Chapter Four
The Odd Professor Aedius
The next day, Dillan awoke, puffy-eyed, in his bed. He opened his curtains noticing everyone else had already waked up and left the dormitory. Sliding out of his pajamas and into his school robes, teetering his hat upon his head, he dashed down the steps from the Boys' Dormitories to the common room. There, everyone had gathered by the masses, congregating at tables or just standing around talking to one another before morning classes. Dillan spotted Terry and Evan at a table by the window and made his way over to them.
"Mornin', guys," Dillan greeted, taking a seat.
"Hey Dillan. Evan and I were just talking about the Dueling Competition and what kind of tasks we think are going to be held," Terry said. "What do you think?"
"Oh I don't know, I just hopes it's fun!" Dillan smiled. His head turned around noticing Chloe hopping down the steps from the Girls' Dormitories. He waved at her.
"Good morning all," she said. "Ready to go down to breakfast?"
"Sure let's go," said Evan and they all left the common room for the Great Hall.
Breakfast went by fast and not one of them received any mail by owl that morning. When the bell sounded at 9 o' clock they headed off to their first class, which was Divination.
All the sixth year Ravenclaws hauled themselves up countless stairs toward the North Tower where Divination class was held. In the ceiling was a round trap door into which they all clambered. They entered into a round, dimly lit room for the windows were blinded. Along the walls, curved shelves stood containing many crystalline orbs, tea sets, and maps of constellations of all sorts.
Round tables littered the room each with four cushioned chairs. At the head of the room a winged chair stood, shawl-covered lamps on either side of it. The lights poured a deep crimson all around the room, placing an eerie feeling upon all of the students that entered. Evan, Chloe, Terry and Dillan grabbed a table together, looking around for a sign of the professor.
An odd voice was soon heard sweeping through the room and everyone grew quiet. The words couldn't be made out since the voice was so soft, then the sound of bangles jingled and it became apparent who was conducting the voice. A woman in violet robes strode out of a dark corner. At one point as she passed through the transition of dark to light, the illumination upon her face with her oversized glasses gave her a peculiar and haunting look as she gazed into the eyes of the students. Her body was a walking orchestra with the numerous bangles on her wrists, the beads and chains hanging about her neck, and her dangling earrings, which were shaped like scarabs. Her hair was wrapped in a bun at the back of her head, which tilted upward as she placed two fingers in her forehead and sealed her eyes. "I sense death lurking in this room. Its heavy weight lies upon someone's shoulders. Oh, I pity the poor soul with this omen." She went silent and began humming softly.
Chloe leaned over to the rest of her table, whispering, "She's always sensing someone is going to die, but it never comes true." She rolled her eyes and sat back in her seat.
Professor Trelawney stopped her insistent humming just as Padma Patil let out a curling scream and pulled her feet into her seat, "A roach! Get it away!"
The professor arched a brow, "Really Miss Patil, they are harmless cr." Professor Trelawney was cut off the instant Terry's foot slammed onto the floor and the roach splattered underneath his sole with a sickening crunch.
Padma wrinkled her nose, "Eww, that is disgusting!"
Chloe stifled a giggle, "What do you know, Professor Trelawney predicted correctly."
Dillan muffled his laugh and was glad the professor hadn't heard them. Professor Trelawney simply glided over to her winged armchair and took a seat. It seemed they were in for a most dulling morning of Divination.
An hour and a half later, the Ravenclaws emerged from the North Tower's claustrophobic room and back into the halls of Hogwarts. Terry and Dillan waited as Chloe shimmied down the ladder and then they headed back toward the Ravenclaw Common Room on the fourth floor.
"Finally! That was the most boring class I ever witnessed!" Terry complained and plopped into a dark blue armchair in front of the fireplace.
Evan sat in the chair next to him, "I found it quite interesting. Professor Trelawney's theory on how voices are passed through the astral plane made logical sense."
Chloe sat in the chair on the other side of Terry, throwing her legs over one of the arms and gazed toward Evan with heavy eyelids, "You scare me sometimes, Ev."
Dillan had taken a seat on the other side of Evan, "Well, next class doesn't begin 'till after lunch."
Evan smiled and rose out of his seat, "Great. That gives me plenty of time to read some more on dragons. See you guys later." He strolled up the steps toward the dormitories.
"Well, I have to owl Mum and Dad. I'm off to the Owlery," Chloe said walking out of the common room.
"Ok, Dill. How about…" Terry began just as an explosion of feathers erupted in his face. He spat and pulled feathers from his mouth. Marshmallow was now standing in his lap, looking up at him with its beady black eyes. "Why doesn't Chloe get this thing on a leash?" Terry pushed the round ball of feathers off his lap and it went bounding up the stairs toward the Girls' Dormitories. Terry grumbled, dusting feathers from his school robes.
"C'mon Terry, let's go to the library and look up on Empowering Charms and maybe try a few," Dillan grinned.
Terry's eyes lit up, "Sounds like a plan to me!" He dashed out of his chair and he and Dillan emerged from the Ravenclaw Common Room into the hallways. They began to run down the corridors and just as they rounded the first corner they skidded to a halt at the sight of Filch, the Hogwarts Caretaker. Filch looked up from his mopping and his eyes dropped to Terry and Dillan's feet. Their shoes had scuffed up the floor as they slid to a stop. They both gulped.
Filch placed his mop in the bucket and gave them a sour glare, if he could get any sourer, "What exactly do you think you two are doing? Do you not see that I have been slaving over these hall floors for the past four hours? I don't mop and polish the floor so students can run marathons!" He frowned angrily.
"But, Mr. Filch…" Dillan started.
Filch held up a hand, his fingers knobby and his skin resembled a bruised apple, "I don't want to hear it! You can complain all you want in detention!"
Just then the sweeping of robes were heard as Professor Snape rounded the same corner as Dillan and Terry. He stopped at the sight of Filch's angry face and the two silent students. "What do we have here?" His voice was low and silky, just as devious as his sallow face looked.
Terry began to protest but Filch beat him to the punch, "Professor, I have spent countless hours upon shining these floor, and then these miscreants decide to scuff it up." Filch was intimidating but Snape was much worse. Snape glowered at Dillan and Terry, who both looked back to him innocently. "Well, a detention sounds like a perfect punishment for such rule-breakers and it so happens I have cauldrons that need cleaning."
Terry's head drooped, but Dillan arched a brow to Snape, anger starting to build in him. "Professor, we did nothing deliberately. How can you sentence us to detention for an accident?"
Snape's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Back talk is not accepted, Mr. Starr. You and Mr. Boot are looking at three hours of cauldron as it is. Would you like to make it six?"
Dillan's eye twitched, but spoke kindly, "No, Sir."
Snape curled the corner of one lip, "Good. Tonight at ten o' clock in the dungeons." With that last statement, he swept passed Terry and Dillan and on down the hall. Filch seemed to cower slightly as Snape passed by him. Once Snape was out of sight, Filch returned to his hateful state, "What a shame it's only cauldron cleaning. In the old days rule-breakers were to be hung from a branch of the Whomping Willow by their tongues. What a lovely punishment it was." Filch seemed to drift off into a daydream at that thought and Terry and Dillan felt it was the perfect opportunity to dash back down the hall.
Terry sounded bewildered, "Dillan, you know you should never talk back to Snape. That sourpuss would gladly have you cleaning his entire classroom!"
Dillan shrugged, "Snape just gets on my nerves."
"Ha! Yours and everyone else's!"
They broke out into laughter all the way to the library. As soon as they entered the large doors to the library they shushed instantly. They knew how Madam Pince was about talking too loud. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Madam Pince whipped her eagle eye glare over their way. They moved on by her desk and into the aisles of books out of her sight. After a short while of sifting through the many books of spells and enchantments, they finally grabbed a thick, green-leathered book. Script lettering on its cover read 'Magical Endowments: An Encyclopaedia of Empowering Charms' by Gregory Chantor. Moving to a table on the other side of the bookshelves out of Madam Pince's sight, they sat and propped the book open to a random page. Dillan and Terry both began scanning through its text and mumbled to themselves.
"Hey, who are you?"
Dillan and Terry looked up to the one who spoke. A tall boy with long black hair slicked into a ponytail looked to them with crossed arms. His eyes were almost copper-colored.
"I'm Dillan Starr and this is Terry Boots. We're in Ravenclaw. What about you?"
"The name's Adrian Adder. I'm Slytherin."
Terry snickered to Dillan, "A Slytherin in the library. That's a new one."
"What was that, Shorty?" Adrian snapped at Terry.
"Nothing you could grasp, Adder."
Adrian looked as if he were struggling between words and whether or not to jump on Terry, but either thought was interrupted as a girl slinked out from between the bookshelves to stand beside Adrian. Her hair was just as black and in long curls that draped over her shoulder and back. Her eyes were the same color as well. "Who's this, Adrian?"
"Nobody, Erin, let's go." Adrian shot Terry and Dillan a deadly look and walked off with Erin.
"Couple of regular heart-throbs, eh Dill?" Terry smirked.
Dillan laughed and they went back to the book.
After finishing up in the library they headed down to the Great Hall for lunch.
Terry looked disappointed, "That Madam Pince irks me! I would have sprouted eagle wings if she hadn't butt in."
Dillan chuckled, "The only thing you sprouted was a little bit of down on your chin."
They soon entered the Great Hall, people were all congregated around their tables chattering and laughing. Dillan noticed Chloe and Evan at the Ravenclaw table and dragged Terry to get seats with them.
"Hey guys. Where have you been?" Chloe asked quizzically.
Terry shrugged carelessly, "The library getting acquainted with some rock head."
Chloe furrowed her brows, "Huh?"
Dillan translated, "We bumped into some Slytherin with the IQ of a goober."
"Ah, I see" Chloe nodded and grabbed a ham sandwich off a plate in front of her, "You know we have Double Dark Arts today with the Slytherins…" Terry moaned in between Chloe's words, "…We'll get to meet the new professor."
Dillan looked intrigued, chewing on a chicken wing, "Great, I've been wanting to meet him!"
Chloe gulped some Pumpkin Juice, "Me too."
Dillan noticed Evan hadn't spoke since they arrived to the table and looked over at him to see his nose stuck in 'Inside the Beast'. He shook his head and shoveled some mashed potatoes into his mouth.
When lunch was over they went back to the common room to fetch their books and made their way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. They stepped into the room at a sight to behold. The chandelier glowed with dim candlelight, which gave the cages and tanks around the room an ominous appearance, not to mention the creatures within the cages and tanks gave off their own ominous appearance. One large, clothed cage sat upon the desk at the front of the room, nearly the same length as the desk itself. People inside the room stared around wonderingly as did Dillan, Terry, Chloe, and Evan as they entered the room and took their seats at their desks. The Slytherins piled in as well and frowned at the sight of all the cages and tanks.
"What's this new professor planning to do anyway, use us as animal food?" A girl named Pansy Parkinson spat. A couple of other girls laughed at this remark as they took their seats, too. Dillan noticed the frail form of Draco Malfoy enter with his big bodyguards, and then Adrian Adder and Erin entered in behind them. Erin gave one of the big gal lutes a shove. "Get out of the way, Goyle!" She scoffed and pushed by him taking a seat beside Adrian.
Moments after everyone had taken his or her seats, the professor strode into the room clad in his brick red robes. At first glance, he reminded one of a younger Dumbledore with his white beard and red robes. He swept to the front of the room and leaned an arm on the large cage upon his desk, a faint, rumbling hiss emitted as he did so. Everyone looked up to the front of the room wondering what was draped under the cloth. The professor smiled, his sky blue eyes twinkling.
"As you all should remember from the Start-of-Term Feast, I am Professor Aedius. We will be learning of the many creatures that dwell in our world; most of the fierce and unique reside in these cages and tanks you see before you."
A few students who were sitting close to the cages on the side of the room scoot themselves away at his words.
Professor Aedius chuckled, "Do not worry. The most dangerous ones have been placed under a Stupefying Charm."
Padma Patil raised her hand.
"Yes, Miss Patil?"
"Professor, I know I may be going off subject, but your resemblance to Professor Dumbledore is amazing."
Professor Aedius nodded and smiled, "Yes. It should be. Albus is my distant seventh cousin."
Everyone murmured. "Hush, now. If you would really like to know more about me I will be happy to answer questions after we cover the needed material today."
Malfoy snickered, "What do you have planned for us, Professor? A meeting with a Flobberworm?" Some of the Slytherins burst out in laughter at this remark. None of the Ravenclaws found it amusing, nor did the professor.
Professor Aedius strode over to the first cage along the wall, it was more vertical than wide and was draped with a cloth as well. He removed the cloth to reveal a gnome like creature sitting calmly in the cage, its dark gray eyes peering around.
"This, class, is an Erkling." The professor took out his wand from his robes and prodded the Erkling. It snapped at his wand but missed. Then it started to laugh. Though this was no ordinary laugh. It was a shrill cackle that seemed to gain everyone's attention, including Dillan's. The Erkling laughed this entrancing laugh until Aedius pointed his wand at it and muttered, "Quietus." The Erkling's laugh vanished. It blinked and coughed but couldn't laugh anymore. Most of the class gave off confused looks.
Evan looked inquisitive again, "Professor? What happened?"
"Well, Mr. McGregor, the Erkling's main diet is children and its one method of attracting children is its entrancing laugh."
Evan nodded satisfied with the information.
Aedius glanced to Draco, "Was that better than a meeting with a Flobberworm, Mr. Malfoy?"
Malfoy sneered.
Professor Aedius moved down the line to a tank that was filled with murky water. "In here, we have a Ramora."
Adrian was slumped in his chair and didn't look amused, "Which is?"
Professor Aedius continued, "Which is a silvery fish found in the depths of the Indian Ocean."
"Professor," Zane Quinton began, "What's so special about a fish?"
"This fish is protected by the Ministry for its magical ability to anchor ships. It is also a guardian of the ships of the seas. Though it seems it doesn't want to be showing off today." He was referring to the inactivity of the fish in the dark tank. He moved down to another cage and pulled the cloth from it revealing a cat-like creature. "Can anyone tell me what this is?"
Not many hands went up, but Evan's did, "That is a Kneazle, Professor."
"Correct, Mr. McGregor. Five points to Ravenclaw. Now does anyone know why a Kneazle is special?"
Amazing a Slytherin hand was up. It was Erin, "Kneazles have the ability to sense mischievous characters."
"Ah, correct Miss Adder. Five points to Slytherin." Aedius turned to the Kneazle, which was bounding up and down in its cage, making an odd hissing noise at the professor, "Yes. Kneazles…" The Kneazle clawed at the cage bars as Aedius put his hand up to pet it, but stopped. "Odd. He must be hungry…" The chain around Aedius' neck dangled with the emerald on the end of it. He tucked it into his robes. "Like I was saying, Kneazles do have the magical ability to sense when dangerous persons are lurking about…though this one is far too old to utilize that sixth sense." He eyed the Kneazle warily and it cowered in its cage.
Dillan and Terry looked to each other at the same time.
He came to the final cage along the wall. "Lastly," He pulled the cloth form the cage, "We have a Salamander."
Inside the cage was revealed a bright white lizard lying calmly in the center of the cage, its body could be seen rising and falling.
"I had to place a Stupefying Charm upon this one for one good reason. Who can tell me that reason?"
No one raised their hand to this question, not even Evan. Then Chloe shot her hand in the air, "Um, I remember Mum talking about this before…Salamanders are born in fire, right?"
Aedius nodded, "True, they are. Which is close to my reason. Since Salamanders are born in fire, their bodies emit an extreme amount of heat when they are active, thus if this one were awake it would have easily burned through the bars of the cage." Professor Aedius walked back to his desk, "Make sure you all read up on these four creatures we covered today. They will be on the exam." He took a seat at his desk, disappearing behind the large cage.
Terry leaned over to Dillan, "Did you see how that Kneazle reacted to Professor Aedius? Think there's something funny about him?"
Dillan shrugged and looked around to make sure no one was paying any attention to them, "Did you notice his emerald? It was flashing."
Terry arched an eyebrow, "Really? I didn't see that. Hmm." He leaned back into his seat as Aedius stood again from his desk.
A Slytherin hand went into the air, it was Pansy Parkinson, "Professor, what's in that cage there?" She pointed to the cage before him.
He smiled, "Oh, this is for my other class, Anatomical Study of Dragons."
Evan perked up, interested.
Chloe rolled her eyes, "Oh by the beard of Merlin, we won't hear the end of whatever is under there once Evan gets in that class." She slumped in her chair.
The bell rang for dismissal. The Ravenclaws and Slytherins filed out of the class and headed towards their common rooms. Terry and Dillan walked aside from the rest of the Ravenclaws.
"I say we find out more about this Professor Aedius," Terry suggested.
Dillan nodded, "I'm up for it. When?"
"Tonight."
