Chapter Thirteen
Professor McGonagall did not come. She must have no choice, so she asked a ghost to send her words. The ghost should be Gryffindor, and he looks really polite here. He bowed slightly to the students and told them Professor McGonagall had some emergent matters to deal with and could not come, and then it went away, ignoring the Hufflepuffs who seemed intimidated by the sight of him.
Virginia didn't understand, for she thought the ghost had been very normal indeed, but she knew soon enough. The ghost, after sending the word, suddenly floated into the air and pulled off his head. Er… Virginia felt nauseous; she coughed fiercely. The ghost laughed and went away, leaving a room full of poor first-years.
She thought she knew who that ghost was. That must have been Nearly-Headless Nick.
A self-study class with no teacher, the students chatted under their breaths. Ravenclaws quietly read their books. Virginia thought herself very lucky indeed to have been put in Ravenclaw. If this was the other two Houses….. She trembled at that thought.
She started looking through her books while thinking about what she should do next. First she should master more incantations, and then there's Potions. She's not very talented at Potions. Although the Potions ingredients were really very disgusting, she could still do well with the help of the protection gloves.
However, perhaps it was truly the problem with natural talent, everytime she correctly follows the steps stated in books the product is, although usable, still not satisfying. And the smell…. She almost always ran away as fast as she could after each class.
Every Potions class was a Cruciatus Curse for her. She thought of the evil witches in Muggles' fairy tales, those with long pointed nose and ugly faces. They come out in dark, windy nights and brew poisons in some underground chambers. They laugh with bloody mouths and yellowish teeth. They add colorful ingredients along with disgusting things into the cauldron, like the dark witch who fed Snowwhite the poisonous apple.
Then she suddenly thought of the headmaster and trembled heavily. No! She didn't think of him at all! Forgive her, she didn't indeed!
But she truly couldn't bear the ingredients. Their smell were disgusting enough, but they also had to be added into the cauldron and brew above fire! That smell couldn't be imagined without actual experiences.
The aroma of Potions? Oh, damn that aroma! She never ever felt that way!
Maybe she should suggest the school to give everyone a respirator during Potions classes. As for the pretense…. Can she say the respirator can prevent saliva from dropping into the potions? Er….
She really hadn't got any talent in Potions, so she thought herself very lucky to have Horace Slughorn as her professor. He was much kinder than Severus Snape, and he happened to be a rather smooth Slytherin. If her Potions professor was still Severus Snape, Virginia couldn't guarantee that she do not explode her cauldron.
It looks like she shouldn't spend time on things she's not good at. She has no talent, and she admits that straightforwardly.
She walked out of the classroom and planned not to have luch at the hall today. Then she was disturbed by a shierk that sounds like a dog being stepped on the tail. She recogized that the sound belongs to Alecto Carrow.
"I'm the professor. I can use any means to punish the troublesome kids!" The dog was still shierking loudly.
"Oh I don't agree." Severus Snape replies. Virginia thought it would be wise to go away now, but her feet seemed to be stamped on the ground by curiosity.
"Snape!" Alecto Carrow suddenly dropped her voice, "If master knows you are protecting the cubs of Albus Dumbledore, how would he react?"
"Well done. If you think you are now threatening me, I'd say the Dark Lord isn't as silly as you are."
"Who do you think you are talking to!" Her voice makes Virginia think that she must be jumping when saying this.
Snape disrupted her, "Silly enough to think," he raised his voice suddenly and then dropped back to a low whisper, "that triggering students' riot is beneficial to future plans."
"But they write those recruiting messages on the wall… I know who wrote the words!"
"Proof! You have to catch them red-handed! I know you haven't, so I gave them detentions." Snape resumed his cold voice and seemed hurried, "I am busy, very busy, and I have no time to deal with all these. I just left for a morning." He paused, "You have to understand that if possible, the Dark Lord doesn't want any disturbance within Hogwarts."
"Alright Snape, if you are sure…" She still sounds unconvinced, but apparently the Dark Lord has strong deterence, so she compromised temporarily.
Alecto Carrow went away. Virginia gave herself a Disillusionment Charm and hurried away.
"Who's there!" Severus Snape's voice came. She started to run and met some Slytherin seventh-year students. She recognized one of them. It was Draco Malfoy.
They seemed not to have noticed her. "Draco, did you see anyone running?" Snape asked.
"No, professor." Draco answered coldly. His discontent with Snape is well-exposed in his voice, and that surprised Virginia slightly. Snape went away after that.
There's only a History of Magic class in the evening. Virginia was taking notes, not History of Magic notes, but Charms'. She listed all spells she has mastered. She still hasn't attempted any attacking spells. And Apparation, she still doesn't dare trying.
Then she suddenly thought of Portkey. That was indeed an easy spell, but she couldn't understand the theory behind it. She thought of the circumstance in the original book: Harry Potter dreamed of Mr. Weasley being bitten by a snake, and Professor Dumbledore sent them to the headquarter with a Portkey made at the spot. That was really a practical spell. She decided to ask her head house for help.
Virginia was tactful in asking her question. She didn't ask directly how to use the spell, but she asked whether the theory of making Portkeys is similar to that of Apparation.
Professor Filius Flitwick appraised her sprirt and told her that they both are means of transportation, but the spell "Portkey" requires that the maker has been to the place and can locate it clearly in the mind. Then the maker can grab the thing and say the incantation. If the thing emits bluish light and vibrates slightly, then it has been successfully made into a Portkey. And the magic has limitations. If you are going to choose a place that belongs to other people, then you have to first ask for permission or it won't work. If this is a secret place, then only the secret-keeper can make the Portkey.
Professor Flitwick then said piteously that although this was a rather simple spell, it still cannot be used by Virginia, for it require the magic power of an adult wizard. And Apparation is a highly dangerous spell. For those who are not familiar with it, they may end up inside the wall or into water, and Splinch can also happen in some occasions. He emphasized that this was a spell that can be learnt only in the sixth year. And then he said if there's no pre-placed Anti-Apparation spell, and if your magic power is strong enough, you can virtually go to anywhere with no limitation. Of course this is theoretically speaking, for no one is powerful enough to ignore distance. So in comparison the Portkey is more advantageous in transporting over long distances. But it also has limitations. You have to make it first, for intance. So under emergent conditions Apparation is the better choice. And Portkeys have to be reported to the Minister of Magic because too many people are using this spell.
Virginia was excited when she walked back to the Common Room. She saw a student in front of the door and understood that he must have failed to correctly answer a question of the door hook. She had also failed once and that was quite embarassing.
She smiled to the first-year and knocked the door. It says in a song-like voice. "Which one is more valuable in life, the peak or the low ebb?"
Virginia thought quickly and answered, "They are all experiences, and experience is fortune. They cannot be compared, for they are equally valuable."
Walking into the Common Room, the first-year quickly ran back to the dorm.
Virginia sat down in the armchair and exhaled deeply. Ravenclaw is indeed a good place, for it can prevent you from having a much too hot brain.