Chapter 3
“Oh, sorry, didn't know this seat was taken,” she stepped to the side as she and a boy had tried to sit at the same desk.
“It's alright…. You can have it,” the boy replied, smiling shyly.
Morgan smiled at him brightly and with a quick thanks she placed her things on the desk.
“I'm Morgan by the way.”
“Valentine…. Nice to meet you.”
“Same! I like your hair!”
“Ah- thanks! Yours is nice too! Are the waves natural?” The boy asked.
“Yup! Didn't even comb it honestly-” Morgan giggled and shook her head, letting her golden waves fly around, puffing the hair in the process.
The boy laughed too. He put his long, black and pin straight hair in a ponytail, revealing his green eyes.
The professor came in, short legs hurriedly carrying him towards the front of the class. The tiny man climbed on a stack of books so that he could look down at the buzzing students. Valentine sat next to Morgan and the room grew silent.
“Greetings everyone! I'm Professor Flitwick and I'm your Charms teacher. It's a joy to see so many happy young faces! Oh, we're going to learn so many wonderful things together!” The man seemed just as excited as the children, looking at them with a broad smile on his small face. His positivity was absolutely contagious.
“Today we will learn a simple spell- you've probably already used it when you bought your wand. Watch!” Professor Flitwick got his wand out and flicked it, saying “Lumos” loud and clear. The tip of his wand lit up with brilliant light in a tiny ball and as soon as he said “Nox”, it was gone. Morgan watched this little display of magic with awe, although, as she glanced at her new acquaintance- Valentine looked almost bored. He turned his gaze at her and scratched his head awkwardly.
“I already know the spell…,” he muttered.
“Oh…! That's cool!” Came her reply, just as hushed. From across the room she noticed the twins, Fred and George, giggling to each other and definitely not paying attention- they seemed to be as bored by the class as Valentine. It didn't take the girl long to put two and two together.
“Do you have magic parents?” She whispered at him.
“Mhm, both,” he whispered back.
She nodded in understanding. The professor's voice drew her attention back. There was so much theory around a spell that seemed so simple! Morgan wrote hastily everything Professor Flitwick said- from the correct wand movement to the right intonation used for the spell word to its history and usage. The parchment was littered with words and half sentences and lines and arrows- it looked like a complete mess. Valentine glanced at it for a second before furrowing his brows in confusion.
“How will you understand anything from there?”
She grinned. “Easily! It all makes sense to me and me alone!”
“Remind me to never ask you for notes ever,” he chuckled. The boy seemed to drop the shyness slowly as the class progressed, becoming more lively.
“Alright, everyone! Time for you to try it for yourselves.” Professor Flitwick’s voice almost boomed cheerily through the room- how such a tiny man could have such a strong voice…. Everyone got their wands out and started swishing them around, some with actual purpose, some with confusion. Morgan watched everyone silently, noting how Valentine, Fred, George, and Layla cast the spell effortlessly. The twins from her dorm, Jasmine and Belle, needed a second longer- probably from their pronunciation she deducted- from the second they introduced themselves the night before she had noticed their slight accent.
“Hey, are you gonna try or nah?” Valentine playfully punched her shoulder, not enough to hurt, but enough to gain her attention.
“Ah, yes yes! Now! Um… Lumos!” She flicked her wand but nothing happened.
“Try to move the wand while you speak, not after.”
She did as told and surely, the tip of her wand lit up with a small ball of light. Her face broke into a smile.
“Thanks! Nox!” And the light was gone.
The first class of the day ended on a positive note, quite the promising start for the young witch's school life.
“Morgan!”
“Hey!”
“How's-”
“-you?”
The Weasley twins caught up to her.
“Hey, guys! I'm excited!” She smiled broadly and spun around on her heels. The twins chuckled.
“Yeah, saw you!” “Quick learner, eh?” Their mixed speech was just as hard to follow as before on the train.
“Yeah! Valentine helped….”
“Valentine?” “Moore?” “Saw him-” “-at breakfast,” the boys chimed as they walked beside her, sandwiching the little girl between them.
“Yeah! He's really nice. He's pureblood, he said.”
“Hm, never heard of-” “-any pureblood Moores.” The two fell silent for a short moment. “Must be foreign.” “Like you!”
She rolled her eyes smiling. The hallway was packed with students of all ages and houses- the Gryffindor first years were heading towards the dungeons for Potions class. The walk there felt ungodly long, going from one of the highest towers all the way under the castle. It was colder here and the lack of sunlight gave the place a creepy atmosphere- Morgan liked it. She watched as the fires danced across the dark stone, casting lights and shadows all over from their little torches. The air was a bit musty and humid but not uncomfortable.
“Are the torches enchanted or does someone go around changing them whenever they burn out?”
“Enchanted.” Came the answer in unison from the boys.
She hummed in understanding. They reached a door and going through it, they reached the classroom. Half the seats were already occupied. The twins stayed in the back, while Morgan went all the way to the front.
“Hey! Excited?” Melanie smiled at her- they were seated at the same table.
“Yes! You? How'd you find Charms?”
“It was awesome! Tho it took me a while to get my wand to light up…. I can't wait for Potions tho! Heard it's like chemistry, but cooler!” The blue eyed girl beamed.
Right before Morgan could reply, the door slammed open and in strode a tall man, dressed all in black, robes billowing behind him like a veil of doom. He got behind his desk and sneered, his dark eyes scrutinizing the children before him.
“Good evening, I suppose. My name is Severus Snape, but you will only address me as Professor Snape or Sir.” He spoke slowly, voice deep and weirdly emotionless.
“There will be no mindless wand waving in my class. I expect excellence from each of you and serious work. Potion making is an exact art that leaves no room for mistakes. Let's begin.”
And so he turned his back to them and began writing instructions on the blackboard. Black quickly became the secondary color as he filled the board with chalk, having written strings of ingredients and quantities and instructions ranging from how to cut certain things to how many times one should stir clockwise.
“Turn to page 15. Who can tell me what the potion of strength is used for? Anyone?” He didn't wait for anyone to answer before he pointed a long pale finger at… Layla. The poor girl looked terrified as she tried to search her brain for the answer. This didn't seem to sit well with the professor.
“5 points from Gryffindor. Anyone else? You-” his finger fell in the direction of a random boy, Lee or something, Morgan didn't remember his name.
“Uh- um- it…gives the drinker…extra strength?” His voice quivered with uncertainty.
“Finally. Saved your house’s pride. 5 points back. You- name me an ingredient.” Professor Snape looked at Morgan, face as stern and unfriendly as one would think Lee hadn't given the correct answer seconds ago. Luckily for her, she had read about the potion when Professor McGonagall had brought her those books before the year started.
“The flower of a Fanged Geranium, sir,” she answered, matching his monotone tone. The man seized her up for a second, unsure if he was being mocked or not. Finally, he answered.
“Correct. 5 points to Gryffindor. What's your name?”
“Morgan Wälder, sir.”
“Alright. Miss Wälder, please find me the Fanged Geranium.”
Well, shit. She got up from her chair, shot a small smile at the professor- gotta give good impressions!- and walked up to the wall lined with rows and rows of plants. Fighting her rising anxiety wasn't a small task, she played with the hem of her robes to calm her nerves. Which flower was it? There were so many! Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, but it couldn't have otherwise Snape would've surely said something, a big weird flower caught Morgan's eye. It was a vibrant blue color and had…literal teeth… now she understood the name a bit more. She took it in her hands, careful to keep her fingers away from the fangs, and brought it to the front.
Professor Snape looked at it then at the girl and nodded.
“Good. Place it on my desk. We will go over the theory and history of the potion, then I will show you how it's brewed. Next time you will be the ones to do it, so you'd best pay attention.” He glanced around the room, still sneering.
“I'm looking at you two, in the back! Weasleys, I'd assume? Your brothers have always excelled in my class so I expect you to do the same.”
The snickering Fred and George instantly went silent and as still as statues. Morgan got dismissed and before she knew it, this class, too, was over.