I woke up the next day in the same dorm I had been sleeping in for the last two years. Again, it was just Hermione, Parvarti, Lavender, and I. I was tempted to ask Lavender if she had actually sent Ron all those letters over the summer but refrained from embarrassing her.
I made a mental note to ask Hermione to practice my Seer abilities later tonight. I had spent all summer finding small ways to easier access it, and I was afraid if I stopped exercising it, I'd lose the connection between my frontal brain and subconscious.
I went down to breakfast with an extra skip in my step, feeling the energetic aura run through the castle since everyone was excited to be back at school. A lot of things were different which made my return feel weird; it was weird not to wake up with the twins sitting at the breakfast table beside me, and it was weird to have McGonagall hand me my timetable instead of my dad, but I inspected it anyways.
"Potions first class," I groaned out. I was thankful that Professor Snape wasn't the one teaching me so early in the morning, but it still wasn't the class you wanted to start your day off with.
"Me too," Hermione said and compared our parchments. Besides my continuation with Divination and her class of Ancient Runes we had the same exact schedule.
"Look Harry! We both have the same free period!" Ron said excitedly.
"Neither of you are taking potions?" I asked surprised.
"No we didn't receive O's on our OWL's," Harry said a bit sadly. I felt bad knowing that potions was a requirement for becoming an Auror and Harry was not unavailable to apply for the job position.
"We should probably go early," Hermione said and went to stand up. I looked at the Gryffindor table and spotted Anastasia sitting on her own and eating some oatmeal.
I truly had no idea what happened to the spunky girl I met in fourth year, to the now isolated girl who was sitting in front of me. I stood up with Hermione and was determined to make Anastasia return to her old self.
"Hey Anastasia what class do you have first?" I walked over to her.
"Uhm," she looked at her timetable, "potions."
"Great! Come over with me and Hermione," I gave a soft smile and pulled her up from the table. She hesitantly came over with me, and I saw her and Hermione make uneasy glances at each other.
"Good morning Anastasia. How was your summer?" Hermione asked politely but she sounded too forced.
"It was fine," she answered as we walked, "dad had some ministry matters to attend to in Paris, so we stayed in a cottage up there." The rest of the walk included awkward conversation about Anastasia's Paris trip, until we finally walked in the classroom.
"Good morning everybody. My name is Professor Slughorn and I will be your potions teacher this year," he gave a clap and a smile, "since it's only the first day of class I'll be introducing you to a variety of potions we'll create this year." All of us stood against the wall while Slughorn waved his wand and procured four different cauldrons from the inside of is cabinet.
"Attention to detail in the preparation of a potion is the prerequisite of all plans—Harry, my boy, I've been beginning to worry!" Slughorn said distracted from his lecture by the entrance of Harry and Ron, "you brought someone with us, I see. " Both of the boys went to the back cupboard to find an extra book and join the class.
"Now as I was saying, I prepared some concoctions this morning. Any ideas what these might be?" Hermione was the first to to raise her hand, and I was glad she did because I had no idea what the silver liquid was supposed to be, "yes, Miss...?"
"Granger, sir," she answered for him and stepped forward, "that one there is Veritaserum. It's a truth-telling serum. And that one— It's terribly tricky to make. This is Amortentia. The most powerful love potion in the world. It's rumored to smell differently to each person according to what attracts them. For example, I smell... Freshly mown grass and new parchment and... Spearmint toothpaste."
At this Anastasia elbowed my side lightly, "you know who smells like mown grass? Weasley." This was the first not forced conversation we had and I giggled at her statement.
"What you see before you, ladies and gentlemen, is a curious little potion, known as Felix Felicis. But it is more commonly known referred to as—Liquid luck. One tiny vial of liquid luck to the student who in the hour that remains, manages to brew an acceptable Draught of Living Dead. Recipes for which can be found on page 10 of your books," he pointed to each of us, indicating we start working on our potion. I went to a circular table with Harry, Ron, and Hermione and got started. The potion was tricky, more steps than I had seen in a concoction from our previous years.
I first had to fill my flask up with ¼ full of our black lake water cauldron that was up at the front of the room. After I stirred it in, I needed to add enough goat urine to fill the remainder of the entire cup. I held the flask away from me since the stench of the pee was overwhelming. Harry seemed to be a lot more ahead than the rest of us, and I saw him already start mixing in the ingredients.
"How did you do that?" Hermione asked bewildered.
"You crush it, don't cut it," he shrugged. I looked back at the book and saw that my instructions read to cut the jumping bean and extract it's juices after. I compared it to the book Harry had which said differently. For some reason his had handwritten ink and scribbles all over it.
"No," Hermione responded frustrated, "the instructions specifically say to cut." Clearly nothing was going to convince her of the different tactics of the potions, and we all spent the remainder of the class doing our own work. After 30 or so minutes, I had done all that I could to complete the potion. All of the girl's hair around the room was poofier than when they entered, and I awaited for Slughorn's approval.
"Very nice Miss Pine, Miss Granger. Not quite complete but it could still do sufficient damage," he smiled and continued, "merlin's beard! It is perfect!" Slughorn said after dropping a leaf in Harry's potion, Dare I say just say one drop would kill us all Congratulations!" He smiled largely and handed Harry the vial of liquid.
Everyone clapped for Harry's achievement and I noticed Draco sulking in the corner besides his usual crowd of Slytherins. At the sight of his appearance, I noticed his frown was etched harsher on his face this year.
I hadn't forgotten the kindness he showed me last year; when we had been caught in Umbridge's office and he left my wand in the folds of my robe. That was an action that didn't go unnoticed and I wanted to properly thank him for it.
Everyone started filing out of the room and I hung back telling them I'd catch them later. Once I could see most people were gone, I walked over to Draco and stood beside him.
"Hello," I greeted, and he looked up giving me the nastiest face. He didn't answer me but instead moved to walk away, "wait I wanted to talk to you," I followed after him trying to catch up. He said nothing and continued to walk faster, all the while ignoring me.
"Draco wait!" I yelled loudly and caught the attention of people in the hall. His figure stopped and he turned around to me with a mean look in his eye. I was glad he finally stopped walking to hear me out but I got the opposite of that.
"Don't speak to me," he hissed and then went to turn around the corner. Why wouldn't he even look at me,? I was only trying to thank him for last year. In anger, I stood and focused on the back of his head trying to insert myself and see what he was thinking but there was nothing. A block showed up in his head and he was already in another classroom, far away from my concentration.
What happened? Why couldn't I see his next move? I panicked and thought that I must have somehow weakened my abilities by not using it for the last couple of weeks.
I went to the remainder of my classes in a hurry, listening to teachers drone on and on of what to expect from the course material. In care of magical creatures, the Professor insisted on starting the coursework today, which caused an unison of groans to echo out into the class.
"Don't groan out at me," Professor Grubbly-Plank lectured, "this year you'll be picking an animal of your choice to watch over as he/she reproduces and we need to start understanding the difference now! Now let's begin with the easiest one which is cats—"
I let her words drawl out until they became background noise to my thoughts. For most of the time I was doing my usual exercises, of closing my eyes and pushing all sound away from me. Once my brain was empty and full of silence, I sat reassured that my abilities were fine, and I was probably just rusty.
"—Now great horned owls begin nesting in January or February. They usually lay their eggs in abandoned nests of squirrels, hawks or crows and female owls lay one to five eggs, which hatch in 30 to 37 days—"
I still didn't understand why Draco would flat out ignore my attempt at a thank you. Even though we had never gotten along, at least he would take the time to throw insults my way, not just brush off my existence as if it wasn't there.
"—Most snakes reproduce sexually, but some reproduce asexually. They mate in the spring after hibernation, using pheromones to attract mates. A male snake mates with a female snake by inserting one of his hemipenes into the female's cloaca. This fertilizes the eggs inside her oviduct—"
I glanced my head up at Professor Grubbly's words taking some interest in maybe choosing a snake as my subject for the project.
"Professor can any animals reproduce from the encouragement of magic?" Parvati raised her hand.
"Now that's a dark question but no. Not by any magic I've ever possessed," she laughed and moved forward, turning the topic to frogs, causing me to doze out of focus completely.
Harry didn't come back to the common room after classes were done for the day since he got a note from Dumbledore requesting he visit him in his office. I found this as the perfect opportunity to practice my power with Hermione in our empty dorm room.
The idea was for her to have two different books in her hands; she would drop both and I would have to levitate whichever one she decided was the more important book. The first four tries I had difficulty concentrating since I was so paranoid, I had damaged my ability since I hadn't seen into Draco's head today. But the fifth time, I spun around quickly and pointed my wand at her runes book while the potions one dropped to the ground.
"Perfect! That's the one I was thinking of," she smiled proud, "any particular reason you wanted to practice?"
"I tried using it earlier and the person's mind was blocked," I shrugged.
"Well did you ever thing the person would have just been skilled at Occlumency? Everyone has been trying to learn it recently with the headlines of you know who returning on their papers." Draco skilled at Occulemency? Why would he even need to learn it. I pushed the thought aside and decided that I was probably overreacting, and one fail does not mean I no longer had my abilities. Lavender then came into the dorm and knocked on the door to show reveal her presence.
"Professor McGonagall would like to see you Violet," she said and then rushed back downstairs to the common room.
"But we don't even have Transfiguration until tomorrow," Hermione pointed out. I just shrugged and said my goodbyes to her, so that I could go to McGonagall's. I got to her office quickly and found that the classroom was empty.
"You wished to see me?" I announced myself and walked towards her. She looked like she was grading assignments which made me inwardly groan, since I knew that meant we would have something due tomorrow when I had her.
"Yes Violet. Take a seat," I sat across from her at her desk and crossed my legs, "As you know it is my responsibility to choose a captain each year for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Last year the position was given to you merely to prepare you for this year. I would like to extend the offer to you again," I took the badge from her outstretched hands and stared at it. As wonderful as it would be to be captain again I didn't think it was right.
"Professor," I started, "I can't tell you how grateful I was for last years' experience. But with our classes and having to keep up training so that I can build my Seer abilities, I don't think I'd have the time." I could see her face perk up in surprise when I handed her back the badge, "plus I think Harry deserves it way more than I do. He probably would have been your pick anyway if he hadn't been unfairly kicked off the team last year."
"Well yes Mr. Potter was my next pick—"
"Then give it to him," I interrupted, "I promise he'll run the team just as great as I would."
With that, I stood up and walked out of her classroom. Although captain was fun last year, I learned that I didn't care that much about running the team as long as I was a apart of it. I had to focus on other things as well, such as myself.
I skipped up to the owlery to take time for myself and write Fred my first letter now that I was back. I told him everything from the chicken I ate at the opening feast, to the new potions teacher we had gotten.
My cute little white owl that stayed at Hogwarts permanently now, jumped over to me and picked up the letter as soon as I licked the envelope. I smiled watching her fly away, and looked forward to hopefully getting a response from him tomorrow.
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