Night of the Broken Glass
C3: Fragments
[A/N: Poor Kendra. I'm not letting her nights be restful. Oh well. Enjoy, I guess.]
[Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns the original stuff for Harry Potter, but I own whoever and whatever I make up. Don't steal and don't sue.]
"Nightmares?"
Kendra looked up from staring at the table to see Rima sitting across from her and Virgil sitting next to her.
"What?" she questioned, not sure of what exactly Rima had asked.
"You look like you didn't sleep at all last night." Virgil replied, "We asked if it was nightmares."
"I can't remember my dreams." Kendra lied, "But it might have been a nightmare. Do you have nightmares?"
"Yes." Rima replied, "Everyone has a nightmare sometime in their life. By the way, while you were staring so avidly at an invisible spot on the table, we got our schedules. Double Potions with the Slytherins first off."
"Well, they look like a friendly bunch!" Alison Longbottom smiled, speaking truthfully. Kendra, Virgil, and Rima cast a glance towards the Slytherin table, where most of the Slytherins sat with a scowl on their faces.
"Friendly?" Virgil murmured, "I've seen raging manticores looking more friendly. Come on. I heard the Potions Master takes points away if you're late."
As they strode into the dungeon where Potions was to be taught, they were greeted with two people already standing there. One of the boys had purple hair, the other, silver-blonde.
"Kendra Potter, Toorima Walker, and Virgil Chishio." the purple-haired boy murmured, "I am Lex Talionis. How pleasant to meet you."
He turned and grinned, holding out a hand to Kendra. Kendra eyed him apprehensively, spotting rather pronounced canine teeth and glinting crimson eyes—the same color as Dante and Virgil's eyes.
"You're a Slytherin, aren't you?" she questioned, not taking his hand, "I don't remember seeing you at the Sorting."
"Well, you seemed far more interested in staring off at an invisible spot." Lex replied, "But you seem like an interesting person to be friends with. What do you say?"
Kendra eyed his hand nervously, and then sighed softly. She kept her hands at her sides, looking away. Lex's grin faltered, and then vanished into a sneer.
"Brat child." he hissed, "You best see the error of your ways."
"I choose the people I'm friends with as I wish." Kendra replied sternly, "And I don't particularly want to be friends with you." Lex's sneer grew even darker and he reached inside his pocket. At that moment, however, the rest of the class filed in, followed immediately after by the black-haired man from the High Table Kendra had seen.
"Enough." he murmured in a soft voice. His voice was full of what seemed like malice, and it was enough to keep the entire class silent without much effort.
"I am Professor Snape." he continued, "I will be teaching you the subtle art of potion-making. Whilst there are no loud bangs and repeating of silly words, I doubt highly that you will enjoy this class as much as your others.
"However, the craft of creating the perfect potion is exact. It is an art of its own. I can teach you to brew glory, bottle fame, and even stopper death. Now, to see which of you is here, and to see who is skipping out of class on their first day…"
He took the parchment roll with their names on it, calling each name as he read it and waiting for a confirmation of presence. Very quickly, he came to Kendra's name.
"So, another famous Potter enters my classroom?" he looked up from the list with a vindictive smile, "Tell me, Potter. Are you as great of a dunderhead as your father was all those years ago?" Kendra felt a twinge of pain and rage, but kept her mouth closed.
"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" he questioned with the same mocking smile.
"A powerful sleeping potion, if I can remember." Kendra replied thoughtfully, "I don't remember the name of it though, sir."
"What is the purpose of a bezoar?" Snape tried to stump her again.
"A stone that saves you from certain poisons, isn't it?" Kendra took as much joy in stunning the teacher as he did trying to embarrass her.
"Very good, Potter." Snape said without meaning it, "Your father had to rely on your mother to save his skin when I asked him this. I see you don't have to rely on that puppy-dog of a boy that follows you everywhere."
The Slytherins laughed as Virgil lowered his gaze, looking hurt at the taunt. Kendra had her face lowered, her hands clenched tightly on her knees, and her teeth gritted.
"…don't ever talk about my parents that way." she hissed, "Don't you ever talk about them like they were some pathetic duo."
The room was silent now. The Slytherins were glaring at Kendra for being disrespectful. The Gryffindors were looking anxious. Many of them knew of Professor Snape, and how he took to disrespect.
"Fifteen points from Gryffindor." he snapped, "The next time you speak to me in such a manner, it will be a detention." Kendra was about to say something in return, but Rima put her hand over her mouth warningly.
"Don't say anything else unless you want to be gutting worms for two hours." Rima whispered, "Getting a detention from him means doing something very unpleasant for a long while."
"I won't say anything if—" Kendra was cut off as Rima put her hand over her mouth again.
"I said don't say anything."
The rest of the week was fairly tame next to the unfortunate incident in Potions Tuesday morning.
Professors Longbottom, Binns, and Gehrn taught Herbology, History of Magic, and Astronomy. Charms was taught by a tall, red-haired wizard by the name of Professor Weasley. He had greeted Kendra with a smile when he had reached her name at the roll call.
Seal was very interesting when teaching. She had a serious and stern side, but an exceedingly playful side as well. The most interesting situation Kendra had ever witnessed occurred the first class she had with Seal.
Someone had the idea to ask Seal what her name had meant.
"Seal?" the Gryffindor boy had asked, "You mean like one of those aquatic dogs that bounce balls on their noses?" There was a nervous ripple of laughter in the classroom, but Seal just smiled.
"No." she replied, "Seal as in a magical seal that will be keeping your mouth closed if you don't shut it now and listen." There was much more laughter from the class at that.
Dante was serious all the time, but was the perfect candidate for the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He explained some of the more refined details about creatures that the texts had left out. He also made a point to mention that all "Dark" creatures weren't always Dark. He for example, wasn't Dark.
But everybody in first year agreed that thus far, Dueling, taught by Professor Arcanorum, was most interesting. He told them that the Dueling class had been added only recently, due to some complaints that students didn't know how to defend themselves if ever in a wizard duel. Professor Arcanorum hadn't taught them many spells, but he was still the most interesting teacher yet.
That was until the next week, when flying lessons started. Eager grins spread rapidly through the Gryffindor common room at the news, save Kendra.
"I would have thought you would enjoy riding a broomstick more than anyone else." Rima remarked faintly as she and Kendra played a game of wizard's chess and Virgil watched, "Your father was supposed to have been the greatest Quidditch player England ever saw."
"Yippy skippy." Kendra murmured as one of her pawns beat one of Rima's pawns off the board, "I don't think that way."
"Why not?" Rima questioned, "I've seen you sitting at the window at night with that board at your side."
"Skateboard." Kendra replied, trying to see a single safe move, "It's a skateboard, and you stand on it. Broomsticks, you sit on."
"That doesn't mean you can't make your own style." Virgil offered, reaching over and moving Kendra's knight, "Checkmate, Rima."
"I've told you to not help her." Rima muttered, "Now knock it off!"
—Next Wednesday—
The Gryffindors were waiting out on the field for the teacher to arrive when, much to their dismay, the Slytherins appeared. Most people sighed mutinously and groaned angrily.
Very soon after that, Professor Weasley came running down the field, his face shining with excitement.
"All right." he called through the field, "Everyone stand at a broomstick and hold out your right hand. When you've done that, say 'Up!'"
The air was soon filled with the shouts of "Up!" Some brooms leapt straight into the student's hand, but some didn't move at all. Eventually, by command or just bending down and picking it up, each student was holding onto a broom. Professor Weasley was striding up the rows of students, correcting grips and showing them the proper way to be on a broom without slipping and cracking their necks.
The muttering sounds of eager students (Kendra not among them) was soon broken as the sharp sound of wood against wood was heard. Professor Weasley whirled around to see a Gryffindor and a Slytherin using the brooms as staffs and dueling.
"Both of you, knock it off!" he roared angrily, advancing on them. The Gryffindor headed his word, but the Slytherin took advantage and cracked the broom over the Gryffindor's head. The broom shattered and the Gryffindor boy fell over, knocked out and blood coming from broken skin.
"Thirty points from Slytherin!" Professor Weasley shouted in a rage, "Detention too! You come with me, and the rest of you drop those brooms or I'll make sure you'll never even see a Quidditch match!" He conjured a stretcher and lifted the unconscious Gryffindor onto it. He snagged the Slytherin by the back of his robes and marched away, obviously in a complete rage.
"What a pathetic excuse for a teacher." Lex Talionis muttered, "Can't even keep two kids in line." Kendra rolled her eyes at the Slytherin boy, who was standing behind her. She then suddenly felt something being drawn out of her pocket.
"Talionis, give me my wand, or I swear—" Kendra turned about and held out her hand.
"Or what?" Talionis sneered, grinning just a little, "You'll call your puppy-boy on me?" Virgil's eyes twitched, but he refused to make any remark of it.
"Give me it." Kendra ordered again. Talionis held it out tauntingly and Kendra—feeling very stupid—swiped at it. Talionis, however, leapt backwards and onto the broom in his other hand, and took off. Kendra, feeling rage boiling up inside her, grabbed the nearest broom and got ready to take off.
"Oy, Kendra." Rima called. Kendra turned and caught the broom Rima threw to her.
"Take a better broom." Virgil smirked, "And remember. Make your own style, if you want." Kendra thought at that and looked at the broom clutched in her hand. Grinning, she dropped it and stood on the handle, as if she would a skateboard.
Up. she commanded mentally, and the broom rose to her thought. It was no more difficult than riding her old skateboard. Everybody let out sounds of pure awe and astonishment as Kendra rose from the ground flawlessly. Talionis looked stunned and angry, Kendra's wand clutched in his hand.
"Now, are you going to give me back my wand, or what?" Kendra stood with her arms crossed, grinning.
"Take it, brat child." Talionis chuckled, turning his back on her, "If you can." He threw it as hard as he could towards the castle. Kendra shot past him, her arms outstretched for balance. The wand was falling slightly as it flew alongside the wall. Kendra leaned sideways more and more until she was horizontal, gripping the broom with her feet. She reached out and grabbed the wand seconds before it smashed into another wall.
Kendra pulled back on the broom until it was pointing vertical and went up the wall. Soon after, she turned completely around and fell back towards the ground. The landing was smooth with no problems at all, except one.
That problem was standing in the midst of the class, his arms crossed and his ears as red as his hair.
Professor Weasley looked very mad.
—to be continued—
