Chapter 8
Poems and Pens
The spiraling staircase ended at a blank wall. Hermione stared at the grey stone for a few breaths, then pulled her wand from her pocket and began to tap each stone block in turn, thinking of the entrance to Diagon Alley. Her efforts accomplished nothing, no opening appearing before her. Next, she recalled the doorknob that had grown from Mr. Scot's office door in London. Closing her eyes, Hermione imagined a door materializing on the stretch of plain stone in front of her. When she opened her eyes, the wall remained blank.
"Open sesame," Hermione said sarcastically, waving her wand with a flourish.
Unsurprisingly, nothing happened, and Hermione thought, "I'm not sure what I would have done if that had somehow worked."
Her next idea came from the method used to enter the Ravenclaw common room. Placing a palm against the wall, Hermione focused on sending her intention into the stone.
"I would like to enter Rowena's room," Hermione thought, belatedly adding, "...please."
At first, nothing changed. Feeling defeated, Hermione began to turn away, planning to try again later, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed an inscription on one of the stone blocks that had not been there before. She spun back and looked closer at the letters appearing one at a time as if quickly carved by an invisible hand. Before the fourth line of the message had finished revealing itself, Hermione opened to a blank page in one of her notebooks and began writing. When she completed transcribing the words, Hermione sat down on the top step to read.
"Four doors that never open,
Except to their own kind,
Three forever locked,
Once the hat has seen your mind,
To get around the locks,
A clever witch must climb,
Up the tallest tower,
Which sadly is not mine,
Next to deepest dungeon,
Where only torches shine,
Then seek a place of warmth,
Filled with smells so fine,
Return here once again,
If you possess the spine,
Answer me one riddle more,
And secrets you shall find,"
Hermione thought through each line, trying to make sense of the poem, "Based on the reference to a hat, I think the first two lines are talking about the house common rooms. Figuring out which of the towers is tallest won't be hard, and maybe there are more dungeons below the Potion's classroom, but what am I supposed to find?"
Deciding to get Li's opinion, Hermione made her way down the steps to her dormitory, but when she entered the room, Li wasn't there.
Resolving to read the poem a few more times before checking to see if Li had gone down to the common room, Hermione examined each line and pondered its meaning. As she began counting the syllables in each line of the poem, Padma, Li, and Mandy Brocklehurst walked into the room.
As they entered, Mandy said, "I think I'll wait to do Snape's homework until tomorrow. I heard the lecture hall classes are a joke, you can read or do homework and the Professors won't notice."
Padma, who Hermione had yet to hear speak a word, simply shrugged, set her bag down, and began putting her potions supplies back in her trunk.
"I hear McGonagall is pretty strict," Li told Mandy warningly, "Not sure about the other three though. Guess we'll find out tomorrow."
"Can't be any worse than Professor Snape," Hermione commented.
Li nodded in agreement, but Mandy said, "Well, he doesn't seem very nice, but I hear he's one of the best Potioneers in the country. My dad said he invented multiple potions when he was still at Hogwarts."
Hermione did not think skill or intelligence could justify Snape's discrimination, but wanting to avoid confrontation, she dropped the subject. Walking over to Li's bed, Hermione handed her the paper with the words she'd copied down.
Li read the poem, and when she looked up with a curious expression, Hermione subtly winked and said, "Want to go for a walk, Li?"
They exited the dormitory, and Hermione turned to the right and began to hurry up the stairs.
From behind her, Li called, "Where are you going?"
Not slowing, Hermione practically sprinted to the blank wall at the top of the stairs. She pressed her palm against it and waited for Li to round the corner.
When she saw Hermione, Li gave her an irritated look, and said, "Quit running off. We should talk about what happened in Potions."
"Later, that's not important right now," Hermione said impatiently, "Watch!"
Once she'd repeated her silent request, the words began to appear again.
"Look!" She said enthusiastically, pointing at the words.
Li adjusted her glasses and leaned in close, mouth silently moving as she read the words again.
"Well, what do you think?" Hermione asked.
"Hm, it's a kind of word puzzle or riddle. The first two lines are probably about the different houses" Li said sounding contemplative, "The part about the tower... I'm pretty certain the astronomy tower is the tallest of the three. The whole thing is definitely fascinating, I wonder how many students have discovered this."
The two of them spent the remaining time until dinner discussing possible interpretations of the poem and what might be in Rowena's room.
At six o'clock, they entered the Great Hall. Dinner had begun half an hour before, so many students were already sitting at each table. Hermione glanced up at the staff table and realized with a startled jump that Snape was staring at her. She cast her eyes down and quickly found a seat at the Ravenclaw table next to some second-year boys.
Li sat beside her and glanced from Hermione to the staff table, and back again before saying, "Can't believe they let him work here, what a pig."
Hermione, not wanting to think about it, filled her bowl with beef stew, then she grabbed a couple of rolls and began to butter them. She stayed focused on her meal until a great-horned owl landed beside her goblet of juice with a small thump and clatter of talons on wood. Seeming unperturbed, the boy on her right untied the scroll from its leg and affectionately patted the predatory bird before it flew off again.
Around the hall, at least fifty owls swooped and glided through the air. They landed in front of various students, delivering letters and small packages. Hermione even saw a large parcel being carried by two barn owls with unsettling dark eyes and oval masks of white plumage. It might have been her imagination, but many of the birds seemed to have haughty, judgmental expressions on their feathery faces.
Seeing the post being delivered reminded Hermione that she had promised to write to her parents and that Mr. Ollivander had invited her to write him with questions once she'd arrived at Hogwarts. Hermione had many questions for the elderly wand-maker, especially with her recent discovery of Ravenclaws Riddle.
"We still going to the library?" Li asked her, interrupting Hermione's musings.
"What?" Hermione said, only half hearing the question, "Oh... yeah, sure."
Li set her fork down and said, "Let's get going then, first-years can only stay until eight-thirty."
"How do you know that?" Hermione asked.
"It was in that letter about events and stuff," Li explained as they left the dining area, "There's different curfews for first, second, and third-years. We need to be in the dormitory by nine, the older kids can stay out until ten. I'm surprised you didn't already know that, you read the whole theory book but didn't read the one page of student information?"
"I skimmed it," Hermione told Li, "And I like reading interesting things, that letter wasn't all that interesting."
"That theory book is so dull, I fall asleep every time I try to read it," Li said with a laugh.
"Well it's dense, but there are fascinating parts," Hermione said defensively.
Li grinned and said, "You belong here more than any pure-blood, I'm pretty sure you're a genius."
Hermione waved the comment off, blushing slightly but smiling as she sheepishly replied, "No, I just made sure to read all our coursebooks because I knew I'd be behind everyone who grew up around witches and wizards."
Li's eyes opened wide and in an astonished voice she said, "You're serious. You read all of them? Why did the sorting hat take so long to put you in Ravenclaw?"
Not wanting to discuss the specifics of her interaction with the sorting hat, Hermione cast her eyes around for a distraction. She found one in the form of a small, impish man wearing bright colors, floating ten feet above them. As she looked up, the man noticed them, swooping down to hover in front of her and Li.
In a nasally voice, and with comedic formality, he bowed deeply and said, "A pair of first-years out for a stroll, how lovely to meet you. I am Peeves, what might I call you?"
His eyes had an orange glow, and his grin was lopsided and mischievous. Hermione and Li looked at each other, then back at the strange little man hovering a few feet off the ground.
"I'm Hermione Granger, and this is Susan Li," Hermione answered, trying to be polite.
Peeves giggled and floated upwards, and in a singsong voice said, "Another night but one less stranger, just met a squirrel whose name is Granger! And the shorter one, who is she? A big-eyed owl named Susan Li!"
Clearly delighted with his impromptu poem, Peeves soared off down a hallway cackling with glee. In the following silence, the two girls examined each other. Hermione had to admit, with her oval face, eyes magnified by thick spectacles, and the drooping sleeves of her robes that could be seen as wings, Li did look a bit like an owl.
After a pause, Li spoke in a serious tone, "I hope that rhyme doesn't get around because it's a little too true, and a little too catchy."
Hermione laughed, and they continued towards the library. When they arrived, Hermione fought the urge to explore, though she desperately wanted to stroll down the isles, drinking in the smell, and pulling random books from the shelves to peruse.
Instead, she and Li made their way back to the bibliographies section. Hermione searched for a book on Godric Gryffindor, but Li quickly grew impatient and told Hermione she was going to ask a librarian for help finding something. Ten minutes later, Hermione had a promising pair of books on the Gryffindor family and Li returned with a tall stack of books. They found a table and set their books down.
Hermione forgot about the Hogwarts founders as soon as she saw what Li had found.
"The standard book of spells for every year," Li proudly declared, laying the six books out side by side.
They spent the next hour looking through the books, pointing out intriguing spells to each other. Eventually, a librarian came along to inform them it was eight-fifteen, and that they needed to pack up. Li showed Hermione where she'd found the section with the spellbooks, then went back to the first floor to check out. Li borrowed a copy of 'Standard Book of Spells Year Two', and Hermione left with both of the books she had found on the Gryffindors.
When they reached the door with no handle that served as the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower, Hermione placed her palm against it, answering, "A candle," once the bronze eagle had asked its riddle.
Hermione had planned to try a spell or two before bed, but when she reached her dormitory, she realized how exhausted she felt. She brushed her teeth, changed out of her robes, and crawled into bed. Her body was fatigued, legs sore from walking all over the campus and up and down many flights of stairs. Despite this, Hermione lay awake for quite a while that night.
She thought about Professor Snape's look of hatred, of the poem she had found, and then she thought again of Mr. Ollivander.
"Did he use some kind of mind control on me?" Hermione wondered as she listened to the other three girls getting ready for bed, "He knew how much money I had, so he certainly read my mind somehow, but I also felt like he kept me from asking questions until the end. Was he repressing my curiosity with magic?"
That night, Hermione dreamed about her wand. It talked to her, saying she shouldn't trust Ollivander. In the dream, her wand appeared as a long-limbed creature made of smooth wood, the same spiral pattern that covered her wand's grip running across the creature's chest. From its eyes and mouth emanated a deep red glow that radiated power and heat.
In the morning, Hermione hazily recalled a dream with a red light, but it faded from her mind by the time she had gotten dressed. Li still snored loudly, so Hermione let her sleep.
She made her way down to the common room with her potions book and began summarizing the first three chapters. Feeling resentful towards Professor Snape, Hermione decided to do the absolute minimum required for the assignment, going so far as to intentionally remove a sentence to end with an even five hundred words.
Smiling at her small act of rebellion, Hermione returned to her dormitory. Li was still asleep, so Hermione put her potions book away, made sure she had everything she'd need for today's classes, and then set off towards the main castle.
As Hermione walked through a wide corridor, golden light shone through the windows above and reflected off a suit of armor standing against a wall. After getting through her first day, Hermione felt optimistic, and she found herself noticing details about the castle she had missed the day before.
The figures in the many paintings and tapestries did not stay still, they moved and talked, even exiting their frames and appearing on the next canvas over.
A painting she passed showed a group of wizards playing cards and they nodded to her as she passed, one tipped his hat, saying "How you do, Miss?"
Hermione looked out a window and saw people flying through the air on, what she assumed, must be broomsticks making her think, "I'm not sure about quidditch, but maybe flying on a broom could be fun."
Imagining being that high in the air made her stomach lurch with vertigo, and she looked away from the distant airborne people and thought, "Or maybe flying isn't for me."
Despite having walked the path between Ravenclaw tower and the entrance hall multiple times the day before, Hermione became lost. She backtracked until she determined that one of the staircases she had used the day before had moved. It now started next to a boys' bathroom, whereas before, she was almost certain it had been closer to a large glass trophy case full of shining cups, medals, engraved plates, and other awards.
"I should make a map," Hermione thought, when she finally found the entrance hall, "Neville could help me, he's good at drawing… And maybe I could use magic too?"
She continued to contemplate creating a magical map as she ate some bacon and porridge while sipping on a cup of delicious green tea. Li joined her as Hermione finished her second cup of tea.
Hermione waited while Li ate, then together they headed up to the fourth-floor to find 'Lecture Hall B', where all four of today's classes would take place. Hermione did her best to memorize the layout of the hallways, stairs, bridges, and balconies they used to reach the fourth floor.
After finding a door with a plaque that read, 'Lecture Hall A', they knew they were close. Further down the hallway, Li spotted the correct door. After stepping inside, they found themselves on the top level of four concentric half-circles, each a few feet lower than the one before. Desks and chairs were arranged along each descending tier, creating an effect similar to an amphitheater. A staircase ran down the middle of the room providing access to each tier of desks, and ending at a small stage with a podium. Mounted on the wall behind the podium were three enormous blackboards.
A few students had already found seats, and Hermione allowed Li to lead her to the second tier and they found two desks near the aisle. The four levels held more than a hundred desks, plenty for everyone in their year. By eight-thirty, three-quarters of the available chairs were full, and their Professor arrived.
He floated directly through the center blackboard and stopped in front of the podium. Throughout the hall muttering conversations began, but the man at the front of the room cleared his semi-transparent throat and the room quieted slightly.
"I am Professor Binns," he said in a flat, dry voice, "In this class we will focus on history."
Hermione looked around and saw many other students looking as surprised as she felt that a ghost would be their teacher.
Professor Binns continued, no fluctuation to his speech, just a consistent monotone, "For this class you will need 'A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot'. Beyond that, you will need parchment, ink, and quills for taking notes. I have been teaching this subject for over ninety years and I will tolerate no shenanigans, rough-housing, or tomfoolery in my classroom. Today we will discuss events covered in chapter one of our textbook, there will be no need to talk,"
Professor Binns then began his lecture. Hermione listened for a while, ready to write down anything not mentioned in her book. After listening for ten minutes, it became clear to Hermione that Mandy Brocklehurst might have been right about the uselessness of the lecture hall classes. This class could be fascinating, but all Binns seemed to be doing was covering the dates and basic facts discussed in the book, not providing any additional insights or details. He made goblin rebellions sound less exciting than herding sheep.
Feeling slightly guilty, but also quite bored, Hermione opened to a fresh page in her notebook and started writing a letter to her parents. Every few minutes she would tune back into Professor Binns lecture, but each time she did, she felt more certain there was no point in listening.
By the end of the class, half the students looked to have fallen asleep, and the other half had begun reading books or doodling on scraps of parchment. Before floating through the wall to exit the room, Professor Binns assigned them homework.
"Read chapters one and two of your textbook and write down any dates in connection with goblin rebellions. Over the next two months you will all be creating a timeline of events leading up to the first goblin war."
The first-years filed up the stairs and into the fourth-floor corridor. They spread out and found benches to sit on or walls to lean against. Hermione and two other girls went back to the third floor where she'd seen a bathroom. When she was done, she found a window ledge near the other first-years with enough of a lip to sit on. She finished the letter she'd been writing and joined the crowd as they re-entered the classroom.
Hermione and Li returned to the same desks as before, but this time Padma sat on Hermione's other side. A man with a purple turban perched on his head stood below them near the podium looking extremely nervous.
In a stuttering voice, he introduced himself as Professor Quirrell, their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
"Today I will d-d-discuss the difference between a curse and a j-j-jinx," Quirrell began, causing Hermione to groan.
Yet again, their lesson came straight from chapter one of the class textbook. Hermione retrieved ''The Lies, Truths, and Secrets of Rowena Ravenclaw' from her bag and opened to where she'd left off the day before.
Towards the end of the lesson, Padma leaned over and whispered the first words Hermione had heard the girl speak, "I'm out of ink, can I borrow a jar? I can pay you for it."
Hermione immediately felt uncomfortable, because she had no jars of ink. Knowing it would mark her as different, but wanting to help, Hermione reached into her bag and pulled out a ballpoint pen. She held it out to Padma and the other girl took it from her.
She finished the sentence she'd been writing, the lines of the pen much thinner than the strokes of the quill had been.
"How do I refill it?" Padma asked, looking curiously at the simple pen in her hand.
Hermione whispered, "It won't run out of ink for months."
Padma raised her eyebrows in surprise and whispered, "Cool, can I keep this?"
Then she pulled a gold coin the size of Hermione's palm from her bag and held it out in offering. Hermione guessed it to be a gold galleon, and while she still did not know how many pounds a galleon was worth, based on what you could buy with one, she knew Padma's offer was too generous.
"It's probably only worth a knut, I can't take a galleon." Hermione said, trying to wave away the coin.
Padma shrugged, set the coin down on Hermione's desk, and quietly said, "I get two galleons a week from my parents, just keep it and get me some more of these when you can."
Hermione hesitated, but Padma had already turned back to her parchment, not paying her any attention. She took the coin and put it in her bag, then she opened her notebook to the letter she wrote to her parents during first-period. With a smile, Hermione added a postscript.
"P.S. I need some more pens. And if you can, send some pencils, highlighters, and markers."
A plan had started to form in Hermione's mind. A plan that could improve the other student's views on muggles, as well as giving Hermione a chance to earn a little money. But before she could put her plan into action, she needed to figure out how to send her letter without using an owl. Beyond that, she needed an address where her parents could send letters and packages.
Hermione resolved to track down Professor McGonagall during lunch. After all, it had been McGonagall's signature on the letter that had brought her here in the first place, maybe she could answer a few of Hermione's questions.
Returning her focus to Professor Quirrell, Hermione listened to a few stuttering sentences to make sure he wasn't saying anything noteworthy, and then she continued reading her book.