“Welcome to the N.E.W.T level History of Magic course,” Professor Binns began in his dull drone. “Open your textbooks and turn to page one.”
Madison looked around and didn't see any truly familiar faces. In fact, as Madison counted around the room, she found it only had six people and that was including herself. Two of them were Ravenclaws, Two were Gryffindors, One was a Slytherin, and then there was Madison, the lone Hufflepuff.
This was surely going to be a quiet class.
When she left her History of Magic class, Madison crossed paths with Harry and Ron in the corridor.
“Hey Madison,” Ron said.
“Hey guys,” Madison said, suddenly realizing she hasn't seen them very much this summer. She lived above the shop and didn't get to spend the usual time with them.
“Where're you headed?” Ron asked.
“Defense,” she answered, holding up the class textbook, Confronting the Faceless. “How ‘bout you guys?”
“Same place,” Harry said.
“Well at least we can all suffer Snape's torment together,” Madison pointed out, “but I don't know. Maybe it won't be so bad. Snape finally has his dream position.”
“It's Snape,” Ron said, “it'll still be bloody awful.”
“You're probably right,” Madison said. “Oh Ron make sure you get the stuff from the shop.”
“What stuff from the shop?” Harry asked.
“Some stuff that Fred wouldn't let me just have. He wanted three Galleons, nine Sickles and I didn't have it,” Ron said, “No family discount, I guess.”
“So I just gave it to him since that isn't going to break the bank,” Madison said, “and he never noticed. Or he noticed and never said anything.”
“I don't care cause either way, I get my stuff,” Ron said.
“Looks like the place,” Madison said as the group approached Hermione who was already lined up outside the door while balancing a load of books.
“Ew,” Madison said with a scrunched up nose, “that looks like homework.”
“It is!” She exclaimed. “We got so much homework for Ancient Runes. We have to do a fifteen-inch essay, Two translations, and a reading. No telling how much more we'll have.”
“That's what happens when you take seven N.E.W.T level classes,” Ron pointed out.
“I'm taking seven N.E.W.T classes,” Madison said quietly.
“What in Merlin’s beard possessed you to do that?” Ron asked, “I thought you cared about rest and relaxation.”
“I'll have plenty of time for rest and relaxation, if I manage my time properly,” Madison said. “Besides some of these classes should be a breeze. My first class only has five other students and Professor Binns didn't assign a scrap of homework.”
“Professor Binns?” Ron asked, mouth agape, “you voluntarily took History of Magic again?”
“Yes,” Madison said, “it's actually incredibly interesting compared to what students learn in muggle schools.”
“Doubt it.”
“It's true. All of these subjects are more interesting than Muggle school.”
“Still doubt it.”
“Would you rather be studying why the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell or the history of a giant war?”
“What the bloody hell is a mitochondria?”
☆☆☆☆
“Protego!” Madison thought to herself.
She felt her legs begin to wobble beneath her as she failed to protect herself against the Jelly-Legs Jinx.
“I hate nonverbal magic,” Madison muttered bitterly after the jinx wore off.
“You just need extra practice,” Hermione said to reassure her.
“That's an understatement,” Madison said.
Snape had decided for their first lesson that the class would be divided into partners to work on nonverbal magic. Hermione was excelling at the task, but Madison hasn't protected herself against a single jinx.
Madison's friends, Carter and Blaire, were managing remarkable well with nonverbal magic. Mallory seemed to be getting the hang of it, but they were all doing considerably better than Madison.
“Pathetic, Weasley,” Snape said to Harry and Ron, approaching the struggling pair. “Here--let me show you-”
Snape pulled his wand on Harry and before he could do anything Harry casted a Shield Charm so powerful that Snape flew across the room. Snape pulled himself the his feet with a scowl.
“Do you remember me telling you we are practicing nonverbal spells, Potter?” Snape growled.
“Yes,” Harry replied bluntly.
“Yes, sir.”
“There's no need to call me ‘sir,’ Professor.”
“Holy shit,” Madison breathed.
“Detention, Saturday night, my office,” Snape said, “I do not take cheek from anyone, Potter… not even ‘the Chosen One.’”
☆☆☆☆
“That was incredible!” Mallory exclaimed. “The look on Snape's face was perfect.”
“I can't believe Harry said that,” Carter chimed in.
“‘There's no need to call me ‘sir,’ Professor,’ Mallory said in the worst Harry Potter impression to ever disgrace anyone's ears. “Priceless!”
When the group reached the Great Hall for lunch, Mallory practically sprinted down the aisle.
“Food, food, food,” she chanted as she dug into a sandwich.
By the time the rest of the group had caught up, Mallory was on her third sandwich.
“Slow down, Mal,” Madison said, taking a seat, “Fred and George aren't here so trust me, your food won't run away.”
“You could be in cahoots with the ginger demons,” Mallory said with the wide eyes of a conspiracy theorist. “Can't trust you.”
“Miss Clisson?” Professor Sprout said, approaching the ravenous girl with great caution. “Is there any chance you have chosen a tryout date? I'm as eager as you are to have a great Quidditch season.”
Mallory took several moments to chew her food and swallow. “Is the pitch free this weekend?”
Professor Sprout pulled out a chart and examined it. “Why, yes it is. Would you like to book it?”
“Yes,” Mallory answered.
“Excellent!” Professor Sprout exclaimed, “spread the word!”
“Tryouts are this weekend,” Mallory announced to the group.
“Oh really?” Madison said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “I had no idea.”
“No sassing the captain.”
“Aye! Aye!”
“Not that kind of captain!”
☆☆☆☆
There was a burning smell that filled the small dungeon as the students entered for double Potions. Sitting atop a table towards the front were several cauldrons filled with oddly colored potions. Somehow, Slughorn managed to make the usually dark and dreary dungeon look bright and cheerful. Well as cheerful as a dungeon could be. The windows look as though they had been cleaned for the first time in ages. It felt like a completely new classroom now that it was rid of Snape.
“Ah! Welcome! Welcome students,” Slughorn announced as the students filed in.
Madison, Mallory, Blaire, and Carter took up one of the tables while a few Slytherins took another, Sara and Grace filled in at the empty spaces with the Slytherins, and the Golden Trio and Ernie Macmillan took another table. Madison looked around the room. Only twelve were present.
“Now then, now then, now then. Scales out everyone, and potion kits, and don't forget your copies of Advanced Potion-Making…”
Madison remained silent for the majority of the beginning. As did most if the other students. Besides Hermione, who answered each and every question thrown at the class. It wasn't until Slughorn reached the potion in the golden cauldron that Madison grew intrigued.
“It's Amortentia!” Hermione answered when queried of the substances identity.
“It is indeed,” Slughorn said “It seems almost foolish to ask, but I assume you know what it does?”
“It's the most powerful love potion in the world!”
“Quite right. You recognized it, I suppose, by its distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen?”
“And the steam rising in characteristic spirals. And it's supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what attracts us, and I can smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and-”
Hermione stopped abruptly and her cheeks turned pink.
Slughorn moved on from the potion, but Madison found herself in a trance. The sweet, sweet smell of strawberries filled her nose as it mixed with the musk of freshly carved wood. The scents begin fusing with smoke from a recently extinguished fire and the smells of homemade soap.
There was a sudden clank that pulled Madison back to reality, cutting off the smells completely. She looked up to see Slughorn had placed the lid over the cauldron. When she took another look around, she saw her classmates had begun to get to work.
“Uh what are we doing?” Madison whispered to Carter.
Carter gave her a weird look, but nevertheless, she whispered back, “Go to page ten.”
Madison flipped through the pages.
“Thanks.”
Nearly an hour had passed, and Madison was close to pulling her hair out.
“Why isn't the potion getting lighter?” Madison muttered furiously under her breath.
“Add a clockwise stir,” a voice whispered behind her.
“What?” She asked, turning to see Harry standing above his lilac potion.
“Add a clockwise stir after the seven counter-clockwise.”
Madison shrugged. It really wouldn't hurt.
She added the extra turn and the potion gradually became lighter and lighter. It wasn't as pale as Harry's. But it was a start.
“And time's… up! Stop stirring please!” Slughorn announced.
Slughorn moved about the room and evaluated everyone's potions. He said very little until he got to Madison's cauldron. He gave it a testing stir.
“Nearly there,” he said with an encouraging smile and nod.
Harry gave Madison a discreet thumbs up and Madison mouthed a “thank you”.
“The clear winner!” Slughorn announced after glancing into Harry's cauldron. “And as promised, one bottle of Felix Felicis! Use it well!”
☆☆☆☆
After a short dinner, Madison trudged back to the common room before her friends. The common room was empty except for Cedric who resided in his portrait.
“How's the start of your sixth year?” Cedric asked, barely looking up from his book.
“Its kicking my ass,” Madison answered.
“Just don't join any dangerous tournaments and get killed, like I did, and you should be fine.”
When Madison remained silent, Cedric looked up to see her glaring at him.
“Too soon?”
A/N: Ah yes I've come back from the dead after six or seven months. I feel like I just lost the motivation and felt too busy with personal things, but I've seen a recent spike in interest in the Ink and Pixels series and decided to come back. I have several chapters already written and plan on updating more regularly. So please feel free to vote, drop a comment or even a message because feedback is appreciated and so are you! Love ya! 💛💙❤💚