Chapter 31: Settling In Part 2
Bold = Emphasis or Voice Being Raised
Italics = Spell Being Used
Underline = Multiple Characters Speaking Simultaneously
First Period: Potions Class: First-Years
Professor Snape's eyes scanned the room as the fresh crop of students toiled away at their cauldrons. His nostrils flared, taking in the brewing potions fumes. Slowly he began to stalk the aisles like a lion, trying to single out a tempting target. Yet his eyes locked on Damien after a brief few minutes of looking. His connection to Potter flashing in his mind, and a subtle frown that began to deepen. Swiftly, he slunk behind him and began to inspect his ingredients.
"Ohh… kay… Why are you staring at me, Grease Top?" Damien asked, confused at why this slime/filled git was looking at him in such a weird way.
"Watch your tongue, young man. I am still your professor." Snape snarled, his voice leaving his lips like a gas leak.
"Do you have a mirror? If not, no can do." Damien retorted.
"Fiery. An annoyingly familiar trait. Now then. What is the next step in the Hair-Raising Potion?
"To get a bowl to mix it in?" Damien answered as though it was obvious.
"No." Snape replied dryly.
"Technically, he isn't wrong. To make a potion, you need a bowl or cauldron." Alicia Granger piped up.
"I didn't ask for your input, Miss… Granger. By Merlin, there are two of you." The Professor groaned in frustration.
"Actually, there are three of us. Though our little sister isn't magic, so she won't have the displeasure of meeting you." Alicia responded with a chipper tone.
"And we are all grateful for that," He said before turning to look at Damien. "After mixing the initial ingredients, what is the next step?"
"You either pour it on someone's head or make them drink it. If not, I have no idea since it's my first day at a school like this. I didn't know I was magic until a few months ago." Damien said to the teacher.
"I do not require your life story, Mr. Dursley." Snape replied dully.
"Considering you became a teacher, at least I have a life to tell a story about." Damien said with a smirk.
"Continue with the next step." He sternly said.
"Ah, I did not realize you were elderly. I did say I have no idea, being that this is my first day at this school." Damien replied.
"You had several months to prepare for this, Dursley." The Professor said pointedly.
"Unlike some people, I prefer to learn the layout of where I am, rather than studying books like a lonely bookworm without any ability to make friends. I mean, that's what you did, right?" Damien asked.
Snape's eyebrows twitched in frustration and finally walked off. Muttering about marking Damien down on points for such things as "reckless curiosity" and "familial ineptitude" as he went. He passed Ginny, who also got a particularly vicious scowl from the pale professor.
"I'm impressed, Dursley. Snape didn't take points off for that." Mafalda commented to the young Muggle-born as she stared off into space.
"Give it time." Damien simply replied.
"Thank you for reminding me, Ms. Weasley." Snape said with a hint of glee in his voice. "Twenty points from Ravenclaw."
With the punishment issue, Snape returned to his prowling. Walking past Ginny, he continued to snake his way between the cauldrons. He then eyed Luna, who was stirring away at her cauldron furiously. He raised his eyebrow a bit when he noticed that she wasn't even looking at her brewing cauldron. Her eyes were locked on a torchlit portion of the wall. All while her cauldron was about to boil over.
"Lovegood. Always keep an eye on your cauldron." He pointedly said.
"Sorry, Professor. But how can I keep an eye on the cauldron? Don't I need them to see?" Luna asked out of curiosity.
"… Just watch your cauldron before it boils over. The last thing we need is you causing an explosion like a certain second year from Gryffindor." Snape replied, clearly annoyed.
"My cousin?" Damien asked.
"No, Dursley. Even Potter isn't that abysmal at potion making." Snape replied in an unamused tone.
"Professor! My cauldron is smoking! Is that normal?" The panicking voice of Gabby called out.
"You stirred it too long. There will be a violent reaction in approximately 29 seconds." Snape said, not even looking at Gabby as he said it.
"Dim the fire! Dim the fire!" Her partner called out in concern.
"I am!" Gabby called out desperately.
'Merlin, give me patience…' Snape mentally sighed in frustration.
As the fire under the cauldron dimmed, the boiling potion stopped right at the rim before settling down. Gabby panted heavily as the stern gaze of Professor Severus Snape bored a hole through her.
"You are supposed to stir it clockwise. Not counterclockwise." Snape sternly explained.
Gabby looked sheepish. "Sorry, Professor. Well, from how the picture in the book looks in comparison, it's at least still salvageable. Right?" She replied nervously.
"Why does that matter?" Damien asked, brows furrowed in confusion.
"Potion making is a very delicate process, Dursley. Even the most minor alteration can either improve a potion or cause a catastrophic accident." Snape explained.
"Like cooking!" Damien exclaimed.
Before Snape could reply to that, Albert called out to him. "Professor! Your cloak's on fire!" He exclaimed.
Snape looked down, seeing that it had indeed caught aflame. Grumbling in annoyance, he pulled out his wand, a jet of water shooting from the tip, dousing the flame.
"This was my favorite cloak…" Snape grumbled in irritation.
He craned his head to look at Albert. His eyes narrowed into a baleful stare, centered directly on the half-goblin. Albert bit his thin lip, averting his gaze. As while the Potions Professor didn't speak any words, his gaze spoke more than a thousand.
Second Period: Defense Against the Dark Arts
"Simmer down children, simmer down!" Came the voice of Gildroy Lockhart merrily. "For today you will be illuminated by my many striking victories against the Dark Arts! And from them, you too will be able to defeat them!! Though not as dashingly as me!"
As the first-years filed in and took their seats, Professor Lockhart stood before them not before a chalkboard, or behind a desk, but a stage. The seats had been magically rearranged to accommodate a large, rectangular, wooden stage with blue and gold curtains covering its supports. A massive light shone from the ceiling like a spotlight, shining directly upon himself wearing a freshly pressed golden vest and tan overcoat.
"Sit back and get comfortable. For I have quite the lesson for you!" He said with a toothy grin.
"What's this baboon-brained git got in mind…?" Eddy muttered in disbelief.
"Today, to illustrate the magnitude and gravity of this important class, I shall require the greatest assistance of the highest caliber. Me," He said with a dramatic and notable pause. "To show you all a perfect reenactment of my latest werewolf vanquishing quest in Kenya!"
With a flick of his wand, a wooden mannequin appeared from the floor on a wooden post. Complete with a safari hat on its head, and a face that exactly matched the Professor's. At the sight of it, most of the first-year girls swooned and began chatting amongst themselves. While the boys of the class rolled their eyes at the sight of the prop.
"This puta can't be serious. Right, Gabby?" Eddy commented in disbelief before looking at his twin sister when he got no response. "Gabby?"
To his shock, his sister was looking in awe at Lockhart before starting to clap. "What a marvelous idea for a lesson, Professor!" Gabby called out in joy.
"Thank you, young lady!" Professor Lockhart called out, pointing at her while striking a dramatic pose. "And remember to pay attention, class! There's a quiz at the end!"
The boys all collectively groaned at the mention of a quiz. However, Professor Lockhart brushed off this collective reaction and began his tale. With every motion of his wand, he wove illusions onto the stage and conjured props to set the scene. Soon the wooden stage was covered in lush jungle foliage, and several more mannequins to represent native guides joined his own. Each equipped with large leather stretched drums and feathered headbands. Waving his wand like a conductor of an orchestra, the mannequins began to beat the drums to set a tribal beat.
"There I was in the summer of 1989. Called to assist in a case of Lycanthropy gone mad…" Professor Lockhart began.
The story then soon began to drag on. And on. And on. On and on he went, describing in unending details the lengths he went to track down the Werewolf and kept the native guides calm. He conjured scene after scene and prop after prop with the skill of the director of a play. Most of the girls, including Gabby, were enthralled by this show. With only a few having different reactions. Ginny sat there taking notes and listened politely, with a skeptical look on her face. Luna, by the halfway point, had fallen asleep, slumped against the back of her chair. Mafalda barely lasted a minute, putting a textbook up in front of her face to hide her sleeping.
None of the boys bought any of it and sat in a state of collective annoyance. Eddy's brows twitched furiously in frustration as he watched. Damien sat muttering about how none of the 'lesson' would help stop a cursed teaspoon. As the time for the class ticked nearer and nearer to its end, Lockhart prepared the grand finale. The confrontation with the werewolf.
Waving his wand about fiercely, he made the native guides seem positively petrified in fear, while his own mannequin remained stalwart against the coming threat. From the mouth of a cave stepped out the figure of a colossal mangy werewolf, taller than even a giant. The great illusionary werewolf snarled at them, saliva spraying at Lockhart's mannequin. Striking a grand pose, the wooden mannequin wizard conjured a mighty spell and hurled it at the werewolf. Howling in agony, the werewolf's chest smoldered from a great hole blasted in it, falling to the forest floor, vanquished. The native guides then immediately rushed over to him and lifted him over their shoulders, praising him for his triumph.
"And that is the tale of the Killer Werewolf of Kenya! Vanquished by Professor Gilderoy Lockhart!!" He proclaimed, stretching his arms out in triumph.
Most of the girls began clapping furiously, while the boys at best clapped limply to the performance. The Professor, however, simply smiled and bowed deeply to the applause. Then with a simple flick of his wand, the illusions and the props disappeared.
"Now then class. It's time for that quiz I promised earlier!" The Professor proclaimed chipperly.
Mafalda rolled her eyes before her ears perked up. She heard something. Something… strange.
"Are you okay, Mafalda?" Ginny asked concernedly.
"Shh! Do you hear that…?" Mafalda asked her cousin, looking around for the source of the noise.
"Other than the crackpot that is supposed to teach us wanking himself off? No." Damien chimed in.
"No, not that! And I didn't ask you, bird brain." Mafalda snapped.
This made Damien and Ginny raise their eyebrows in confusion. Before either of them could question Mafalda further, they were each given two sheets of paper. Front and back with thirty-three questions related to the lecture they just had. As everyone got to work, Albert snarled at the quiz.
'All that pomp and show for what? He didn't teach us a bloody thing!' The young silversmith thought mirthfully.
Third Period: Herbology
"Now then class. Today we are going to learn about the Devil's Snare, a rare and valuable plant," Professor Sprout explained, motioning to a small potted plant in front of her.
On the Professor's desk was a small clay pot, with mostly bare soil. The Greenhouse was unusually dark, with barely light peaking in from the glass panes. Yet from what little the students could see poking out was a small, dark vine, curled up like a garden snake in the pot.
"It's too dark to see them, Professor," Damien commented.
"That, dear Dursley, is because the Devil's Snare is only active in dark and damp areas. Native to Scotland, they are commonly used as a guard for valuables, a weapon, and even used in assassination," She explained.
"Oh, I think my sister mentioned them. They almost killed her friend last year, apparently," Alicia added.
"Yes indeed. A tragic bit of business, that. Now then, you all will have to be careful as I pass out everyone's samples for the day. They are extremely sensitive to fire and light, so be prepared to use one of those charms when they attack," The Professor explained.
"Uh… Professor? Isn't everything sensitive to fire?" Eddy asked, confused.
"Uh… what about dragons… whatever your name is?" Damien questioned.
"Rey Leon Eduardo de García. But my friends and family call me 'Eddy.' Nice to meet you," Eddy introduced himself.
"Now, now. Let's focus on the lesson here," Professor Sprout replied.
With a flick of her wand, a large cart rolled into the greenhouse stuffed full of potted plants like the one on her desk. Then with another flick, they all floated off the cart, and each plant soon sat in front of each student.
"Have fun, everyone," Professor Sprout said chipperly.
The students began to nervously chatter amongst themselves as they all stared at the strange vines. One student poked theirs with their wand, and immediately it reacted. Striking like a viper, the vine wrapped itself around the poor student's face and tightened its grip. Soon the poor first-year struggled panickily, which incited panic like wildfire across the room. Within moments, Professor Sprout leapt into action. Rushing over, she immediately illuminated her wand, causing the Devil's Snare to let go, and rapidly retreat into the soil of its pot.
"Alright, everyone. Try to be a bit more careful," Professor Sprout said firmly.
Nervous murmuring persisted amongst the class. Damien stayed a few steps back from his own plant, not wanting to get too close to it after such a narrow escape. Albert kept a close eye on it, almost mesmerized by its movements. Most students, however, simply tried to be as careful as possible. Ginny most of all as she stared daggers at the potted vine.
'Focus, Ginny. Just keep calm, and everything will be fine,' She thought.
As she observed the plant, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Luna stood next to her at the long table, staring intently at her plant. That was until a big smile stretched across her face.
"You're cute. I'm gonna hug you." Luna said, before stepping forward with her arms outstretched.
"Don't!!" Ginny cried out.
As soon as Luna stepped toward the plant, it reached out and grabbed her by the neck. Swiftly, Ginny rushed behind her and grabbed her firmly. She tried to pull against the vine, but the Devil's Snare held firm with astonishing strength.
"Um, Prof? A little help over there." Damien commented, pointing to Luna and her situation.
Ginny tried and tried to pull against the Devil's Snare with all her might, but nothing she did made a difference. Right when all hope seemed lost, the two girls were illuminated in a bright light. Within moments the vine released its grip and made a hasty retreat.
"Heavens! Are you two all right?" Professor Sprout asked.
"We're… fine…" Ginny panted.
"What happened here?" The Professor asked.
"I thought the plant was like me, misunderstood and judged before people got to know it. So, I wanted to give the snare a hug," Luna said, with a happy smile.
Professor Sprout's lips instantly turned into a frown upon hearing that. "Dear, the only thing misunderstood about these plants is that they can be mistaken for a harmless species. Next time, please be more careful," She sternly explained.
Fourth Period: History of Magic
"And thus, in the Second Goblin War, a truce was reached between Witches and Wizards and the Goblins to defeat the Giant Kin Alliance…" Professor Bins droned on.
"Wow, this place has goblins? What else does it have? Werewolves? What about vampires? Oh, oh, oh! What about werepires?" Damien rambled on and on.
"Easy, Captain Curious. I'm sure all your questions will be answered. Whether you want them to be or not…" Alicia replied, clearly fascinated by the information.
"That's 'Commander Curious' to you, whoever you are," Damien retorted with sass.
"… And thus, in the Battle of Keswick, the Wizard-Goblin Alliance won a great victory against the giants, trolls, and ogres of the Giant Kin Alliance through the heroics of Graphook the Great. Though, tragically, Graphook lost his life in the battle using a goblin-forged silver sword to slay the Gurg of the commanding giant tribe…" Professor Binns drolled on, not stopping for even a moment.
"Am I being ignored by the teacher?" Damien asked Mafalda, who seemed to be in her own world.
'What is that noise? Other than the Muggle-born kids, no one seems to be talking so who is… Oh, must be a snake. Weird. Though we are high up. Must be a loud snake…' Mafalda wondered.
"Oh, she's ignoring me too, then. I see," Damien said with a bummed tone.
"You know, your cousin is kinda rude," Damien told Ginny only to find her dead asleep.
"Ah, I see. Hey, Luna…what the…?" Damien said, a slight tinge of pink on his face began before seeing her notes sheet.
Drawn in Luna's notes was a crude diagrammatic picture of a giant being killed. The offender of the slaying of the giant seemed to be a short creature of some kind wielding a poorly drawn sword. Clearly, she seemed to be trying to draw out what she was hearing in the lesson rather than write it down.
'Well, as long as she is having fun, I guess that's fine,' Damien thought, a bit down on being ignored, the very tips of his hair darkening ever so slightly, his mind briefly going back to his interaction with Snape earlier that day.
Looking, Damien saw that Eddy and Gabby were both listening with surprisingly rapt attention. Gabby was scribbling down notes while Eddy seemed like he wanted to reenact the battle being described to them in excruciating detail by the professor before them. This brought a small smile to Damien's face.
"… With the Giant Kin Alliance finally broken, the Wizard-Goblin Alliance came together one last time before the end of the truce. Every goblin, witch, and wizard who died in the war with the Giant Kin Alliance was buried with full honors with Graphook the Great being honored as one of the few goblins respected by wizard kind…" Professor Binns continued, not stopping for even a moment.
Fifth Period: Charms Class
The first-years filled into Charms Class with the collective energy of a sloth. To their surprise, they all saw a large feather at each of their spots. Standing behind the Professor's desk was a shockingly short man dressed in a sharp suit, who gave them all a warm and welcoming smile.
"Good afternoon, class! I am Professor Filius Flitwick, the Charms Professor. Here, you will learn everything about the dizzying array of charms the Wizarding World has to offer," The Professor said with an enthusiasm that was refreshing.
"Professor? Why do we have a feather at our desks?" A Hufflepuff Girl asked.
"Oh, an excellent question, my dear! That is for the first charm of the year, the levitation charm Wingardium Leviosa!" He explained, waving his arms dramatically.
"Wait? We can make things fly? And why are you waving your arms like a bird?" A Ravenclaw student asked.
"I was helping lighten the atmosphere, after your stint with Professor Binns. Now please, pay close attention, class!" Professor Flitwick answered.
Steadying himself, the Professor stretched out his arm holding his wand, and made a downward motion, followed by a swipe to the side. Ending with a small hook. "Wingardium Leviosa!!"
Within moments of performing the charm, the feather on his desk began to rise into the air. The students sat in awe at both the charm and the ease at which the professor used it. After lowering his arm, Flitwick turned to address the class.
"Now then. Your turn, everyone!" He exclaimed.
Soon the first-years grabbed their wands and got to work. As everyone began working out how to make their feather float, the professor began to walk around the classroom, keeping a close eye on everyone. Ginny was one of the first to succeed, perfectly performing the charm on the first try. Luna, meanwhile, swiftly got distracted by floating dust bits in a nearby sunbeam, and turned her head to look at them. However, despite that, she performed the charm perfectly. When she finally turned to look back at her feather, she saw it already floating.
"How did I do that?" Luna asked in surprise.
"I'm wondering the same thing," Ginny growled in frustration.
"Impressive, Ms. Lovegood. Next time, please pay attention when casting a charm," Professor Flitwick told her.
"Yes, Professor." Luna replied.
With a wink and a nod, Professor Flitwick continued his rounds. Albert locked his eyes on his feather, and with quiet precision successfully cast the charm, causing the feather to float rapidly above him. Impressed, Flitwick gave him a nod before turning his attention to Damien. Despite his best efforts, Damien couldn't keep his eyes fully on his feather. Every so often, he would glance across at Luna, before forcing himself to look again. Wiping a bit of sweat off his forehead with his sleeve, he readied himself to cast the charm. Not realizing he was holding his wand backwards.
"Wingardium Leviosa!!" He cried out, performing the proper wand motion.
However, within moments, he began to float instead of his feather. Panicking as his feet left the ground, Damien waved his arms to try and right himself, but to little avail. It did get a small chuckle out of Professor Flitwick, however.
"You have good form and pronunciation, Mr. Dursley. But next time, I recommend holding your wand in the correct direction," The Professor explained.
"Thanks for the advice, prof. But how do I get down?" Damien asked upside down.
"Allow me." Flitwick replied as he readied his wand.
"Maybe if I let go of the wand…" Damien, currently upside down, said as he did, causing him to fall, hitting his face on the desk. "... Okay, that worked. And OW!"
"Are you alright, Mr. Dursley?" Professor Flitwick asked concernedly.
"Yeah. Um… when were there three of you?" Damien responded to the tiny teacher.
"Oh dear. Someone escort Mr. Dursley to the Hospital Wing!" Professor Flitwick called out.
"But I don't like needles," Damien complained.
Sixth Period: Transfiguration
"Welcome to Transfiguration class. I am your professor, Minerva McGonagall. Today, we will be learning a basic Transfiguration spell: The Color Change Spell," Professor McGonagall said, introducing herself before going over the day's lesson.
"Wait, can we make ourselves change colors? Spanish boy, if someone hits themselves and starts turning blue, you gotta go sing a song!" Damien commented excitedly, still a tad loopy.
Eddy glared at Damien for that. "I am not an Oompa Loompa!" He growled at the Dursley boy.
"Oh, kind of like that one American singer who did… I think it's called 'Thriller?'" Alicia asked.
"Focus, class! I shall not have such a basic spell be miscast by all of you acting like a blabbering, blundering brigade of buffoons!" Professor McGonagall snapped authoritatively.
"Yes, Professor!" The three replied, refocusing.
"Now then. I will be passing out beetles for each of you to practice the spell on. After I show you all the proper wand motions, it will be up to you to correctly cast the spell and use it to change the beetle into whatever your favorite color is. And remember, even minor magic requires extremely exact enunciation," Professor McGonagall told them, pulling out a glass jar full of fat, olive-green beetles with bits of orange-gold on them.
"... Are those Cybister beetles?" Alicia asked, surprised.
"Is that the name Muggles gave this particular kind of beetle?" Professor McGonagall asked, confused.
"Yes, Professor." Alicia explained.
"Well then…" McGonagall replied, seemingly impressed.
"Well, my favorite color is blue, but what if someone's favorite color is the same as the beetle's already?" Damien asked while rubbing his head.
"... That is a fair question, young man. Five points to Ravenclaw for consideration for others," Professor McGonagall replied after a moment of thought.
"I was just…" Damien began to ask only for one of the other Ravenclaw students to cover his mouth to silence him.
"Now then, students. Split into pairs, then come up and claim your beetles for the lesson." Professor McGonagall told them.
Upon receiving the instruction, the room was a small cacophony of noise as the students all paired off with each other. Damien inched closer to Luna, who offered him an inviting smile, her eyes seeming to peer into his soul.
"… Uh… hi," he said, clearing his throat as he waved awkwardly.
"Hello," Luna said with a friendly wave, offering up a small skittering beetle to him.
"…" the slight contact of her hand caused Damien's face to warm, and Luna was kind enough to help him back to his desk, where she sat next to him and gently set her own beetle onto the desk, eyeing the tiny creature in wonder.
Rolling her eyes at Damien freezing up, Gabby stepped in stride with her brother as they received their own beetles, a sigh leaving her lips as Eddy was letting his own crawl freely around his hand. They took their seats.
Upon seeing the twins take their seats, Albert stepped forward carefully, reaching into the jar and gently pinching the fat beetle between his fingers. With a smile, he stepped to the side and let Alicia pluck hers from the jar. As both beetles were collected, they quietly took their seats.
"You got this, Mafalda! You're a Weasley!" Ginny encouraged as her cousin stared at the glass jar, breath coming out in nervous hitches.
"Gin?"
"Yeah?"
"Shut it!" Mafalda said tersely, closing her eyes with a sigh. Eyes snapping open, she stomped forward and picked out two fat beetles, screening behind her teeth as she felt them squirm on her palm. Turning on her heel, the youngest Weasley tossed the small terrors to her cousin, wiping her hands and quickly stepping back to her desk.
Reaching into the jar, Professor McGonagall plucked out a beetle of her own and used a wordless Enlarging Charm to make it big enough to see for the demonstration. Mafalda turned a sickly green at the sight of the now large beetle as McGonagall held it up in her hand.
"Colovaria!" Professor McGonagall said, making sure to enunciate as she gave a swish of her wand and pointed at the beetle.
Soon, the beetle turned from an olive-green to an emerald green with a tartan pattern on it, reminiscent of the kilt pattern of a Scottish clan. The students looked in awe at the sight before them. Even Mafalda looked less sick and more impressed by the sight of the spell in action.
"Now it's your turn, students. And remember: Extremely exact enunciation." Professor McGonagall told them before turning things over to the class.
The results were varied: Gabby's was a pale yellow which was eclipsed by Eddy's brilliant bright gold beetle. Albert's beetle shone in a knight's armor silver; Alicia's was royal purple. Ginny's was the most adorable as it skittered around her desk, its exoskeleton being a vibrant shade of pink, contrasting Mafalda's crimson red beetle who the youngest Weasley was trying her best to avoid touching as she was leaning all the way back in her seat, hands in her lap.
"You are obsessed with those little fluff balls, Gin," Mafalda commented, shuddering in disgust.
"They're called 'Pygmy Puffs,' Mafalda!" Ginny snapped back, raising her voice at her cousin.
Damien sighed, a nervous but satisfied smile on his lips at having completed the spell, his beetle a basic shade of blue, he knew it wasn't as flashy as the others, but he couldn't help but find it his favorite color.
"Oh, you like blue too?" Luna's voice asked whimsically.
"Well, yeah. I mean, the other primary colors are nice but…" Damien started
"Blue just goes with every color," He and Luna said simultaneously.
"Oh," Damien blushed, clearing his throat, looking away from Luna, eyes widening as he took in the beetle resting carefully on her shoulder, the tiny creature was a dark shade of midnight blue.
Seventh Period: Astronomy
"Welcome to your first Astronomy lesson, class. My name is Professor Sinistra. Let's go over Lunar Phases today before using our telescopes to look into the sky and jot down constellation charts, shall we? That was a rhetorical question, by the by. My Tower, my rules. And rule number one: No sleeping during class!" A dark-skinned witch wearing olive robes and a pointed hat spangled with astrological signs sternly said before, with a flick of her wand, wordlessly using a spell to launch a chalkboard eraser at Damien, bopping him on the head with it.
"Well, who's bloody idea was it to have a class at 1:30 in the morning!" Damien snaps.
"Everyone knows that before the Witching Hour is the best time of night to see the stars, Mr. Dursley. I would have thought you would have read that in your Astronomy textbook." Professor Sinistra sternly told him.
"What the heck are you talking about, lady?" Damien sassed.
"Just focus on the lesson. And no more disruptions in my classroom." Professor Sinistra sternly told Damien before Albert raised his hand. "Yes, Mr. Hoggerton?"
"Professor, what specifically will we be talking about when it comes to the phases of the moon?" Albert asked curiously.
Professor Sinistra nodded approvingly. "Excellent question, Mr. Hoggerton. We will be discussing how each Lunar Phase affects the use of magic in a spell," She explained.
"Like how the Full Moon can increase the power or effectiveness of a spell in the hands of a master duelist?" Albert asked curiously.
"Exactly. And ten points to Gryffindor for studiousness." Professor Sinistra replied with a nod.
Albert smiled as he lowered his hand. After a brief discussion on the Lunar Phases, the students began using their telescopes to look at the sky. As they studied the stars, moon, and other celestial bodies, they began drawing up charts. Some of the constellation charts were neater than others, some more organized than others. Albert, for example, plotted his constellations with brightly focused precision while Damien struggled to stay awake. Ginny pulled her robes tighter to handle the cold. It was clear that the exhaustion of the day was taking its toll.
Professor Sinistra made her rounds as she inspected the students' progress on their charts. She nodded approvingly at their work, some more than others. However, it was then that she noticed Luna getting distracted by a shooting star in the sky. Frowning, she cleared her throat.
"Miss Lovegood?" She sternly asked.
"Oh hello, Professor. How are you?" Luna asked a wisp of innocence from her tone.
"As much as I'd like to add shooting stars to the lesson, you need to focus on your constellation charts…" Professor Sinistra began to say only to trail off as she looked at Luna's work.
To her disbelief, every single chart was immaculately charted and meticulously organized. Every single star's position was perfect, the moon's Lunar Phase carefully plotted. Even the shooting star was added correctly.
"... Never mind. Twenty points to Ravenclaw for mindfulness." Professor Sinistra simply told her before moving on as Luna smiled.
Later: Ravenclaw Common Room
Damien sat in the Ravenclaw common room, struggling to stay awake as he sat by the fireplace. A warm fire crackled and roared in the fireplace as Damien tried his best to keep from falling asleep. As he did, his mind trailed back throughout the day, going over everything that happened. He sighed in frustration as he remembered Snape's words and behavior in Potion's class, his brow knitted together with a look of anger. As this happened, he failed to notice the tips of his hair briefly changing to a furious, fiery red. It was only when he heard a voice speak up that he snapped out of his intrusive thoughts.
"Damien? Are you okay?" The familiar voice of Luna Lovegood worriedly asked from beside him…