Chapter 6 – Potions and Pure-bloods
After Meissa had bid Seth goodnight, found her dorm, drawn the black curtains around the furthest bed and slumped on it, she drew out her wand, twisting it between her fingers. So this was Hogwarts, this was the grand castle of learning. If magic was so clever, so intricate, then why was the wizarding world in a far worse state than the muggle world? Maybe magic has worn thin, or it has been spread to far, lain to loose over the foundations, maybe it was not magic at all… how does one define magic?
Having not managed to produce anything but a faint glow of sparks from the tip of her wand, she rummaged around in her trunk to find her charms textbook. Seeing as she couldn't sleep, she began to flick through the book, her mind lingering on Hayes. Now would be a good time to learn some defence spells.
She woke early the next morning with her face pressed against her Charms textbook, which lay open flat beneath her pillow. One look told her she had broken its spine with her constant tossing and turning. She snapped it shut and shoved it in a new black satchel she had bought in Diagon Alley, then rummaged around in her trunk for quills, ink and parchment. She entered the common room and was startled to see Seth already sitting in one of the chairs by the fire. 'I'm glad you got up early' he said 'Fancy a tour?' she smiled. 'Thought you'd like it here' he said, as they stood in the doorway of a room of similar size to the Great Hall, lined with shelves piled high with dusty books.
Students from all over the hall were peering at Meissa and whispering fiercely to their smirking mates as she and Seth joined the breakfast table. Seth was as usual engrossed in his 'Moste Potente Potions' bible while Meissa glanced around nervously, she had been greeted by more fierce whispering when she had entered the hall and students were peering at her from every table. She glanced down at her timetable. First class was Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall welcomed them with a harsh speech about discipline and no tolerance rules and then she set them the task of turning humbugs into bumblebees. After three tries, Meissa watched her humbug sprout wings and transform. The bee circled her before buzzing excitedly at the windows, seemingly unfazed by the glass. Leighton Hayes had been having similar success until one of his Gryffindor cronies had accidentally set fire to the table they were working on when miss-pronouncing the incantation.
The rest of the day passed quickly, Meissa had similar success with her charms class, Flitwick was very encouraging, and though he did seem a bit nervous, what with being a foot shorter than the smallest student in the class. Meissa was happily anticipating when the bell would ring to signal the end of lessons so that she could have a proper look at the extensive Library. Running her fingers along a dusty row of faded silk spines she found something that intrigued her. It was a book with the words 'Now you see me, now you don't' scrawled in beautiful silver writing across its black snake skin cover.
'HeyMeissa, what are you up to?' Claudia had entered the Library, scraping her red hair back and tying it loosely in a knot at the back of her head. 'Not much... how is it that there is hardly anyone in here... I mean, this is the stuff of dreams Claude!' Meissa was finding it hard to express her awe.
Claudia smiled slightly 'The novelty where's off believe me...'
Meissa shrugged her shoulders 'If you say so' she muttered and Claudia grinned again.
Chapter 6 - The Art of Potions.
'Few of you will understand the subtlety of a potion, how precious each ingredient is and how valuable it can be, those that do, I look forward to teaching you, those that don't, let this be your first warning'. Meissa sighed and slumped back into her seat. Leighton Hayes and his cronies had been leering at her from the front of the class, undetected or simply ignored by the Potions Master. 'Let us begin with a simple Potion to cure Fever… would everyone please turn to page 108' Snape was certainly dangerous, Meissa had heard of his highly respected reputation of zero-tolerance of students in general and Meissa had decided it best to avoid him… she had heard other rumours of his background as well.
She quickly found her ingredients, slicing her ginger roots and grating her lemon zest swiftly. Snape prowled the class, she could hear him hissing viciously at students every now and then. She started to grind her cloves as a thought occurred to her. Perhaps the Wizarding world and the Muggle world were not so unalike, she had heard old wife tails of this sort of mixture for curing fever many a time. Still, she was surprised that Whiskey was allowed in the syllabus in any form as she added a few drops into her simmering potion, which had turned a shimmering shade of orange. Snape swept past without comment, but this was more of a relief than a problem.
Towards the end of the lesson, Snape had left momentarily to retrieve some ingredient he needed for the next class. 'Oi! Lestrange!' she heard Hayes shout. Everyone looked on as she turned toward the leering Gryffindors. She gasped as sparks flared towards her. Screams erupted as the sparks ripped across her cheek, she hadn't turned quickly enough. It took half a second for her to react. She didn't know any hexes, instead launching herself across the Dungeon - to where Hayes was crumpling with laughter. She lunged at him and caught his collar. They fell amidst the scattering students. Drawing her fist back, she drove her arm as heavily as she could muster and punched him. He screamed as blood ran freely from his broken nose. She intended to hurt him further but cold hands gripped her viciously around the waist and ripped her away from himShe was spun across the classroom. Looking up at the livid, seething Snape, she gasped. 'What. Is. Going. On?' he bellowed, advancing slowly on her as students tore from the Dungeons. Hayes gulped and ran for it towards the door.
Severus watched the Gryffindor's cowardly escape with some amusement. So much for bravery and courage. He turned back to stare down at the Lestrange girl, who was standing with her hand clamped to her cheek and was staring at him with as much defiance as she could muster. This was new. 'Detention!' he uttered the word silkily 'Now get out of my sight!' she turned and marched towards the door. 'And Lestrange!' he barked as she froze at the door and turned to look at him once again, still seething though he could tell she was slightly dazed 'Go to Madam Pomfrey' he told her, with as much disdain as he could force. She was more like her mother than he had dared contemplate. This was going to be an interesting year.
Bright light, white this time, was invading in her eyes. She groaned, this was so familiar, though with the added fact that her face was aching. 'I'm going to curse him' Tabby's voice was so bizarre it couldn't have been anyone else. 'Calm down, but I do wonder how he managed to do it right under Snape's nose' it was Claudia speaking softly now. 'How could Snap just let her wander on her own, not even take his own student to the Hospital Wing. 'Snape's not like that! He was more interested in hunting Hayes I think' Seth spoke up, which was always a strange occurrence.
'Is…' Meissa cleared her throat and started again 'Is Detention with Snape bad?' Tabby whirled around, looking both shocked and angry, the expressions both battling on his face. The others groaned, probably because they knew how long tabby would rant about Snape for.
Meissa insisted on attending her Defence Against the Dark Arts class, after reasoning with Madam Pomfrey. The Professor simply eyed the slowly healing gash on her cheek, which was still tender, nodded and pointed at a seat. 'Now we are all here, I would like to begin our lesson with a word of caution. The Dark Arts is a topic of danger in itself, so please be expected to encounter danger in the topics you will be studying this year'. The Professor looked young, extremely pale and his eyes - which she could have sworn were red but was not close enough to see properly - glowed with an intense stare that might on occasion rival that of Snape's.
Professor Mordant then made them form a queue and began to teach them the disarming method. As he raised his wand in front of Meissa, she flinched, her hand twitched and she gripped her wand tighter. 'Expelliamus' she uttered between clenched teeth just as Mordant had spoken it. Their spells met in mid-air and reflected off the walls. 'Well, well... it seems you've had enough of curses for one day' Mordant smiled slightly as he once again eyed her cheek. Whispers of 'takes after her parents' were floating among her classmates, as none of them had yet managed to deflect their Professor's attack. She hated them, but what if it was true. How could a witch who had never before cast a spell disarm a Professor when no one else, even Hayes, could.
She held this thought all through dinner, as Claudia sat down next to her, ignoring the hisses from Slytherins further up the table. Alex was restraining Tabby, who was trying to do a repeat of what Meissa had done earlier, and attack a Slytherins without his wand. 'You're a wizard, you idiot!' Perhaps she should not have encouraged him, as a second later a Slytherin was blasted up in the air above their table. Professor McGonagall grabbed Tabby and dragged him from the hall. With all the commotion around her, Meissa sat playing with the food on her plate.
Severus Snape was, as expected, waiting for her in the Dungeons to lead her to her Detention. Her black hair kept getting in her way as she struggled to skin the pile of Figs Snape had left by her. The knife she was using kept slipping on the fig juice. Her hands were cut and bleeding by the time Snape called her to his desk.
'I happened to be passing the Slytherin table earlier, when I heard the most peculiar thing. One of your friends-' Snape's lip curled slightly '- seemed to be pointing out the use of magic… this however seemed to have slipped your mind' his black eyes were glinting and he sat forward, as it dawned on Meissa that she had completely underestimated his sharpness 'I would expect a student to at least use her powers to attack another student' his voice was barely a harsh whisper, his expression unreadable, yet she met his powerful gaze impassively. 'Now go… and Lestrange' he said, once again calling her back as she reached the door 'do not let me catch you neglecting your powers again' his voice had restored its silkiness and his eyes glinted once again.