Small Gifts, Big Consequences
The next morning, Nora was startled awake by Hermione insisting they prepare themselves for breakfast and class. Though she was flustered, she understood that her twin abhorred being late and was simply excited for their first day. She thanked her luck once more that they had ended up in the same house and therefore shared the same schedule of classes.
“Are you excited for your classes today?” Asked Percy once the girls had taken their seats. “Oh YES! I cannot wait to learn everything. I am most excited for transfiguration, you know, when you turn one thing into another, it's supposed to be quite difficult,” Hermione exclaimed as she filled her plate. “You’ll be starting small, matches into needles and coins into buttons, that sort of thing—,” Percy intoned, smiling before turning towards Nora, “And you? Are you excited for a particular class?” “I am excited for Potions and charms.” “Ah, excellent. Professor Flitwick is an exceptional teacher.” It did not escape her notice that Percy avoided mentioning Professor Snape. The night before at the feast, both Fred and George had been vocal about the potions master and his unwavering dislike of anybody but his own house. She just hoped he was a good teacher.
While Hermione had spent much of the summer reading about the history of the school and rereading her textbooks, Nora had begun to delve into her potion's textbook and her secondhand copy of Advanced Potions and ingredients, a book she found in Diagon Alley during their second trip. She had also begun studying her charms book, but not as closely. She was pleased that their first class that Monday was double potions. They were less pleased that it was to be shared with Slytherins, remembering that the silver-haired boy, Draco Malfoy, had been unnecessarily rude to Ron the night before. The girls continued to talk to Percy for a while. They were also surprised and pleased to talk with others from the night before. Fred and George were amusing, and Katie was pleased to find out that the girls were the same age as herself. After finishing their meal and promising to find the older girls later, Hermione and Nora made their way toward their first class.
//
As they took a seat in the cold room in the dungeons, Nora could not help but be enchanted by the different ingredients lining the walls. Hermione thought it was a little creepy but would not dampen her twin's spirit by saying so. Soon enough, a tall, pale man dressed in all black and billowing robes stormed into the dungeon. With a wave of his wand, the shutters closed on the windows as he swiveled toward the room.
“You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making,” rumbled a deep but quiet voice. No one had trouble hearing him as he seemed to be able to command the silence of the room. “There will be no foolish wand waving, and I doubt many of you will understand the art of the simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes. I can teach you to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even stopper death,” Nora and Hermione shared a look with raised eyebrows, “That is if you all aren’t a bigger group of dunderheads than normal—,” Snape’s face twisted into a scowl as his eyes landed on Harry, “Or if you feel confident to NOT pay attention... Potter!” He said suddenly, “What would you get if you added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?” Nora sighed internally as her sister's hand shot into the air. It wasn’t that she was ashamed of her sister, she was more cautious that Hermione’s eagerness could be used against her. This angered her, but she would never shame her sister into someone she was not. She smiled and turned back to scribble the answer on her parchment: Draught of Living Death is a powerful sleeping potion. Harry mumbled that he didn’t know, and Snape’s sneer grew. “Pity, Fame clearly isn’t everything,” he continued to ignore Hermione’s hand. “Let’s try again. Where would you look if I told you to find a bezoar?” Hermione’s hand continued to stretch in the air, and Nora noted that the Slytherin boys were laughing. She clenched her quill and focused on writing the answer. A bezoar can be found in the stomach of a goat and is an antidote for most poisons. Snape made a chiding remark at Harry before asking his final question, “What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?” Hermione was nearly coming out of her seat, wiggling her hand in the air when Harry looked towards her. “I don’t know, sir. I think Hermione does. Why don’t you ask her?” A few people laughed, but Nora could tell Snape was not pleased. “Sit down,” he snapped at Hermione, making Nora bristle with anger, “For your information—... lastly, wolfsbane and monkshood are the same plant, also known as aconite. Why aren’t you all copying this down?” There was a quiet ruffling for paper and quills. Snape watched with annoyance, as Nora made no move to write, “Do you think yourself smarter than your classmates Miss Granger or are you an incessant know it all like your twin?” “I cannot write what I already have and know, sir.” She stated as every eye in the room snapped towards her, she heard quiet laughter from Harry and Ron’s direction, and she saw Seamus wink. Snape nearly snarled before demanding, “If you know so much, Granger, tell me what you get when you mix moonstone and syrup of hellebore?” Nora was quiet for a moment, and then Snape appeared to look victorious when she spoke, “Draught of peace, sir.” Snape stared at the girl before snapping, “Though that was a lucky guess, one point from both you and Potter will be taken for your cheek.”
Things did not improve much for the Gryfinndors as the lesson continued. Snape had paired them up and instructed them to mix a simple cure for boils. Nora was paired with a Gryffindor named Dean, and Hermione was paired with their roommate Pavarti. Snape swept around in his dark cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crushing snake fangs. He continued to criticize everyone except Malfoy, who he seemed to like genuinely. He paid particular attention to Nora and loudly critiqued everything she did: “I said to CRUSH the snake fangs, not obliterate them. Five points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger. “
The class was nearing its end when a loud hissing noise and a plume of green smoke filled the room. Neville had managed to melt Seamus’ cauldron, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor. The class moved to stand on their stools. Neville, who had been drenched in the creation when it exploded, dropped to the floor, groaning in agony as angry red boils began appearing on his exposed skin. “Idiot boy! I suppose you added porcupine quills before removing the cauldron from the fire,” he snarled as he waved his wand to clear the mess. “Take him to the hospital wing!” He spat at Seamus, whirling around to face the other Gryffindors. “You—Granger— why didn’t you tell him not to add the quills? Thought you’d make yourself look better?” Harry went to defend the girl against the unfairness of it, when she gave a subtle shake of her head, and Ron kicked him under the table. The class finished as they cleaned up and presented their potions to the professor. As Nora and Pavarti handed over their potions, Snape raised an eyebrow, “I suggest in the future allowing Miss Patil the chance to present her work. A point from Gryffindor,” Pavarti smiled sheepishly as she and Lavender, their other dorm-mate, left the dungeon. Nora turned to do the same, noting she was the last one, when Snape spoke in a gentler voice than she thought possible, “What potion texts have you been studying?” She looked at him hesitantly before answering softly, “The required texts and Advanced Potions and Ingredients. I found it in Flourish and Botts over the summer.” Snape dipped his head in acknowledgment. “You need more practice.” It was an effective dismissal, and Nora left without looking back, puzzled at the man's change in demeanor. As she walked towards the greenhouse, she mulled over his words, wondering what he could’ve meant.
//
The rest of the day and much of the week continued without incident. Herbology was taught by a portly woman named Professor Sprout, twice a week, in the greenhouses behind the castle. They were learning how to identify and take care of all different sorts of unusual plants and fungi. Nora found that the class was interesting but not her favorite. On Wednesday, they were required to study the night sky through their telescopes and learn the names of stars, and study planetary movement. The class was turning out to be unappealing to both twins. The most boring class was History of Magic, taught by a ghost named Professor Binns, who died after falling asleep in front of a fire and then leaving his body behind when he woke. He tended to drone on and on while they copied names and dates. Once the class finished and they were left to do their homework, they began confusing the different names and switching dates.
The class that everyone was most excited about was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Though in the end, Professor Quirell’s class ended up being a bit of a joke. Nora detested the fact that his classroom smelled heavily of garlic. Something he claimed to do to ward off Vampires. His turban was large, purple and reeked of the offensive spice. Fred and George liked to joke that it was to protect himself wherever he went. The one thing that Nora did notice was that whenever Harry was around the professor, he seemed to rub his scar often as if it was aching. She didn’t understand why but was intrigued.
Charms class, on the other hand, was one of her favorites, and Professor Flitwick, a tiny wizard, was kind and patient. Their first assignment was to learn the wand lighting spell, Lumos. Many were unable to successfully cast the charm; however; Nora managed to do it within the time frame, causing Professor Flitwick to exclaim and award a few points. She then spent the remainder of the time helping others, and her sister managed the same not long after.
Transfiguration was taught by Professor McGonagall. She spoke of the dangers of transfiguration before demonstrating by turning her desk into a pig. Though that skill was a way off, she did set them to turning a match into a needle. Hermione was the only one who had made a difference to her match by the end of class, but Nora was able to master it by the end of the week. On Thursday, the boys were ecstatic about flying lessons. Much to Hermione’s relief and the boy's disappointment, they would only be learning about the care of brooms on the first day.
As the girls sat together at breakfast while Harry and Ron sat opposite, the squawks of owls could be heard overhead. Hermione and Nora had written to their parents the day after the welcome feast, so it was no surprise when an owl dropped a letter into Hermione’s hands. What did come as a surprise was the package that gently landed in Nora’s lap. Before she could open it, Harry began speaking about a reported break-in at Gringotts, the wizarding bank. Nora and Hermione exchanged looks at the boy's conversation but did not say much else. While Hermione read the letter from their parents, Nora hesitantly opened the brown package. She let out a soft gasp as she read the cover of the book, Moste Potente Potions. There was a note attached that read:
Miss Granger,
This book is only found in the restricted section and should not be shared with others. The potions in this book are extremely dangerous and advanced. They should not be attempted without proper supervision.
Enjoy.
Nora looked towards the head table where she met eyes with Professor Snape. He gave her an almost imperceptible nod before turning back to his conversation with Quriell. Nora turned back to her sister smiling and tucked the book away. She listened as her sister read the rest of their letter. She didn’t understand his demeanor, but she was glad for the praise, nonetheless. Overall, her first week at Hogwarts had been better than she had hoped.
//
The following weeks proved to be much of the same. Hermione and Nora continued to excel in many of their classes. Professor Snape maintained his critical approach towards Nora during class sessions, yet his comments on her essays and homework demonstrated a more considerate tone. Truthfully, compared to the others, hers were downright pleasant. Well as pleasant as they could be coming from Snape himself.
One afternoon, the first-year Gryffindors voiced their disappointment with the notice that had been pinned to the common room announcement board. It was announced that on Thursday, they would attend a flying class alongside the Slytherins. While Nora had grown annoyed at Draco’s constant boasting, she was much more concerned about Hermione’s building anxiety. She understood that Hermione was frightened because flying was something you could not learn from a book, though she had tried quite valiantly. When Thursday morning came, Hermione began spouting off flying tips that she had gotten from a library book called Quidditch Through the Ages. For the most part, she was ignored. Nora did her best to listen and soothe both her sister and Neville. He was paying attention desperately hoping for something that may help him hold onto his broom later.
Before they were to leave, the post was delivered. Hermione and Nora had a letter from their parents, and Neville even had a package from his Gran. After he opened it, he held up the small glass ball. “It’s a Remembrall!” He explained. “When you hold it, the smoke will glow red..” he stated—just as the smoke turned a deep scarlet, “when you’ve forgotten something— the only problem is I can’t seem to remember what I’ve forgotten.”
At 2:30 in the afternoon, Nora alongside her friends made their way outside to find a neat line of brooms laying in two parallel lines. The houses separated respectively, and Madame Hooch, a tall, skinny woman with gray hair that was sticking up in every direction and sharp yellow eyes, instructed them to stand next to their brooms, stick out their right hand, and confidently say “Up!”. Nora’s broom rose slightly in the air, whereas her sisters simply rolled over. Neville hadn’t moved at all. She noted with a raised eyebrow as Harry’s broom shot directly into his hand. For a second, Nora wondered if the broom could feel the rider's fear or if it could tell how much you wanted it. Either way, she was quite pleased when her broom jumped into her hand moments later.
Madam Hooch went on to instruct the class on the proper way to mount their brooms without sliding off. She patiently walked up and down the rows, correcting their grips. “Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground. Keep your broom steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle—” She firmly instructed. Unfortunately, Neville, who was extremely jumpy, pushed off too soon and rose shakily 20 feet in the air before falling towards the ground. He landed with a resounding CRACK, while his broom disappeared out of sight. Madam Hooch clucked over him before leading him to the hospital wing, with a backwards glance, “None of you are to move while I take him to Madam Pomfrey. If you or your brooms move an inch, you will be out of Hogwarts faster than you can say ‘Quidditch!’”
As soon as they were inside, Malfoy and the other Slytherins began teasing him. Malfoy noticed a small item lying where Neville had fallen. He picked it up and began tossing it in the air, “Maybe if he’d remember to given this a squeeze, he would’ve used his fat head and not fallen on his fat arse.” He said, sniggering.
“Shut up, Malfoy!” Nora said stiffly while the other Gryffindors backed her up.
“Sticking up for Longbottom, Granger? Didn’t take you as one who liked fat crybabies,” intoned Pansy Parkinson, a first-year Slytherin girl with short black hair and pinched face.
“Give it here, Malfoy,” Harry said firmly.
“No, I don’t think I will. I think I’ll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find. How about the roof?” Malfoy said snidely, mounting his broom.
“Harry, don’t. He’s just trying to bait you, and you’ll get us all in trouble.” Nora said calmly. He completely ignored her. Mounted his broom and took off after Draco who held Neville’s Remembrall in his fist.
“What. An. Idiot.” Hermione muttered, punctuating each word. Nora couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she gasped as Draco threw the ball in the air before streaking back towards the ground. Harry quickly turned and dived towards the sphere. He barreled headfirst towards the ground, and at the last minute, pulled his broom to even out and tumbled to the ground.
Professor McGonagall ran towards the group, muttering along the way, “Never in all my years…” She scolded Harry, though his classmates attempted to defend him. Soon, the twins watched helplessly as Harry was marched away towards the castle, Ron in tow. Nora attempted to remain calm, but the Slytherins were back to their laughter and rude remarks. Shortly thereafter, Madam Hooch reappeared to continue the lesson.
//
Before dinner time, Nora and Hermione found themselves surrounded by their older classmates in the common room. Nora was lying with her head in Hermione’s lap on the floor next to the fire, and Angelina was sprawled in an armchair with Alicia sitting with her back to it. Lee was in the opposite chair with Katie perched on the arm. Lastly, George and Fred were spread out on the couch. This had become a bit of a habit for the group as they often gathered before or after dinner, sometimes both, to do their work or hang out. Many times, the conversation drifted towards Quidditch, as a majority of the group made up the Gryffindor team. Hermione was venomous in her dislike for flying, whereas Nora was much more inclined.
On that evening, they had been attempting to study. One set of twins was more fruitful than the other, though one of the redheads had cried, “Without your influence, we wouldn’t be studying at all. I think you lot should be pleased!” There was a resounding, “Hear, hear!” This sent the group into a fit of laughter. They had already explained what had happened earlier at flying practice when their conversation turned towards the friendship at hand. “Thank you for talking to us,” Nora said with a sheepish smile. Her statement caused the group's eyes to widen and whip towards her. “You don’t have to be nice, but you are, and we are grateful.” Fred and George looked mildly angry, whereas Katie chuffed as her eyes filled with tears. Many of the others had the same response. It was Fred who spoke first, “You don’t have to thank us, Nora. We like you guys. Plus, it’s always a pleasure to have a fellow twin around!” He finished smiling brightly at the pair. Katie nodded her head, speaking gently, “That’s right. You’re one of us now. You can’t get rid of us that easy.” The rest of the group voiced their agreement. As they stood to go to dinner, each person pulled one twin and then the other into a hug. If someone held on for a moment longer, nobody said anything.