Chapter 2 - Backbeat Spirals and the Earth Elemental
"Where are we going again?" Gregory Goyle asked Draco Malfoy.
Draco head-smacked his goon. "Professor Vox is taking us out to the moors for some primitive Earth magic thing she's going to do."
Indeed, a large number of Britomartis' Worlds Religions students were following her on their broomsticks across the wide moors outside the school proper. Students ranged from First-Year to Seventh-Year and from all houses, most all interested in seeing Professor Vox summon an Earth Elemental.
"This will do," she announced as her broom descended to the grass.
The Professor Vox Stormtroopers were immediately behind her - George and Fred Weasley (presidents of the Professor Vox Testosterone Brigade), several male members of Hufflepuff House, select male members of Gryffindor (including their Quidditch Team Captain Oliver Wood), and an almighty number of Slytherin males.
The Stormtroopers had been formed within the past few months when - looking through the Quidditch Annuals of Hogwarts - Oliver Wood had discovered Professor Vox's player picture and stats.
'Britomartis Vox - "Backbeat Spirals" - 1975 - Slytherin Team Beater - Second Female in Hogwarts' History to have Position of Beater - Perfected the Bludger Backbeat - 18 games, 14 wins, 1 Hell-of-a-Victory-Party'
The picture featured her in her Slytherin Quidditch Uniform (open to show her developing body in the tight armor), her sunglasses glaring, her knee- length ash blonde hair whipping in the breezes from flying her broom, and performing the Backbeat play.
This picture had been copied and circulated all over the school, especially among the male population.
The female in question accepted the attention with grace and ignored it.
"All right," Britomartis called. "Pay attention! I require a bit of quiet to do the summoning. I know many of you have never witnessed Elemental magic on a large scale - your reactions to what I will do will determine if you qualify for the summer field trip."
Harry Potter and Hermione Granger ended their conversation about Charms class while Ron Weasley fiddled with his maroon and gold scarf.
Britomartis raised her arms. Snookie-poo lifted her head up in preparation to offer her own serpent energies.
A long, low sound came from Professor Vox; it was not a word nor a chant, but a deep tone from her throat that drew upon the ancient energies of the Earth. Her voice never stopped, never paused for breath, but continued to sing in the same tone, as if it were aligning with the resonance of the Earth.
George leaned close to his twin and sang, "'The hills are alive' - "
Fred finished, " - 'and it's pretty frightenin'!"
They giggled, which was drowned out by a long, loud, organ-rattling laugh from the Earth.
All the students turned to see the moors sink down before their teacher, then heave up, the turf and dirt blowing upward like a geyser.
Over half of the assembled students screamed and ran.
Half of those left had fainted. Several more were too terrified to bother fainting - they climbed up one of the local trees.
A small number calmly accepted the event of a hill growing out of the moor ... even when the grass and dirt developed a gnarled old face that was neither male nor female.
The voice from the mountain of dirt was full and vibrated through their bodies, "Good morning, Priestess."
"WICKED KEWL!" exclaimed the four younger Weasleys.
"Wow, I'm impressed," Oliver stated in his thick Scottish brogue.
"Incredible!" Harry added.
"Agreed," Elizabeth Humphries of Slytherin added.
"It's an Earth Elemental summoning," Hermione explained. "The Elemental takes on the energies permeating an area and the history of the area."
"Wake up, you idiots!" Draco yelled at the out cold Crabbe and Goyle. "And fetch me some clean trousers!"
Britomartis lowered her hands. "Good morning, Moors. Are there any students left behind me?"
The hill shifted, looking over the remains. The eyes - full of lighter clay than the surrounding dirt - surveyed quietly, then rumbled, "There are ten left standing, if that's what you mean, Priestess." It thundered a laugh. "You need to bring them out more often so they won't be surprised if the hills talk to them."
Britomartis glanced at those remaining: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, all four Weasleys, Elizabeth Humphries and Glynis Ryper from her own House, Oliver Wood, and Draco Malfoy, who looked like he wet himself.
"Well, now I know who can handle the field trip," she stated. "Thank you, Moors."
"Anytime, Priestess." The hill peered at Harry Potter for a moment. "So tiny, so young ... to have such a horrible Destiny roosting on his shoulders." It sighed and receded into the Earth.
* * *
"We can't go!" Ron cried as he dropped his head to the dining table.
Harry blinked. "Why not?"
"Mum and Dad can't afford it," Ron explained into the table. "Can't even afford one of us, much less all of us. George and Fred are threatening to explode a toilet and Ginny locked herself in her dorm room and won't stop crying."
Hermione sighed. "You really should not worry about it. I mean, you'll get to stay home another two weeks during the summer. I hear Crete is pretty hot."
Ron raised his head. "But it's an adventure - of sorts." He brushed his red bangs out of his eyes. "I mean - going on a trip far away from home and not having parents over the shoulder - that's the whole point, right?"
Hermione smiled sweetly. "You didn't hear who the chaperones for the trip are, have you?" The smile became a smirk. "Professor Vox and Professor Snape."
"Snape?" Ron repeated. He rolled his head around, and then picked up his glass. "Oh, great, we'll lose points during Summer Break before we even get back to school! Why the bloody hell is he a chaperone?"
"Because," Hermione said as if she were explaining something completely simple to a three-year-old. She paused, looking up to the head table to see Vox and Snape talking - Snape twirling the ends of his black hair and Vox laughing - and leaned closer to the boys. "Because they're dating."
Ron spat his drink across the table, soaking Neville Longbottom. "They're WHAT??"
"Shh!" Hermione hissed.
Harry shook his head, smiling nervously. "You're kidding us, Hermione. That's Snape you're talking about - you know, the one whose face would crack if he smiled."
Ron's eyes widened. "Bloody hell ... His face didn't crack."
All three looked up, seeing Snape grinning at something Vox was saying.
They looked back down at their food. "Well," Harry said. "He might be more pleasant then, right?"
Hermione rolled her eyes while Ron decided to ignore the revelation by devouring his peas.
* * *
Harry Potter had never been to Professor Vox's office. In fact, the two got along quite civilly as teacher-student and she had shown him no special treatment save for any work he did within class. He liked her in this respect - she was not fazed by the bizarre fame he had grown into. Probably because she knew his parents back when they were teenagers.
He looked through the open door and saw her at her desk, obviously working out an exam. He knocked, and then said, "Professor Vox?"
She looked up, her sunglasses reflecting his image back. "Yes, Mr. Potter, may I help you?"
"I wish to discuss the trip to Crete with you privately."
She nodded, putting the exam away. "All right, then close the door and sit down."
Harry did so, settling down into the hard chair before her big black desk. "It's about the Weasleys."
Britomartis sighed and nodded sadly. "Yes, I talked with their mother by Floo this morning, she and Mr. Weasley cannot afford the trip for them. As I recall, Ginny Weasley broke into tears and the twins became quite animate about blowing up the plumbing. Your friend Ron just sat quietly. I really wish we could find a way to bring all of them along - they are some of my best students."
Harry smiled nervously. "Perhaps a ... what's the word? 'Grant' ... can be arranged."
"A grant?" she asked. "In what way?"
"I'll pay their travel and boarding expenses."
"Mr. Potter -!"
He pushed his glasses up. "Professor Vox, I'm offering this as an anonymous grant for all of them to come along. I know how much they like your class; it's not fair for them to not go just because of money. I'm offering this on their behalf."
She stared at him. He wondered how she was looking at him - anger or gratitude, he was not sure. He never realized until this point that eyes conveyed more emotion than the rest of the face. Part of why he was always afraid of Snape, he guessed.
"Why?" Britomartis finally asked.
"Ron's my best friend and the Weasleys have been nice to me. Ron, George, and Fred had pulled a jailbreak to get me out of my aunt and uncle's house - broke steel bars and everything."
A small smile crossed her lips. "I'm not surprised, actually. All right, Mr. Potter, we shall arrange a Weasley Grant from an anonymous donor to get those four on the trip."
"Good," Harry agreed. "Thank you, Professor Vox." He paused, his brows knotting over his green eyes. "Um, I also have a question ... about a rumor that I heard?"
"Which one?" she asked as she pulled out a notebook. "There are many rumors, but most are not nice and some are downright boring."
"Well ... about you and ... Professor Snape."
"The chocolate dragon suit was a complete fabrication, although the custard story has some element of truth."
All he could emit was a vague "Huh?" in response.
She grinned, waving her hand dismissively. "Who cares? We were friends back at your age and so on and so forth. Don't worry about it." She opened up the notebook. "All right, that's ten going on the trip, plus two chaperones ... luggage alone is going to be a pain. I'll talk with you kids in a few days about what to take and such, all right? Anything else?"
"No, ma'am."
"Then scoot. I have lots of work to do still."
"Where are we going again?" Gregory Goyle asked Draco Malfoy.
Draco head-smacked his goon. "Professor Vox is taking us out to the moors for some primitive Earth magic thing she's going to do."
Indeed, a large number of Britomartis' Worlds Religions students were following her on their broomsticks across the wide moors outside the school proper. Students ranged from First-Year to Seventh-Year and from all houses, most all interested in seeing Professor Vox summon an Earth Elemental.
"This will do," she announced as her broom descended to the grass.
The Professor Vox Stormtroopers were immediately behind her - George and Fred Weasley (presidents of the Professor Vox Testosterone Brigade), several male members of Hufflepuff House, select male members of Gryffindor (including their Quidditch Team Captain Oliver Wood), and an almighty number of Slytherin males.
The Stormtroopers had been formed within the past few months when - looking through the Quidditch Annuals of Hogwarts - Oliver Wood had discovered Professor Vox's player picture and stats.
'Britomartis Vox - "Backbeat Spirals" - 1975 - Slytherin Team Beater - Second Female in Hogwarts' History to have Position of Beater - Perfected the Bludger Backbeat - 18 games, 14 wins, 1 Hell-of-a-Victory-Party'
The picture featured her in her Slytherin Quidditch Uniform (open to show her developing body in the tight armor), her sunglasses glaring, her knee- length ash blonde hair whipping in the breezes from flying her broom, and performing the Backbeat play.
This picture had been copied and circulated all over the school, especially among the male population.
The female in question accepted the attention with grace and ignored it.
"All right," Britomartis called. "Pay attention! I require a bit of quiet to do the summoning. I know many of you have never witnessed Elemental magic on a large scale - your reactions to what I will do will determine if you qualify for the summer field trip."
Harry Potter and Hermione Granger ended their conversation about Charms class while Ron Weasley fiddled with his maroon and gold scarf.
Britomartis raised her arms. Snookie-poo lifted her head up in preparation to offer her own serpent energies.
A long, low sound came from Professor Vox; it was not a word nor a chant, but a deep tone from her throat that drew upon the ancient energies of the Earth. Her voice never stopped, never paused for breath, but continued to sing in the same tone, as if it were aligning with the resonance of the Earth.
George leaned close to his twin and sang, "'The hills are alive' - "
Fred finished, " - 'and it's pretty frightenin'!"
They giggled, which was drowned out by a long, loud, organ-rattling laugh from the Earth.
All the students turned to see the moors sink down before their teacher, then heave up, the turf and dirt blowing upward like a geyser.
Over half of the assembled students screamed and ran.
Half of those left had fainted. Several more were too terrified to bother fainting - they climbed up one of the local trees.
A small number calmly accepted the event of a hill growing out of the moor ... even when the grass and dirt developed a gnarled old face that was neither male nor female.
The voice from the mountain of dirt was full and vibrated through their bodies, "Good morning, Priestess."
"WICKED KEWL!" exclaimed the four younger Weasleys.
"Wow, I'm impressed," Oliver stated in his thick Scottish brogue.
"Incredible!" Harry added.
"Agreed," Elizabeth Humphries of Slytherin added.
"It's an Earth Elemental summoning," Hermione explained. "The Elemental takes on the energies permeating an area and the history of the area."
"Wake up, you idiots!" Draco yelled at the out cold Crabbe and Goyle. "And fetch me some clean trousers!"
Britomartis lowered her hands. "Good morning, Moors. Are there any students left behind me?"
The hill shifted, looking over the remains. The eyes - full of lighter clay than the surrounding dirt - surveyed quietly, then rumbled, "There are ten left standing, if that's what you mean, Priestess." It thundered a laugh. "You need to bring them out more often so they won't be surprised if the hills talk to them."
Britomartis glanced at those remaining: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, all four Weasleys, Elizabeth Humphries and Glynis Ryper from her own House, Oliver Wood, and Draco Malfoy, who looked like he wet himself.
"Well, now I know who can handle the field trip," she stated. "Thank you, Moors."
"Anytime, Priestess." The hill peered at Harry Potter for a moment. "So tiny, so young ... to have such a horrible Destiny roosting on his shoulders." It sighed and receded into the Earth.
* * *
"We can't go!" Ron cried as he dropped his head to the dining table.
Harry blinked. "Why not?"
"Mum and Dad can't afford it," Ron explained into the table. "Can't even afford one of us, much less all of us. George and Fred are threatening to explode a toilet and Ginny locked herself in her dorm room and won't stop crying."
Hermione sighed. "You really should not worry about it. I mean, you'll get to stay home another two weeks during the summer. I hear Crete is pretty hot."
Ron raised his head. "But it's an adventure - of sorts." He brushed his red bangs out of his eyes. "I mean - going on a trip far away from home and not having parents over the shoulder - that's the whole point, right?"
Hermione smiled sweetly. "You didn't hear who the chaperones for the trip are, have you?" The smile became a smirk. "Professor Vox and Professor Snape."
"Snape?" Ron repeated. He rolled his head around, and then picked up his glass. "Oh, great, we'll lose points during Summer Break before we even get back to school! Why the bloody hell is he a chaperone?"
"Because," Hermione said as if she were explaining something completely simple to a three-year-old. She paused, looking up to the head table to see Vox and Snape talking - Snape twirling the ends of his black hair and Vox laughing - and leaned closer to the boys. "Because they're dating."
Ron spat his drink across the table, soaking Neville Longbottom. "They're WHAT??"
"Shh!" Hermione hissed.
Harry shook his head, smiling nervously. "You're kidding us, Hermione. That's Snape you're talking about - you know, the one whose face would crack if he smiled."
Ron's eyes widened. "Bloody hell ... His face didn't crack."
All three looked up, seeing Snape grinning at something Vox was saying.
They looked back down at their food. "Well," Harry said. "He might be more pleasant then, right?"
Hermione rolled her eyes while Ron decided to ignore the revelation by devouring his peas.
* * *
Harry Potter had never been to Professor Vox's office. In fact, the two got along quite civilly as teacher-student and she had shown him no special treatment save for any work he did within class. He liked her in this respect - she was not fazed by the bizarre fame he had grown into. Probably because she knew his parents back when they were teenagers.
He looked through the open door and saw her at her desk, obviously working out an exam. He knocked, and then said, "Professor Vox?"
She looked up, her sunglasses reflecting his image back. "Yes, Mr. Potter, may I help you?"
"I wish to discuss the trip to Crete with you privately."
She nodded, putting the exam away. "All right, then close the door and sit down."
Harry did so, settling down into the hard chair before her big black desk. "It's about the Weasleys."
Britomartis sighed and nodded sadly. "Yes, I talked with their mother by Floo this morning, she and Mr. Weasley cannot afford the trip for them. As I recall, Ginny Weasley broke into tears and the twins became quite animate about blowing up the plumbing. Your friend Ron just sat quietly. I really wish we could find a way to bring all of them along - they are some of my best students."
Harry smiled nervously. "Perhaps a ... what's the word? 'Grant' ... can be arranged."
"A grant?" she asked. "In what way?"
"I'll pay their travel and boarding expenses."
"Mr. Potter -!"
He pushed his glasses up. "Professor Vox, I'm offering this as an anonymous grant for all of them to come along. I know how much they like your class; it's not fair for them to not go just because of money. I'm offering this on their behalf."
She stared at him. He wondered how she was looking at him - anger or gratitude, he was not sure. He never realized until this point that eyes conveyed more emotion than the rest of the face. Part of why he was always afraid of Snape, he guessed.
"Why?" Britomartis finally asked.
"Ron's my best friend and the Weasleys have been nice to me. Ron, George, and Fred had pulled a jailbreak to get me out of my aunt and uncle's house - broke steel bars and everything."
A small smile crossed her lips. "I'm not surprised, actually. All right, Mr. Potter, we shall arrange a Weasley Grant from an anonymous donor to get those four on the trip."
"Good," Harry agreed. "Thank you, Professor Vox." He paused, his brows knotting over his green eyes. "Um, I also have a question ... about a rumor that I heard?"
"Which one?" she asked as she pulled out a notebook. "There are many rumors, but most are not nice and some are downright boring."
"Well ... about you and ... Professor Snape."
"The chocolate dragon suit was a complete fabrication, although the custard story has some element of truth."
All he could emit was a vague "Huh?" in response.
She grinned, waving her hand dismissively. "Who cares? We were friends back at your age and so on and so forth. Don't worry about it." She opened up the notebook. "All right, that's ten going on the trip, plus two chaperones ... luggage alone is going to be a pain. I'll talk with you kids in a few days about what to take and such, all right? Anything else?"
"No, ma'am."
"Then scoot. I have lots of work to do still."