Chapter 8
Professor Snape wasn't a happy man. All term had tried unsuccessfully, to lore Ewan into a detention. He wanted to speak to the child. He knew that Ewan Tyler was Ewan potter, and he knew that Ewan knew. Snape had never been more interested in a student, but this student wasn't like any other student, this student was his connection for his love.
The boy had shown that he was exactly like Lily, defending younger students from bullies, which only happened twice, being excellent in most if not all his classes, and always forgiving. He tried to ignore the boy's talents that he had gotten from Potter, such as his rule-braking with the Weasley twins, and he stardom in quidditch.
All his teachers liked Ewan, including Snape, though only Snape knew that. However, he wasn't arrogant or egotistical. Ewan was talking quietly with his Ravenclaw friends: Liam, Le, and Roger. Before the bell rang, Ewan alone got up and left the great hall. A few minutes later Snape went off the get ready for his morning classes.
Albus Dumbledore was constantly reminded of another student similar to Ewan Potter. A boy fifty years ago a brilliant, yet dangerous student, who was loved by his teachers, and was admired by the other students, and though Ewan Potter was dangerous or evil, Headmaster Dumbledore could not deny the similarities between Tom Riddle and Ewan.
Ewan was brilliant, all the teachers, even Snape admitted it. He could do things, spells and wandless magic that many of his peers, even in the upper years had not yet accomplished.
For example was during one weekend before the holidays, he was with the Weasley twins, and some other second years playing a small game of quidditch when some older Slytherin's started picking one a group of first years.
"Little Puffie going to cry." laughed a Slytherin third year.
"Stop it." said Ewan, flying down to the group. "They didn't do anything to you."
"Go away, know it all." said a fifth year boy, shoving Ewan to the ground. Ewan pulled out his wand, but a sixth year disarmed him.
The group laughed, while the same fifth year tried to shove him again. Ewan pushed his arm to the boy like when he did before he joined Hogwarts and the boy flew in the air.
"Let me down!" the boy yelled.
"What's going on here?" said a stern voice that could only belong to Professor McGonagall. The Slytherin boy dropped to the ground.
"McGregor was picking on Joey, Ma'am." Said one of the first year Hufflepuff's.
"Is that so? Well, McGregor I think you just earned yourself a detention." She said. She looked to the students then to Ewan. Finally after a long pause she looked away and took McGregor to the castle.
"How did you do that?" whispered Roger to Ewan.
Ewan shrugged, picked up his things, and then headed to the library to do some research.
Of course Ewan thought differently on his 'special' abilities. He had thought all wizards can do magic without wands and without saying it out loud, but in first year, Professor Flitwick had informed him that it takes special training to do wandless and non-verbal magic.
"Most students don't learn wandless and non-verbal magic till sixth or seventh year." He had told him.
'Well, obviously I'm an exception.' thought Ewan.
How he was able to do these things, he would never know. Or how was he so good at quidditch, when he never played before? Or why he could easily pass his classes with very little studying?
He knew he had the highest grades out of all the second years, he just didn't know how. The research in the library all said the same thing. Most read that few witches and wizards were born with great powers, powers that most could only dream of. Did that mean he was going to be like the real Merlin? Or the Headmaster?
What bothered him was: he didn't want to be any different than anyone else. It was bad enough that his brother was famous, though none of the other students knew that. It was bad enough that he had higher grades, he couldn't just act dumb. So why show that he had special powers?
Ignoring his 'special' abilities for the time being, he enjoyed his holidays. Classes start back up with a fury. As did the weather, the winter snow, coupled with the bitterly colds winds caused everyone to stay indoors, with the exception of Hagrid. Ewan had no excuse but to pretend to study along with the other Ravenclaw's.
Longing to be outside, longing to fly, Ewan sighed. 'It's no use, I'm stuck' He thought. His demeanor was nothing but that of a caged animal. 'Who cares if it's cold, a little cold never hurt anyone.' He wanted to be out doing something, not sitting indoors. 'I hate winter'.
For hours, the young 13 year-old just sat around doing whatever someone else was doing. He was so bored, he even though about asking the knocker to ask in all kinds of questions for hours on end. That idea was quickly snuffed though.
After grabbing his bag, he made his way down to the library. He had recently become more interested in learning about the Potter family. He knew that Harry Potter, his brother, was due to start Hogwarts next year. So after pulling from the shelves all the books relating to the Potter's he started his research.
He learned that Harry Potter's, and his, parents were James and Lily Potter née Evans. Both attended Hogwarts during the 1970's in the Gryffindor house. His father was a pureblood, though Ewan never cared about blood status, and his mother a muggleborn. Ewan was able to find loads of information about his father, and his friends, the Marauders, but hardly anything on his mother. 'Most likely due to her being muggleborn.' He thought.
His father was well known. He was a Chaser and Captain for his house team, as well as Head boy in his seventh year. After a year courting each other, during their seventh year, his father and mother married, nine months later having Ewan, and in 1980 having Harry.
During those times was when 'You-Know-Who', also known as Lord Voldemort, was causing a great upset in England. His parents, had defied him many times, then on Halloween night 1981two months before Ewan's forth birthday, Lord Voldemort attacked their home killing his father, then his mother. The books all say that Voldemort killed him also, but he knew this to be untrue. However, Voldemort did attack Harry, casting an unforgivable on him. Ewan didn't know what an unforgivable was. After all, he was only a second year.
Gathering the books, he put them away and left the library. He debated going to either the new Defense teacher, Professor Rowling, or another teacher. He had heard from some Sytherin's that Professor Snape was quite good at Defense Against the Dark Arts. Making his decision he made his way down to the dungeons.
When he arrived to Professor Snape's office door, he knocked. The door opened up and Ewan walked in.
"Tyler, what do you want?" asked the Potions Master, without looking up from a parchment on his desk.
"Sir, I was reading up something in the library, I was hoping you could explain to me." Said Ewan.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I was reading about… 'You-know-who'." He said.
"Why?" interrupted Snape.
"People told me about him, that... that he killed people."
"Yes, so?"
"They said he used The Unforgivable Curses. I was wondering…what are The Unforgivable Curses?"
"They are dark spells, Tyler, spells you shouldn't know about." Said the Potions Master. Outward, Snape just looked himself, the 'greasy git of the dungeons' but inwards, he was very worried. 'If Tyler wants to learn more about the Dark Arts we could have another Dark Lord on our hands.' He thought to himself, subconsciously rubbing his forearm.
"I was just wondering sir because I was reading up on the war, sir. Roger Davies said he had an Aunt that was killed by 'you-know-who's' followers. Then the Weasley twins told me a story about the boy-who-lived. I'm muggle raised sir, I don't know the stories." Ewan explained.
"Why come to me?" asked Snape.
"Professor Rowling is rubbish, sir. I mean... I mean not that she is rubbish just that… she teaches like Professor Ridley and Professor Quirrel. Out of books and everyone says you know loads about Defensive."
"Tyler, its best you ignore them for now. When you're older, your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will tell you about them. Just note, that they are Dark Spells and casting them on a human is a mandatory life term in Azkaban."
"Azkaban?"
"A wizard prison. Now I believe dinner is starting soon, and you have a game tomorrow, against Slytherin. You're going to need all your strength. So go on." said Professor Snape.
Ewan exited the office. Snape was right, it was time for dinner. After quickly and quietly eating his meal, he decided to turn in early that night.
Ewan was very excited the next day, the weather had cleared, however the freezing cold temperatures stayed. Even with extra layers, thick padding, and his warmest gloves, his fingers, ears and toes still felt as though they were going to fall off from numbness.
Both teams were exactly the same as last year. Slytherin was still rough, and used whatever means to win. Last year, Slytherin was focused so much on the Ravenclaw chasers that they failed to notice the Ravenclaw seeker getting the snitch. This year, Ewan knew that, that wouldn't be the case this time.
As with all match's, the game started at the blow of Madam Hooch's whistle. Slytherin reached the quaffle first. Bradley, who was much larger than Ewan was able to bump, Flint, a 3rd year, Slytherin chaser, and then gain possession of the quaffle. Bradley passed to Ewan who avoided a bludgers then passed the quaffle again to Bradley. However, one Slytherin chaser flew directly in his path. The two collided with crushing blow- sounds of bones and body parts connecting- could be heard in a distinct roar.
Ewan had to make some fast flying to grab the quaffle before it fell on the ground and before a Slytherin caught it. Flying at a break neck speed towards the ground he grabbed the quaffle then pulled with all his might upwards, narrowly avoiding a sudden impact with the cold frosted ground. Once he was safely back in the air, he sped off towards the Slytherin goal post. Faking a left, he threw right, satisfied that the quaffle went quickly into the hole.
After that, the Slytherin team made it an extra effort to stop or steal all quaffle's in possession of the Ravenclaw chasers. The game continued like this when suddenly Madam Hooch's whistle blew. With out any ones notice both seekers went after the snitch, with Ravenclaw grabbing on to it only an inch away from the Slytherin seeker. The game had ended with a score of 160- 150, Ravenclaw had won again.
The party that night lasted well into the wee hours. Professor Flitwick had too much of a heart to tell them to stop. Really there was no need most Ravenclaw's went to bed before to long, claiming that if they didn't get enough sleep they wouldn't be able to focus. Ewan didn't care he had fun and only went to bed when utter exhaustion set in.
The teachers drowned the students on s much homework that the Easter holidays had gone by in a blur. The only time everything seemed to slow down was the day of end-of-term exams.
Ewan had actually studied with the rest of the Ravenclaw's. The way he avoided, people would think it was a disease to him. Professor Flitwick, head of Ravenclaw, noticed his young 2nd year reluctance to study and made him write lines: 'Studying is a requirement, not a punishment'.
On his way back from Fliwick's office he met with The Ravenclaw Ghost, Helena Ravenclaw, as known as the Grey Lady, and also Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter.
"Hello, young Ewan. How be you're evening?" she asked.
"I just got back from detention, Madam." Answered Ewan.
"What be your troubles?"
"I didn't really study."
"You know, young sir, that 'wit beyond measure-"
"-'is a man's greatest treasure.' Yes, Ma'am. I know the material, I do. It's just to sit and read all day. It's rather boring…"
"Yes, I understand. I've heard many tales of you, young sir. My mother would have loved you." She said with a smile causing Ewan to blush.
"I'll be keeping my eye on you, young sir." She said before floating away.
A week later the written and practical exam started. After an hour in a large, stuffy room full of students doing their written test, Ewan had just triple checked his work. Like all the students, he had to use an anti-cheating quill. Most students, with the exception of the Ravenclaw's, weren't even half way through. Figuring he didn't need to check it a forth time he, quickly got up gathered his belonging and handed in his papers to Professor McGonagall.
Two hours later, after making a chair enlarged and then shrink back for Professor Flitwick, making a Swelling Solution for Professor Snape, and turning a pair of white rabbits into slippers, he was finally released for the day.
After the exams most students enjoyed the clear and sunny day outside. Ewan, along with Fred and George, were by the lake with two Gryffindor 2nd years, Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell.
On the train ride home, Ewan with Katie Bell, Fred, George, and Charlie all shared a compartment together. Sharing stories of their year, what they were going to do for the summer and eating sweets. Ewan, though he was active in the conversations was silently thinking of how next year would be the start of Harry's seven years at Hogwarts. Next year was going to be different… and exciting.
