Author Notes: Uhhhhhh... So. Have a chapter! If the last year and a half's anything to go by, see you in 2024 for the next one... This is a pretty short chapter and not exactly world breaking, but if I don't post the damn thing, I am going to keep rewriting it for another year and a half, so meh. I've got several chapters drafted but they're all in various stages of rewrite, so trying to just post them as soon as they're somewhat presentable just to get moving on this.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Learning

"And what process was used by the monks of the Badia di Passignano to decrease the volatility of firestorm tonics during the 11th century?"

The question had scarcely been posed before Juvia supplied the answer. "Trick question. The monks at the Badia di Passignano used the Calletti method to stabilize their shipments of aqua vitae potions. Firestorm tonics were brewed by the monks at the Monasterio di San Benedetto in Monte."

Professor Precht's mouth twitched in a way that could never be confused for a smile - Juvia was fairly certain he was physically incapable of the act - but it did render his face less severe and disapproving for the moment. "Very good, Miss Lockser. Congratulations, you pass," he said as he opened the door of the apothecary for her.

The pent up breath she had been holding since the end of last term released in a loud whoosh as she stepped into the rain, the chill of each drop as it splattered against her skin a welcome respite from the cramped, stuffy apothecary she had just exited. "No Dragneel as a partner this year," she said, not bothering to temper the relief that clung to every word.

"No Dragneel," he agreed as he closed the door behind them. "Of course, that's largely because Slytherin pairs with Ravenclaw this year for Potions," he added as he passed by her to head down the twisting Knockturn Alley.

"Urk!" Her brain took the rest of her hostage as it struggled to come to terms with the fact that she had spent the entire summer committing texts to memory for nothing. When her mind finally saw fit to relinquish control to the rest of her, she turned and glared at the professor's retreating form. "You're quickly becoming Juvia's least favorite professor," she called after him.

"The horror," the droll reply was all she received.

Puffing out her cheeks and keeping her narrowed eyes on the Potions professor, she opened her parasol as she stalked after him. However, the gentle pat, pat, pat of rain against the umbrella betrayed that she wasn't as irritated as she would have him believe, and by the time she reached him, all attempts at feigning aggravation were abandoned as she hummed idly to herself. She was disposed to be happy, and nothing Professor Precht could say or do could change that.

Despite the rather rotten start of the summer, the last couple of months had been largely pleasant, at least by rain witch standards. Though Juvia never truly managed to get her rain to disperse, she did manage to keep her rain restrained to a gentle patter, no matter how upset the wards made her, no matter how angry the villagers made her, no matter how lonely she felt or how bored she became. She was always in control, and the pride from that gave her new confidence. The further she got from Inis Stoirm, the less control she had, but it wasn't enough to dispel the confidence gained. As Tristan had said, she was learning, and she would keep learning. It was only a matter of time now.

Her mood had also been improved by the fact that Sister Theodosia had not progressed much by the end of the summer, every potion brewed by the sister one misstep from bringing the abbey tumbling down around them. It resurrected hope that Juvia might not have last her future after all. There was a more than fair chance, in her opinion, that Sister Theodosia would be gone by the end of term and it would be just her the abbess again, as it should have been. That hope, combined with the fact that Gajeel would be spending the week prior to the start of term at the Leaky Cauldron with her, left very little that could dampen her mood.

It was going to be a good year.

Knockturn Alley, much as it had been the first time she had been taken to it, was largely abandoned save for her and the professor. Her rain, however, was nothing more than an occasional drop against her parasol this time. It formed no swirling mist to make spectres out of half-visible shapes, and it left the street as nothing more than it actually was - a dingy thoroughfare filled with dimly lit storefronts hawking curious wares. Just harmless peddlers of mostly gaudy trinkets. Certainly nothing to be afraid of. Of course, it was easy to be brave when following in Professor Precht's shadow. It didn't take a great deal of courage when in the company of one of the greatest wizards in a generation.

She adjusted the strap of her newly purchase apothecary satchel, a gift of sorts from Sister Theodosia and the chaos she inflicted on Inis Stoirm. Struggling to teach Sister Theodosia and to mitigate the worst of her accidents, the abbess fell behind on a number of requests from various hospitals and even from Hogwarts. In order to make up for lost time, she conscripted Juvia to assist in preparations of the potions for the last couple of weeks of her break, and to thank Juvia for her effort, the abbess had given Juvia some pocket money. It wasn't much - just four galleons - but for someone who never had any money of her own before, it seemed like a king's ransom, one she was determined to spend wisely, ignoring the treats and treasures offered by Diagon Alley.

She settled at last on the apothecary satchel to replace the one lent to her by Precht the year prior. The other had been excessively worn to the point that mending spells weren't quite taking as they used to. It was also large and unwieldy, causing her to constantly bump into bookcases, shelves, portraits, people. With the new satchel, it was only ever as big as the reagents inside it, shrinking or expanding as it needed to. At just a little over three galleons, it had taken most of her earnings, but she had also managed to haggle a few reagents into the purchase, the shopkeeper's willingness to agree to the barter more than slightly influenced by the professor standing behind her at the time. The vial of flubberworm mucus sitting among her negotiated horde gave her some relief. Her nightmares had subsided over the months at Inis Stoirm, but the knowledge that she had the ingredients to brew a Sleeping Draught or two if she needed it freed her of one more burden.

After stopping to check one more time to be sure the reagents were snug in their compartments, she hurried after Professor Precht, struggling to keep up with his much larger gait. The professor, either unaware or unconcerned with her difficulties keeping pace, continued down the winding thoroughfare. However, long before the street merged with the more lively Diagon Alley, he turned down a smaller alley that intersected it. "I've one last errand for Professor Warrod," he told her as he paused to wait for her to round the corner. "He needs some slugs for his garden this year."

"You can't get them from Diagon Alley?"

"They're highly dangerous, so their trade is restricted. Only one vendor is authorized to sell them in London." Without waiting for a response from her, he continued down the side street.

Without hesitation, she followed. Had her guide been Professor Jose, she would have balked at the dingy little thoroughfare, the newest street barely wide enough for two people to pass side-by-side and even more poorly lit than the one they'd left. Stores, much smaller than the ones facing out on to the main thoroughfare, consisted of nothing more than a single window to display their wares and a door, most in ill repair, as though one good burst of wind would rip them clear away. The few shops that she could see into were filled with shelves and cases so tightly crammed together that she scarcely believe she could fit in them, much less Professor Precht. And the smells were even worse. The stench of singed hair wafted from one storefront while incense so heavy it formed a visible haze leaked out another, leaving her gagging as she passed by. Professor Precht, for his part, seemed unconcerned with the quality of the stores they passed and continued on.

A little ways down the alley, she passed a store with a number of crude little dolls beyond the glass, catching her eye. She paused. It seemed an odd thing to sell in such an area. "Professor? What are these?"

Professor Precht, several stores beyond her by then, nonetheless turned back and glanced into the storefront. "They're voodoo dolls," he said a moment later. "They're popular with wizards from the Caribbean. The idea is that you make a doll that resembles a person, and that doll will allow you to exert some control over that person." His teaching duties over for the present, he turned back and continued down the alley.

Juvia lingered a moment, studying the little creations. "Do they actually work?" Juvia asked.

"Whatever you're thinking, forget it, Miss Lockser."

"Juvia was just wondering what Orland would look like bald, that's all."

"No, Miss Lockser."

"She thinks it would be a good look for Orland."

"Come along, Miss Lockser."

With a vision of a bald Orland swimming through her head and eliciting a smile on her face, Juvia went back to humming to herself as she followed after Professor Precht. After a few moments in silence, Precht slowed his pace, letting her catch up to his side. "Did Jose take you to the Black Wyvern again?" he asked when she had reached him.

Juvia grimaced and nodded. "More supplies from Invel Yura for the upcoming school year. At least, that's what he said. She still doesn't like Yura."

"I don't think you will find that opinion changes much the more you know him. Did Yura try talking to you?"

She nodded again. "He asked her questions, but nothing of any significance. She did not answer him. He did not seem to take offense. Professor Jose did not seem concerned by his questions, though."

"Hrm," was the only response she received. She glanced up at him, studying the pensive expression.

"You do not like Professor Jose." It wasn't a question. Just a simple statement of fact, and not a difficult fact to deduce. Professor Precht was not a very expressive person, but he also wasn't one to bother to keep his opinions guarded.

"It isn't a matter of liking him or not," replied the professor. "I dislike most people. But I can't trust a person I can't predict. Gildarts, for example, is a drunken fool, but he's excessively loyal to Hogwarts and its students. I can predict what he'll do in most situations where the safety of his students are at risk, and thus far, he's never failed to live up to those predictions. Jose, however, is a different matter. When he first was assigned to fetch you from Inis Stoirm, he responded much as I thought he would. He balked at the assignment. He thought it beneath him to play nursemaid to an eleven-year-old girl, which was in keeping with his demeanor. But shortly after your encounter with the lake, his attitude about you changed. He volunteered to be, as he put it, your mentor and guardian. I don't care for the sudden change in heart nor the event that preceded it."

"You think he had something to do with what happened to Juvia's broom?"

"I do."

"But why would he try to kill Juvia? He doesn't like her, she knows that, but that seems a bit of an extreme response."

"I doubt the intent was to kill you."

"Certainly could have fooled Juvia," she muttered.

"Had you let go of the broom when it first was jinxed, you would have fallen within sight and range of Erinor. He would have slowed your fall. You would have been terrified but unharmed, and I think that was Jose's goal. To scare you enough to chase you out of Hogwarts and free him from any obligation to your care. It was only bad luck that you held on as long as you did."

"That's Juvia's only kind of luck."

"Don't be a defeatist, Miss Lockser. We make our own luck. At any rate, the sudden change in Jose's position as it concerns you leads me to believe that he has found something worthwhile in keeping you at Hogwarts. What that is, I do not know, but I don't believe it will do you any good."

"Have you told Headmaster Makarov?"

He nodded. "But Makarov is reluctant to act on supposition. He believes the best of people. It's an admirable quality, though usually a foolish one. Remember that Jose was a Hogwarts student long before he was a professor. As far as the boy is concerned, Jose is one of his kids. Until proved otherwise, Makarov will defend him as he would any of his children."

"And in the meantime, Juvia is put at risk by Jose," she grumbled.

"Unlikely. Jose is terrified of Makarov. He's seen what Makarov will do to anyone who hurts one of his children. Jose's too much a coward to risk it. Just listen to your instincts when dealing with him, and you'll be fine. But if you do feel uneasy about something he says or does, come to me. Unlike the boy, I have no sentimental attachment to my students, past or present. Now then." He paused in front of a shop, slightly larger than the ones before, but no more pleasant smelling from the outside. "Here we are." A massive roar greeted the pair as soon as he opened the door.

Juvia backed away. "Ummmm... maybe Juvia should stay out here."

"That, Miss Lockser, would defeat the purpose of taking you here. In you go, and watch where you place your hands."

Juvia peered into the shop, noting with some trepidation just how many things inside had claws and teeth bared and searching. "Juvia's going to lose a finger in here, isn't she?"

"Possibly. Try not to lose a thumb. They're rather important."

With a small whimper, she stepped inside.

"What about Arithmancy?"

"Magic through math - fuck no," the boy said as he stretched out on the foot of her bed, legs dangling over the edge and arms folded behind his head. Juvia sat cross-legged at the head of the bed with a lap full of sewing supplies, stiching together her latest project. A pot of tea and tray of cakes had been left for them on the table, largely ignored save for when Gajeel decided he needed something to gnaw on. The rain outside pattered gently against the glass, the gentle and steady tap, tap, tap an ever present reminder it was there.

Pulling some black yarn from her haphazard assortment of supplies purchased with what remained of her pocket money, she glanced over at Gajeel. "What about Ancient Runes?"

"Magic through squiggly lines - also, fuck no," the boy replied. "Why did we cross Care of Magical Creatures off the list?"

"Because Juvia's seen Panther Lily take you in a fair fight, and she is concerned for your safety."

The boy glowered at her. "Sod off. Bastard just jumped me gettin' out of that damn thestral carriage. What about Muggle Studies? That's gotta be an easy for ya."

"Juvia lives in an abbey on an island all of three miles wide. She's fairly sure you know more about Muggles than she does. And with how much London terrifies her, she's not really all that eager to know more about them."

"Gotta learn some time. What are ya plannin' to do when ya graduate?"

"Juvia figures she'll go back to Inis Stoirm," she replied as she held her creation of cloth and yarn in front of her. She just needed to decide on the smile. Or lack of smile, as the case might be. A scowl did seem to suit him best.

"Raindrop, that's the saddest thing ya've ever said t' me," the boy said, a red eye turned towards her. "And ya've gotta pretty hefty list of sad things going fer ya." Juvia looked up from her stitches long enough to stick her tongue out at the boy. "We agreed on Divination at least?"

"Juvia can't think of a reason against it," she said with a shrug of her shoulders, "though she think it's a silly subject to study."

"Should be pretty easy, at least. Only damn class where yer answers can't be proven wrong."

"Juvia doesn't think that's true, Gajeel."

"Eh, whatever. We gotta choose one more. Ain't no way I'm gonna spend the year doing more maths or writin' than I have to, so it's Muggles or magical creatures. Take yer pick, Raindrop."

"Magical creatures, then. Hopefully, Kneazles aren't part of the course," she said, smiling at him. Panther Lily chimed in with his gruff meow.

"Sod off, the both of ya."

Still smiling, she returned to her stitching.

After a few minutes of quiet, the only sounds the crackle of the fire, the purr of the Kneazle and the patter of rain, Gajeel spoke. "Ya hear about the Ministry shuffle in yer part of the Isles?"

"Something about it. The Ministry woman assigned to Juvia visited Inis Stoirm over the break and mentioned it to the abbess."

"Hrm," the boy grumbled.

She eyed him curiously. "Is there something the matter?"

"The new Minister - there are rumors about him, that's all," he replied.

"Rumors? What sort of rumors?"

"Some people claimed he was working with the last Zeref."

She frowned. "And they let him work in the Ministry?"

The boy shrugged. "Was only ever a rumor. Not like every Zeref soldier wore a badge proclaiming it, Raindrop. Sure, ya had the idiots like my folks who were happy to publicly serve him, but for every one of them, there were ten that supported them in the Ministry, in the banks, even at Hogwarts. They all just disappeared back t' their lives when the dust cleared or claimed they'd been forced to act for Zeref because of the Imperius Curse."

"Whats an Imperius Curse?" she asked, putting down the doll in her hands a moment.

"One of the Unforgivable Curses. They're spells that are forbidden from being used. This one controls yer mind, makes ya do whatever the caster wants ya t' do. Favorite spell of my ma's. Saw her use it a few times. Bad stuff," he said, his expression darkening as older, unpleasant memories were dredged up.

He didn't like talking about his parents or what they did. He was fine calling them idiots and moving on, but the specifics of their crimes always brought on a sense of disgust and self-loathing that he would dwell on for days if allowed to. Which Juvia wasn't about to let him do, quickly trying to move the conversation back again. "And this Minister is one of them?"

"My uncle thinks so. He's worried that it's a sign that new Zeref's already makin' a power play. Wrote t' me t' be careful while I'm outta Hogwarts."

"Well, they'll be at Hogwarts in a few days, so it'll be fine," she said with a hopefully reassuring smile. Not that she felt all that reassured. Their only defender for the next few days was Jose, Precht already having returned to Hogwarts, and Juvia was fairly certain that any danger Jose faced would be handled by tossing Juvia and Gajeel straight into its path so that he could get away.

Gajeel just grunted a reply. After a moment, he turned his head towards her. "Did I tell ya that my uncle gets back this year?"

Juvia quickly lowered her head, feigning returned interest in her project to hide the smile she couldn't quite stifle. "You've mentioned it once or twice." Every one of Gajeel's letters - not that there was a plethora of them - had alluded to the return of the only living relative that Gajeel seemed to have time for. It was even practically the first thing he mentioned when he arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. Once he finished griping about his aunt anyways.

"He's promised t' get me some more piercings over the Christmas break."

Juvia giggled. "Great, another thing Panther Lily can get his claw stuck in."

The boy glared at her which she tried to ignore, returning her focus to finishing the doll's mouth. "Ya know, that hurt like hell, and ya dragged yer ass gettin' that bastard off."

"Juvia tried! You and Lily were thrashing so much, it's a wonder she didn't end up with a black eye," she snapped back. With the last stitch in place, she cut the thread and held up her creation in front of her. It was a crude representation - she was still a bit of a sewing novice and she doubted any mass of cloth and threads could ever adequately compare to the real one - but she had her own Gray, complete with messy yarn hair and stitched on scowl. It had no voodoo charm behind it - she was quite done with messing with unknown magic - but it had a pull on her all the same, filling her with the same warmth and butterflies its subject inspired as she clutched it close to her chest. She reached for the wand laying next to her on the bed. A moment later, the room was bathed in light as the sun peaked through the slowly parting clouds.

"The hell?" Gajeel turned over on the bed to stare out the window. "How the hell ya manage that without yer spell?"

Juvia smiled, hugging the doll tighter to her. "Juvia's learning."