Title: Designated Harbinger-chapter 13 Author: Lia Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own HP. Not making any money from this. Do I need to go on?
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Our first class is Herbology with the Slytherins. Professor Sprout didn't seem to be in a good humor when we enter Greenhouse One. Frankly, by the way she's acting, Jessica is thankful she wasn't a Hufflepuff.
First year Herbology wasn't anything to exclaim over. Plants there were the common ones, the most frequently found and used. The teacher presented a lecture on ten plants: their origins, parts, and applications. During class (after identifying them) we properly collected and washed the plants. For homework we had to choose three plants and write an essay on their characteristics and uses. We gathered anise seeds, which can be used in various sleeping potions, then benzoin roots and leaves. The herb bistort, the group learned is used in fertility potions. Others we heard about were heather, dandelion, clover, eyebright, comfrey, hops, and nettle. The three Jessica chose as homework was: nutmeg, thistle, and elecampane.
The Slytherins weren't too bad if you can ignore them. We seem to have a strained truce, while they hate the Gryffindors and despise the Hufflepuffs. Alex was pretty subdued. He must not of wanted to invite attention. That was no surprise since Drusilla and Xanthe were openly discussing their opinion of Muggleborns.
'Ignorant fools. I bet they know zilch about the real world beyond their homes.' Jessica glares at them, but they only smirk and hush when the teacher approaches.
Fortunately our other morning class is Charms with the Gryffindors. As they enter the classroom, they spot Ginny already there. Jessica comes near her and says, "Hi, Gin. Whatcha reading?" Ginny shuts her book revealing that it as one of Lockhart's books. Jessica grimaces, "Oh, him. So what was your other class like?" She smiles back, "It was fine. We just completed Herbology with the Hufflepuffs."
"Yeah? Us, too, except ours was with the Slytherins instead of Hufflepuffs. Wasn't the teacher grouchy? I wonder why." Reddening, Ginny says, "Probably because she had to patch up the Whopping Willow this morning." Jessica with a baffled expression asks, "That tree your brother crashed into?" She nods, "Yes. Embarrassing, right. I can't believe Mum sent a Howler." Grinning, Jessica says, "Oh, I do. Sounds like something my mom would do. Dad would be worse, though. All silent disappointment. He's good at creating guilt trips. Give it a couple of weeks. Hey, how's your dorm room?"
"Dorm room?," she questions, her forehead scrunching up in thought. "Morning, Alex," she adds as he comes up to them. Jessica explains, "Yeah, dorm room. Where you live in at school. That's what we call the bedrooms at American colleges." The confusion clears up from her face, "Err, fine. I have two roommates." 'Great another one. Am I the only person with four roommates?' "They already want me to introduce them to Harry," Ginny looks at Alex and Jessica a little suspiciously.
"Pffph! He's okay, I guess. Haven't seen anything to write home about him yet." Jessica leans closer to her and whispers, "I promised a friend of mine back in America that I'd write to her about any British hotties I see. Got any suggestions?" Ginny blushes and smiles.
Alex obliviously says, "I can't believe that they drove a flying car. I mean, a bloody flying car!" Noticing their behavior, he disgustedly looks away from the giggling girls and searches the room. "Hey there's Seth. Class should be starting soon. See you after class."
Watching him walk away, Jessica says, "Guess I better take my seat as well. Sit with you at lunch?" Ginny who was nodding, stops suddenly, "What? No, Jessica, you can't!" With an innocent expression on her face Jess states, "Why not? There's no rule against it, no? I thought so. Meet you at your table." Shaking her head, Ginny objects, "Please Jessica, don't. Houses don't usually mix. Maybe in a couple of weeks-right now I-I just want to get to know my housemates better. Is that alright?" Jessica frowns thoughtfully, then nods. "Okay. See you later," she says before striding over to the Ravenclaw side of the room.
Professor Flitwick enters the room. Jessica simply had to smile. His height matches his taste in fashion. There was very little of it. Today he's dressed in bright orange robes. "Morning, class. What do we have here? Ah, yes! Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Today you'll be learning two simple, but useful charms. Here, I'll demonstrate." He scrambles up a ladder to reach the top of a pile of books right behind the podium. Sweeping his wand out from one of his robes pockets, he held it up then states, "Lux." A light comes out of the tip of his wand, much like a flashlight. "That a light charm. Nifty thing to have at hand during the night. Now to stop this charm, one must say the spell's opposite, "Nox." The beam goes out. He then takes roll.
Jessica and others look excited. Some students look bored. 'Neat! Now I'll able to read in bed at night.' She glances around the room, frowning sadly when spotting Ginny taking notes. 'Why does she not want me sitting with her? Is it really because of the different houses? That shouldn't matter! How can we be friends if it seems like she's ashamed to know me? It's not like she knows I'm psychic. Maybe this is just temporary. Yeah, that has to be it. I didn't get the feeling that she's prejudice.'
Alex nudges her, dragging her attention back to the teacher. He gives her a curious look which she ignores, instead rapidly writing notes. Then it came time for her first magic spell. "Lux," she says, frowning when nothing happened. Alex, she notes got it on his second try. Sighing she tries again. Nothing. Then again.
She glares at her wand, shaking it slightly. 'As if that would work.' Still some of the others (a few) hadn't accomplished the charm yet either. Jessica closes her eyes, feeling the energy inside her and extending to her wand. Opening them, she focuses and imagines her goal, "Lux." A bright light flared from the tip of her wand. Alex turns away; it was almost blinding. With welcome relief the light dims to a more comfortable level. 'Hmm. I must remember to focus on the goal, not the words. That's reasonable, I guess. Is that how it works for others, or just me? Whatever, I doubt it matters.'
When every student succeeded, the teacher then told us to try the other. By this time the room was bright, filled with dazzling white light. "Nox," Jessica says focusing on the word. No change. She then concentrates on what she wants to happen and says, "Nox." The wand stops emitting light.
Eventually, every student's wand in the room stopped emitting light. We then practice both charms for the rest of the class period so we can perform them comfortably. For homework we had to read the practical uses and history of these two charms. Professor Flitwick walked among the students assisting those who were having trouble.
Jessica spent her lunch time between talking to Alex, Seth, and Helen, and responding back to the letter she'd received from her parents that morning. The letter had read:
My darling daughter,
How is school so far? A letter arrived informing us of your acceptance to Ravenclaw House. Not my house, but a fine one. As you know, your grandfather also belonged there. We'll be expecting good grades from you this year. Ravenclaws have a reputation for supporting each other academically. I imagine you will often be tutoring each other.
Write to us about your classes. How are the teachers, classes, and roommates? Made any friends yet? Remember to be careful, and try not to make many waves. I know how you love to fount convention.
Hey, Jess-monkey (your favorite father now writing). I, too, say write to us about everything. The Tower of London thrilled Peter. Describe in detail what that castle of yours is like. Be careful about who you associate with. Check them out first. Listen to lesson one on your tapes. Read up on the subject too. On Saturday we'll meet with our guides. Tell me which time will be most convenient. Love and miss ya.
Your parents,
Mom and Dad
Jessica smiled, took out a piece of paper and a pencil, and began to write. She described her trip on the train, the sorting ceremony, and what she knew of her roommates. After her afternoon class she'll add some more then mail it.
That afternoon's class is potions with the Hufflepuffs. Jessica's nervous like all the other first years. Older housemates had warned them of Professor Snape. Zoey's chewing on her nails, she's so anxious. The Ravenclaws are slightly calmer, but not by much. What kind of person is her mom's cousin? What does that make him to Jessica? She shrugs and sits down at a table on the Ravenclaw side of the room.
Potions classes are held down in the dungeon. She has no idea why. 'Wouldn't all those fumes in an enclosed environment be harmful? Well, maybe they have some kind of detoxifier in there.' Anyway, the area's cold, dank, and stuffy. Make a small sound, and the walls amplify it. Shelves line some of the walls storing parts of things in jars. Gross really.
The teacher enters the room, giving Jessica her first close look at her relative. 'Huh, doesn't that sound weird. Quite the image maker, too. Sinister looking, as if he'd stepped out of an old black and white horror film. Wardrobe was a flowing basic black robe. He doesn't look anything like Mom. Black eyes instead of her gray. The hair's greasy-looking, straight, and black. A new shampoo is needed desperately. I wonder what grandmother's family was like?'
Professor Snape starts class by taking attendance. We were divided up into lab partners as he called out our names. The Hufflepuffs went first. "Bridget Ackerley, Miriam Young." The two Hufflepuffs sit down together at one of the tables. "Joseph Dawson, Philip Wright" "Chloe Bell, Zoey Mansel" The two girls smile and sat down next to each other. Jessica's relieved that her friend got someone she liked. "Damon Edwards, Brian Roberts" "Phoebe Davies, Irene Edwards" "Ethan Higgs, Jeremy Jorkins" After the two boys sat down, the teacher finishes checking off names on a sheet of paper.
He then starts sorting the Ravenclaws. "Connor Green, Author Quincy" "Jessica Bradley, Carol Walton" Professor Snape looks up at her name, suddenly not looking quite so bored. It might be Jessica's imagination, but she swore that he recognizes her name. He quickly covers and continues roll. Jessica sits down alongside Carol. "Alex Harrison, Seth Spinnet" "Melia Fawcett, Helen Jarvis" Jessica frowns and feels sorry for Helen. Melia seems snobbish to her. "Guy Johnson, Gary Payton" "Since we have an odd number of students this year, Miss Naomi Hamilton will join Miss Fawcett and Miss Jarvis."
In a soft, yet compelling voice he begins his introduction. "You are here to learn the fine science and precise art of potion-making. As there is little thoughtless wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't anticipate you will truly understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its gleaming fumes, the tantalizing power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses---I can instruct you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death—if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I typically have to teach."
Jessica rolls her eyes. 'Yeah, ok. It's a cool, yet hard subject. Great things can be done. Do you really have to insult us at the same time? Opps, gotta pay attention!' The teacher glances at her action. He really must have an eye for detail. She smiles pleasantly, quill poised to take notes. The class was silent after his speech.
Professor Snape gives us information on the different types of potion ingredients and equipment we'd be using. It reminds Jessica of what she always imagined High School chemistry would have been like. Our assignment is to mix up a simple potion to cure boils. Carol crushes snake fangs while Jessica weighs some dried nettles. She's being careful, but still manages to be rebuked for taking too long. Everyone is on edge. No student was spared from the teacher's criticizing tongue. He was tough.
Carol, Jessica's lab partner, is a wiz. She must have read the whole book before coming to class and knew exactly what page the potion was on. When Jessica peeks at Alex, she saw him and Seth leaning over the book, moving at a very slow rate. Professor Snape takes five points of the Hufflepuffs for talking during class. Ravenclaw lost 3 points. You really couldn't expect to gain points in this class.
Only about two thirds of the class completed the potion correctly. Jessica and Carol were one of them. He gave us a list of ingredients to memorize from the book. She was heading out of the classroom, talking to Carol (who though a bit stuffy seemed really nice) when the teacher said in bored quiet tones, "Stay after, Miss Bradley."
Jessica stills. Carol looks at her worriedly continuing out the door. Alex and Zoey were already out in the hallway, perhaps waiting. He doesn't speak until the room cleared. "Are you by any chance related to a David Bradley?," he says harshly. Arms folded, she looks straight at him and says clearly, "Yes, he's my father."
Frowning even more he states, "Your mother is Marie Montgomery." Smiling fondly, ignoring his negative attitude, "If you mean Marie Bradley, formerly Marie Montgomery, then yes."
Silently trying to stare me down, he leans causally against his desk. Maybe he's deciding whether or not to take points away. Jessica doesn't add any additional information. "I expect you not to follow their footsteps in my classroom. And it's best that you do not inform anyone of our relation," he sneers.
Jessica searches him briefly, and then nods, "Of course. I will relate those kind words to my parents, your cousin." Snape's eyes seem to lighten somewhat. 'Did he find that funny? Well, Mom does have a strange sense of humor. Maybe it's genetic.' "Leave," he says turning his back to her. Jessica walks out, not saying goodbye.
Alex, Zoey, and Carol were waiting outside the door. "What was that all about?," he says nervously glancing at the door. Carol's eyes show relief, while Zoey spontaneously hugs her. "Hey, cut it out. It was no big deal. He just warned me that if I'm too slow next time, he'll take points," she lies causally.
They don't look all convinced. Shaking her head, she adds, "I also had to explain why I had an American accent. Does no one around here ever move to a different country?" Zoey sighs, and then confusedly says, "I don't think so." Alex mumbles, "Wouldn't know." Carol shrugs then turns away already heading to the common room. Jessica's glaze follows her. 'Am I the only one who thinks she's a little weird?'
Pushing her thoughts away, she ponders some as they walk over to the main staircase. Snape 'what is his first name?' was a strange man. Short-tempered, hardworking, stressed, and pained. His aura was rustic red, russet-brown, gray, some black, dark green, and yellow. 'Must mention this to Dad and Mom.'
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AN:
Yes, I mention the accent again. Why, because it would be strange at Hogwarts. I had a classmate who came from Georgia. Throughout the whole school year people commented on it and the fact that he was from the South. Sometimes, it would really annoy him.
Hope you liked the new post. Review please.