Hogwarts Again - A New Generation
Chapter 9 - The First Day
So, here's your next chapter.
Do I really have to write the Disclaimer for every chapter? Fine, fine. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter, and I am not JKR.
The Ravenclaw first years had Charms first. The twins got up and filed out of the dining room with their House, eager for their first lesson with Professor Flitwick.
They were to take their Charms classes with the Gryffindor. When everyone had settled down, Professor Flitwick called for silence and proceeded to start a roll call.
"Now, your first charm is the Levitation Charm," he started. "The Levitation Charm is a charm used to make objects fly or levitate. There are a number of lesser variations of the Levitation Charm, such as the Hover Charm, the Rocket Charm, and the Floating Charm, but the Levitation Charm remains the original and best.
"The Levitation Charm was invented in 1544 by warlock Jarleth Hobart who mistakenly believed that he had at last succeeded in doing what wizardkind had so far failed to do, and learnt to fly. His first public demonstration failed, but he later realised that his spell could make objects levitate for varying lengths of time, depending on the skill of the spell-caster and on the weight of the object. He also concluded that small animals or even children could be levitated, but that they had no control whatsoever of their movement once airborne.
"He thus made a second announcement. Hobart's demonstration was by far more successful than the first one. He showed the onlookers how he could easily levitate objects ranging from small rocks to fallen trees.
"Thus, he is credited for inventing this charm. The Levitation Charm has one disadvantage: it does not work on human beings. Though a human can be levitated using this charm, it is actually their clothing that is being affected. The charm is apparently not strong enough to allow a human to do anything more than float a few feet off the air using this method, and therefore does not allow the true flight afforded to most other objects.
"The wand movement for this charm is a swish and a flick" - here, he twirled his wand - "Practise the movement. Yes. Very good. Now, the incantation is 'Wingardium Leviosa'. Repeat after me, Wingardium Leviosa.
"Now, you will all try to levitate the feather in front of you. Remember, your wand is only for channeling your magic, not the source. Try to channel the magic inside you through the wand."
The twins had dutifully taken notes like every other Ravenclaw, but Daisy was more interested in the whole story of warlock Jarleth Hobart's demonstration. But she decided to look that up later. Now, she concentrated on levitating the feather. By the end of the class, all of the Ravenclaws had succeeded. A few Gryffindors couldn't levitate it, the feather only wriggled a bit, but Professor Flitwick told them that it was alright if they didn't get it right away, and that they were only going to revise it the next class, and they could practice at that time.
At the 10 minute break before their next class, Daisy and Ivy looked through 'The Book of Spells', and found warlock Jarleth Hobart's story of demonstrations.
Apparently, he climbed onto the roof of the local Church, and cast the levitation spell on himself, and was left hovering in mid-air. At first, he seemed to have succeeded but after having spent three minutes watching him hanging in mid-air, the crowd grew impatient to see him move somewhere. In response to the catcalls, Hobart tried to move in midair, which produced no effect. Mistakenly believing that his clothes were making him heavier, Hobart stripped thus making him fall to the ground below, as it were the clothes that were holding him up in the air. He fell completely naked on the ground, broke some bones, and received a fine for "outrageous silliness".
Hobart returned home, humiliated, where he realised that his spell could make objects levitate for varying lengths of time, depending on the skill of the spell-caster and on the weight of the object. He also concluded that small animals or even children could be levitated, but that they had no control whatsoever of their movement once airborne.
He thus made a second announcement, and an even larger crowd gathered to see his second demonstration of the spell (hoping for another laugh at his expense). Hobart's demonstration was, at first, by far more successful than the first one: he showed the onlookers how he could easily levitate objects ranging from small rocks to fallen trees. Hobart decided that, for a finale, he would levitate the Chief Warlock's hat. What he managed to levitate, however, was the Chief's wig, exposing his bald head to the gathered crowd. The Chief was not amused, and was determined to duel Hobart, but the Warlock levitated the Chief's robes over his head, and ran for it.
Ivy and Daisy found it extremely funny and spent three whole minutes just laughing, but they suddenly realised that they were going to be late for their next class, which was History of Magic. They hurriedly set off to the classroom and were relieved to find that they weren't late, after all.
They had heard that History of Magic was a very very boring subject. So boring that not even the Ravenclaws listened. It was taught by the ghost teacher Professor Binns. They heard that he fell asleep in the staff room and died in slumber, but didn't notice, and just continued teaching the next day. Daisy couldn't understand how anyone could not notice that they were dead and were a ghost, for Merlin's sake.
Professor Binns didn't take roll calls. He just started the lesson at the strike of the clock. Daisy tried to listen at first, she really did. The teacher spoke in a monotone, a constant hum, like a lawn mower, except with words.
"In your first class, you will learn about how magic was discovered. The first people who were gifted with magic were, of course, Muggles. How they first discovered magic, many of us can probably guess. The first people who had magic were two enemies, a man and a woman, who were always fighting from the moment they met each other. When they were doing some work in the ancient days, they got into a fight, and started shouting. And, as it happens for many of us, I'm sure, they projected magic in their rage.
"It surprised them so much that they stopped fighting, and, afraid of their own abilities, fled to a nearby, but uninhabited, cave. Gradually, they learned that they could do special things, a myth that they believed to be called 'magic', and learnt to control their powers and use them for good. They decided that they needed more people with magic, and went in search of them."
Daisy could hardly concentrate. The professor's voice was a comfortable hum, lulling her to sleep. Her eyes drooled. No! She snapped them open and glanced at her twin. Ivy was already asleep. Well, if her sister slept, then she could too. No! She blinked, trying to banish the sleepiness from her eyes.
"Finding no other people with abilities like theirs," {rofessor Binns continued. "They decided that they needed to make some, and married each other. Their children, of course, had magic -'' Daisy fell asleep. When she woke up, the teacher was still droning on, but at that moment, the bell marked the end of the lesson, and Ivy woke up to the sudden sound.
Oops, she mouthed, when Daisy told her they'd been asleep the whole time. But, they agreed to read the book before they went to sleep that night. Professor Binns drifted into the blackboard and the students filed out sleepily.
The next class was Potions. Professor Slughorn, the Head of Slytherin House, had taken up the class after the Battle of Hogwarts. They all waited outside the dungeon classroom and then went inside when he told them to. The older Ravenclaws had told them that Slughorn had taken a huge part in the Second Wizarding War. That he had had a club named 'The Slug Club' - what a horrible name - to which he invited students with rich or powerful backgrounds. But, he had apparently realised his mistake and stopped all that after the War.
"Come on, now, don't be lazy, each take a cauldron," he said immediately. "For your first class, we are going to study Cure for Boils. Take out your textbooks."
There was a shuffle as everyone reached into their bags and took out their books.
"The Cure for Boils is a potion which removes boils, such as those produced by the Pimple Jinx. Being an effective remedy against pustules, hives, boils and many other scrofulous conditions, this is a robust potion of powerful character. Take care when brewing. Prepared incorrectly, this potion has been known to cause boils, rather than cure them." He spoke with a hint of a lazy drawl, but otherwise, he was brisk and a little business-like.
The twins each took a cauldron and settled the things they would need for the potion. Looking at their textbooks, they started brewing.
1. Add crushed snake fangs to your cauldron and stir.
2. Slice your Pungous Onions finely and place in the cauldron, then heat the mixture.
3. Add dried nettles.
They chatted with their classmates about everything, but paid attention to the potion, too. Ivy asked a girl, Anna Wit, a Pureblood, about the whole Parseltongue thing.
"Oh, there's nothing much to say," she answered, grinning. "The Slytherins have created a club called the 'Garden Group'. So innocent, the teachers would think." She giggled. "Its named that because, apparently, the Parselmouth loved Garden Snakes and till this day, they always keep one in their secret meeting place. That's all I know. If you want to join and learn Parseltongue, too, speak to your Prefect." She turned back to her cauldron and the twins exchanged looks.
4. Add a dash of Flobberworm Mucus and stir vigorously.
5. Add a sprinkle of powdered ginger root and stir vigorously again.
6. Add pickled Shrake spines.
7. Stir 5 times, clockwise, gently, so as not to over excite the Shrake spines.
"Not so soon," Daisy whispered. "Maybe next year or something. We need to concentrate on earning a good reputation, and then surprise everyone with our pranks." Ivy nodded, her eyes gleaming with mischief that was bottled for later.
8. Add a glug of stewed horned slugs.
9. Add porcupine quills.
10. Finally, wave your wand over the cauldron to finish the potion.
They waved their wands over their potions just as the bell rang. They quickly took a sample, labeled it and handed it over to Professor Slughorn before collecting their things and exiting the classroom.
The rest of the day was quite uneventful. They ate lunch, attended some more classes, ate dinner, answered the Knocker's questions, and before going to sleep, they remembered to read the History of Magic textbook. Their dorm mates came to see what the twins were doing and joined them as well.
They read about how the first wizard and witch fled to the cave and learnt to control their abilities and had children. Then their children were taught how to use it in necessary times. And, as the family grew, they decided to call themselves 'Wizards' and 'Witches'. The first part ended at that, and the twins went to bed, and were asleep the moment their heads touched the pillows, exhausted by their long first day at Hogwarts.
So, did you like this chapter? If you have any ideas, please don't hesitate to tell me. Constructive criticism is appreciated.
A/N: *Bold* is text from the textbook that the twins are using.