Chapter 3 A/N I do not own Harry Potter. Pardon my French: it's Google Translate. So probably terrible.
"Ah, Ms. Gratien, a pleasure to finally meet you." Dumbledore greeted with open arms.
"Pleased to meet you, as well, Headmaster." Cassie said inclining her head respectfully.
"Have you had a chance to tour the grounds? They are quite beautiful, if I may say so myself."
"I have, Professor. Professor Sprout was kind enough to show me around outside. I must admit, your school is fascinating."
"There are places here that not even I have explored, my dear. Please have a seat while the other professors introduce themselves to you. I have a feeling that you will recognise a couple." he said with twinkling eyes that did not betray their meaning.
When she sat down at one of the high-backed mahogany chairs, the door to his office opened and Professors Quirrell, Snape, Sprout, McGonagall, Sinistra and Flitwick entered.
"We meet again, Ms. Gratien." McGonagall said in greeting.
"So we do, Professor." Cassie said quickly masking her surprise, mimicking her words from the day earlier, amending her faux pas.
"I am the Transfigurations professor here at Hogwarts and the Head of Gryffindor house. I will be administering your practical and written examination tomorrow." she said, to which Cassie nodded, grateful it wouldn't be today.
"I'm going to be administering your Herbology examination today." Sprout said kindly.
"I am Professor Snape. Head of Slytherin and Potions master. You will be sitting the written and practical examination tomorrow." Snape said, in a low voice that brokered no rule breaking or mocking of authority.
"I will be administering the Charms examinations today. I'm Professor Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw house." he told her cheerily.
"I-I-I'm P-P-Proff-ffesor Quirrel. D-D-Defense teacher. Y-You w-will be t-taking the examination in t-two d-days."
"I'm Professor Sinistra, the Astronomy professor. You will be taking the Astronomy exam in two days, Ms. Gratien. It will be in the astronomy tower at midnight. Only a written exam will be given.
"Whenever you are ready, we will begin the testing. I trust you have had your breakfast?" Dumbledore asked genially.
"I have, Professor, yes. I am ready whenever you are." she answered politely.
"Very well, Pomona, Filius, whenever you are ready." Dumbledore said, dismissing the others for now.
After the written examinations were finished, Herbology first then Charms, Professor Flitwick conducted the practical examination for Charms. He made her do the levitation charm, unlocking charm, severing charm, wand lighting charm, softening charm, and as the cherry on top, made her make a salt and pepper shaker do the continental. After he was finished, Dumbledore had a small lunch brought up for her to eat before she continued with her Herbology practical.
For Herbology, Professor Sprout took her down to Greenhouse one and had her identify the various plants, how to take care of them, their properties and what they were commonly used for. Which ones were poisonous, and which ones were useful as potion ingredients. By the end of the day, Cassie was thoroughly exhausted and couldn't wait to return to her room at the inn. She bade the professors farewell, and walked down to the village.
The next day she returned to the castle at the same time and found Professor Flitwick was waiting for her.
"Good morning, Professor. How are you today?" she greeted politely.
"Splendid, my dear! You have quite the talent at Charms you know. I don't think I've ever seen a salt and pepper shaker dance quite so gracefully!"
"I saw it in an old film last year before the term started, professor. My friend and I went to an old movie theater and they were playing that film, and the dance stuck in my memory, how graceful those two were." Cassie explained, walking with him up towards the Headmaster's office.
"What movie, perhaps I've seen it."
"I can't recall the name, but the actors were Frank Astaire and Ginger Roberts. Or something along those lines." Cassie answered.
"I believe I have something to look forward to for the end-of-term holidays, Ms. Gratien. Good luck today." he said, giving the password and turning to leave.
Cassie stepped onto the stairs that were winding up to get to the Headmaster's office and waited patiently for them to stop moving. This castle just got more and more fascinating everytime she set foot in it!
"Ah! Good morning, I trust you found your way here easily?" Dumbledore greeted.
"I did, sir. Professor Flitwick escorted me up from the gates."
"To ask where the dance was from? Yes, I'm curious as well." he said as McGonagall stepped into the room.
"An old movie I watched with my friend before starting at Beauxbatons. Good Morning, Professor."
"Good Morning, Ms. Gratien. Shall we get on with the practical or the written examination first?" she asked.
"The practical if you wouldn't mind. My hands are still shaking and you wouldn't be able to read my script if I were to write."
"Very well." she said, proceeding to conjure up various items in front of Cassie.
"I want you to transfigure each of these according to what I say. Now, will you please turn the mice into a snuffbox." Cassie did as she was told and transfigured the mice into a rectangular box with golden embellishments set against a dark jade stone that painted a scene from a garden with roses on the lid.
"Thank you. Now, I want you to cast the flintifors on the set of marbles before you." And again, Cassie transfigured the marbles into a small, red matchbox with a picture on the lid of the painting Prometheus Brings Fire by Heinrich Friedrich Füger.
"Very well, now the avifors on the buttons, please."
"Is there any particular bird you would like, Professor?"
"Pardon me?"
"Do you have a preference, professeur?" Cassie repeated slowly
"None at all, miss. Show me you can cast the spell." she clarified, so Cassie cast it and transfigured a turquoise chested Guepier d'Europe right onto Professor Dumbledore's desk.
"My, what a magnificent creature!" Dumbledore exclaimed from his study. "What's it called?"
"Guepier d'Europe, Headmaster. I used to see them fly over my house all the time when I was little." Cassie told him shyly.
"I see now why you wanted to do the practical first, Cassiopée! You are quite talented." he complimented. "Professor, may I?"
"Certainly, Albus." she said, making room for him.
"I want you to turn this owl into a goblet. The incantation is Vera verto."
"Of course, professor." Cassie said, tapping the owl thrice and incanting Vera verto. The owl turned into a rather ornate golden goblet with a column in the middle and engravings of lilies around the rim and base. "Here you are professor." Cassie said innocently.
"Extraordinary. Do all the students at Beauxbatons transfigure with such attention to detail? The snuffbox and matchbox are very elegant."
"I'm afraid it's all me, sir. I am a bit of an amateur art connoisseur, and try to make all my work look as pretty as what I admire from the great artists."
"Well, you don't fail. You are just as much an artist yourself! I think I'll have a drink, are you thirsty Minerva?" Albus asked, his eyes twinkling as he recognized the trick.
"Yes, well. I suppose I could do with some water Albus thank you." she said, admiring the young girl's work as well.
"Here you are." Albus said, handing her the cup then filling it past the column, winking at Cassie.
"Thank you." she said, taking a sip and finding no water there. "What in the world?" she muttered, making both Dumbledore and Cassie snicker.
"I apologize, Minerva. It's been far too long since someone had the genius idea of the Pythagorean cup. I just had to!" he explained, making her nostrils flare.
"Well, if you are finished with your infantilism, Professor Dumbledore, I believe we must proceed with the written portion of the exam." she said with an eyebrow raised, reverting the transformation and letting the owl fly away.
"Of course, professor."
"It seems a shame to untransfigure these, they are quite beautiful. I guess you didn't lie to me when you said it was an art school you were applying to. You certainly are very talented Ms. Gratien."
"Thank you, professor." Cassie said, blushing deeply at the praise from both adults and sitting down at the desk Dumbledore had conjured for her examination.
"You will have two hours to finish the exam. Would you like a quick break before?"
"Yes, please. Could you tell me where the lavatory is?"
"Yes, it's just down the hall eight doors. On the left." McGonagall said.
"Thank you, I won't be long." Cassie said and gracefully left the room, wand still on the table.
"Think she's part-Veela." McGonagall asked him suddenly.
"No, pureblood." Dumbledore answered, still chuckling because of the cup prank.
When Cassie returned after the short break, she sat down and began her written examination. Two hours later, Cassie was finished with her Transfiguration exam and handed it into Professor Dumbledore. All she had left was Potions after lunch, and Defense and Astronomy the following day. She had a small lunch with Professor Dumbledore in his office before Professor Snape walked into the room with his usual scowl.
"I have brought the written portion of your exam, you have two hours to finish it, Ms. Gratien. When you are done, I expect you in my office in the dungeons for the practical. Do not cheat. I will know." and with that he walked out, robes billowing behind him.
"He's very serious, you know." Cassie said thoughtfully before she settled at the desk and turned the sand clock over to begin. When she was done, she made her way down the Grand Staircase to the dungeons, feeling the curious glances of other students as she did. She got lost a few times, but eventually found her way to Professor Snape's office, handing him the essay and awaiting further instructions. After a moment of looking into her eyes suspiciously, he stood up and opened the cupboard.
"You will be making a Cure for Boils. Gather the ingredients needed and begin." he said, not giving her any other indications as to what to do.
Cassie placed her wand on the table and set to washing the cauldron of any residues it may contain. After she was satisfied that it was clean, she went to the cupboard and gathered the ingredients needed: six snake fangs, Pungous Onions, dried nettles, flobberworm mucus, ginger root, pickled shrake spines, four horned slugs and two porcupine quills. She left the cauldron off the fire while she crushed the snake fangs and the ginger root in separate mortar-and-pestles and stewed the horned slugs. She added the snake fangs to the cauldron and stirred for five seconds before moving on to preparing the Pungous Onion. She cut this up finely and uniformly on a chopping board, making sure none of the juice was lost, and added it to the cauldron. She turned on the fire and let the cauldron gently heat while she mixed the two ingredients together. She added the dried nettles next and let them simmer until she saw bubbles begin to form. She added a dash of Flobberworm mucus and stirred vigorously ten times clockwise before adding the powdered ginger root, stirring vigorously ten times counterclockwise. Then she added the pickled shrake spines and stirred gently five times clockwise. She made sure the fire was not burning too hot before letting the potion simmer and focusing on the horned slugs she had stewing. When the appropriate time had passed, Cassie added one and a half tablespoons of Horned slugs and turned out the fire. She removed the cauldron from the heat and proceeded to add the two porcupine quills stirring five times clockwise. She waved her wand over the cauldron muttering the spell to finish the potion under her breath, hoping the blue was the correct shade and noting that the smoke was emitting a pink shade. She tidied up quickly and announced that she was finished with the potion.
Snape walked over and regarded her cooly, looking into her eyes, before turning to the potion and spooning it in a vial. He examined it and told her she was dismissed, that she would get her results once all her exams were finished.