Sophie Pendragon, Year Two | Half-Vampire At Hogwarts

Chapter Fifteen: Classes

          For Herbology class, Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs would both be in the same class. We changed into our gardening clothes and we had earmuffs. I was anxious why we would need them and we shuffled into one greenhouse. In the center was a long table covered in potted plants and empty plants with bags of soil. The leaves that emerged from the soil would occasionally shift. More sentient plants?

          Professor Sprout walked in and tapped on an empty pot, "Good morning, everyone!"

         "Good morning, Professor Sprout!" we responded together.

          Today, we were going to be repotting young mandrakes. My heart sank and I looked at my earmuffs. I don't think these will work, considering we were all repotting at the same time. When called on, Hermione expertly told us about the mandrake plants. Naturally, Professor Sprout had us put on our earmuffs and I did quickly. She demonstrated and pulled out a mandrake from the pot nearest her. I was in pain and she stuffed the screeching baby into a new pot with new soil to muffle it. Neville fainted and I grabbed him.

          "Longbottom's been neglecting his earmuffs," Professor Sprout said.

         "No, ma'am. He's just fainted. I'll take him to the hospital wing," I insisted.

          "Very well," she said dismissively.

          I put Neville's arm over my shoulders and wrapped my arm around his lower back. With ease, I carried him out of the greenhouse. I'm glad I left because I could hear the screams of the mandrake behind me. After I explained the situation to Madam Pomfrey, I returned to the greenhouse to change back into my robes. I really hope we aren't working with them all year. The next class was Transfiguration and it was also a mixed class. All four houses were split into these classes. I was happy to see Draco was sharing this class with us.

          Harry and Ron were sitting together and Hermione was also in this class. I was sitting next to Justin but I didn't know many of the Ravenclaw students. Draco was sitting with Crabbe and Goyle was sitting next to a girl. She didn't seem to like me very much. Unfortunately, Ron was facing trouble with his broken wand. The rest of the class was normal and I walked with Draco to our next class, Defense Against the Dark Arts.

         "Apparently, Gilderoy Lockhart is our new professor," Draco said.

          I groaned, "I figured with our required textbooks."

         "Not a fan of blonde hair?" he asked.

         I snickered, "Worried?"

          "Why would he be worried?" a girl's voice snuck up on us.

         "Parkinson," Draco said.

          "Draco. Who is this?" she asked defensively.

        "You should know Miss Sophie Pendragon. She's-" he said, annoyed but she cut him off and stood between us.

         "I know who she is. Why is she with you?" she snapped.

          "Excuse me?" he said.

          I sighed and studied the tips of my hair, "She's jealous."

          "What?" she almost screeched.

          Draco grabbed my hand and led the way to class, "Let's go, Sophie."

          I blushed and kept up with him. He was upset but not towards me. We sat together, much to Parkinson's dismay. He told me that her name is Pansy Parkinson but he didn't know much else about her. She was also in Slytherin. Neville also recovered and joined class with Harry.

          "You didn't answer me," I whispered.

         He leaned over, "Shut it. You didn't answer either."

          I spoke without thinking, "I love blondes-"

         He held in his laughter when I covered my mouth and I playfully hit him with my textbook when he wouldn't stop. Then, Professor Lockhart emerged from his office upstairs and proudly introduced himself as our new teacher. Most of the girls, even Hermione, fawned over him and many of the boys were irritated, especially Ron. Draco and I were too distracted with each other to care. Suddenly, the professor grew serious and brought our attention to a cage covered with a heavy cloth. Upon being hit by his wand, it started to rattle. I was more focused on the cloth, it was soundproofing whatever was inside.

         "I must ask you not to scream. It might provoke them!" he said and revealed a cage full of cornish pixies.

          Their bickering was comical to me and Seamus also found it humorous. However, the professor was cocky and released them from the tiny cage. We all screamed as the pixies attacked us. One of them went for my hair and began pulling it.

          "Stop! Don't move!" Draco yelled.

          I froze and he hit it off with his textbook. He ran out of the class after grabbing his things and I was right behind him but then I heard Neville in pain. The pixies were holding him by his ears and left him hanging on the chandelier in the classroom. Then, they dropped the dragon skeleton that was also hanging from the ceiling. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were told to round the pixies up when the professor took refuge in his office. Some professor he is.

          Hermione pointed her wand at the ceiling where the pixies were now clustered, "Immobulus!"

          The pixies were now frozen in place and floated throughout the ceiling. Hermione took the responsibility of picking up the papers and cleaning up the classroom as I floated around the ceiling to collect the pixies. Ron and Harry took them from me and returned them into their cage. I grabbed Neville by his upper arm and slowly floated down with him.

          "Why is it always me?" he asked.

          "Would you rather explode things like Seamus?" I joked.

          He had a half-smile, "Fair enough."

          When the classroom was in order, we got our things and left. If this is how every day will go, I don't think I could keep up. I was already down one tin of tablets with three left for the month. I sent an urgent letter to my dad that night and thought about what Draco said. I doubt the danger we faced just in the last two days alone was the same danger he wanted to warn me about.