Morgan le Fay Institute for Magic

Chapter 10 - Proper Punishment

Silence hung like a thundercloud in Professor Trindine's classroom.

While Dan was content pretending nothing happened, Ravenna had avoided her classmates since the incident with Ella. She hadn't even dared to apologise. Ezra kept throwing her angry glares during lessons and made a habit of placing himself in between his two female classmates, as if Ravenna could snap and attack the younger girl any moment.

Ella herself seemed to try her hardest to stay her upbeat self, but Ravenna saw her flinch every time she got too close. She decided to wait with apologising until the girl had calmed down a bit. She didn't want to put her through that, after what she'd already done to her.

When they went for dinner that evening, she knew she had to risk it. The letter she'd received was too important. Besides, Willem hadn't done much except glare at her. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

After class, Ezra had all but pulled Ella out of the potions classroom, throwing a furious glance over his shoulder. Dan had gone off to the toilet. Ravenna knew she had to act quick, if she didn't want it to turn into another argument. The moment Ezra and Ella slipped into the dining hall, while Willem had to wait for a group of girls coming out, she saw her chance. "Willem!"

He turned to face her, glancing one more time at his friends. "What?"

Ravenna's heart squeezed. "I know, okay? I didn't mean to do it."

"Ella just wanted to be a good friend, you know? That's why she offered to help you."

The annoyance she'd felt that day came rushing back, but now it was covered by a thick layer of guilt. "I know..."

"You'll have to apologise to her yourself. I won't help you."

Ravenna stopped him when he turned his back to her. "That's not why I'm here. I got a letter from Alois Mallow. That man who said he could help us, remember? I thought you should read it."

Willem stared at it, but curiosity got the better of him. He took the letter and read, his eyes growing bigger with every sentence. "Seriously? I can join too?"

She nodded. "You, and everyone you think might be interested. We'll all meet Saturday, and he can explain everything."

"That's..." He let out a laugh, swinging his arm over his head in a weird celebratory motion. "Brilliant. Thanks. I... I know some of my classmates from last year are interested. I'll talk to them." He pushed the letter back into her hands and fixed her with an intense stare. "We'll be there." Then he turned around and all but skipped into the dining hall.

"Hey," said Dan, gesturing towards Willem, who sat down with his old classmates. "What was that all about?"

Ravenna shrugged innocently. "Bonkers. Let's eat."

"Miss Inkwood!"

They'd barely set foot inside the dining hall when the headmistress called her back. It didn't happen very often that Professor Slughorn wanted to have a chat with her. The last time was on her 17th birthday, when she'd told Ravenna that she was an adult by wizarding law now, and that taking her potion would be her own responsibility from now on.

Slughorn had been smiling that time. Now, her lips were curved into a deep frown.

"Y-Yes, Professor?"

"We need to have a word. Follow me, please."

With one last helpless look at her friend, she followed the headmistress through the hallways of Morgan le Fay. Their footsteps were the only things filling the silence. Nerves fluttered inside her stomach when the older woman let her into the office.

It smelled of books and old parchment in Professor Slughorn's office. Behind the oakwood desk stood a fireplace, flanked by two large bookcases. The fireplace wasn't just decorational. One time, after a particularly difficult summer, Ravenna had refused to come back to Morgan le Fay out of fear of hurting someone. When her dad finally managed to talk her into going back to school, the school year had already started, so he'd arranged for her to go using the Floo network, which was a magical transportation system that connected fireplaces from all sorts of wizarding buildings to each other. All you had to do was step into the hearth with a handful of green Floo powder and say where you wanted to go. You'd be there in a second.

"Please sit, Miss Inkwood."

Ravenna obeyed immediately, taking her place in the leather chair. It squeaked with every movement she made, so she tried her best to sit still and keep her nerves in check.

"Is something wrong, Professor?" she asked, as the plump older woman pushed herself into her chair.

Professor Slughorn folded her fingers together and submitted her to one of those looks that seemed to see straight through her soul. Ravenna squirmed in her seat, but stopped when it made the leather squeak.

"I've been informed about your recent... magical mishap with Miss Rook."

The blood drained from her face. "It was an accident," she whispered to her lap.

"I should hope so." The headmistress sighed. "I am well aware that you don't mean for these things to happen, Miss Inkwood. However, I must ask... How long had it been since you'd taken your potion?"

Ravenna cringed in her seat. "I've taken one that same evening, Professor. Trust me, I won't let it happen again."

"That is good to hear, but it doesn't answer my question. How long had it been?"

Her thumbs fiddled in her lap. Ravenna couldn't bring herself to look up. She'd screwed up, and she knew it full well. As quietly as she could, she whispered, "Three weeks."

Slughorn remained unresponsive for so long that Ravenna started to think she hadn't heard her. Until finally the Professor let out a deep sigh and said, "That is... very disappointing."

Her lungs seemed to have stopped taking up the oxygen Ravenna breathed in. What will she do? The thought raced through her mind. Make me write lines?

 The grandfather clock in the corner ticked the seconds away.

Put me back on those magic-controlling tutoring lessons with Professor Boot? They never helped one bit... 

"I hope you understand that your recklessness has put your fellow students in a lot of danger."

"I do, Professor. I'm sorry."

Merlin, if she grounds me I won't be able to go to Alois' meeting on Saturday...

"Good. Then you'll understand that I have no choice but to supervise your potion compliance again. Every Sunday evening you will come to me to take your potion, is that clear?"

Ravenna's heart sank. Not the potions... Any punishment, except perhaps being expelled, would have been better than this. Back to throwing up every week. Back to going through absolute groggy hell every Monday, while trying to focus on the lessons.

"Am I making myself clear, Miss Inkwood?"

"Yes, Professor..." Ravenna muttered miserably.