Content notice: Implications of sexual harassment and assault. Also, a lot of sexism and some implied homophobia.
Rowena kept her shoulders squared as she sat in front of the headmaster's desk, staring him right in his narrowed eyes. Her father may have broken from accepted norms when he'd taught her magic that was more than mere housework, but he had also taught her proper manners. She had no intention of acting impolite until Headmaster Crevence caused offence first.
"Miss Ravenclaw," he greeted her, his smile tight, "it has been such a long time since I've had the pleasure of your company."
"Yes," Rowena said, her own smile strained. "I believe the last time I saw you was at my father's funeral last year. You told me it was a shame he hadn't married me off before he passed as I would fail to secure the right calibre of husband without a father to negotiate the arrangement."
His eyes narrowed even as his smile grew.
"I do hope you're having luck in your search for a proper husband," he said. "Though I worry that your vulnerability will attract the wrong sort, there's no doubt that you have a number of potential suitors to choose from considering your family name. If you need assistance forming a good match, I'm happy to provide guidance."
His eyes traveled down her figure as if he was searching for physical signs that she had been promiscuous in the year since her father had passed. Every muscle in her body stiffened under the inspection, but she kept a smile on her face. Any signs of discomfort on her part would only make Crevence sure of her guilt.
"As you know, my father taught me defensive magic. There's no need to worry about me, sir. I conduct myself with propriety around men."
Headmaster Crevence gave up, frowning at her.
"How fortunate that you can fend off the uncivilized men who would have their way with you," he said, even as his tone made it clear that he didn't view her as fortunate at all. He quickly moved on. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
"You haven't answered my letters," Rowena said bluntly, inching forward in her chair in her eagerness to hear his response. It only occurred to her once she was leaning towards her desk that it wasn't the most composed of ways to conduct herself. "I've written you several times over the previous months, and each time, my owl returns with no reply."
Crevence leaned back in his chair, his air of arrogance strengthening as he smirked at her.
"Miss Ravenclaw, I made it abundantly clear while your father was alive that it is improper for women to be educated in the finer magical arts. While I sympathize with the vulnerable position you were put in upon his death, the solution to that is marriage. Educating you here amongst men will do nothing but put you at greater risk of violation."
"I'm not worried about violation, Headmaster," Rowena said, unable to keep a tremble from her voice. "Some of my strongest spellwork is defensive magic. While I do not doubt your students' abilities, I know I could defend myself if need be, but I would also hope that you're teaching your students proper behavior as much as you're teaching them magic."
All kindness was gone from Crevence's demeanor as he looked at her with contempt.
"My students are young men, Miss Ravenclaw. I've been charged with some of the most talented young wizards in England, but they are still young men. I cannot control the entire group of them at all times of the day anymore than I could control a stampede of giraffes. That issue aside, you must not compare the lmited education your father provided you with to what I aim to achieve here. I worry that he offered you too much praise and gave you unrealistic views of your own spellwork. You are simply not capable of keeping up with the expectations of this school."
"You haven't even seen my spellwork," Rowena cried, her hands gripping the arms of her chair. "Let me perform some spells for you. You can see for yourself—"
"Enough," Headmaster Crevence growled, the last bit of propriety gone as he stood to tower over her. "One does not need to see the spellwork of a witch to know it inferior to that of a wizard. I will not educate you because you cannot be educated, Miss Ravenclaw. That is not an opinion that I hold; it is a simple fact informed by the evidence."
Rowena stared at Crevence in disbelief for several seconds. While she had disliked the man while her father was alive, he had never been anything but polite to her before. As he looked at her now, though, she could sense the hatred he felt for her, and it was startling. Here was a man her father had admired and worked with many times, yet he treated her with such disrespect.
In the past, her father would have set the situation right, but she didn't have him to stand behind her anymore.
"I'm deeply sorry, Headmaster Crevence," Rowena said, bowing her head as she stood. She didn't look at him as she headed for the door. "I had hoped your intellect would be greater than it has turned out to be. You needn't worry about me bothering you again."
Rowena made it to the gate of the school before she let herself stop to take a deep breath. She slumped against the metal bars and gripped them tightly, willing her heart to show its racing. She hadn't known she had the courage to say something blatantly rude to Crevence's face, and the possible consequences wouldn't stop running through her mind.
Footsteps behind her made her stiffen. She'd been sure Crevence wouldn't follow her to the gate because a confrontation outdoors might create a scene. When she turned around, though, she didn't find Crevence. Instead, she was faced with two boys who were students of the school judging by the uniforms they wore. Their presence didn't calm her anxiety anymore than finding Crevence would have.
"Hello," the taller of the two boys greeted, stepping forward and offering his hand.
Rowena looked at his hand sceptically before accepting the handshake that was commonly exchanged between men.
"I'm Godric Gryffindor," the boy said. He motioned at the other boy. "And this is Salazar Slytherin. We, er, were eavesdropping on your conversation with Crevence."
Heat rushed to Rowna's cheeks, and she hurriedly turned away, brushing unseen dust from her skirts to give her a reason not to make eye contact.
"Yes, well," she said, struggling with what to say, "that didn't go as I hoped, and I know when something's a lost cause. I was leaving."
"No, wait," Slytherin said, taking a step forward to place himself at Gryffindor's side. "We know who you are."
He looked at her with wide, impressed eyes. Rowena braced herself for what she knew came next.
"Your father was Rowan Ravenclaw, the famous theorist."
Rowena resisted the urge to roll her eyes. People always reminded her of who her father was as if she was clueless about what he had accomplished.
"Yes," she said. "He was."
The boys continued to stare at her as if they couldn't believe she was real.
"How much did he teach you?" Slytherin demanded, taking a step forward that made Rowena move away from him, her back pressing into the gate.
Gryffindor reached out to take Slytherin's arm, keeping him from getting any closer, but his eyes were just as curious about the answer.
"Every theory my father wrote from the time I was a child was explained to me before the rest of the world knew of it, and I've read everything he wrote, even what remains unpublished. As much as your illustrious headmaster loathes it, there's not a person alive who understands my father's work better than I do. And though all of the spellwork I learned came from him, my father liked to tell me that I had more skill with a wand than he ever did."
She wasn't sure what prompted her to add the last part. She'd never admitted it to anyone but Helga before, largely because she knew any man she said it to wouldn't believe her, and she had little desire to be scoffed at. These boys were still staring at her as if she was as good as her father though, and they didn't seem keen to challenge her.
"We'll teach you," Gryffindor declared. "When our classes finish for the day, we'll meet and teach you everything we've learned. Do you live close by?"
"No," Rowena admitted. "I live in Scotland, but I can Apparate here. Don't worry about me."
Her words made them gasp, and Rowena resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"We don't learn Apparition for another year," Slytherin muttered to himself.
"Could you teach us?" Gryffindor asked, a boyish smile on his face. "If we teach you what we learn, could you teach us Apparition and the other things your father taught you?"
"Sure," Rowena said, allowing herself a small smile as she imagined getting what she had wanted for so long. "Where shall we meet?"
Gryffindor pulled a scrap of parchment from his pocket and conquered a quill, scribbling out the name of an inn that he promised was as upstanding for women as it was for men.
"But, Miss Ravenclaw," he called as Rowena made to leave, "you'll want to bring a friend with you. For appearances, you know? The last thing we need is to attract attention because you're unchaperoned with two young men."
Rowena bit her tongue and nodded before disappearing with a pop. As she appeared on the edge of her family's estate, she couldn't help but grin at the impressed looks she imagined the boys had given her disappearance.
"Please, Helga, you know it would be improper for me to be seen alone with two men, and you can't deny that you want to learn more advanced magic as much as I do."
Helga frowned, squirming in her seat.
"Even two women with two men is improper," she muttered. "What will people think?"
"Does it matter?" Rowena asked. "We'll be far from home. No one who sees us will know who you are."
"Then why do you need me to go at all?"
Rowena sighed and reached across the table to cradle Helga's hands in her own, noting how warm they felt compared to hers.
"Because I want you to learn magic as much as I want to learn it myself," she said softly. "This is the best chance we have of being educated. Imagine! We could learn more than most witches dream of! I know you want that as much as I do, Helga. Don't let your worries about what's proper stop you. It hasn't before."
She ran her thumb against the back of Helga's hand to emphasize her words.
"We are different, dear Rowena," she said softly, squeezing Rowena's hands. "We do nothing improper outside the walls of your home. No one can be bothered by us."
A sudden idea hit Rowena.
"What if we didn't do this outside my home either?" As she spoke, she looked at the wall to avoid Helga's swift judgment. "It makes sense to have them here. I have the space, and we'd be free from the judgment of others."
"Two strange men entering your house is more than enough to bring judgment upon you. Upon us."
Helga trembled at the thought, and Rowena was swift to move around the table, wrapping her arms around her lover and holding her close.
"I've said it before, Helga, but let them judge us. I'm tired of letting men dictate what I do and don't do. These men are useful as long as they're willing to teach us, but I have no intention of letting them gain sway over either of us. I need you beside me to stay strong. Together, we can show them that women are as capable with a wand as a man. We could change the course of magical education forever."
Helga took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders.
"You know I'll do anything you ask of me, Rowena, even when it terrifies me. You have a way of coming up with the craziest schemes and somehow getting them to work out in the end."
"You know your life would be very boring without my schemes," Rowena said with a smirk.
"Yes," Helga said, rolling her eyes and doing her best to hide a grin, "I'd be locked in a loveless marriage instead of here with you if it weren't for your schemes."
She leaned in to kiss Rowena deeply.
"I don't think I need to remind you how very thankful I am for that," she murmured against her lover's lips.
Prompts:
Hogwarts Challenges and Assignments
Seasonal Challenge - Days of the Year: Forefather's Day - write about the founders
Seasonal Challenge - Ravenclaw Themed Prompts: Rowena Ravenclaw
Seasonal Challenge - Audrey's Dessert Challenge: cake 5 - write about a rejection (of a date, of a job, etc)
Advent Calendar: (theme) injustice
Word count: 2,147