XIX
The Substitute Potion Master
Word in the school spread quickly, and by dinner everyone was talking about what had happened earlier that day. The Hufflepuff table was no exception, and Bill sat down to find his other classmates being grilled for details.
"I can't believe they even made you stay the whole class," said Terrence Gable, the sixth year prefect. "Professor Weasley simply came into ours five minutes after the class was supposed to start, gave out homework, and told us to come back tomorrow, just like that."
"Is Craw even going to be back tomorrow?" Delia asked.
"No one really knows for sure," Terrence said. "They weren't in the Hospital Wing when I went there. I don't know if they're looking after her in her room or if they're even in the castle still."
"They?" Delia repeated.
"Of course, you don't expect the Headmaster to stand idle while his wife is ill, do you? It's a part of that curse they've been talking about in the papers, I'm sure of that," Terrence said, turning back to his food.
"Yeah…" Bill murmured, thinking back to that night he got into the research library.
"Is that who I think it is?" Delia said a few minutes later, interrupting his thoughts. The sound in the room had dropped dramatically, so curiously Bill turned to see a woman in ornate purple robes and a timeless serene face walk into the room, her mere presence commanding attention. Hermione walked beside her, leading her over to the Gryffindor table and to where Lucky was sitting.
"That's Counselor Vallid," Bill murmured.
"Counselor Vallid? The world's leading Truth Seeker?" Terrence said with interest.
"And one of the best legal representatives in the world!" Delia said in awe.
"Yes, I hope Lucky isn't in any trouble," Terrence said with concern.
"Think she's come to take her back to the States or something? She never really did fit in here."
"Oh, shut up, Delia," Bill said angrily, watching as Lucky stood up. Delia immediately focused in on him.
"Well, if you're worried about it, why don't you go talk to her? I mean, if your father is as famous as you say, she'll know about him, won't she?" Delia challenged him.
"I don't know, she's still from a different country after all…" Bill said quickly.
"Still, it is in her field. Perhaps she does know him," Delia pressed.
"Well, you may have a chance to find out, since she seems to be coming over," Terrence said casually. Startled, Bill looked around to see that Vallid's curious eyes were directly on him. Saying something to Lucky she strode over to them, Lucky and Hermione not far behind.
"And just what are you doing here?" Vallid asked him.
"Wondering what you were doing here, I suppose," Bill said nervously.
"So you do know him?" Delia said with obvious surprise. "Do you know his father then too?"
"Yes, I've had an occasion to meet him once, and it was a great honor I will never forget," Vallid said with a nod. "But I know his mother better. How is she?"
"Well, thanks," Bill said meekly. Hermione looked between them with a strange expression on her face.
"Good. I'm sure she misses you greatly. Does she know you're well?"
"Yes, Counselor," Bill assured her.
"Good, that makes me feel better. Now, if you'll pardon me…"
"Excuse me, Counselor, for asking but…is his father as famous in Canada as Bill says he is?" Delia pressed. Bill gave her a dirty look, but Vallid was quite unfazed.
"He's famous everywhere. But if I were you…Bill, I would be a bit more discrete about telling any stories about him. It may give your friends a wrong impression. I will see you some other time," Vallid said with a thin smile, nodding to Hermione. Lucky gazed at Bill with a questioning expression on her face before answering their calls and following behind them.
"I am sorry, Bill," Delia said quietly when they walked away. "I mean, well, I didn't believe you earlier, but if Counselor says it, it must be true."
"It's all right, Delia," Bill said uncomfortably, poking at his food. Why? Why would a counselor known for her honesty stick up for him like that?
He was still thinking about it after he had finished eating and began to wander towards the library, a couple of books filled with homework in hand. It was there that Lucky caught up with him again, calling out his name and stopping him before he could go in.
"You will want to hear this," she insisted, making sure no one else was around.
"What? Are you in some sort of trouble?" Bill asked with concern.
"No, no, not me, but Snape maybe," Lucky said, lowering her voice even more. "Professor Craw has not recovered, and the Headmaster has gone to look after her. They are on leave until further notice, and no one would tell me where they went! The judge is here to keep an eye on me."
"Poor Aun…Professor Craw," Bill said, quickly covering what he was about to say.
"That curse they been talking about must have been worse than everyone thought," Lucky sighed.
"No, no, I knew it was bad," Bill murmured. "Is Professor Andrew still here?"
"Yes, I think, but Professor Weasley seems to have her hands full. She said something about having to meet some exchange students, but now she has to find a replacement for Jackie and everything and doesn't know how to keep this from leaking out and all, you know how the press eats this stuff up…and something about hurting interschool relations but I don't understand all the politics here yet to figure out what that crap was about."
"They're going to replace Professor Craw? Snape too?" Bill asked in alarm.
"Well, they are getting a sub for Potions, I know…I think Weasley is going to fill in until Snape gets back if I heard all that right. But I don't like them not being here, it don't seem right for this to happen all the sudden," Lucky said.
"I don't like it either," Bill said, gazing at her with concern mirroring her own. "This whole curse business has gone on long enough. It must be stopped."
"Don't you think that's what Snape left to do?" Lucky asked.
"Well, yes, although…" Bill paused a moment, then shook his head.
"Qué?"
"Nothing, forget it," Bill said.
"No, you should finish what you start to say," Lucky insisted. As if he hadn't heard, Bill went into the library and Lucky sighed, following close behind. He then passed by several empty tables to get to the one that he wanted, glancing down each aisle of books before finally positions himself across from it. Lucky then attempted to sit across from him but he quickly protested, pulling out the chair beside her instead. "What is with you, chico? You are acting all crazy all the sudden."
"Do you know what that door back near the Restricted Section leads to?" Bill whispered.
"Yeah, to a staff only room. I know that because there's a sign that says, 'Staff Only' on the door."
"And you call me a smart ass," Bill muttered in annoyance. "That's a research library for the faculty, with books in it, loaned by the Professors, too rare even for the restricted section."
"Okay, so what?" Lucky said impatiently. "It's just another room with books in it, no matter how rare they are, and books are just another person's opinion on things. Take it from me, chico, you need to get your nose out of books and try living for a change, you'll learn that way than from some dry-rotting tome…"
"And I would suggest," snarled a Goblin's voice so close behind them that they both jumped in their seats, "That you would both learn more from a dry-rotting tome if you actually opened it, instead of using the library for a place to mutter at each other!"
The two of them immediately reached for their books and their homework while Boulderdash eyed them both dangerously, his squinty beady eyes staring mercilessly at them from behind gold rimmed glasses. As they fervently began to do their work, Librarian Boulderdash harrumphed and stalked back to his desk, keeping an eye on them from a distance.
Often Bill would look up and stare hard at the door, eager to get even a peek at the crystal he knew was on the other side. But as Tangent passed them and went into the back room, Bill realized with some disappointment that the door opened outwards, blocking his view of the room. How could he explain to Lucky about what had happened with him and the crystal without betraying who he was, he wondered…not that he completely understood what had happened himself. But he was certain that the crystal had something to do with this whole situation, and what was more he felt an intense urge to see it again, as if it were calling to him.
Bill didn't sleep well that night, troubled my images of the Death Avatar floating through his dreams, and worrying about what was going to happen next. Surely the Headmaster had some plan, he told himself…but at the very same time, part of him worried what would happen if he didn't. He cried softly in his pillow as his fears and his imagination ran away from him, and at one point he even considered running back home where he was sure his mother would make everything feel safe again. Without the Headmaster in the school, nothing felt safe to Bill, but covering his head with a blanket didn't seem to help at all. He felt like he was being watched, and he couldn't make up his mind if it was more terrible to lay there awake or to brave the chilly room and get up early to wait for the morning Prophet and hopefully hear some better news.
His thoughts went to his mother again, and finally he got up to write her a letter, deciding right off the bat not to mention he was bothered by anything. After all, she would worry. Did she guess where he was at, he wondered? Aurelius had insisted on him assuring her that he was all right. But the more he wrote, the lonelier and more homesick he felt.
He was one of the first to show up for breakfast that morning, immediately pouring over the paper for any news.
"Old news," Delia said when she saw how eager he was. "Think about it, by the time something happens, word gets back, a journalist sent, story edited and type settings placed, why, the situation may have well changed..."
"Oh, shut up, Delia," Bill said, cross from his restless sleep. "It's going to be newer than any news here."
"Lately this place has been the news," Delia said with amusement, but he tried to ignore her. "So what are you looking for?"
"Any mention of where the Headmaster and Professor Craw went, but there isn't any," Bill said.
"I wonder if that means we won't have Potion class," Delia suggested brightly.
"Professor Weasley gave us all homework for today, so I wouldn't count on it," Bill said then turned around, hoping to see Lucky. But what he saw instead was Professor Weasley coming out of the back, apparently attempting to shake off a the man in Professor's robes walking with an ornate cane as fast as he could to keep up. He was nearly as round as Professor Tangent, but much, much older, and quite persistent despite the fact that Weasley didn't seem at all interested in continuing the conversation.
"Be right back, I'm going to borrow some salt," Bill said.
"But there's some right there," Delia said, and Bill immediately unscrewed the lid and knocked it over. "You better pinch some and toss it over your shoulder, or you'll have bad luck…" she began, but he ignored her, getting up and walking casually over to the Gryffindor table, making a point to pass by where the Professors were standing.
"Well, all right, but you can't blame me for being a little concerned. I knew him as a boy, after all, he was in my class…brilliant student, of course, although I never imagined him getting this far. We've kept correspondence over the years, and the only reason I agreed to coming was because he asked me…I simply want to send him an Owl of encouragement."
"I am sorry, Horace, but I'm under strict orders not to tell anyone where they are," Hermione said as she continued to walk towards the main doors. "I am sure he appreciates you coming, all the same."
"Hey! What are you doing?" Lucky asked as Bill reached blindly for the salt, getting his hand smacked for his efforts.
"Oh, uh, I spilled the salt, can I borrow yours?" Bill said.
"I hope you tossed some over your shoulder then," Lucky advised, handing it to him.
"Who is that man speaking to Professor Weasley?" Bill asked.
"That's old Slughorn," Cedric said. "I guess he was the Potion master here a good fifty years ago."
"He looks ancient," Bill agreed.
"So he's taking over for Craw then?" Lucky said with a frown. "Guess I should do my homework."
"Guess you should have done it yesterday like Weasley told you to," Bill teased her.
"Well, go on ahead when you are done, I will catch up," Lucky said, dumping all her food onto her toast. Everyone stared as she made a sloppy sandwich and headed to the Gryffindor rooms to get her books while Bill headed back to his table. Delia gazed at him as he sat down, glancing at the table to find the House Elves had already cleaned up the mess he had made.
"Here's the salt," he said. "Looks like it's already been taken care of, hasn't it?"
"Except now you couldn't pinch what you spilled if you wanted to," Delia pointed out.
"Oh, come now, Delia, you're a witch! Surely you don't believe in such silly Muggle superstitions," Bill teased her.
"Suit yourself," Delia said sagely. "But you've only yourself to blame if your luck runs out."
