Magical Mishaps
Lessie POV
Garreth Weasley was at it again. His cauldron had the faint aroma of candied apples and was spewing forth a cloud of the most vibrant green smoke I had ever seen. To be honest, I found it quite impressive. Never had I witnessed someone so innovative. There were, however, others that did not appreciate his pioneering abilities.
“Honestly, Professor I did follow the recipe I promise!” His tone came off as less than trustworthy. This would be the 10th time this excuse had been used in the span of a month. None of them convincing.
“Mr. Weasley, I am beginning to suspect that you not only lack the ability to comprehend the meaning of that word but also lack the facilities to read as well. It seems that detentions are not sufficient, maybe a discussion with the Deputy Headmistress may be in order. Hmm?” A black brow raised quizzically.
“NO! No, please. I think I know what went wrong I can explain!” He backpedaled and I couldn’t help but shake my head.
I looked across to my tablemate Leander and he smiled at me knowingly, his blue eyes lighting up with mirth. We had a running bet on if Garreth would make it to the end of the semester or if Professor Sharp would transfigure the boy into a toad. So far, the results were out, but it appeared to be leaning in my favor.
Professor Sharp on the other hand was past the stage of rebuke and was trying to have the Weasley boy walk him through the process step-by-step of how this could have possibly happened. His irritation was becoming more apparent with every word Weasley spoke. We were supposed to be brewing a simple Erudus potion, and it only contained two ingredients. Two! How could he possibly think Sharp wouldn’t notice? The two potions looked nothing alike and a misstep this vast could only be caused by someone tampering with it or Weasley himself experimenting, which was likely the case. Neither option would play out in his favor.
Leander leaned over, whispering “At this rate, I am going to have to buy the whole of Honeydukes for you.”
“Yeah, maybe.” My voice came out a bit despondent.
I would normally be laughing right along with the rest of the class, but I had been worried about the fact that our third tablemate, Ominis had not shown up for class. He was never late, let alone skipped. More so than not he was always the first one here.
The only other time this had happened was when Leander hid his wand in the girl’s lavatory towards the end of 5th year. Ominis, with his gentle nature, had simply refused to go after it stating something or other about propriety. We had all matured since the incident, so I didn’t suspect bullying. Plus, the culprit was right across from me laughing. Leander had matured since then and I counted him among my friends. His past snobbery forgotten.
“Is there something on your mind? Usually, you’d be one of the first to crack a joke at Garreth’s expense?” Leander asked with concern as he handed me a shaggy gray mass.
I gave him a shrug and took up my scissors, cutting off a patch of mongrel fur from a hide we were sharing. It was softer than usual as I had taken extra care to prepare it well with the help of our groundskeeper. The man was a genius with hide preservation and fresh ingredients were always best after all.
“I suppose you could say so. I find it rather odd that our third hasn’t shown up to class.”
Leander leaned over his cauldron to keep his voice to a whisper. “Ah, well I did see him while I was walking over here.”
“Did you now?” My eyes lit up and I leaned closer.
He flashed me a handsome smile that reached his eyes. “I did, and it’s all rather scandalous.”
“Oh, come now. Ominis and scandalous hardly belong in the same sentence. Where did you see him?”
“Uh-uh, tit-for-tat dear. I can’t tell you without the promise of a reward. After all It seems this is very valuable intel for you.”
I gave his shoulder a playful smack but leaned in closer, meeting his eyes.
“Alright, and what would you like in exchange?”
His hand reached out and tucked a stray curl behind my ear, never breaking eye contact. There was a shift in his gaze as his pupils constricted.
“I will have to think on that. Can’t say there’s much I could ask of you currently.”
“Very well. You can redeem it at your leisure. Now, where did you see Ominis?”
Leander let out a laugh as Sharp smacked a book on a desk by the Weasley boy.
“He was asleep, on the floor by the large atrium window.”
I nodded and we resumed our work. So much for precious intel, that was normal behavior on Gaunts' part. He reminded me of the cats that roamed the school, always finding a little place to bask in the sun for a quick reprieve. I threw the ingredients into my cauldron and leaned back stretching looking over at Sebastian’s workstation.
His potion was already neatly bottled and set aside. As always, he was one of the first done. His lips were upturned into a smirk as he relished in the delight of Garreth getting chewed out. We locked eyes briefly and he waved his hand, beckoning me over to him.
With a quick request for Leander to watch my potion, I got up and walked to the other table.
“Listen, I know I shouldn’t be asking you this since you have that date planned for later…”
My face lit up with a blush, “For the last time Sebastian, stop calling it a date. We are going to do a bloody Merlin Trail!”
“Right, right. Just a friend, who you are going on an overnight trip with… just remember that Ominis talks in his sleep. It can get kind of bothersome since he’s a clinger too, from what I remember.” He poked my shoulder playfully shooting me a cheeky wink.
I palmed my face in frustration before replying. “You and I have had plenty of overnight trips together. Yet here we are, just friends. Honestly, this isn’t the muggle world guys and girls can be just friends. It isn’t that deep.”
He frowned slightly at the first part but quickly corrected his features. If I didn’t know any better, I would think he was jealous. Surely not, we had spent nearly all summer together. He cleared his throat, eyes downcast.
“You’re right it isn’t.” He took a breath and then looked into my eyes, serious demeanor returning. “I have a favor to ask. It shouldn’t take too long but I would greatly appreciate the assistance.”
The way he was dragging this out was starting to make me suspicious. Usually when he asked favors of me, they fell into two categories. The first, innocent and often simple things he could do on his own but just wanted company. The second, dangerous and deadly, often resulting in at least someone getting maimed or worse, dying. I was really hoping it was the first one as I wanted to start my weekend off on a high note.
“Spit it out!” I commanded impatiently, not wanting to face Sharps’ ire for being out of my seat. Luckily, he was still distracted with the disaster across the classroom. Garreth had begun to debate the benefits of experimentation vs. following recipes. I was going to win that bet.
“I was in the Three Broomsticks a couple days ago, just sitting in the corner next to the fire. Having myself a nice pint of butterbeer, listening to conversations like I usually do when these three blokes come in. Lessie, when I say they looked wild I mean it with every essence of the word! They were dressed head to toe in dragon skin. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I mean I have,” I quipped with a smirk.
“Oh, hush we can’t all have whimsical childhoods.”
One of the downfalls of Sallow telling any story was that he had the disposition to turn into a bard, stretching out the tale and embellishing it to try and get your attention so you’d be eager to comply. It was a manipulation tactic that in the past I never really picked up on. I honestly just thought he was charismatic. He was, no doubt, but his voice often took on a specific undetectable tone when he was weaving in his desires for cooperation. He was hiding something, that much was obvious.
“Just get to the point, I don’t need the whole fairy tale.”
He furrowed his brows in annoyance giving a pout and then carried on, “As I was saying…...well turns out they’re dragon dealers, and not the sanctioned kind. They were due to unload some ‘cargo.’” He gave me a wink signaling that the cargo was in fact not merely cargo. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued with dismantling a poacher ring.
“After a few rounds they started talking about the Northford Bog and which cave would best suit their needs for this large cargo. They mentioned one just west of the hamlet.”
He ended his commentary, and I waited a full 30 seconds, as we just stared at each other. Me thinking that he was about state his reason as to why this warranted my help and him thinking that I was mulling over the information. The gleam in his chestnut eyes were laced with mischief, had I not mentally grown over the summer spent with him I would have immediately agreed with no questions asked. However, based on the information, things weren’t lining up. I knew the boy in front of me like the back of my hands. Living in close proximity had given me insight to every nuance about him.
“What’s the reason you want to get involved Seb?” I crossed my arms over my chest looking down at him. He rearranged his face into a mask of innocence.
“I want to help the dragons?” It came out as a sarcastic question. I was wholly unconvinced but didn’t have time to respond before I felt a looming presence behind me.
Fuck.
“Ms. Aspen, it seems Mr. Sallow has already completed his potion and doesn’t require your assistance. I would recommend you follow suit unless you would care to join Mr. Weasley in detention.” Professor Sharp tutted before walking back to his desk. I scowled at Seb, mentally signaling that the conversation wasn’t over and we would discuss this after class. I walked back to my station and began hastily finishing my brew.
Dragons?! What could he possibly want with Dragons?
I didn’t have long to wait as twenty minutes later the bells began to toll signaling the end of class and the beginning of what I assumed would be an eventful weekend. We handed in our potions and made our way out of the classroom. We walked in silence for a bit until finding a bench in one of the more hidden spots in the viaduct courtyard. Sebastian faced me, taking both of my hands into his and gave me a half serious pleading face. I couldn’t keep from laughing at the absurdity of it all. It looked like he was about to propose, not request my help.
“Go on Sallow, grovel.”
His demeanor became childlike in his attempt to placate my demand. One of his better qualities was how goofy he could get on occasion. It made my heart warm seeing him be able to act in this way after all the heartache. It was a sure sign of healing.
“Oh please, please Lessie you’re so strong and smart and amazing and I don’t know how I could possibly endure without your magical prowess assisting me!” At the last part he dramatically leaned back in a mock faint. I let out a mirthful laugh.
“I could see myself helping you, however the question still remains as to what exactly you plan on using that help for.”
“How do I put this…” He took a moment to pause and crossed his legs, face returning to a serious visage. “With everything that happened last year, and my uncle….” He gulped his Adam’s apple dancing in his thick throat as one hand absentmindedly began to twirl a lock of his shaggy hair. “My O.W.L.S were less than exceptional. Headmaster Black decided that due to the circumstances I could retake them over Christmas break since I would be staying here anyways….”
I had forgotten about the boy’s massive failure with the O.W.L.S with everything else that had been going on. Sallow was a brilliant wizard and it made sense why they would attribute the failure to the tragedy of his uncle’s passing. What I couldn’t understand was how dragons had anything to do with it… what use would stopping a poaching ring have in terms of studies?
None of this makes any sense!
My mind kicked into over drive trying to remember every potential use and spell for dragon anatomy. There was a lot to be honest, they were fearsome but very valued creatures for a reason. Albeit a tad misunderstood.
Eyes for prophecy…. Teeth for bravery…. scale for protection…... claw for endurance…. Wait, claws… there’s a dual purpose for claws, what was it again?
Like a wall of bricks, the realization snapped into place…. Sebastian didn’t care too much about stopping the poachers. He wanted the dragon…. Or at least a particular piece of the dragon. The poachers would just be collateral damage. I looked at the boy in front of me, unease and worry weighing in his features. He wants to make a potion. He wants to guarantee a solid score on these exams so as not to let down the faculty that had stood by him not knowing the full story of his downfall. Ever since day one, the most affronting quality about Sebastian Sallow was his unrivaled pride. His curse.
Oh Seb, why does everything revolve around pride for you?
He could see the conflicted look on my face and began to grasp for anything that might help him to get me to agree. He knew for a fact that I wasn’t stupid enough to go toe to toe with a beast who had probably been tortured to the brink of insanity, especially one as deadly as this.
“I just need a few claws! Nothing more, I’m not stupid enough to think that we could fight a dragon!”
“Sebastian, is a potion that lasts for all of a few hours really worth putting not only my life, but your own at risk? Are you still so foolish? Have you learned nothing?” I didn’t mean to sound as annoyed as I was, however, he was doing what he did best, being a complete and utter idiot.
“I know what you’re thinking, but can you really stand by and let these poachers get away with this. We may not mean to kill the dragon, but I know for a fact that they do. Plus, it’s not just one dragon…. Its… well they have hatchlings as well, Lessie.”
The look he gave me sent chills down my spine. He knew the mention of hatchings would cause me to reconsider. When my parents had died, I had moved in with my Uncle Barnabas, a renowned Dragonologist who had a hobby of rescuing and taking in hatchlings. Making sure that they were big enough and strong enough before releasing them back into the wild. The years spent with him were one of my most cherished memories. Helping rear the small soot bags had allowed me to process the trauma in a healthy manner. Now it was being used against me and it left a chalky feeling in my mouth.
I was lost in thought, trying to figure out a plan to placate the man without it resulting in our deaths, and didn’t even notice the squealing in the bush behind us as a blur of blacks, yellows, pinks, and greens rose to the surface causing Sebastian to fall from the bench with an undignified scream. There in all her leaf covered glory was Poppy Sweeting, Puffskien cradled peacefully in her arms, as she launched into an excited flurry.
I came back from the shadow realm with a look of dread, realizing that I no longer had a say in whether I went or not. If Poppy had overheard our conversation, which I was 99% sure she had, I didn’t stand a chance of talking her down. The girl could be more ruthless than Sallow when magical beasts were involved.
“HATCHLINGS?! Real-life dragon hatchlings? Do you know which breed they are?” Her voice was shrill with excitement.
I groaned, raking my hands through my hair, and gave her a look of discomfort. Sebastian had managed to recover from the shock and was standing as if he had never been bothered, but with a knowing smirk on his face. He knew this was the key to getting the upper hand. I could see the gears turning in his head on how to spin his little web.
“Poppy, why in Merlin’s beard were you lurking like a matagot in the bushes?! How long have you been there?” I asked.
“There are more important things to discuss! SHHH!” She turned away from me staring down at our dark-haired friend. I was in shock. Never had I been told to be silent in such a manner.
“Hatchlings, you said Sebastian?”
Her focus left me and instead took in the Sallow boy, as a Cheshire grin lit her face. The puffskien she was cradling looked unplussed, used to her exuberant behavior. I let out a frustrated groan. Of course, I couldn’t have a nice relaxing weekend. There was always something going on, someone who needed help, something that needed saving, and here I was incapable of saying no. The two went back and forth exchanging all the information relevant to this new ‘mission’. Sebastian occasionally flicking a glance my way to gauge my reaction. Finally in agreement they both turned towards me. It was like staring down a basilisk knowing full well I wouldn’t stand a chance.
“We have no time to waste, let me put Persephone back in her pen and we will set off at once!” Poppy’s commanding tone brokered no resistance. My fate was sealed, and I had no say. She turned on her heel and started striding away. Sebastian threw his hands up as if stating he had no part in this. I scowled with obvious displeasure.
“Let’s go rescue a bloody dragon then.”
“That’s the spirit Lessie! I knew you’d come around!” He wrapped an arm around my shoulder as we turned to follow the short brunette out of the courtyard towards the beast pens.
Every damn time! One of these times Sebastian is going to get me killed.
The thought left a chill in my bones. I pushed it down and tried to focus on the task at hand. At least I was familiar with this type of beast. It should be quick work and maybe even a way to get back into Uncle Barnabas’ good graces. There was always a silver lining.