Author's Note: In the last chapter, I realized that I made an error in the Sorting. Alex should have been called before Beth, since it was in alphabetical order. Let's just say that Professor McGonagall accidentally skipped over Alex's name. She realized what she did a second later, but Beth was walking to the stool and she decided not to call attention to her mistake.
Happy Father's Day!
Summary: Harry/Alex has his first week of classes, decides that maybe Hermione isn't so bad after all, though has a hard time convincing Ron of that, and with his sister and friends, visits Hagrid Friday afternoon.
The next morning, Alex found himself waking up at six. He showered, brushed his teeth, and got dressed in his black school robes, making a face at the color. Romany people normally wore colorful clothing, and he had never worn robes or Muggle clothes that were completely black. He had worn darker colored clothes, like midnight blue, when helping brew potions, so that stains wouldn't show the way they would if he wore scarlet or something similar, but that had been it. At least the school uniform was only required during classes, so once they were over for the day, he could change to his regular clothing.
After dressing, he went down to the common room with the map that Vera had given him. All Ravenclaw first-years got a map of Hogwarts to help them find their way around the school, though it wasn't like the Marauder's Map that Remus had told him about. This map simply labeled the common rooms, Great Hall, occupied classrooms, staff room, Dumbledore's office, library, the Owlery, and the Astronomy tower, plus some of the bathrooms. Any secret passageways or shortcuts behind tapestries and the such or places that students normally didn't go to or had access to without a teacher's permission weren't labeled.
He pored over the map and after a few minutes, figured out how to get to the Great Hall. From there, he then worked out the way to some of the classrooms. By the time he was done, the rest of his dormmates were awake, and both Beth and Hermione had come downstairs. The two were deep in conversation, and looked as if they were pretty close friends already. Alex sighed, for it meant that he would be around Hermione more, and he hoped that she would relax and not be as annoying as she had been yesterday.
"You really are smart, Hermione," Beth said admiringly. "Or at least have a photographic memory, since you apparently know as much about Potions other than the actual brewing as Alex and me, and our mother is a Potions Mistress who has taught us all that she could for the past three years. And you know as much about wizarding history, other than the Gypsy one, as Alex and me, also. Tell me again why weren't you Sorted into Ravenclaw?"
"Well, the Sorting Hat considered it, but in the end it decided that I was better suited for Gryffindor," replied Hermione. "And I did want to be in Gryffindor more than Ravenclaw."
"Well, I'm glad you're in Gryffindor. Not that being in separate houses would stop us from being friends, but it's much easier when we're in the same house. I'll write Grandmum Lise and ask her to send me the book on Romany history that she and Grandpa Vladek wrote down so you can read it. And you can borrow any other books I have that's not in the Hogwarts library, if you'll let me borrow any Muggle books you have that I don't own."
"You have Muggle books, Beth?" asked Hermione in surprise.
"Yeah, Alex and I both do," answered Beth. "So do our cousins. Even though we technically live in the wizarding world, we are familiar with the Muggle world. I've read tons of Muggle books, though most of them are fiction, my family has seen a number of films, and we have some appliances in our homes, plus share a car. Oh, whenever I mention my family, I'm referring to the extended family, unless I happen to specify otherwise. We're very close, you see. But then, most Romany clans are. Oh, good morning Alex."
"Good morning Beth and Hermione," responded Alex. "Er, could I talk with you, Beth? In private?"
Beth looked surprised by this, but nodded. The two went to a corner of the common room, where Alex asked in a whisper, "Are you sure you want to be friends with Hermione?"
"Yes!" hissed Beth rather angrily. "She's a perfectly nice girl and likes to read just as much as I do. Even though she's nothing like Ginny and Luna, I like her immensely."
"It's not that," protested Alex. "She is nice, but she did come across as rather annoying yesterday."
"That's only because she was a bit nervous and wanted to succeed in the wizarding world. Also, she didn't exactly have friends in primary school. She was probably known as the annoying know-it-all bookworm, based on some of the stuff she told me. I wouldn't be surprised if she was made fun of or had people pretend to be her friend in order to use her for homework help, if not outright trying to get her to do their homework for them. Oh, and I'm not becoming her friend because I pity her. I genuinely find her friend material."
Alex immediately felt guilty about his earlier thoughts. After all, it wasn't as if his friends were perfect, either. Ron could be tactless at times, Luna came across as rather weird, and Neville didn't have a great deal of self-confidence. Alex made up his mind to make an effort to get to know Hermione better, and perhaps find that she was friend material after all.
Ron and Neville came down a few minutes later and the five of them went to the Great Hall fo breakfast. Thanks to the map, they managed to not get lost on the way. Partway through breakfast, the mail arrived. A barn owl landed in front Beth, a large package in his talons. "Hi, Cloud," she said, removing the package and giving him a piece of bacon to munch on. He ate it, hooted his thanks, and then flew to Alex, who stroked his feathers and gave him a piece of toast. After that, Cloud left, presumably flying back to the 'twins' maternal grandparents.
Beth opened the package to find several containers of Romani and Jewish food under a Preservation Charm to keep them from spoiling, plus a note from their grandparents congratulating them on getting in Gryffindor and expressing their hope that the food would keep them from getting too homesick.
"Why do you have some Jewish food when you're Romani?" asked Hermione, peering at the containers.
"Because of Aunt Sarah being Jewish," answered Alex. "And that technically makes Vera, Ivan, and Jonas Jewish as well, since Jewish people use, er, what's the word?"
"Matrilineal descent," responded Beth. She continued, "Therefore, in addition to Romany culture, we have also been exposed to Jewish culture. We celebrate the Jewish holidays along with the Christian ones of Christmas and Easter. Aunt Sarah isn't particularly strict about keeping a kosher household, however. The only thing she does is never serve pork and other meat products from pigs, and she will never use milk products when cooking meat."
Alex opened one of the containers, which was stuffed full with a type of breakfast pastry, and handed some around to his friends, including Hermione, and Beth and took one for himself. Not long after that, the schedules were handed out. Alex looked at his and saw that they had Transfiguration first, followed by Herbology.
After breakfast, Beth put the package away and then the group headed to Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall, the instructor, gave the class a strict talking to, telling them that those who misbehaved would leave her class and not return. Then she proceeded to turn her desk into a pig and back again. Everyone was very impressed, which turned to disappointment when they found out that they wouldn't be turning furniture into animals for a few more years. After taking a great deal of complicated notes, each person was handed a match and instructed to try to turn it into a needle.
Beth, who had done excellently with the lessons on elementary transfiguration with wandless magic, was first to succeed, turning her match into a shining silver embroidery needle. Hermione followed soon after that. Professor McGonagall gave them a rare smile, awarded them five points each to Gryffindor, and showed the class how well they had done.
Towards the end of class, Alex managed to turn his match into what was more-or-less a needle, but it was crooked, had a misshapen eye, and the tip was red like the match instead of silver like a needle. Professor McGonagall raised a brow, but did tell him that it was a good attempt and that with more practice, he could produce a perfect needle. Ron managed to turn his match so that the shape was that of a needle, but it was still made of wood, and Neville had made his silvery and pointy, but the same thickness of the match. Nobody else had made any change to their matches, other than Dean's getting thinner and Parvati's tip going a bit pointy.
Herbology was held in the greenhouses, three times a week, and was taught by Professor Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff. They learned how to take care of the plants and fungi that grew in the greenhouses, and naturally, Neville shined in that class.
Charms was taught by Professor Flitwick, whom Alex was beginning to suspect had some goblin ancestry, since he was so short that he had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. He took roll call at the beginning of class and stuttered a little when he came to Alex's name.
Defense Against Dark Arts was taught by Professor Quirrell, who was previously the Muggle Studies teacher but had taken a sabbatical the year before to gain practical experience in the subject he was currently teaching. Apparently he had faced things that had scared him deeply, for he trembled frequently and stuttered whenever he spoke. This made his lectures take longer as students tried to decipher what he was saying. Also, his room smelled strongly of garlic, which he said was to ward off a vampire he had fought and was afraid would come after him again some day. The ridiculous purple turban he was wearing, he said was a thank-you gift from an African prince for getting rid of a troublesome zombie. Nobody was sure if they belived this story. For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan eagerly asked how he'd gotten rid of it, Professor Quirrell turned pink and began talking about the weather. For another, there was a funny smell around it, and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed with garlic so that he would be protected wherever he went.
In any case, the class wasn't very good. The Defense lessons that Remus had taught had been much more informational and interesting. The afternoon after the first Defense class, the group swore Hermione to secrecy about the Room of Requirement, which Remus had told them about, and then went there. The Room provided them with a very nice study room and hangout, where they could relax, as well as work on proper Defense and do their homework, during their free time. Alex and Beth took out the Defense books they had gotten for their birthday, used a copying spell to make copies of the first couple of chapters for their friends (they couldn't make copies of the entire book as that would be copyright infringement), and the group studied theoretical and practical Defense from that.
History of Magic turned out to be even worse than Defense. The teacher, Professor Binns, was literally dead boring. He was the only ghost teacher. The story was that he had been very old indeed when he'd fallen asleep by the staff fire one night. The next morning, he, or rather his ghost, had gotten up as usual to teach, leaving his body behind. He spoke in a monotone voice all the time, sucking out all the interest and joy in learning and leaving only withered husks. It was very hard to pay attention as he droned on and on about historical events and people. After the first class, Alex gave up listening at all, and instead read all the history texts he owned and took notes during class.
On Friday was Potions, which the first-year Gryffindors had with the Slytherins down in the Friday was Potions, which the first-year Gryffindors had with Slytherin down in the dungeons. Professor Snape was the instructor, and like Professor Flitwick, took attendance at the beginning of class. When he got to Alex's name, he paused and gave him an unreadable look before continuing. When he was done, he faced the class and addressed him.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word — like Professor McGonagall, Snape 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."
There was silence after he had finished the speech. Alex exchanged looks with Beth, thinking that it would have been a good speech if Snape hadn't added the last bit about the class being dunderheads. Hermione was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't one.
After a few seconds, Snape snapped, "Well, let's see how much you know. Mr. Romanov, what would I get if I mixed powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Hermione's hand shot in the air. "It would make a sleeping potion called the Draught of Living Breath," replied Alex. Hermione lowered her hand, looking slightly disappointed.
"Correct. Let's try again. Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
"It is a stone found in the stomach of a goat," answered Alex, ignoring the fact that Hermione had raised her hand again. "It can be used as an antidote to most poisons."
"Correct," said Snape in a grudging tone of voice. "What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
"There is no difference, sir. It is the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite."
Professor Snape blinked. "How exactly do you know so much about Potions already, Romanov?" he demanded.
"I like Potions, and my mother is a Potions mistress who has taught me everything that she could about the subject for the past three years, Professor."
"You like Potions?" A strange look appeared on Snape's face, which quickly vanished a second later. "Then I expect you to do your best in this class. The same goes for Miss Romanov, since as your sister, she would have also been well-educated in Potions."
He then turned to the chalkboard and magically wrote the instructions for a simple potion to cure boils on it. "Everyone pair up and start working on this potion!" he barked.
Alex partnered with Ron and two started working on the potion, which they had made before. At the age of nine, they had been deemed ready to start making simple potions on their own, with supervision, and this had been one of them. However, brewing had been preceded by a year's worth of lessons on how to prepare ingredients, the uses and properties of the various ingredients, and the effects of various potions. Mrs. Romanov had been very thorough in making sure her children, nieces and nephews, and their friends before Hogwarts had understood the theoretical part of Potions before starting on the practical portion of brewing.
Professor Snape, however, didn't seem to be that sort of teacher, at least during class time. He would probably devote class time on having them brew potions, and the theoretical portion would be addressed in homework, most likely essays on the properties and/or uses of various ingredients. This didn't sound promising, and Alex couldn't help thinking that his adoptive mother was a better teacher, even though Snape was a Potions master and had learned everything he could about the subject.
Alex's opinion didn't change as class progressed. Snape simply swept around the room, criticizing everyone's work, except for Malfoy, whom he seemed to like, and Beth, Alex, Hermione, Ron, and Neville, who were following the instructions to the letter and not doing anything that he could really criticize. However, he didn't praise them the way he did with Malfoy.
When class ended, Alex, Beth, Ron, and Neville were asked to stay behind for a few minutes. "Have you four made the potion to cure boils before?" asked Snape.
"When we were nine, sir," responded Beth. "Our mother had us brewing simple potions under her supervision, instead of merely helping her brew, at that point. With more difficult potions, such as Veritserum, the Polyjuice Potion, and the Wolfsbane Potion, we still only helped her with, mostly by preparing the ingredients."
"I see. Since I cannot compliment you four on your work during class, as it would ruin the persona I cultivated, I am doing so now in private. Good work, and I expect you four to keep this up. A point each to Gryffindor for your perfect potions, and a point to Miss Granger for doing the same. Do not mention this to anyone else, am I clear? There is a reason why I have to appear to favor Slytherin and hate everyone else, and I do not want anyone to think otherwise of me."
"We won't tell anyone else, Professor," promised Neville, and the other three did the same.
"All right then, you four may go. Oh, and Mr. Romanov, it seems that I was mistaken and you are more like your mother than your father."
Alex nodded, understanding that the professor was referring to his birth parents. The quartet left and met up with Hermione, who asked them why they had to stay behind. "He just wanted to ask us if we had made the potion before and to tell us that he expected the same level of work in the future," responded Beth. "I expect he didn't ask you to stay behind because he knows you wouldn't have made the potion before since you're Muggleborn, Hermione. But I think he will expect you to continue to do as well, since your work was perfect."
Hermione looked pleased at the fact that her work was thought perfect.
At three o'clock, the five of them went outside to meet the gameskeeper, Hagrid. A giant of man (Alex wondered if he could be part-giant), he welcomed the five inside, introduced them to his boarhound, Fang, and served tea and rock cakes. Having been warned about Hagrid's cooking from the cousins, they only pretended to eat the cakes, and faked enjoyment so as to not hurt his feelings.
"So Vera an' Ivan are yer cousins, eh?" asked Hagrid, looking at Beth and Alex. "They're good kids. Ivan's probably th' only Slytherin that likes me."
Alex didn't find that hard to believe. Ivan was nothing like the stereotypical Slytherin at all. He didn't have any friends in that house. In fact, his only friends were Fred, George, and Lee Jordan in Gryffindor and Cedric Diggory and a couple of others in Hufflepuff. Many of the other Slytherins hadn't made life pleasant for Ivan, partly because of his friendships and partly because he was Romany and so considered a halfblood. They'd only stopped after becoming targets of a number of pranks from the Weasley twins, and now simply ostracized him.
Hagrid then began asking Ron about his older brother Charlie, and Alex began reading the newspaper clipping that was on the table.
GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST
Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown. Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day.
"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon.
He nudged Beth and Neville, who also read the clipping. Alex frowned, remembering hearing about the break-in and Cara mentioning seeing Hagrid at Gringotts on 'Hogwarts business' when she'd gone to get her school things for the year. What if the 'Hogwarts business' was removing whatever it was that was in the vault? "Hagrid, why do you have a clipping about the Gringott's break-in?" he asked.
Hagrid looked uncomfortable. "I was readin' it before you came in. Now, who wants some more rock cakes?"
Alex and Beth exchanged looks, feeling that there was more to it, but didn't pursue the subject, as Hagrid clearly didn't want to. At five o'clock, the quintet returned to the castle for dinner, their pockets full of rock cakes that they had been too polite to refuse. Alex kept thinking about the break-in and what Hagrid might know about it.