Chapter Six
The fourth lesson of the day was 'Defence Against the Dark Arts'. The Slytherin students were already sat down at the desks. They were keen to get started, Lucy felt very nervous about this subject. Her muggle brother Eric warned her against dark magic. She felt a cold air around her as she entered. Taking her place next to Myrtle Warren (who was shaking like a leaf). The Slytherin students were no longer laughing and joking, they all looked deadly serious and focused. Tom Riddle and Eileen Prince were sat together for this lesson too. Though the girl looked under much more distressed this time round. Lucy guessed it wasn't because of Oakleigh either. An elderly looking witch called Galatea Merrythought came into the classroom and she looked very serious. She wore a black hat (her grey hair hidden underneath) and a long black dress (which dragged at her feet) with one of the thinnest waists that Lucy had ever seen on a grown woman. She seemed to possess a sense of authority with her mere presence alone.
"Muggle-borns sit on the desks on the right. Everyone else sit on the left" Professor Merrythought instructed.
The sounds of footsteps walking to opposite sides were heard. Lucy and Myrtle remained sitting as both were muggle-borns. They watched as the elderly witch wrote 'Curses, Jinxes, Spells and Charms' on the blackboard. She was one of the few professors (and the last) to separate muggle-borns from pure-bloods and half-bloods in the classroom. Albus Dumbledore would abolish this pratice completely when he became headmaster. Merrythought turned back towards the class. The Slytherin students were even further emboldened by this. Lucy found that she, Myrtle and just four other first-year students were muggle-borns this year.
"Today I will simply be explaining the curriculum and what I expect you to be able to do...and not do; in your first year at Hogwarts. The dark arts can be dangerous children, very dangerous. Fallen into the wrong hands and it can be deadly. Which is why these classes are very important and why you must pay attention at all times. This isn't to be taken lightly and mistakes can be fatal" Merrythought explained.
Lucy began slightly shaking herself as she put her jittery hand under the table. Hiding it from public view. Myrtle looked like she wanted to run out the room and never look back. She really didn't want to learn them or even know about the dark magic. She hoped she would never have to use any defensive spells and so she didn't focus in this lesson (this attitude would prove fatal to her). Tom Riddle meanwhile was engrossed, excited even as his eyes lit up for the first time since he got into Hogwarts.
"I wish to go... I wish to go" Myrtle muttered under her breath.
"I do too" Lucy admitted.
"It stenches of evil in this classroom. I can sense the Slytherin students plotting against us. We aren't even allowed to sit on the same side...dare we even enter this school if they had their way"
"We have as much right to be here as they do, Myrtle. We are descended from witches and wizards too"
"Yes but do they think so?! No!"
They suddenly heard heavy footsteps walk over to them as Professor Merrythought leaned over the desk and asked
"Wish to share your little debate with the rest of the class, girls?"
Myrtle shook her head before suddenly crying. Whimpering as she put her head on the desk from fear. The students staring at her intensely. Her loud sobbing was distinguishably her own. Professor Merrythought watched the girl for a few more moments, her crying seemed like it would never stop. Lucy went to speak but the angry look in Merrythought's eyes made her close her mouth again. Myrtle looked back up briefly before putting her face back down on the desk on seeing her eyes.
"Pack your things, girl; report to the headmaster's office" Merrythought instructed.
Without daring to look up at her again, Myrtle simply placed her wand back in her robe pocket and picked up her book. Leaving the classroom in floods of tears and muttering things which nobody understood to herself. Lucy really thinks Myrtle needs some self-control. She's just made a mockery of herself in front of the whole class and Lucy doesn't even think she knows it. Maybe Armando Dippet can get some sense out of her. Merrythought stood back up as she went to the front of the classroom again.
...
Classes felt very long that day as Lucy rested with her back against one of the walls. Students walking down with happy faces as classes were over for a while. She felt like she could drift off to sleep. She missed her muggle friends very much but she wouldn't dare say it here. She was missing her family, this was boarding school on another level; she felt like she didn't belong almost. Though she knew she must do, one of her great-grandparents were a witch or a wizard. Her parents couldn't figure out which yet but they were trying, maybe if she knew; Lucy could feel like she belonged. One of her grandparents must be a squib like Filch she realized. Exhausted and overwhelmed, Lucy closed her eyes and was soon slumped against the wall asleep. She woke up when she felt a figure sit besides her (she must have only been asleep for half an hour). A man with a long white beard and black hat was there; a professor; Albus Dumbledore. He taught transfiguration. She suddenly opened her eyes wide and straightened up her back.
"I often fall asleep where I'm not suppose to also, Lucy. It's often done" Dumbledore spoke in a calm manner; his presence was very warm.
"Sir, I'm very sorry"
"No need to say sorry, Lucy. The wall doesn't care and neither do I. I was happy to see you sorted into Hufflepuff. I was worried we wouldn't have any this year which would be a great loss. Now tell me, what troubles you?"
Lucy looked at him for a few moments; he clearly cared about his students. He could sense unhappiness in them and wanted to help. For a happy Hogwarts made a happy Dumbledore. She gave a small shrug.
"Well...I was just wondering who my wizarding ancestors were, I feel as if a mistake has been made" Lucy admitted.
"No mistake...Lucy Norris. Let me think. Your surname is your father's surname, right?"
"Right"
"And he in turn took it from his father. Squibs aren't recorded in our books however judging from your grandfather's surname. I imagine his father was the wizard...follow me a moment" Albus instructed.
Feeling like she was finally heard. Lucy followed him down the corridor and up quite a lot of stairs. He had led her to the trophy room and pointed towards a dusty trophy, he blew on it and the dust fell off. A plaque which some names on it revealed themselves, 'Silas Norris' was among those names; the plaque itself read 'History of Magic Alumis of 1880'.
"The only history of magic award ever given. I believe your great-grandfather and his friends were the only students to complete the entire course and take the extra-curricular courses in it. They did it as a bet" Dumbledore told her.
"A bet?"
"Well yes. No student would sit with Professor Binns for that long otherwise. They completed the entire course and were the only students to get extra-credit in it. Though it did cost your great-grandfather dearly and he ended up working in one of the book shops in Diagon Alley as he didn't have much else besides this distinction"
"Did you meet him there?"
"Oh yes, when I was was in my first year at Hogwarts. He was the man you brought your books from. Not the most exciting of wizards I grant you but he and his friends wanted to be the only ones and they were. You do belong here, Lucy. Your family history probably has more interesting witches and wizards if you look beyond dear old Silas"
"Thank you, Sir. I had no idea"
"No but I hope this information has made you feel better, Lucy"
"Oh it has...My great-grandfather sounded silly doing that" Lucy spoke with a small giggle; looking at the name.
"Well it cheered Professor Binns up...he finally had students in his little history club. He's very proud of this award"
...
Feeling much happier. Lucy found herself walking outside on the Hogwarts grounds. A couple of second-year Gryffindor girls were sitting on the grass. Olive Hornby was one of these girls, her long blonde hair went right down her back. Lucy could see Euphemia (later became grandmother of Harry Potter) sitting with them. She waved her over and so Lucy wondered over as she sat besides them.
"The one and only first-year Hufflepuff this year" Olive spoke as if she was fascinated. Her voice was very pleasant which made you sometimes forget that she wasn't a nice person at times.
"Any student that isn't a Slytherin is a relief" Euphemia stated.
The other three girls giggling to each other at this. For a second, Lucy forgot they were witches as they spoke like muggle girls spoke back home. Though she supposed that witches had normal conversations too. Not everyone revolved around magic, after all; she was a witch, wasn't she? Not like it had sunk in properly yet. It took a lot of adjusting for some muggle-borns.
"I just been speaking to Dumbledore. He said my great-grandfather was a wizard, Silas Norris; he and his friends were 'History of Magic' alumnis" Lucy explained, feeling she finally had something to offer.
"Good for them" Olive replied with a hint of sarcasm in her tone of voice.
"Oh look...Here comes Eileen Prince and her snakes" one of the other girls spoke up.
Making all the girls giggle (apart from Lucy) as they watched Eileen Prince walk past with Malfoy, Riddle and Nott. Euphemia laughed so enthusiastically that Eileen briefly looked over. Her black hair over her eyes as always. The girls quickly looked away to avoid eye contact however they were still sniggering under their breath.
"Eileen looks like the type of witch that muggles write about in their fairly tales" Olive remarked with a snort.
"How do you know about muggle fairy tales?" one of the other three girls suddenly asked.
"Granny enjoys them...Besides she has to read something when out and about that won't cause suspicion; she does live in a muggle street"
"Imagine that...living in a muggle street, sounds so boring" the same girl replied.
This just made Lucy have even more questions. So not every witch and wizard live among muggles? She thought all them must do because Great Britain isn't big enough for separate large communities living apart. Besides it would go noticed and people would start to ask questions.
"Do you not live in a muggle street?" Lucy asked that girl with strong interest.
"No. I live in a wizarding community. We live near muggles but we don't live directly on top of them or besides them. Only Hogsmeade residents get the luxury of not living near them at all"
"My best friends are muggles" Lucy admitted.
"I don't have anything against muggles, Lucy. I just find it annoying that we can't do much magic or play quidditch without having to go miles in case one of them sees us. It's tiresome" the girl told her.
Lucy just nodded, she supposed she understood that; it was an inconvenience. Olive got out her timetable during this and moaned that she had 'double potions' next. A subject which she disliked as she thought Slughorn had too many favourites and that they were all involved in this secret club. Lucy did have to agree about potions, she only went there the once but it was clear the way Slughorn poured praise on Tom Riddle and Eileen Prince like they were the only two students in the room.
"I'm dropping potions when I get the chance" Olive spoke in a huff; placing her timetable back in her robe pocket.
"I want to drop astronomy due to it being so late" Euphemia admitted.
"Oh I'm dreading that. My friends back home think I'm just in a regular boarding school. I wish I could see their faces if they could see me riding a broomstick at midnight, being taught about the planets" Lucy piped up with a smile.
"I imagine so, Lucy. Anyway, enough about boring lessons. We are in them long enough, we don't need to discuss them in our break too" Olive spoke up.
The girls agreed with that as they all nodded. Changing the subject to other things, mostly gossiping about their classmates and 'Witch Weekly'. Olive showing them all an article about 'How to grow your hair longer with one simple spell'.
...
TBC