Chapter Four: Fear of a Friend
Renee walked quietly into the dungeons. A pack was slung over her back, containing the books she had only acquired the week before. Held in her hand was a box containing the many potion contents she would need for potions. She took her normal seat at the very back, placing her box on the table before pulling out her new wand.
She had never used a wand before, but from what McGonagall said, it would focus her energy into a spell better than the mind could do alone. She held the stick of rowan wood in her hands, a total of 13 inches. She traced the unicorn hair as it twirled around and into the wood. The power that flooded into her from the tiny piece of wood was almost overwhelming. It gave her a feeling like she had never had before.
It was as if, for the first time in her life, she felt truly free.
She had fallen so far into the wand that she had barely enough time to freeze the wand as it went flying across the room, batted by Snape. He wouldn't admit it of course, but she knew that his elbow had not hit her wand, but his hand. She directed the wand to return to her with her mind. It floated back calmly and landed in her outstretched palm.
Snape stared, until he realized that she was watching him, and he quickly turned away. The students, who had begun to file into the room stood, mouths agape as well. Most of them were Slytherins, though some were of Gryffindor.
"Take your seats." Snape demanded as the rest of the students pushed forward to see what the hold up was about.
The class filed in. Slytherins took the front seats, except for Draco, who began creeping back to the back. Rene glared at him, as if daring him to take another step. He stopped, turned, and sat at the front.
The Gryffindors filed in behind them, excited buzzing flitting from one person to the other. Renee stowed her wand back in her robes and turned to face the front. Someone sat on her right as the lesson began.
"Potion supplies out, wands away, class." He looked pointedly at Renee, who glared back, placing both hands, wand-less, upon the table. He continued in a slightly strained voice, "Today we will be brewing an antidote for poison."
The class began, and Renee added her ingredients exactly as the book she had opened directed. Waiting five minutes after placing the moat weed in the cauldron the student next to her cleared his voice in an attempt to catch her attention.
She ignored him for a while until he whispered, "Excuse me."
She turned and looked at the boy, her black eyes reduced to annoyed slits. He blanched for a second, looking over to the table across from the one they sat at. He turned back when the Gryffindor at the other table made a motion for him to continue. "Can you really use… well, magic… with out a… a… well, you know…"
"No."
"You can't?" The boy looked disappointed.
"I didn't say that…" Renee turned back to her potion, checking if it was ready.
"Well… can you?" He whispered intensely.
"Do what?"
"Use magic without a wand?"
"Yes." Her answer was short, sweet, and quiet, as she refused to waste any more breath explaining.
The boy's eye widened in wonder, until his potion began to spit yellow sparks into the air. He turned back to his cauldron, but the potion was ruined.
No one talked to Renee for the rest of the day, and the people who sat next to her in the other classes eyed her with a sort of revered awe. She hated it. In a matter of half a day, the news that a first year could perform magic with no wand at all had passed along the corridors. Not like anyone talked to her in the first place, but the fact that she couldn't walk down the hall without whispers following bothered her. She didn't want to be noticed. She was used to fading into the shadows, and the fact that she couldn't made her uneasy.
At the end of lessons she dashed to her room, changed to Miss Norris, and patrolled the halls, abandoning dinner for the calm of a cat. As the day grew to a close she began to patrol for stragglers. On her round she saw three forms walking into the third floor corridor. She followed, and meowed as they stepped into the long hallway.
They turned immediately, looking at her with mingled horror and surprise.
"It's Filtch's cat!" The girl warned.
"Run!" The trio turned and ran down the corridor. Rather than get them in trouble, Renee waited for Filtch to show up.
He poked his head around the corner and whispered hoarsely, "Anyone here, my sweet?"
I, she thought to herself, padding out and down the stairs on silent cat feet.
* * *
For the rest of the week she would change back to Miss Norris as soon as class was out. She avoided the eyes of all students, and avoided being out in the halls if she could manage it. The few days she did go to dinner in the great hall she would sit at the end of the table, quiet. Once she finished she would walk back out of the hall and to her room, changing to Miss Norris.
One evening, however, as she was walking towards the great doors they were flung open from without. Jumping out of the way she tripped over a nearby stool, crashing to the ground as professor Quirel ran into the hall.
"TROLL! TROLL, IN THE DUNGEON!" He paused in front of the teacher table. "Though you ought to know…" he fainted.
In the pandemonium that descended Renee's fall was lost, as was she. She swiftly turned to Miss Norris in a corner and darted out of the hall on cat feet. She had followed the Gryffindors for a while before Ron Weasley and Harry Potter break off with the group and join the Ravenclaw class. Curious, Renee followed.
When they came to the corner, the troll did as well. No longer in the dungeon it walked slowly into the girl's bathroom.
"Hermione." Ron muttered.
The two boys darted towards the bathroom, wands out and ready. Renee turned tail and darted down towards the dungeon, to get the teachers. When she arrived they were milling about hurriedly, trying to find where the troll had gone. Darting over to McGonagall she rubbed against her leg and gave a distressed "mrow!"
The teachers looked down at her, and McGonagall's eyes lit up with understanding as she spoke to Renee. "Lead on."
McGonagall darted up the stairs after Renee, and Snape, who had found his way to the third floor, later joined them. Quirel joined them a bit later, running along the hall towards. When they got to the right hall, the loud roar of pain from the troll made the teachers jump and run all the faster towards the bathroom. Renee stood outside the bathroom, hidden in the shadows as the teachers began to talk with the trio of students.
When the three students and McGonagall walked out of the bathroom, Renee trotted along beside McGonagall. When she had shooed the three friends towards Gryffindor common room she turned and looked at Renee. "Thank you."
Renee meowed in acceptance, and turned towards her own room.
* * *
The rest of that week was slow, and soon Renee's ability to use magic without the aid of a wand died under the talk of the troll – for which Renee was thankful. Classes were more enjoyable, and dinner was manageable. After the troll talk had worn off, she was afraid eyes would stray to her again. She shouldn't have been.
As the Quidditch season rolled in, all other distractions died from sight. Everyone was looking forward to the first game of the season, Slytherin vs. Gryffindor. Renee, being locking in Azkaban, had never flown before. So, when her first flying lesson came, she was just as nervous as she was excited.
The class had lined up, and it wasn't until another line formed, across from them, did Renee's spirits sink. Slytherins, they were having flying lessons with Slytherin.
"Approach with your broom on your right. Hold her hand strait out above the broom, and command, 'Up!'" Her broom jumped to her hand.
The class stepped forward on the left side of their brooms. There was a multitude of voices as the students commanded their brooms. Renee stepped forward with her hand out. "Up!" she commanded, and was surprised as the broom jumped a foot in the air, sped off through the Slytherin line, and tore down the middle of the lines, stopping to hover in front of her. She looked over to madam Hooch, who looked just as surprised.
She looked across from her, where Draco was scowling. He was one of the only ones whose broom had immediately reacted, following orders. But with the reaction of Renee's, his mood had soured.
"Mount your broom!" Madam Hooch commanded, and the class followed, "On my whistle… One… Two…" She stopped and looked to the Gryffindor line, as did the rest of the class.
Neville Longbottom had taken off early, and the broom he was upon seemed not to listen to his cried commands. Longbottom's broom took off, and a while later he was lying on his stomach, a broken arm being nursed as madam Hooch took him to the hospital wing.
When Neville had gone, Draco stooped and picked up his remember-all. When Harry stood forward, demanding he give it back, Renee knew there was going to be trouble. Draco threw the ball, and Harry dove after it. McGonagall came out shortly after, demanding Harry come with her.
Renee sighed, turning to the snickering Slytherins. The class went silent, all eyes were upon her. "I was right." Her face was a stone, eye reduced to annoyed slits. "You are a bloody git."
Renee turned on her heel and walked away leaving the deadly silence behind her, until a howl of anger rose. Dodging behind the school corner she changed to Miss Norris, and walked on. The Gryffindors were looking stunned, but their eyes were alight with wonder at Renee's nerve. The Slytherins were after Renee, now no longer to be found.
* * *
Being wanted by the Slytherins, Renee was exceptionally careful. But she found more and more now, that she was never in the hall alone without one of the Gryffindors tailing behind her, or keeping an eye out from in front of her. It seemed as if they had taken to protecting her… and for once, she didn't mind it.
"Renee?"
Renee turned quickly, crouching down with one hand out, ready to defend. The girl that stood there backed up rapidly. Renee relaxed when she saw it was a Gryffindor. She stood straight and looked at the girl with wary eyes. "Yes?"
The girl held out her hand, frizzy hair lying over her shoulders, "I'd like to be your friend."
Renee eyed the hand with mistrust, eyes wide with a sort of fear she had never felt before. She had never been approached before, and it scared her. She backed up, shaking her head slightly, and turned. She ran until she got to her room, in which she turned into Miss Norris and curled into a ball. She slept until night, when she realized she had to perform her round.
Getting up, she hoped that the girl wouldn't ask again. What was a friend, truly?
She didn't know, and in her naivete, she was afraid.
Renee walked quietly into the dungeons. A pack was slung over her back, containing the books she had only acquired the week before. Held in her hand was a box containing the many potion contents she would need for potions. She took her normal seat at the very back, placing her box on the table before pulling out her new wand.
She had never used a wand before, but from what McGonagall said, it would focus her energy into a spell better than the mind could do alone. She held the stick of rowan wood in her hands, a total of 13 inches. She traced the unicorn hair as it twirled around and into the wood. The power that flooded into her from the tiny piece of wood was almost overwhelming. It gave her a feeling like she had never had before.
It was as if, for the first time in her life, she felt truly free.
She had fallen so far into the wand that she had barely enough time to freeze the wand as it went flying across the room, batted by Snape. He wouldn't admit it of course, but she knew that his elbow had not hit her wand, but his hand. She directed the wand to return to her with her mind. It floated back calmly and landed in her outstretched palm.
Snape stared, until he realized that she was watching him, and he quickly turned away. The students, who had begun to file into the room stood, mouths agape as well. Most of them were Slytherins, though some were of Gryffindor.
"Take your seats." Snape demanded as the rest of the students pushed forward to see what the hold up was about.
The class filed in. Slytherins took the front seats, except for Draco, who began creeping back to the back. Rene glared at him, as if daring him to take another step. He stopped, turned, and sat at the front.
The Gryffindors filed in behind them, excited buzzing flitting from one person to the other. Renee stowed her wand back in her robes and turned to face the front. Someone sat on her right as the lesson began.
"Potion supplies out, wands away, class." He looked pointedly at Renee, who glared back, placing both hands, wand-less, upon the table. He continued in a slightly strained voice, "Today we will be brewing an antidote for poison."
The class began, and Renee added her ingredients exactly as the book she had opened directed. Waiting five minutes after placing the moat weed in the cauldron the student next to her cleared his voice in an attempt to catch her attention.
She ignored him for a while until he whispered, "Excuse me."
She turned and looked at the boy, her black eyes reduced to annoyed slits. He blanched for a second, looking over to the table across from the one they sat at. He turned back when the Gryffindor at the other table made a motion for him to continue. "Can you really use… well, magic… with out a… a… well, you know…"
"No."
"You can't?" The boy looked disappointed.
"I didn't say that…" Renee turned back to her potion, checking if it was ready.
"Well… can you?" He whispered intensely.
"Do what?"
"Use magic without a wand?"
"Yes." Her answer was short, sweet, and quiet, as she refused to waste any more breath explaining.
The boy's eye widened in wonder, until his potion began to spit yellow sparks into the air. He turned back to his cauldron, but the potion was ruined.
No one talked to Renee for the rest of the day, and the people who sat next to her in the other classes eyed her with a sort of revered awe. She hated it. In a matter of half a day, the news that a first year could perform magic with no wand at all had passed along the corridors. Not like anyone talked to her in the first place, but the fact that she couldn't walk down the hall without whispers following bothered her. She didn't want to be noticed. She was used to fading into the shadows, and the fact that she couldn't made her uneasy.
At the end of lessons she dashed to her room, changed to Miss Norris, and patrolled the halls, abandoning dinner for the calm of a cat. As the day grew to a close she began to patrol for stragglers. On her round she saw three forms walking into the third floor corridor. She followed, and meowed as they stepped into the long hallway.
They turned immediately, looking at her with mingled horror and surprise.
"It's Filtch's cat!" The girl warned.
"Run!" The trio turned and ran down the corridor. Rather than get them in trouble, Renee waited for Filtch to show up.
He poked his head around the corner and whispered hoarsely, "Anyone here, my sweet?"
I, she thought to herself, padding out and down the stairs on silent cat feet.
* * *
For the rest of the week she would change back to Miss Norris as soon as class was out. She avoided the eyes of all students, and avoided being out in the halls if she could manage it. The few days she did go to dinner in the great hall she would sit at the end of the table, quiet. Once she finished she would walk back out of the hall and to her room, changing to Miss Norris.
One evening, however, as she was walking towards the great doors they were flung open from without. Jumping out of the way she tripped over a nearby stool, crashing to the ground as professor Quirel ran into the hall.
"TROLL! TROLL, IN THE DUNGEON!" He paused in front of the teacher table. "Though you ought to know…" he fainted.
In the pandemonium that descended Renee's fall was lost, as was she. She swiftly turned to Miss Norris in a corner and darted out of the hall on cat feet. She had followed the Gryffindors for a while before Ron Weasley and Harry Potter break off with the group and join the Ravenclaw class. Curious, Renee followed.
When they came to the corner, the troll did as well. No longer in the dungeon it walked slowly into the girl's bathroom.
"Hermione." Ron muttered.
The two boys darted towards the bathroom, wands out and ready. Renee turned tail and darted down towards the dungeon, to get the teachers. When she arrived they were milling about hurriedly, trying to find where the troll had gone. Darting over to McGonagall she rubbed against her leg and gave a distressed "mrow!"
The teachers looked down at her, and McGonagall's eyes lit up with understanding as she spoke to Renee. "Lead on."
McGonagall darted up the stairs after Renee, and Snape, who had found his way to the third floor, later joined them. Quirel joined them a bit later, running along the hall towards. When they got to the right hall, the loud roar of pain from the troll made the teachers jump and run all the faster towards the bathroom. Renee stood outside the bathroom, hidden in the shadows as the teachers began to talk with the trio of students.
When the three students and McGonagall walked out of the bathroom, Renee trotted along beside McGonagall. When she had shooed the three friends towards Gryffindor common room she turned and looked at Renee. "Thank you."
Renee meowed in acceptance, and turned towards her own room.
* * *
The rest of that week was slow, and soon Renee's ability to use magic without the aid of a wand died under the talk of the troll – for which Renee was thankful. Classes were more enjoyable, and dinner was manageable. After the troll talk had worn off, she was afraid eyes would stray to her again. She shouldn't have been.
As the Quidditch season rolled in, all other distractions died from sight. Everyone was looking forward to the first game of the season, Slytherin vs. Gryffindor. Renee, being locking in Azkaban, had never flown before. So, when her first flying lesson came, she was just as nervous as she was excited.
The class had lined up, and it wasn't until another line formed, across from them, did Renee's spirits sink. Slytherins, they were having flying lessons with Slytherin.
"Approach with your broom on your right. Hold her hand strait out above the broom, and command, 'Up!'" Her broom jumped to her hand.
The class stepped forward on the left side of their brooms. There was a multitude of voices as the students commanded their brooms. Renee stepped forward with her hand out. "Up!" she commanded, and was surprised as the broom jumped a foot in the air, sped off through the Slytherin line, and tore down the middle of the lines, stopping to hover in front of her. She looked over to madam Hooch, who looked just as surprised.
She looked across from her, where Draco was scowling. He was one of the only ones whose broom had immediately reacted, following orders. But with the reaction of Renee's, his mood had soured.
"Mount your broom!" Madam Hooch commanded, and the class followed, "On my whistle… One… Two…" She stopped and looked to the Gryffindor line, as did the rest of the class.
Neville Longbottom had taken off early, and the broom he was upon seemed not to listen to his cried commands. Longbottom's broom took off, and a while later he was lying on his stomach, a broken arm being nursed as madam Hooch took him to the hospital wing.
When Neville had gone, Draco stooped and picked up his remember-all. When Harry stood forward, demanding he give it back, Renee knew there was going to be trouble. Draco threw the ball, and Harry dove after it. McGonagall came out shortly after, demanding Harry come with her.
Renee sighed, turning to the snickering Slytherins. The class went silent, all eyes were upon her. "I was right." Her face was a stone, eye reduced to annoyed slits. "You are a bloody git."
Renee turned on her heel and walked away leaving the deadly silence behind her, until a howl of anger rose. Dodging behind the school corner she changed to Miss Norris, and walked on. The Gryffindors were looking stunned, but their eyes were alight with wonder at Renee's nerve. The Slytherins were after Renee, now no longer to be found.
* * *
Being wanted by the Slytherins, Renee was exceptionally careful. But she found more and more now, that she was never in the hall alone without one of the Gryffindors tailing behind her, or keeping an eye out from in front of her. It seemed as if they had taken to protecting her… and for once, she didn't mind it.
"Renee?"
Renee turned quickly, crouching down with one hand out, ready to defend. The girl that stood there backed up rapidly. Renee relaxed when she saw it was a Gryffindor. She stood straight and looked at the girl with wary eyes. "Yes?"
The girl held out her hand, frizzy hair lying over her shoulders, "I'd like to be your friend."
Renee eyed the hand with mistrust, eyes wide with a sort of fear she had never felt before. She had never been approached before, and it scared her. She backed up, shaking her head slightly, and turned. She ran until she got to her room, in which she turned into Miss Norris and curled into a ball. She slept until night, when she realized she had to perform her round.
Getting up, she hoped that the girl wouldn't ask again. What was a friend, truly?
She didn't know, and in her naivete, she was afraid.