Chapter 5
Chapter 5
For crying out loud wizards and witches have no sense at all. Poor Harry has had people pointing and whispering about him all day. I finally cracked when we got to potions class. “What is wrong with you people? Do you want people whispering about you and pointing out your features like it’s their business?” I pitch my voice a little higher in an exaggerated ‘whisper’, “Oh look there’s the boy who looks like he fell in a vat of peroxide! There’s the girl who looks like she slammed her face into a wall. It’s not nice, is it? I can keep going if you wish?” I see Malfoy and the girl next to him get ready to respond, but the door opens and we all walk in and take our seats.
From there things just spiral. Hanging out with the scoobies has changed my attitude a little. Okay, a lot. I’m now of the mind to give respect, you have to earn it. Which led me to a little bit of trouble. Professor Snape after giving an obnoxious speech about the glory of potions started picking on Harry. His first question, even though I knew the answer, was not even in the first-year texts. I raised my hand, but he ignored me. His second question, while in the texts, was not until the last couple of chapters. I left my hand down. When he then proceeded to ask about plants I realized something and spoke up. “You get a poor attempt at an apology, a very rude teacher, and a waste of our time.”
Professor Snape’s eyes whip over to me, “What was that?” He growls out.
“You chose interesting plants. Asphodel which can mean regret and wormwood which can mean sorrow. Be a man and apologize properly if you wish, but some of us are here to learn and not watch a grown man belittle a boy in front of his peers.”
“15 points from Gryffindor for disrespecting a teacher.”
“If you are going to take points for me pointing out what you are currently doing is wasting our time let me fix it for you. Your first question: A draught of the living death. Second, in the goat of a stomach. Third, they are the same thing, which also goes by Aconite. Can we move on please?”
“Additional 5 points for your cheek,” he adds. “ Well, why aren’t you writing this down?” After that class is a little bit better. Neville had an accident with his potion, but Professor Snape just cleaned the mess and ordered him to the hospital wing.
From there the day was easy, and I was excited to go see Xander. I went up to my dormitory and changed into my workout clothes. Which was a tank top with my spandex shorts and tennis shoes. My hair was pulled in a fluffy but confined ponytail. I got quite a few odd looks, but Harry came up to me.
“Thanks for getting people to stop pointing and stuff.”
“It’s no problem, Harry.”
“Where are you going?”
“I have class with Professor Harris,” I reply. The common room goes quiet.
“What is he teaching you? If you don’t mind my asking.”
I think for a moment about what to say, because I understand why they want the Slayer to be just a legend. Who knew how people would react to the knowledge of demons and such? “I wish I could tell you, but it’s not something I can talk about. I can say he’s here because I need my Hogwarts education. If I was not a witch I would still be with him daily.”
“Well, good luck I guess.”
I give him a quick wave and continue on my way to where Xander said to meet by the stairs close to Gryffindor Tower. I spotted him leaning against a railing, “Hey Mia. How’s classes so far?”
“Most of them are good. Defense against the Dark Arts is a joke. You can’t understand the professor with all the studying and Potions is okay when Professor Snape isn’t acting like a bully,” I reply.
“Wow Mia. Tell me how you feel. Alright, onto business. I’m going to meet you on the third floor but I want you to run to the bottom of the stairs and come back as a warm-up. With you being you and me being me, we should get there at the same time. Go ahead and go,” he orders. With a nod, I take off. Other students eye my clothes with shock or disdain, but I ignore them. It takes me about 15 minutes to reach the third floor where Xander leads me to a classroom that has two desks along the wall, a couple of mats, a punching bag, targets, dummies, and weapons.
“I’ve been told this room is spelled to keep people out, so this is our spot. Go ahead and start on the bag, and I have some stuff to go over,” Xander said as I made my way to the punching bag going through the moves Buffy showed me. “The third-floor thing is some magic rock the headmaster put in the school to guard it. He told me the protections in place and I asked if he wouldn’t mind a test run, but that's going to wait until after the Christmas break to get everything set up. I’m going to get you ready for it. Honestly, it sounds like a piece of cake for a Slayer.”
“How are you settling in?” I ask after an aggressive kick.
“It’s not too bad. Willow would have a blast here. The stairs are a little off-putting. Move onto weapons. Stake first. I’m still planning on taking you for patrol some nights, I don’t want you to get rusty. I’ve been told there is a werewolf who can come help with that. Did you know werewolves are different here? Less hairy and there is a potion that helps them? I borrowed Leo and sent Willow the deats. Another thing I want you to pick a weapon to keep on you, I’m planning ambushes. Only some of the teachers know about you, but they all know you have training with me, so be prepared for attacks in the hall. When you get ambushed your job is to disarm and subdue. No wands and out of the fight. There will be times of multiple opponents and I will be watching.”
“Aren’t attacks in the corridors a little much?”
“Honey, I was once possessed by a hyena spirit and my classmates ate the school piggy. No, it’s not a little much.”
“I’m glad I didn’t go to your school,” I joke.
“You don’t even know half of it. Water then target practice.” He instructed. Training continued with questions on a sheet given to Xander by Giles which had a study plan for the school year as I worked out. The reading material was interesting, but some of the demons out there just gave me the shivers.
That’s pretty much how things went for my days. I started carrying the Slayer Scythe on my back which Professor McGonagall placed a charm to only be visible when I needed it. It was a strange adjustment, but what can you do?
Our first flying class was… interesting. All the first-year Gryffindors and Slytherins were lined up alongside brooms on the ground. Madam Hooch gave instructions to hover on our brooms, but Nevile lost control of his broom and was flinging every which way along the wall of the castle. I knew he was going to fall and it wouldn’t be pretty. It wasn’t, Neville broke his wrist and Madam Hooch left with an order to stay on the ground while she took him to the hospital wing. Harry and Malfoy started getting into it about a Remembrall. Then both boys take off on their brooms and Harry saves Neville’s Remembrall.
On Harry’s final descent, I feel a little tingle and yell, “Everybody get down!” I spin around, pulling out the Scythe, which shielded me from a spell heading in my direction. I saw Professor McGonagall in the doorway entrance back to the castle— Oh, great time for an ambush. I run at the professor dodging a plethora of spells. I take the Scythe by the ax and swipe the backside under her knocking her legs out from under her. I reach out, grab her wand, and swing the ax stopping an inch from her neck.
“At ease, Mia,” I hear Xander call from a few feet behind the Professor. I take a step back, put the Scythe back in its place, and help Professor McGonagall off the ground. “The takedown was efficient like always, but do you know what you did wrong?” I shake my head no. “Turn around.” I turn and I see everybody standing there just gapping at me. “You didn’t clear the civilians before initiating combat.” Xander turned to the other students, “How many of you listened when she said get down?” Nobody responded and Xander turned back to me, “If this were a real situation, how many do you think would have survived?”
“Not many,” I reply.
“We’ll debrief later. I believe the professor had a reason for coming down here besides an ambush?” Xander says with a nod to Professor McGonagall.
“Yes thank you, Professor Harris. Miss Granger 5 points to Gryffindor for excellent response time. Mr.Malfoy and Mr.Potter 5 points from each of you for disobeying direct instructions. Mr.Potter, please come with me. Professor Harris, would you mind staying until Madam Hooch returns?” she asks Xander.
“Not a problem, Professor,” he replies. Professor McGonagall nods her head and takes her leave with Harry. Xander turns to the group of students and smiles. “Impromptu lesson. We already established no one listened when Mia told y'all to get down. Who can tell me why that was stupid?” A couple of people raised their hands or scoffed, but Xander pointed one out. “You. What’s your name?”
“Theo Nott, sir,” Nott replied.
“Alright Nott. Enlighten me.”
“She knew something we did not.”
“Exactly. Did you guys know that, what was it? Muggles! Muggle schools prepare for situations like this? They teach this to kids and it sticks with them. If you go into any muggle area and shout what she did I can guarantee almost every single person would have dropped. Now, don’t go testing it, because you could get into legal trouble if it’s not an emergency. Next question. How many could have defended themselves?” Three Slytherin boys raised their hands. “Now out of you three, do any of you think you could have won if you were in McGonagall’s place?” All three shook their heads. “What you could have done was protect your classmates and get them to safety while Mia dealt with the threat.” Xander looked over his shoulder and saw Madam Hooch coming back. “Spread the word. This will happen again due to my teaching Mia. Don’t be surprised to find her being attacked, but be prepared to listen.”
“Why?” asks Malfoy.
“It’s part of her training. All I can tell you is there are things in the muggle world that y’all as wizards and witches don’t know about, nor are you equipped to handle. Could you handle it? As you are now? No. After you finish school? Maybe if there are 5 of you. By the end of this year, I might arrange something to help you understand. I’ll leave you to your lesson.” Xander gives me a look that says we’ll talk later and leaves.