Hey, I'm back!
Unfortunately, my beta is still out, so sorry about the mistakes you're likely to find. If someone feels like beta reading, please contact me (I'm looking for a native speaker).
You'll find out in this chapter that the schedule I made is absolutely weird, especially for Great-Brittain. In France (where I'm from), we can have classes until 6pm, and I didn't take into account that classes don't last as long in Great-Brittain when I first wrote my story. So oops.
Enjoy and review!
I follow the directions of older Gryffindor students in order to find my classroom and experience for the first time the… independent Hogwarts stairs. Yesterday we have been spared, but today I have to endure three unexpected deviations that would have gotten me lost in the castle without the benevolent help of a few hasty Ravenclaws . Even if it's not exactly handy, I find those stairs awesome. I think that exploring the castle will be interesting… Just by walking to my course I pass by a couple of seemingly abandoned corridors. I can't resist an abandoned corridor!
I'm one of the first pupils to reach the History of magic classroom. There's only two Slytherin and three Ravenclaw students waiting. I wonder with which of these houses I will be in class. On my schedule it's just written "First year, group two". A few minutes later a rather noisy group joins us, standing out. Two Hufflepuffs, one Slytherin. One of the Potter twins, Scorpius, and the girl I already saw with them. They stop about fifteen steps away from me and I can hear them complain about them missing Albus. It seems that he's in another group. Since there's apparently no other classroom around I understand, intrigued, that our group is constituted of pupils from the four Houses. Two Gryffindor girls arrive then, and I catch a book in my bag to focus on something else than their discussion. I manage to immerse myself in my reading and forget the outside world until the teacher arrives.
She is a tall, blond, strict-looking without looking to severe lady wearing an impeccable witch dress. Daphne Greengrass (well, Malfoy now I guess). Scorpius' mother. She waits for us to all enter the room before closing the door behind us, letting us free to pick our seat. The room is quite big and includes more chairs then there are students. The chairs and seat are arranged in four concentric semi-circles facing the board. I sit at one end of the second row, the further away I can from the Gryffindor girls who don't seem overly motivated to approach me anyway.
Considering we wasted enough time finding a sit, the teacher gives a slight cough and the last kids find their seats. The Malfoy-Potter group (I'll have to think of a nickname for them) is one row behind me, and no one took the seat on my right. On the other hand, the bag I put on it is precisely there to discourage any inclination towards socialisation. The teacher starts speaking.
"Hello everybody, and welcome to Howgwarts. As you probably have noticed, your courses will take place in mixed groups, with students coming from the four Houses. For some of you, there's nothing surprising, yet it is for us a very recent change. Our society is fast-changing at the moment. In fact it will be the subject of our first courses together, since the changes we've been living over the last few years are very important. It is mandatory that you have an idea of the why and wherefores of what is still happening at this very moment. Similarly, you have been surprised by the way your schedules are organized. The free days are wanted and the consequence of our new organisation system, but don't go thinking it'll be holidays. It will be time for you to do your homework, and more specifically working on presentations for my course as well as for your courses of Muggle World Studies. In fact, History of Magic teaching has been thoroughly reformed, and my course will also feature units about Muggle History, since our two worlds have had a lot of influence on each other. It's important to talk about the links between the most marking historical of our history and the Muggle one. Any questions?"
A dark-haired Ravenclaw sitting on the first row rises her hand, and the teacher lets her speak.
"Are those units on Muggle History mandatory, miss?"
The teacher looks like she expected the question, and patiently answers:
"A part of Muggle History is on the curriculum, because it's something mandatory to be able to understand the evolution of the world around us. So yes, it is compulsory. And I am certain that you'll easily understand why, once we'll go into the details. Any further questions?"
No one rises their hand this time, and the teacher waves her wand in the general direction of the board, tracing the words "History of Magic program, first year". A list of chapters follows, that I carefully write down on my notebook. Honestly, it looks interesting, and really different from what I read in the canon. While we slavishly write down the chapter names, the teacher makes sure that we have our books.
I'm done rather quickly, and I stare at the program, reflecting.
I) From Lord Voldemort's rise to power to the present days. A contemporary history of the impact of the dark years and the publication of the Harry Potter books on the Great Britain's magic community
II) Shared History and the origins of the Secret
III) The Age of Discovery and the development of overseas magic communities
IV) The main Goblin Wars and the magical creatures claims
V) The Wold Wars and their muggle equivalents
I'm particularly interested in the first chapter, because I'm more and more wondering what the hell is going on. Hogwarts has little to do with what I expected. Friendship between the Houses, shared classes… Once the teacher is done checking everyone's books, she starts speaking again:
"The goal for this year is to give you a global vision from History, and we will enter in more details during the next years we'll spend together. For next class I want you to read pages eight to twelve of your manual and answer the three questions at the bottom of page twelve. Friday's course will exceptionally be more of a lecture, as well as next Monday's so that you'll have the basics before starting to prepare your presentations. Those who want to use the time they win by not having to prepare a presentation yet are encouraged to consult the documents quoted at the end of your book under the category "To go further". That's all for now, have a nice day!"
xxx
And as simply as that my first course is over. For a starting, theoretical course, it was rather intriguing… And now I have even more questions. I think I will start reading my History book tomorrow. I follow my group to get to the next class, MWS, also known as Muggle World Studies. Well, I guess it sounds slightly better than Muggle studies, like it doesn't sound as despising towards the Muggles, in a way… The children stars group (yes, still a sucky name, I'll find something better eventually) is leading the way and seems to know their way since we reach the next classroom smoothly. It's on the fourth floor and Alix Aster is already waiting for us. Upon entering the room I find out that it has a very different organisation than the History of Magic's. The square tables form small islands with enough space for four people per island. In the end I find myself sitting with the PoMa (MaPo? Okay, this nickname is shit too).
Scorpius greets me with a smile, and I make an effort of smiling to him as well while greeting him back, before saying hi to Severus and finding out who the Hufflepuff girl is. Her name seems to be Eva Carliff, and she's in fact the reason why the Potter and Malefoy children met and befriended. A story of primary school for rich kids from wizarding families. I don't have the time to learn much more about that, because the class starts. Alix Aster begins by asking up all to stand up, then to walk to the right side of the class if we grew up in the Muggle world, and to go to the other side if it was in the Wizarding world. Some people stay in the middle, hesitating, and the teacher speaks again:
"I'm not asking about your blood status, for me as well as for every teacher in the school our pupils are equals, no matter who their family or ancestries are or were. My goal by asking you to do this is to know who will be able to teach things to whom. If I put together in a group people that grew up people that grew up in the Muggle world then proceed to explain them how to take the subway, that will be useless. But if I try to explain the same thing to someone from the Wizarding world, I will have a lot of explanation to do before even starting to tell them how to take the subway. No one is below the others, you just have different knowledge. Moreover, even if my course is called "Muggle World Studies", it's meant to be a "Wizarding World Studies" course for some of you. So please, pick your side of the room. For those who have lived in both worlds, please go to the side that is the most familiar to you. Thank you."
Once she's done speaking, the last children find their place. We're about one third of the students on my side of the room. The teacher asks the class to get into four people groups with at least one person coming from each world. Scorpius motions visibly for me to join him and I simply seat back with him and his sidekicks, ignoring the chaos created by the research and group creation of the other students. Once everyone has found their place, Aster walks between the tables, distributing a piece of parchment per group. She tells us that we have forty-five minutes left to answer all the questions on it, using the knowledge of everyone in the group. Scorpius reads the sheet for us.
"By communicating with your classmates, build a table showing on one side the wizarding solutions to solve the situation (+1 point if the spell(s) of use is (are) written) and on the other side the muggle solutions (+1 point for clear explanations)"
A list of daily life situations follow, and we soon take to the game.
"So, first situation: write. I assumer that pretty much everyone does the same, right?" says Scorpius
"Technically yes, except that muggles use pen and paper rather than feathers." I say, pulling my kit out my bag
"Oh yes! I heard about this!" exclaims the Hufflepuff.
"I myself already use pens, it's way more practical than the feathers, however I don't have paper, since we can't turn in our homework written on it" adds Eva
"God knows why… But in any case I plan on writing my courses on paper" I sigh
"Do you also have self writing pens?" ask Scorpius
"No, we don't. I guess you can add it to the wizarding solutions. It's called Quick-Quotes Quills, right?"
"Indeed. So, next question?"
We all nod and Scorpius reads the next question. And honest, this course is really interesting. The time flies by fast. We talk animatedly but without animosity and the kids look as interested in the world I'm coming from as I am in theirs. I write down some useful spells, like for instance the one wizards use to wash the dishes (that Severus was the only one of our group to know, he apparently learnt it in secret for when his parents punish him), or a spell used to make snow balls (don't ask me how this came to the conversation). Eva, and to a lesser extent Scorpius and Severus know a thing or two about the Muggle World but are still surprised when I proceed to explain what a subway is, for instance, or how the planes fly (admittedly it's a bit blurry to me as well, those stories of lift and wing shape, but I do my best).
Once the period is over our table is filled with information, and we're in the middle of a debate about the different muggle and wizard entertainment activities, there's just so much to say The teacher asks us to work together as a group in order to prepare a presentation for next course on an interesting muggle solution to one of the situations we had to solve. We instantly decide to talk about winter sports, which fascinated my school mates, especially skiing. We walk together to the Great Hall to eat, and on the way I find myself talking about my fire staff and promising them a show on the week end… I got carried away by my enthusiasm… We split at the entrance of the room and I take a seat in a quiet corner at the end of the Ravenclaw table, seeing how naturally my first year comrades sit together at the Slytherin table to wait for Albus.
xxx
To my great despair, Arthur and Ewald join me as the food arrives and the Great Hall starts to fill. The conversation is about classes, and I admit that for now everything looks captivating. I ask them if their morning went well, and Arthur tells with great motions an anecdote about his potion course, where his and Ewald's cauldron apparently almost exploded. The topic strays off to the potion teacher who is apparently passionate about his topic but has some questionable teaching methods. Ewald tells us a story from his fifth year, where the teacher apparently made his best students drink a poison before telling them to prepare the antidote before being in a too bad shape to drink it.
"Seriously?"
"He had prepared a bunch of beozar stones, he isn't fully irresponsible but yes. Seriously."
I shrug before answering:
"Sounds cool."
"You must know that Vivian loves danger" tells Arthur "It's possible that she is even more oblivious that Harry Potter himself on a broom."
"You didn't find a better comparison? I find offending how bad you underestimate me!" I protest
"I heard about that theory. In any case, it came as no surprise to me that you landed in Gryffindor."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. You're one of the bravest people I ever met, even if I'm quite sure part of you being brave is actually being foolhardy. Although I could have imagined you in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw..."
"Why?" I ask, intrigued
"Ravenclaw, because you always impressed me by your way of speaking, thinking, and how smart you are. I know that intelligence doesn't make the House, but you also have a lot of knowledge, and you're creative, look at your poems. Are you still writing them by the way?"
"Of course." I answer, surprised that he remembers. "And Hufflepuff?"
"Do I really need to explain?"
"Sure, else why would I ask?"
"For your loyalty of course. I saw how far you can go for your friends, even if it's also for that reason that I think you totally have your place in Gryffindor."
"If you say so. But you should really forget that you know. I'm not brave, I just have no survival instinct. And to be honest I was expecting to land in Slytherin."
"Why?"
"Because I'm evil, of course. Careful, I'm not saying all Stlytherin are evil, I don't mean to offend anyone. But I would have liked that. Plus green and silver are way more beautiful than red and gold."
Ewald raises a sceptical eyebrow to that, but doesn't say anything about it. Arthur doesn't insist and prefers asking if I have a new poem to show him. I think about it, but I'm not sure to have non compromising stuff with me, so I tell him it'll be later. He accepts without batting an eyelid and we finish eating quietly. I still have a free hour before my Potions class, and the others two are also free, so I ask them to show me a bit around the castle, and more specifically to show me where the library is. Arthur lets out an ironical "Ravenclaw...", and we set into motion.
xxx
« Faire davantage confiance aux gens ? Davantage que rien ? Même si le niveau de difficulté paraît peu élevé, j'en suis incapable, et même si je pouvais je ne le voudrais pas. Faire confiance, ça n'amène qu'à s'exposer. Et oui, je suis consciente qu'en te disant ça je te fais confiance, quelque part. Mais bon, ça ne prête pas vraiment à conséquence. Quoi qu'il en soit, tu devrais vraiment laisser tomber avec moi, je te dis, je n'apporte rien de bon. »
-SMS envoyé par Aurore Berger à Quentin Lemage, peu après qu'ils aient commencé à discuter-
x
"Trusting people more? More than nothing? Even if the difficulty level seems rather low, I'm incapable of it, and even if I was able to I wouldn't want to. Trusting only leads to exposing oneself. And yes, I am aware that by saying that I'm trusting you, in a way. But well, this is insignificant enough. Anyway, you should really give up on me. I'm telling you, I don't bring anything good."
-SMS sent by Aurore Berger to Quentin Lemage, shortly after they started talking together-
So, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! What did you think about the teachers and classes?
See ya!
Kuro