Chapter 5-Squib Lessons
One morning early in October, Liz woke up and found that she hadn't seen Chris or Hagrid since the day of her arrival. She decided to go down there today, probably after breakfast, with Rachel and Michael.
She broached the matter over pancakes and plenty of syrup. They agreed, but Michael said, "I have to be back by one for Quidditch practice."
"Oh, we won't stay that long," Liz assured him. "I just want to say hello. You know, the usual."
They polished off their breakfast and left the castle. Before they saw Hagrid's house, they saw Hagrid bent over, pruning his garden. "Oy! Hagrid!" Michael yelled out. Hagrid looked up, beamed as he saw them coming, and waved. They cheerfully waved back.
"Chris has been dyin' to see you three," he said, pocketing his pruning shears. "Thought you lot'd forgot abou' him."
"School's been really busy," Rachel told him.
"I'll bet it 'as. Chris! Come ou' here!"
Chris appeared in the doorway. "Liz! Michael! Rachel! I was wondering if you'd ever visit! It's been a month!"
Hagrid went inside. The four children sat outside, near the garden, and caught up with each other.
"So then he did a spell and hypnotized me or something," Liz said, near the culmination of her Snape tale. "And he made me dance and act like a monkey, it was horrible."
Rachel took up the story when Liz paused. "So then Michael started yelling at him, and he took her potion, it was all gelatin-like, you know, and just heaved a handful at her face. It stuck like glue, and she woke up."
"It left a mark," said Liz. On closer inspection, her nose was indeed a pale yellow color.
"That's awful. If I was there, I'd hypnotize him and see how he liked it."
The other three looked at each other uncomfortably. They all knew Squibs couldn't do magic.
"Okay, if I could do magic," Chris said, downcast.
"Now, I've been wondering about that," Liz said. "I've read about programs to teach Squibs. Why not do that for you ourselves?"
"That's a great idea!" Rachel put in.
"I'm in," Michael agreed. "What about you, Chris?"
"I don't have a wand."
"You can borrow mine during lessons," Liz said. "Please? It'll be fun, I promise."
Chris grinned reluctantly. "Oh, all right. Do you want to start now?"
"Absolutely! Here, take my wand. What should we start with?"
After a minute of brainstorming, they finally decided on the Levitation Charm. "Repeat after me," Liz ordered. "Wingardium Leviosa."
"Wingardum Livosa."
"Wingardium Leviosa."
"Wing—wingardium leeviosa."
It took a few minutes, but at last Chris could say it correctly. Then they practiced the wand movements.
"Swish and flick. Good, now you try."
"Flish and swick," Rachel laughed, remembering Michael's first attempt at the spell. He scowled.
"Right. What do I practice on?"
"Um...oh, here, use this bird feather."
Chris raised the wand, swished and flicked, and said the incantation. The feather rose an inch, and then came pelting at him. With a yell, he dove to the ground and it missed him. It swerved back around to aim at his head. Rachel and Michael went running to grab it, but they ran into each other. Liz grabbed her wand before Chris squashed it and yelled, "Finite Incantatem!" The feather floated down and landed on the ground. The other three looked up at her in awe.
"Where'd you learn that? That's at least fourth-year level!" Rachel exclaimed.
"From a book."
"I believe the lesson for today is over. Right, Chris?" Michael panted. The pupil in question nodded.
"We'll owl you," Liz promised. "We'll work out another lesson time. Maybe we'll even have a schedule. But today's class proved one thing."
"And what's that?" Chris said dejectedly. "That I can't do magic?"
"No, that you can do magic. If you couldn't, the feather wouldn't have moved at all. You must not be one hundred percent Squib."
"That's impossible," said Rachel. "You're either a Squib or you're not. There's no in-between."
"Maybe there is," said Liz. "Well, bye, Chris."
They left. Liz's brain was on overdrive. He could to it, she knew he could. Now what to teach him?
Lesson continued, and they went no more auspiciously than the first. They began to worry about Hagrid discovering their secret lessons when Chris accidentally set part of his garden on fire.
After one such taxing lesson, Liz came up to her dorm to find the plump snowy owl of her mother's waiting on the windowsill. She took the letter and began to read.
Dear Elizabeth,
Your second year! Amazing. You are twelve now, aren't you? I wish I was at Hogwarts with you. How are you? How are classes? Halloween is coming up soon, isn't it? Have a good time at the Hogwarts feast.
Love, Luna
Liz smiled and put the letter in her trunk. Every time one of these came, she was even further convinced of her mother's survival. No one could take that away from her. No one.
As Luna said, Halloween was just around the corner. The best part of Halloween at Hogwarts was the feast. The night came, and the feast began.
"Mm, bat wings," Michael said. Liz and Rachel pulled faces and shuddered.
"How can you eat those things, Michael?" Liz asked. "They're disgusting! Urgh!"
"Have you tried it?" he retorted, bat wing remains hanging from the corner of his mouth.
"No, and I intend to keep it that way. Ugh."
Rachel shrugged. "I might try one."
Michael grinned. Liz looked appalled. "Rachel! Have you completely lost it? Look!" She waved a severed bat wing before Rachel's face. Rachel took it and ate it.
"Ew. No, you were right, Liz," she finally said, grimacing. "They really are nasty."
They enjoyed the remainder of the feast without any more mention of bat wings, though Michael did have a pile of them on his plate that was so top- heavy and unbalanced that it almost toppled over. Many of the girls looked affronted on such an outright attack on manners, but the Gryffindor boys joined him. After wands, they headed sleepily upstairs to bed.
In the middle of the night, Liz awoke. She wondered vaguely what had caused her sudden return to consciousness. Then she heard footsteps. Dozens and dozens of footsteps, echoing from below her. She snatched up her wand and ran downstairs.
Once there, she stopped. People were streaming out of the dormitory stairwells, all with ghastly looks of sullen, complete obedience painted all over their faces. They headed for the portrait hole. Liz jumped out of the way of some coming up behind her. She had to be dreaming. She just had to be.
Jessica Weasley emerged from the staircase beside her. "Jessica!" Liz hissed. "Can you hear me?"
Jessica revolved on the spot. Her face was blank and devoid of any emotion. She grunted and pulled out her wand. Raising it, she began to advance.
"Jessica?" Liz whimpered. "Jessica! Stop! Stop it! Go away!"
Now more of the mindless zombies moved toward her, dragging their feet. The zombie that was Jessica Weasley raised the wand and intoned, "Stupefy!" The light burst from the wand like a waterfall of blood. Unconsciousness was immediate.
With a cry, Liz woke up. Sunlight from the open window blinded her momentarily. She racked her brains, trying to figure out what had happened. It must've been a dream. For one thing, she was in her bed. But it all seemed so real...with a shake of her head to toss it away, Liz headed downstairs to breakfast.
One morning early in October, Liz woke up and found that she hadn't seen Chris or Hagrid since the day of her arrival. She decided to go down there today, probably after breakfast, with Rachel and Michael.
She broached the matter over pancakes and plenty of syrup. They agreed, but Michael said, "I have to be back by one for Quidditch practice."
"Oh, we won't stay that long," Liz assured him. "I just want to say hello. You know, the usual."
They polished off their breakfast and left the castle. Before they saw Hagrid's house, they saw Hagrid bent over, pruning his garden. "Oy! Hagrid!" Michael yelled out. Hagrid looked up, beamed as he saw them coming, and waved. They cheerfully waved back.
"Chris has been dyin' to see you three," he said, pocketing his pruning shears. "Thought you lot'd forgot abou' him."
"School's been really busy," Rachel told him.
"I'll bet it 'as. Chris! Come ou' here!"
Chris appeared in the doorway. "Liz! Michael! Rachel! I was wondering if you'd ever visit! It's been a month!"
Hagrid went inside. The four children sat outside, near the garden, and caught up with each other.
"So then he did a spell and hypnotized me or something," Liz said, near the culmination of her Snape tale. "And he made me dance and act like a monkey, it was horrible."
Rachel took up the story when Liz paused. "So then Michael started yelling at him, and he took her potion, it was all gelatin-like, you know, and just heaved a handful at her face. It stuck like glue, and she woke up."
"It left a mark," said Liz. On closer inspection, her nose was indeed a pale yellow color.
"That's awful. If I was there, I'd hypnotize him and see how he liked it."
The other three looked at each other uncomfortably. They all knew Squibs couldn't do magic.
"Okay, if I could do magic," Chris said, downcast.
"Now, I've been wondering about that," Liz said. "I've read about programs to teach Squibs. Why not do that for you ourselves?"
"That's a great idea!" Rachel put in.
"I'm in," Michael agreed. "What about you, Chris?"
"I don't have a wand."
"You can borrow mine during lessons," Liz said. "Please? It'll be fun, I promise."
Chris grinned reluctantly. "Oh, all right. Do you want to start now?"
"Absolutely! Here, take my wand. What should we start with?"
After a minute of brainstorming, they finally decided on the Levitation Charm. "Repeat after me," Liz ordered. "Wingardium Leviosa."
"Wingardum Livosa."
"Wingardium Leviosa."
"Wing—wingardium leeviosa."
It took a few minutes, but at last Chris could say it correctly. Then they practiced the wand movements.
"Swish and flick. Good, now you try."
"Flish and swick," Rachel laughed, remembering Michael's first attempt at the spell. He scowled.
"Right. What do I practice on?"
"Um...oh, here, use this bird feather."
Chris raised the wand, swished and flicked, and said the incantation. The feather rose an inch, and then came pelting at him. With a yell, he dove to the ground and it missed him. It swerved back around to aim at his head. Rachel and Michael went running to grab it, but they ran into each other. Liz grabbed her wand before Chris squashed it and yelled, "Finite Incantatem!" The feather floated down and landed on the ground. The other three looked up at her in awe.
"Where'd you learn that? That's at least fourth-year level!" Rachel exclaimed.
"From a book."
"I believe the lesson for today is over. Right, Chris?" Michael panted. The pupil in question nodded.
"We'll owl you," Liz promised. "We'll work out another lesson time. Maybe we'll even have a schedule. But today's class proved one thing."
"And what's that?" Chris said dejectedly. "That I can't do magic?"
"No, that you can do magic. If you couldn't, the feather wouldn't have moved at all. You must not be one hundred percent Squib."
"That's impossible," said Rachel. "You're either a Squib or you're not. There's no in-between."
"Maybe there is," said Liz. "Well, bye, Chris."
They left. Liz's brain was on overdrive. He could to it, she knew he could. Now what to teach him?
Lesson continued, and they went no more auspiciously than the first. They began to worry about Hagrid discovering their secret lessons when Chris accidentally set part of his garden on fire.
After one such taxing lesson, Liz came up to her dorm to find the plump snowy owl of her mother's waiting on the windowsill. She took the letter and began to read.
Dear Elizabeth,
Your second year! Amazing. You are twelve now, aren't you? I wish I was at Hogwarts with you. How are you? How are classes? Halloween is coming up soon, isn't it? Have a good time at the Hogwarts feast.
Love, Luna
Liz smiled and put the letter in her trunk. Every time one of these came, she was even further convinced of her mother's survival. No one could take that away from her. No one.
As Luna said, Halloween was just around the corner. The best part of Halloween at Hogwarts was the feast. The night came, and the feast began.
"Mm, bat wings," Michael said. Liz and Rachel pulled faces and shuddered.
"How can you eat those things, Michael?" Liz asked. "They're disgusting! Urgh!"
"Have you tried it?" he retorted, bat wing remains hanging from the corner of his mouth.
"No, and I intend to keep it that way. Ugh."
Rachel shrugged. "I might try one."
Michael grinned. Liz looked appalled. "Rachel! Have you completely lost it? Look!" She waved a severed bat wing before Rachel's face. Rachel took it and ate it.
"Ew. No, you were right, Liz," she finally said, grimacing. "They really are nasty."
They enjoyed the remainder of the feast without any more mention of bat wings, though Michael did have a pile of them on his plate that was so top- heavy and unbalanced that it almost toppled over. Many of the girls looked affronted on such an outright attack on manners, but the Gryffindor boys joined him. After wands, they headed sleepily upstairs to bed.
In the middle of the night, Liz awoke. She wondered vaguely what had caused her sudden return to consciousness. Then she heard footsteps. Dozens and dozens of footsteps, echoing from below her. She snatched up her wand and ran downstairs.
Once there, she stopped. People were streaming out of the dormitory stairwells, all with ghastly looks of sullen, complete obedience painted all over their faces. They headed for the portrait hole. Liz jumped out of the way of some coming up behind her. She had to be dreaming. She just had to be.
Jessica Weasley emerged from the staircase beside her. "Jessica!" Liz hissed. "Can you hear me?"
Jessica revolved on the spot. Her face was blank and devoid of any emotion. She grunted and pulled out her wand. Raising it, she began to advance.
"Jessica?" Liz whimpered. "Jessica! Stop! Stop it! Go away!"
Now more of the mindless zombies moved toward her, dragging their feet. The zombie that was Jessica Weasley raised the wand and intoned, "Stupefy!" The light burst from the wand like a waterfall of blood. Unconsciousness was immediate.
With a cry, Liz woke up. Sunlight from the open window blinded her momentarily. She racked her brains, trying to figure out what had happened. It must've been a dream. For one thing, she was in her bed. But it all seemed so real...with a shake of her head to toss it away, Liz headed downstairs to breakfast.