Chapter twenty three.
TWENTY THREE
That's how many chapters it's taken to get here. THINK ABOUT THAT! Just starting Hogwarts, after twenty two chapters. Twenty five if you include the prologue.
If we go with that number, and we factor in book plots, overarching plot, etc. There's a pretty good chance that this story will be really really long.
I mean really long.
Also, I know that the Hogwarts letter had the name "Harry Potter" And not "Merlot Scortwit." There are reasons for this, and you will find it has to do with Merlot's identity getting out, or at least, the start of the wheels turning.
Anyways, we're on to the Hogwarts express, as well as the sorting. I can guarantee you that there will be twists in here that you will not expect.
So let's go, shall we?
—0—
Merlot waved to Charlie and Scortwit as the Hogwarts express pulled out of Kings Cross Station, platform nine and three quarters. The red steam engine let out a whistle with a blast of steam as the wheels slowly began to turn. Within mere seconds, the train was off to the greatest magical school in all of Europe.
Merlot sighed as she sat down in her seat.
"Well Despereaux, we're off on a new adventure." The rat wriggled its nose as it stood up in the palm of Merlot's hand. "Are you excited?"
"Queen! Queen!"
Merlot nodded. "I'm a bit nervous too. What say you, we look through some of the books that we got?"
The mouse scrambled up the girl's arm and settled on her shoulder as she pulled down her luggage from the top rack of her compartment. She had packed quite well, and was able to fit everything thanks to the help of a partial expansion charm.
Now she didn't have any fancy trunk with expandable rooms and shelves, but she did have more space than natural in the suitcase that Charlie and Scortwit had passed down to her. Thanks to the expansion charm, the internal size of the suitcase fit all of her robes, her books, and a small case with a second expansion charm that held her cauldron and potion ingredients.
Merlot plucked the first book she had from the top of her things and cracked it open.
One Hundred and One Charms for Daily Living
Chapter twenty three: Summoning.
There are many wizards and witches who will tell you that the summoning charm is advanced. While it may be difficult to completely master, constantly practicing this spell will yield astounding results. For such a useful charm to be neglected, often until a young magicals fifth year of magical education, is a simple and straightforward case of educational negligence.
The summoning charm was created in Egypt, sometime in the last several millennia. There are several historical references of this charm, including the usage of it by the Hebrew wizard Shemaia ben Nethanel, who used it to pull two ends of the sea together while leading his people to freedom from the Egyptian Pharaoh.
The summoning charm, as the name states, summons the object of a wizard or witch's description. To use the spell, simply picture what it is that you want, imagine it floating to you, and speak the incantation "Accio" Followed by the name of what it is that you are searching for. The spell can also work off of descriptions, but is more effective when the exact object is specified.
Merlot blinked and nodded, drawing her wand. "Are you okay if I try this out Despereaux?"
The rat gave a squeak of approval and hopped down as Merlot drew her wand. The length of wood felt natural in her hand, and the buzz of magic below her skin was itching to be released, directed through its length,
With a deep breath, Merlot pointed her wand at her suitcase. "Accio Chocolate Frog!"
The suitcase rattled, and a pentagonal package zipped up out from the depths of folded clothing and books, smacking Merlot right in the nose.
"Ow! Well that could have been better."
At that moment, the door to Merlot's compartment opened, revealing two older boys with red hair.
"Oops!"
"Our bad, the other ones were taken."
Merlot smiled. "That's quite alright. You can feel free to sit down with us."
"Us?"
Merlot motioned to Despereaux, who was trying to open the chocolate frog package that Merlot had summoned. The twin boys looked at eachother, then back at the rat.
"Seems better than Scabbers."
"Let's sit with her, George."
"My thoughts exactly Fred."
Merlot chuckled at their banter and allowed them to sit down. Both placed their luggage on the shelf of the compartment and sat down opposite of Merlot.
"First year?" The first- Fred- asked.
Merlot nodded. "Yes, it is my first year. I'm awfully excited."
"Do you know what house you'll be in?" The second- George- asked.
"Not yet. I haven't really put much thought into it." Merlot shrugged.
"We're Gryffindors." both smiled. "Runs in our blood. Both of us are third years."
Merlot nodded. "What are the classes like?"
"Anything with Flitwick is a blast. Flying is fun too. We're both on the quidditch team. Beaters." Fred answered.
"Keep a look out for McGonagall and Snape though. They don't tolerate mischief." George nodded. "They teach transfiguration and potions respectively. Both of their classes are fun, they're just not fun people to make angry, you know?"
Merlot nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."
"So what about you?" Fred asked. "First year, where are you from?"
"Romania." Merlot nodded.
"Romania? Our big brother Charlie lives there." George blinked. "Works with dragons."
"You two are Charlie's brothers?" Merlot smiled.
"You know him?"
"Duh, he and his master adopted me." Merlot grinned. "They've been taking care of me for a year now, teaching me magic, how to read, how to fly."
"Big brother's all grown up." Fred sniffed, wiping away a fake tear. "Oh George, you need to be the one to tell mum. I don't think my heart can take it."
"Oh no Fred, I don't think I could bring myself to…" George sobbed fakely, putting on a show for Merlot, who giggled.
"You two are funny."
"Thanks. It's kind of our thing." Fred grinned.
"Pranking people." George nodded.
"We'll make sure to steer clear of you though." Fred spoke, blinking at Merlot. "We don't want Charlie getting mad."
A memory of Charlie standing before Fleya's cave flashed through Merlot's mind, causing her to shudder. "Yeah… I wouldn't want to make him mad either."
"So what's it like in Romania?" Fred asked. George nodded and leaned in closer. "We get letters, and sometimes some fun magic components like scales from Charlie. But what's it really like over there?"
Merlot leaned back, thinking about the great forest and the field around the dragon lodge. "It's nice. The air is clean and smells wonderful, like magic. Scortwit has a vineyard on his property, and in the fall you can smell the grapes."
Fred sighed. "I wish mum would let us visit…"
"I don't think it's so much mum as it is Charlie, he doesn't want to give her money." George pointed out.
"Is your family struggling financially?" Merlot blinked.
"Our family has always been poor. With seven kids and all, coin goes quick." Fred nodded. "Bill left as soon as he was out of school. He sends some money sometimes. Charlie left soon after school as well, he doesn't send anything except around christmas. Fact is, mum kicked both of them out, wanted them to make money for her."
"Hm." Merlot hummed. "I was going to say. Charlie has always been generous. We overpay for a lot of supplies when we go shopping in Diagon."
"Sounds like Charlie. He always found some way to give even an extra knut to the shopkeepers. Mum scolded him for it a lot." George smiled. "But he's well known in the alley because of it. Not a person in the alley who wouldn't help one of us out because of it."
Merlot smiled, before a squeak drew her attention to Despereaux. The rat had managed to open the Chocolate frog, and was now attempting to duel the enchanted sweet with his hairpin.
"He's a feisty one. Is that a sword?" George blinked.
"A gift from a friend." Merlot smiled. "He took to that hairpin like it was his own sword, much to the amusement of the goblin who gave it to me."
"Definitely cooler than Scabbers." Fred grinned.
"Scabbers?"
"A pet rat that's been in the family for years." George answered. "Currently belongs to our younger brother Ron."
The conversation was interrupted as the compartment door slid open once again.
"Do you happen to know a- there you are."
Hermione Granger stood in the doorway, her hair tied back into a neat bun, unlike Merlot's preferred style of wavy hair, worn down around her shoulders.
"Hermione!"
"Hello Merlot." The girl said levelly. "I was wondering if you could give me a hand with something."
"The genius needs my help?" Merlot smirked.
Hermione huffed. "Well you know that I am new to magic, I am going to need some help as I start learning!"
Merlot giggled and gave a nod. "I'd love to help. Fred, George, I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Okay! We can watch your rat for you, if you'd like."
"You okay with that Despereaux?"
"Des-pir-oooo!"
"Good. I'll be back soon. Don't either of you hurt him, okay?"
The twins nodded and Merlot left the compartment. "So what do you need help with?"
Hermione pursed her lips, leading Merlot into a compartment a few doors down. "A boy named Neville lost his toad, so I tried to look for it. He's off searching right now, but I want to know why my magic didn't work."
Merlot blinked. "What spell did you use?"
"I used my own spell that I based off of my own theories of quantum displacement and the theory of quantum superposition."
"Come again?" Merlot blinked.
"Right…" Hermione blushed. "Muggle science, sorry. Basically, one thing can't exist in two places at once, but two different things can occupy the same space for some time. When you know that, you can use magic to detect what something has interacted with in the last day or so, although I've been trying to get it down to the last hour…"
Merlot blinked. "You simulated a tracking spell with muggle science?"
"Yeah. It isn't that impressive…"
The girl shook her head. "No! It's incredible that you basically deconstructed a concept and restructured it in such a way. You tracked the toad based off of what it touched?"
Hermione nodded. "Something like that. I was only able to narrow it down to a few train cars in the back before the spell sort of… shorted out. It was over there, and then it was suddenly at the front of the train. It couldn't get a solid read on the toad, so I just told Neville it was definitely on the train."
Merlot nodded. "So, do you want help with the spell? Or finding the toad?"
"Finding the toad. I'm sure I can fix my own spell my own way." Hermione said curtly.
"Okay." Merlot nodded. "I'll go find it. Just have your spell fixed in a little bit so we can find Neville."
"I will. It'll take me less than five minutes…" Hermione spoke, already pulling out a notepad and scribbling with a pencil.
Merlot nodded and walked out of the compartment. With a gentle smile she closed the door, letting Hermione have her privacy, before taking out her wand.
"Scopum, Neville's Toad."
The wand spun around in Merlot's hand and pointed down the train car. With a nod, the girl raised her wand.
"Accio, Neville's Toad. Gently please."
A few minutes later, a croak sounded from down the hall of the traincar. A plump green toad floated through the air and into Merlot's outstretched hand.
"How did you find him so fast?" Hermione gawked.
"Summoning charm." Merlot shrugged. "Now, can you find Neville?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes. Give me just a moment… Point my way to where he's tread, what lies before, what lies ahead. Let me know where he may go, the location of Neville Longbottom… show!"
Hermione opened her eyes, which flashed a dull blue. "He's a few cars away. I'll go bring the toad to him."
"Okay." Merlot smiled. "I'll be headed back to my compartment then. Thanks for showing me your spell."
Hermione nodded and took the toad, who gave a low croak. Merlot giggled and left the compartment, heading back to her own.
What she found was Fred and George, sitting with Despereaux in hand, reading a book on potions. "Are you teaching him how to read?"
Fred and George jumped in surprise. "Oh! You're back."
"No. Your rat was actually already very knowledgeable on several herbs. Watch this. What plants are used in a simple wiggenweld potion?"
Despereaux wriggled his nose and began pawing at the pages of the book. Merlot blinked as the rat turned the pages of the book until settling on page two hundred and eight, which held the information on dittany.
"Huh."
"Really? Just 'huh'?" George exclaimed.
"I mean, I knew he knew plants, just not that well. You're so smart Despereaux!"
The rat stood up on his hind legs and gave a bow, much to the awe of Fred and George.
"That's bloody incredible." Fred shook his head.
A loud whistle caught their attention. Fred and George looked out the window and blinked. "Bloody hell, the ride always flies, you know?"
"We're already here?" Merlot blinked.
"No, just at the first stop. Not all wizarding kids can get to the station, you know, we're stopped in Sleepyshire, one of the larger wizarding settlements."
"Yeah, we still have a while to go." Fred smiled. "You can get some rest if you want."
"Perhaps I will." Merlot smiled, putting her feet up on the open part of her seat. "Wake me up when we get close to the school, okay?"
The twins both nodded and Merlot laid her head back, slowly drifting off to sleep.
—0—
Merlot looked at the castle in awe. She had to admit, it looked mystifying at night.
"Firs' years! Over to me please!" A large man waved an umbrella in the air, shooting sparks from its tip.
'What an odd wand.' Merlot thought, climbing into a boat. A few other kids sat down with her, all girls. Two were blonde, and one had brown hair. As soon as each boat was filled, they were off.
"It's more beautiful than I imagined…" One of the girls breathed.
As the boats drew closer to the castle, the same thought grew on Merlot's mind. The castle was quite beautiful, more beautiful than she had expected it to be.
They landed at a set of docks beneath the large edifice. The giant led them all up several flights of stairs and through several corridors, having them stop in front of a large set of doors, where a familiar face stood waiting.
"Firs' years professor McGonagall!"
"Thank you Hagrid. You are free to join the rest in the great hall."
The large man nodded and waved to the collection of kids before disappearing through the double doors. "Good luck!"
The witch turned back to the collection of first years and cleared her throat. "Behind these doors lie the next seven years of your life. Within these hallowed halls, you will learn to adapt the flow of magic to suit your needs. Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Runes… All avenues are open for you to explore and cultivate, but first… Houses."
Merlot watched the woman carefully as she explained each house. She knew there was more to each than their name, and how each person was sorted into a house was a mystery.
"The school has four houses, each associated with the four founders. They are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. At Hogwarts, your house is your home. Good behaviors will earn your house points. Bad behaviors shall lose your house points. Now, in a moment, I shall return to guide you into the great hall. I will call each of you by name, in order to be sorted. Make sure that you get through in an organized fashion."
The witch turned and stepped through the doubled doors. Merlot pursed her lips. McGonnagall hadn't said anything about the difference in houses.
"Ow, I know you're curious too, Malfoy!"
Merlot turned to see two boys, one with red hair, and another with striking blonde hair, standing in the middle of all of the students.
"Be that as it may, I am trying to be courteous about it." the blonde said. "Bumping into everyone and asking them if they've heard the rumors about Harry Potter is really starting to make me question our… agreement."
A few students gasped at this. Merlot turned to the closest one, one of the blonde girls from her boat. "Is something surprising about them?"
The girl blinked. "Um, sort of. The Malfoy family and the Weasley family have been at odds for decades. It's a bit astounding to see these two acting so cordial around each other. I wonder which Weasley is in our year though…"
"Is cordial the proper term for something like this?" Merlot raised an eyebrow.
"For those two, yes." The girl nodded, watching in shock as the Malfoy boy dusted off the other boys shoulder.
"My apologies for shoving you so hard Weasley." The Malfoy boy stated, before turning to see the shocked faces of several students. "Ugh… I hate this…"
The Weasley boy grumbled and gestured to the children surrounding them. "Should I be the one to say it? I am the rude one."
The Malfoy boy rolled his eyes. "Might as well."
"Alright. For those of you listening in on our conversation. I, Ronald Weasley, and Draco Malfoy, have formed a truce. We have agreed to try and get along as best we can, and we hope to mend the gap that our families created."
The gasps were louder now. The blonde girl that Merlot had been talking to blinked. "So that's Ron Weasley…"
"I know several of his siblings." Merlot nodded. "Is there something special about him?"
"He's sort of an outlier in his family." The girl nodded. "It was the talk amongst the pureblood families for some time. His mother, Molly, had attempted to cast him from their family because his wand contained acromantula venom."
"That's horrible! How could she do that to her child?"
"Molly Weasley has always been a devout follower of light magic. She despises anything dark. Tensions are rumored to be high in their family now, because of him. If his parents knew that he was on speaking terms with a Malfoy… who knows what would happen."
Merlot nodded and looked at the two boys, who were busy speaking slowly to one another. "Who was it they were talking about? Harry Potter?"
"You don't know Harry Potter?" The girl blinked.
"I had a bit of a rough life, got adopted and live in Romania now. I don't know much about famous people." Merlot smiled. 'Nailed it.'
"Well… he's more of a legend now. Nobody really knows where he went, or if he even existed in the first place. Not now anyways." the girl nodded. "Harry Potter was a baby when the last dark lord of Europe was in his prime. The dark lord planned an attack on his family because of how they resisted him. The story is that he took care of them himself."
The image of a cloaked man, standing over a crib, flashed through Merlot's mind.
"He struck down the Potters without mercy, and went to do the same to their child. But for some reason, his magic didn't work. There are rumors that he died, that somehow, the baby deflected the dark lord's magic back at him. But nobody has seen the boy since. Many now believe that he went into hiding, since the Potters were some of Dumbledore's closest allies. They believe he's waiting to return, biding his time until he grows stronger than the only one ever feared."
Merlot nodded, before her attention was taken away by a herd of ghosts that sailed through the walls. Some of the first years screamed, much to the amusement of the specters, who vanished through the doors to the great hall, right before McGonagall returned.
"Follow me, single file."
The first years were led into the great hall, a massive room with four long tables, each holding students in different colored robes. At the end of the room was a table which sat several adults, including the giant man who had ferried the students to the castle. The ceiling was nonexistent, when Merlot looked up, she just saw an endless expanse of sky, where hundreds of lit candles floated lazily back and forth.
The first years were led up to a stool upon which sat a ragged wizard's hat. Everyone in the hall stared at the hat, expecting it to do something, which intrigued Merlot. The girl blinked as a fold near the hat's brim tore itself open, and the hat began to sing.
"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
The great hall applauded as the hat finished its song. McGonagall stepped up beside the stool and unrolled a large scroll.
"Abbot, Hanna"
The girl who Merlot had spoken with walked up and sat down on the stool nervously. McGonnagall placed the talking hat upon her head, and after a moment of deliberation, the hat let out a shout.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The girl smiled and stood up, her robes changing to match the color of her new house. Her tie became yellow and black, and the hogwarts crest upon the breast of her shirt turned into a yellow badger insignia.
Merlot watched in awe as one by one, students were called up to sit at the stool. The Hat loudly announced their houses each time, some more swiftly than others, and some with much more force.
"SLYTHERIN!" The hat roared as Draco Malfoy sat down upon the stool, not even touching his head.
The same happened for Ronald Weasley, although he was placed in Gryffindor.
"Potter, Harry."
The great hall went silent. Merlot shrunk back a bit, not enough for anyone to notice, but still, she felt safer a few centimeters back from that list.
"Potter, Ha-hm?"
McGonagall stared at the parchment, her eyes fluttering. She looked as if she was about to say something when the sorting hat got her attention with a grumble. Students watched curiously as the witch listened to whatever the hat had to say, before nodding.
"My apologies… It is not often that I see a student's name disappear from the list. He must have missed the train…"
Merlot breathed a sigh of relief, happy that she dodged a bullet. Still, the way that McGonnagall looked at her when speaking did not do wonders for her confidence.
"We'll move on to the next student then. Granger, Hermione."
Hermione stepped up to the stool and sat down. As soon as the hat touched down on her head, it began to chuckle, before letting out the loudest shout yet.
"RAVENCLAW!"
The blue and bronze house clapped loudly as the girl went to sit with them, a smile on her face.
"Longbottom, Neville."
Merlot watched as a slightly pudgy boy walked up to the stool. He seemed a bit awkward, but Merlot could see something present in his eyes. As the hat began grumbling and muttering upon the boy's head, she wondered what conversation they were having.
—0—
"Hm… you are quite the interesting one…"
'Pardon?' Neville thought.
"Well, you aren't anything like others perceive. You may act like a fool, clumsy and shy… I see greatness in you."
'Thank you, I guess. So tell me, what do you see?'
"I see a boy that others believe to be a failure, broken… but you are so much more than that. I can sense your anger below the surface Neville Longbottom. It is the same spit fire anger that your mother had when she attended Hogwarts… but it is far better managed."
'I am not my parents…' Neville thought plainly. 'All I wish to do is make them proud. To show everyone that I am a son to be proud of.'
"You have more than that. More than you would admit to many. Ahhhh… I see. You wish to kill Bellatrix Lestrange! How enticing… But where to put you… Definitely not Ravenclaw, what you wish to do is far from wise… Hufflepuff perhaps? You are loyal to your family, but you deceive those around you… Gryffindor would work, however your bravery does not match with the incredible ambition you have."
'So… Slytherin then.'
"Indeed, although I must warn you Mr. Longbottom, many have strayed down the path of revenge, and become monsters worse than those they wished to eliminate. Practice restraint, or you may become the same thing that your family abhors."
"SLYTHERIN!"
—0—
There was a stunned silence throughout the great hall as Neville stood up. It was broken as a man with greasy black hair, who sat at the professors table, began to slowly clap. His clap was soon joined by a few students from his house, and before long, the entire table of green robed students was cheering as they welcomed the boy into their throng.
"Scortwit, Merlot."
Merlot gulped and walked up to the stool, sweating slightly under the hard gaze of McGonagall. The hat went down over her head, and she heard a voice whisper in her mind.
"She knows…"
'She knows?'
"She knows your old name, child. You are lucky that I stepped in when I did. Yet still, you will have to talk to her."
'I will take that into consideration.' Merlot nodded.
"Good. Now, how about we find a place to put you. Gryffindor? No… Slytherin? I see something within you that tilts that way, but that soul has already come through these halls… Slytherin is not your destiny… Perhaps Ravenclaw? You are of keen mind… Alas, no. I think that Hufflepuff is the place for you."
'Could you tell me the significance of my house?' Merlot thought to the hat.
"But of course! Hufflepuffs are loyal to a fault. While other houses are blatantly linked to other magics, Hufflepuffs are usually laughed at, as modern society has developed an idea that the humble are easy to prey upon. However, the loyalty of a Hufflepuff is scary. I have laced students within this house simply because they are not fit for the other three, as Helga wished it to be. One who shows true Hufflepuff loyalty is far more terrifying than any dark wizard could hope to be."
'Do I scare you, hat?' Merlot chuckled within her mind.
"Indeed you do, I will admit. I understand that you have found some form of happiness, and that you are willing to do anything to keep that intact. Helga was much the same, which is why she made sure to put her heart and soul into Hogwarts. I fear those who show Helga's loyalty, because truthfully, she was more cunning than any serpent, more blunt than any lion's roar, and quicker on her feet than any eagle… Helga made me, she devised the spells that led to my birth. You scare me, child, because I know that your undying loyalty will shake this world to its core… I sense great things in you… the most incredible things… be sure not to let them go to waste."
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The yellow table applauded loudly as Merlot handed back the hat to McGonagall with a smile. "Thank you."
"I am not sure I know what you are talking about." McGonagall nodded stoically.
"You do. Hedwig and Despereaux say thank you as well."
"I understand." McGonnagall quirked a small smile. "Now go sit down. We will talk tomorrow."
Merlot nodded and walked to the table, where several students began greeting her.
"Your name is beautiful." One of the older students smiled. "Wine?"
"My father owns a vineyard, I stomp the grapes." Merlot answered.
"I see." The boy nodded. "I'm Cedric Diggory. If you need anything feel free to ask any of your housemates for help."
Merlot smiled. "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind."
"The headmaster's about to give his speech." Cedric pointed to the head table. "Make sure to listen closely. He always has some really important notes."
Merlot watched as the elderly man with his long white beard, stood up from his seat and raised his hands.
"Another year begins, and I am delighted that our first years are here to join us. A few words of warning, the forbidden forest is, of course, forbidden. The old corridor on the third floor that is currently undergoing renovation is off limits to all students. Anyone caught within will be punished accordingly, even if that means expulsion. Finally, the caretaker of the castle, Mr. Filch, has seen fit to let me know of the new thirty seven items that are banned from the castle. You can find an updated list upon his door. Now, a few final words before our banquet, and here they are. Nitwit, Blubber, Oddment, Tweak."
Plates of food appeared upon the house tables, causing several of the first years to gasp in awe. Merlot smiled as she passed a basket of dinner rolls down the line.
"He's a bit of an odd one, but bloody brilliant all the same." Cedric informed her.
"I got that memo… thank you." Merlot smiled. "So what's school here like? I'll admit, I haven't done much outside of learning the basics."
Cedric shrugged. "A bit of this, a bit of that. Our head of house is Professor Sprout, the herbology teacher. You can see her up there, between McGonagall and Flitwick. They teach transfiguration and charms respectively. On the other side of Flitwick is the potions teacher, professor Snape. He's a dark fellow, but a brilliant brewer. Next to him is the new DADA professor."
"DADA?" Merlot blinked.
"Defense against the dark arts. Mostly dealing with dark beasts and how to take care of them, but there is a bit of dueling mixed in. At least, that was last year. Nobody knows what Quirrel is going to do this year."
Merlot nodded, looking at the man with the purple turban. He felt strangely familiar…
"Anyways, other than that, there's quidditch. You won't be allowed to join the regular team, but they made a rule this year that first years can try out to be substitutes. If you're interested, i would give it a shot."
Merlot smiled. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you."
The boy smiled and passed her a plate of pork chops, before getting himself some salad. Merlot smiled as she put together her plate.
She would definitely be having fun here.
—0—
And we are done with chapter twenty three!
Sorry for any spelling mistakes. I'm on a bit of a rush today because I had a very important doctors appointment, and I'm starting HRT!
Very excited about it. Leave a review, as always. And until next time,
Adios!"