Nobody said it was easy
Oh, it's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hard
I'm going back to the start
More Principle Confusion:
Alex glanced down at her schedule. She was sitting next to Katie in History of Magic listening to the most boring ghost who ever died drone on and on about other dead people and past events. As she looked at her schedule Alex sincerely hoped that her other classes would be better than this one. Ah well, she thought lazily to herself as Professor Binns told 'Frumpy Mahoney' to stop doodling on her parchment, Next class is Potions with Cassie. At least I'll be able to ask her about running off this morning when Ginny came over.
The rest of her day looked promising, if not entirely exhilarating. If the classes were any better than this one Alex promised to never miss a homework once in them.
"Alex, what do we have the rest of the day?" Katie asked in whisper as Professor Binns accidentally floated through one of the Hufflepuff boys causing him to flinch considerably.
"Well, next we've got Potions, then double Transfiguration after lunch, both with Slytherin." Alex answered, sliding her schedule across her desk towards Katie, "And then tomorrow we've got Herbology and Charms in the morning, and Defense in the afternoon. After that we've got a free. Then Wednesday we have Transfiguration and History in the morning, with double Potions in the Afternoon. Thursday is the same as Tuesday, except instead of a free we have Astronomy, and then we have Astronomy again after dinner. Then Friday we have double Charms in the morning and double Defense in the after noon."
Katie looked over the schedule, obviously counting up classes in her head. "Why do we have more Transfiguration, Charms, Potions and Defense than History, Herbology and Astronomy?"
Alex shrugged dismissively. "Honestly, I'm not disappointed that we don't have more of this class. And Herbology involves dirt, which I hate, and Astronomy is a whole lot of rot. So basically I'm assuming that the ones we have more often are the more important ones."
"Whatever." Katie shrugged. "I think I'll take a nap. Do you think he'll," she jabbed a thumb in Professor Binns direction, "notice?"
Alex shook her head. "I doubt it. Look over there." Alex nodded in the direction of Don, who was drooling onto his desk in the back corner of the classroom. "Binns hasn't noticed Don sleeping, and I think he conked out after about five minutes." Alex had barely finished saying this before Katie was already asleep. Maybe I should take a nap… Alex thought sleepily Just for a few minutes…
"…And next class I would like a half a roll of parchment on the first meeting of the International Confederation of Wizards in 350 BC. Be sure to mention the location and the significant decisions made!" Professor Binns was saying as a bell rung from somewhere in the bowels of the castle. The students all leaped from their seats, thankful to finally be out of the class.
Once outside the classroom Alex ducked behind a statue and tapped her map. "Professor Snape, Potions, History of Magic." She whispered to the sheet of parchment. Instantly a map of Hogwarts appeared on the page, with a large red line along the shortest route to the dungeon classroom of Professor Snape. Once she was sure that she knew the way, Alex stuffed the map in her bag and headed for the staircase off the Great Hall that would lead her down to the dungeons. Evidently the map was accurate because she made it to the classroom in plenty of time. Soon her fellow Ravenclaw first years were with her, each of them flashing a secretive smile in her direction.
"Alex!" Alex barely had time to turn and see the blonde head of her twin before she was nearly bowled over by the impact of Cassie's hug. "Yay! Thank God we have a class together!"
Alex snatched the schedule from her sister's hand as soon as she'd been released. "Of course we have classes together. Penny told me so this morning. She said they did the same for the Patil twins last year." She told Cassie as her twin futilely tried to straighten her plain black robes.
"But I just had Herbology. You didn't have Herbology. If we have all the same classes, why doesn't it work out like that?"
"We don't have every class together. I have History of Magic with Hufflepuffs and Herbology with Gryffindors. Everything else we have together."
Cassie nodded and was about to speak when the dark figure of Professor Snape swept into the corridor outside the classroom. "Why aren't all of you inside?" he asked, his voice laden with venom.
"The door was locked." Cis answered, a hint of fear in her voice.
Some of the poison left Professor Snape's gaze. "Alright, so long as you have a legitimate answer." He swung the door inward and herded the new students into the classroom. Alex and Cassie quickly took a table in the front row, both eager for their first real lesson of the year.
Snape began taking roll, a small smile playing across his face as he read the top of the sheet. "Ah, I see this is a class of Slytherins and Ravenclaws. Very good. At least I can expect some intelligence in this class. On the other hand it means my other class of first years will be a disaster. All right, Drindle?"
"Here!" Katie raised her hand just to make sure the professor could see her.
"Eaglecrest?"
A dark haired Slytherin boy raised his hand.
The next few names called were Slytherins. Alex had listen as Cassie whispered each Slytherin's first name as they were called. "That's William Eaglecrest. And Amanda Knock, Brigit Grove."
"Well, now three Huntington's in one class. Are Alexandra, Cassandra and Olivia present?" Alex, Cassie and Olivia raised their hands. As Professor Snape's gaze traveled from Olivia's seat on the far left of the classroom to the twins directly in front of him he raised an eyebrow critically. "Ah, twins I see. I haven't had twins in the same class since those Weasley twins. Intensely annoying boys, although they are unfortunately adept at potion making. Tell me, Alexandra," he checked to make sure it was the twin with the blue ribbon he was addressing, "What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
Alex nearly giggled. One of her many cousins was a healer at Saint Mungo's, so she knew the answer from the hours spent listening to her talk about her wonderful job. However, she immediately stopped giggling at the look on Professor Snape's face. "Excuse me Professor, but they're the same thing. Might I ask why that would be useful information?"
Professor Snape seemed to almost smile at her. "Well, not all of our sources will use the same word for every plant. You will find that most cultures have different names for the same plants." There was a scramble for parchment and quills as the students tried to write down the notes. "Good you're taking notes. This will be important. Before you can actually concoct a potion you must know about the properties of the ingredients. Then when you are more advanced you may invent your own potions using your knowledge of the properties of standard potion ingredients. Cassandra, can you tell me tell me where to find a bezoar?"
Cassie glanced at her twin and smiled, a spark of mischief in her eye. "Yes."
Professor Snape raised an eyebrow. "Well then?"
Alex stepped on her sister's foot before she could tell the professor that he had asked her if she could tell him where to find a bezoar, not would she. Cassie rolled her eyes at Alex then turned to face Professor Snape. "A bezoar is a small stone that can be found in the stomach of a goat. It can be used to counter most poisons."
"Very good, if a little slow. Tell me, where did you two accumulate such knowledge?"
"We have many relations, sir." Alex cut in before Cassie could do anything to anger this teacher before their lesson had even really started. "They are in almost every kind of profession. Several of them are healers, and one of our second cousins works in the experimental cures study department in Saint Mungo's. I went to visit her there last year, and Cassie had to come along with me."
"And what about you Miss Olivia? Did you go on this venture as well?"
Olivia blushed crimson. Although Cousin Angela had invited them all, Olivia, Michael and Carlton had decided to go to their Uncle Harold's Quidditch match. Although a chance to see Puddlemire United from the top box did seem exciting, Alex had decided that a tour of the experiments cures ward was more valuable. Cassie had had no choice in the matter. "Um, no sir I did not."
"Have your…"
"Cousins, sir."
Professor Snape nodded. "Right. Have your cousins filled you in on the useful information they learned on this unusual trip." Olivia blushed an even deeper shade of red. "I'm assuming that they did, you have just forgotten it." Olivia nodded, shamefaced. "Well, no matter. Just be sure to take notes and listen in class. A little extra reading in your text book," he addressed the whole class, "Wouldn't hurt either. Now, the healing properties of the bezoar were discovered quite by accident. A Sumerian wizard was sacrificing a goat to the gods when…"
The rest of the class was spent furiously scribbling down the properties of several basic ingredients, and ended with Professor Snape assigning them a half a roll of parchment each on the properties of bezoars and scarab beetles. It wasn't until she'd gone up to the Roost to deposit her bag for lunch that Alex remembered that she'd forgotten to ask Cassie about her strange behavior that morning. Ah well, I'll just ask her at lunch then… Alex told her self as she headed down to lunch in the great hall with Katie and Cis.
An hour and a half later Alex was scribbling down complicated diagrams in Transfiguration. She had waited almost the entire time in the Great Hall but Cassie had not come. Now Cassie was seated at the other side of the room from her and refused to turn around and look at her. I wonder what's up with her? Alex thought frustratedly, I mean, it's not like I've done anything to her. And neither has Ginny, so why is she acting like this? Honestly she's just being ridiculous.
"Please note the wand movements!" Professor McGonagall said sternly above the seventeen scratching quills. "If you swish rather than flick you could end up with an elephant instead of a needle!"
Alex looked up to watch the professor demonstrate the correct wand movement. Good God. Penny was right about this class. It's hard! Beside her Cis was having a hard time dividing her time between watching and writing.
"How on earth are we supposed to watch her and write it down at the same time!" she exclaimed quietly to Alex. Alex simply shrugged, trying not to attract the hawk-eyed professor's gaze toward them.
Alex patted her comfortingly on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll let you copy the notes you missed after dinner. I think I've got them all." Cis nodded, then sighed with relief as the bell rung, signaling the end of class.
"Alright class. I would like you to right me a foot of parchment on the importance of wand movements in Transfiguration. It will be due next class." When the class did not move for their bags, afraid they would miss some crucial instruction Professor McGonagall sighed. "Well, don't just sit there. I've got to eat dinner as well you know."
The next few days went by incredibly quickly. Alex felt as though time were rushing in fast forward. Before she knew it they had been at Hogwarts a week. She had had class with Ginny, which had been enormous fun. Somehow dirt didn't bother Alex as much when she had a friend with her.
It was also a great relief to have classes with Cassie because some nights Alex would wake up with an aching feeling in the pit of her stomach without understanding why. After the fist few nights Alex realized that it was feeling lonely. She had spent her entire life sharing everything with her sister and now they had been separated to make their way on their own. Alex didn't even want to think about what it would be like the next year when they would not be placed in the same classes on purpose. For the time being Alex simply had to distract herself with her schoolwork.
The homework was not an issue. In fact, contrary to the majority belief, Ravenclaw's did not sit around doing homework all day and night. Those who occupied Ravenclaw Tower were the most intelligent of the lot, and the homework assigned to them was merely trivial. Alex and her classmates soon found that a foot of parchment on any particular topic was hardly and assignment worth worrying about, except if Professor McGonagall assigned it. Potions quickly became one of Alex's favorite classes, perhaps because it was the kind of class where her mind excelled. In Potions magic could not make everything better, you had to have a head on your shoulders and be able to follow exact and complicated directions. Cassie did fairly well with the aid of Alex as a cauldron partner, and they both often received top marks.
Ginny, however, was struggling in Potions, and Alex tried to devote some time every evening to help her.
"I don't get it!" Ginny cried one night as she and Alex sat together in the library. "So if a bezoar can cure almost every poison, why do I have to learn the antidote to this bloody sleeping draught?"
Alex placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "Stop working yourself up, you'll only make it worse. You need to know the antidote because sometimes you won't have a bezoar on hand to fix it. Also, the antidote is tailor made to counter-act that potion. If you have taken anything else the bezoar might cause an unpleasant reaction. Now, the trick with this particular potion is to add the porcupine quills at exactly the right time. After that, you are home free, and there is very little you can do to mess up this potion then."
Ginny took several deep breaths to calm herself down. "Alright, so I add the quills at the right time and I can't mess up?"
"That's right," Alex smiled kindly, "well, you could hypothetically mess it up, but you'd have to add the entire contents of Snape's store cupboard and a few boxes of Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start Fireworks."
"Shh!" Madam Pince glared at them as they were giggling over the thought of a crate full of fireworks going off in a cauldron.
As soon as they stopped laughing Ginny sighed. "You know what, once Fred and George actually did that." Alex raised an eyebrow. Ginny nodded. "Yeah, and Ron's first year they wanted to make me feel better so they told me they'd send me a Hogwarts toilet seat." They spared a giggle, then quickly quieted when Madam Pince turned their way.
"Better get to dinner." Alex stood up and gathered the books together. She glanced up to see Ginny's pale face. She placed a comforting hand on Ginny's shoulder. "Don't worry about it Gin. You'll pass. Snape isn't nearly as bad as you're making him out to be. Besides, didn't you tell me that he tried to save Harry's life last year?"
Ginny nodded grudgingly. Once she had become comfortable with the twins she spoke almost nonstop about Harry. He was he hero, but to her dismay, he never seemed to notice her. Silly really, Alex thought as she ushered Ginny out of the library and toward the Great Hall, I know he's The Boy Who Lived and all that, but honestly I don't think he should be worshipped or anything. Other than an extra bit of bravery he seems to be a rather ordinary boy. I'll bet he wishes people would just leave him alone.
Alex parted from Ginny and sat down at the Ravenclaw table. Left to her brooding she barely noticed that the Great Hall was nearly empty. Professor Sinistra tapped her gently on the shoulder. "Alex dear, I think it's time you headed up to the Roost. I bet your housemates are all looking for you by now." The head of house smiled kindly down at her pupil. Alex stared at her cold potatoes, then stood up, thanked her professor and headed upstairs to her dormitory.
Upon arrival she was greeted warmly by Katie. Katie was flushed and a smile spread across her face. "Alex! Dumbledore called me to his office tonight after dinner, I thought that I was in trouble, only I wasn't, he just wanted to tell me that he was going to try and have Kenny come to Hogsmeade to visit me every two weeks! Apparently he and my parents have been monitoring our separation and he thought it would be best if maybe he were to visit me more often!" Tears of joy sparkled in Katie's eyes, and she hugged Alex fiercely. "Oh Alex, can you believe it? They're bringing my brother here!"
Alex patted Katie warmly on the back. "That's wonderful Katie! I'm sure he was just as badly off as you were, so this is probably for the best."
Katie's smile widened. "It's so good to have someone who understands what it's like having a twin. They're not just ordinary brothers or sisters, their your best friend."
"Hey, want to play a game of exploding snap?" Cis called from a spot near the hearth. Don, Paul, Akash, Jacob and Leila were huddled around a stack of smoldering cards as Luna hid behind a copy of the Quibbler.
"Mark my words, elephant eared porkumice in the curtains. You'll all be sorry when wake up one morning thinking your foot fell asleep, but really they've knawed it off."
Leila rolled her eyes. "Honestly Luna, could you be more weird? There's no such thing as elephant eared porku-whatevers."
"Just ignore her," Don whispered behind his hand to Alex, "She's as batty as they come. Told McGonagall that her hat was infested with purple winged noodlebugs at dinner."
Alex giggled quietly to herself, thinking of how ridiculous Luna had been. Afterwards she felt guilty, but there was nothing she could do about it. Paul dealt out the cards to all the first years and they all played exploding snap for an hour before Penny came over and insisted they go to bed. As Alex climbed into bed her sister lay crying in her own bed seven floors bellow, wondering how she could possibly be loyal to her friend and house at the same time.