Chapter 14
“You told Professor McGonagall?” Hermione let out a small gasp as the group headed down towards the dungeons for their double lesson. “Are you mad?”
“You must have heard by now that Creevy was attacked last week. I didn’t tell her your plans or anything, I just filled her in on what we were looking for. That there was probably a Horcrux effecting the mind of a student, and that we needed to figure out what it was and who had smuggled it in. I also told her that it wasn’t the student’s fault, not unless they were a seventh year and they had done it knowingly. I left out our suspicions of Malfoy.” Alyssa shook their head, stretching gently. I did mention Dobby, but just that he was trying to get Harry sent home, and that was mostly to have a bit of extra protection from him.”
“Still, there was probably a better way of handling this.” Harry noted as they headed into the large potions lab. “How is it that once again both Snape and McGonagall know about our plans?”
“Harry, who do you think got me that book?” Alyssa whispered as they headed to their cauldron. “Really, at this point I don’t see your trouble’s with this. The Professors aren’t incompetent, for the most part. Look, everyone is being a lot more cautious is all I’m saying, and this is effecting my bottom line.”
Harry went to argue but decided against it, feeling a little inadequate as Snape paired him with his ‘sibling’. While they were close, Alyssa had always been one to work alone, or with the person with the lowest grade. Harry was far from bad at potions, and with the odd number it was strange for Snape to team them up. It had allowed Ron, Lavender, and Lisa Turpin; a cruel Ravenclaw with dusty brown skin, braided black hair and dark green eyes, to be grouped together.
As class started, Harry found himself instinctive letting Alyssa do most of the work, cutting what they needed. At least; he realized, this was just one of the potions that they couldn’t make on their own. It was definitely interesting, being right there with them watching them skillfully add ingredients, change the temperature of the flames, and stir the potion. They hadn’t once touched their wand; which was tucked behind an ear, all class, using their innate pyromancy to heat and cool the potion with delicate hand movements and finger strokes, allowing a control that Harry doubted even Snape fully had access too.
“Mx. Wayne, what have I said about pyromancy during regular class?” Snape drawled as he headed up. Harry couldn’t suppress a small chuckle as Alyssa’s entire face went red. “Hm… No use in stopping at this point, it would ruin the potion. However I will be taking five points for failure to follow a simple instruction this far in.”
“Sorry Professor.” As Harry snickered again Snape arched an eyebrow at him.
“Do find this amusing Mr. Queen?”
“No sir.”
“Then smarten up before I take points from Gryffindor as well.” Snape nodded before heading off, quickly scolding Ron as he added the second bit of dried nettle before dimming the flames.
“So why aren’t you allowed to you pyromancy in class?” Harry asked once the professor was out of ear shot. “I mean it is an innate ability right?”
“Yeah, but it’s not that fair, and he wants me to learn how everyone else dose during the main classes. Besides I could theoretically do this alone with some prep-work. Probably just stuck myself with having to do that this week instead of whatever was planned. But really, it’s not a new potion every week. Like with this, we work on each potion for a few weeks before moving on.”
“Fair enough.” Harry nodded, turning his attention back to the potion. After a bit he whispered. “How is it coming along?”
“It will be ready in two weeks.” They responded quietly, don’t make me regret doing this for you alright?”
Harry nodded and Alyssa sighed. “But since I am where I am with it I’ve been tinkering with my sending stone. I might be able to use sending myself if I’ve done things correctly. I thin k I just need one more component.”
“Which would be?”
“A potion, it’s only hypothetical.” They shook their head, letting out a soft sigh. “And one of the ingredients I need isn’t available to students.”
Snape stopped by their table, gears turning behind his eyes as he tried to figure out what they meant.
“Heptacodium Sincertinctoria.” They explained with a nod.
“We can discuss the implications Sunday.” He nodded, and continued his rounds.
“Dangerous?”
“Incredibly.” Alyssa nodded, dimming the flames almost entirely to add the final ingredient. It wasn’t too long before Harry was helping vial the thick green liquid. Smiling they brought it to the front of the class, Snape giving a nod as they did.
“You know the issue with sending though?” Alyssa asked as they got to work cleaning the station.
“Hm?”
“I can theoretically academically learn sending myself, but when I asked Alyssa to look and see if they would expand the word count they took one look. Laughed. And went, ‘Fuck if I know.’”
“Oh… Arn’t they the universe hacker?”
“Yeah, it’s a good sighn when a universe hacker says they don’t know. They even took it to some of their friends, and came back with nada.” They shook their head. “Meaning that is one hell of a hard limit to even pretend to try and break.”
“What about getting it to work more like texting?”
“Again theoretically possible. But I’m working on the anyone can initially cast thing.” Alyssa responded. “It takes a fair amount of magic so what I’m thinking is finding a way to create a more… permanent alchemical charge. But even then I’m working on a technical and complicated theory that came to me in a dream last night. I’m not expecting to even be able to touch the powder let alone fuck around with it.”
“That’s good at least.”
“I heard that a dueling club is opening.” Alyssa said, suddenly changeling the subject. “A more all around sparing club would be more beneficial since so many things are magic resistant or gods forbid immune.”
“But your joining?”
“Obviously. I’m a magic person, this kind of thing is all me baby!” Alyssa smiled as they headed out of class, Hermione catching up Quickly. “And I expect you to come too, to get more offensive spells and different kinds. You should be on my level magically.”
“Your level?”
“In a different way.” Alyssa smiled. “Your so studious I half expected you to just research grind through the levels. You have so much potential, and other than Sorcerers I would think Wizards would have the easiest time learning how to use spells from way outside their ‘normal’ range. Make some shit up!”
“This isn’t a game for most people.”
“Exactly.” Alyssa nodded. “You don’t have to follow the rules. And you are smart. You just doubt your abilities.” Alyssa stretched their back. “I am genuinely of the belief that in a sense everyone can achieve their own higher existence. Not through death, or being stupid, or like… Generally cult things. But by practicing, and pushing their limits a bit at a time. Why do you think Riddle wouldn’t fuck with the League of Assassins?”
“I suppose.”
“The potion I gave you to look into, did you?”
“Well yes, but it didn’t make much sense. I’m no alchemist, I just learn from books and the likes.”
“Maybe take another look, I mean I’ve entrusted you with more or less finishing it. I may be watching but you’re in charge. And I know you could have done it from the start, that’s why I’ve given you the recipe I did.”
“Right.” Hermione sighed softly. “Alyssa, you confuse me sometimes.”
“I confuse myself a lot of the time. Look their are going to be things other can do that I cant and that I can that others cant. I cant turn invulnerable.”
“You have summoning magic, some kind of blood magic, pyrokanisis-“
“The blood fire magic isn’t actually great for my physical health. Not necessarily using it, but you know how it makes me.”
“Fair enough.”
“My thing on that too is that your ability doesn’t threaten you. I was created by a cult, who knows how long ago. My goal is to find a way to just be myself, and I can’t always accept what I am.” Alyssa sighed. “I’m strong with memory and mind things, but thats just on myself. Just because I know one spell doesn’t mean I’m brilliant at it. And really your better at this kind of magic than I will realistically ever be. You; lust like me, just doubt yourself far too much. But you know what?”
“What?”
“That’s part of humanity.” Alyssa nodded. “Not what you are, it’s what’s inside. It’s the heart and struggle of life. It’s knowing existence and accepting it. It’s just being who you are meant to be and trying to do your best in a world designed against most people. You know?”
“I suppose.” She nodded. “Alright, I’ll let you have this one I suppose.”
“Good, now we should get to lunch.”