Chapter 3 - Incoming!
Harry wasn't able to think much about the headmaster's granddaughter, considering the class schedule he had the last half of the day. Well, at least he had Ron and Hermione with him, and who better to brave Snape's class than with your two best friends. Harry started to daydream, about what it'd be like to be the Potions Master, and have Snape be the student. But the lovely daydream ended abruptly, as the three made it to door of the class. He overheard Draco talking to his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, while Pansy shot daggers over to Hermione.
"I'm sure his granddaughter will be as nutty as he is. And why would he bring her here? All this school needs is another Gryffindor." The three other Slytherins snickered behind their hands, which encouraged Draco even more. "Yes, I'm also certain she's going to be a stupid, horse-faced girl who immediately becomes a Harry Potter fan club member. They all are, of course."
"Mr. Malfoy?" came a familiar voice from behind the suddenly stiff and edgy Slytherins. Dumbledore stepped out from around the corner, his eyes glittering strangely. "I do hope you were talking about an ugly painting, and not my intelligent and beautiful granddaughter?" Draco smiles nervously and nodded with the same nervousness.
"Of course Professor. I wouldn't have it any other way," Draco tried his most winning smile, which looked more like a simple showing of teeth you'd do at the dentist.
"That's good, Mr. Malfoy. I was just making sure my old ears were working properly." Dumbledore smiled evenly, and patted Draco on the shoulder. "You should probably get to your class now. No doubt Professor Snape has something special for you today." Dumbledore's eyes went back to their usual glittery self, and he walked away. Harry sighed blissfully. He loved seeing Draco put his foot in his mouth like that, and he couldn't think of a better person to do it around than Professor Albus Dumbledore. Draco must've heard what Harry was thinking.
"Potter, I..." At that moment, the door opened, and Snape began to wave students inside.
Thinking this must be his lucky day; he stepped inside with a little bounce in his stride. Taking his usual place in the back, in-between Ron and Hermione, he pulled out his cauldron and books. Snape went to his desk at the front of the class and spoke up.
"Students, today we will be studying the more advanced form of poisons. And, like we did a few years ago, it'll be your job to brew your own antidote. And since that time a few years ago when Mr. Potter was unable to help us with a demonstration of his abilities, he will be the first this time." Hermione shot up her hand, which Snape ignored, of course. So much for good days, Harry thought. The three set off to readying the ingredients for the antidote, which Harry paid an unusual amount of attention to.
Harry set his books and cauldron on the table close to his four-poster bed, then sat down. "Ron, that's gotta be the worst Potions class I've ever been to. And that's saying something!" He sighed, and plopped backwards into his cushy bed with a soft thud.
"It wasn't that bad. After all, Snape threatening to kill you by a powerful potion isn't nearly as bad as living without a ..." He stopped, looking down as he had done earlier. "Excuse me Harry, I have to check something."
Harry couldn't help but stifle a laugh. Ron had talked to Fred and George earlier, and, as usual, they denied everything with a grin and a smile respectively. Harry could hear Ron's "Woohoo!" from the bathroom, and he knew all was, ahem, intact. Ron came out of the bathroom, looking relieved and giddy all at the same time.
"Don't worry though. I sent Mom an owl just this morning. They'll get their comeuppance soon." For some reason, Harry had a bad feeling about this, and spoke up.
"Ron, when your mom gets mad, she normally sends a Howler, right?" Ron nodded yes. Harry paused for a moment to let what he just said sink in. It didn't. "Well, owls normally come while we're in the Great Hall, right? While in front of the whole school?" Ron nodded again, still not getting the point.
"Yup, they'll be embarrassed alright, " Ron said emphatically. Harry winced, then got up and shook Ron's shoulders.
"Ron! Your mother is going to send a Howler to Fred and George while in front of the whole of Hogwarts!"
Ron looked annoyed, "I KNOW HARRY! THAT'S THE POINT!"
Harry shook Ron again, getting annoyed as well, "And the Howler is going to contain the REASONS why they're receiving the Howler!" Ron's face went white as chalk.
Ron finally spoke up, albeit in a whisper. "Innn frront o-of thhhe w-w- whole school..." Harry couldn't watch, so he went downstairs to the common room, leaving his friend in mortal anguish. Hermione went up to Harry when she saw him.
"Harry, where's Ron?" The question brought a nervous laugh from Harry, which made Hermione look at him funny. "Is something wrong? Well, maybe this'll cheer him up. I bought some chocolate frogs from..."
"Uhm! Strangely enough, I don't think he'll want those," Harry interrupted. Hermione shrugged.
"Well, it's about time for the feast. Meet you down there, Harry?" Harry nodded as Hermione turned to leave through the Fat Lady painting. Harry hurried upstairs to find Ron still unmoved.
"Ron, I think you can come down to dinner. After all, she wouldn't send it this quickly. The owl would never make it there and back in time." Ron nodded very very slightly and let Harry usher him down to the Great Hall for the feast.
Down in the Great Hall, the chatter was all about Dumbledore's granddaughter coming this night. "I bet she's real smart," said a Gryffindor first-year.
"Naw, I'm guessing she's a spoiled brat. After all, I hear she's Dumbledore's only granddaughter. That's gotta mean something," replied a typical answer from a Slytherin second-year.
Fluttering from ahead caught most everyone's eye. Not many owls, especially blue-colored ones, came in during dinner. The owl hovered until all of the students were seated. Then it landed softly on the floor, right in the main way, which led to the Teacher's Table. One Slytherin picked up a roll and threw it at the owl, hitting it just below where the shoulder would be. This made the Slytherin table burst out laughing, but before anyone was able to see if the bird was ok, a soft blue light began to mist over the bird, then began to grow larger and larger. So large in fact, that it was nearly the size...Harry blinked...nearly the size of a human. The mist disappeared, to reveal a tall and slender form draped in a deep blue lady's cloak. The same blue that the owl was. The room was hush as one of the woman's hands reached over and brushed off where the roll had hit the owl. The figure turned to look at a particularly bashful and embarrassed looking Slytherin.
"Nice aim. But my grandfather could throw better than that." There was a smile in the voice, but also an edge to it as well. The woman reached up with both hands to draw back the hood of the cloak, showing a rather beautiful young woman, probably in her late teens to early twenties with twinkling blue-green eyes reminiscent of Dumbledore's, and a long mane of very dark red hair. Just how long, Harry couldn't tell, but he did try to check. The woman turned to the Teacher's Table with a sparkling toothy grin. "I see things haven't changed, Grandpa." She walked towards the Teacher's Table with even, measured strides and climbed the two stairs to her grandfather, giving him a seemingly crushing hug. They both laughed in welcome, and Dumbledore stood, putting a hand on the woman's shoulder.
"Students, I'd like for you to meet my granddaughter Sarah." Sarah smirking and waved to the large crowd of students, then spoke something to her grandpa and walked away, towards the Gryffindor table. She sat down next to Hermione, and looked up to her grandfather, who sat down, signaling it time to eat. The food appeared, and the students dug in. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, along with the rest of the table looked at Sarah, who began to fill her plate. A bite of beef was halfway to Sarah's mouth when she noticed the stares. She put down her fork, and smiled at the gawkers. "Don't have yams growing out of my ears, do I?" Sarah smiled again; finally biting down on the food that was still on her fork.
"Are you really Dumbledore's granddaughter?" said Fred, who was obviously transfixed at the older girl.
Sarah chuckled and wiped her mouth, "Indeed I am. We could do a DNA test..."
"A what?" half the table replied in unison. Sarah laughed, which sounded a lot like her grandfather's and she extended her hand to the nearest student, who was Hermione. "I'm sorry. I haven't properly introduced myself. I'm Sarah Dumbledore from the Department of Muggle Studies at the Ministry." That seemed to explain a lot. Of course, if anything sounded strange and you just said that you were from the Department of Muggle Studies, that explained everything. Sarah looked at Ron, Fred, and George and grinned. "You're Arthur Weasley's sons, aren't you?" The three nodded, still staring. Sarah looked to Hermione. "And you're Hermione Granger. Your mother's a very good dentist, by the way." Sarah looked to Harry. "And that would make you Harry Potter. Bloody good job you did on Volde-poo there. He'd been owed a kick in the pants for a long time, from what I know." Harry blinked, but was pleasantly surprised. Most people look at him as if he's the reincarnated Son of God, and not a boy of 15 years of age. Sarah took another bite of beef, seemingly oblivious to the quizzical looks of the students around her. Without looking up from her mashed potatoes, she answered their looks with a grin on her face, "And yes, I said Volde-poo."
Harry wasn't able to think much about the headmaster's granddaughter, considering the class schedule he had the last half of the day. Well, at least he had Ron and Hermione with him, and who better to brave Snape's class than with your two best friends. Harry started to daydream, about what it'd be like to be the Potions Master, and have Snape be the student. But the lovely daydream ended abruptly, as the three made it to door of the class. He overheard Draco talking to his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, while Pansy shot daggers over to Hermione.
"I'm sure his granddaughter will be as nutty as he is. And why would he bring her here? All this school needs is another Gryffindor." The three other Slytherins snickered behind their hands, which encouraged Draco even more. "Yes, I'm also certain she's going to be a stupid, horse-faced girl who immediately becomes a Harry Potter fan club member. They all are, of course."
"Mr. Malfoy?" came a familiar voice from behind the suddenly stiff and edgy Slytherins. Dumbledore stepped out from around the corner, his eyes glittering strangely. "I do hope you were talking about an ugly painting, and not my intelligent and beautiful granddaughter?" Draco smiles nervously and nodded with the same nervousness.
"Of course Professor. I wouldn't have it any other way," Draco tried his most winning smile, which looked more like a simple showing of teeth you'd do at the dentist.
"That's good, Mr. Malfoy. I was just making sure my old ears were working properly." Dumbledore smiled evenly, and patted Draco on the shoulder. "You should probably get to your class now. No doubt Professor Snape has something special for you today." Dumbledore's eyes went back to their usual glittery self, and he walked away. Harry sighed blissfully. He loved seeing Draco put his foot in his mouth like that, and he couldn't think of a better person to do it around than Professor Albus Dumbledore. Draco must've heard what Harry was thinking.
"Potter, I..." At that moment, the door opened, and Snape began to wave students inside.
Thinking this must be his lucky day; he stepped inside with a little bounce in his stride. Taking his usual place in the back, in-between Ron and Hermione, he pulled out his cauldron and books. Snape went to his desk at the front of the class and spoke up.
"Students, today we will be studying the more advanced form of poisons. And, like we did a few years ago, it'll be your job to brew your own antidote. And since that time a few years ago when Mr. Potter was unable to help us with a demonstration of his abilities, he will be the first this time." Hermione shot up her hand, which Snape ignored, of course. So much for good days, Harry thought. The three set off to readying the ingredients for the antidote, which Harry paid an unusual amount of attention to.
Harry set his books and cauldron on the table close to his four-poster bed, then sat down. "Ron, that's gotta be the worst Potions class I've ever been to. And that's saying something!" He sighed, and plopped backwards into his cushy bed with a soft thud.
"It wasn't that bad. After all, Snape threatening to kill you by a powerful potion isn't nearly as bad as living without a ..." He stopped, looking down as he had done earlier. "Excuse me Harry, I have to check something."
Harry couldn't help but stifle a laugh. Ron had talked to Fred and George earlier, and, as usual, they denied everything with a grin and a smile respectively. Harry could hear Ron's "Woohoo!" from the bathroom, and he knew all was, ahem, intact. Ron came out of the bathroom, looking relieved and giddy all at the same time.
"Don't worry though. I sent Mom an owl just this morning. They'll get their comeuppance soon." For some reason, Harry had a bad feeling about this, and spoke up.
"Ron, when your mom gets mad, she normally sends a Howler, right?" Ron nodded yes. Harry paused for a moment to let what he just said sink in. It didn't. "Well, owls normally come while we're in the Great Hall, right? While in front of the whole school?" Ron nodded again, still not getting the point.
"Yup, they'll be embarrassed alright, " Ron said emphatically. Harry winced, then got up and shook Ron's shoulders.
"Ron! Your mother is going to send a Howler to Fred and George while in front of the whole of Hogwarts!"
Ron looked annoyed, "I KNOW HARRY! THAT'S THE POINT!"
Harry shook Ron again, getting annoyed as well, "And the Howler is going to contain the REASONS why they're receiving the Howler!" Ron's face went white as chalk.
Ron finally spoke up, albeit in a whisper. "Innn frront o-of thhhe w-w- whole school..." Harry couldn't watch, so he went downstairs to the common room, leaving his friend in mortal anguish. Hermione went up to Harry when she saw him.
"Harry, where's Ron?" The question brought a nervous laugh from Harry, which made Hermione look at him funny. "Is something wrong? Well, maybe this'll cheer him up. I bought some chocolate frogs from..."
"Uhm! Strangely enough, I don't think he'll want those," Harry interrupted. Hermione shrugged.
"Well, it's about time for the feast. Meet you down there, Harry?" Harry nodded as Hermione turned to leave through the Fat Lady painting. Harry hurried upstairs to find Ron still unmoved.
"Ron, I think you can come down to dinner. After all, she wouldn't send it this quickly. The owl would never make it there and back in time." Ron nodded very very slightly and let Harry usher him down to the Great Hall for the feast.
Down in the Great Hall, the chatter was all about Dumbledore's granddaughter coming this night. "I bet she's real smart," said a Gryffindor first-year.
"Naw, I'm guessing she's a spoiled brat. After all, I hear she's Dumbledore's only granddaughter. That's gotta mean something," replied a typical answer from a Slytherin second-year.
Fluttering from ahead caught most everyone's eye. Not many owls, especially blue-colored ones, came in during dinner. The owl hovered until all of the students were seated. Then it landed softly on the floor, right in the main way, which led to the Teacher's Table. One Slytherin picked up a roll and threw it at the owl, hitting it just below where the shoulder would be. This made the Slytherin table burst out laughing, but before anyone was able to see if the bird was ok, a soft blue light began to mist over the bird, then began to grow larger and larger. So large in fact, that it was nearly the size...Harry blinked...nearly the size of a human. The mist disappeared, to reveal a tall and slender form draped in a deep blue lady's cloak. The same blue that the owl was. The room was hush as one of the woman's hands reached over and brushed off where the roll had hit the owl. The figure turned to look at a particularly bashful and embarrassed looking Slytherin.
"Nice aim. But my grandfather could throw better than that." There was a smile in the voice, but also an edge to it as well. The woman reached up with both hands to draw back the hood of the cloak, showing a rather beautiful young woman, probably in her late teens to early twenties with twinkling blue-green eyes reminiscent of Dumbledore's, and a long mane of very dark red hair. Just how long, Harry couldn't tell, but he did try to check. The woman turned to the Teacher's Table with a sparkling toothy grin. "I see things haven't changed, Grandpa." She walked towards the Teacher's Table with even, measured strides and climbed the two stairs to her grandfather, giving him a seemingly crushing hug. They both laughed in welcome, and Dumbledore stood, putting a hand on the woman's shoulder.
"Students, I'd like for you to meet my granddaughter Sarah." Sarah smirking and waved to the large crowd of students, then spoke something to her grandpa and walked away, towards the Gryffindor table. She sat down next to Hermione, and looked up to her grandfather, who sat down, signaling it time to eat. The food appeared, and the students dug in. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, along with the rest of the table looked at Sarah, who began to fill her plate. A bite of beef was halfway to Sarah's mouth when she noticed the stares. She put down her fork, and smiled at the gawkers. "Don't have yams growing out of my ears, do I?" Sarah smiled again; finally biting down on the food that was still on her fork.
"Are you really Dumbledore's granddaughter?" said Fred, who was obviously transfixed at the older girl.
Sarah chuckled and wiped her mouth, "Indeed I am. We could do a DNA test..."
"A what?" half the table replied in unison. Sarah laughed, which sounded a lot like her grandfather's and she extended her hand to the nearest student, who was Hermione. "I'm sorry. I haven't properly introduced myself. I'm Sarah Dumbledore from the Department of Muggle Studies at the Ministry." That seemed to explain a lot. Of course, if anything sounded strange and you just said that you were from the Department of Muggle Studies, that explained everything. Sarah looked at Ron, Fred, and George and grinned. "You're Arthur Weasley's sons, aren't you?" The three nodded, still staring. Sarah looked to Hermione. "And you're Hermione Granger. Your mother's a very good dentist, by the way." Sarah looked to Harry. "And that would make you Harry Potter. Bloody good job you did on Volde-poo there. He'd been owed a kick in the pants for a long time, from what I know." Harry blinked, but was pleasantly surprised. Most people look at him as if he's the reincarnated Son of God, and not a boy of 15 years of age. Sarah took another bite of beef, seemingly oblivious to the quizzical looks of the students around her. Without looking up from her mashed potatoes, she answered their looks with a grin on her face, "And yes, I said Volde-poo."