First day of school.
Hooray.
Please, that was sarcasm.
I didn't really feel the excitement of starting the first day of school. But, it's not like I've been all that excited about anything. You could say I'm sort of a party pooper when it comes down to it. Aside from going to an actual party, I'm all for it!
Gwen shook me awake, and after a few grunts and moans to sleep longer, I reluctantly woke up from my slumber. I pulled myself up and leaned against my bedpost. Atticus was beside me, sleeping soundly and warming my leg with his fur. I rubbed my eyes and scrunched my bed hair with my hands and my first thought of the day, shower.
I kicked off my blanket, having Atticus erupt from his slumber with a cry of annoyance.
"Too bad, cat," I grunted and pushed him aside to jump off. I gave a long stretch and heard Gwen shout, "Morning!"
"Ack!" I shouted as I covered my ears.
"Not a morning person, I reckon," she snickered. I glanced at her and noticed she was washed up and ready, in her uniform, her make up glamorous and her hair in that thick braid resting on her shoulder.
"No, not really," I mumbled and grabbed what I needed for the shower.
"I'll be out in the common room to wait for you, 'Kay?" She said as she threw on her bookbag.
I took a hot shower, threw my uniform on, and magically blow dried and straighted my hair. I gave myself a cats eye with grey eye shadow and headed downstairs. Gwen sat on the arm of a couch by the fireplace, talking amongst fellow Slytherin girls and boys, until she saw me and jumped off and headed my way.
"Didn't take as long as I thought!" She beamed, "Come on, breakfast is held at the Great Hall and Professor Snape gives us our classes there."
"Yay!" I said sarcastically and she smacked my arm in protest and laughed as we headed out the commonroom.
She has a heavy hand for such a petite girl. "Oh my God," I grunted as I rubbed my arm viciously and she gave me a prideful smug look. We headed down to the Great Hall and Gwen said, "We're separate classes because you're a year older. Ohh! And I've got OWLs this year, too! This is going to be horror! I want to become a renowned herbologist. Better than that Longbottom prat Professor Sprout adores so much! But, what does she know? She's head of the most dumbest house-"
I honestly had no idea what Gwen was talking about. But, she seems pretty heated. It got me to think of what I wanted to be, but that dream was solely interrupted when Caleb died...
"A Magizoologist." Caleb said as we sat in the backyard under an old oak tree which hung a wooden swing I was on, pushing myself lazily. Caleb sat in the grass in front of me pulling weeds, bored.
"Really? I don't like animals much," I said curtly.
We were eleven years old.
"That's because mom didn't get you that ugly cat for your birthday a couple years ago." Caleb said scrunching his nose. I kicked him in the back and he snapped, "Hey!"
"Hey, me? Hey, you! Mom promised me a cat!"
"Dad's allergic."
"There are potion remedies for that!"
"Anyway," Caleb changing the subject, "It's not regular animals I want to discover, it's dragons and hippogriffs, centaurs and mermaids-"
"Mermaids aren't animals!"
"They're magical creatures!" Caleb groaned, "I want to travel! I want to go to every speck of land around the world and meet new people! Explore for pixies and unicorns-" he laughed "-tell me it's not awesome?!"
"Yeah..." I gave a long pause, "I want to be a Magizoologist, too."
"You can't steal my idea!"
"Okay. Fine... A Wizarding naturalist."
"It's the same thing, Olly!"
I looked down to the floor, pouting. Caleb sighed and said, "Okay. We can be Magizoologists together. But, if you annoy me on our expeditions, I'm deserting you in Russia... Or something..." I looked up and beamed and Caleb couldn't help, but smile.
"Olly?"
I looked up, alarmed to see Gwen confused. We made it to the Great Hall, in front of the doors. "You still sleeping?" She giggled ad I chuckled back. "No, I was thinking about something." I muttered. We entered the Great Hall sat at our table. I looked up to find Liam and saw him talking to his fellow Gryffindors. Was it really so bad that we're separated in these houses? How much rivalry did our houses have with each other?
Liam told me he wanted to talk to me this morning, but I was dead hungry. I didn't eat much last night. I grabbed toast and marmalade and spread it generously and grabbed thick slices of bacon and scrambled eggs from a silver dish. I drank orange juice and ate my fill until I was startled by a smooth dark voice behind me.
"Miss Olivia Wilson," I heard and I practically choked on my eggs. I grabbed a napkin and coughed, keeping it by my mouth as I turned around, wide eyed. It was Snape. What's his deal on sneaking up behind me? Is this his signature move or something?
Few students snickered and Snape honestly looked amused himself. I squinted my eyes at him in protest and focused on the parchment he was handing me.
"Your classes for this year, Miss Wilson," he said slowly, holding the parchment lazily.
I snatched my timetable and read it carefully.
Herbology
Transfiguration
CareofMagicalCreatures
Potions
Free Period
Alchemy
Tough schedule. I was fairly good with Care of Magical Creatures because Caleb supported me along the way and Herbology was a requirement for...
"Wizarding Naturalist, I see?" I looked up at Snape as he continued, "Seems you've got the credentials."
I looked down and sneered, "I'm not a fan of creatures."
"Well, Miss Wilson, there's always the chance of being an Alchemist." I could sense that he was confident when he said that.
I looked up at him again and narrowed my eyes. "Are you just going to tell me what I should be? Reading my classes? What are you going to do next, read my mind?" I replied and it made him glare at me menacingly.
He lowered his face towards mine and said quietly, "I am your head of house and care for the well beings of my students. You're pushing an awful lot of my buttons, Wilson, and you wouldn't want to be on my bad side." He straightened up and I could feel the uneasy tension between us two as well did the students around us.
"I'll see you in Potions." He sneered and walked away, giving out more class schedules at the end of the table, away from me.
"Olly!" Gasped Gwen and she looked dreadfully worried.
"We've got a rebel," cooed a male student across the table.
"She isn't going to last for long," I heard Viola say which she sat a few students down, "Hopefully Professor Snape gets her expelled before this week is over!" Her friends squealed and giggled and I rolled my eyes.
"We should just go, Olly," Gwen said in my ear, "Classes start in twenty minutes."
Gwen and I stood from the tables and headed out. I looked back at the Slytherin table where Viola was obviously talking more shit. Gwen went to her Charms class as I headed to Herbology. I walked in and noticed the class was filled with Slytherins and Gryffindors. It was a long table with Slytherins on one side and Gryffindors on the other. I sat by a Slytheirn guy who gave me a suspicious look and I gave him a small smile.
Don'tstartshitwithmenow. I thought and he exchanged my smile with his. "Blaise Zabini," he said as he reached his hand out, "Pleasure to finally meet the rebel."
I shook his hand and laughed. "Is that what they're calling me?" I asked.
"Not allot of these blokes can piss off Viola and Snape all at once." He smirked.
"Ugh, you were there, too?" I groaned as I dropped my bookbag on the floor.
"The whole Slytherin body was there," he said, "But, I wouldn't blame you much. She's a real bitch."
"Well," I said proudly, "I'm glad somebody understands!"
Our conversation ended when Professor Sprout walked in the room. She ended up teaching us about different carnivorous and cannibal flowers and what to watch out for. Blaise and I teamed up to disect the core of a Vampire Vine also known as Devil's Snare.
"Didn't expect a plant to ooze black..." Blaise said in disgust as he slowly penetrated it with a scalpel and carefully sliced it as black tar squeezed through the cut.
"Thankfully we have these gloves on, the tar is quite toxic." I said as I grabbed a vial and scooped a sample of the gooey tar with a spoon and poured it in the vial, "Could cause seizures, comas..."
"Glad to know that," he replied unamused. We stayed a bit quiet, working on our project. He seemed nice, but closed off at the same time. Every time he'd glance at the Gryffindors, he'd give a more disgusted look to them than the smelly plant and when one of our own would say something to him like "Can I use one of your vials?" or "How's that plant treating you?" He would barely speak nor look at them. Why was I so different?
I couldn't complain much though, he was very handsome and his closed off expressions were making me hot. He didn't talk much to me either as we did this project, until now.
"So, to make this clear," he said nonchalantly and I stopped to look at him, "My family is pureblood. Have been for centuries. I was curious, are you a pure blood as well?"
"Uhm... Yeah, this isn't some marriage proposal, is it?" I said confused. Oh God, this man is a snob, too.
"No," he chuckled, "Not yet." He said it as a joke. I hope. But, his smirk captivated me and I couldn't help but take the flirty compliment. He was very conservative, I know that much. And other than pushing him away, I invited him in. I mean, he hasn't insulted me yet.
"Uh, yes, I'm pretty sure I'm a pure blood," I shrugged, "I don't know any relatives to be muggles or anything." That made him smile. I guess Slytherins do take an unusual high pride for their bloodlines.
We ended our class with great expectations (thanks to me, I did most of the work) and I reluctantly separated from this mysterious man and headed to the rest of my classes. Which honestly was a bore. I almost fell asleep in Transfiguration which McGonagall took twenty points from Slytherin and I couldn't bear the nasty little grindylows Hagrid showed off in Care of Magical Creatures.
Finally, I headed off to Potions where I thankfully reunited with Blaise who stood outside the classroom with multiple Ravenclaws and Slytherins. "Hello," I said casually as I walked closer to Blaise who leaned against the wall and I mimicked beside him.
"Potions this period?" He asked, glancing at me.
"Obviously," I said, nonchalantly like him.
He scoffed and said, "Prepare yourself then."
I tilted my head in confusion. Then I noticed what he meant. The classroom door flew open and I peered inside. Snape. Severus fucking Snape. My jaw dropped and I groaned. The students started shuffled in and I walked in, closely following Blaise. I felt a sudden nudge against my back and I stumbled, breaking my fall against Blaise's back. Blaise stopped immediately to stop me from falling completely.
"Clumsy you are," he muttered and I looked up blushing. I looked around to noticed that Viola Summers sitting with an unfamiliar goon of hers. She gave me a glare and looked away, flipping her hair. I straightened myself out and sat with Blaise at a table. I was regrettably a table before Viola and I soon felt like this was going to be the worse class of today and this year.
The whole class went silent as Snape stood up from his seat, stalkingly walked around the desk towards us. I could feel the same pressure I had with him in the Great Hall, but it filled the dungeon like a toxic smog. All the students either cowered or stayed deathly silent as he swept through the dungeon with his cloak swaying behind him.
"Sixth years," he drawled and I swear I'd sleep in his class just like McGonagall's, "You've all made it to my class because you, in a colossal student body, has passed OWLs Potions with an Outstanding. Furthermore, I will not be so easy as I was last year." I heard a few Ravenclaws moan and groan. I'm surprised, Ravenclaws are known to be scholars.
"Ten points from Ravenclaw," Snape snapped and the class went quiet again. Oh, fuck...
"For today's lesson, I want you to produce an adequate yet superb Murtlap Essence. It is for the Hospital Wing and may I add that Madam Promfrey will reward any student who makes the right medicinal remedy worthy for her shelf. This concoction takes tedious and precise measurements of ingredients and stirring. There is a great chance of scanty explosions if not done right and if I see utter failure, you will be removed from my class for lack of potion skills. Turn to page hundred and thirty-five- I give you one hour... Begin!"
And the heat was on. I hurried to the potions cupboard to get the ingredients I needed as Blaise set up the cauldron and fire. It was insane how every student panicked as they raced around. I caught a glimpse at Snape who looked quite entertained as he sat in his chair behind his desk.
Blaise and I started on the ingredients. He read the book as I was hands on. To be honest, the making of this draught was not as hard for me. I've actually made it a couple times with the mediwitch at my old school when I had detention. So thankfully, today's class wasn't going to be that difficult.
A half hour passed and the potion was going smoothly. Traded places with Blaise and I coached him through the brewing. But, in the corner of my eye, I saw a snake's liver thrown into a small pile of rabbit eyes we had. Blaise scooped it up without realizing and before I could shout out no, the liver was thrown in.
A big boom and a puff of red smoke exploded from our pot and the stench of rotten eggs and feces filled the air. All the students gasped and screamed, covering their noses from the ghastly smell. I turned around to the direction the snake liver was from and my eyes locked with Viola.
"You bitch!" I curse as I grabbed my wand from my robes. I pointed it at her, but heard Snape from behind me.
"Expelliarmus!" He shouted and my wand flew out of my grasp. I turned around to face him as he waved his wand in the air, throwing around a gust of wind which made the stench go away.
"Profess-" I started, but he interrupted.
"What the bloody hell is your problem?" He spat.
"Viola-"
"And how exactly did your potion detonate?"
"Well, she-"
"I see that you must not be capable of making a Murtlap Essence, Miss Wilson, therefore-"
"Oh, for Merlin's sake! Don't you ever shut up?" I barked and immediately I froze. The whole class went quiet and the only thing preventing Snape from strangle me was the attentive witnesses. I looked at Snape wide eyes and he gave me a death glare. I could feel it ripping through my soul.
"Look, Viola slipped something in our potion!" I exclaimed. Viola gave a sour face and said, "Professor, I would never-"
"Silence!" He snapped at Viola and she looked down, "How would Miss Summers do that in her seat concentrating on her potion? I have no patience for liars, Wilson-"
"I'm not lying!" I argued back.
Then, a sudden pressure hit the back of my head. I felt my min suppressing as Snape looked at me with his empty coal black eyes. I knew this feeling all too well and closed off my mind. We stood there for a good minute and students started to wonder why we were having a staring contest. Suddenly, Snape stopped and gave me a bewildered expression.
I blinked and felt dazed, a headache creeping in. "You've just earned yourself a month's detention. I want you in this dungeon tonight at seven o'clock, sharp. And don't you dare attend my class again." He hissed quietly.
Did this man just kicked me out of his class for this year?
I stood there, stunned and with complete embarrassment and anger, I grabbed my bag furiously and pushed the chair out of my way so hard, it tipped over. As I stormed out, I heard the whispers of students and slammed the door behind me.
I ran to the Slytherin common room quickly and barked at the wall, "Parseltongue!"
No entry.
"Goddammit! Parselmouth!" The wall began to open. I ran inside and to my corridor and slam the door. I threw myself on my bed, kicking off my shoes. I laid on my side and held in the verge of tears. What a dick Snape was. And Viola? She has another thing coming, that's for sure. I sniffled and wiped my nose with my sleeve. I noticed Atticus jumping on my bed, rubbing his backside all over my leg. I yanked him towards me, holding him hostage in my embrace.
Atticus relaxed though, purring soundly against my chest. I couldn't help, but cry out, burying my face in his fur.