AN: Warning: this chapter has references and implications towards future corporal punishment of students. However, there is no actual punishment in this chapter. This is the final calm before the storm though. Things will 'heat up' and become painful in the next chapter.
The New Princess
Hogwarts Year 1 - Part 6 - Chapter 18
A Concoction of Legendary and Snape-ish Quandaries
Previously :
Aryanna smiled, feeling a profound sense of accomplishment. All those study sessions with Setsuna over the summer with Susan had paid off.
For the next few minutes, Flitwick continued to ask the class a few more questions, gaining Hufflepuff and Slytherin a few more points, but nobody managed to top Aryanna's thorough response.
In the final moments of the Charms class, Professor Flitwick assigned a reasonable amount of homework. "I'm assigning you eight inches of parchment, due for our double period on Wednesday. Explain the fundamentals of charm spell theory and its application in casting Lumos. You may also want to explore the library for additional insights. Come see me after class if you would like a list of books that will help you with your assignments. We will be practicing the Lumos Charm in our next lesson on Wednesday. Class dismissed!" he said, and with that, the first Charms class came to an end.
As Aryanna, Susan, and Hannah made their way to the front of the class to collect the list of books Flitwick had promised, the vibrant chatter of fellow students discussing the homework and the Lumos Charm filled the air. Throughout all of this, Aryanna did her best to ignore the numerous stares of her classmates – some filled with praise and happiness, others - mostly Slytherins - with dislike and jealousy at her success. But Aryanna didn't care.
Stealing a glance at her friends, Aryanna shared a knowing smile with Susan and Hannah. They whispered excitedly about their plans to tackle the homework together and explore the library for additional resources.
As all the students gathered their belongings and began to file out of the classroom, Aryanna couldn't shake the satisfaction that lingered from her first Charms class. If this was a glimpse into the magic that awaited her at Hogwarts, she felt a genuine eagerness to embrace the challenges and discoveries that lay ahead. If every class at Hogwarts went like that, she knew she would enjoy herself here.
And now the continuation:
As Aryanna, Susan, and Hannah left the charms classroom, their spirits soared with the success of their first class. The trio headed toward the library, intent on gathering the recommended books mentioned by Flitwick and engaging in pre-class study to prepare for their next lesson: potions. The school's strict potions professor, commonly referred to as the infamous 'dungeon bat' or the 'Greasy Git,' - though only by the students and then only those who were not in Slytherin - was someone they needed to avoid angering, especially if the numerous stories and repeated warnings from older students held any truth.
According to the stories told, the trio understood that steering clear of the strict potions professor wasn't always possible, and sometimes avoiding punishment was equally impossible. Unfortunately, their house points and future comfort - for some of them even their ability to sit - rested on their ability to navigate his class successfully without provocation. In other words, they were advised to come prepared and never to 'piss him off if you know what's good for you' – their words.
Consequently, for the next few hours, the plan was precise: proceed with caution, prepare and if possible prepare even more, as you could never be prepared enough. Facing the wrath of the notorious professor was a prospect nobody wished to entertain.
But first...before Aryanna could proceed with the plan, she remembered her scheduled meeting with Hermione, a gathering she didn't want to miss. She quickly checked the time with a swift spell - a household charm learned by preschool purebloods. A ghostly display of numbers appeared from the tip of her wand, showing that it was rapidly approaching 10:15, leaving her with only fifteen more minutes to reach the library if she wanted to make it on time. It would probably take her at least ten to get there if she hurried. With a slight sense of urgency, she turned to Susan.
"Susan, I've got to meet up with Hermione. I promised her I would be in the library to let her copy my Hogwarts map. Do you want to join me or get ahead in studying potions?" Aryanna asked, her tone filled with excitement about the upcoming meeting.
"Oh yes, she also wanted to show us... something, didn't she? I'll join you," Susan answered, curiosity evident in her response.
"That sounds intriguing! Mind if I tag along as well?" Hannah asked from beside them, having listened in on their conversation.
Aryanna hesitated. That was not part of her plan. She was not sure if she liked the idea of Hannah joining them at that moment. She liked her friend a lot, but this wasn't the ideal situation or time for her to be there, not if Hermione was going to show her what she thought she was going to show them. That would quickly lead to questions she didn't want to answer.
'Not good. Hannah is not supposed to know about this, she's not a Guardian. But what can I possibly say to her to keep her away?' she wondered, frustrated. They were meeting in the library of all places, not exactly a private place.
Putting on a forced smile, Aryanna answered, "Sure, the more, the merrier." What else could she say? 'Sorry, Hannah, this is something we don't want you to see,' or 'Sorry, Hannah, Sailor Guardians only club, come back later'? She couldn't even use 'Sorry, Hannah, Guardian Fan Club only,' as an excuse, seeing as Hannah was also a member. How troublesome!
Hannah was a childhood friend, one they used to share everything with, as long as it wasn't related to Guardian business. The absurdity of those excuses played out in her mind. Especially when they didn't even know for sure what Hermione was going to show them was indeed what Aryanna thought it was, or when Hermione herself, the person Aryanna wanted to talk to, didn't even know. For all she knew, Hermione was just going to show them a new book. Yeah, that wouldn't work.
"Yet, as they walked through the halls of Hogwarts toward the library, Aryanna couldn't shake the feeling that having Hannah there would only complicate matters further. If the 'MC' was truly what Hermione wanted to show them, it wasn't something to be shared casually with anyone, friend or not. She would have to navigate this situation delicately, as usual.
'Damn it all. This would have been so much easier if Hermione had been sorted into Hufflepuff like the rest of us. But no! She just had to be sorted into Ravenclaw, making this so much more difficult. It's really aggravating.'
'What to do? At this rate, it might be best to go ahead and just tell Hannah everything. She did trust her... but could she trust her with this? Maybe an oath of secrecy? Can I really demand that from Hannah?' she wondered, worried for her friend. Keeping secrets of this magnitude was troublesome at best and would only cause problems later. Even if she was sure Hannah would forgive her later, she really wanted to avoid meddling with her friends' minds if she could. But their alternate identities had to be kept secret, so what other choice did she have?
Finally reaching the library, they spotted Hermione sitting quietly in a corner, engrossed in writing what seemed to be an essay on the Dark Arts. Her eyes brightened with joy as she saw them approach, motioning them toward free seats at her table."
Aryanna hugged her friend and took a seat. "How was your first class, Herms? We had Charms with the Slytherins. Professor Flitwick is incredible. We had so much fun," she said quietly, keeping her voice down enough not to disturb anyone.
"Oh, yes, I heard he's an excellent professor. He knows his stuff and is supposed to be easy-going and fun too," Hermione replied excitedly in a quiet voice. "We had Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Gryffindors and Professor Quirrell. A fascinating subject, even though you probably wouldn't think so at first. The professor doesn't seem entirely suited for it," she added, her enthusiasm briefly dipping before returning.
"Oh? Why's that?" Susan asked Aryanna and Hannah listening intently.
"Well, Professor Quirrell... you see...he stutters a lot and seems frightened of... well, everything. I think I even saw him jump at his own shadow," she said awkwardly. "Still, he knows his stuff, and you know me, I would never make fun of anybody with a disability," she added, her excitement dimming briefly. "I just don't think he's entirely suited for the position. It deals with Dark creatures and dangerous spells, after all."
"But enough about my first class... I have something far more important and interesting to show you," she said, her excitement rising as she grabbed her bag and began searching for something.
Aryanna watched with bated breath, her heart beating rapidly in excitement as Hermione unpacked a small, yet extremely sturdy metallic object. She recognized it almost immediately.
"Here it is... I found it last night while I was doing some last-minute studying for classes today. One second I was wishing for another note book, the next this notebook appeared in front of me. Crazy, right?"
Aryanna could hardly believe it! There it was! The legendary Mercurial Processor in all of its shiny advanced glory! One of the legendary, long-thought-lost items of the Silver Millennium was in front of her! Each Guardian had one... a legendary item they called their own and only they could use. Mercury had her computer, Venus had her indestructible Venus Love-Me Chain, Mars had her flame talisman aiding her in visions, Saturn her infamous glaive of world-ending destruction, Jupiter her thunder gloves giving her limited control over the weather and enhanced strength, Uranus had her Space sword, Neptune her Deep Aqua Mirror, Pluto her Garnet Rod and Time Keys, and she as Sailor Moon had two items, one still missing. Those being the Legendary Silver Crystal currently residing inside her, and her Moon Stick, which would only appear again once she was deemed ready and powerful enough to wield it.
Aryanna couldn't help but be mesmerized by the alien technology. At that moment, she felt like dancing a merry jig.
The Mercurial Processor, also known as the Mercury Computer, was the most advanced supercomputer in existence, bar none. Even during the heights of the Silver Millennium, it had no equal. Incredibly advanced and self-updating to boot, it was also practically indestructible, with a self-recharging power source that could work forever. It worked everywhere regardless of the environment—freezing, roasting, boiling, vacuum, or underwater, it made no difference. It had only one flaw: it knew only one master... or rather mistress. Created in the very core of Mercury itself so very long ago, tied directly to the immortal soul of the Mercury Star Seed, the Mercurial Processor would only work for one person and only that person—Sailor Mercury. And that person was currently holding it in her hands. In Hermione's hands and only her hands, it could work wonders.
It was in a way sort of fitting that the one destined to wield this technological marvel, with the greatest affinity, was Hermione, the Muggle-born, who had grown up surrounded more by technology than magic.
It was also maddening! Knowing you had the most advanced computer in existence right in front of you, yet unable to use it to its full potential. For everybody else, it would just be an outdated computer or even a toy, depending on the person, their education, and their beliefs. To those who knew, however, it was the ultimate supercomputer, and only Aryanna and Setsuna currently fully understood its significance. While Susan had heard of the legendary machine from tales told primarily by the Mau during stays at Potter Manor, she had no idea what it truly was. Hannah and even Hermione - its designated user - currently recognized it only as a Muggle Notebook, albeit a very advanced laptop, but were unaware of its true advanced capabilities or alien heritage, and only Hermione would ever be able to make use of its full potential.
"No way... a computer? Here? I didn't know they even worked at Hogwarts. Electricity is not supposed to work here," Hannah exclaimed, eyes wide in astonishment as she studied the famous processor, only to suddenly get shushed by an angry-looking librarian for speaking too loudly. After Hannah apologized, they continued.
"I know... it surprised me too... but look," Hermione whispered, demonstrating as the advanced laptop booted up instantly at a mere touch of her finger. An alien, freakishly advanced operating system revealed itself, along with magical and extraordinary features, captivating the other girls. Aryanna, fully aware, tried desperately to act normal, squashing her rising emotions and hiding a tear. She kept the secret—for now.
Growing up at the Dursleys, she was never allowed to have a computer of her own, let alone allowed near one. Even in school and the library, computer usage was highly regulated, and the machines were fiercely guarded by the teachers and librarians—if you could use them at all. They all worked on MS-DOS, and that was not an easy operating system to use, especially for those unfamiliar with it—very few had the new operating system Windows. Looking back, with 'students' like Dudley around, that was probably a good thing. Her cousin once managed to break three computers in two years, all within the first week.
At this moment, Susan's eyes suddenly grew wide as she turned to look at Aryanna. Her thoughts were clear. 'Is this...?' Aryanna simply nodded discreetly. Yes, it was indeed the Computer she was thinking about and yes, it was very real.
Susan stared at the ancient device in awe, even reverence, as the millennia-old supercomputer, older than known time itself, scanned Aryanna's Hogwarts map and timetables and displayed them on its screen. It only took a single second, and it was all done.
"May I?" Susan asked Hermione, seeking permission to touch the legendary machine. Hermione nodded. Susan quickly grabbed the computer and watched in amazement and also disappointment as it promptly shut down the moment she touched it, only to turn on again the moment she let go of it once more. "So not fair," she mumbled to herself while Hermione watched with confusion as her friend tried again, only for the same to happen.
Aryanna shook her head in near disbelief. This was going to change her friend; she just knew it. She only hoped it would be for the better. She was already practically a genius when it came to learning new things. Nothing would be safe from her now. Somehow she had a funny feeling the whole library would be under attack by the intelligent witch by the end of the weekend at the latest, if not sooner, and then...who knows. 'I guess, I'll be there to pick up the pieces if the worst happens,' she thought to herself as she looked at her friend fondly. There was a reason why Sailor Mercury was the Guardian of intelligence and nicknamed the queen of information and knowledge.
'At least I will always know who to ask if I ever have a question,' she thought, unknowingly echoing the same thought of many princesses and queens before her.
"Well... that's interesting," Susan said, acting surprised by her inability to use the mystical—and highly aggravating, for her—machine. "Wonder why I can't use it," she added, handing the computer back to Hermione and watching enviously, nearly green with envy when the computer immediately lit up for the smart witch.
"Yeah, that is strange," Hermione mumbled as she tried to figure out what had happened.
Aryanna smiled bemused. 'I wonder how long it will take for her to find out?' she thought to herself. 'My bet is, she won't... not until I tell...'
"Huh, what's this? Why is it telling me only I can use it?" Hermione asked, surprised.
Aryanna's eyes widened comically in alarm. "Maybe I should stop making bets."
"Mercury?... What do you mean... only someone named Mercury can use you... I can use you," Hermione asked the computer, surprised. Aryanna nearly facepalmed. This was not the right moment for this. At any other moment, she would have been ecstatic, but unfortunately, Hannah was nearby and looking at her in confusion. She had to find a way to distract her... Now!
"Erm... Hermione, sorry to distract you from your... little gadget but... erm... can I have my map and timetable back now?" she asked her a little more forcefully than she had intended.
"What?... Oh, yes... sure, sorry, here you go," she said, handing the map and timetables back to Aryanna, who promptly added. "Any chance you could use your new... er... toy, to help us prepare for potions? I hear Snape is a strict taskmaster who doesn't accept failure of any type."
Susan smiled bemused as she realized what Aryanna was trying to do. "Yes Hermione, that would be great. We'll even share a few questions which we received last night. We were told to look over them before class," she added, helping her friend in distracting their bright friend.
That did the trick.
"What? You got questions? From who? What are they? Oh, this is so not fair. First the map, now questions..." she asked angrily, her voice starting a little louder, loud enough to draw the eye of the librarian, before she finished in a whisper, "Why wasn't I given any?"
"Maybe it's because your Ravenclaw prefects don't care as much as ours do," Hannah answered quietly with a smirk, deciding to join in the fun, earning herself a glare from Hermione which turned thoughtful as she thought about it. "Hmm... unfortunately you might be right. They did seem to ignore us last night, far more interested in those books than answering our questions," she admitted sadly.
Aryanna groaned. They were not supposed to tell anybody that. They had promised they wouldn't. If word got out that their prefect was handing out potions questions, she might get into trouble with Snape.
"Hannah! We were not supposed to tell anybody where we got them from," she hissed angrily at her friend.
Surprised and feeling bad, Hannah blushed. "Oops yes... sorry! That... slipped my mind. Please don't tell anyone," she said urgently, looking desperately at Hermione as she said this. She did not want to be the reason for Grace, their nice prefect, to get into trouble.
Suddenly, they were disturbed by the voice of the Librarian Madam Pince, who had walked up to their table. "Keep it down! This is a study area, not a chatting area. If you want to chat, go outside," she admonished sharply, glaring at each girl. "What is that?" she asked, looking at the Mercury Computer, which was still open and active.
"That...that's a Muggle...uh... study device," Hermione answered nervously, quailing under the professor's glare. "It's used to keep notes," she added quickly, turning the screen around and showing her a picture of the Hogwarts map.
"A Muggle device? Here...at Hogwarts? Impossible! Let me see!" she commanded, reaching forward to take the supercomputer from Hermione's dismayed hands. Not having any choice but to obey, Hermione let her have it, only for the computer to shut down immediately the moment it left her hands into Madam Pince's.
"Hmm...doesn't look like much. Does it even work?" she said as she tried to figure out how to get it to respond, only for nothing to happen. "No matter, I'm confiscating it. Who knows what this 'Muggle' contraption is capable of," she said, stressing the word 'Muggle' as if it was some kind of disease. "Now get back to work, or get out," she said and began to walk away with the computer in hand, leaving a shocked group of friends behind.
"Did that really just happen?," Susan moaned in dismay a few seconds later as she watched the legendary computer disappear into Madam Pince's desk, a thought which was echoed by Hannah and Hermione. Hermione had a betrayed look and tears in her eyes. The only one of the group who didn't seem to care was Aryanna, who had watched the whole scene play out in serene quietness.
"Don't worry," she whispered as she looked at Hermione, seeking to reassure her friend. "I promise to help you get it back." Unlike the others, she knew Madam Pince couldn't keep it. It wasn't possible. Not only was it completely indestructible, but it also could be summoned to the current Sailor Mercury at any time from anywhere. All Hermione would have to do was to consciously will or wish it to come to her, and it would obey; her connection to the legendary machine would do the rest. Shields, spells, wards...magic, or anything mechanical...even erased from the timeline, it didn't matter. As long as one existed, so did the other. Don't ask her how, but according to the legends, nothing could keep it away from its mistress, only perhaps death. Of course, she would only tell Hermione this after she had told her the truth. For now, it was better to keep away from...
Suddenly, the computer appeared back in Hermione's hands, much to Hermione's and the others' surprise. Aryanna sighed. 'Never mind. Looks like she found that out by herself,' she thought, partly resigned, partly exasperated as she watched a surprised, relieved, and happy-looking Hermione quickly stash it away, back into the safety of her bag and away from angry librarian eyes. "Well... I won't tell if you won't," she said with a grin, a second later, earning herself a relieved laugh from the other girls.
By the time Madam Pince realized it was missing, they would be long gone from the library.
With the excitement of the Mercury Computer temporarily behind them, the girls immersed themselves in preparations for their upcoming class: Potions.
After extracting a promise from Hermione not to disclose the source of the potion's questions, Aryanna allowed her to copy them. Hermione proceeded to do so manually, purposefully keeping her distance from her new 'toy.' This action ensured she stayed clear of another potentially troublesome encounter with Madam Pince. The last thing any of them wanted was for Pince to discover Grace's 'cheat sheet,' thereby embroiling the helpful Hufflepuff Prefect in unnecessary complications. Grace certainly didn't deserve that.
As lunchtime approached, the quartet of friends found themselves grappling with a few potions questions that seemed stubbornly resistant to their attempts at memorization. Susan and Hannah appeared to struggle the most.
"I never thought I'd be grateful for Setsuna's study sessions and the relentless drilling to memorize facts," Susan mumbled, frustration etched on her face as she once again tried to recall the answer to a particularly challenging question. "I mean, seriously, take this one, for example: 'Name two uses of Bubotuber pus in potion-making,' or how about this: 'What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?' How are we supposed to know this? We are only First Years! We haven't even had a class yet. Does Snape really expect us to know all of this for our first lesson?" She felt the weight of impending doom on her shoulders, conscious of the dwindling time before lunch and their initial potions class. "I don't want to get punished," she muttered, her voice teetering on the edge of despair. Beside her, Hannah appeared on the brink of a nervous breakdown.
Aryanna and Hermione exchanged dismayed glances. They didn't know how to help their friends on such short notice. All they could do was be there for them, for all the good that would do. With her eidetic memory, Aryanna had it easier compared to her friends, besides Hermione perhaps. She was...well... Hermione and she usually had the Mercury Computer to help her now as well, so she didn't count. Growing up with her aunt and uncle, Aryanna had taught herself how to memorize facts quickly. It had been a necessity when every wrong—or every right answer—could get her the strap from her relatives, depending on their mood and the report card she brought home to them. This ability to recite facts and her outstanding memory were the reasons why she excelled in classes so easily. However, Susan and Hannah didn't have that luxury.
"Oh no, oh no, I'm going to get punished, I'm so going to get punished," Hannah hyperventilated, her anxiety escalating at the mere thought of what she believed awaited her in the upcoming potions lesson. Tales of students getting caned for providing wrong answers were firmly etched in her mind. Aryanna couldn't help but shake her head and empathize with her friend's plight. This was no way to learn anything! It felt more like torture than education. Was Snape truly as daunting and sadistic as they feared?
Suddenly, Madam Pince's voice cut through the atmosphere of stress in the library.
"Lunchtime! The library will be closing in five minutes for the next thirty minutes! You may leave your belongings if you wish, but be advised that I will be closing the library until one thirty, and you will not be able to retrieve them until I return."
Immediate dread washed over Susan, and Hannah neared the precipice of panic. "I'm doomed, I'm so doomed," she murmured, eyes wide with fear and brimming with tears. She trembled visibly.
Aryanna had enough. Rising from her seat, she moved to comfort Hannah, determined to offer solace. "Shh, it's okay. It's all going to be okay; you'll see. Everything will be fine," she reassured her in a gentle, comforting voice, all while glancing at Susan, who was gathering her notes, a forlorn and resigned expression on her face. 'This is becoming absurd,' Aryanna thought, motioning for Susan to collect Hannah's and her belongings. "I'm going to take Hannah to the Hospital Wing and ask for some Calming Draught. Would you like some too?" she asked her two other friends.
Hermione declined, insisting that she was fine and didn't require any assistance. On the other hand, Susan nodded. "Please, if you wouldn't mind. By the way, things are going, I think I'll need it for class, if nothing else. I'll catch up with you for lunch," she said before handing Aryanna her Hogwarts map. "You'll need this, I bet."
Aryanna nodded appreciatively. Guiding Hannah out of the library, she steadfastly ignored the varied glances they received—some knowing, some sympathetic, and others simply perplexed. There was no way she would allow some professor to terrorize and tear down her friends. Come what may, they would find a way.
Stopping briefly at the Hospital Wing, Aryanna and Hannah sought relief from Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse. Aryanna requested a Calming Draught for Hannah and Susan, which the kind matron handed them almost instantly. An annoyed frown and sigh accompanied Madam Pomfrey's gaze as she noticed Hannah's distressed state.
Listening to the matron's muttered complaints about the recurring annual events, Aryanna's keen Sailor hearing caught an aggravated remark from the nurse just before they exited, "Every year the same, someone should rein him in or put him in his place." Aryanna raised an eyebrow in surprise, realizing with rising nervousness that if the school nurse was saying it, then all the rumors must indeed hold some truth. This did not bode well! Sighing sadly and glancing at Hannah, who was slowly returning to normal, she couldn't help but wonder how it would all play out for herself and her friends.
A few minutes later, with Hannah calmed down, at least for now, the two friends left swiftly for the Great Hall to grab some lunch. Arriving at the Great Hall at 12:15, Aryanna and Hannah joined Susan, Hermione, and the unexpectedly pleasant presence of Lily Moon at the Hufflepuff table. It appeared that the red-haired girl had missed them, deciding to join them at their table, and was now engrossed in another potions discussion with Susan.
"Excuse me, please... I come bringing the gift of calmness with compliments from our kind and helpful medi-witch, friend, and savior of overly stressed witches," Aryanna announced with a jest as she handed Susan her Calming Draught. The grateful smile that spread across Susan's face mirrored the immediate relief from the built-up tension she had been feeling.
"Ah! Thanks, Arya. Just what I need. Those questions are driving me up the wall," Susan said, after taking the potion, already visibly calming down by the second. "Thank Merlin for calming draughts. Too bad they are so addictive, though. If they were not, I'd be using them every day."
"That's probably the reason why they are addictive — to stop us poor Potions-stressed students from abusing them," Aryanna replied with a grin, which was mirrored by her friend. Unfortunately, the grin didn't last for long; her thoughts soon returned to the looming potions lesson with Snape, and the daunting challenge ahead. 'And here I thought I was going to enjoy Potions,' she thought dismally, remembering how interested she had been a week ago, after looking through a potions book. Now it was more like terror.
Halfway through lunch, barely managing to enjoy their meal — a pan-seared salmon dish with a lemon-dill glaze, roasted sweet potatoes, and steamed broccoli — they watched with mixed sympathy and bemusement as Ron Weasley, red-faced and humiliated, stood up to make his apology for fighting with Draco Malfoy. He was supervised by his older prefect brother, Percy, a new fifth-year Gryffindor prefect. On one hand, they thought he deserved it. On the other hand, they were annoyed that Draco, who was relishing the moment, did not have to do the same. It appeared that, as a Malfoy, he considered himself above making apologies, or perhaps the Malfoy family was simply better at concealing their wrongdoings. At that moment, Aryanna couldn't help but sympathize with Ron and question Molly Weasley's actions. All five girls felt that Draco should have faced similar consequences, yet he sat there seemingly without a care, even though he was supposed to be in just as much trouble as Weasley. Unknown to the girls, it would turn out to be a recurring theme throughout the year. Life, it seemed, just wasn't fair.
Finally, directly half an hour before Potions class, the moment the clock struck half-past one, Aryanna, Susan, and Hannah, accompanied by Hermione - as the Ravenclaws shared the same class with the Hufflepuffs - quickly bid Lily farewell and headed towards the potions classroom, anticipation and nerves rising rapidly with every step.
Ten minutes later, having made good use of the map and good time, they were only a few corners from the potions classroom when suddenly, they encountered a commotion in front of them.
Peeves, the Hogwarts Poltergeist, being the menace he was, was tormenting a group of first-years with water balloons and dung bombs, blocking their passage. Unwilling to tangle with the troublesome poltergeist and risk getting delayed...or worse, the quartet swiftly turned away.
"Crap, bloody Poltergeist, what are we supposed to do now?" Hannah asked with clear worry, her concern breaking through the effects of the calming draught. Realizing they needed an alternative route or risk waiting and being late, the quartet of friends quickly began to look for another option. All of them were acutely aware that the chance of being late—and with it, the chance of getting punished—grew with each passing second.
"Quickly, give me the map," Hermione demanded as she snatched the map from Aryanna's hands. After studying it furiously, she spoke up, "Follow me; I think I know a way. If we hurry, we should still be able to make it on time." Without another word, she settled into a fast walk bordering on a run.
Shrugging, with no better plan in mind, the other girls followed. The next ten minutes turned into a hurried rush through a maze of corridors and a hidden passageway, taking the longer route through Hogwarts halls. They nearly got lost twice and narrowly escaped two close encounters with authority figures who would have punished them for running in the corridors, an offense at Hogwarts.
With only a single minute left to spare, sweating and out of breath, the cackling sounds of Peeves still clearly audible nearby, they finally arrived at the Potions classroom.
Very conscious of the rapidly dwindling remaining time and poor Hannah's nerves rising by the second, even though the effects of her calming draught, the quartet of friends swiftly ignored Peeves and rushed into the potions classroom with barely a minute left to spare. Releasing a sigh of relief the moment they realized that the professor was not there yet, they quickly made a beeline to a few free desks at the back of the room and sat down. Normally, Aryanna would never have considered taking a back seat, so to speak, but in this case, if the rumors were true, then it was best for her to keep her head down as much as possible, and the further away they could get from the hated and feared professor, the better off they would be. If the rumors were true, then she should not expect to gain many, if any points, in this class. If anything, she would lose them instead. From the way the older students had described it; Potions was not about gaining points, but rather how many points you had left once it was over.
As they settled into their seats, whispers and hushed conversations circulated among the present students—those, like them, who had made it in the nick of time. The atmosphere in the room evolved subtly with every passing second, becoming charged with a mix of anticipation and apprehension as the final half-minute before the start of class ticked away. Aryanna checked the time one last time and exchanged uneasy, helpless glances with her friends. It was apparent that not everyone had made it yet; some Puffs and Ravens were still missing. If they didn't arrive soon... the rest went unsaid.
The final class of the day was about to commence, and Aryanna and her friends had just enough time to wipe the sweat from their faces, remnants of the surprise exercise imposed by Peeves when it happened. Precisely as the clock struck 2:00 pm, the inner door of the potions classroom, leading to the Potions Master's quarters, swung open with a resounding bang, seizing the attention of every student in the room.
As if a switch had been turned on, the room almost instantly hushed, devoid of all voices, and the air turned thick with tension. There he stood, the enigmatic and imposing figure of Severus Snape, in all his dark, brooding glory. Snape's imposing figure commanded attention as he entered, his black robes billowing behind him, creating an almost spectral presence. The tall and lean silhouette of the most hated and feared professor at Hogwarts moved with purpose as he scanned the room with sharp, obsidian eyes, missing nothing as he locked his gaze onto each student in turn while striding purposefully to the front of the classroom. For a fleeting moment, Aryanna swore that the air itself seemed to grow colder as he passed her by.
His voice, like a cold wind, swept through the silent room, each word cutting through the air, demanding compliance and precision.
"My name is Snape, Severus Snape, but to you, I will be known only as Professor Snape or Master Snape; anything else, and you will be punished. There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few who possess the predisposition, I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death. That is if you don't happen to be like the dunderheads I usually have to teach," he said before he paused for a second to study every face in the room.
Aryanna felt a chill run down her spine as Snape's eyes seemed to briefly linger on her for a moment longer than necessary. In that fleeting gaze, she sensed a mixture of disdain and something else, something she couldn't quite decipher. Was it curiosity? Or perhaps a hint of recognition? She couldn't be sure, but the unsettling feeling lingered. Finally, the feeling passed and Snape continued speaking a second later.
"I expect excellence at all times and nothing but excellence. I will not tolerate laziness of any sort. Put in the work, and we shall get along fine. However, if you don't put in the effort I expect from you or if you annoy me with unintelligent drivel... you will be punished. Disobey my orders or speak out of turn, and you will be punished. Get anything less than an Acceptable, and you shall feel my wrath..."
As his gaze swept over her again Aryanna frowned when she suddenly noticed something peculiar. It seemed to her that whenever the professor's eyes gazed over her they morphed into an expression of sudden anger. She didn't know what to think when he locked eyes with hers while delivering the final part of his stern address. For a fleeting moment, she felt like a mouse under the scrutiny of a cat. A subtle smirk played on Snape's face, adding an unsettling layer to the already tense atmosphere.
Snape was looking right at her, and it seemed he was about to speak when suddenly, the classroom door swung open, admitting a few late students, all of whom looked afraid and out of breath. Snape's voice turned menacing as he turned to face them. A few whispers of dismay fueled the pin-drop silence of the room, amplifying the gravity of the situation to new heights. All knew that the next few moments would not be pretty.
"Latecomers, those without a valid reason, will definitely be punished, harshly. I will tolerate no lateness in my class... ever! I presume, for your sakes, that you all have a good reason for being late?" he asked the late students with a glare as he took a step towards them.
The assembly of late and not-late students alike looked nervous; others looked scared.
From the back of the room, Aryanna waited with bated breath, wondering what would happen next. Glancing to her right to look at Susan and her left to look at Hannah and a little further away Hermione, she saw that Susan had a very solemn and, in Hannah's case, a pale frightened look on her face. Faces filled with sympathy, that knew exactly what was about to happen. In Susan's case, it was the face of someone who wanted to help but knew there was nothing she could do. In Hermione's case, it was a face of grim acceptance, while in Hannah's case... the face of a cornered mouse looking for a way to escape an especially I'll tempered cat. Not a look Aryanna liked to see on any of her friend's faces.
As those lucky enough to be on time watched helplessly from their seats, one of the students, a Ravenclaw by his blue tie and uniform, stepped forward.
"Sorry for being late, Professor; we were stopped by Peeves. He wouldn't let us pass," he said. The room held its breath, and the late students exchanged uneasy glances.
"I see... and?" Snape responded as if he didn't have a care in the world. Which at that moment he probably didn't.
"Sir?" the boy asked, unsure what the professor wanted him to say.
"I'm waiting for a valid reason for being late... or is that supposed to excuse your lateness?" Snape asked the boy, his tone turning colder by the last few words, daring him to answer in the positive. Suddenly, the boy didn't seem so sure of himself anymore. He swallowed nervously.
"Sir!... I... er... it was either wait or get drenched by the water bombs or get hit by the dung bombs he was carrying," he tried to explain desperately.
"And I should care... why?" Snape asked, folding his arms together as he waited. It was at this moment that the boy fell silent and he paled as realization firmly set in. His explanation had been found wanting. He was in trouble and he no longer knew how to get out of it.
"I'm waiting," Snape reiterated, his impatience palpable.
From her seat at the back of the room, Aryanna watched in horror and rising sympathy as the boy realized the hopelessness of the situation he suddenly found himself in. Behind him, the other latecomers were not faring any better.
'This is awful. What am I witnessing here?' Aryanna questioned herself, the unfolding events playing out like a distressing spectacle before her.
"Sir!... I... I don't know what else to say," the now-shaking boy finally stammered after a pause, earning a sneer from Snape. The professor turned to face the other latecomers while Octavius awaited his fate on shaky feet.
"Does anybody else have anything to add?" Snape inquired. Hesitantly, a familiar Hufflepuff girl from her dorm, Daisy Stone, stepped forward. "Daisy Stone, Sir, I'm really sorry for being late, sir! Peeves got me with a dung bomb, and I had to go back to my dorm to change," she explained. Despite Daisy's sincere apology, Snape once again remained unmoved.
"So, are you all telling me that none of you thought to take another route...and to come to class earlier? Peeves has been waiting in that corridor the whole morning. I know you all had three hours to find the way and get on time to class thanks to your generous timetables. Are you all telling me that none of you dunderheads ever thought of anything else but to wait for the poltergeist to get tired and move away?" Snape interrogated them, glaring at each in turn.
Aryanna's mind raced, contemplating how Snape's cold logic was shutting down any chance of mercy for the late students. She couldn't help but feel a growing sense of dread and injustice. The oppressive atmosphere in the room was suffocating, and Aryanna couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of a long and challenging year in Potions class.
Meanwhile, Professor Snape continued to scold the late students, "You could even have asked a prefect to help you or, failing that, asked a professor for help; they would have gladly given you a free pass, but I guess none of you ever thought of that either, did you?" he snarled before turning back to the boy. For several seconds, nobody spoke until Snape demanded:
"Name?"
"Sir..." the boy attempted to defend himself, but Snape cut him off. "Your Name...now!" he commanded.
"Sir...please..." the boy begged. "Name NOW!...unless you want to double your punishment!" came Snape's impatient reply.
In her seat, Aryanna stared in horror as the boy lost all hope and began to cry, mirroring the dismayed expressions of the other latecomers.
Seeing no alternative, the boy finally answered quietly and helplessly, "Octavius Montague, Sir."
Hearing the name, Snape turned around and walked to his desk. He retrieved a large red book from a cupboard, and Aryanna watched in dismay as the boy's plight unfolded. The words on the cover were barely discernible: 'Punishment Book.' The impending consequences were clear.
Snape leafed through a few pages, muttering names that began with N and then M until he found what he was looking for. "Ah, here you are... Montague. According to the book, I am allowed to use corporal punishment on you. Therefore, I shall do so. However, as enough class time has been wasted, and I do have a class to teach, your punishment will be five points from Ravenclaw and three strokes of the cane for tardiness, to be delivered after class," he declared, causing gasps and sympathetic looks from some students, and Octavius' teary face to nod forlornly in defeat as the reality of his impending punishment set in. As First Punishments went, that was a rather harsh one. Behind him, the other latecomers visibly paled and looked at each other in worry. Nobody wanted to be him at that moment.
"Take your seat and consider yourself lucky it's not more, as the penalty for lateness in this class is usually a minimum of 4 strokes...but I am feeling lenient today as it is, as you said, your first day," Snape added with a sneer before turning to face the other latecomers, while Octavius walked past him on shaky feet.
'That was being lenient?' Aryanna thought in horror. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy. In her opinion, he didn't deserve that. She looked over at Susan and Hannah. Susan looked grim while Hannah was barely keeping it together. 'Good grief...and that's with the calming draughts,' she reminded herself.
"Does anybody else have anything to add?" Snape asked. Hesitantly, Sally Anne stepped forward. "Sally Anne Perks, I'm sorry for being late, sir!" she said, handing out a small note as an excuse. Snape took it, glanced over it, nodded towards Sally, and then looked back towards the other latecomers. "See, this is what I'm talking about. Miss Perks here wisely asked a professor for help and got a late slip to excuse her lateness. Please take a seat," he added kindly to Sally, a kindness which surprised everybody in the room. Sally nodded and walked past him without another word.
Aryanna closed her eyes and silently thanked the stars for Sally's quick thinking. She didn't need any more trouble than she already had; her home life was challenging enough.
"As for you," Snape said, turning to the last latecomer, a Hufflepuff girl called Daisy, who tensed up immediately. It was clear from the scared look of apprehension on her face that she expected the worst. "Like Miss Perks, you could and indeed should have asked a professor or even an older student—any student over the third year—for help, and they would have gladly helped you..." he paused as he checked the punishment book for her name. Aryanna watched as Daisy, with tears in her eyes and visibly shaking took a nervous breath as she awaited her fate. Then watched as Snape stared at her. "But at least in your case, I can understand why you didn't think of doing so. Muggleborn...correct?" he asked her surprisingly kindly. She nodded, frightened.
"Unlike Montague, you are still new to the idea of magic, so at least you have 'that' excuse. Make sure you learn from your punishment and don't repeat the mistake as the next time your penalty will be worse. A lot worse. The book says you are not eligible for corporal punishment... I shall therefore take twenty points from Hufflepuff instead." Gasps of relief echoed around the room as Daisy sighed in relief and nodded. "Thank you, sir!" Snape nodded back and said, "Take your seat," motioning towards the available seats across the classroom.
From the back of the room, Aryanna allowed herself to relax and sigh in relief as Daisy walked to her seat. She could see Daisy stumble slightly and sigh in relief as the notion that, yes, she wasn't about to be punished more physically fully entered her mind. It was at that moment that she also fully understood the punishing dynamics at play. It basically boiled down to either enduring physical punishment and losing a minimum of house points, or evading the rod and losing a lot more house points—thereby also risking the wrath of her house when losing too many jeopardized their chances of winning the house cup at the end of the year. In other words, did she want to feel the pain of the rod, or risk being potentially disliked, ostracized, and bullied by her house? A vicious but effective circle indeed.
For a second, she could even understand why so many of her peers preferred the quick and painful way over the risk of enduring an angry house. The pain, while painful was quick...the house's wrath could last the whole year. For a second Aryanna wondered if she had made the correct choice by choosing the no physical punishment route. However, one look at Snape, and she quashed that thought immediately. Something about him made her uneasy. She had a feeling that it was better this way. A lot better!
From that point on, the class was finally able to start in earnest. All in all, the whole debacle had taken a full twenty minutes of class time, a fact that only served to stoke Snape's anger. Aryanna did not doubt that he would unleash his newfound wrath on poor Montague at the end of the class.
Finally putting the red punishment book away, if only for the moment, Snape turned towards a small ledger on his desk. Picking it up, he began to call out names.
"Abbott, Hannah!" he called out, startling the girl.
"Sir?" she squeaked out, surprised. At that moment she was quite jumpy with nerves.
"You are required to say 'here' or 'present,'" Snape responded, answering her questioning look with a scowl.
"Sorry, Sir. Here, sir!" she quickly answered before risking further ire.
"Atticus Blackwood!"
"Here, sir!"
"Isolde Blackwood !"
"Here, sir!"
"Marietta Edgecombe"
"Present, Sir!"
"Seraphina Rosier"
"Here, Sir!"
On and on it went. Snape called out each of the 33 names of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, stopping briefly as he called out Aryanna's name. His face twitched into a partial half-frown, half-scowl as if restraining himself with great difficulty from saying something. A few seconds later, he continued with the remaining names.
Finally completing the name-calling, he looked up at all of his students. "I think we have wasted enough time, so..." he paused. "Let's see what type of dunderheads I have to deal with this year. Time for...a quiz," he said with a smirk.
'Showtime! It's do or die!' Aryanna thought as she swiftly sat up straight, giving the potions master her full attention. She knew the next few moments would be crucial.
Snape, smelling blood, like a shark in a pool of bleeding seals, looked right at Hannah once more and called out, "Miss Abbott, what is the primary ingredient in the Cure for Boils potion as clearly stated in chapter 2 of your potions book? You have ten seconds to answer...begin!"
Taken completely by surprise, Hannah froze. For the next seven seconds, she could only stare at Snape, her mind temporarily frozen and blank. Just as panic was about to firmly set in, with only three seconds left to answer, she remembered that it had been one of the questions given to her by Grace the night before.
"Porcupine Quills?" she half answered, half guessed at the very last second.
Snape frowned at her. "Is that an answer or a guess?" he asked with a glare.
"Er...an answer, Sir!" Hannah nervously replied. 'Please be right. Please be right!' she thought barely holding on as she waited for his verdict. The tension was swiftly becoming too much for her. Any second now and she was sure she would break.
"Then make it sound like one! you foolish girl" he said loudly, anger in his voice. "If there is one thing I hate, it's students guessing material which they clearly know. Five points from Hufflepuff for unnecessary hesitation and be happy I don't have you over my desk for the slipper. Next time I expect clear and prompt answers is that clear, girl!" he asked harshly.
Hannah gulped and nodded, white-faced. Grateful it wasn't more or something worse she answered with a quick squeaky "Yes, Sir!"
Nearby both Susan and Aryanna let out sighs of relief. 'That...was too close for comfort,' Aryanna thought as the added stress of the moment left her.
"As it is, you are correct." Snape finally stated finally satisfied with her earlier answer. Snape then turned to the next student, leaving Hannah to collapse back into her seat, a near-nervous wreck. She had survived, somehow, but she had survived. From her seat, Aryanna silently celebrated her friend's success. She wasn't happy with the way Snape treated her, but at least he hadn't punished her too severely. A loss of points in this situation was an acceptable trade-off, in her opinion.
"Mr. Montague, maybe you can partially redeem your lateness with the answer to the following question... 'Which potion is used to cure the common cold?'"
"The Pepper up Potion!, Sir," Octavius Montague answered with a clear, precise, and confident voice.
Snape nodded. "Correct. It seems there may be hope for you yet as little as it is at the moment...keep it up. 5 points to Ravenclaw" Octavius nodded back grateful for earning back the points he had lost earlier. Now if only he could find a way to get out of his looming caning he would be ecstatic.
"Miss Meadows," Snape said next, getting the attention of the Muggleborn Hufflepuff. "What is the purpose of the Forgetfulness Potion?"
"Er...it's to forget things," she answered uncertainly.
"Partially correct! But not good enough. Potions is a very precise subject as such I expect precise and correct answers. Does anybody else want to answer for her?" Snape asked the rest of the students with a growl, while the girl flinched, becoming paler by the second as she realized the danger she found herself in. Susan and a few others raised their hands. Aryanna kept hers down. She knew the answer, but something, a feeling of self-preservation, told her it would be best for her to keep quiet, at least for now.
"Miss Bones...your answer if you would." She quickly answered, "It's used to erase or modify memories." "Correct!... Take five points for Hufflepuff for your correct answer, as expected from the heiress of the Bones family. Miss Meadows, the answer was in chapter three of your potions book. I expect better from you in the future, five points from Hufflepuff." Both girls nodded glad that their ordeal was over, no matter the end.
Suddenly, Snape's attention was drawn to a Hufflepuff boy, seemingly immersed in his own world and jotting down notes. Deciding to set an example of the boy, Snape snarled, "Mr. Smith! Is there a reason you are not paying attention?"
Startled, the boy answered, "Sorry Sir, I was looking at a few questions in the book and making notes." Snape frowned, peering into the boy's eyes as if scrutinizing his soul. "Very well... since you believe yourself smart enough to ignore today's class, name two uses of Bubotuber pus in potion-making. It's part of the chapter you claimed to have just read so there should be no problem," he said, surprising the class and leaving Aryanna wondering, 'How could he possibly have known that?'
Shocked by the question Zacharias Smith stayed quiet. He didn't know the answer.
Snape secretly smirked. He had suspected that the boy would not be able to answer the question, as it was a question they would be covering later, near the end of the year. He would have been surprised...and even impressed if he had. Impressed enough to have let him off the hook. He knew that while the foolish boy had indeed been writing notes, he had not been reading ahead at all. But there had always been a chance that the boy could have answered it from past reading, so he had given him the chance to swindle himself out of trouble. Unfortunately for him, he had failed to impress and would now have to accept the harsh consequences of his insolence.
"No answer. Anybody?" Snape sneered, throwing the question to the whole class.
For a brief moment later, it seemed like nobody was going to answer, but then Hermione hesitantly put up her hand.
Snape was already in the process of saying "A pity, the answer to this question is... " when he saw her hand go up, and his eyebrow raised in surprise. 'Interesting, let's see what you know, girl,' he thought while he said " Your answer, please, Miss...?
"Granger, Sir, and Bubotuber Pus can be used for the treatment of acne and as a magical cleaning agent." She answered with extreme confidence repeating the exact line as it was written in the book, which greatly surprised Snape and even impressed him. 'Interesting, someone to observe in the future,' he thought. "Correct, take five points for Ravenclaw," he said before he walked to his desk, where he briefly checked the punishment book before turning back to face Zacharias, who was now looking very nervous. "As for you... ten points from Hufflepuff for not paying attention, and I'll be seeing you after class, together with Mr. Montague for four strokes of the cane," he announced, daring the boy to argue.
Foolishly the boy did just that. "But sir, I was taking notes and I did read..." he began to backtalk looking for a way to get out of trouble.
From her seat, Aryanna face-palmed at the boy's ill-timed defiance. 'How stupid could you get,' she wondered in dismay. It was one of the major rules of survival she had learned in school: You never talk back to a teacher, especially not when you know you are in the wrong. It seemed Smith had not yet learned that lesson, but he sure would now. Talking back never ended well.
"Make that twenty points from Hufflepuff and a full six strokes of the cane... I will not be lied to...ever! IS THAT CLEAR!" Snape roared, making the whole class jump. Snape received a shaky nod and a feeble "Yes Sir" from the now teary-eyed boy.
Snape glared at the boy for a few more seconds before turning back to face the class. It was at that moment his eyes fell on Aryanna, and he smirked. Instantly Aryanna's danger senses began screaming at her. Once again, Aryanna swore she saw his eyes briefly glaze over as he looked at her only for them to unglaze as soon as he looked away, just like they had earlier in the lesson. 'What was that?' she wondered. It was as if the man in front of her switched into a different person whenever he looked at her. 'This isn't normal. Why is he looking at me differently?' she thought, unnerved.
Snape's posture shifted subtly, a barely perceptible tension in his shoulders. The classroom seemed to hold its breath as Snape's gaze returned to linger on Aryanna.' There it's happening again,' she thought.
"Ah yes, Aryanna Potter, our resident Celebrity, let's see if you live up to your fame," Snape said, rolling her name around on his tongue as if savoring every letter of it.
"Sir?" she asked, again witnessing Snape's eyes briefly glaze over as she spoke to him. 'Once again it's as if he's becoming a different person. But how... and why?' Aryanna wondered, preparing for what was to come.
"Tell me Potter!" he suddenly asked menacingly, nearly spitting out her name. "Which plant is a key ingredient in the Sleeping Draught? You have ten seconds to answer," came Snape's demanding voice.
Aryanna smiled. 'Excellent,' It was one of the questions from Grace's helpful notes. "Valerian root, Sir!" She answered with extreme confidence, expecting to get some points for the correct answer. However, instead, all she got was an annoyed frown filled with undisguised anger...and was that a tad of disappointment? 'That couldn't be right...could it? she wondered. Why would he be angry and disappointed about a correct answer? Something wasn't right here... but what? She had to investigate this.