Half-Blood And Burbles
Luz spent the next few days dodging De Plume and Nosa at every possible occasion, though the young Gryffindor seemed to have decorated Luz’s entire timetable, she seemed to rejoice every time Luz responded to her greetings with an annoyed yet polite “Hello”. King was still angry at Luz for the car journey.
On top of that, Luz’s staff continued to malfunction. The highlight was once it flew out of her hand and hit Professor Moncullus right between the eyes, leaving a throbbing green boil where it struck. So the weekend couldn’t be more welcomed. Their plan? Visit Hagrid.
Willow was, unfortunately, woken far too early by Oliver Wood for a Quidditch practice. His new training program consisted of starting practice weeks before the others, Willow cursed Wood's enthusiasm under her breath as they marched to the Quidditch Pit.
Tinella Nosa was waiting for Luz in the common room, and Willow had to do a lot to get the first year to stop bombarding her with questions about Quidditch. Only when they reached the changing room Willow managed to get rid of Nosa.
Inside it, only Wood seemed awake, Edric and Emira were sitting puffy eyed and the chasers were using the wall behind them as support. A quick talk about Wood's new Quidditch tactics turned out to take seemingly 2 hours.
3 boards front and back filled with diagrams, lines, and moving arrows, which took about 40 minutes to complete made Emira fall asleep on Derwin's shoulder. At long last, Wood finished the meeting, it was clear that the defeat they suffered last year, the worst in 300 years, was still torturing him. Willow lowered her head ashamed.
Willow had been practising twice as much during the break, she needed to redeem herself. So long has passed since they arrived at the changing room that the sun was properly up and Luz and Gus had arrived to watch the training.
Tinella Nosa was taking as many pictures from the practice and Luz as she could. Willow pretended she didn’t know who that girl was as Wood expressed his concerns about the Slytherin sending spies to see their practice.
“No need for spies, they came in person to watch.” Edric pointed out that a group in green robes and Palismen in hand walked in the training pitch. Wood cursed and shot toward the ground.
“I booked the pitch for Gryffindor, you can go now, Flint." Marcus Flint was taller than Oliver, who was now a 6th year, and had a look of trollish cunning on his face as he replied that they had plenty of room for all of them.
“And about your booking, I have an especially signed note from Professor Clawthorne that says otherwise.” Wook took the note from Flint’s hand and read it out loud.
“I, Professor L. Clawthorne, give the Slytherin's team permission to use the Quidditch Pitch in need to train their new seeker,” Wood finished and the Flint smiled stupidly “You've got a new seeker? Who?” Half of the Slytherin team took a step to the left and half took one to the right, revealing their new seeker, Boscha Troisoeil.
“Hey, is little Troisoeil,” Edric said cheerfully “Speaking of the Troisoeils, look at the generous gif Simone made for the team” Flint showed them their new gear, helmets, forearm and elbows pads as well as special goggles for rainy and windy days. In the meantime, Gryffindor’s gear looked like rags.
The red team stood in silence while the green smirked, Boscha’s eyes were reduced to slits due to the broad smirk. Luz and Gus joined them, very confused “Why aren't you playing? Why is she here?” Luz asked and Boscha replied showing her uniform “I’m the new seeker, Noceda. We were just admiring the excellent gear my mother bought for the team, don't they look great?” The green team was giggling at them.
“At least none of the Gryffindors had to buy their way in the team, they all deserved the spot” Luz replied, “No one asked, you filthy little half-breed” Luz didn't know what it meant, but Boscha said something bad because there was an uproar after her words. Edric had to hold Emira because she intended to jump on her.
“Take it back!” Katya demanded, “I had it with you!” Willow pulled out Clover “Eat slugs!” A jet of green light shut out from the Palisman. It was about to hit Boscha when one of the chasers, Diana, jumped in front and batted it with her Palisman, the green jet was thrown away and it wouldn’t have hit anyone if Gus had not taken a step to the side trying to get a clear shot at Boscha.
Gus was sent reeling onto the grass “Gus, Gus, are you alright?” Willow squealed. Gus didn't respond, all he did was give a loud belch and several slugs dribbled out of his mouth. Everyone was in shock, the Slytherins were laughing to the point that Flint had to use his Palisman for support and Boscha fell to her knees. Diana had a frown on her face “Hope you learned something today,” she said to Willow.
Luz and Willow pulled Gus up by the arms and dragged him to Hagrid’s Hut. They dismissed Tinella on their way there, who tried to take a picture of Gus while the boy vomited slugs all the way. They saw De Plume about 6 meters away from the gamekeeper’s hut, as the teacher came out from Hagrid’s house “Hide!” Luz whispered and they jumped behind a bush.
“It’s easy when you know what you’re doing, I’ll send a copy of my book signed tonight, but if you need help, you can ask me anytime, byeeee,” De Plume said loudly and strode away toward the castle. Only when he was far away that Luz pulled Gus out of the bush.
They knocked and Hagrid opened the door very grumpy, but his expression softened when he saw them “Oh, sorry, thought yeh were Professor De Plume back again.” He let them in, and Gus was lowered into a chair while Luz explained the situation.
“Better out than in” Hagrid gave a bucket to Gus and started preparing tea “What can we do?” Willow asked, very ashamed “Nothing…” Gus managed to say between the flow of slugs “We just wait – The effect will – Wear of–” He continued to throw up “The fast yeh throw them up, the fast yeh get rid of them” Willow apologized half a dozen times before Gus managed to say she didn't need to.
Hagrid told them that De Plume had come to give him advice on getting kelpies out of a well and about the banshee he banished “Like I don't know. I’ll eat my kettle if one word of that is real'' Hagrid criticizing a Hogwarts teacher? That was something Luz couldn't have imagined.
“Don’t be so harsh, Principal Bump clearly thought he was the best man for the job,” Gus argued “He was the only man for the job,” Hagrid corrected “Finding people for the Dark Arts job is getting very difficult, people are starting to think it is jinxed… It’s been a while since someone lasted long in it. Tell me, who was he trying to curse?” He asked Willow.
“Boscha, she called Luz a filthy half-breed” Willow explained and Hagrid seemed outraged. “She didn't” He growled at Luz “Yes, she did, but I don't know what it means, but I know it is rude '' – “Rude? Tha’ horrible! How foul can she be at that age?” Hagrid slammed his mug on the desk.
“I guess that's the worst thing she can think of to call you. It is a nasty way of referring to what we call a ‘half-blood’, which by itself is already not the nicest way to refer to someone with a muggle ascendance,” Willow explained “Some families, like the Troisoeils, think they are better than everyone else because they are what people call ‘pure-blood’ ” Gus gave a small blurb and a single slug fell in his stretched hand. He threw it into the bucket and continued.
“The rest of us know that it doesn't make any difference at all, look at Star Butterfly, she is pure blood and she can barely stir a cauldron the right way” Everyone stayed silent for a moment. Luz remembered hearing on tv and reading in the news about discrimination based on race, nationality, and other, for a moment there she thought if this would happen to her a lot in the future... maybe her 'perfect world' wasn't so perfect.
“It’s a disgusting thing to call someone,” said Willow passing a napkin to Gus to whip the slug ooze from his mouth “ ‘Dirty-blood’ or ‘Common-blood’ it’s mad, most wizards these days are half-blood anyway. If we hadn't married Muggles we would have died out" Gus tried to say something but more slugs came out his mouth and hit the bucket.
“I don't blame yeh for trying to curse her Willow,” said Hagrid loudly “But maybe it was a good thing that the girl stopped yeh. Expect Simone Troisoeil would have come marching up to school if her daughter was cursed, at least yeh avoided trouble” Luz would have pointed out that worse than having slugs pouring out of your mouth wasn't much far from trouble, but Hagrid’s treacle coffee had cemented her jaws for a moment.
“Oh, Luz, I have a bone to pick with yeh,” Hagrid said as though he was suddenly struck by a thought “I’ve heard yeh have been giving out signed photos, how come I haven't got one?” Luz wrenched her teeth apart vigorously “I have not been giving out signed photos! If De Plume is still putting that out I–” She was interrupted by Hagrid’s laughter.
“I’m just jokin’ with yeh” He patted her back, seeding her face-first into the table “I told De Plume you didn't need it, yer more famous than him without even trying” Luz set up and rubbed her chin “I don't think he liked it,” She said.
“Not even one bit” Hagrid had a twinkle in his eyes while he continued to detail his conversation with De Plume. Hagrid offered a trick or treat to Gus, who denied it “Better not risk it”. The gamekeeper then showed them his garden, where 12 of the largest pumpkins Luz had ever seen, each about the size of a large boulder.
“Getting on well, aren't they?” Said Hagrid happily “They should be big enough by the time the Halloween feast gets here” Luz blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't seeing it wrong “What have you been feeding them?” She asked “I’ve been giving them…” Hagrid looked over his shoulders to check if they were really alone “You know, a bit of help” Luz noticed his pink umbrella leaning against the back wall of the cabin.
Luz had her suspicions that Hagrid’s old school Palisman was concealed inside the umbrella, even though he wasn't allowed to have one, since he was expelled in his third year for reasons Luz didn't know, since the keeper of keys went inexplicably deaf every time the subject was brought on.
“An engorgement charm, I suppose,” Willow said. Gus looked at Hagrid with a strange face, a mixture of disapproval and suffering, the latter probably being caused by the dozens of slugs he had thrown up until now.
It was almost lunchtime when the trio headed back to the castle, Willow eager to have her first full meal of the day and Gus only hiccuping two small slugs occasionally.
“Oh, there you are, Noceda, Park” Professor Chariot came walking towards them the moment they set foot in the cold entrance hall “You will both be doing your detentions this evening. Miss Park, you will be polishing the silver in the trophy with Miss Jenkinmeyer. No magic is allowed” She explained.
Miss Jenkinmeyer was the caretaker, she commanded the ‘Kare-takers’, like Ken and the one for the second-year Gryffindors, Ark. There were no visible differences between Ken and Ark, though the latter seemed to be smarter, probably because seconds years are better in covering their tracks. Luz only heard about Karen Jenkinmeyer from Edric and Emira and according to them, she seemed to dislike every single student even those who never got in trouble, in turn, every student also loathed her, even the ones who never met her.
“And you, Noceda, will be helping Professor De Plume answer his fan mail. Before you say anything, he requested your presence. 8 o’clock sharp, both of you” The girls slouched into the Great Hall in states of deepest gloom, now all three of them had defeated looks on their faces.
The food didn't taste as good as it should and the trio spent most of their Saturday afternoon in their common room, laying down on the couch and armchairs and whimpering in their misery. Sooner than it should, it was five minutes to eight and Luz dragged her feet towards De Plume’s office on the second floor. At the door, Luz gritted her teeth and knocked.
The door flew open at once, De Plume beamed down at her “Ahha, here is the rascal, come in Luz, come in” Shining brightly on the walls by the light of many candles were countless framed photographs of De Plume, he even signed a few of them “You can address the envelopes” De Plume told Luz as though this was a huge treat.
The minutes snailed by, and Luz had let De Plume’s voice wash over her, occasionally saying “Hum” and “Right” and “Yeah”. Now and then she caught a phrase like “Fame’s a fickle friend, Luz” or “Celebrity is as celebrity does, remember” Luz wanted to slam her forehead on the table, maybe she could get off detention using her damaged staff, but who knew what would happen if she did, she could be expelled or worse, have to do this detention for a second time.
After getting an aching hand and what felt like the thousandth envelope, Luz thought it had to be near time to leave “Please, let it be nearly time” And then she heard something, a sound very different from the prattle about his fans or the spitting of the dying candles. It was a voice, a voice to chill the bone marrow, a voice of breathtaking ice-cold venom.
“Come… come to me… let me reap you… let me tear you… let me kill you” Luz gave a huge jump and a large lilac blot appeared on Veronica Smedley Street “What?!” She said loudly “I know, six solid months at the top of the bestseller list, broke all the records” Said De Plume “No! The voice” Said De Plume looking puzzled “What voice?”
“The voice that said– Didn't you hear it?” De Plume was looking at her with high astonishment “What are you talking about, Luz? Perhaps you’re getting a little drowsy? Look at the time! We’ve been here for nearly four hours. I'd never have believed it, time has flown hasn't it?” Luz didn't answer, she was straining her ears to hear the voice again but there was no sound now except for De Plume telling her she mustn't expect a treat like this every time she got detention. Feeling dazed, Luz left.
By the time Luz got to the common room, it was almost empty, Luz went straight up to the dormitory, and Willow wasn't back yet. She pulled on her pyjamas, got into bed, and waited. Half an hour later Willow arrived, nursing her right arm and bringing a strong smell of polish into the darkened room.
“My muscles have all seized up, nothing back home even compares to this” She groaned, sinking into her bed “Fourteen times, she made me buff up that Quidditch cup before she was satisfied, not to mention all the special awards for services to the school, took me ages to get through every single one of them. How was De Plume?” Luz told Willow what she had heard, she whispered in Willow’s ear so as not to wake up Star or Gloria.
“He said he couldn't hear it?” Willow frowned “Do you think he’s lying?” Willow scratched the back of her head “I don't get it, even an invisible person would have to open the door” Luz lay down in her bed looking at the canopy above her “I don't get it either…”