Albus Potter, Friends and Foes

Ch 8 Problems with Professors

By the time the professor had finished questioning everyone in the room the class period was almost over."

By the second week in January Professor Zauberstabhersteller had Cleo examine him for soap and shampoo, and the professor had talked Professor Ollivander into being examined and procuring new soap and shampoo for her as well. Cleo noticed both professors looking lustfully at her wand as she examined them.

*

"Do you think professors Ollivander and Zauberstabhersteller are going to marry?" Albus asked Cleo as they made soap and shampoo for the two professors.

"It is not like they are soulmates or anything," Cleo reflected. "Most couples are not, certainly when they first meet. Professor Ollivander is reluctant to allow her body to be taken over by another person, a baby, and is even a little reluctant to, well, you know, when you let a man into you it is rather intrusive. I mean, I want it more than anything, but all witches do not, and she has a hard time with it, I think. She probably has not met the right person. Rose had a horrible time thinking about sex when she was eleven, but she's changed her mind. Now she is just conflicted, really wanting it and really not at the same time. She will be fine with the right person.

"Professor Zauberstabhersteller likes witches, so he is willing, but he doesn't know professor Ollivander very well. They could end up liking each other, and if they do something may develop. If they get to that point I can change the scents to help it along, but I really ought to wait and see. I'm learning how different people are, and that I should not even encourage witches to marry and have babies, and I know it, but it is hard sometimes.

"I have talked to your mother, and to Professor McGonagall, about why many witches do not marry, or marry again if their husbands die, or have many children, and I think I understand what they are telling me, and I am really trying not to ... I don't want witches that do not want to have babies but it is just hard thinking that way sometimes.

"Making wands is a little like giving birth. The process of wandmaking is described in Elfish as that fourth couple tense, not male or female or neuter. The words they use for the final act is the same one used for giving birth, having a baby, but it is in the couple tense, not the female. It is just like becoming pregnant or making a family is the couple tense, but actually giving birth to a baby is female. The witch does the work. But in making a wand, in the last step, giving birth to a wand is a couple thing.

"The professors are not ready for that."

"For giving birth to a baby, or a wand?" Albus wondered.

"Both, right now," Cleo thought.

*

It was the end of January, on a Tuesday, the first of two double Potions classes that week. "This is a most difficult potion," Professor Wong informed the class. He handed out written instructions with a large number of steps. The potion was supposed to have certain colours at each stage, and what looked like a computer printer had the colours on it, with instructions that the actual colours were more shimmery or otherwise a little different than the printed version.

"I doubt if any of you will get a good potion on your first try. We are trying to figure out what is so hard about making this, so I want you to take good notes."

Rose and Scorpius each looked at their instructions, and started to make the potion. Albus did as well, but Cleo watched all three, occasionally sniffing or holding her wand over the concoction. At several stages Professor Wong came over and made some comment on how the intermediate step looked.

No one had an acceptable potion at the end of the class, although Rose's was close. Cleo did say, "I think people are making it too fast. You need to let the magic work between steps."