Nella Dursley and the Wondrous World of Magic

Professor Clearwater and Rose Weasley

Albus paused before his friends could make their way to the second floor.

"Do you remember the trick steps Scorpius?"

He paused and frowned, luckily a student passed and knowingly skipped the steps known to trap unsuspecting students' feet.

“I remember my dad talking about those he-” Albus was interrupted by the stairs leading to their destination shifted, leading to a nonexistent platform.

"It'll move back if you just wait, but then you'll be late to class." The trio swiveled to the sight of James lounging behind them against an irate portrait.

“Gerroff me!” Growled the sullen wizard in the portrait. Nella shook her head, still not entirely used to wizard pictures, and stared at James shocked.

"What are you doing here?" Albus asked aggressively. Nella couldn't remember the brothers being quite so at odds; usually, James had to start a dispute first, but Albus seemed ready to punch him already.

"Just sharing my wisdom with first years. Albus, I can't believe you though, in Slytherin and friends with a Malfoy? I thought you were a Potter." Albus puffed up but Nella got there first, after the shock she felt affronted. James was being too aggressive.

"I don't know what your problem is, but leave us alone James."

"Careful squib, your magic is showing." It was true; sparks snapped in Nella's eardrums as if someone lit sparklers above her head. Scorpius made to tentatively grab her hand but Albus saved him from an unintentional zap.

"It's not that big of a deal… I'm alright who cares what James says." Scorpius tried to keep the peace, but he seemed to blame himself.

"Albus, I know you know better, but Nella haven't they told you? The thing you're friends with? The son of a Death Eater?" Scorpius expression shifted from polite concern to an unidentified blank. The sparks increased in frequency as Nella's rage increased. She didn't like James's tone at all, but before anything dangerous happened the stairs shifted back to its home in the correct direction and Albus, however shaking with anger, managed to drag his friends along with a quiet remark on tardiness on the first day.

Nella wasn't sure what James was talking about but she didn't have much of a mind to care besides concluding she did not like his attitude at all. She hated it.

~ ☪ ~

Even if the group had arrived well before the class started, their Alchemy teacher wouldn't have liked the trio. She didn't like anybody and as she ticked off her students on a roll sheet; it seemed she had a grudge against one student in particular.

At first, Nella hadn't recognized the girl she met during the Quidditch cup she attended three years ago, but there she was at the front of the class receiving a stern glare at the name Weasley. Rose, a cousin to Albus, blushed a dark burgundy and sank in her seat.

To try to keep the teacher as peaceable as possible Nella reached for her book bag to grab her text before being asked when a sudden thought struck her. She mentally ticked through the books she and Mr. Potter purchased in Diagon Alley. As she tried to remember the list on her Hogwarts letter, several hands shot up possibly with a similar question in mind.

Their new teacher appeared to be boiling with rage, and each student who had raised their hands slowly dropped or pretended to stretch and scratch their heads.

"You may be wondering... " she said curtly. She commanded attention and no student dared to make a sound.

"...why you haven't seen an Alchemic textbook for this class? I wonder why? Maybe we can ask the daughter of the Ministry of Magic? She ought to know. Right, Mrs. Weasley?" Rose continued to sink in her chair, only her vibrant hair was visible from a seat behind her.

"Well, it seems this is the fourth year in a row that this has happened so I am prepared. I've owled each of your parents and you will receive your copy, for now, please group off and share what I have in the cupboards amongst yourselves." With that Albus stood up as the least shy amongst his group and grabbed a text for their group. Whatever the number of students, Gryffindor's and Slytherin's did not group together on principle.

Even Rose, who looked lost, didn't try to join her cousin's group. Nella teetered from feeling insulted to feeling sympathetic. That might've been whatever was up James's butt, but Rose didn't seem particularly nasty. All the students were ready by the time the teacher slapped a blackboard with her wand and a cursive font appeared first giving her name,

Professor Clearwater

then the words:

Air Earth Water Fire

"Can anyone tell me which element corresponds with each house here at Hogwarts?"

Shakily, Rose lifted her hand and Professor Clearwater ignored it sliding over any other student it seemed. Any. Eventually, it became clear there was no other option and she nodded at Rose.

"Air is associated with Ravenclaw. Earth is associated with Hufflepuff... Water is associated with... Slytherin..." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"And?"

"And Gryffindor is associated with fire." Professor Clearwater nodded with no other recognition of Rose being correct.

"These four elements are the basis of Alchemy. I'll warn you all now. This is a difficult subject and it being a requirement is relatively recent. Normally we only offer this class to sixth-years, however, this class is also related to your other subjects. If you can do well in those classes you have potential here and vice versa. I'd like to start us with reading chapters one and two in class since I can not offer homework for obvious reasons." With that, the class became very dull and hard to focus as she had students read aloud paragraph by paragraph each long chapter.

At the end, she dismissed the class, but Albus hovered; he was staring at Rose with his eyebrows scrunched. Nella and Scorpius dutifully lingered for Albus as they all watched  Professor Clearwater approach Rose but spoke too quietly. Rose shook her head and the Professor glared. She seemed to dismiss her and Rose left in a hurry, her ears remained bright red even after class.

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Yikes, can anyone guess what's going on here?

That name should at least be familiar, Professor Clearwater.

Word Count: 1035

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