Categories > Books > Harry Potter > The Serpent Master
Chapter Six
Evandrus and Bole
The storm from the previous day had all but blown away when Jenny woke. Moving Aurora from off her chest, she got out of bed and changed into her robes. Someone must have brought in a new tie, for when Jenny opened her trunk she found not the plain black one that she had put in the other day, but a red and gold one instead.
Once dressed, she headed down to the common room to wait for Will and Cleo. As it was pretty early not many people were up. Jenny found a seat by the window and looked over the grounds. She saw what looked like a large figure coming out of a wooden hut near the edge of a forest and make its way to the castle and Jenny was almost one hundred per cent sure it was Hagrid.
Finally, Cleo and Will joined Jenny and they headed off downstairs to the Great Hall.
'Sleep well?' Cleo asked.
'Yeah it wasn't too bad... you?'
Will moaned 'Cody's cat kept clawing at his bedpost all night. I barely got a wink.'
They walked down a set of stairs, then along a corridor until Jenny stopped midstep.
'Where are we?' she asked. She had certainly not remembered coming this way the night before. Then again, she had not been paying much attention the previous night so it was possible that they had come this way.
'Er...'
Will's unresponsive remark wasn't particularly helpful. Cleo moved to a nearby window and looked down.
'Look, that's the lake,... so the Great Hall must be on the east side of the castle, so over here...'
He turned, now facing a blank wall. Groaning, Jenny walked down the corridor, dragging Cleo and Will with her.
Down another staircase, along another narrow corridor. Jenny's instinct was to get as low down as possible then just try turning through the twisting corridors until she got somewhere familiar.
A few floors down, they spotted someone they knew.
'Lily?'
Lily Potter and Hugo Weasley were standing by a statue of an old wizard with a great long bear, both of them looking rather confused.
'You guys lost to?' Hugo asked. Jenny nodded.
'We can't be that far.' said Will. A couple of older Ravenclaws passed them, one laughing, the other gave an annoyed sigh 'First years...' Jenny heard him say.
'Here!' Cleo exclaimed. Jenny, Hugo, Lily and Will hurried to the end of the corridor towards Cleo, to see the marble staircase that had taken them upstairs the previous night.
By the time they got to the Great Hall, half the Gryffindor table was already full of people eating breakfast. Jenny sat down in between Cleo and Lily and began to eat.
About ten minutes later, Professor Longbottom was making his way down the table handing out timetables to the Gryffindors, eventually he got to the first years.
'Okay, here are your timetables... where is Miss Patterson and Miss Riggs?'
Loud cracks as feet hit stone slabs and Jenny looked up to see an out of breath Daisy and Tandy hurrying up the Great Hall.
'Peeves...' Daisy said and she fell into her seat taking a timetable from Professor Longbottom.
'You'll want to be careful with Peeves.' Professor Longbottom said, 'He can be a bit... irksome.'
He moved on down the table and Jenny looked at her timetable.
Monday
9AM: Transfiguration
10AM: Transfiguration
11:00: BREAK
11:15: History of Magic
12:15: LUNCH
13.15: Herbology
14:15: Herbology
15:15: BREAK
15:30: Charms
16:30: Potions
17:00: FREE TIME
18:00: DINNER
Tuesday
9AM: Herbology
10AM: Herbology
11:00: BREAK
11:15: Magical Studies
12:15: LUNCH
13.15: DADA
14:15: Transfiguration
15:15: BREAK
15:30: Potions
16:30: Potions
17:00: FREE TIME
18:00: DINNER
Wednesday
9AM: DADA
10AM:DADA
11:00: BREAK
11:15: Transfiguration
12:15: LUNCH
13.15: Charms
14:15: Charms
15:15: BREAK
15:30: Herbology
16:30: FLYING LESSONS (Every 2 weeks otherwise FREE)
17:00: FREE TIME
18:00: DINNER
Thursday
9AM: History of Magic
10AM: History of Magic
11:00:BREAK
11:15: Herbology
12:15: LUNCH
13.15: Transfiguration
14:15: Transfiguration
15:15: BREAK
15:30: Potions
16:30: Potions
17:00: FREE TIME
18:00: DINNER
21:00: Astronomy
Friday
9AM: Charms
10AM: Charms
11:00:BREAK
11:15: History of Magic
12:15: LUNCH
13.15: DADA
14:15: DADA
15:15: BREAK
15:30: FREE TIME
16:30: FREE TIME
17:00: FREE TIME
18:00: DINNER
'Where's the Transfiguration classroom?' Jenny asked. Cleo and Will both shrugged.
'I think it's on the first floor. That's what Albus said.'
Lily was pouring herself a glass of orange juice.
'Did he tell you much about Hogwarts?' asked Jenny.
Lily shrugged 'A fair bit, but he said a lot of stuff you got to find out on your own. He didn't tell me about the sorting hat... no one did.'
Around five to nine, the first years headed off mixing into the throng of students out of the Great Hall and into the castle as their lessons began. As a group, the Gryffindors managed to find the Transfiguration classroom quite easily. Jenny didn't want to be wandering around the castle all day trying to find it. For one she'd miss the first lesson and secondly she didn't want to end up somewhere she was not meant to be.
Professor Higgs was waiting outside the classroom for them on the first floor. He was a rather elderly wizard with a lined face and auburn hair and beard. He nodded to the first years then they followed him into his classroom.
After calling the register he spoke.
'Welcome to Transfiguration! I am Professor Higgs and as well as being the Transfiguration teacher I am also head of Slytherin. I know Slytherin and Gryffindor have had a rough past but I'm here to put that to rest. I may be head of Slytherin, but I want you to know that if there is any problem you may have, my doors are always open.'
He moved in front of the board, gave it a tap with his wand and it filled with writing and complex diagrams.
'So! Transfiguration. A highly dangerous subject if got wrong yet if done correctly highly beneficial. We can create where there was nothing before. Change what is there and vanquish that which lies in our way. Today, however we're going to start a little bit simpler.'
He gave each of the Gryffindors a matchstick and told them they were going to learn how to
turn it into a pin. After copying a handful of notes down and practicing the incantation, they began to work.
It was a lot more difficult than Jenny realised and by the end of the lesson she hadn't turned her matchstick into a pin as much as she had made it incredibly shiny. Professor Higgs didn't seem too bothered, however he did give them homework to practice the spell for another attempt tomorrow.
After a quick break where Jenny, Will an Cleo hung around the courtyard talking until the bell rang when they headed back into the castle for History of Magic.
History of Magic was taught by friendly looking wizard called Professor Rawkes who also happened to be head of Hufflepuff. He gave them a quick introduction then set them off reading a short paragraph in a textbook before splitting them into groups and asking them to perform a dramatisation of the Warlock Council of 1846. Jenny played an elderly witch who had been hit with Dragon Pox and was protesting movements rights of her kind only to be shot down by Daisy Patterson playing the bizarre Minister of Magic Hortensia Milliphutt who straight after decided to ban underwear for everyone.
'Excellent work people! For homework I would like you to write a Daily Prophet article reporting this very incident. '
After lunch, they headed out into the grounds and over to the greenhouses where Professor Longbottom was waiting. They were also joined by the Hufflepuffs who all looked rather excited.
'Everyone here? Good, come on in.'
He led them into one of the greenhouses. Jenny's collar felt incredibly restrictive around her neck all of a sudden as a blast of heat hit her. She wasn't the only one who looked rather hot, Tandy Riggs looked positively flushed.
After calling the register, Professor Longbottom stood in front of all the students and began to speak.
'Welcome to Herbology! I'm Professor Longbottom and I'm also head of Gryffindor so I'm sure all the Gryffindors here will get to know me well over the next few years. Now we are in this particular greenhouse for very particular reason. I'm sure you notice how hot and humid it is? Well, that is because we are storing a rather interesting plant here. It needs this heat to survive otherwise it's just too cold. Especially considering the weather we had last night. Now, this plant is mostly found in the jungles of central Africa but has also been discovered in South East Asia. It is called Reichman's Tulip. And it is rather dangerous.'
Professor Longbottom turned to a desk and put on what looked like a thick pair of gloves before reaching down underneath and pulling out a bright colourful plant. It's leaves were green, no orange, no blue. It's red flower seemed to be thrashing around trying to latch itself onto Professor Longbottom's finger but finding only thick leather instead.
'This is why you want to use thick gloves when dealing with this flower. It's bite has an incredibly powerful toxin that, if mixed with spores from natural non magical plants can kill a man instantly. Fortunately, we don't have any plants that emit that spore here.. but look at its leaves, why would you think it needs to keep changing the colour of its leaves?'
Jenny found herself raising her hand.
'Yes, Miss Abel?'
'Because... it can attract animals and people then eventually bite them?'
'Very good, five points to Gryffindor. Mostly rather regretfully the people who it catches are muggle. You see it's after animal or human blood which it uses to feed on. It has incredible draining power as well... now...'
Cleo gave Jenny a nudge and she broke away from watching Professor Longbottom detail how the plants roots were used in various potions and pointed to Daisy who was staring at Professor Longbottom with rapt attention, a rather dreamy smile plastered on her face.
'What's up with her?' he asked.
Jenny opened her mouth to reply but was stopped from doing so by Will who leaned his head in.
'He helped out in the war. He killed a Snake with a sword. The giant snake belonged to You-Know-Who. He's a bit of a legend around here.'
Jenny looked around at her fellow classmates. She was shocked to see that at least nine of them seemed to be staring at Professor Longbottom with the same level of admiration that Daisy had been.
'You three paying attention over there? Come on!'
Professor Longbottom made them make detailed diagrams of the plant before began to take notes on how it could be used in a Wolfsbane potion. Eventually the bell rang and the Gryffindors headed upstairs to charms while the Hufflepuffs headed into the dungeons for Potions with the Ravenclaws.
Professor Alderton was a rather enthusiastic witch. As they entered the charms classroom she began spinning various items around their heads before making the desks and tables dance their way into position before everyone could sit down.
'Charms is very very broad. That is one of our major troubles. How can we define Charms when what we learn encompasses everything? We can use a charm to help us win a duel. We can use a charms to help is triangulate the positions of the stars in the sky. Over the next few years that's what we'll be doing. Focusing on what a charm actually is, how to use it and how best to define it.'
After taking a few short notes on what defines a charm, the bell rang and the Gryffindors headed downstairs to their final lesson, Potions.
Professor Bole was a rather short tubby man with a few strands of grey hair sticking up on his otherwise bald head. Like his hair his skin was also rather grey as if he had spent most of his waking moments down in this dim dungeon.
'Welcome to Potions... I am Professor Bole. Now today we don't have much time so I will simply be going over the plans for the year and if we have time at the end of the lesson I shall show you what we will be working on next lesson.'
Potions had seemed interesting to Jenny at first though she was slightly annoyed that they wouldn't be making anything today. Still, she pulled out a roll of parchment and a quill and sat waiting for Professor Bole to begin the lesson.
'Our main focus this year is to be looking at what a potion is, what elements are needed to construct a potion and a very brief history of potion making. Of course, this will be intertwined with making potions. We'll start off small with simple boil potions and then hopefully by Christmas you'll be able to make a simple Coughing Solution. By the end of the year I expect each and every one of you to be able to brew a restorative draught.'
Professor Bole moved to the board. He waved his wand and a piece of chalk began to write upon it, scratching against the coarse surface.
'These are our course aims. I'd like everyone to write these down please and then write down on a separate piece of parchment what you hope to get out of this year's classes.'
The dungeon was silent as everyone began to write down the course goals. Cleo gave a short yawn. This clearly wasn't as exciting as the previous lessons, even History of Magic which Jenny hadn't expected to be so interesting.
After she had finished writing the course goals, which took the majority of ten minutes,
Jenny tore off another piece of parchment and leered over it wondering.
What was she expecting to get out of these years lessons? Considering her knowledge about Potions was so low it was probably laughable, there wasn't one lesson she'd not learn something from. As others around her began to sit up, finishing their writings, she scratched something down about getting a better understanding of how Potions worked and hoped that that would be the end of it.
Professor Bole had begun tinkering with a cauldron, adding various items into it, muttering and occasionally waving his wand. Eventually, he looked up at the class, clapped his hands and said 'So! If you've all finished, please have a look at this. This is a very simple potion I've been brewing, a simple stomach settling concoction. Eases the gut after a scratchy meal or for nerves or the like. I just wanted to show you the shimmer on the top of cauldron. See how it pops now and again. Potions will always have a way of telling you their complete. Each potion has a different way of doing it however, but it's of utmost importance you find out as soon as possible what signs any particular Potion has. If you ignore it and add a little more knotgrass you could end up ruining the potion or even killing someone. I advise you to learn the tells of a potion as soon as possible.'
All of a sudden, the bell rang and the class began to file out.
'Homework, I want each of you to give me two paragraphs on what you think the first potion ever brewed was. To be handed in tomorrow afternoon, no excuses. Oh and Mr Evandrus if I could speak to you briefly.'
A dark haired Slytherin boy Jenny recognised as Sylvester Evandrus looked up, sighed and slowly made his way to the front of the class as the rest of the students left. Just as Jenny reached the door however, the strap of her bag tore and her books fell onto the cold dungeon floor.
Telling Cleo and Will that she would be fine and she'd meet them back in the Gryffindor common room, Jenny began to pick up her books. She was the only one, bar Professor Bole and Sylvester Evandrus, who was left by the time she had picked them all up. She left the classroom, letting the door swing shut behind her and was about to head back up into the Entrance Hall when a loud bang forced her to stop.
She looked behind her, the sound had definitely come from the Potions classroom she had just vacated. Making sure she couldn't be seen, she ducked low next to the door and pressed her ear against it.
'...if your father knew...' came the voice of Professor Bole.
'He doesn't.' replied a soft voice which could only have belonged to Evandrus, 'He knows nothing.'
Bole let out a exhausted sigh. 'Even so... You are calling a serious danger into this school. You are only eleven years old.'
'No one knows what I am, even you.'
There was a long pause.
'Just think about what I said, please.'
'I cannot promise.'
There came the sound of footsteps from within, quickly, Jenny hurried away from the door and hid in a dark alcove where she hoped no one would see her.
The door of the potions classroom opened up and Evandrus stepped out. He looked up and down the corridor before turning left and heading down further into the dungeons, assumedly to the Slytherin Common Room.
Jenny waited a couple of moments before she left, just in case Sylvester came back. Making sure that Bole was still in the Potions room, she lightly stepped away from her dark alcove and then hurried up into the entrance hall and up to the Gryffindor common room.
'M...Mittens.' Jenny said five minutes later, her heart racing, for she had ran the seven flights of stairs back up to Gryffindor tower, eager to tell Cleo and Will what she had just heard. She clutched her side and gave several deep breaths.
'Of course.'
The fat lady's portrait swung open and Jenny climbed in to see Cleo and Will sat down next to a window, their school bags strewn around them. 'What took you so long?' Cleo asked.
Jenny waited several moments, allowing her breath to return before she explained what she had heard Bole and Sylvester talk about.
When she had finished Will gave her a thoughtful look 'I think my dad knows about the Evandrus'. He had a business deal with them a couple of years ago... my dad breeds Hippogriffs.' he added looking at the confusion on Jenny and Cleo's faces.
'I think Cathan Evandrus came to our farm to confirm the deal... he's foreign... I think he went to Durmstrang... but I had no idea he had a son. What did he say... about calling a serious danger into the school?'
Jenny shrugged 'I don't know, that's just what he said.'
Will gave her another thoughtful look but said nothing. Though she had originally thought that Potions had been the most boring lesson she had had, it seemed it had given her more to think about then all the over lessons combined.
Evandrus and Bole
The storm from the previous day had all but blown away when Jenny woke. Moving Aurora from off her chest, she got out of bed and changed into her robes. Someone must have brought in a new tie, for when Jenny opened her trunk she found not the plain black one that she had put in the other day, but a red and gold one instead.
Once dressed, she headed down to the common room to wait for Will and Cleo. As it was pretty early not many people were up. Jenny found a seat by the window and looked over the grounds. She saw what looked like a large figure coming out of a wooden hut near the edge of a forest and make its way to the castle and Jenny was almost one hundred per cent sure it was Hagrid.
Finally, Cleo and Will joined Jenny and they headed off downstairs to the Great Hall.
'Sleep well?' Cleo asked.
'Yeah it wasn't too bad... you?'
Will moaned 'Cody's cat kept clawing at his bedpost all night. I barely got a wink.'
They walked down a set of stairs, then along a corridor until Jenny stopped midstep.
'Where are we?' she asked. She had certainly not remembered coming this way the night before. Then again, she had not been paying much attention the previous night so it was possible that they had come this way.
'Er...'
Will's unresponsive remark wasn't particularly helpful. Cleo moved to a nearby window and looked down.
'Look, that's the lake,... so the Great Hall must be on the east side of the castle, so over here...'
He turned, now facing a blank wall. Groaning, Jenny walked down the corridor, dragging Cleo and Will with her.
Down another staircase, along another narrow corridor. Jenny's instinct was to get as low down as possible then just try turning through the twisting corridors until she got somewhere familiar.
A few floors down, they spotted someone they knew.
'Lily?'
Lily Potter and Hugo Weasley were standing by a statue of an old wizard with a great long bear, both of them looking rather confused.
'You guys lost to?' Hugo asked. Jenny nodded.
'We can't be that far.' said Will. A couple of older Ravenclaws passed them, one laughing, the other gave an annoyed sigh 'First years...' Jenny heard him say.
'Here!' Cleo exclaimed. Jenny, Hugo, Lily and Will hurried to the end of the corridor towards Cleo, to see the marble staircase that had taken them upstairs the previous night.
By the time they got to the Great Hall, half the Gryffindor table was already full of people eating breakfast. Jenny sat down in between Cleo and Lily and began to eat.
About ten minutes later, Professor Longbottom was making his way down the table handing out timetables to the Gryffindors, eventually he got to the first years.
'Okay, here are your timetables... where is Miss Patterson and Miss Riggs?'
Loud cracks as feet hit stone slabs and Jenny looked up to see an out of breath Daisy and Tandy hurrying up the Great Hall.
'Peeves...' Daisy said and she fell into her seat taking a timetable from Professor Longbottom.
'You'll want to be careful with Peeves.' Professor Longbottom said, 'He can be a bit... irksome.'
He moved on down the table and Jenny looked at her timetable.
Monday
9AM: Transfiguration
10AM: Transfiguration
11:00: BREAK
11:15: History of Magic
12:15: LUNCH
13.15: Herbology
14:15: Herbology
15:15: BREAK
15:30: Charms
16:30: Potions
17:00: FREE TIME
18:00: DINNER
Tuesday
9AM: Herbology
10AM: Herbology
11:00: BREAK
11:15: Magical Studies
12:15: LUNCH
13.15: DADA
14:15: Transfiguration
15:15: BREAK
15:30: Potions
16:30: Potions
17:00: FREE TIME
18:00: DINNER
Wednesday
9AM: DADA
10AM:DADA
11:00: BREAK
11:15: Transfiguration
12:15: LUNCH
13.15: Charms
14:15: Charms
15:15: BREAK
15:30: Herbology
16:30: FLYING LESSONS (Every 2 weeks otherwise FREE)
17:00: FREE TIME
18:00: DINNER
Thursday
9AM: History of Magic
10AM: History of Magic
11:00:BREAK
11:15: Herbology
12:15: LUNCH
13.15: Transfiguration
14:15: Transfiguration
15:15: BREAK
15:30: Potions
16:30: Potions
17:00: FREE TIME
18:00: DINNER
21:00: Astronomy
Friday
9AM: Charms
10AM: Charms
11:00:BREAK
11:15: History of Magic
12:15: LUNCH
13.15: DADA
14:15: DADA
15:15: BREAK
15:30: FREE TIME
16:30: FREE TIME
17:00: FREE TIME
18:00: DINNER
'Where's the Transfiguration classroom?' Jenny asked. Cleo and Will both shrugged.
'I think it's on the first floor. That's what Albus said.'
Lily was pouring herself a glass of orange juice.
'Did he tell you much about Hogwarts?' asked Jenny.
Lily shrugged 'A fair bit, but he said a lot of stuff you got to find out on your own. He didn't tell me about the sorting hat... no one did.'
Around five to nine, the first years headed off mixing into the throng of students out of the Great Hall and into the castle as their lessons began. As a group, the Gryffindors managed to find the Transfiguration classroom quite easily. Jenny didn't want to be wandering around the castle all day trying to find it. For one she'd miss the first lesson and secondly she didn't want to end up somewhere she was not meant to be.
Professor Higgs was waiting outside the classroom for them on the first floor. He was a rather elderly wizard with a lined face and auburn hair and beard. He nodded to the first years then they followed him into his classroom.
After calling the register he spoke.
'Welcome to Transfiguration! I am Professor Higgs and as well as being the Transfiguration teacher I am also head of Slytherin. I know Slytherin and Gryffindor have had a rough past but I'm here to put that to rest. I may be head of Slytherin, but I want you to know that if there is any problem you may have, my doors are always open.'
He moved in front of the board, gave it a tap with his wand and it filled with writing and complex diagrams.
'So! Transfiguration. A highly dangerous subject if got wrong yet if done correctly highly beneficial. We can create where there was nothing before. Change what is there and vanquish that which lies in our way. Today, however we're going to start a little bit simpler.'
He gave each of the Gryffindors a matchstick and told them they were going to learn how to
turn it into a pin. After copying a handful of notes down and practicing the incantation, they began to work.
It was a lot more difficult than Jenny realised and by the end of the lesson she hadn't turned her matchstick into a pin as much as she had made it incredibly shiny. Professor Higgs didn't seem too bothered, however he did give them homework to practice the spell for another attempt tomorrow.
After a quick break where Jenny, Will an Cleo hung around the courtyard talking until the bell rang when they headed back into the castle for History of Magic.
History of Magic was taught by friendly looking wizard called Professor Rawkes who also happened to be head of Hufflepuff. He gave them a quick introduction then set them off reading a short paragraph in a textbook before splitting them into groups and asking them to perform a dramatisation of the Warlock Council of 1846. Jenny played an elderly witch who had been hit with Dragon Pox and was protesting movements rights of her kind only to be shot down by Daisy Patterson playing the bizarre Minister of Magic Hortensia Milliphutt who straight after decided to ban underwear for everyone.
'Excellent work people! For homework I would like you to write a Daily Prophet article reporting this very incident. '
After lunch, they headed out into the grounds and over to the greenhouses where Professor Longbottom was waiting. They were also joined by the Hufflepuffs who all looked rather excited.
'Everyone here? Good, come on in.'
He led them into one of the greenhouses. Jenny's collar felt incredibly restrictive around her neck all of a sudden as a blast of heat hit her. She wasn't the only one who looked rather hot, Tandy Riggs looked positively flushed.
After calling the register, Professor Longbottom stood in front of all the students and began to speak.
'Welcome to Herbology! I'm Professor Longbottom and I'm also head of Gryffindor so I'm sure all the Gryffindors here will get to know me well over the next few years. Now we are in this particular greenhouse for very particular reason. I'm sure you notice how hot and humid it is? Well, that is because we are storing a rather interesting plant here. It needs this heat to survive otherwise it's just too cold. Especially considering the weather we had last night. Now, this plant is mostly found in the jungles of central Africa but has also been discovered in South East Asia. It is called Reichman's Tulip. And it is rather dangerous.'
Professor Longbottom turned to a desk and put on what looked like a thick pair of gloves before reaching down underneath and pulling out a bright colourful plant. It's leaves were green, no orange, no blue. It's red flower seemed to be thrashing around trying to latch itself onto Professor Longbottom's finger but finding only thick leather instead.
'This is why you want to use thick gloves when dealing with this flower. It's bite has an incredibly powerful toxin that, if mixed with spores from natural non magical plants can kill a man instantly. Fortunately, we don't have any plants that emit that spore here.. but look at its leaves, why would you think it needs to keep changing the colour of its leaves?'
Jenny found herself raising her hand.
'Yes, Miss Abel?'
'Because... it can attract animals and people then eventually bite them?'
'Very good, five points to Gryffindor. Mostly rather regretfully the people who it catches are muggle. You see it's after animal or human blood which it uses to feed on. It has incredible draining power as well... now...'
Cleo gave Jenny a nudge and she broke away from watching Professor Longbottom detail how the plants roots were used in various potions and pointed to Daisy who was staring at Professor Longbottom with rapt attention, a rather dreamy smile plastered on her face.
'What's up with her?' he asked.
Jenny opened her mouth to reply but was stopped from doing so by Will who leaned his head in.
'He helped out in the war. He killed a Snake with a sword. The giant snake belonged to You-Know-Who. He's a bit of a legend around here.'
Jenny looked around at her fellow classmates. She was shocked to see that at least nine of them seemed to be staring at Professor Longbottom with the same level of admiration that Daisy had been.
'You three paying attention over there? Come on!'
Professor Longbottom made them make detailed diagrams of the plant before began to take notes on how it could be used in a Wolfsbane potion. Eventually the bell rang and the Gryffindors headed upstairs to charms while the Hufflepuffs headed into the dungeons for Potions with the Ravenclaws.
Professor Alderton was a rather enthusiastic witch. As they entered the charms classroom she began spinning various items around their heads before making the desks and tables dance their way into position before everyone could sit down.
'Charms is very very broad. That is one of our major troubles. How can we define Charms when what we learn encompasses everything? We can use a charm to help us win a duel. We can use a charms to help is triangulate the positions of the stars in the sky. Over the next few years that's what we'll be doing. Focusing on what a charm actually is, how to use it and how best to define it.'
After taking a few short notes on what defines a charm, the bell rang and the Gryffindors headed downstairs to their final lesson, Potions.
Professor Bole was a rather short tubby man with a few strands of grey hair sticking up on his otherwise bald head. Like his hair his skin was also rather grey as if he had spent most of his waking moments down in this dim dungeon.
'Welcome to Potions... I am Professor Bole. Now today we don't have much time so I will simply be going over the plans for the year and if we have time at the end of the lesson I shall show you what we will be working on next lesson.'
Potions had seemed interesting to Jenny at first though she was slightly annoyed that they wouldn't be making anything today. Still, she pulled out a roll of parchment and a quill and sat waiting for Professor Bole to begin the lesson.
'Our main focus this year is to be looking at what a potion is, what elements are needed to construct a potion and a very brief history of potion making. Of course, this will be intertwined with making potions. We'll start off small with simple boil potions and then hopefully by Christmas you'll be able to make a simple Coughing Solution. By the end of the year I expect each and every one of you to be able to brew a restorative draught.'
Professor Bole moved to the board. He waved his wand and a piece of chalk began to write upon it, scratching against the coarse surface.
'These are our course aims. I'd like everyone to write these down please and then write down on a separate piece of parchment what you hope to get out of this year's classes.'
The dungeon was silent as everyone began to write down the course goals. Cleo gave a short yawn. This clearly wasn't as exciting as the previous lessons, even History of Magic which Jenny hadn't expected to be so interesting.
After she had finished writing the course goals, which took the majority of ten minutes,
Jenny tore off another piece of parchment and leered over it wondering.
What was she expecting to get out of these years lessons? Considering her knowledge about Potions was so low it was probably laughable, there wasn't one lesson she'd not learn something from. As others around her began to sit up, finishing their writings, she scratched something down about getting a better understanding of how Potions worked and hoped that that would be the end of it.
Professor Bole had begun tinkering with a cauldron, adding various items into it, muttering and occasionally waving his wand. Eventually, he looked up at the class, clapped his hands and said 'So! If you've all finished, please have a look at this. This is a very simple potion I've been brewing, a simple stomach settling concoction. Eases the gut after a scratchy meal or for nerves or the like. I just wanted to show you the shimmer on the top of cauldron. See how it pops now and again. Potions will always have a way of telling you their complete. Each potion has a different way of doing it however, but it's of utmost importance you find out as soon as possible what signs any particular Potion has. If you ignore it and add a little more knotgrass you could end up ruining the potion or even killing someone. I advise you to learn the tells of a potion as soon as possible.'
All of a sudden, the bell rang and the class began to file out.
'Homework, I want each of you to give me two paragraphs on what you think the first potion ever brewed was. To be handed in tomorrow afternoon, no excuses. Oh and Mr Evandrus if I could speak to you briefly.'
A dark haired Slytherin boy Jenny recognised as Sylvester Evandrus looked up, sighed and slowly made his way to the front of the class as the rest of the students left. Just as Jenny reached the door however, the strap of her bag tore and her books fell onto the cold dungeon floor.
Telling Cleo and Will that she would be fine and she'd meet them back in the Gryffindor common room, Jenny began to pick up her books. She was the only one, bar Professor Bole and Sylvester Evandrus, who was left by the time she had picked them all up. She left the classroom, letting the door swing shut behind her and was about to head back up into the Entrance Hall when a loud bang forced her to stop.
She looked behind her, the sound had definitely come from the Potions classroom she had just vacated. Making sure she couldn't be seen, she ducked low next to the door and pressed her ear against it.
'...if your father knew...' came the voice of Professor Bole.
'He doesn't.' replied a soft voice which could only have belonged to Evandrus, 'He knows nothing.'
Bole let out a exhausted sigh. 'Even so... You are calling a serious danger into this school. You are only eleven years old.'
'No one knows what I am, even you.'
There was a long pause.
'Just think about what I said, please.'
'I cannot promise.'
There came the sound of footsteps from within, quickly, Jenny hurried away from the door and hid in a dark alcove where she hoped no one would see her.
The door of the potions classroom opened up and Evandrus stepped out. He looked up and down the corridor before turning left and heading down further into the dungeons, assumedly to the Slytherin Common Room.
Jenny waited a couple of moments before she left, just in case Sylvester came back. Making sure that Bole was still in the Potions room, she lightly stepped away from her dark alcove and then hurried up into the entrance hall and up to the Gryffindor common room.
'M...Mittens.' Jenny said five minutes later, her heart racing, for she had ran the seven flights of stairs back up to Gryffindor tower, eager to tell Cleo and Will what she had just heard. She clutched her side and gave several deep breaths.
'Of course.'
The fat lady's portrait swung open and Jenny climbed in to see Cleo and Will sat down next to a window, their school bags strewn around them. 'What took you so long?' Cleo asked.
Jenny waited several moments, allowing her breath to return before she explained what she had heard Bole and Sylvester talk about.
When she had finished Will gave her a thoughtful look 'I think my dad knows about the Evandrus'. He had a business deal with them a couple of years ago... my dad breeds Hippogriffs.' he added looking at the confusion on Jenny and Cleo's faces.
'I think Cathan Evandrus came to our farm to confirm the deal... he's foreign... I think he went to Durmstrang... but I had no idea he had a son. What did he say... about calling a serious danger into the school?'
Jenny shrugged 'I don't know, that's just what he said.'
Will gave her another thoughtful look but said nothing. Though she had originally thought that Potions had been the most boring lesson she had had, it seemed it had given her more to think about then all the over lessons combined.
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