Here's the next chapter! :D I was going to post this yesterday for Harry's birthday, but was caught up watching the Olympics. Great job team USA!
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Chapter 3
"Estelle? Estelle?"
A voice called me out of sleep and back into my dormitory. I blinked, trying to accustom my eyes to the bright sunlight. It didn't work, so I shut them again and buried my head in my pillow. "Wha'ddya wan' Hermi'ne?" I asked, slipping into a yawn halfway through the question.
"It's time to get up. Breakfast starts in ten minutes, then we have classes to get to." She sounded like she was cheerful. I had long-since convinced myself that such emotions so early in the morning should be a sin. Lydia and Tessa knew well enough, why couldn't Hermione figure it out?
"Can't I jus' sleep through breakfas'?" I asked, trying to curl back up beneath the deep red comforter.
A chilly breeze blew over me as my blankets were snatched away from my body. "Hermione!" I groaned as loudly as I could. "Give those back!"
"Nope!" she said, giggling, and I could tell a wide grin was stretched across her face. "It's time to get up, unless you want me to go get my friend 'Mr. Bucket of Ice-Cold Water'!" I groaned again.
"Fine! I'm getting up, alright?" Dumping water on my head was Lydia and Max's favorite way of waking me up. I had absolutely no desire to repeat the experience more than necessary. Especially because I already felt awake.
I sat up and yawned yet again, rubbing my eyes tiredly. As I opened them to take in Hermione's far-too-happy-for-early-morning features she let out a sarcastic cheer. "And the zombie awakes!" she cried dramatically.
"What's a zombie?" I asked, moving to get my robes out from my trunk. I noticed dully that the other beds in our dormitory were already empty.
"A reanimated corpse."
"You mean an Inferius?" I asked, confused. I remembered reading about Inferi in an advanced Magical Creature book where they had been mentioned very briefly. I winced, remembering Aunt Ariana's expression when she had seen the book I'd been reading. She had believed it "too advanced" for a nine year old.
"No." Hermione said, her face twisting in confusion. "I mean a zombie. You know, the 'I'm going to eat your brains' kind?"
I stared at her blankly, then realized something. She was muggleborn.
"Is it a muggle thing?" I asked, heading to the bathroom.
Her face cleared with recognition. "Oh, yeah. I didn't think of that."
"Uh huh." I said, stifling yet another yawn and closing the bathroom door behind me.
Fifteen minutes later, after I'd pulled on some clothes, grabbed my books and woken up a bit, an impatient Hermione and I headed down to breakfast, meeting Neville on the way down. They started talking about Herbology, something Neville was apparently excited for. I was just trying to stay awake. My eyes drifted shut every so often and I almost fell down the stairs a few times so Hermione had to catch me. I barely noticed the many whispers following me down to the Great Hall.
"Look! It's the other Potter!"
"You think she has a scar too?"
"She does have a scar! It goes right across her cheek!"
"I mean a lightning bolt. Come on. Anyone could have a scar like that."
I wanted nothing more than to tell them off, or at least yell at them, but I had hardly enough energy to continue putting one foot in front of the other, let alone dissuade rumors about me and Harry.
We arrived at breakfast nearly twenty minutes late and only had enough time to scarf down an egg and a few pieces of toast before Hermione bustled us off to our first class, Transfuguration. I already knew where Aunt Min's classroom was, so we got there first. The three of us sat at a table near the front, close to Aunt Min's desk on which a tabby cat sat proudly.
"Where's Professor McGonagall?" asked Hermione, looking strangely at the cat as she took her transfiguration book out of her bag.
"Don't worry, she'll be here." I said, grinning and winking subtlety at 'Tabby' who was really just Aunt Min in her animagus form. "Here Tabby." I said encouragingly, beckoning to the cat with a finger.
She hopped to the ground and walked over to me, purring as I stroked her soft fur.
"I really don't think you should be petting her cat." Hermione said, looking around anxiously. "Especially while she's not here."
"Don't worry Hermione." I said, watching as the cat in question jumped back onto Aunt Min's desk. "Aunt Min lets me pet Tabby all the time." I grinned conspiratorially and Hermione frowned.
"Why-" she lowered her voice as a few Slytherins passed us to sit at a table "-do you call her Aunt Min? Is she actually your Aunt?"
Neville leaned in closer, interested.
"No, she's just a good friend of the family. Her and my great-aunt Ariana were best friends when they were here. She comes around for Christmas sometimes and sometimes we come here to spend Christmas at Hogwarts."
The bell rang and I looked around, surprised at the number of people who had arrived while we were talking. 'Tabby' sat on the desk, sharp cat eyes surveying the classroom. I grinned, knowing she wanted to make a 'grand entrance'. We sat quietly for a few minutes, but after a little bit people started having their own conversations in whispers, obviously wondering if their teacher would walk in suddenly and tell them off for not paying attention.
After another minute I was getting restless and I wondered who she was waiting for. Looking around the room I saw that Harry and Ron were missing. Of course, late already.
It took another five minutes before Ron and Harry dashed into the classroom, looking flushed and sweaty, like they'd been running around the whole school.
"Good." Ron gasped, looking around the room. "McGonagall's not here yet."
I stifled a snort of laughter that turned into a real laugh as Aunt Min changed from her tabby cat animagus form into her regular form and everyone stared at her, dumbstruck.
"Did you know that was her?" Hermione hissed under her breath as Aunt Min told the two boys off and asked if they needed a map or a watch to prevent them from being late again. I just nodded, grinning broadly.
Aunt Min's lesson was quite difficult. She began by lecturing us about the difficulty and dangers of Transfiguration. Then she turned Neville's desk into a pig and back. I wasn't really fazed, as I had seen her do much cooler transfiguration at Aunt Ariana's, but everyone else seemed amazed by it. She had us try to turn a match into a needle.
At the end of the lesson only Hermione and I had made any progress. My match was still wooden, but was pointy like a toothpick and had a hole in it and Hermione's was silver and pointed at one end. She thought that I had done better, but I discredited her immediately. She had actually managed to change what her match was made of instead of just changing its shape.
After Transfiguration we had History of Magic, which I had heard a lot about from Lydia, Max and Tessa. Professor Binns, the teacher, was a ghost and taught in an extremely boring way. He droned on and on, never taking a break, and I had given up trying to take notes after the first week. Somehow Hermione had discovered a way to stay lucid and able to take adequate notes every class. It boggled my mind, but I didn't question her sanity. Tessa was quite the same about her grades and study habits so I'd gotten used to it.
Professor Flitwick, our Charms teacher, squealed and nearly fell off his stool when he read Harry's name. It was entirely in his character, so I just grinned and sent him a wink when he looked my way.
Everyone, including me, had been looking forward to Defense against the Dark Arts. Learning hexes and jinxes and how to defend oneself definitely sounded interesting to me. Unfortunately, Professor Quirrel barely taught at all. Everything around him (his classroom included) smelled of garlic and we didn't learn much in his lessons.
Harry and Ron finally made it down to the Great Hall without getting lost at the end of the week. Ron believed this to be a great accomplishment and I couldn't bring myself to dampen his spirit.
He spent the rest of breakfast narrating the usual rumors about Severus Snape, the Potions Master, to Harry. I tuned him out and started a conversation with Hermione about what she thought we would be doing in Potions class.
Even though I knew full well the rumors that circulated the school about Severus, I hated to get caught up in the [what I believed to be] lies that flew from mouth to mouth. He might be a bit cold and get angry easily, but I had seen a different, kinder side of him on a daily basis for quite a bit of my childhood.
Harry opened a letter from Hedwig and I looked up, surprised. Who did he have to receive letters from?
"Ron, Estelle, want to come down to Hagrid's with me later?" he asked, looking up to meet my eye. Oh, so it was from Hagrid. I couldn't help but notice that he didn't extend his invitation to Hermione. She bent her head down ever-so-slightly, revealing that she had noticed the lack of an invite.
"Sure!" Ron said quickly. "I remember Charlie used to hang out with him a lot. He gave him a lot of tips on how to deal with large creatures." I wondered what exactly that meant.
Harry looked at me expectantly and I shot a half-glance at Hermione before answering. She had been feeling self-conscious and I thought she really needed a friend.
"Sorry Harry, I can't. Hermione and I are going to start studying for our Charms test next week." I said, thinking of a piece of homework we needed to do. Hermione sent me a grateful look, her brown eyes shining with thanks before turning back to her eggs and bacon.
"Oh. Ok." He said, glancing at Hermione. I rolled my eyes. Boys.
We made our way down to the Dungeons, where Potions lessons were held and took our seats. We had the class with the Slytherins, so they took one side of the classroom while we Gryffindors took the other. The one rumor that I did hear and believe about Severus was that he favors his own students. But great-grandfather had already told Lydia, Tessa, Max and I that it was important, so I didn't have a problem with it.
The class fell silent as the door swung open, admitting Severus in his sweeping black robes and greasy hair. Aunt Ariana had made numerous attempts to keep it soft and 'luscious' as she called it, but it never worked. He spent so much time around potions that the constant fumes made it slick and greasy.
He took roll call, going down the list alphabetically. He gave me a quick wink when he reached my name, but he paused on Harry's.
"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new – celebrity."
I frowned. Why did he hate Harry so much? Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Severus finished calling the names and looked up at the class.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but we caught every word – like Aunt Min, Severus had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
More silence followed this little speech. I rolled my eyes. Tessa had said that he gave the same speech every year. Hermione was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.
"Potter!" said Severus suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Hermione's hand had shot into the air. I had no idea what he said. I looked around at Harry and saw that he looked utterly confused.
"I don't know, sir," he said.
Severus's lips curled into a sneer. I nearly scoffed. Why was he picking on Harry?
"Tut, tut – fame clearly isn't everything."
He ignored Hermione's hand.
"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Harry, by the look on his face, didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. I could tell he was trying not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter.
"I don't know, sir." His polite tone sounded forced.
"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"
Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.
"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
I actually knew the answer to that one. Hermione even stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling. Severus's eyes flickered toward me, but his gaze returned to Harry. I rolled my eyes again.
"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione and Estelle do, though, why don't you try one of them?"
A few people laughed. I saw Seamus send Harry a wink. Severus, however, was not pleased.
"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione, ignoring me. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"
There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Severus said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."
I groaned softly. I would be talking to him after class about his treatment of Harry. It was entirely unfair and I couldn't think of any reason for him to show such enmity toward my cousin.
Class didn't get much better after that. Severus separated us into pairs to work on a boil cure potion. Hermione and I had nearly finished when Neville, who looked terrified, let out a loud shout. I spun around and yelled. Seamus's cauldron had melted and was hissing furiously. Neville, who had been doused in their ruined potion, was covered in boils and the potion was flowing over the floor of the dungeon, burning holes in people's shoes like acid. Hermione scrambled up onto her chair and I followed quickly.
"Idiot boy!" snarled Severus, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"
Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose. I wanted to scream at Severus. He was being absolutely terrible to my friends!
"Take him up to the hospital wing," he spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.
"You – Potter – why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor." My jaw dropped. Honestly?
This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron.
"Don't push it," he muttered, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty." I was sure that Severus could hear them, but was glad when he let them be.
The rest of us finished up our potions and turned them in to Snape's desk. Harry and Ron rushed out immediately. I hung back. Hermione sent me a questioning glance, but I waved her on ahead.
"I'll catch up in a minute." I said. "Go on to lunch."
Finally it was just Severus and I in the classroom.
"Miss Potter," he said, not looking up. "you really should get on to lunch."
"Why were you being so mean to Harry and Neville?"
He looked up in exasperation. Flicking his wand, the door to the classroom closed and locked.
"This is a conversation I would rather not be overheard." He said, in way of explanation.
I approached his desk, laying my bag on the ground and hopping onto one of the desks in the front row. His black eyes met mine and I looked at him expectantly.
"Well?"
He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a hand. "Why are you standing up for that idiot Longbottom anyway, Estelle."
My frown deepened. "Neville's not an idiot! He's really nice once you get to know him and his only problem is confidence."
"Estelle," Severus began, fixing me with a glare. "He corrupted his potion to the point where it exploded, covered him in boils and could have seriously endangered the rest of the class. He is incompetent." His eyes were steely and there was no room for discussion. I sighed.
"Well in that case I can understand, but why were you picking on Harry so much? I didn't even know some of those questions and I'd read through all the course books twice before school started."
It was Severus's turn to sigh. He ran his hand through his hair absently and averted his eyes. His face darkened.
"Mr. Potter simply reminds me of a boy who was in my year at Hogwarts. That is all."
He stood up quickly, swept his robes around him and exited through the door into his office, leaving me no choice but to head to the Great Hall even though I had more questions after talking to Severus than I'd had before.