Don't Tickle a Sleeping Slytherin   von Lhasbelin
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                           Kapitel 7: Chapter Seven
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Something is licking my face. Ew. I blink and try to make something out but it
is completely dark. I feel around for my wand – something hairy is lying half
on top of it. Right, Morgana.
 
Lumos. (The light is slightly blue again.)
 
Morgana is nudging me with her snout. Sigh. It's in the middle of the night what
could she possibly want?
 
„Yes, yes. I'm awake, I'm awake. What is it?“ I ask her in a whisper and she
whines. I know that whine... Really? You need to go now? Great.
„Well then, come on.“ I silently get up and throw a robe over my sleep
clothes. Picking her up, I pad my way outside.
 
The castle is eerie like this. The candles are dark and the only light is the
bluish glow of my Lumos. Luckily there are no ghost here yet, it's creepy enough
as it is. I like it.
 
There are a couple of animals making a mess in the entrance hall. Sigh. Did they
not think to close their dorm room doors? What am I saying, some of them are
little children, of course not.
 
There are two cats, a dog, an owl (really?) and two that I cannot identify. I
quietly call for a house-elf and ask them if they could take care of the animals
and their mess – the elf vanishes the mess and starts herding the animals back
to their owner's dorm, when a second elf appears and suggests to keep the pets
to an unused room – so that the owners will realise their pets left in the
night. I don't  wait to find out what they decide, Morgana is whining again and
so I take her outside.
 
While I wait for her to do her business, someone approaches us.
“What are you doing out here, Wulfric?” Oh crap. Salazar.
“Well, my wolf needed to go, and I thought it was better if she did her
business outside...”
“There is a curfew for a reason.” Yeah, as if you really expect your
students to honour that. Well... he probably does expect them not to get caught.
“And if she didn't wake me, I'd still be in bed.” I sigh and grumble “And
there would still be a mess in the entrance hall because no one told the elves
about it.”
“What do you mean, Honoria?” Oh, joy, Rowena is here as well.
“Some of the others did not close their doors and a couple of pets escaped.”
“I see.”
“As punishment for being out after curfew, you'll clean the stables before
breakfast in the morning.”
Yay. Well, I guess it is to be expected. Rowena looks slightly surprised, but
then she nods.
“That will suffice. Now, go back to bed.”
 
I pick up Morgana and excuse myself. When I turn into a corridor off the
entrance hall, I can see that they're carrying a bag of herbs. Potion
ingredients? Or something for Salazar's experiments?
 
I fall into my bed and fall  asleep almost instantly – this is something I
could really get used to, considering the almost-insomnia I used to have. Waking
up in the morning on the other hand is hell on the other hand. One of the
house-elves rips me out of my sleep (he's nice about it but it feels that way
anyway) and tells me that I need to start on Professor Ravenclaws punishment –
even though it was Salazar that assigned it.
 
I make my way to the stables – telling Morgana to wait outside and praying
that she will listen – and start helping the house-elf there. He doesn't seem
to happy to see me, he probably knows that he'd be able to work a lot faster
without my help – vanishing stuff and so on. I don't know such magic yet and
the muggle way takes time.
By the time I am finished, I ache. This body is definitely not used to this kind
of work. The elf – Gibby – sends me away and vanishes the waste instantly
that I had needed so much time for to get it all out... Unfair. But there's
nothing I can do about that yet. I will, however definitely look up vanishing
spells. Even if I'm afraid they'll be higher level stuff.
 
Morgana's gone. Great. I want a god-damn shower – or a bath, whichever – but
I need to find her first. I try calling for her a couple of times and then I ask
Rinka if she could tell me where Morgana is. Rinka pops away to get her for me.
 
Once I have her back I scold her for disappearing. I suck at it. I can't really
blame her after all, I don't even have a leash, for heaven's sake. Not that I
really want her to suffer the indignity of a leash...
 
I carry her back inside and grab a quick bath. By the time I arrive in the great
hall, breakfast is in full swing. Resolving to ignore the others and their
manners, I make my way to Merlin – who is waving at me like crazy. I sit down
next to him and greet him – he pesters me about where I was, so I tell him. He
looks at me in sympathy – Cepheus who is sitting two seats down, in disdain.
The manners thing is definitely a work in progress, but there is progress.
Cepheus is even correcting younger students – and so is the Willard girl after
she sees him do it. She's a lot less successful than he is. I guess the Black
name has a lot of clout even in this time. Could also be the fact, that he is
polite about it even if he is haughty and that she's just snarling...
 
Like yesterday Godric announces our lessons after we eat. Apparently we will
have Transfiguration with him and Potions with Rowena in turns. Third class will
have their first charms lesson with Helga.
Godric tells us firsties to follow him and leads us to a classroom.
 
„Since theory is boring, we'll start with something practical. Each of you
take a stone“ he points his wand to the desk in front of the room where a
bunch of stones appear „find a seat and sit down.“
 
There is some chaos but then everyone settles down. I sit between Merlin – and
I should really start to call him Myrddin in my head so that I don't mess up –
and Eridanus Black.
 
“So. You all have a stone in front of you. We'll start easy. I won't make you
change it into something else let alone something living today. You will only
need to change it's form. Turn it into a stony cup. The incantation is
scutra.“
He explains and demonstrates the wand movement, which is a weird circling-point
motion. Then he tells us to try.
 
I try to change the pebble into a cup. Nothing happens. Considering the small
explosion I hear from somewhere behind me, that's probably a good thing. Godric
bustles over there and corrects the poor girl. She must be one of the younger
ones, judging by her voice and she sounds as if she's about to cry.
 
Merlin seems to be trying to stab his pebble. He succeeds in pushing it off the
table, and then nearly  capsizes the desk trying to get to his stone. Sighing I
grab his desk before he can over-balance it, and without really thinking about
it Accio his pebble.
 
It smacks against my head, making me curse. Someone gasps. I start to apologize
for the use of such language but Godric interrupts me. „What did you just
do?“
„Huh?“
He raises an eyebrow.
„What did you do, Ms. Wulfric?“
„Curse?“ I'm not sure if I'm trying to deflect his question or seriously
answering him.
„And why did you do that?“
„Err, well, I got hit in the head by a stone?“
He narrows his eyes.
„Did you summon it?“
„Eh.... maybe?“ Uh, oh. Why are you paying attention now? Couldn't you have
stayed oblivious? The not-sticking-out thing really is working great. Not. Damn.
 
He hums and tells me to concentrate on transfiguring the stone instead. I  drop
Mer--- Myrddin's pebble in front of him and go back to doing exactly that. Or
rather, I go back to not-doing exactly that. I can't get the stone to change
forms.
 
Godric does rounds and corrects our spell casting. Some have problems with the
pronunciation, some with the wand movement and some don't know how much magic to
put into the spell.
 
When he reaches us, he tells Myrddin to stop trying to stab the stone – it's
already dead – and demonstrates the proper wand movement again. In my case he
looks puzzled. Apparently my pronunciation is okay and the wand movement, while
not perfect, should suffice and therefore the spell should work without any
problems – but nothing happens. He corrects my wand movement a couple of times
– it changes nothing. Then he tells me to imagine a stone bowl and try again.
I am imagining a bowl, dammit!
 
Blink. Something happens. The stone changed. Well, the colour has changed. It's
red instead of grey now but hey, at least something happened. Godric just starts
to laugh. He tells me to work on it and moves on. Great. This is so not helpful.
 
Eridanus stones reminds me more of a ding than a cup but at least he managed it.
I'm a bit envious.
 
After what feels like several hundred tries – probably closer to fifty – I
finally manage to do something. It's not quite a cup, it's also not quite a bowl
but it has a definite bowl-ish form now. There is an indentation in it's middle.
Progress.
 
Not even half of the class manage a proper cup or bowl by the end of the lesson.
Eridanus is one of the few that do.
 
I consider going to the kitchens but since I don't know where exactly we will
have the lessons with Rowena, I accompany the others to lunch in the Great Hall.
 
It's getting better, people are trying (and in some cases epically failing) to
apply the Etiquette lessons we had, but at the very least, I don't get any stray
food on my plate (except for the pudding-y stuff Mer--- Myrddin drops on my
plate because I just have to try that. He's right, it's delicious.)
 
Compared to yesterday and breakfast today, lunch is a relatively quiet affair.
Mostly people concentrate on eating instead on talking and eating at the same
time.
 
After lunch, Rowena tells us to follow her and leads us to another room in the
dungeons.
 
The room is wide, a lot less cramped than the other class rooms – which makes
sense considering that we'll need space for all the cauldrons. There are rows of
desks of two, six seats in a row. Merlin and me end up on the front right one.
Probably not the safest spot since we can't see what the others will be doing
– though I doubt either of us would realize it in time if they messed up. I'm
not looking forward to a cauldron blowing up in my back. Not that my own
cauldron blowing up isn't a possibility but at least then it's my own damn
fault.
 
Rowena looks over us and tells us to settle down.
„Now. Potions is a very dangerous area. It is very important, but also very
dangerous. If you do not pay attention, you could easily injure someone. I will
NOT tolerate messing about. I will NOT tolerate day-dreamers. DO NOT experiment.
FOLLOW the recipe. Follow the recipe EXACTLY! A wrong ingredient at the wrong
time, a turn too many or too few, the flame to high or too low – all that
could prove FATAL. If I catch anyone playing around in this class he or she will
leave this school before they can say Hogwarts!
 
„Potions is an exact art. You need to pay attention to what you are doing and
when you are doing it. Because of the dangers inherent in these lessons, we will
NOT start with anything practical. We will only start on brewing, after I have
taught you the basics and you have learned them and taken them to heart!
 
„Potion ingredients react differently depending on how they're prepared. Does
anyone have any foreknowledge and can tell me such a way?“

Silence greets her. No one seems to be able or willing to answer her. She stares
at each of us in turn. I don't raise my hand – I have a good idea what she's
talking about – but I think it's safer if I don't show that. I'm a
muggle-born, it'd be a bit weird if I know more than the 'magical' kids.
 
„Ms. Wulfric.“
 
Damn. I forgot to take into consideration that Rowena had seen me in the
library. I repress a sigh.
 
„Um. Well, there is a difference between chopping, cutting, slicing and dicing
ingredients, Professor.“
 
She nods. „Correct. Depending on in which way you prepare something, it will
react differently. This is why I will teach you the differences and how to cut,
chop, slice and dice.“
 
She waves her wand and a cutting board and a small knife appears in front of
each of us.
 
„We will not start with any potent potion ingredient, they are far too
expensive to be wasted for simple practice. You will all learn on an Ascalonian
pallacana.“
 
Okay, never heard of that. What is tha--? Oh. She waves her hand again and an
onion appears in front of everyone.
 
„You should all own your own knives or daggers, but as this is a non-magical
plant, a simple conjured knife will do for today. There is no magic for the
conjuration to interact with. Such is another danger. Depending on how potent
and how volatile an ingredient is, you cannot use magic during the whole brewing
process. Some ingredients can't be used in any but a gold cauldron. But you will
not interact with such ingredients until year three, most likely.
 
„Now, on to the different ways to cut an ingredient. First, how to chop.“
 
The next hour and a half maybe – I have no clock and am guessing here – we
are taught how to correctly chop, cut, dice, slice, mash and so on. She gives a
couple of examples on how different ingredient can be used if they're prepared
this way or that way – but since she mostly uses Latin and or Greek
nomenclature I have difficulties with keeping those things straight. One of her
examples only varies in potency. Another one reacts as a base if chopped and an
acid if sliced if I understand her explanation correctly. Base and acid weren't
the words she used after all, but it's the only equivalent that makes sense with
her explanation.
 
Since I have some experience with these things due to cooking, I am faster than
some of the others which is both annoying – I have to sit around waiting in
between her demonstrations, but it is also a good thing: I manage to save Merlin
from cutting off a finger – a total of four times. He does alright with
chopping by keeping his hand a bit too far away, resulting in flying onion
pieces, but when it comes to slicing and dicing.... I spent half my attention on
watching him after the first almost-injury instead of cutting my own onion. My
pieces are a lot less accurate than they would've been normally – not that my
cutting, slicing, dicing whichever is perfect but at least he still has all ten
fingers. Seriously, it's hard to believe that he's the legendary Merlin.
 
After that semi-practical theory part of the lesson, she moves on to plants and
ingredients. She shows a couple of things and asks questions.
 
Quite a few of those things I've never heard of. Well, I'd probably know some of
them even if I can't recognize them myself, if they were using names that I
know. But even if I understand their English – which logically speaking must
be Old English – that apparently doesn't mean that I automatically understand
everything. Things that neither I nor a normal muggle child of this world would
know, I don't know as far as I can tell. Actually, I also know nothing a normal
muggle child of this age would know, I only understand the language.
 
Some other things, however, I do know.
 
Rowena asks us a couple of general questions: what frog legs are to be used for;
what plant A (Belladonna), plant B (Asphodel) and plant C (Dandelion) and other
plants are; what some beetles are... etc. etc. She quizzes us repeatedly. She
shows us three plants and asks which of those is the Belladonna... It's a bit
too much information in too short a time.
 
I try to pay attention but it's impossible to keep track of everything. I'd try
to write it all down but we have no parchment at the moment nor a quill.
 
„Where can you find a Bezoar?“

Oh, no. No. No, no, no. Damn. I can't pass this one up. I raise my hand. I
promised myself not to answer anything – unless she calls on me – but as a
Severus Snape fan, this question is impossible to ignore. Besides, Mimi would
massacre me if I didn't raise my hand for this. Not that I need that for
motivation.
That was one of the questions. I can't not answer that.
 
„Ms. Wulfric?“ She seems surprised that I know something this 'obscure'.
„Right now, over there on the second shelf“ - I point to the far wall -
„But normally, it can be found in the stomach of a goat, Professor.“
She nods. „Correct.“
Yeah, so much for not-sticking-out.
 
Well, the only people that really could notice something odd were Rowena herself
– and she clearly did – and Mildred... Oh, well.
 
The lesson – while impossible to follow completely – is really interesting
and educating. Rowena is just a bit fact-fact-fact. It's dry. Other teachers
would tell anecdotes to make it more likely, Godric would probably run away from
the original topic and end up just telling stories so maybe it's better that
way. It is interesting how differently the founders teach.
 
“Mr. Emrys.”
Uh oh. Mer--, eh, Myrddin is silently panicking next to me. I would help him but
as I had drifted off in thoughts, I didn't catch her question. Okay, no, to be
honest, I probably wouldn't help him anyway – I already said (knew) enough for
one lesson.
 
Merlin stutters something – I have no idea what – but apparently he is
correct – Rowena nods.
“Correct. It's ….” She repeats a – presumably – Greek name and I have
no idea what she just said. It could've just as easily been Chinese or Nahuatl
for as much as I understood. Oh, well. I'm here to learn. I can't know
everything from the get-go, not even with the help of the books and everything.
 
The Peverell girl makes me antsy. Seriously. My heart hurts. That girl spends
way too much time on explaining the difference between monkshood and aconite.
Why? Rowena didn't even anything in that direction – she just asked what
aconite was and the girl apparently thought that it would be easier to explain
it in comparison to monkshood. It makes me want to hit my head on my desk –
repeatedly. Merlin is already looking at me strangely.
 
Rowena, on the other hand, is looking at the girl in abstract horror. Well, she
does try to hide it but it shines through in the moment it takes her to get over
the shock and interrupt the girl. She's gentle though. I almost expected her to
call that girl a dunderhead or something... but that's just because in my mind I
can't really picture anyone other than Snape teaching potions, not even
Slughorn.
 
Again, the lesson only ends when a house elf pops in to tell us that dinner is
ready. This time I follow the group back to the Great Hall – with only a short
side trip to let Morgana out. I wonder what will happen if we have real lessons
– I highly doubt we'll be allowed to take them along. I was really surprised
that they were let into the potions class room even if we weren't brewing today.
Is contamination even a thing in this time?
 
Dinner is okay, simple broth and some apples. Most people are eating quietly but
not all. Apparently there was an accident in Class Two's transfiguration lesson
which resulted in three people in the hospital wing: Someone didn't pay enough
attention, tried the spell and blew something up instead. I guess I'm lucky I
was in the lower class today – knowing my luck I'd have been one of the ones
injured.
 
The student next to me (he is one of the older ones) suddenly turns to me after
he's finished eating. “I don't know you.”
I blink. Okay? “I... see.” Actually, no I don't. What's his point? “I'm
Honoria Wulfric.”
He stares at me. “And who are you, since I don't know you either?”
The kid next to him gasps. Okay, apparently that was a faux-pas. Crap. It seems
he's well-known...
“I am Nero Selwyn.” Oh. Ouch. Yeah, that's a name I actually do now... And
not just from the girl earlier. Friggin' Dolores Umbridge.
Let's just pretend everything's normal...
“It's pleasure to meet you.”
He snorts – rude – and shakes his head. “You are the non-magical witch,
aren't you?”
Now it's my turn to snort. “No. I am magical, you know, being a witch and all.
But, yeah, I'm the muggle-born witch if that's what you mean.” As much as I
would have liked to keep that a secret, I don't think for a second that it's
still feasible. Damage-control it is, then.
 
Some of the students around us are aghast. One actually whimpers. Really? I
shake my head.
“What about it?”
“Why'd they let you into the school?”
“Because I'm a witch.”
“But you're muggle-born.”
I shrug. What am I supposed to say? I can't really tell them that most
muggle-borns are descended from squibs.
“So?”
“You're non-magical.”
“Again, being a witch means you're magical.”
“But you're muggle-born.” Didn't we cover that already?
“Yes? Your point being?”
“You're muggle-born.”
Sigh.
“As far as I know.”
“But you have magic.”
“Yes.”
“How does that work?”
“You're asking me? I have no idea. I just know that somehow it does. Sakes, a
couple of days ago I didn't think magic was, well, magic. And not
superstition.”
Some of them look scared. Great. To be talked about and called names, that I am
used to. But to actually be feared is... freaky. Not a feeling that I like. At
all.
“What is it?”
He kind of shrugs and the others look away.
“I'm a witch just like the rest of you. A first-generation witch if you'd
like, I don't know. I have magic, the way you do. I don't know any more than
that. Anything else you would probably have to ask Professor Gryffindor, since
he was the one who” found me “picked me up in Lon, err, Lundenburh.”
 
And that is evidently the cue for them to turn away and return to their own
conversations. Nero looks at me consideringly and shakes his head “At least
you're not completely hopeless.” gets up and walks away.
 
Err... okay? I'm confused. What the heck? I eye Myrddin questioningly but he
only give me a look that says don't ask me. No help there, then.
 
Shortly after that we return to the dorms... well, I do. Myrddin somehow manages
to fall down the stairs in such a way that he breaks his leg. And again, he
reassures me that he's had worse. Seriously  though, that is NOT reassuring,
not in the least. With the help of Bipp I deliver him to the infirmary where
Healer Brooke is then grumbling about how it's only the first day of lessons and
he already has four guests... He checks Myrddin in and sends me away.
 
When I enter my dorm all four of my room mates are staring at me.
“Err, hi?”
“Is it true? You're non-magical?”
I sigh. “No. I'm not.”
Willard puffs herself up angrily. “You are the non-magical.”
Rolling my eyes I raise my wand and levitate one of the pillows around.
“See? Magical.”
Aldith snatches her pillow out of the air and I drop the spell.
“Don't lie.” (Willard again)
Godiva snorts and grins at me. “Technically, she isn't.”
“She is --- “
“You're asking her the wrong question.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Seriously, Aldreda. Think.” Godiva rolls her eyes. “Wulfric. Are your
parents non-magical?”
“As far as I know.”
“See?! She lied.”
I can practically watch that little vein from the comics pop on Godiva
Ollivander's temple.
“She just demonstrated that she is magical. Her parents are non-magical. She
may be non-magical-born. Muggle-born. But she, herself, isn't.”
Willard glares at her then me then her again.
“Hmph. Changes nothing. She's still shouldn't be here.”
I merely roll my eyes. Aldith and Wilburh don't seem to trust me all that much,
but they seemed mostly non-hostile. Godiva doesn't seem to care one way or the
other. Willard on the hand seems determined not to like me. Well, I don't like
her either. She's full of herself. And an idiot as far as I can tell. And a
self-important idiot at that. But then I always had a problem with people that
thought that they were better than others.
 
I make my way to my bed and relax there, cuddling with Morgana, when suddenly
someone curses – it looks as if Aldith' pet – the owl – has chosen to
relieve itself on top of her bed.
Sigh.
I turn my back on them and try to sleep, not that that's possible in the
resulting chaos. I could kiss Godiva for silencing the others when she has
enough of Aldith and Willard arguing. Damn, but Willard is really annoying. It's
not as if she'd thought of letting her bird out either.
 
I put my pillow over my head and try to ignore them.

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