Chapter Seven

Luna the Moon Monster's Fanfiction Archive | home

The First Day of Lessons

The next day dawned bright and early, and the four time travellers woke up feeling refreshed. They went through their normal morning routine, all the time thinking how strange their situation was. By 8 o'clock they had left their Houses and met up in the Entrance Hall. Hermione was the first to speak.

“ So, how did you all get on? Slytherin was weird; it's strange to live in a dungeon, with no light to wake you up in the morning.”

“ Hufflepuff's ok, at least we have light, `cause we're in a tower. I have to share with two other girls in our year, but they don't really say much to me. Peeves is lucky, he had a whole dorm room to himself.”

By this time the four had reached the doors of the Great Hall. With a quick wave, they parted ways, heading to their respective House tables. At the Gryffindor table, Ardwick was waiting for Ron to turn up. As soon as he sat down the fifth year started asking him about his friends.

“ So, Ron, when are you going to introduce me to our friends?”

“ Tomorrow, I hope. We need to go to the library to do some research, would you like to come with us?”

“ Sure, that'd be great. What do you need to research.”

“ I'll tell you when we get there, I don't want everyone to know.”

“ Fine, I look forward to meeting them. Is your sister the same age as you?”

“ No, she's a year younger, but she knows enough to be in the same year as us.”

“ Is she betrothed?”

Over with the Slytherins, Hermione was sitting on her own. Horatio had effectively silenced most of the House and turned them against her. Only her roommate, Christabel, would have anything to do with her. She was a shy girl with no Slytherin friends. She usually spent her time with Harry's new friend, Gallatea. Hermione was glad when the girl came down to breakfast and sat with her.

“ Would you like to come to the library tomorrow to meet my friends?”

Christabel looked at her for a minute before slowly nodding her head, and striking up a conversation about herbology.

Across the room, Harry had been latched onto by Gallatea. As soon as she sat down she leant close to his ear and whispered “ I know.” Harry looked at her startled.

“ Where you're from. My mother told me last night. I'd like to help with the research. Can I come to the library tomorrow and meet your friends?”

“ Sure, I think some other students are coming too. It depends who the others invite.”

“ I'll be there then.” She smiled as she started handing out the new timetables. Harry took one look at it and groaned.

“ Double Potions first thing, followed by Transfiguration, and double Divination after lunch. Could this day be any worse?”

Potions was held in the same dungeon Snape used. All four Houses fit in the room, but most people didn't just sit with their housemates. Harry and Gallatea were sat on the back row with Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Christabel. Ardwick was sat on the row in front with some of his other friends. The group chatted about random things until the door slammed open and Salazar Slytherin stormed in. Moving to the front of the class he turned to the students and glared at each of them. Wow, he's just like Snape, Harry thought as the glare was turned on him.

*What's his problem?* Simbi asked quietly from under Harry's sleeve.

*Did he have lemons for breakfast, Harry?* Nirah added. Harry couldn't help himself and started to silently chuckle to himself. Unfortunately, Slytherin noticed his lack of attention.

“ Is something funny, Mr. Potter?”

Yep, definitely like Snape, he thought before shaking his head at the annoyed potions master. Slytherin gave him one more glare before turning back to the rest of the class.

“ Today we will be making the Ministrare Potion. This potion has similar effects to the Imperius Curse, only doesn't last as long. It is also easier to fight. Anyone not completing their potion correctly will be hung by their thumbs in the dungeon for an hour tonight. Do I make myself clear?”

He was answered by nods from all as they rushed to gather the ingredients the teacher was writing on the board. As he was making his potion, Harry was looking around the room assessing how well the other students did in potions. If there was anyone as bad as Neville he would like to know, so he could avoid being their partner in the future. His potion was going well until he almost added too many earwig tails. The new knowledge in his head would not normally allow him to make this mistake, but he was rather distracted at the time. He was only saved by furious hissing from Simbi and Nirah, who had been keeping an eye on what he was doing.

By the end of the lesson, only two people had made their potions wrong. It seemed that Ardwick was this year's Neville Longbottom. Much to Hermione's satisfaction, Horatio d'Escargot was the other student that messed up. He gave his Head of House a wide smirk, that was soon wiped off when he was informed in no uncertain terms that he would serve the detention, no matter how important his family. The four teens grinned at this, wishing it would happen to Malfoy once in a while.

Transfiguration was when the first problem for the time travellers occurred. The class was taken by Lady Ravenclaw, who seemed to be a very patient teacher. People were sat around the room in pairs, Harry with Gallatea, Hermione with Christabel, Ron with Ardwick, and Ginny with one of her Hufflepuff roommates. The first problem came when they started the lesson by taking notes. As Ravenclaw dictated, the students were quickly writing down what she was saying. After a while, Ardwick, Gallatea and Christabel noticed that their friends weren't writing in the same language as the rest of them. Gallatea, knowing they were from the future, let it drop as she realised they were writing in their own language. If anything, she was curious about it. Some of the words seemed similar to her own, whereas others she could clearly see French influences. There also seemed to be a complete lack of runes in their alphabet. Being a Ravenclaw, and therefore having a thirst for knowledge, she swore she would ask Harry to teach it to her before he left.

Hermione and Ron had less understanding partners. Ardwick was staring at Ron's page in awe, whereas Christabel was looking at the words in confusion. Both leaned over to their new friends and told them they would explain when they met in the library the next day.

The next problem was when the practical part of the lesson started. The other students were all trying to do the transfiguration without a wand. The four hadn't started their wandless magic lessons yet, and so didn't even know where to begin. They all got strange looks when they pulled out their wands and used them for the transfiguration. The other students couldn't understand why they needed to use wands for such `simple' work. Horatio was having a good time giving them condescending looks.

“ I see the new students have weak magic. I can't believe they need wands for this! They must all be weak little Mudbloods.”

Before Ron could lunge at the smirking boy, Lady Ravenclaw had the Slytherin in a full body bind.

“ For that, Monsieur d'Escargot, you will have a detention with me tomorrow night. I believe this is your second today.”

Obviously in this time the teachers don't mind using harsher punishments, Harry thought as the body bind was lifted.

Lunch was a noisy affair, with students avidly discussing their new lessons. At the Hufflepuff table Peeves was animatedly telling Ginny that he had learned to levitate things. Ginny was amused by the small boy's enthusiasm about his lessons. It was a far cry from the irritating poltergeist he would be in the future.

At the end of lunch the group headed to the high Divination Tower. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were dreading it. They had visions of another Super Bug fake. When they reached the room they were pleasantly surprised to see no sign of floating material or incense. The floor was covered in cushions and there were no tables at all. The group arranged themselves on the floor and waited for the teacher to arrive. A few minutes later, Helga Hufflepuff climbed through the trapdoor and sat down in front of the class with a smile. From his wrist, Harry could hear a quiet hissing.

*What is it, Nirah?* he quietly hissed back. He didn't want anyone to notice he was a parselmouth.

*She is a true Seer*

*Are you sure?* he asked, surprised.

*Yes, and Simbi concurs*

Harry looked at the short teacher with a little more respect. True Seers were very rare. Just then she began the lesson.

“ Now dears, this term we will be reviewing runes, tarot cards, tasseomancy and crystal balls. We will start with the latter. Now, each take a ball and see if you can see anything. Don't worry if you can't, it doesn't work for everybody.”

The group sat and stared at the balls for a while. Some of them were getting a little frustrated from seeing nothing but a white mist. Suddenly, Ginny let out a gasp and turned to the others. Speaking to them in English so no-one else would understand, she told them what she saw.

“ Slytherin's up to something. I saw a fight in the Chamber of Secrets. Harry was there, as well as Gryffindor. It didn't look good.”

“ Are you sure you saw something, Gin,” Ron asked, also in English, “ As `Mione always says, Divination is a very imprecise branch of magic.”

This earned him amused looks from his two best friends. They started laughing before they were interrupted by Gallatea.

“ If you've quite finished, would you mind telling us what is going on?”

“ Sorry, `Tea, we can't tell you, it might change history,” Harry told her apologetically.

The rest of the class was looking at the group in confusion and suspicion. Horatio had his usual sneer in place. Hufflepuff gave them a long, penetrating stare before dismissing the class without homework. On the way back to the Ravenclaw common room, Harry thought of something he wanted to ask his serpentine friends.

*Simbi, Nirah, can you tell if anyone's a Seer?*

The two snakes had a silent discussion for a few seconds before Simbi turned to his owner.