A/N: I have a couple of things to say. Firstly, thank you times a million to my new beta, Meltaviel. I'm absolutely thrilled to have your help :D.
Secondly, I'm very sorry that I didn't update on schedule; you see, I lost all of my files- but thankfully, managed to recover them. So, I made this chapter a little longer than I originally intended, just to make it up.
Finally, thank you very: Meltaviel, ennaxor, Embers of Twilight and LittleGreenFaefor your reviews.
Next Scheduled Update: February 29th, 2008. If you really liked this chapter, and want me to update faster, you know what to do. Thanks again :D
A Little Bit of Magic
Chapter Four: Burning Tempers
"Hogwarts students this way please!" Elphaba called out to the mass of black cloaks as they worked their way along the winding corridors of Crage Hall. The dimly lit passageway was glowing softly by the light of numerous, flaming torches, casting small shadows along the stone tiles. Galinda was near the back of the mass, flirting with a pair of sixth year boys.
"This is a very old passageway, created during the War of Thirty Two. Any of you who have enrolled in Advanced Ozian History with Professor Gilbert will learn about this historic event. The point is, this passage is very rarely used, and I don't expect the majority of you will come down here again," Elphaba informed the new students intelligently.
"Then why are you leading us down here?" a curious voice asked. It belonged to a rather plain looking girl- she had dark brown eyes, and pin straight, dark brown hair. Elphaba raised her left eyebrow and answered almost instantly.
"It is convenient for moving large bodies of people- as was its purpose during the War," she replied stoically. "On your left, you will see various portraits of the previous Headmasters and Headmistresses of Shiz University. Note that the portraits continue in this similar side-by-side format all the way to the Main Hall," Elphaba continued, waving a thin, green hand towards the oil paintings.
"Why aren't any of the pictures moving?" a male voice asked curiously, causing Elphaba to stop. She glared at the boy coolly, noting his fiery red hair and vast amount of freckles.
"Is that a joke?" she shot back icily, her chocolate eyes narrowing. "Because it wasn't very funny."
The red-headed boy looked confused for a moment, and opened his mouth to protest. However, a smooth voice quickly cut him off. "No, Elphaba, he's being serious," Harry explained quietly. "At Hogwarts, the paintings are enchanted so that the figures inside of them move continually. You'll have to forgive him- he doesn't know much about Mug- non wizarding folk."
"Oh," Elphaba replied skeptically, but she chose to dismiss the red-headed boy's comments nonetheless. Who knows? Maybe Harry actually was telling the truth; however, even in a wizarding world moving pictures seemed quite unlikely.
"The pictures aren't moving because they aren't magicked, Mister-" she answered coolly, waiting for his reply.
"Oh, uh Weasley," the red headed boy said, his voice fluttering slightly, "Ronald Weasley- but my friends call me Ron," he elaborated unsurely.
"Very well, Master Weasley. May I continue my tour?" Elphaba asked rhetorically. "Everybody, please keep up… and for Lurline's sake, Galinda will you please tear yourself away from the new students and do something useful?"
Galinda's azure eyes glared angrily at Elphaba, but she excused herself from the boys, and moved up to the front nonetheless. Her pointy shoes clacked irately along the stone floors as she pushed her way through the massive throng of people. "Who's Lurline?" a bushy haired girl asked suddenly. Before Elphaba could answer, Galinda leapt forward, almost as if to prove that she was just as useful as Elphaba.
"Oh, she's a goddess," Galinda replied primly. "I'm not really sure what she did. But most people," she looked pointedly at Elphaba, "use her name when they wanna make a point. It can be very rude though..." With that Galinda trailed off, and chose instead to lift a tiny, manicured fingernail to her mouth. Elphaba watched her friend in amusement- it appeared they had both contracted that nasty little habit after all.
"So, can I say, holy Lurline, you're hot?" Malfoy piped up from the back, and then landed a high-five with the tall, burly boy, Goyle. Galinda's perfectly arched eyebrows clenched, and her blue eyes narrowed disapprovingly. How very crude! Didn't this boy know who she was?
"Just because youcan say something Mr. Malfoy, doesn't mean you should," Elphaba said pointedly. Malfoy stopped laughing almost immediately, and stared at the green girl with a look of pure ice.
"Continuing on then?" Elphaba asked briskly, completely unaffected by Malfoy's death glare. She soon led them into the massive entrance hall, which the Crage Hall students referred to as the Main Hall (although, according to Madame Morrible, it would now be converted into a dining hall as well). It looked like a cathedral, with its high, arched ceiling, and ornate stain glassed windows. The floors were a smooth, white marble, except for a massive black section in the middle, which formed the shape of an eight point star.
"Crage Hall," Elphaba translated, as the students looked curiously at the Gillikin writing along main, Quoxwood doorway. "Encouraging talent," she finished loudly. Sounds like one of Morrible's ideas, she thought suddenly, having never contemplated the origins of her school's motto.
"Now, each of you are going to be given a map of the campus- one which I expect even the dimmest of you will have no trouble understanding," Elphaba said with authority. As if by magic, a large stack of brightly coloured maps appeared behind her, and started handing themselves out to the Hogwartians. "Now, I believe that most of you are sorted into Houses?" Elphaba asked quizzically.
A general 'yes' of consent sounded, along with a few boorish 'no's. "Very well," Elphaba said in annoyance, "Can anyone tell me how many Houses there are, and their names?" she asked loudly. Most of the students shifted awkwardly on their feet, quite afraid to approach the irritable green girl.
"Sure," Harry said quickly, stepping forward. He offered Elphaba a friendly smile, before continuing, "There are four Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Everyone here has already been Sorted- I think McGonagall's taking care of the first years back in London."
"Everyone knows which 'House' they belong in then?" Elphaba asked curiously, thrilled when Harry gave a nod of his shaggy, black hair. This is going to be much simpler than I originally thought, she grinned inwardly, happy to have the students so efficiently organized.
"Okay then. Galinda, I suppose you should take the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws to their tower, while I'll take Gryffindor and Slytherin-" she said quietly to the bubbly blonde, now bouncing happily on the spot.
"Not a good idea," Harry cut in wisely. "You see, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw are fine, but Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses don't like each other. We've got sort of a rivalry going on-"
"Fabulous," Elphaba uttered sarcastically, unable to resist the urge to rub her temples angrily. And here she thought it would be so easy… and she could just bet that the rivalries were utterly foolish; probably pertaining to sporting events. "What do you suggest then, Harry?" she asked tiredly, her brown eyes dulling.
"Pair the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor Houses, and the Hufflepuff and Slytherin Houses together; Hufflepuff's pretty good with anyone, and Slytherin's the most difficult to deal with…"
"I assume you're not a Slytherin then?" Elphaba asked slyly. A smile pulled on her mouth as he shook his head with a grin.
"Nah, I'm a Gryffindor. Brave of heart and full of courage," he mimicked good-naturedly, making a sweeping gesture with his left hand. "Witches and wizards are sorted by their attributes," he explained, noticing Elphaba's bemused smile, "Gryffindors are brave, Hufflepuffs are kind, Ravenclaws are intelligent, and Slytherins… well. Manipulative and pure-blooded I guess," he twittered off unsurely.
"Pureblood?" Elphaba asked curiously, unable to hide the disdain in her voice. She had a feeling that it was yet another fancy term for the word 'segregation'.
"Yeah, they're witches or wizards who come from 'all wizarding families'. Meaning, they have no Muggle relatives… basically, they just think they're better than everyone else," Harry explained, his eyes darkening angrily.
"Muggle?" Elphaba questioned. What a peculiar word…
"Blimey, we have a lot of words to teach you, eh?" Harry joked cheerfully. "Those are people with no magic in their blood- non-witches and wizards." Suddenly, Elphaba's large eyes widened in realization.
"That Malfoy boy- he mentioned something about a 'Mudblood'. That's got something to do with it, doesn't it?" Elphaba asked quietly, having already calculated the answer. It wasn't so much the word, but the tonein which he said the word that caused her to worry.
"You're pretty quick," Harry said darkly. "Yeah, a Mudblood is a really foul name for a witch or wizard who has non wizarding parents. There was this one bastard around a few months ago who wanted to 'purge the wizarding world' of Mudbloods- meaning kill them all," Harry finished angrily.
Elphaba clapped a spidery, green hand over her dark mouth. "That's awful!" she whispered vehemently. "Foolish man, I hope he was arrested!" she ranted, her usually diverse vocabulary abandoning her.
"Yeah, it is… but he's not- not a problem anymore," Harry agreed. "But, if Malfoy was talking about 'the' Mudblood, I 'spect he was talking about Hermione Granger. She's the brainy one, over there, next to Ron. The three of us have been best mates for seven years- and luckily, we're all in Gryffindor. Anyway, those two despise each other," Harry said fondly. Elphaba cast a quick look in Ron's general direction, but could see no sign of this Hermione Granger.
"You don't think much of the Malfoy fool, do you?" Elphaba asked with amusement. Harry laughed, and shook his head.
"Nope. He's a filthy coward, who crawls back to his rich Daddy whenever something goes wrong," he said with amusement.
"Sounds like most of the people here," Elphaba quipped, causing Harry to burst out laughing again. "Anyway, Harry. I'm sorry, but I've really got to take the Houses to their dormitories. I'll take your suggestion though, the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws will go with Galinda, and I'll take the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins."
Harry whistled. "Good luck," he murmured, before walking away to join his friends. Elphaba soon lost sight of him, as he swallowed by a sea of cloaks.
"Okay," the bubbly voice of Galinda rang out as she clapped her hands joyfully. "Me and Elphie are going to split you guys up for dormitories, then we'll take you there. Any questions?" she asked blissfully.
"The Slytherins and Gryffindors are together?" Malfoy asked snidely, puffing out his chest. "This'll be fun," he said sarcastically.
"Not quite Mr. Malfoy," Elphaba snipped back. "The Slytherins are rooming with the Hufflepuffs, while the Ravenclaws are rooming with the Gryffindors. We've already been informed of your rivalries," she hissed.
Galinda looked taken a back by the malice in Elphaba's voice, but managed to recover smoothly. "Okay, so me and Elphie are gonna take you to your rooms, any questions?"
There was murmured assent from the crowd of Hogwartians, though several protests rang out- especially from the Hufflepuffs. "I suppose I'm all right with it," Malfoy informed his fellow Slytherins, "as long as we don't get the green one."
"Wrong again, Mr. Malfoy," Elphaba said smirking. There's not a chance I'm leaving you alone with Galinda, she raged inwardly. That Malfoy boy was too smug for his own good- and she would be more than happy to show the little weasel that no amount of money would save him from a sound tongue-lashing. With a sly grin in Malfoy's general direction, she trudged off towards the dorm rooms, the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins following closely behind.
"I hope we don't get lost," she heard Galinda chirp, her girlish voice becoming fainter and fainter. "I'm not very good with directions."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Elphaba tiredly made her way across the lush, green fields of Shiz, having finally escaped the frantic questioning of the Hogwarts students. They were a very curious bunch, or perhaps just a very stupid one- either way, these 'Hogwartians' had drilled Elphaba with so many questions that, by the end of the session, she was ready to explode. Or rather, makesomething explode.
She would say one thing for them though; they had no trouble moving right in. Trunks had literally flown through the open windows and began to immediately unpack themselves into various drawers. Elphaba could not help but be a little bit envious- these wizards and witches had suchcontrol over their magic. They didn't make wheelchairs zoom several feet across the main hall, they didn't make water goblets float several feet above the ground, theydidn't make Quoxwood trees burst into flames-
"Oh shit!" Elphaba swore loudly as her chocolate eyes finally registered the brightly burning branches just off to her left. A tiny Darkwood sapling had become fully ablaze- the flames licking the dry leaves greedily, and consuming the trunk in a cloud of smoke.
"What the blazeshave you done this time?" a tall, handsome boy asked rudely, quirking a malicious smirk at his pun. Elphaba's panicked mind recognized the deep voice- it was Avaric, a crude Shizian in her year. He was built like a rock- thick, broad and muscular, and had a brain to match. Or at least, Elphaba suspected he did- however, the boy did have an extraordinary gift when it came to wooing women.
"You've really outdone yourself, Greenie," the cruel voice mocked, although Elphaba swore she could hear a touch of admiration somewhere deepwithin. It was a well known fact that Avaric lived to cause trouble, only to blame his little escapades on whichever unfortunate victim happened to cross his path first. While Elphaba typically would have sniped back with some clever reply (that she doubted he would fully understand it, anyway), she was much too occupied at the moment to do much more than nod obliviously.
"Oh shit, ohfuck!" she cursed again, as a small group of students gathered around the burning tree. A small sheen of sweat had gathered on her brow when she realized the full extent of the situation- the only way to put the flames out would be to use water; which, she not only did not have, but was alarmingly allergic to.
"Bloody hell!" a male voice yelped, as a tall, black-haired boy surged forward. His green eyes were wide behind a pair of circular, black rimmed glasses. It was that boy from before, she suddenly realized- Harry Potter. "Elphaba- what are you- what have you done?" Harry scolded, brandishing a small, wooden stick towards the flames.
What in Oz, Elphaba asked curiously, preparing to explain that adding morewood to the fire would not be the best approach. However, she was shocked into a stupor when a large stream of water erupted from the end of the pointy stick. Not a stick- a wand. Scattered applause sounded from the small group of mixed students, causing Harry to blush furiously. "How did you do that?" Elphaba asked curiously, cocking her green head.
"Aguamenti," Harry replied mysteriously, causing another, much smaller spurt of water to flow from his wand tip. Elphaba's brown eyes lit up. "It's a spell that creates a stream of water," he explained unnecessarily, but the green girl smiled nonetheless. "What's got you all happy?" he inquired.
"Well, asides the fact that your little magic trick just spared the Quoxwood sapling, and by default, me- you have just presented me with the most obvious solution to my most prominent problem! Don't you see? With one of those," she said, her long fingers waving excitedly at the wand, "I'll be able to control my magic."
"Wait- you don't already have one?" Harry asked cluelessly, to which Elphaba shook her head slowly. "So, you mean to tell me, that you made that tree burst into flames without a spell?" he clarified, causing Elphaba to nod her head. "Wow," he said, impressed.
"It loses its charm," Elphaba quipped, feeling the adrenaline slowly coursing out of her system. However, her clever mind was still buzzing manically-this was the solution to all her problems! "Nessa will be thrilled," she whispered to herself, slightly bitterly.
"Sorry. Didn't catch that," Harry said curiously.
"It was nothing of interest," Elphaba replied flippantly, her almond-shaped eyes still eyeing his wand.
"Y'know," Harry said casually, noticing her piercing stare, "I heard that most of the students at Shiz were not capable of magic… but my Head of House, Professor McGonagall, expressed an interest in tutoring those with magickal talent."
Encouraging talent, Elphaba thought sardonically, but nonetheless murmured her approval. She ran a nervous, green hand through her long black hair, noting for the first time that the sun had begun to set behind the far Vinkus Mountains. While they were very far away, their sheer magnitude still made them visible; even though they only appeared as a long, dark line along the horizon.
"Thank you," Elphaba said formally, with a small smile in Harry's direction.
"'Course," he said, shrugging. His tad-too-large forest green sweater billowed as a sudden gust of wind wound through the field. It looks like a hand-me-down, Elphaba noticed, surprised. Despite being the eldest of the two Thropp sisters, she, too, was well accustomed to hand-me-downs.
"You best go talk to McGonagall if you want that wand," Harry said smartly, raising his left eyebrow.
"How did you kn-" Elphaba asked quickly, before Harry cut her off.
"I read people well," he said modestly. "Now go… and I'll see you around?" Elphaba's cheeks flushed a darker green, as she nodded stoically in his direction. Harry gave a soft smile in return, before turning to leave.
"Wait, Harry!" Elphaba called back, her leather-shoed feet shuffling uncomfortably. "Would you and your friends like to have lunch with me tomorrow? I mean, Galinda and I?"
Harry nodded enthusiastically, his moppy black hair swaying. "It's a date," he called back, with a devilish wink. Elphaba bit her lip to keep from smiling back, before hurrying off in the opposite direction.
"Elphaba!" Harry called suddenly, causing the green girl to stop abruptly. "You know, I like you much better like this."
"When I'm petrified?" she asked coldly.
"No," he replied cheekily. "When you smile."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Madame Morrible!" Elphaba called out, her breath coming in loud heaves. Elphaba had sprinted back across the field to the Main Hall, and now her tired lungs were positively begging for air. Grasping her thin waist with her pointed, left hand, she reached forward with her right, as if begging the burly Headmistress who was currently clacking noisily down the halls, to wait.
"Madame Morrible!" she called again, sighing thankfully when the burly woman turned around and strode towards her. Morrible's long, navy gown trailed behind her like a wedding dress, and swiveled gracefully with each of her magnificent steps.
"Yes Miss Thropp?" Morrible boomed, unable to hide her disdain. But Elphaba had expected this- they had not, after all, departed for summer on particularly favorable terms.
"I've been looking everywhere for you," Elphaba said, panting softly.
"Oh really?" the Headmistress asked coldly. "What happened to setting trees on fire, hmmm? Lost its appeal?" she mocked, crossing her arms angrily.
Elphaba was floored.Good news really does travel fast, she griped inwardly, but she nonetheless struggled to come up with a decent answer. "I'm terribly sorry for that," she said slowly, blinking her large eyes in a very Galinda-like manner. "My magic got out of control again. And that's precisely why I came to see you. Madame, I really think I need a wand."
"Oh you do, do you?" Morrible replied briskly, preparing to walk away.
"Yes!" Elphaba rushed. "You see, I'm worried about the effect my magic may have upon the teachers and students of Shiz, especially now that it has become so out of control. I believe that with a wand, I may be able to harness my abilities more adeptly- and more quickly. Please," she implored.
Elphaba's chocolate eyes gazed directly into Morrible's hazel ones defiantly. "Oz knows you have spunk," Morrible said carefully, her lips frowning unsurely.
"Oh all right, I suppose it could do no harm- no, I think this maybe quite a good idea," Morrible conceded finally. Elphaba grinned in victory, her emerald skin glowing happily. "Come with me then. We will go find Professor McGonagall, and ask her assign a wand to you."
Morrible's delicate dress billowed as she spun in place, giving Elphaba a glimpse at her tall, spiky, navy shoes. The Headmistress took large, confident strides, causing Elphaba to jog slightly to keep up. "You do realize that you will have to change your entire schedule to incorporate the wizarding lessons, of course," Morrible stated rather than asked. "I will continue to tutor you privately, myself, but in addition, you will be expected to take Transfiguration, Herbology, Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Charms. That, along with your Life Sciences course, will complete your schedule. Are you prepared to forget your other courses?" she asked seriously.
"Um, yes…" Elphaba said quietly, causing Morrible to raise her very thin, black eyebrows.
"I'm sensing some indecision," Morrible said pointedly. "I thought your dream was to meet the Wizard?"
"It is!" Elphaba said vehemently, unable to keep the throaty passion out her voice. However, a pair of dejected, cerulean eyes quickly flashed through her mind, accompanied by a head of very droopy, golden curls. Galinda would be devastated if they no longer had classes together- not to mention completely furious if Elphaba received a wand, and she did not. Elphaba sighed; it shouldn't bethis difficult to choose between her dream and her only friend. In fact… it wasn't a choice at all. "I can't. I apologize, Madame, for wasting your time. I'll will attempt to control my magic from now on," she continued, turning to leave.
"Wait just a moment dear," Morrible said sweetly, grabbing a hold of Elphaba's bare, green arm. Elphaba winced as the woman's sharp, red talons pierced her delicate skin, Morrible's grip surprisingly strong. "Perhaps, if you told me the conflict… I could help?"
"I, um. Galinda," Elphaba said, stumbling. She inwardly cursed herself; she felt incredibly stupid. She was hardly speaking coherently; the headmistress would believe her to be a blithering idiot.
"Galinda Upland, dear?" Morrible asked, her pale forehead creasing. She looked shaken; worried even. "Good gracious me, you two aren't still fighting, are you?"
"Oh, no," Elphaba said quickly with surprise. Shiz University was notorious for spreading rumors with unbelievable speed; in fact, it was astonishing that Morrible hadn't yet heard of the blossoming new friendship between the popular, blonde girl and the resident artichoke. "We've actually sorted out our differences, and we are getting along quite well now."
"Oh ho!" Morrible exclaimed triumphantly. "The two roommates have finally learned some compassion, after all? I suppose you have me to thank for that. I told you my punishment would bring about the best in you, Miss Thropp."
"Yes, Madame Morrible," Elphaba said delicately. "However, it worked sowell, that Miss Galinda cannot bear to be parted from me. I am quite sure that separating our schedules will lead to a number of unhappy tantrums. Which would mean… all your hard work would go to waste."
"Ah," Morrible said, unable to deny Elphaba's claim. "Do you believe that she has any magical talent, herself?" the Headmistress asked slowly, after a moment's hesitation.
"Maybe," Elphaba said unsurely, "but she most certainly has never given any sign of magical ability-"
"Sometimes magic takes awhile to develop," Morrible cut through briskly. "Then it's settled. Both you and Miss Upland will report to Professor McGonagall's office immediately and receive your wands. I will alert Miss Upland via Grommetik- so if you please, Miss Thropp, follow me," the Headmistress continued, beckoning the green girl with a wave of her bejeweled fingers.
Elphaba followed behind the headmistress suspiciously. She had always been very observant, and it struck her as odd how the typically cold headmistress had suddenly morphed into an understanding, parent-like figure. Still, I got what I wanted, she scolded inwardly, and one should never look a gift Horse in the mouth. Still, it was almost as if the Headmistress had been desperate to convince Elphaba to pursue an education in magic… Now you're just being silly, Elphaba thought rationally, she has nothing to gain by aiding you.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Within moments of her arrival in the professor's room, Elphaba decided that she liked McGonagall's office much better than Madame Morrible's. In fact, she was completely enthralled by pure magic emanating from the walls.
Professor McGonagall, too, had decorated her walls with forest green paint, but had done so in a way that it resembled a forest. The ceiling had been enchanted to resemble the night's sky- tiny, shimmering stars glimmered overhead in familiar constellations. A warm fire cackled merrily in a red brick fireplace, casting a warm glow about the office; yet, the mantelpiece was bear save an urn-like glass containing a small amount of grey powder. And, while McGonagall had also decorated her dark, polished bookshelves with magical artifacts, they were much more attractive- gold, delicate and most importantly,quiet.
The professor, herself, sat comfortably behind her dark wood desk, looking over several pieces of yellowing parchment. A long, silky quill lay propped in a nearby inkwell, next to an empty, gold picture frame. That's odd, Elphaba mused as she looked curiously into the frame. Why in Oz would someone keep an empty picture frame on their desk?
"Professor McGonagall," Madame Morrible said pleasantly, with a nod of her great, white hair. A single curl fell out of a tight bun, before magically reattaching itself flawlessly into place.
"Madame Morrible," McGonagall replied curtly, but not unkindly. Elphaba suddenly noticed the black witch's hat propped upon McGonagall's graying head, and was instantly reminded of one such article looming in the back of Galinda's closet. Elphaba had never told her roommate this, but she rather liked the thing. It was… expressive.
"I presume that this is the student you spoke of?" McGonagall continued, fixing her dark, intelligent eyes on Elphaba. The green girl assumed that McGonagall had been told of her unusual skin tone- after all, the professor didn't seem the least bit surprised.
"Precisely, Minerva," Morrible replied evenly. "However, it seems we also have another student who shows potential- a Miss Galinda Upland? She, too, should be arriving shortly; I asked Grommetik to fetch her."
McGonagall's eyes flashed with dislike upon the mention of Morrible's little stooge. "The little goblin?" she asked warily, frowning when Morrible shook her head.
"He is a Tik-Tok," the Headmistress said shortly.
"Of course, how silly of me," McGonagall stated flippantly, causing Elphaba to smile. She recognized that tone, having used it many times before. Her chocolate eyes caught McGonagall's dark ones, and she noticed the small shine of amusement within them.
"I'm here!" a girlish voice rushed, pushing open the door with one dainty, manicured hand. Galinda's bouncy curls came into view as she slid through doorway. She had changed her clothes, Elphaba noted, unsurprised. Now, Galinda was far less fluffy, settling for a long, baby pink dress- and while the colour was abominable, the cut was very flattering and modest. "Oh Elphie! You're here too? What's going on?"
"Miss Thropp has requested that I include you in my Sorcery Class," Madame Morrible said, her voice a tad too syrupy for Elphaba's liking. "Therefore, you both have been called to Professor McGonagall's office for Wand Selection."
Galinda shrieked happily, throwing herself at Elphaba. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she chanted giddily, bouncing gleefully in Elphaba's thin arms. "I promise," she trilled, turning to Madame Morrible, "that I'll be the bestest student you've ever had!"
Elphaba coughed to conceal a laugh. Galinda, though, believed the cough was that of annoyance. "Oh! And Elphie will be too!" she rushed, drooping slightly. She raised her plucked eyebrows in her friend's direction, and batted her doe-eyes irresistibly. Huffing slightly, Elphaba soon grinned in return.
"Well, it is nice to see such eager young ladies," McGonagall commented approvingly. "Now, I have brought with me several wands from Ollivander's. Believe me when I tell you, you will not find a finer wand maker in Europe."
"Europe?" Elphaba asked curiously, automatically assuming it to be some country from the Hogwartian's native land. "I was under the impression that you hailed from Landon?"
"London, actually," McGonagall corrected patiently, "and Europe is a continent. You see, where we come from, there are many different countries joined together. Europe is one of seven terms used to describe a group of these countries."
"It is a general term, then?" Elphaba questioned.
"Not quite. It refers to a number of designated countries- I expect you will learn about our continents in Life Sciences, should you continue to take it," McGonagall explained.
"Most definitely!" Elphaba replied passionately. Life Sciences, taught by the Goat professor, Doctor Dillamond, was by far her favorite class. It dealt, she felt, with issues pertaining to the overall structure and segregation of Oz's society- and as she experienced some form of discrimination every couple of minutes for something as frivolous as her skin tone, she had become appalled by the deplorable state of her country.
"Very good," McGonagall said approvingly, before removing five different boxes from her desk drawers. They were all long and thin, each a rather unexciting shade of maroon. Faded gold letters marked the top of each box, written in some intricate language Elphaba did not understand.
"It's Latin," McGonagall stated, reading Elphaba's mind. I wonder if she can read my mind? Elphaba thought nervously. The mind was her one true sanctuary, where she could express her opinions and beliefs without dealing with a small riot from those who disapproved. If it were to be breached, she'd have nothing left.
McGonagall, thankfully, remained silent, causing Elphaba to breathe in relief.Thank Oz.
"Will you be all right then, with these two?" Morrible asked, nodding her white head in their general direction. McGonagall answered with a smooth nod, waving her hands indifferently. "Very well," Morrible continued, "I will be in my office, preparing for the feast." In a swirl of velvety fabric, Morrible vanished, leaving the remaining three in a tense silence.
"Miss Upland, is it?" McGonagall asked suddenly, looking at Galinda for the first time. The blonde girl nodded nervously, casting an anxious cerulean glance at her roommate. With an encouraging nod from Elphaba, Galinda inched forward toward the Professor.
"Come along, don't be shy," McGonagall said briskly, before standing and striding around her desk. Her long, black cloak billowed around her feet as her thin, pale hand reached for the nearest box. Lifting the lid off delicately, McGonagall produced a rather long, pointy wand. It was simple and rather plain- a middle to light shade of wood, with a darkly coloured handle. With a quick hand, McGonagall passed the wand to Galinda, who immediately dropped it.
"Oops!" Galinda squealed, bending quickly to pick it up. Her golden hair bobbed as she righted herself, and she cradled the wand to her chest.
"It's not made of glass, Miss Upland," Professor McGonagall commented briskly, eyeing the blonde girl with poorly concealed amusement. "It is chestnut, with Hippogriff feather as its core, and 14 ½ inches long." Galinda looked at the wand unsurely, before turning her gaze back to McGonagall. "Well go on, give it a wave," the professor encouraged.
Before Elphaba even had a chance to ask what the blazes a Hippogriff was, Galinda swirled on the spot, and waved the thin wand with an intricate arm gesture. The wand produced red sparks angrily, before shooting Galinda off her feet with a loud bang. Shrieking unhappily, Galinda pulled her petite form up, and tossed the wand away from her.
"I- I changed my mind!" she said frantically, pointing at the remaining four boxes. "I don't think I want one of those anymore."
"Galinda," Elphaba said firmly. "You are not going to quit. Now, pull yourself together, and try another one," she continued forcefully, pointing a stubborn finger at McGonagall's desk. Glaring at her green roommate, Galinda nonetheless did as instructed.
"Very good," McGonagall said approvingly, reaching for the second box. "This one," she said, revealing a dark, stubby wand, "is made of mahogany, and contains the h-"
"If I may interrupt?" Elphaba asked quickly, causing McGonagall to look up curiously. "Well, Galinda- I mean Miss Galinda, she would probably do well with something… brighter, if that is at all possible. I mean, she's very friendly and bubbly- so maybe her wand ought to… be the same?" she said, trailing off towards the end.
McGonagall, however, smiled in response. "Of course," she said quietly, placing the wand back into its box. Instantly, she withdrew a short, white wand, which Elphaba instantly approved of. The handle was very ornate- almost as if someone had wrapped a braid around it. "This is made of cherry wood, is 9 ½ inches long, and contains one hair of a very fine female unicorn," McGonagall explained, causing Galinda to giggle with glee.
"Oh Elphie, it'sperfect!" the blonde chimed happily. "I love unicorns and cherries!" Galinda's buttery curls bounced happily as she approached the wand, with much more confidence than the last time. Taking the wand eagerly from McGonagall's grasp, she waved it happily. A beautiful bouquet of tiger lilies emerged from the end, causing both McGonagall and Elphaba to applaud loudly.
"Very good Miss Upland," McGonagall said with approval. "You have noticed, I assume, that the wand is pleasantly swishy? That of course, means it is very good with Charms- something I believe that you both may have in common?" Galinda blushed prettily, but nodded just the same. "I thought so," McGonagall said, quirking her right eyebrow.
"Now, Miss Thropp, I believe it's your turn?" she said more seriously, turning her piercing eyes onto Elphaba. "Perhaps, you would like to give me a description of your personality as well?"
"Oh!" Galinda chirped merrily, her fingers running along her wand fondly. "Elphie's very smart, and she likes to read a lot. She's also very sarcastic sometimes- most people think she's mean. But she's not really- she's just very strong and silent. And maybe a little, teeny bit insecure," she added conclusively.
"That about sums it up," Elphaba said acidly, debating whether to add 'quick to anger'. However, she quickly thought better of it- no professor Elphaba could think of would hand a hot-tempered student a device with which said student could control a potentially dangerous array of magical spells.
"Very well then," McGonagall said astutely, reaching for the box furthest to her right. Regally, she withdrew a long, dark wand with green flecks of wood. Elphaba tried not to take the green flecks personally. "This one is made of mahogany as well, it is 11 ½ inches, and contains the heartstring of a dragon. It is rigid, which implies that it is good with spells, but at times pliable, which also indicates it has an aptitude for Transfiguration."
Elphaba strode forward and took the wand firmly in her right hand. Gritting her teeth, she waved the wand unsurely, and felt a tiny electric shock run through her veins. Suddenly, a large, leather bound book transformed into a small, black crow, which began to caw in confusion. "Very good, Miss Thropp," McGonagall commented, before returning to sit down in her chair.
"If I may," Elphaba asked uncertainly, as Galinda continued to toy with her wand, "why do you test us with different wands? Why aren't we just given one randomly?"
Galinda laughed as small bubbles jetted out from the end of her wand, oblivious to the conversation. "Well, I should think the answer would be quite obvious," McGonagall said shortly. "As Miss Galinda demonstrated earlier, not all wands are suited to every witch and wizard. Of course, any trained witch or wizard can cast a spell with any wand- but the power of said spell depends entirely on the bond between the two."
"So this wand has a bond with me?" Elphaba deduced, staring intently at her new wand. She supposed it would make sense- she was stoic and rigid, she supposed, and most definitely black and green.
"Yes, but not just for the reasons you think," McGonagall said abstractly, before fishing her own wand out of her robes. With a quick wave, two pieces of parchment flew from a pile on her desk, one landing next to either girl. "These are your new time tables- and yes, you have all of your classes together. In the mornings, you will attend Transfiguration, taught by myself, followed by Potions with Professor Slughorn, and then Charms with Professor Flitwick. In the afternoons, you will have Defence Against the Dark Arts, temporarily taught by myself as well, and finally, Life Sciences by your own Doctor Dillamond."
"What you must understand, however, is that due to your age, you will have no choice but to be enrolled in seventh year NEWT classes. They will be very difficult and the competition will be steep- your fellow students will have been training in magic for more than six years. I hope you are prepared to work very hard. Now, do you have any questions before you leave?"
"Why do you teach two classes?" Galinda asked cluelessly.
"Our previous Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher met a rather unfortunate end," she said grimly, dusting the shoulders of her cloak with her thin hands. "We are looking for a suitable replacement, but it seems no one will teach it. We did, in fact, consider a current student for the post at one point- but that's another story all together. Now, the Feast is about to begin, so I ask that you return to your dorm rooms. And, for pities sake, do not attempt to use your wands until lesson time. That's all we'd need," she said briskly, pointing towards the door.
The two girls turned to leave, until McGonagall's sharp voice caused them to pause. "Except… Miss Thropp?" she called calmly, "Aguamenti."
"I beg your pardon?" Elphaba asked in confusion.
"Aguamenti," McGonagall repeated, smiling slightly. "Flick your wand, and say Aguamenti… it should help you to avoid further incidences in the future. Now, off you go," she said, pointing to the door.
Coming Up Next Time: Many meals and more introductions.