Terry Boot and Professor Binns's Extra Credit Assignment

Chapter 7: Blaise Zabini



Terry felt like kicking himself over his complete failure to talk to Ginny the previous night. He had gone down to the Great hall to see if they were there, but discovered that they had retired for the night. Just to be sure, he walked around looking for the Gryffindor Dormitory, which, if he remembered correctly from third year, was guarded by a painting of a fat lady. But he gave up after ten minutes and returned to his dormitory. Now he wouldn't get to talk to her until later today, after he had gone through Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Potions with the Hufflepuffs and right now Herbology with...

"Boot, you're supposed to plant the dragonspore, not your hand," Professor Sprout yelled towards him. All around him, the Slytherins snorted with laughter, and he swore he heard Draco Malfoy say "And he is supposed to be a smart one." Or something along that line.

Terry blushed, pulled his hand out of the ground, (was he really paying so little attention that he accidentally planted it) and a whole new set of problems started running through his mind. He had to get three Slytherins to read, and none of them were particularly approachable. Draco Malfoy was rude and dangerous (he remembered the time Draco had used the "Heliosis" hex on Lisa Turpin, calling her a Mudblood whilst she floated to the ceiling), and Terry wouldn't approach him in a million years. Crabbe and Goyle, Malfoy's friends, were way too stupid for him to trust with his paper. Pansy Parkinson and the gaggle of Slytherin girls would probably try to accomplish their great "Get Millicent a Date Challenge" if he went anywhere near them. Which left...

Blaise Zabini, the Slytherin loner. Although he shared the same room with Draco and the other boys, he had never seen them talk to each other. Zabini never spoke, just strode around the school, emitting a sense of ownership, wearing sunglasses even when it was raining and all black clothing under his robes smoking a cigarette. It was even speculated that he wore black underwear. In fact that was one of the nicer rumors. Some of the more common ones were that he was a Vampire, that he didn't speak because he didn't want the other Slytherins to know he was Muggleborn, that he was blind, that he was a Communist, and that he had 'private lessons' with Professor Snape. The most unbelievable one was that he came from a secret wizard moon colony. Over all, not an easy person to approach, but better than anyone else. So after finishing Herbology and having successfully planted his dragonspore and not his hand, he decided to try.

"Er, Blaise, can I speak to you for a second?" he said, as Zabini walked along ignoring him.

Terry walked next to him, trying to keep up. "It's really important. You see, I'm doing an extra credit for Professor Binns and..."

Zabini stopped in his tracks. "Extra credit for Binns," he said pulling off his sunglasses and staring down at Terry. He had purple eyes. Was it natural to have purple eyes? Terry was distracted for a moment, and then continued.

"Yes, you see I had to write this report about the Founders and have three people from each house read it, and I was wondering if you would do the honors." Zabini glared at him, then suddenly smiled and laughed.

"Sure, if you are crazy enough to do extra credit for Binns, it would be wrong for me to not be crazy enough to read it."

Terry gave Blaise the manuscript, and then walked away, slightly shaken.

***

"Is this the place where we are meeting your dark accomplices. Salazar?" Godric said disapprovingly as they approached a dilapidated hut at the edge of a clearly impoverished village.

"Rowena, it was your idea to bring the big oaf, I shall hold you responsible for stopping him from making me kill him," Salazar growled.

"You won't get a chance, I'll have killed you first," Godric responded.

"Aunt Rowena," Bulrian begged.

"Yes," Rowena responded.

"Do they always fight like this?"

"For as long as I can remember. Now, if your father has indeed found the correct house, we will meet this friend of his."

"This is the right house. Now if you will follow me, we will go and meet her," Salazar said, annoyed at them. He knocked on the door.

A young girl with blazing red hair opened the door, peered out then closed the door.

***

"Miss Helga, there are some fine folk outside should I invite them in?" Zoe asked.

"By all means do, child," Helga said. Zoe ran back to the door.

"You may come in," Zoe said, than curtsied. Rowena, Salazar, Godric, and Bulrian walked in and took a seat on the bench around the table.

"Now, before we start, Lady and Gentleman, no I do not know the secrets of immortality and I cannot turn lead into gold, nor do I claim to have any special insight into the future. I cannot guarantee you victory and I refuse to be hired out for assassinations, so I would like to tell you that I am very pleased by your attention, but this simple village healer cannot help you, so if you'll be on your way," Hufflepuff said, walking back to the door, opening it as if to see them out.

"Well, that's fine," Salazar said. "For victory, you can go to Godric, if you want to know the future, ask Rowena even though she'll tell you that she doesn't know anything about it, and I'll take care of the assassinations. As for immortality and lead into gold, none of us know the secrets either, but we'll be sure to tell you if we find them later."

Helga let out a breath, "Well then, what did you come here for? I must tell you it is very rare for me to get such attention from nobility, and when I do it is for such unusual requests as those. Now, if you'll tell me your names and business, I am in a hurry. The Smith's twins have come down with smallpox and I would like to finish brewing their medicine as soon as possible. Zoe, why don't you add the root of dragonspore now? That's a dear."

Rowena decided to start. "Well, we were leaving the Baron of Loch Ness's castle…"

"Now I should think you would want to. I mean, there is nothing good there. The Baron is a bloody old idiot, and his chief advisor is, if anything, worse because he's got brains. And the most brutal general I have seen in a while leads his army, and he relies on some seer for much of his policy. Now you must be relieved to be back among sensible people. Never had much stock for nobility. A witch's true calling is to serve the common people, that's what I always say. Excuse me, you haven't properly introduced yourselves," Hufflepuff said.

Rowena, Godric, and Salazar were all staring at her.

It was Salazar who spoke. "I am Salazar Slytherin, the adviser you just spoke so derisively about, and this boy is my son, Bulrian. The lady is Rowena Ravenclaw, the seer, and that is Godric Gryffindor, the general."

Helga paled a little then went right on with her continual talking, "Oh, well, no hard feelings then. I tend to ramble quite often about little things that I don't really mean. So now, what is your business here, anyway? I wouldn't expect such important people at my doorstep under any circumstances, and you caught me quite unaware."

"We were heading off to start a magic school and I was wondering if you would like to join us," Salazar said. The other two gave him a look that said quite plainly that they would rather have left and forgot about inviting her.

"A magic school. You know, that sounds like a good idea. You know, just yesterday I was talking with Serena Little, she's the healer two villages west, about how many talented children weren't getting prenticeships. Can't take on more than one at a time, or else Zoe wouldn't be my only. I would love to come with you, but I need to finish this potion and contact Serena to take over my patients and get us all packed up. When were you planning on leaving?"

"As soon as you're ready. We have to go back to our camp tonight, but we'll come tomorrow to help you prepare. Goodnight." Salazar said, as the others followed him out of the hut.

When they were a good ways away, Rowena asked, "Why did you have to ask her, Salazar?"

Salazar responded, " I had to choose someone who would annoy you as much as Godric does me. Fitting revenge, isn't it."





Disclaimer: JKR owns most of the things and people/ghosts in this fiction. I think I own Tina (a random Ravenclaw), Bulrian and Zoe, but you can borrow them

Thanks again to Moey

Moon Dancer: Thank you for your reviews. I agree with you when you say it is disappointing how few reviews there are for this, but I'm not really writing it for reviews. I'm writing it because it is fun.

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