Chapter Six: Words Cut From Glass
The Great Hall was already filled with students starting on their breakfast. Natalia made her way to the Slytherin table and saw that the only seat left was next to Pansy.
"Do you mind if I take a seat next to you?"
Pansy twisted her mouth into the broken teacup smile again.
"No, not at all. In fact, we should all move for you, it's not everyday that we have someone...special among us."
At this, Pansy left the hall with all the Slytherin girls following timidly after her. Natalia sat in silence, alone, pouring herself a cup of pumpkin juice. I guess I finally got the solitude that I wanted so much when I first came here, she thought sullenly.
Snape looked up from his copy of Daily Prophet. He frowned as his glare passed over the Slytherin table. Pansy Parkinson was making a scene again. The last time the girl made trouble with some Gryffindors, it had taken him hours to persuade Dumbledore not to take away major House points. Now she was pestering Natalia Slytherin. He watched in irritation as the girls from his House left the Great Hall with Pansy. Natalia had been left sitting by herself at the end of the table. He wondered how long it would take before she broke. He chuckled lightly to himself. Of course, he could have a great influence in pushing that along...no, he still had to make amends for what he did the night before. Sighing, he tucked the Daily Prophet into his robes and stood up to leave. Natalia glanced up from her seat, her eyes brushing briefly in an indifferent glance over Snape to the Gryffindor table in hope of seeing the Ominous Trio. A peculiar annoyance settled over Snape. Maybe the girl was brought up in such a restrained environment that she showed less emotion than even he did. His eyes moved on, but his mind had settled into the matter. It was rather disturbing to him that she could act so apathetically after the things he had said about her Father last night. And the things that she had said back to him. He left for the dungeons trying to redirect his mind.
Having finished a rather uneventful breakfast, Natalia headed to her Arithmancy class. She hated the condescending look Snape had given her in the Great Hall. Consequently, she started to give serious thought to not going to her Potions class. However, her passion for the subject took over, and in the end, she obliged to go.
"Natalia! Wait up!"
Turning around, she saw the Ominous Trio bound towards her. For the first time in the last twelve hours, she grinned broadly. They beamed, seeing that she looked pleased to see them.
"I was looking forward to a quiet morning..." she teased.
Ron grinned and decided to play along.
"Well, I guess we should leave you alone then. Wouldn't want to bother the heir of Slytherin after all. She might turn us all into ferrets."
Natalia's face fell slightly at this.
"You really think that?"
"No, of course not. I was just joking around, you know."
Natalia looked away and nodded.
"It is just that some people, actually, most people scorn me for being a descendant of his. I guess I am just a little jaded, that is all."
"Sorry 'bout that. I'll try not to crack jokes about those things."
They stood around in an uncomfortable silence, waiting for the next millennium to come. Some excruciating minutes later Hermione spoke up.
"What classes do you have today?"
"Arithmancy, Potions, and Ancient Runes."
Ron and Harry groaned. Wishing that she had gotten a better schedule, Harry offered her his pity.
"You've got the worst classes today. Two classes that could put a Billywig to sleep and Potions with the most horrendous excuse for a human being."
The latter brought a snigger from Natalia.
"And I thought I was the only one who thought so." she replied.
Shaking her head, Hermione offered the contrary.
"The two of you wouldn't know intellectual interest if it hit you over the head with a bludger. I'll let you know that Arithmancy is very fascinating if you take the time to understand it, as with all things. And don't worry about Potions. I have the same class with you, so we can live through Hell together."
Natalia looked at her unconvinced. Just as the bell rang, Hermione turned to her.
"I'll save you a seat in Potions. See you then."
However much she tried to keep from feeling dread for Potions, Natalia trudged on to Arithmancy much in doubt of Hermione's reassurances.
The Potions room gave off a cold discomforting chill that left the students' nerves and senses raw, defenseless against Snape's vicious temper. Natalia found her way next to Hermione at the front of the room. She could feel that she was setting herself up for Snape's wrath.
The door slammed open, bringing with it a gale of impatience and spite. Snape settled in the front of the class like a panther surveying its prey.
"I expect that you have all done your reading over the summer for Advanced Potions. If you have not, please remove yourself from the class immediately or suffer the dire consequences."
Snape turned his glare directly on Natalia while saying this. Much to the dissatisfaction of Snape, she looked directly back at him with a calm and detached gaze. Slighted, he turned toward Hermione.
"Miss Granger, don't you know better than to sit next to someone that defiles the name of Muggles?"
Her face heated at the mention of Muggles, being that she was of Muggle blood herself.
"Isn't there certain terminologies used by Miss Slytherin's family for people like you?"
Sneering in satisfaction, he turned his attention back to the class.
"Today you will make a Madness-Inducing Potion. I expect that you know the uses of Alihotsy in this potion from your readings, and you will be expected to concoct an antidote also, for if it is not successful, I will not have the pity or the time to restore your sanity."
Panic ran through the students like a plague. None of them knew much about Alihotsy due to the reason that there were only two sentences about it in their entire summer reading. Hermione sat in a trance, determined to find something in her memory that would allow her to at least know how to start the potion. In contrast, Natalia knew exactly what Alihotsy was and about the ability its leaves had to cause insanity. Although she did not know of how to make the exact potion, she decided to let her extensive knowledge of potions and her experience guide her. She gathered leaves from an Alihotsy plant and retrieved Jobberknoll feathers from Snape's cabinets to increase the vividness of the hallucinations of the victim through memories of things they feared. After gathering a few more ingredients that she thought necessary, Natalia began to make her potion. The leaves of the Alihotsy were cut into thin layers in the way her Mother had shown her to do with plants to instill the maximum concentration toward the effects. For the antidote, amongst various ingredients, she used Mandrake to restore the mind to its original state of sanity and leech juice to rid the body of Alihotsy contaminated blood. Within an hour, she finished her potions and sat waiting for them to cool. The other students in the class labored away in frustration, starting and restarting time after time. Snape crept around the classroom snapping at students and taking away House points. Coming upon Natalia, he peered into her cauldron. The slightly yellowed tint of blue in the potion brought a scowl to his face.
"It seems that Miss Slytherin has made a perfect potion. Or so she thinks, unless she is just resting in self-satisfaction for fancy."
Snape snatched a ladle and poured her potion into a vial. Students moved out of his way as he tore his way to the front of the classroom.
"Since she is so confident of her potion, we will have to try it and see the results."
His black eyes scanned the classroom for a victim.
"Granger! Miss Slytherin requires your assistance in demonstrating the effects of her potion."
He thrust the Madness-Inducing Potion into her face.
"Drink up."
Hermione looked to Natalia for some assurance that her antidote had been completed. Narrowing her eyes, Natalia glared at Snape and looked calmly at Hermione.
"Trust me." was all she said.
Even though her hands shook in agitation, Hermione poured the potion down her throat. At first, she calmly set down the vial on the table. After a moment, her pupils dilated and her senses felt raw. She gripped the vial and broke it on the table. Grabbing a shard of broken glass, she turned around, holding it to Snape's throat.
"YOU! YOU and your remarks will stop here today! You can't torment me anymore Snape! I'm the one in power now. Refer to Muggles one more time and I will make sure that you choke on glass! THEN we'll see what you think of Muggles when I slice open your veins and sever your nerves like tiny threads on a - "
"STUPEFACIO!"
Natalia pointed her wand at Hermione, knocking her senseless. She removed the shard of glass from Hermione's clenched fist, which looked more like a claw now than a hand. Gently lifting her head with one hand, Natalia poured the antidote into Hermione's mouth and waited for it to have its effect.
"Enervate." Natalia quietly whispered.
Hermione gasped, opening her eyes in shock. She clutched Natalia's cloak like a scared child.
"What happened to me?" she asked with a trembling voice.
Turning to Snape, Natalia met his eyes with a bitter look.
"Is that enough demonstration for the day, Professor?"
Still clutching his neck, Snape snarled out,
"A scroll at exactly one thousand words on the effects of Alihotsy and how to go about making its antidote is due next class. I want all of you to have prepared a Mirage Generating Potion for class by the end of the week. Do not attempt to come to class without one."
Snape stormed out of the classroom into his office. Never had something backfired like this on him. He didn't care what Dumbledore would think of him. He was not going to bring himself to apologize to the tart after humiliating him like that.
An unease permeated the Potions class. Twenty minutes were left in class and everyone stood around, unsure of what to do. Some of the Slytherins began to pack their things and leave. Draco turned toward Hermione.
"Look what you did, Mudblood. Making a fool of yourself and threatening the teacher. Reckon I should tell Dumbledore to get you expelled. That'll clean Hogwarts of your scum."
The Slytherins laughed at the offensive comment. Taking Draco's lead, Pansy chimed in,
"Don't provoke her Draco, the crackpot might turn on you and try to spill blood."
Tears were threatening to pour down Hermione's face. Already shaken up as she was, the Slytherin's taunts just frustrated her further. Seeing this, Draco was determined to make the tears fall.
"You have Natalia to thank for saving you from reeling over your dumb Muggle insanity. Shows you that the only people who know what they're doing around here are the Slytherins. No wonder why Snape didn't want you in Advanced Potions. With your Mudblood brains, you couldn't make a dumb Pepperup Potion even if boggin Potter was dying from Muggle diseases."
Natalia laughed out loud.
"Really Draco, would you have drank the bloody potion just to shut Snape up?"
Shocked from hearing Natalia drop into colloquial speech, the students stopped their bickering. Sneering for the first time since she had arrived at Hogwarts, Natalia continued in a light tone,
"Seriously Draco, did you think that the half-witted git would have stopped snapping at us like an old crone if Hermione hadn't taken the potion? I'm surprised that you thought her act was real. Being a Slytherin, I would have thought you knew better than that. Besides, why would I want to slave away making a Madness-Inducing Potion when I could just make an imitation? You are starting to disappoint me a little."
Draco's face looked like an angry stop sign. Gathering his books, he stormed out of the classroom to retreat to his dormitories like a kicked dog.
Seeing that the spectacle was over, the students left the classroom to find something to do with their extra twenty minutes. Hermione and Natalia left the classroom, both feeling relieved that Potions was over. Still a little shaken up, Hermione started talking only after they were well out of the dungeons.
"Thanks for what you did back there. I really thought he was going to get Dumbledore to expel me."
Natalia smiled at her, hoping that she would recover soon.
"Dumbledore would never do a thing like that."
"Why not?"
Natalia gave her a look of mock surprise.
"Don't you know Hermione? You are Hogwarts best student."
The Great Hall was already filled with students starting on their breakfast. Natalia made her way to the Slytherin table and saw that the only seat left was next to Pansy.
"Do you mind if I take a seat next to you?"
Pansy twisted her mouth into the broken teacup smile again.
"No, not at all. In fact, we should all move for you, it's not everyday that we have someone...special among us."
At this, Pansy left the hall with all the Slytherin girls following timidly after her. Natalia sat in silence, alone, pouring herself a cup of pumpkin juice. I guess I finally got the solitude that I wanted so much when I first came here, she thought sullenly.
Snape looked up from his copy of Daily Prophet. He frowned as his glare passed over the Slytherin table. Pansy Parkinson was making a scene again. The last time the girl made trouble with some Gryffindors, it had taken him hours to persuade Dumbledore not to take away major House points. Now she was pestering Natalia Slytherin. He watched in irritation as the girls from his House left the Great Hall with Pansy. Natalia had been left sitting by herself at the end of the table. He wondered how long it would take before she broke. He chuckled lightly to himself. Of course, he could have a great influence in pushing that along...no, he still had to make amends for what he did the night before. Sighing, he tucked the Daily Prophet into his robes and stood up to leave. Natalia glanced up from her seat, her eyes brushing briefly in an indifferent glance over Snape to the Gryffindor table in hope of seeing the Ominous Trio. A peculiar annoyance settled over Snape. Maybe the girl was brought up in such a restrained environment that she showed less emotion than even he did. His eyes moved on, but his mind had settled into the matter. It was rather disturbing to him that she could act so apathetically after the things he had said about her Father last night. And the things that she had said back to him. He left for the dungeons trying to redirect his mind.
Having finished a rather uneventful breakfast, Natalia headed to her Arithmancy class. She hated the condescending look Snape had given her in the Great Hall. Consequently, she started to give serious thought to not going to her Potions class. However, her passion for the subject took over, and in the end, she obliged to go.
"Natalia! Wait up!"
Turning around, she saw the Ominous Trio bound towards her. For the first time in the last twelve hours, she grinned broadly. They beamed, seeing that she looked pleased to see them.
"I was looking forward to a quiet morning..." she teased.
Ron grinned and decided to play along.
"Well, I guess we should leave you alone then. Wouldn't want to bother the heir of Slytherin after all. She might turn us all into ferrets."
Natalia's face fell slightly at this.
"You really think that?"
"No, of course not. I was just joking around, you know."
Natalia looked away and nodded.
"It is just that some people, actually, most people scorn me for being a descendant of his. I guess I am just a little jaded, that is all."
"Sorry 'bout that. I'll try not to crack jokes about those things."
They stood around in an uncomfortable silence, waiting for the next millennium to come. Some excruciating minutes later Hermione spoke up.
"What classes do you have today?"
"Arithmancy, Potions, and Ancient Runes."
Ron and Harry groaned. Wishing that she had gotten a better schedule, Harry offered her his pity.
"You've got the worst classes today. Two classes that could put a Billywig to sleep and Potions with the most horrendous excuse for a human being."
The latter brought a snigger from Natalia.
"And I thought I was the only one who thought so." she replied.
Shaking her head, Hermione offered the contrary.
"The two of you wouldn't know intellectual interest if it hit you over the head with a bludger. I'll let you know that Arithmancy is very fascinating if you take the time to understand it, as with all things. And don't worry about Potions. I have the same class with you, so we can live through Hell together."
Natalia looked at her unconvinced. Just as the bell rang, Hermione turned to her.
"I'll save you a seat in Potions. See you then."
However much she tried to keep from feeling dread for Potions, Natalia trudged on to Arithmancy much in doubt of Hermione's reassurances.
The Potions room gave off a cold discomforting chill that left the students' nerves and senses raw, defenseless against Snape's vicious temper. Natalia found her way next to Hermione at the front of the room. She could feel that she was setting herself up for Snape's wrath.
The door slammed open, bringing with it a gale of impatience and spite. Snape settled in the front of the class like a panther surveying its prey.
"I expect that you have all done your reading over the summer for Advanced Potions. If you have not, please remove yourself from the class immediately or suffer the dire consequences."
Snape turned his glare directly on Natalia while saying this. Much to the dissatisfaction of Snape, she looked directly back at him with a calm and detached gaze. Slighted, he turned toward Hermione.
"Miss Granger, don't you know better than to sit next to someone that defiles the name of Muggles?"
Her face heated at the mention of Muggles, being that she was of Muggle blood herself.
"Isn't there certain terminologies used by Miss Slytherin's family for people like you?"
Sneering in satisfaction, he turned his attention back to the class.
"Today you will make a Madness-Inducing Potion. I expect that you know the uses of Alihotsy in this potion from your readings, and you will be expected to concoct an antidote also, for if it is not successful, I will not have the pity or the time to restore your sanity."
Panic ran through the students like a plague. None of them knew much about Alihotsy due to the reason that there were only two sentences about it in their entire summer reading. Hermione sat in a trance, determined to find something in her memory that would allow her to at least know how to start the potion. In contrast, Natalia knew exactly what Alihotsy was and about the ability its leaves had to cause insanity. Although she did not know of how to make the exact potion, she decided to let her extensive knowledge of potions and her experience guide her. She gathered leaves from an Alihotsy plant and retrieved Jobberknoll feathers from Snape's cabinets to increase the vividness of the hallucinations of the victim through memories of things they feared. After gathering a few more ingredients that she thought necessary, Natalia began to make her potion. The leaves of the Alihotsy were cut into thin layers in the way her Mother had shown her to do with plants to instill the maximum concentration toward the effects. For the antidote, amongst various ingredients, she used Mandrake to restore the mind to its original state of sanity and leech juice to rid the body of Alihotsy contaminated blood. Within an hour, she finished her potions and sat waiting for them to cool. The other students in the class labored away in frustration, starting and restarting time after time. Snape crept around the classroom snapping at students and taking away House points. Coming upon Natalia, he peered into her cauldron. The slightly yellowed tint of blue in the potion brought a scowl to his face.
"It seems that Miss Slytherin has made a perfect potion. Or so she thinks, unless she is just resting in self-satisfaction for fancy."
Snape snatched a ladle and poured her potion into a vial. Students moved out of his way as he tore his way to the front of the classroom.
"Since she is so confident of her potion, we will have to try it and see the results."
His black eyes scanned the classroom for a victim.
"Granger! Miss Slytherin requires your assistance in demonstrating the effects of her potion."
He thrust the Madness-Inducing Potion into her face.
"Drink up."
Hermione looked to Natalia for some assurance that her antidote had been completed. Narrowing her eyes, Natalia glared at Snape and looked calmly at Hermione.
"Trust me." was all she said.
Even though her hands shook in agitation, Hermione poured the potion down her throat. At first, she calmly set down the vial on the table. After a moment, her pupils dilated and her senses felt raw. She gripped the vial and broke it on the table. Grabbing a shard of broken glass, she turned around, holding it to Snape's throat.
"YOU! YOU and your remarks will stop here today! You can't torment me anymore Snape! I'm the one in power now. Refer to Muggles one more time and I will make sure that you choke on glass! THEN we'll see what you think of Muggles when I slice open your veins and sever your nerves like tiny threads on a - "
"STUPEFACIO!"
Natalia pointed her wand at Hermione, knocking her senseless. She removed the shard of glass from Hermione's clenched fist, which looked more like a claw now than a hand. Gently lifting her head with one hand, Natalia poured the antidote into Hermione's mouth and waited for it to have its effect.
"Enervate." Natalia quietly whispered.
Hermione gasped, opening her eyes in shock. She clutched Natalia's cloak like a scared child.
"What happened to me?" she asked with a trembling voice.
Turning to Snape, Natalia met his eyes with a bitter look.
"Is that enough demonstration for the day, Professor?"
Still clutching his neck, Snape snarled out,
"A scroll at exactly one thousand words on the effects of Alihotsy and how to go about making its antidote is due next class. I want all of you to have prepared a Mirage Generating Potion for class by the end of the week. Do not attempt to come to class without one."
Snape stormed out of the classroom into his office. Never had something backfired like this on him. He didn't care what Dumbledore would think of him. He was not going to bring himself to apologize to the tart after humiliating him like that.
An unease permeated the Potions class. Twenty minutes were left in class and everyone stood around, unsure of what to do. Some of the Slytherins began to pack their things and leave. Draco turned toward Hermione.
"Look what you did, Mudblood. Making a fool of yourself and threatening the teacher. Reckon I should tell Dumbledore to get you expelled. That'll clean Hogwarts of your scum."
The Slytherins laughed at the offensive comment. Taking Draco's lead, Pansy chimed in,
"Don't provoke her Draco, the crackpot might turn on you and try to spill blood."
Tears were threatening to pour down Hermione's face. Already shaken up as she was, the Slytherin's taunts just frustrated her further. Seeing this, Draco was determined to make the tears fall.
"You have Natalia to thank for saving you from reeling over your dumb Muggle insanity. Shows you that the only people who know what they're doing around here are the Slytherins. No wonder why Snape didn't want you in Advanced Potions. With your Mudblood brains, you couldn't make a dumb Pepperup Potion even if boggin Potter was dying from Muggle diseases."
Natalia laughed out loud.
"Really Draco, would you have drank the bloody potion just to shut Snape up?"
Shocked from hearing Natalia drop into colloquial speech, the students stopped their bickering. Sneering for the first time since she had arrived at Hogwarts, Natalia continued in a light tone,
"Seriously Draco, did you think that the half-witted git would have stopped snapping at us like an old crone if Hermione hadn't taken the potion? I'm surprised that you thought her act was real. Being a Slytherin, I would have thought you knew better than that. Besides, why would I want to slave away making a Madness-Inducing Potion when I could just make an imitation? You are starting to disappoint me a little."
Draco's face looked like an angry stop sign. Gathering his books, he stormed out of the classroom to retreat to his dormitories like a kicked dog.
Seeing that the spectacle was over, the students left the classroom to find something to do with their extra twenty minutes. Hermione and Natalia left the classroom, both feeling relieved that Potions was over. Still a little shaken up, Hermione started talking only after they were well out of the dungeons.
"Thanks for what you did back there. I really thought he was going to get Dumbledore to expel me."
Natalia smiled at her, hoping that she would recover soon.
"Dumbledore would never do a thing like that."
"Why not?"
Natalia gave her a look of mock surprise.
"Don't you know Hermione? You are Hogwarts best student."
