Chapter 8
Unfortunately, Buffy's day didn't get much better.
Quentin and Buffy made their way through the crowded hallways, ducking and weaving between the taller students. Being about the size of your average third or fourth year instead of the sixth years they actually were, it took a lot of effort to keep from getting jostled.
They got to class just as the bell rang. Quentin slipped into his seat near the middle of the room and Buffy plopped down into the seat next to his. She watched as a tiny man – he probably only would have reached Buffy's hip if they were standing next to each other – climbed on top of a pile of books set up at the front of the classroom.
"Good morning class!" he said in a squeaky, high-pitched voice; it took a lot of Buffy's self-control to keep from laughing; he was just so cute!
"Good morning Professor Flitwick!" the class chorused back. Obviously, he was a well-liked teacher. He looked younger than most of the other teachers that Buffy had seen; then again, it could just be his size.
"I'd like to start off by welcoming Miss Summers to the class," Flitwick continued. "Would you like to tell us a bit about yourself, Miss Summers?"
This was the one thing that Buffy dreaded more than anything, the whole standing up in front of the class and telling something about herself. Especially in a school so small, she'd probably have to figure out new things to tell everyone; there was a high likelihood that many of the people she had in this class would be in her other classes as well.
"Go on Buffy, just get it over with," Quentin whispered to her. "The sooner you get it over with, the less painful it'll be."
Buffy sighed to herself before plastering a bright smile on her face. She got up from her desk and stood next to it so that everyone could see and hear her, but it saved her from the humiliation of standing up at the front of the class.
"Well, as most of you know, my name is Buffy Summers," Buffy began. "I grew up in Los Angeles, California with my parents, but moved to Sunnydale, California a couple of years ago. Being a California girl, I love the sun. Here's hoping the summer is decent around here!"
The room was so quiet you could hear crickets chirping as Buffy sat back down, her face heating up; she knew she was blushing. Flitwick chuckled a little before turning his attention back to the lesson at hand.
"That was very illuminating, Miss Summers. I suppose your name really does befit you," Flitwick said with a smile. Buffy smiled back; she supposed it did. "Now, on with the lesson. If you recall, we are mostly covering conjuring spells this year. If you turn to page one hundred and three, we will be attempting the Orchideous spell today. Now, can anyone tell me what the spell does?"
Buffy grabbed her book from her bag and located the page where the spell was located. Printed on the page was the spell name, the correct pronunciation, what the spell did and various uses for it. Conjures a bouquet of flowers, Buffy though as she read. That's kind of cute, actually.
"Miss Summers, do you have a thought?" Flitwick asked when the rest of the class had been silent for a few moments.
"According to the book, the spell conjures a bouquet of flowers," Buffy replied. Flitwick smiled at her encouragingly.
"Correct Miss Summers, five points to Gryffindor," Flitwick said. "Now that we know what the spell does, I'd say it's time to try it out. Please read the passage on the spell before you begin. Miss Summers, I would not worry if you don't get this spell right off the bat. It is a little on the more difficult side and it typically takes three or four times for my more experienced students to cast it successfully."
"I'll keep that in mind, Professor," Buffy said with a small smile before she turned back to the book. She read the page a couple of times before reaching into her bag to pull out her wand. She examined it for a few moments, caressing the smooth wood and looking at it from every angle.
"You're acting like you've never seen your wand before," Quentin whispered, leaning over to get a better look at the piece of wood in her hands.
"I didn't get a good chance to look at it when it picked me," Buffy replied. "I guess I was still in shock or something."
"It's a nice piece," Quentin remarked. "Ollivander's, right?"
"Are there any other wand makers?" Buffy asked.
"No good ones," Quentin replied with a shrug. "At least, if you ask anyone in Great Britain there aren't and other good wand makers."
"I see," Buffy said.
"Do you need any help?" Quentin asked. "I mean, Charms isn't my best subject, but it's not my worst either. I could help you with the wand movements, if you like."
"Sure, that would be nice," Buffy said. "Thank you."
"It's no problem," Quentin said, blushing a little. Together, they worked on the wand movements until it looked like Buffy had it down perfect. They had taken longer than the other students; most of them were already waving their wands and saying the spell, some even had bouquets coming out of the ends of their wands.
"Remember to have a clear image in your minds of what kind of flowers you would like to conjure," Flitwick reminded the class from his pile of books.
"I think it's about time we start adding in the words," Quentin suggested once it looked like both he and Buffy had the motions perfect. He closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment before waving his wand. "Orchideous!"
A bouquet of bright pink daisies appeared from the end of Quentin's wand. Blushing slightly, he removed them and handed them to Buffy.
"A little welcome to Hogwarts gift for the lady," he said, handing the flowers over to her. "Now you try."
"Aww, thank you," Buffy replied, taking the flowers and placing them on the desk before picking up her own wand. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the flowers she wanted – tulips – waved her wand and said the incantation. After a moment, she cracked an eye open. "Nothing happened."
"I'd be shocked if something did happen," Quentin said. "Come on, try again."
Buffy tried again. And again. And again. By the tenth time, Buffy had produced a rather limp and weak-looking flower but nothing more than that.
"This sucks," Buffy said, resisting the urge to throw her wand across the room.
"It'll be okay, you just need some more practice," Quentin replied, patting her awkwardly on the shoulder. He checked his watch. "Which you won't be getting in until later today at least, because it's almost lunchtime."
"Good, I'm starving," Buffy said, just as her stomach gave a loud rumble.
"Good work class," Flitwick said from the front of class. "I'm amazed at how many of you were able to make progress with the spell. For those who did not have success with the charm, I would like a two foot essay on the importance of learning the basics before attempting higher-level spells, due next class. Class dismissed."
"Lunchtime, my favourite time of day," Quentin said as he gathered up his books. Buffy did the same, careful to make sure that she picked up the flowers and took them with her. She'd have to make sure that they ended up in a vase of water by the end of the day; they were really pretty flowers, and she wanted to keep them for now.
"Come on, let's go before Flitwick gives me lots of catch up work," Buffy replied as she slung her bag over her shoulder. She followed Quentin out of the classroom and into the mob of students. She continued to follow him to the Great Hall; he knew the way far better than she did, after all.
"Are you going to sit with Min and them again?" Quentin asked.
"If they invite me," Buffy replied with a shrug. "To be honest, I feel kind of out of place sitting with them. Kind of like my first couple of days at Sunnydale High, actually, when I met my best friends."
"Do you miss them?" Quentin asked.
"Well, yeah," Buffy replied, sighing quietly.
"You don't want to talk about it, do you?" Quentin asked.
"Not right now, no," Buffy replied with an apologetic smile. "It's just… hard, I guess. Like I might start crying because I miss them so much and I really don't want to put you through that. I know how bad most guys are around a crying girl."
"Well, if you ever need anyone to talk to about that, I'm here," Quentin said as they arrived at the Great Hall. As soon as Buffy entered, she heard Minerva's voice calling her name.
"Buffy, Quentin, over here!"
Minerva was waving them over from the middle of the Gryffindor table, Terrance and August with her. She smiled and waved back before grabbing Quentin by the arm and dragging him over to her new friends.
"So, how are your classes going so far?" Terrence asked as Buffy plopped down and began dishing up her lunch.
"They're going okay," Buffy replied. "I've got a lot of work to do, but I made some progress in Charms."
"You're working on the Orchideous spell, aren't you?" August asked.
"That obvious, huh?" Buffy remarked before taking a bite of her lunch. Terrance stared at her plate for moment, his eyes wide. "What? I didn't put any weird food combinations on there, did I?"
"No, it's just that there's so much of it," Terrence said, still staring. "Are you going to eat all of that?"
"Are you calling me a pig?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow.
"No, no, no, nothing like that!" Terrence exclaimed. Buffy tried very hard to keep a straight face; sometimes it was kind of fun torturing people by talking them into a corner like that.
"It's okay, I'm used to it," Buffy said, patting him on the arm. "Crazy fast metabolism has its perks sometimes."
"So, did you conjure those?" August asked, pointing to the pink daisies next to Buffy's plate.
"Nope," Buffy replied. "Gotta know the basics before I can do that. Although I was able to get a dead flower out of my wand, but that didn't get me out of the extra work Flitwick gave for anyone who couldn't master the spell today. Quentin gave those to me."
"Oh, that's so sweet," Minerva remarked with a smile. "It's good to see people welcoming you with open arms."
However, there was something about her voice, and her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Buffy filed that reaction away for later; there wasn't much point in bringing that up right now with everyone watching.
Lunch was a quiet affair after that, and before long plates were cleared and people were getting up to make their way to their afternoon classes. Terrence, Augusta and Minerva rose first.
"We've got Transfiguration on the seventh floor, so we should probably get going," Augusta explained with an apologetic smile. "We'll see you at dinner or something, okay?"
"Sounds like a plan," Buffy agreed, smiling back. She watched the seventh years leave, waiting until they had left the room before getting up and gathering up her things.
"Wanna show me to my next class?" Buffy asked, getting up and looking at Quentin.
"Sure, sounds like a plan," Quentin replied, getting up and gathering up his own bag and spare books. They followed the same route the three seventh years had taken, exiting the Great Hall shortly afterwards.
"What class do you have next?" Quentin asked when they emerged from the Great Hall and into the crush of students on their way to their next class. Buffy fished around in her bag for a moment, searching for her schedule.
"Divination," Buffy replied after glancing at it. "I have no idea what that is."
"Hogwash if you ask me, but good for a laugh from what I've heard," Quentin replied. "It's all about different methods of telling the future. You know, tea leaves, tarot cards, crystal balls, dream interpretation, astrology. That kind of thing. I'll be in Study of Ancient Runes at that time, but I'll walk you to the base of the tower and meet you there when class is out."
Buffy wrinkled her nose a little; Study of Ancient Runes would have been way more useful if she ever got back to Sunnydale and her own time. Of course, Divination would also be useful in interpreting some of her Slayer dreams, as they sometimes proved to be prophetic. At least, that's what she'd heard.
"Hey, Summers, you okay?" Quentin asked. Buffy blinked; she must have drifted off longer than she had thought.
"Yeah Quentin, I'm fine," Buffy replied. "Come on, I don't want to be late on my first day."
"Sure thing Summers," Quentin said. He led her through the hallways like a professional, weaving in and out of the other people around him; it took Buffy a little effort to follow him because he was ducking and weaving through the crowd so much.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to lose me," Buffy remarked when Quentin finally stopped at the bottom of a spiral staircase.
"Sorry, it's just what I always do," Quentin replied sheepishly. "Since I'm so small, I've had to learn how to weave in and out of the crowds without getting trampled."
"You're still taller than me, so you've got that going for you," Buffy said with a grin. Quentin ducked his head and smiled sheepishly, a pink tinge washing over his cheeks.
"Anyway, to get to the classroom all you have to do is get to the top of the stairs," he said, pointing. Buffy looked up and gulped; there were a lot of stairs.
"So, the classroom is at the very top?" Buffy asked, craning her neck. She thought she could see the top, but she wasn't sure.
"Unfortunately," Quentin replied, wrinkling his nose. "It's one of the reasons why I decided against taking that class and took Ancient Runes instead. Anyway, have a good class and I'll see you in a couple of hours!"
Quentin waved good bye to Buffy before turning and rushing away, quickly getting lost in the throng. Buffy sighed and began her long ascent to the top of the tower. Thankfully she had Slayer stamina, which meant that she was barely winded by the time she got to the top of the stairs.
"Are you the new girl?" one of the girls standing at the top of the tower asked as Buffy arrived. The class was standing on a platform directly below a trapdoor, and all ten or so students were staring at her.
"Uh, yeah," Buffy replied, hitching her bag up on her shoulder and sticking her hand out. "Buffy Summers. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Ursula Brown," the girl said with a bright smile, ignoring Buffy's hand and pulling her into a hug. She stood there awkwardly for a moment, not sure what to do. Thankfully, Ursula didn't hug her long, and in no time she had withdrawn, a hand covering her mouth in surprise. "Oh, I do apologize! My mother always told me I have no sense of personal space. I didn't make you uncomfortable, did I?"
"No, no, I'm okay," Buffy replied, taking another moment to straighten her clothes. She was used to being randomly attacked with hugs, just not by complete strangers. "Just a little surprised, that's all. I've just heard that you Brits aren't into the whole touchy-feely thing."
"Well, I'm just a little bit different," Ursula replied proudly with a smile. "Hey, since you don't know anybody in this class, you can sit with me and my partner! I'm sure she won't mind at all, she's really easy-going. And hey, here she is now. Felicia!"
Another girl approached them then. She was tall and willowy, with long brown hair and huge, bright blue eyes; she towered over Buffy by at least six inches. I feel like a midget, Buffy thought, slightly jealous.
"H-hi," the girl greeted shyly. Buffy noticed that she wasn't wearing the Gryffindor red and gold; her tie was striped with yellow and black, and the patch on her robe was also black and yellow with a badger emblazoned on it. "Y-you must be B-Buffy."
"Hi," Buffy said pleasantly, offering a reassuring smile; the girl smiled shyly back.
"Hey Felicia, do you mind if Buffy sits with us today?" Ursula asked.
"N-no, not at all," Felicia replied. Buffy wondered if the girl, Felicia, wouldn't have said "no" even if she wanted to. However, Buffy also didn't know the girl all that well at all, and reserved judgment until after she had gotten to know the girl a little better. "I'm Felicia, b-by the w-way."
"I'd noticed," Buffy said with another warm smile, although the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
"O-of course," Felicia said quietly, lowering her eyes a little. Buffy wondered why the girl seemed so nervous around her, but didn't have much chance to think about it because at that moment a silvery ladder descended from the trapdoor that was about five feet above their heads.
"New girl first," Ursula said, gesturing to the ladder.
Buffy looked up at the ladder, wondering whose bright idea it was to have a ladder to get to a classroom when half of the students were required to wear skirts. Thankfully, it wasn't a short skirt, which made it difficult for anyone to try and sneak a peek. With a small sigh to herself, she began her ascent to the upper level of the tower, wondering what could be waiting for her when she got there.
A large, circular room greeted her, lit with candles and torches because the windows were covered by heavy drapes, blocking out all natural light. The fire was going strong, making the room stuffy; incense had been burning recently and it made Buffy's eyes burn. Yep, definitely talking to Dumbledore about dropping this class, Buffy thought as she waited for Ursula and Felicia to come up the ladder, seeing as she didn't know where the other two girls usually sat.
"Ah, I see we have a new addition to our class," said a wispy voice from across the room. Buffy turned to see a woman sitting in a large armchair in front of the fire. She had long, brown hair, held back from her face with a kerchief. Her attire was an eclectic mix of wizarding and muggle clothing, and she had several beaded necklaces around her neck. Her long, thin fingers each had at least one ring adorning it; some had several. Buffy got the distinct impression that the woman was trying to emulate an old-world carnival fortune teller, and she was doing a damn good job of it.
"Yep, that's me," Buffy replied nervously, glancing behind her. She wondered where her classmates were; hadn't Ursula and Felicia been right behind her?
"I am Madame Cassandra Trelawney, the Divination instructor," the woman said, getting up from her seat and walking slowly across the room to stand in front of Buffy. The woman surprised the Slayer, seeing as she was shorter than even the blonde girl. It was strange, having to look down to speak to someone who was older than herself. The tiny older woman stood in front of Buffy, reaching up and holding Buffy's face in her cool, dry hands. Trelawney stared into Buffy's eyes for several moments before speaking again. "I see darkness in you child, far too much darkness for someone of your age. You will not be here for the duration of the year, I fear, and you will be thrown into the darkness again. Sad, sad, child, no one should have to endure that."
Trelawney broke her gaze from Buffy's and released her face before clapping her hands once and snapping her fingers. Buffy could hear a commotion from behind her as the trapdoor opened again the other students began making their way up the ladder. Trelawney made her way to the front of the room, shaking her head as if to clear it before sitting down in her large, wingback chair.
"Come on Buffy, we usually sit over here," said Ursula, surprising Buffy as she grabbed her by the arm and led her to a small round table near the middle of the room. She sat down with Ursula and Felicia, trying not to appear as if she were completely freaked out.
"B-Buffy, are y-y-you okay?" Felicia asked. Damn, found out, Buffy thought. Definitely talking to Dumbledore the first chance I get about switching out of this class.
"Sure, just had a major wiggins when I first walked in," Buffy replied with a small smile. "Does she always do that?"
"Does who always do what?" Ursula asked. "And what's a wiggins, I wonder?"
"I'll tell you later," Buffy said, jerking her head to the front of the room. Trelawney looked like she was about to start, and Buffy really didn't want to get into trouble on her first day.
"Okay then," Ursula said absently, her gaze riveted on the front of the room. Buffy sat and watched Trelawney as she began the class.
"Welcome back, those who are interested in unfogging and clearing up the future," she began as she started wandering between the tables, handing out a book to each person. When she reached Buffy, she turned to her and smiled slightly, a knowing smile. "And welcome to those who have decided to take this class for the first time, to gain knowledge of the future. We will be continuing today with dream interpretation; please open your dream journals and start interpreting them with the copies of The Dream Oracle I have handed out to you. Miss Summers, you can start your dream journal today by writing down whatever you dreamed last night, and I would like your interpretation by the end of next class."
She handed Buffy another book, but this one was blank. The cover was purple, of all colors, and in gold writing on the front were the words "Dream Journal". Subtle much? Buffy thought to herself as she examined the book, flipping the pages back and forth.
"I really hope my dreams have a more positive meaning this time around," Ursula said as she opened up her own journal. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that all of the interpretations of everything are extremely negative."
"W-well, if you'd st-st-stop lying about your d-dreams, you might g-get a more accurate r-reading," Felicia said matter-of-factly as she, too, opened up her dream journal and her copy of The Dream Oracle.
"Like I'm going to reveal my deepest, darkest dreams to her," Ursula said with a snort. "Come on, this class is a joke anyway. Like I'm ever going to need it in the future, especially because I don't have the gift of 'the Inner Eye'."
"Th-then why are y-y-you here?" Felicia asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Easy grade," Ursula replied with a shrug. "Am I right Buffy, or am I right?"
"I wouldn't know, Dumbledore picked my classes," Buffy replied with a shrug. "I didn't even know what Divination was until Quentin told me about it."
"Ah, I see," Ursula said with a shrug of her own. "Well, it's good to know that Dumbledore seems to have a sense of humour, if he did send you to this class because he thought you'd have an easy time of it. What other classes are you taking?"
"Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, Potions, Herbology, Defence Against the Dark Arts and this one," Buffy replied. "I'm probably going to need a tutor or three, but it's all been figured out."
"Well, that's good," Ursula said. "Personally, I wouldn't have time to tutor someone, between the Gobstones club, Charms club, homework and my social life. I was ever so relieved when you said your tutoring situation was all figured out; I was terrified that you were going to ask me."
Yep, definitely talking to Dumbledore about switching, Buffy thought with a sigh. She turned to her dream journal and began filling it out with her dream from the night before, even though there was a high possibility of her dropping the class.
The remainder of the lesson was passed in relative peace; Buffy worked with her head down, her full attention on her work. She could feel the eyes of her classmates on her, staring, but she tried to not let it bother her. Before Buffy knew what was happening, a loud bell sounded throughout the castle signifying the end of the lesson. Relieved, Buffy began packing up her things, carefully placing them into her bag.
"Miss Summers, a word if you please?" Professor Trelawney said as Buffy hefted her bag onto her shoulder.
"Do you want me and Felicia to wait for you downstairs?" Ursula asked.
"No, it's okay. If you see Quentin, let him know I've been held up and that I'll be down in a couple of minutes, okay?" Buffy replied. Ursula nodded once in understanding before turning and leaving the tower, Felicia on tow.
Professor Trelawney waited until the room was cleared before taking any action. She waved her hand and the trap door snapped shut, closing them off to the rest of the castle.
"What did you want to speak to me about?" Buffy asked, curious.
"Now, I know you didn't choose this course for yourself," Trelawney began. "However, I do hope that you will not allow the words of your classmates color your judgment of my class before you can experience it for yourself. You are the Slayer, yes?"
Buffy's eyes widened when she heard that. How did she know? Who had ratted her out? Who else knew? Was her secret identity in danger? She chewed her lip, worried, while trying to figure out a plan that didn't involve killing people and hiding the bodies.
"Don't worry, child, Dumbledore told me," Trelawney continued with a reassuring smile that did anything but. "He entrusted your secret with the professors he trusted most, to help you along the way while you are here."
"Wish he'd told me," Buffy muttered under her breath.
"Now, I'm pretty sure from what you've been told by your classmates that makes you believe that Divination is a load of crock," Trelawney continued, choosing to ignore Buffy's mutterings. "And, to those who don't have the gift of the Inner Eye, they're mostly right. While most Slayers don't have standard precognitive abilities like Seers do, they do have prophetic Slayer dreams. Because of what is being covered in your year in Divination and how it ties in with Slayer dreams, Dumbledore thought it would be a good idea for you to take this class. I do understand if you believe if Study of Ancient Runes might be more useful to you, though."
"Wow… um… thanks?" Buffy replied, not quite sure what else to say. Except for Principal Flutie and Giles, teachers hadn't really gone out of their way to help her out and settle in. Now, she had at least two teachers in her corner.
"Think nothing of it," Trelawney said with a smile. "Now, run along, I'm sure you have at least one more class to attend before the end of the day; I'll see you next week. Oh, and one more thing… be cautious of the female bear, her intentions with you are unclear and you should be wary of her. Befriend happiness, you'll need her. The one whose name means purity is anything but, but you may be able to help him if he lets you in. And don't forget about the fifth; never forget about the fifth."
Trelawney waved Buffy away, the trapdoor creaking open as she did so. Confused, Buffy turned and left the classroom, navigating herself down the ladder and the many stairs to the bottom of the tower.
When she got there, there was no one there. No Quentin, no Ursula, no Felicia. There weren't even any other students making their way to their next class.
How long had she been up there?
Taking a couple of deep, calming breaths, Buffy looked around frantically, trying to figure out where she needed to go to get to her next class.
"Lost, are we?"
Buffy turned to see who had spoken, although she already instinctively knew who it was. He always seemed to turn up in situations like this.
"Quentin was supposed to wait for me down here so he could show me to Care of Magical Creatures," Buffy replied, trying not to sound to worried.
"Looks like he forgot," Tom replied. "Although that seems a little out of character for him. Then again, I don't take a lot of time to study Gryffindors unless they're particularly interesting, so I could be wrong. Care of Magical Creatures, you say?"
"Yeah," Buffy said. "What about it?"
"Well, I could show you the way, if you like," Tom replied with a shrug. "It's no problem at all; I have a free block this afternoon. You might not get in on time, but you'll get to experience most of the class."
"Alright, fine," Buffy said, not really in the mood to argue. She had someone who was offering to help, and even though said someone was a little creepy and stalker-like at times, he hadn't led her astray yet.
"Excellent," Tom said with a smile, holding out his arm.
"I can walk on my own, you know," Buffy replied, not taking the arm.
"A gentleman always offers a lady his arm, and a lady usually accepts," Tom retorted. "Come on, it won't bite."
Buffy sighed to herself before taking the arm, not wanting to waste any more time. Silently, Tom led her through the castle, through several secret stairways and secret passages. They were on the main floor within minutes, and on the grounds shortly afterwards. He walked with her until the Care of Magical Creatures paddock was visible.
"You just have to go down that way to the paddock and your class will be there," Tom said, pointing. "Hopefully you don't end up with detention for being tardy; I've heard that Ramsay can be strict about that kind of thing."
"Thanks Riddle… Tom," Buffy said, smiling gratefully as she extracted her hand from his arm. She turned and sprinted towards the paddock, hoping that she wouldn't get into trouble for being late. That was the last thing she needed.
****
ack, I'm sorry this took so long, but in return for your patience you got an extra long chapter. Kind of a win, right?
I'm not sure if I'm entirely happy with how this chapter turned out, but it really needed to get out. Hopefully the story will come a little more easily after this little hump. As always, I appreciate reviews, whether they be positive, negative or constructive. Thanks for reading.