If I were in Ravenclaw...
by Elementary98
Disclaimer: For the disclaimer, check out Chapter 1 - An introduction to magic
Chapter 7 - Can You Brew Intelligence?
After the weird encounter with Pervert Arts Professor Quirrel, I made a beeline for the Great Hall, giggling madly.
And stopped dead in my tracks. A cat sat at the staff table. A CAT. In a magical school? Nuh. Everything here was odd, so there must be something wrong with it. "Kitty kitty, come to Julia! Don't be afraid!" It didn't react. It just continued to stare at me with this strange facial expression. I had seen that expression somewhere before, but I couldn't place it...
"Gotcha!" I jumped forward, grabbing the cat. Its claws went all the way into my tummy, and I let go off it out of instinct. "Ouch, Kitty!"
Said cat hissed dangerously, daring me to touch her again. Then, to my astonishment, it morphed into a woman quite familiar to me. She had the same facial expression as the cat. Well, maybe she looked even stricter as a human. But, ehm, hey? She had turned from a cat into a human! So what was she, exactly? A werecat?
"Catwoman, you have come!" Professor McGonnagal stared at me oddly. Had I just said this out loud?!
I cleared my throat, not believing what I had just muttered. "Ehm, Professor, ehm... Hi. Sorry. I had no idea." The professor sniffed. "Obviously. I'll have you know I am an Animagus, not a 'catwoman', whatever this is."
I had the grace to look embarassed before I grabbed some food from one of the nearby tables (why was food there already, anyway?) and fled the Great Hall. Quietly sneaking back into our dorms, I looked at our timetable. We had Potions with Professor Snape and the Hufflepuffs first. Oh, yay, I hadn't done the essay.
I had been daydreaming until the door to the cold potions lab flew open and Professor Snape came in. Some of the Hufflepuffs looked quite shocked at a teacher making an entrance like this, they just stared wide-eyed.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making." Oh, really? The tall man looked at each and everyone of us.
"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses.."
Ensnaring the senses? Way to go, professor, I have always wanted to try "orange haze", thank you very much! I gave a small giggle, which earned me a long, stern look from the Potions Master.
"I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." Bottle fame, brew glory, stopper death? Oh come on, that was impossible!
Then he started looking through the student lists, raising his eyebrows subtly at some of them. The only open reaction came at Harry's name. "Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
I perked up. It sounded weird, of course I knew the answer (Draught of Living Death), but I somehow caught a hidden meaning by the way he said it. Asphodel, Lily, death of someone beloved. Wormwood, bitter sorrow. Victorian Flower Language? Nah. That would be too obvious. I loved her and deeply regret Lily's Death. Who or what is Lily? It's probably a coincidence... Say something smart, Harry, come on, I know you can do it!
Harry frowned. "I don't know sir..." He looked down, somewhat disappointed with himself. "I'm sorry", he added.
The apology seemed to have switched a button inside of the professor, because he only gave Harry a long, creepy look before starting the actual lesson.
"Ms Brandtstetter! Stop staring at the blackboard, collect the ingredients!"
"Yes, sir!", I got up and saluted briefly, then, at his death-glare, started working.
"10 points from Ravenclaw for daydreaming", I heard him mutter under his breath. You wait, Professor Snape, I thought, I'm going to put an end to the invalid point-taking. And I will find out who this Lily is!