Chapter Six
In the end, Ravenclaw had taken the ten points, leaving Rhys only slightly dejected as the lesson came to an end. Charlie was also awarded five points for being so quick to learn the Fire-Making Spell, which was redeeming enough for Gryffindor. The class, altogether, had been eventful as he waged silent war between Anna and him while several students worked hard on not setting themselves on fire. Though they were learning the spell weeks in advance he appreciated Professor Longbottom's trust in the students, especially on their first day.
He jotted short notes as reminders of the two short essays due before he shuffled over to Anna's table, catching her just before she left. He wanted to make up for the unsightly behavior she must have seen from him when he was confronted by Loki earlier. Even during class he must have come off as overly contemptuous, but he did not want that energy to be focused towards people like Linneus, Anna, or any of the others who had only showed him kindness. He was determined to make it up to all of them.
"Comment allez-vous?" Anna asked with an inviting smile as she pulled her bag over her shoulder.
"Très bien, merci! I'm doing a lot better, now," he admitted, offering a small grin as they walked out of the humid greenhouse and into the fresh open air.
"Zat iz good to hear, my lord," she giggled, "Would my lord like to come wit me to ze Great Hall?"
"I'd love to."
"Are you sure?" She asked as she tilted her head. "My lord still looks so tired. Would you like to rest instead?"
"I'm fine," he assured with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I was just nervous so I couldn't get much sleep."
"I see," she replied with another lighthearted chuckle, "I am honored for your company, my lord!"
"You really don't have to call me that," he whispered as he felt his face become incredibly warm. He would receive another awkward stare from someone every time she called him that. "I'm not anyone special."
"You do not 'ave to lie to moi," she stated as she wagged her index finger in front of him. "But I will not ask you to tell me if it bosserz you so much. Besides..." she trailed off, looking up to the sky thoughtfully as they crossed the courtyard. "Being a young lord suits you. I s'ought zat even when I first met you."
Her smile was always so genuine that he found himself always captivated by her energetic optimism that seemed to latch on to anyone who looked at her. Though she seemed a bit odd at times, he felt that he was being drawn to her and her kind nature. She along with Finn and the others were all becoming people that he was glad to have met.
"And who iz your friend?" She asked with a point to his pocket.
Ynid had finally woken up and was attempting to climb up Rhys's sweatshirt. He chuckled as he grabbed the rat and set it in his palm to hold him out to her. "This is Ynid. Ynid, this is Anna."
Anna leaned in close to inspect the groggy animal before receiving a soft lick to her nose. She giggled delightedly as Rhys set Ynid on his shoulder where the rat stood on his back legs in order to bury his nose into Rhys's silky hair. A small sneeze sounded next to his ear before Ynid finally began to wander between his shoulders comfortably. He smiled at Anna who seemed almost mesmerized .
"I 'ave never seen a rat zo well behaved."
Anna invited him to sit with her in the Great Hall as they entered, and she took the time to introduce him to the lot of friends that she had made overnight. He had promised her that he would introduce her to the others one day, as well, but they were already too comfortable to move. He couldn't help but wonder what they all were talking about over at the Gryffindor table.
"Zis Defense of ze Dark Arts should be fun, no?" She asked as she leaned over to read the introduction chapter to the book over Rhys's shoulder.
He shrugged in reply though he felt a bit nervous to be entering a class that actually had to do with magic application. A frown suddenly made him furrow his brow as he remembered that after class he was to report to the dungeons for detention. The thought alone was already beginning to wear on his renewed confidence and was quickly replacing it with frustration once he recalled Professor Wesley's harsh words.
"Something the matter, my lord?" a familiar voice asked from behind them before Rhys felt a pair of arms rest heavily on top of his head.
"You're pushing it, Gale," he muttered as he swatted the other boy away.
"Ah! Bonjour, Linneus!" Anna exclaimed as she beckoned him to take the empty seat next to Rhys. "Avoir un siège!"
"Merci," he thanked as he slipped onto the bench, much to Rhys's displeasure.
Though he noted that the blonde's intentions were good enough, he still came off as someone who just liked to tease him for the fun of it, though the intent was not as spiteful as it would seem. He glanced over at Linneus whose eyes were a dark navy blue color. He tried to calculate the boy's reaction though he seemed to be acting the same as always.
"How was class for my favorite first years?" He asked as he leaned against the table, resting his chin in his palm.
"Fantastiques!" Anna squealed with an eager clap. "I cannot wait for our next class togesser! It will be so much fun!"
"I suppose so," Rhys added wryly, utterly failing to match her enthusiasm once again.
"Oh? Could the rumors be true that my lord has landed in detention on his first day?" Rhys felt his brow twitch at the mention before he stared back down at his textbook. "I see! So that explains why you're in such a dreary mood today!"
He slammed his hand down on the table as he sat up to glare at the boy whose eyes went from dark blue to a swirling green. At this chance, Ynid walked down the length of Rhys's arms and hopped down onto the table, finding comfort in Anna's hands. "If you have enough time to listen to these rumors, I suggest you use your free time to do something other than bug me with them!"
Linneus's eyes finally settled into a light pale green, trying to study the younger boy's face for some kind of clue for what to do next. "My lord, I only heard this on my way here. I wanted to see if you were doing alright."
"Well, I'm not alright! In fact, I'm quite the opposite of alright!"
"Perhaps," Linneus began as he closed his eyes slowly, "you should confide in people about what ails you rather than bite the heads off of the ones who are merely concerned."
As he stood and walked away Rhys stared after him, mentally kicking himself repeatedly for losing his composure once again. It seemed that whenever that happened, Linneus happened to be in the direct line of fire, and Rhys was beginning to hate himself for that. Even though he wanted to call out, the boy had already rejoined his friends at the Gryffindor table, leaving Rhys to wonder what color his eyes had turned before he walked away.
The room was filling quickly soon after Rhys and Anna had taken their seats. Her prediction was correct about students being excited to start Defense Against the Dark Arts, so they had left the Great Hall a bit earlier in order to get good seats at the front. He felt his stomach churning as his nerves began to make him tremble slightly from the excitement. He didn't get the chance to use a spell in Herbology (which he fully intended to try later) and was curious to know who would be the teacher. Regina had told him, after her second year at Hogwarts, that the Defense Against the Dark Arts position used to go through a new teacher every year. It was a haphazard tradition that had come to end in recent years.
"Is everyone seated?" a loud voice filled the room, making everyone go silent to search for the speaker at the front of the room. "All right then."
A loud slam made them jump slightly in their seats as the teacher came around to face them, giving them another moment to take in his appearance. He had vibrant orange hair that glowed like fire in the light; there was something vaguely familiar about the trait that put Rhys into a deep state of thought. There were long scars that trailed down the side of his face, shining slightly against his pale complexion and continued down into the collar of his shirt. The students stared at him in both bewilderment and awe, not daring to speak in fear of possibly disturbing the faint tension in the air.
"Good afternoon, class. I'm your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, nice to meet you all. As I'm sure most of your professors have done by now, let's start the class off with a little trivia and introduction." His voice carried an overwhelming sense of kindness, making the room heave a silent sigh of relief in light of his gentle smile. "Now, when I call you, I'll ask you to stand, introduce yourself, and tell me at least one thing you know about the subject to be taught in this class, or thereabouts. I'll start."
Rhys could have sworn he heard a small scoff but decided to ignore it in case he found out who it was.
"My name is Bill Weasely," he greeted with a carefree smile as he twirled his wand slightly. "And one thing I know is how to perform the Wand-Lighting Spell."
A Weasely! Of course! Rhys nodded to himself at the recognition of the man's name. It was a popular name among other wizards and he had heard it several times from each of his parents. Their families had a fairly good standing with each other and Rhys could always pick them out because of their red hair.
Suddenly, the tip of his wand was pointed at Rhys, making the boy jump up from his seat.
"Name?" He asked encouragingly with a gesture from his wand.
"Rhys Elwyn, sir," he mumbled his last name though he seemed to smirk faintly at the sound. "And I have read about the Stunning Spell; it can knock back offenders or even render them unconscious."
"Ah! A useful charm indeed, especially when used during a duel," Professor Weasely mused with an affirmative nod. "Well done, Mr. Elwyn. And you, miss?"
Anna stood as he sat down, offering a short wave to the teacher before she spoke. "Bonjour, professor. My name iz Anna Delano and one of ze things zat we will learn in zis class is about poisonous potions."
He felt caught off by the statement as he stared up at her assured smile and the professor nodded in agreement. Though it was not off topic or uncalled for, he still felt a strange sense of dread when she mentioned it. He remembered the hisses of the snakes as they had closed in on him in his dreams making his shudder for a moment as she took her seat and the introductions continued.
"My name is Charlie Grisham..." the familiar voice brought Rhys's attention to the boy a few seats behind him. "I'm not sure what to say sir, but can I ask a question instead?"
"Of course. Questions are the best thing a student has to offer, what have you got?"
"Is it true that you were in the Battle of Hogwarts?"
That was another reason the name had sounded so familiar. It was not unheard of amongst other wizards because the Weasely family had all taken arms against the Dark Lord and his army. The thought of such a battle was enough to make him shiver once more as he looked to the teacher, anticipating his answer.
"Yes, I was. Can't say I've heard that in quite some time," he replied with a smile.
"Well, I remember the Weasely name," Charlie admitted.
"A good name to remember," the teacher stated, "And a good part of history to remember as well. What can you tell me about it?"
There was a pause. "Well, I know that it took a long time for the school to be rebuilt. And it was a battle against the Dark Lord Voldemort."
"Indeed, it was, and you'll learn more of it in Professor Binns's class, I'd wager. Tell you what. Give me the name of one witch or wizard that was in that same battle, and I'll give you five points for Gryffindor."
"What about Fenrir Greyback?" the familiar voice cut in before Charlie could answer, making Rhys roll his eyes before he glared back at Loki. He noticed, too, that Finn was sitting right next to him. "Isn't he the one that gave you those messed up scars on your face?"
What a prick! Rhys scowled at him though the boy did not seem to notice. Why would someone deliberately ask that question? At this point, coming from Loki, he was learning to not be surprised.
"Yes, he did," he answered with a short nod, "Fenrir Greyback was a Death Eater who attacked me."
"Wasn't Greyback a werewolf?" The nervous question lingered in the stillness of the air as everyone remained silent.
"Yes he was," Professor Weasely affirmed with a small smile beginning to curve his lips again, "But he was not so when he attacked me."
"So?" Loki snapped, making Rhys clench his fists in order to keep from shouting at him. This guy just didn't know when to shut up.
"When a werewolf that is not transformed attacks a victim, they do not inherit the full trait of the werewolf, therefore during the full moon, they will not transform into the beast as the attacker would. Thankfully, I only obtained these scars instead. So, on my honor," he added, raising his right hand, "You have nothing to fear from me."
"However, you'll learn more about werewolves in your third year. As first years, you're not to learn about magical beasts yet. Consider that a surprise lesson. Now, have I missed anyone?"
Rhys tried to ignore the rest of the students until Loki had finally gone. He couldn't bring himself to look back at him anymore for fear of wanting to outright deck him. Never had he met someone that instilled so much rage in him, and that was beginning to worry him. If he did not learn to calm down he would inevitably take it out on the ones who actually meant well. At last, he listened to Finn talk about a boggart found in his basement some years ago, which was intriguing to say the least.
"All right, all done then? Excellent. Today, we will be learning the Wand-Lighting Spell that I spoke of earlier. Can any of you tell me the incantation to perform this spell?"
"Lumos," he answered as he raised his hand automatically.
"Très bien, my lord," Anna whispered quickly, making it hard not to smile as he straightened his posture.
"Very good, five points to Gryffindor," the teacher smiled. "You'll find this information in section two of the first chapter. Now, if you'll all take out your wands, we'll begin practicing the proper wand movements. Pay attention, everyone. Mr. Saxon, shoes off of the desk, if you please."
He took out his wand hurriedly, glancing at Anna's to realize he did not recognize the dark red color of the wood. They faced the front of the room as he studied and mimicked the teacher as he led them through the spell.
"Well done, Mr. Grisham! On my count again, everyone!"
Rhys smiled to himself as they continued to practice, glad that it was Charlie who was making great progress. A brief light flickered next to him before Anna waved her wand once more.
"Lumos!" She enunciated perfectly before the light remained on completely.
"Wow, Anna," he whispered in between incantations. "That's brilliant!"
"Merci, my lord," she giggled as they continued the lesson.
By the end of the lesson Rhys had almost convinced himself that he would come to love the class more than potions purely based on the atmosphere Professor Weasely had created. He was laid back, charming, and engaged the entire class without having to come off as an authoritative prick. Unlike someone he could recall. He cringed upon remembering that he was to report to the dungeons without being able to enjoy his free time on his first day.
"Well done to everyone today, and ten points to Hufflepuff for Ms. Delano's excellent form. Until next week! And don't forget to write a summary on the first chapter, taking extra care for the section on the differentiations of the Wand-Lighting Spell. I suggest you read over the Introduction chapter as well. One roll of parchment due next Monday!"
Anna ran ahead, promising to meet him at the entrance to the dungeons in a moment, leaving him to pack his bag while he was still deep in thought. The thought of having to even look at that man twice in the same day was frustrating, but he had no other choice. Even so, he could not help but feel a nervous pull in his stomach that almost made him feel faint, as if he were suddenly in danger.
A loud thud brought his attention back up to notice that Loki had just slammed Finn into the stone wall, no doubt pushing the boy out of his way. Rhys gripped his bag strap tightly as he quickened his pace to catch up to the rest of them, glaring after Loki hatefully.
"You think maybe you shouldn't provoke him, Finn?" Rebecca asked with a sigh. She had probably dealt with enough confrontation in one day.
"Ah, leave him alone, he's obviously got a streeler up his bum," Rhys huffed angrily, turning his attention back to Finn to make sure he was okay.
"Dark wizards tend to stay close to each other," Charlie muttered, "He's probably known them since he was a baby, the way his parents must be."
"You make them sound like Death Eaters," Finn chuckled nervously, trying to brush the uncomfortable subject off.
"Well, not them," Charlie offered with a shrug.
"Just their families," He found himself muttering. "Anyway. I'm going to go meet Anna before my 'detention' with Professor Snark-a-lot. See you guys at dinner?"
"Yeah," Charlie smiled.
"See you later, Rhys," Finn waved to him as he walked ahead toward the dungeon, hoping to catch up to Anna soon.
His mother had always told him to keep himself from making such prejudice assumptions, regardless of family history. She should have known better than anyone that those who affiliated themselves with the Dark Arts did not only do it for themselves, but for their family as well. He tried to heed her preaching, but in cases like Loki's he was not about to spare him the benefit of the doubt.