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Potions was fine. Harry didn't understand much. He tried to follow the action on the board and with the cauldrons but he would have been lost without Alexander the skull. He did some translation and told Harry the instructions.
After Potions, Harry followed Fleur to defense against the dark arts. The teacher paired them up, Harry with Fleur, and had them focus on disarming the other. Harry constantly failed. He was consistent if nothing else. Alexander harumphed at him over it. Fleur managed to snatch Harry's wand from his hand a dozen times. Each time she caught it without fumbling in this otherworldly grace.
"Fleur?" Harry started as they began walking to herbology.
"Hm?" She wondered back at him when he hesitated.
"Are Veela… fay?"
"Not quite. We're something in between. Not unlike a changeling."
"What's a changeling?" Harry had to ask.
"A half human half fairy," the veela answered. "They have to choose to between being full fairies or being fully humans. At some point it comes down to that decision for them. However veela powers are not unlike some things in fairie."
"Ah," Harry responded, unsure how to feel. He had a lot of learning ahead of him. That much was for certain. He still didn't know so much about this world and how it worked.
In herbology they trimmed the leaves off certain fine smelling plants. Their fragrance was actually intoxicating. And when you cut the leaf from the stem and collected it you caught a whiff of that fresh minty basal like smell.
Harry was sad to leave the green houses but he collected his books in his little bag along with Alexander the skull. Next was lunch.
Harry was famished from his morning. He ate greedily of the french cuisine. It was some soup with shrimp in it which chiefly caught his eye. He didn't know the name of it. It tasted rich and super good though.
Harry sat next to Fleur but they didn't talk much. At all really. Harry was too preoccupied with getting enough food in his stomach and to his hard working brain.
His mind felt overloaded and pounded with exhaustion. It felt like he was cooking it up. He couldn't help it though and had a sip of his language learning potion before Fleur led him away to charms.
For charms they were working on levitating a feather. Harry had already mastered this back at Dumbledore's home in Britanni. He easily lifted his feather with the charm and the teacher applauded him. Harry blushed heavily under the praise. It wasn't really fair. He got to practice before anyone else did.
They were assigned homework much like transfiguration. If you failed the charm you needed to write an essay. That's what Fleur told him at least. He trusted her to see him through.
After charms was mathematics. It was basic and would lead to arithmancy. But Harry was nine and Fleur was eleven. They couldn't comprehend the more advanced terminology. Not yet. They still needed to master multiplication and long division. Harry advanced through the class easily. The symbols were after all the same. They were given some homework. Multiplication practice of various sorts and an introduction to matrices. Harry failed to grasp most of that but he would learn. Algebra came to him naturally. Matrices were an extension of that.
Harry knew he had so much to learn. He felt like a fool in a wise man's world.
"Hey Fleur, who's the poor sap you've got bewitched this time?" A voice beckoned to him and Fleur on their way to literacy.
Harry was sure to struggle in the French literacy course. But for now he focused up on the voice assailing them. He looked around and saw a pretty brown eyed girl.
"Amelia, do I need to give you another lesson in the dueling pits?" Fleur responded in French and to Harry's surprise he understood most of it. I mean there were some words missing but he could fill in the blanks with his sharp wit. Dueling something she had said. Likely arena or pit.
"You won't be on top forever!" The girl. Now identified as Amelia shouted back to a chorus of murmurs from the other witches.
"Yes I will. You can't possibly keep pace with me. Why do you think I was chosen to escort the Merlin's new apprentice?" Fleur bounced back easily.
"That's the Merlin's new apprentice? He's so small."
"He's nine, what'd you expect?" Fleur rolled her eyes and let out this wonderful ringing bell-like laugh that almost made Harry sway on his feet. He glanced anxiously between the two witches.
He wasn't sure there was anything he could do or say to help Fleur. But he desperately wanted to repay her kindness. "Leave her alone!" He shouted. "I'm not under her allure and she's been nice to me."
"That's exactly what someone under the allure would say," Amelia bit back with a knowing grin. Harry growled.
"Harry please," Fleur murmured. "I'll trounce you in the dueling arena like I always do. You'll have to go to bed with fresh bruises.
"Well just see about that. Being madam Maxine's favorite won't keep you safe from me."
"Come along Harry. We have better things to do than to concern ourselves with the opinions of less witches."
Harry followed Fleur to literacy.
"Sorry. If it was something I did…" Harry stammered off.
"Not to worry. I am powerful and talented. That inspires envy which inspires spite. My peers rarely can contest me alone."
"What about when they aren't alone?" Harry wondered.
"I manage," Fleur answered. Harry found he didn't like that answer much.
"Do they attack you?" He asked of her.
"Not often," she whispered.
"Oh." Harry had some experience with that with Dudley and his friends. He managed with time and practice but it was hard. It was hard being alone.
Harry reached out and took Fleur's hand. She glanced at him.
"I'm sorry," he murmured.
"It's fine." She sniffled once and pulled out her book. She released Harry's hand as she did with one last squeeze.
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"How was your day, young man?" Dumbledore asked Harry when they were alone in their rooms after school. Dumbledore had some business to attend to off campus but after that he was back at the coven.
"It went well, school did. But I worry about my guide Fleur. I suspect she gets bullied. She seems lonely. I don't know how to help her."
"Ah to be a young heart alone in this world. Oh who would inhabit the bleak world alone?"
"Sir?"
"It's a quote from a poem. At any rate endeavor to be a true friend to her and you'll find everything will sort itself out. Olympia won't allow her students to come to harm. Not outside the dueling pits at least. She cares for her pupils. She is a fine witch."
"Fleur seems nice. I don't know how to reach out and cross that divide."
"You are kind Harry. And empathetic. All one can do is the best they are able. It's all any of us can do. The best will do the best they can and the worst will do the worst they can. Remember your limits while being a good friend and it should be enough."
"What if it isn't…"
"You're too young to be plagued by worries you can't change. You will rarely find yourself trapped in such a situation. There is always something we can do for our friends. Even if it's just lending a comforting ear."
"I struggled with defense today," Harry changed the subject. "We were supposed to be disarming our partners but I just couldn't."
"With Miss Delacour?"
"She was my partner. Yes."
"I see. You may have had mismatched intent but that could be secondary. Show me how you cast."
Harry showed off the wand motion and incantation while Dumbledore stood opposite him lightly holding his own wand.
"I see. Yes. The wand motion and technique is fine. Try to cast the spell on me."
"You, sir?"
"Yes, quite so."
Harry did to no effect.
"Ah yes. Mismanaged intent. Clear your mind and focus, young man. I shan't be harmed and neither would Miss Delacour."
Harry tried again and the wand flew from Dumbledore's hand. Harry fumbled it when he attempted to catch it.
"Very good. Remember your mind clearing exercises in the future. Now why don't you return my wand to me."
Harry picked it up from the floor and paced over to his master. He handed the wand over. It was a knotted thing with several carved berries across the length of the device.
"Now off to bed with you. Sleep well my young apprentice. You have another busy day tomorrow. Starting with your friend. And I think you shall find the dueling pits awaiting you."
"I don't know anything about fighting sir, well not with magic."
"You will. You must."
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-WG