Chapter 8
"Wow I can't believe it…I have finally found something more boring than Grandfather's lectures" said Venus as the four friends marched out into the grounds
"The Grandfather in Azkaban?" inquired Nancy
"Yeah, you'd think that him being locked away would mean he was out of our lives…but unfortunately our Grandmother is still head over heels in love with him"
"Even though he's looks like crap in jail" said Octavias
"Then Grandmother starts crying hysterically"
"And Father has to practically carry her out" he finished
Lily sniggered "And with that busy schedule, he still manages to find time to lecture you?"
"You bet! Its as boring as History of Magic" said Venus
"And more scary" said Octavias "He calls Venus a hussy, me; a failure, and Father a spineless idiot"
"What does your Grandmother say about that?"
Octavias put on a face of a weeping woman and gave himself an overly high voice
"Oh Lucius darling, what hell Azkaban prison is…if only I could sniff…get you…sniff…out my darling" Octavias faked being sick. Venus whacked him around the head rather viciously, which took Octavias by surprise "What was that for?"
"For being rude about Grandmother, she's lovely"
"Yeah I know but how any one could love Lucius Malfoy is seriously off putting"
"Well you'd better be thankful that Grandmother does love him…or you would never have been born!"
"TMI!" Octavias yelled with his hands on his ears
"Shh!" hushed Lily putting her finger to her lips "Look over there" Lily pointed over by the castle wall stood to figures, probably who believed themselves alone. The quartet must have been just out of view from them. There was no question of who the couple were, they would recognise the shocking pink robes any where.
"Its Professor Sorax" whispered Nancy "with-"
"Pushkilov" finished Venus
"It's Tushkikov you idiot not 'Pushkilov'" said Octavias rolling his eyes
"Whatever...look what he's doing"
Professor Tushkikov had raised one hand to Professor Sorax's face and was caressing her cheek.
"Euch" said Octavias and Lily almost simultaneously
"Look at the way she's looking at him" said Venus with slight disgust in her voice. Professor Sorax had a dreamy expression in her sparkly blue eyes.
"He's such a sleaze ball" said Octavias
"He is rather handsome" said Nancy shyly
"Sorax deserves better" was Octavias response
Venus rolled her eyes and continued to watch the unaware lovers.
"See something interesting do you?" said a voice from behind them. All four first years nearly jumped out of their skin
"Professor Rivers" said Octavias with a voice so high it could have come from a young baby.
"Well well well if it isn't the Malfoys, Potter and Wood. What are you hanging around the castle walls for?"
"Well I…er I…we were just…um…" Octavias stuttered
"What's your next lesson?" the Professor snapped
"What oh er charms I think but we've got fifteen minutes for the rest of break Professor" said Lily
"I doubt, Miss Potter, that your Mother and Father would enjoy hearing how you experienced your first Hogwarts break"
Lily blushed and Venus sniggered
"And of course Dra- er Mr. Malfoy would be entitled to the same truth wouldn't you think Miss Malfoy?"
"Professor we didn't mean to spy on them we just-"
"Miss Wood you may find in time that some things are better left unsaid. Now run along or I really will contact your guardians"
The quartet didn't need to be told twice, at the very chance all four ran for it.
"Who, that was a close one" said Lily nearly out of breath from running "Do you think she was asked by Sorax or Tushkikov to keep a look out?"
"Dunno but she can't have been doing a good job can she? I mean we saw what we saw what they were up to" said Octavias
"What puzzles me was that when she wanted to inform our parents she was very nearly slipped onto saying 'Draco'" said Venus
"I know, she's usually very sure of what she says…she doesn't seem like a person who would stutter…so she must know Father on first name terms"
"She did say that she should have recognised Venus when we were Defence against the dark arts…they seem roughly the same age. It hard to tell though, she's definitely taller than him"
"Only by a few inches Squid, she could do modelling, she's so tall and pretty" said Venus
"Sorax is pretty too" said Octavias dreamily. The three girls sat in stunned silence looking at the boy. He didn't seem to notice he seemed far away in a distant world…probably populated by a dozen pink robed Soraxes.
"Anyway" said Lily suppressing a giggle "We should post those letters of ours"
When the first years made their way down to the charms classroom and were ready to wait outside as they had done for both History of Magic and DADA. However a note, written with red ink on pink parchment, was stuck on the door saying 'First Years take your seats straight away and get your books out. Professor K. Sorax'
The quartet raised their eyebrows at each other and stepped into the classroom.
"I wonder why she's late" said Lily in mock curiosity as the friends sat down and took their books and quills out.
"Well perhaps Pushkilov will know" Venus sniggered
"Its Tushkikov" said Octavias tiredly
"Oh who cares?"
"Sorax does" muttered Nancy. The four friends sniggered just as the door burst open and a rather blushing Professor Sorax practically fell in with a number of books sliding out from under her arm and her hair slightly out of place. She picked the books up and placed them on her desk. She then looked at her class happily
"I'm sorry I'm late I was in a meeting"
Lily and Venus raised their eyebrows at each other and looked away to stop themselves giving in to laughter
"Okay then first years. I want you to know in future to come straight in here as you did today. There is no point in clogging up school corridors. Merlin it's hot in here." Professor Sorax pointed her wand at the windows and they flew open, allowing in a breeze. "Much better" she grinned a bright smile at the class "Now, many of you probably know who I am, but I'm going to refresh your memories…I'm Professor Sorax, I'm head of Slytherin and as you guess, I will be teaching you charms for at least the next five years. I do hope that most, if not all of you, take charms as one of your options for NEWTs. Which I believe every single one of you capable of doing…now does any one have any questions about myself or the Charms course"
A few people put there hands in the air (far less hesitantly than when in Rivers' class)
"Yes Lily"
"Would you consider charms an easy subject or a hard one?"
"Hmm, interesting question. It's certainly important for every day life and therefore requires a fair amount of hard work; of course it won't save you in a duel with Dark wizards…yes Octavias?"
Octavias seemed to blush slightly from being asked directly by Professor Sorax
"Isn't Charms a required NEWT to become an auror?"
"Why yes it is, is that what you want to do when you leave school?" she asked with a slight smirk
"Er…yes" he replied
"Interesting" she said thoughtfully, she turned back to the class "Of course charms is used in other careers as well…"
"Its freaky every single teacher acts funny towards us" said Octavias as the four friends walked up the school hall too lunch, having just finished their double charms lesson "Rivers says she should have recognised Venus, then almost uses Father's first name and Sorax almost bursts out laughing when I said I wanted to be an auror! I mean what is up with these teachers?"
"Octavias it's only two of the teachers acting like that, how do you think I feel? every teacher seems to know me in some way" said Lily
"Lily don't be naïve, and Octavias don't be an idiot we know exactly why teachers know us, our Father! Lily my father is almost a famous as yours is-"
"Venus we're not supposed to talk about it" said Octavias warningly glaring at his sister
"Talk about what?" asked Lily
Venus lowered her voice right down to a whisper
"Father's sixth year at Hogwarts"
"You mean when he killed Dumbledore" asked Lily. Venus and Octavias shot Lily a nasty glare
"He did not! Severus Snape killed him! But when Daddy was cleared of all charges he was asked not to speak of the subject by his lawyers. Daddy told us not to talk about it as well"
"Still, every one knows him as the young death eater who got the others into the school"
Suddenly a voice came from behind them
"You four are dawdling to the Great Hall, are you not hungry?" The quartet turned around. Professor Sorax was looking down and smiling at them
"We…were just talking Professor" said Nancy
"Talking or whispering?" she asked with smirk. She turned to Lily "How are your parents?"
"Oh, well, they're fine…busy though"
"Well next time your write to them tell them I send my regards…it's been a long time"
"Did you know my parents?" asked Lily
"Of course, I was the only Slytherin your Father considered being friends with. But we lost touch; I don't think I've seen them since the wedding"
"That is a long time" said Lily "They've never mentioned you"
"Oh…well I suppose we've all gone our separate ways. Octavias, Venus…I knew your parents too"
"You did?" The twins looked at each other, perhaps they were about to get to the bottom of this mystery
"Yes, your father and I were very close…except we broke apart a bit after his sixth year. I saw him of course, just not so much. Unfortunately I had to go off to Calafornia….when I came back he was married, we never contacted each other" She seemed to look thoughtfully as if reminiscing something sad and forgotten. She sighed. "Oh well you four, off to lunch"
Professor Sorax walked around the four first years and walked down to the Great Hall, her shoes clacking against the floor in time with her blonde hair swinging side to side.
"That was weird" said Nancy
"I know, my parents have never mentioned her before"
"Neither have ours…She said our Father and her were close, I would think Father would have mentioned that they were best friends" said Octavias
"Oh she's probably exaggerating, they probably just sat in Potions together or something"
"Welcome to your first Potions lesson. I am your teacher Professor Tushkikov"
Venus snorted with laughter. Tushkikov glanced over but said nothing "Potions is an exceptionally difficult subject and I do not know how many of you will get through your OWLs at high enough level to take it to NEWTs. However it will always come in handy when it comes to dealing with poisons and antidotes. You need to know what to do when in a situation such as that? Potions helps you to think quickly and under extreme pressure, its not just about mixing ingredients the correct way…although that helps" The class giggled. "Now I shall write the ingredients for a simple sleeping draught on the board and then I will give you a demonstration of the correct result. In the meantime please open to page 4 of 'Magical Draughts and Potions'
The class pulled out their books from their bags, suddenly a piece of screwed up parchment landed on Lily's desk. Lily looked behind her, for that was the direction that the parchment had come from. Sitting at the Gryffindor table was Jessica.
"Hi" mouthed Lily. Jessica glanced at Pushkilov and then back at Lily.
'Read it' she mouthed back
Lily frowned and picked up the piece of parchment stretching it out, she read
'Lil
Slytherin? What the hell?
I can't believe your evil!
Jessica W.'
Lily began scribble note on the back.
"Miss Potter put that away" came a strong voice. Lily looked up, Professor Tushkikov had turned away from the board and was looking at Lily.
"Sorry sir" Lily caught Octavias' eye and both had to stifle a laugh.
"As I was saying the potion is to be made with precise care and delicate movements. Now I have a half made potion here can I have an assistant" his eyes searched the class "Miss Malfoy, please come up here"
Venus who had been yawning rather loudly and obviously looked at Lily and Octavias before getting out of her seat and walking delicately over to her Potions.
"Miss Malfoy were you listening to anything I was explaining just now" he asked sardonically.
Venus glared at him
"Of course sir, why else do I come to school?"
"Good, then you can finish the potion off" he said
"W-What?" she stuttered turning her narrowed glaring eyes into great big grey puppy dog ones "Oh…of course sir" she looked a bubbling blue potion in the cauldron on his desk "Where are you up to"
"Its blue Miss Malfoy, therefore I have just added the armadillo bile" he raised an eyebrow
"Of course….I was just testing you sir"
The class sniggered and Venus smiled proudly.
"Very well Miss Malfoy, I'll leave you to it" said Tushkikov, taking a step backwards.
Venus looked momentarily worried but caught her twin's eye and grinned mischievously. It rather reminded Lily of her Uncle Fred and Uncle George.
Venus looked at the ready ingredients. She began to pour things in at random. Tushkikov said nothing but intently watched the cauldron turning many colours. Venus picked up the wooden spoon and began to stir the potion, which was now firey red when according to the black board was supposed to be yellow, she stirred it in a way that was anything but delicate. The whole cauldron seemed to bubble out of control.
"Uh oh" Octavias said scraping his chair as far away from the cauldron as possible. He rest of the class seemed to find it a good idea as well and instantly did the same. Venus ducked suddenly down as the contents flew out and all over the near by desks, including Tushkikov
"Woops" Venus giggled