugh. "Aren't you clever? I'm Professor Sprout. I was quite keen to have you in my class when I saw your transcripts. I understand your mother is an Herb Witch?"

Anezka face contorted in an inscrutable mix of suspicion and concern. "Yeah, she is. So?"

Again, Sprout chuckled mirthfully. "I was always fascinated by the concept. Is it true that she has no magical capabilities?"

"Nope. Not a bit. Total squib. Can't even make a wand fuckin' spark."

"Would you mind not using such language, please?" The words were kindly spoken, yet firm.

She shrugged. "It's your greenhouse. But anyway, yeah, she can't cast for shi . . . she can't cast at all, charms scare her, and the only things she sees in her tea leaves are whether or not she was drinking Assam or oolong."

"But she can brew?" Sprout's attention was rapt.

"Weeeell . . . 'brew' is such a generic term. I've seen first years brew better draughts, but she's pretty handy by way of cold-remedies and burn salves and memory potions. Most of 'em are based in holistic muggle remedies and the like, but incorporating some of the more magical plants. Some good sedatives . . .but yeah. I've practically grown up in one of these. She can make any plant grow like no bodies business." She gestured widely to encompass the greenhouse.

"Well, she must have taught you well, your Herbology scores on the OWLS were astounding despite your hectic school schedule the past few years."

"The fact that we were traveling specifically to study different cultures herbs and remedies might have had something to do with it too. Just a thought." The professor ignored the first sign of the student's reputed attitude in what had so far been a pleasant enough conversation and proclaimed that she hadn't realized that had been the purpose of Anezka's family's sojourning. "Yeah. Mum had a start-up business. We traveled all over the place. Got a loan from her Dad so she could rent out shop space in each place we went. I learned about some crazy wicked plants but the company went bust last year."

"A pity." Sprout tutted. "Why?"

"Well, when the stupid bint left dad, she went broke trying to buy muggle plane tickets all the damn time, when she couldn't side-along apperate or port-key with him anymore. That's why I came here."

Before Sprout could express any sympathy, concern or intrigue at this information, other students started wandering into the conservatory from breakfast. "Alright class, please hurry along to your benches. We've got a busy session for our first class. We are harvesting the last of the Mandrakes from last year and preserving them before they wilt entirely. Please make sure to wear your ear protection, just because they are wilting does not mean their screaming is not as potent."

As the class started their task, the plants screams started echoing in the glass building and Nezza pulled the large potted plant to her. Pulling the plant, she discovered that its roots resembled a wizened old man, which looked something like her great uncle Ludis. It's gnarled and dirt speckled face sneered at her and started screaming loudly, and an idea that had often surfaced in her imagination when reading about mandrakes overtook her imagination.

Professor Sprout didn't know what to make of the noise that she heard over the sound of the plants, until she hurried to the back of the classroom. "Miss Sova! If you scream back at the mandrake, it will not pass out."


Doc Marten boots were not entirely conducive to running, but that didn't stop Anezka from tearing a reckless trail across the green and into the main entrance of the castle. She had to see an unfortunately pimply fifth year about an acne solution, but first had to run all the way to her dorms to collect said solution, and then out to the Quidditch pitch, and back to the third floor for Charms at the end of her break. She was not one for athletics, but if running meant a galleon and a half per bottle of a potion she had a full stock of then so be it. If it also meant asphyxiation from the panting for breath, then so be that as well.

Skidding dangerously parallel to the ground, she rounded the last corner on the way to the third floor stair case, taking very little heed to what first years and house elves had to jump from her path. She merely held her head down and charged, only stopping when she collided into something hard and unyielding. Her proclamations of surprise and discomfort where echoed by the sound on bottles chinking on the ground, magically not breaking.

"What in Merlin's name!"

"OW!" She rubbed her head and it was then she saw the tall, imposing figure looming over where she now sat, sprawled on the ground from bouncing off the professor, the vials he carried scattered around her legs.

"I will have you know that your running around like a three-legged Hippogriff has cost me a month's worth of brewing and a full year's supply of Madame Pomfry's favorite cough potion."

She glanced down at the ampoules that occupied the floor with her. "They aren't broken, y'know." She held one up as proof that her snide comment was true.

"Amazingly, Miss Sova, even I am capable of a simple cushioning charm. However, unlike the inferior, commercially produced cold potions, this particular brew cannot be jostled or shaken until the moment of consumption, and there is no way to cease the activation of the draught after it's been agitated."

"Really? That's pretty damned clever. . . ." If he had listened to her words more closely, he might have noted the actual admiration in her tone, but simply heard the sarcasm instead.

"I'm thrilled that you think so. You can continue in your wonderment during the detentions you will be serving with me every evening until the brew is replaced."

"Aww, Snapeykins . . . you do care! Y'know, if you were lonely, you could've just invited me over for a cup of tea or something."

Her farcical remarks only served to deepen his frown. "Ten points for your flippant remarks," He paused and pulled and worn, silver pocket watch from his waistcoat. "And another ten for being late to your Charms Class."

She followed suit but the time piece she looked at was a bright pink swatch that was tragically worn around the edges. "So I get the whole discouraging bad behavior thing and all, but it's going to look really shitty if your house loses the Cup cause you take away points for something that hasn't happened. I've got a minute and fourteen seconds before I'm late."

"And you intend to run all the way up the flight of stairs and down the entire length of the third floor corridor, risking collision and injury to others, just so you will not be considered tardy?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

Snape considered for a moment. "The points will remain off unless you are firmly seated in the Classroom before the last stroke of the bell with no collateral damage along the way."

She left in a blur, the sounds of shoelaces tapping against the floor and murmured curses echoing back to where Snape gathered up the now ruined potions.


"Right on time Miss Sova, how excellent." Professor Flitwick smiled merrily as Anezka dove for the first available desk, almost overshooting herself and narrowly escaping a crash landing to the floor with pin wheeling arms. He seemed entirely unbothered by her hurried punctuality, flailing limbs or gasping for breath.

"My . . . pleasure . . . " She wheezed.

"Class, I'm sure not all of you have had a chance to be formally introduced to our newest student." Flitwick chirped kindly, gesturing to the girl. "This is Anezka Sova, recently returned to England from .. . Bulgaria, was it?"

"Romania . . . " It was the quietest word that had come from Anezka's mouth since she arrived. Being the center of attention was one thing - she was good at that and quite enjoyed being so on her own terms. But being presented in front of twenty students by a teacher unnerved her, despite it having happened often in her life.

Twenty pairs of eyes turned to look at her. Rather, eighteen pairs of eyes turned to look at her while Onyx pretended to be tying her shoe and Jade kept a rapt attention on her fingernails as if she found them entirely scintillating. "I'm sure those of you that have already met her will continue to show her around, and that those of you who haven't will be sure to give themselves friendly introduction. Now, let us go over the syllabus for this year's class." With the smoothest swish and flick of a wrist, Flitwick sent scrolls of parchments floating to each desk. "As you will see, most of this first term is going to be focusing on the rather tricky Aguamenti charm, with a few breaks here and there. We shall test out on that charm after the New Year and begin our second term projects, Confundis and Obliviate and all of their modifications. That will take us to Easter break after which time we will start on the Fidelius charm. Now, if you would all please retrieve your wands . . ."

Nezza shrank back into her seat, breathing a sigh of relief that everyone was now looking away. Pulling her wand from where it was haphazardly stashed in her bag, she peered through two uncooperative hanks of hair that dangled in her face, trying to make out what the enchanted chalk was writing on the slate at the front of the class.

She managed to follow along mostly, but was finding the beginning incantation tricky. "No no Miss Sova, let your wrist roll gently. It's not a cattle prod to jab with. Swish and flick, remember." Flitwick's instructions were kindly spoken, yet firm in purpose. She tried again, causing the small man to chuckle gently, while still backing away ever so slightly to avoid any fallout. "Shaking it harder will bear no effect. I often find, when trying new spells to slow down my wand movements, just til I grasp the knack for them."

Anezka's eye roll distracted the professor from noticing that her ears were turning bright pink. With a look of resolution and with overly articulated gestures, she dashed her wand and uttered the conjuration, enunciating each word as clearly as her accent would allow, sending a spritz of water dribbling from the end of her wand.

Before Flitwick could extol her valiant and mostly successful attempt, he notice the dampness that was seeping through the bottom of his robes.


"My wand peed on a professors leg!" Anezka sat, staring blankly into her luncheon of stew, once again repeating the embarrassing mantra in a monotone vocalization

"You know, of all the absurd and awkward things you've done in your forty-eight hours here, I'd hardly consider that to be the one to flagellate yourself over." Onyx said, taking a sip of pumpkin juice.

Anezka's nose wrinkled. "Has your wand ever urinated on a member of staff?" She challenged with toss of her head. "No? Didn't think so."

"Maybe because we actually passed our first year charms classes and know how to swish and flick." Jade sneered back at her.

Onyx glared at her sister for a moment. "It's understandable. You've been to so many different schools. I am sure they teach differently." She paused, and for a moment an expression crossed her face making her look like the quintessence of timidity. "If you want, I'm actually pretty handy with charms. I could go over some of the bits you're not as sure about with you. If you like." The offer was made with great hesitation and a large effort to seem casual. It was also made in rebellion against the disapproving glare of her sister.

"What do I have to do in return?" Grey eyes narrowed and peered suspiciously across the table.

"Umm . . . nothing?" Onyx still seemed unsure of herself.

"Oh. That's alright then. Just didn't want to wake up some morning with a Slave-Spell on me and end up having to lick your shoes clean, just for you looking over my homework for me."

An aghast expression crossed Onyx's face. "What kind of jerk would even think about doing that?"

"My cousin Vali."

"Oh . . . I'm sure he's not a jerk. . . ."

"Nah, he's a jerk. Right piss-ant."

"Alright then. So, you do want me to help you then?"

Anezka shrugged artlessly. "Might as well. Gotta pass, don't I? And charms isn't the easiest to get someone to pass it for me, now are they?"


The rumblings through the class started as soon as Professor Burbage started chronicling the details of the first term's assignments. For all that Muggle Studies was supposed to be a 'soft' option, the assignment on the board grew more and more daunting as the teacher's handwriting filled more of the slate. At the top, the title read "Muggle Book Reports", with the sub-heading of "Studying Muggle Literature and discussing how it can be applied to the Magical Worlds."

1. Pick a piece of Classical Muggle Literature to read and study
2. Do a brief study of the time period it was written in so as to fully understand the context.
3. Complete an outline of the work's basic plot (antagonists, protagonists, story arc, thematic elements, etc)
4. Complete a five page essay on how the lessons learned in the work can be applied in the magical world.

The professor spun around and rubbed the chalk dust off her fingers. "Any questions so far, class?"

Only one slender hand with chewed up nails shot up in the back of the class. "Yeah, does it have to be fiction?"

Professor Burbage wasn't sure which unnerved her more, the fact that a student seemed keen enough on the project that usually inspired groans, or the fact that the particular student was a Slytherin. Attendance from students in that House were rather a commodity in her subject. It was almost as rare as having a muggle-born take the course, but as there was also a third-year girl who was taking the class despite growing up in a completely magic free home, so to her way of thinking, it must just be the year of firsts. "Well, no. If you wish to use a non-fiction work, as long as it is a classical piece, you may. I must say though, that it will complicate the assignment quite a bit." The girl, obscured by the extraordinarily tall Ravenclaw boy in front of her, didn't have a response, so Professor Burbage continued. "Now, for a literary work to be considered a 'classic', it must be a well known work, that is well written and of good quality that has stood the test of time - and before anyone asks, that means no, the latest installment of Goosebumps does not qualify. The book must have a certain universal appeal and it must most certainly have some kind of theme or universal truth. I have a list of suggestions with a brief synopsis of each option if you are stuck for ideas. Please take the time to look over them quietly, and submit your book of choice to me by the end of class, with your name and house listed to at the top of the parchment - I do not wish to play guessing games of who is reading what. Keep in mind, no one may read the same book as someone else. The point is to learn about different books during the presentations at the end of the semester."

The rest of the class went by in a flurry of papers and two Gryffindor girls bickering over who chose to read Pride and Prejudice first. As the bell rung, her desk was quickly assaulted by a mass of papers, all bearing names and titles, all piling up so quickly that she couldn't see who was handing her what. Long after the class had departed, she started flicking through them, most of the titles familiar and well known, all selections from her list, with a few newer and more creative choices. It wasn't until she reached the last paper that her stomach knotted.

At the top in a childish scrawl full of large loops and messy lines read Anezka Sova, Slytherin, and below it a title of a book that was probably the work most befitting a Slytherin but that was also the last book she'd ever want a Slytherin to get their hands on. It was bound to be an interesting term. . .


Anezka sat in the Ancient Runes - or Ruins as Nezza had redubbed it. Professor Babbling was apparently one of those teachers that felt a warm up pop-quiz was the perfect way to start a year. As if the fact that she now had a series of runic inscriptions to translate sitting in front of her and her having not even dusted off her Syllabary in 2 years wasn't bad enough, they were all in the Anglo-Saxon Futhark, while she was always trained in Hungarian runes. After fumbling through the first three, trying to spot the similarities in the symbols she knew and the ones in front of her, she decided to just write a load of rubbish down and sparing herself the headache, and hoping there would be extra credit before the end of term. Pop quizzes couldn't count for much towards the grade, and no one had to know but her and the prof that she didn't have a clue.

"Alright students, as we have eight lines and eight students, I thought we could each take a line and read out our translations and see what we all came up with."

FUCK! Anezka screamed to herself, suddenly trying to come up with better solutions, as others read their answers off.

"Hrothgar, rune-master, lies buried here with his secrets," read one student when prompted.

Another continued on with the next line. "For with him buried lie his blood soaked stones" Jade spoke her translation assuredly

Babbling interrupted here. "Generally that translates to blood-written stones, but it's a subtle diffrence. Next line please."

"For the charms he cast held power over earth and sky"

"Life and death held no sway"

"Risen up were men who once breathed dirt."

"You missed several words, it's supposed to be 'Risen up were men who once breathed but now lived in dirt'." The professor corrected again.

"And where he went they followed as a curse"

It was Onyx's turn to read. "But what he sought of them were the question that now lingers on his tomb,"

There was a pause. "Would you care to read your translation of the last line of the inscription, Miss Sova?"

Anezka looked up in terror, and then with a sigh began to read from her parchment. "The Question of," that had been all she had managed to translate then she had made the remainder up. " . . .would you like a side of chips with that?"