The Potions Master
The very next morning Luz woke up to find a strange mark on her wrist, a red lion with golden eyes was marked on her forearm, she tried to scratch it out desperately. Her mother would ground her for life if she found out she had a tattoo before 18. Luz only calmed down when Emira explained to her “Every student and head-wizard or witch have one of it, it represents the house you’re in” She pulled her sleeves revealing hers.
“Whenever you gain points it will tickle and whenever you lose points it will give you a small shock” Edric added “The brighter the sigil the more points our house has and the closer we are to gaining the house cup” Luz hoped that her mother would accept that explanation.
Whispers followed Luz wherever she went, students peeking behind the corners and through the arches in the halls, some even would go as far as to turn back the way they were going just to pass her again. Luz wished they stop since she was already having much trouble finding her way to classes without people distracting her.
Hogwarts had one hundred and forty-two staircases, all moved at random, so you never knew if walking up the stair on the second on the right would lead you to the fifth floor on the left side. Not to mention doors that would only open if asked politely or tickled in the right place or doors that were not really doors, just walls pretending. Luz was really confused, even with the help of Near-Headless Nick, who haply pointed to the right way when a Gryffindor asked.
Not to mention, the ‘Kare-takers’, which Luz discovered were not people, but something similar to Peeves, they were strange humanoid creatures with pointing ears and upside-down skull faces. They would use their shepherd’s crooks to drag students away from places they shouldn’t be, such as the opposite-sex bathroom. There were 29 of them, four Kare-takers per year, one for each house and one who was the leader of the group, known simply as ‘The caretaker’.
Luz and Willow managed to get on the wrong side of their Kare-taker, Ken, on their very first morning. They were found trying to force their way through a door which turned out to be the entrance to the out of bound’s corridor on the third floor. The Kare-takers apparently could sniff problem as would appear almost immediately if someone of the group they were responsibly put even a single toe out of line.
And after finding them there were the lessons themselves, Luz quickly discovered that there was more to magic than simply waving her staff and funny words. Every Wednesday at midnight, they would go study the night skies through their telescopes and learn the name of stars and the movements of planets with Professor Ursula Chariot, a woman with pale skin and long bright red hair.
Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology. There they learn how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi and find out how they could be used.
Easily the most boring lesson was History of Magic, it was the only class taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in the staff room and got up the next morning to teach leaving his body behind. He went on and on while the students scribbled down names and dates and got them mixed up.
Professor Herman Moncullus was their Transfiguration teacher and head wizard of the Ravenclaw house. He was a tiny wizard, who was carried around by his Palisman, a gorilla. He warned the students about the dangers of transfiguration and demonstrated it by turning one of the birds in his room into a stone statue of a cat.
Professor Edalyn Clawthorne insisted that the students called her Eda, so the students would not confuse her with her sister, “Now, many think that charms class is the most basic class in Hogwarts, and well, it is true, but I warn you, a witch or wizard is only as versatile and strong, as the number of charms they know and how well they can use them”.
“Owlbert” Eda commanded and her Palisman, an owl about the size of a fist, flew up, his eyes glowing and all chairs and tables of the room moved to behind her “My class is mostly practical, so put your books, scrolls, and quills aside. Take your Palismen and let’s do magic” She said as eager as any student there.
Her class was noisy, as all the students shouted the name of spells and charms; their first class was just for them to show off what they already knew. Most knew at least one simple spell, like making a weak gust of wind or producing sparkles. Luz, of course, didn’t know any, and as if being here wasn’t enough, her staff took everyone, including Eda, by surprise, they stared at her waiting to see some high-level magic, but she could barely make the stone on her staff glow.
Defense Against The Dark Arts, one of the most anticipated lessons, was a bit of a joke, Professor Piniet’s room smelled strongly of garlic. Word said it was because he feared a vampire he had met in Romania would come back for him. For one thing, when Star Butterfly asked how his encounter with the said vampire was, he went pink and started talking about the weather, and for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around his hair.
Luz received a crow from Hagrid on her first Friday’s breakfast asking to meet with her in the afternoon for a cup of tea, she haply agreed and headed out for double potions with Slytherin, which turned out to be one of the worst things that happened to her so far.
At the opening feast, Luz had the feeling that Lilith didn’t like her, but by the end of their double class, she was sure of it. Her lesson took place down in one of the dungeons, which was cold and already creepy enough without the many pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.
Lilith took register as the first thing in her class, she stopped when she reached Luz’s name “Ah yes, Luz Noceda, our new celebrity” She said softly. Once she finished the register she walked up a small step, her eyes piercing every student, though Luz felt that she was the one Lilith stared at the most.
“You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making” She started “As there is little foolish Palisman-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes” Like Eda, Lilith managed to keep the entire room in silence without effort “Or the delicate power of liquids that creep through the human veins, bewitching the minds, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even stopper death — if you aren't as big a bunch of empty-minded as I usually have to teach” She rolled her eyes.
Luz and Willow exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Augustus and Amity were at the edge of their seat, looking desperate to start proving that they weren’t empty-minded “Now, Miss Noceda, what would I get if I added a powder root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?” She asked suddenly “Powder root of what to an infusion of what?” Luz whispered and glanced at Willow who looked as stumped as he was. Augustus and Amity had their hand raised.
“I don’t know ma’am” Said Luz. Lilith’s lips shook “I see, let’s try another” She ignored both Augustus and Amity “Noceda, where do you find me a bezoar?” Once again Luz had even the slightest idea. She could see Boscha shaking with laughter in her seat while Amity and Porter stretched their arms as much as possible without getting up “I don’t know ma’am”.
“So you didn’t even open a book before coming here?” Lilith asked a hint of anger was noticeable in her voice. Luz forced herself to stare at Lilith, she had gone through her books, but Lilith expected Luz to remember everything in ‘One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi’? Lilith was still ignoring the two begging to answer the question.
“What is the difference, Noceda, between monkshood and wolfsbane?” Lilith asked. At this Augustus stood up his hand stretching towards the dungeon ceiling, Amity was going to do the same but Boscha pulled her back to her seat. “I don’t know, but he seemed to know, why don’t ask him or Amity?” A few students laughed, and Star even winked at her but Lilith didn’t seem to like that response.
“Sit down” She ordered “Now, asphodel and wormwood make a sleep potion so strong that it is called the Draught of the Living Death. A bezoar is a stone found in the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons at last; monkshood and wolf’s-bane are the same plants that also go by the name aconite. I hope you all are coping with what I just said”.
The students started to scribe what she just said “And 2 points will be taken from Gryffindor for their acting” Luz felt a weak zap in her wrist. The first of many to come as things didn’t improve as the lesson went on, Lilith took her first double class to teach the story of potion-making and she didn’t hesitate to take one or two points from students who didn’t pay attention or copy what she said. By the end of her class, 12 points were taken from Gryffindor and 5 from Slytherin.
Willow went with Luz to meet with Hagrid who lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the door. When Luz knocked several booming barks burst from inside “Back, back, I said back Fang” Hagrid said, his face appearing in the crack as he pulled the door open.
He let them in struggling to keep a hold of the collar of an enormous black hound. His house had only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.
“Make yourselves at home” He let go of Fang, who tackled Willow and started to lick her ears, much like Hagrid, Fang wasn’t as fierce as he looked. Luz introduced Willow to Hagrid, the giant who served the girls tea and cakes. They told him all about their first lessons and Fang rested his head on Luz’s knees and drooled all over her leggings.
Hagrid also seemed to dislike the Kare-takers and, like Willow, told Luz to not worry about Lilith, since she hardly ever liked any student “But she seemed to really dislike me, it is because I didn’t know the answers to the questions?” Luz asked.
“Don’t mind her Luz, she probably thought you were some sort of witch genius prodigy and forgot yer still a kid” Hagrid placed his hand on the girl's head “Yer are here to learn Luz, don’t forget that, doesn’t matter what other say as long as yer giving yer best” He smiled softly.
Luz grabbed a piece of paper that was lying on the table underneath the tea cozies, while Hagrid talked to Willow about her father, a cut from Daily Prophet:
GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST
Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown. Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had been emptied months before.
"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon.
Luz wondered if Hagrid was the one who emptied it when they visit months ago, it couldn’t be right? It would be much of a coincidence if it were. Luz reread the paper a few more times, maybe if she read enough one of the goblins on the moving picture would tell her the number of the vault out of annoyance.
None of the lessons she had until now had made her think as much as the quick stop for tea with Hagrid. Did Hagrid know something about Lilith he would tell Luz? Was the small package Hagrid retrieved that day what the thief was after?.