Hogwarts Story: Part 7
Nov. 21st, 2005 10:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
unforthHour 37, I can't quite figure out why I'm not particularly tired yet. It's very disconcerting. Anyway, I got some writing done, woohoo! So here it is, my next section of stuff. I hope it's coherent! I can't tell if my brain is working right. :)
I left and headed quickly and with a strange feeling of determination towards the table at which all of the teachers sat. Professor Icaria Tremens, Charms and Automata master, as well as the head of Ravenclaw house, was talking animatedly to Professor Patronius, the head of Hufflepuff. Professor Tremens, though head of Ravenclaw, was perhaps the most gregarious person I had ever met, a strange combination. Yet, despite that we all loved her dearly and looked up to her greatly, for she was knowledgeable and helpful, sweet and caring. I know I always felt she was something of a second mother figure, and I expect I wasn’t the only person who thought of her as such.
“Oh, Delia darling, how are you, did you have a good summer?” Professor Tremens noticed me, turned my way, cut off her conversation with Professor Patronius, and greeted me all in one single smooth motion.
“Professor Tremens, hi, thank you I’m quite well, my summer was quite good. However, there is something of a problem, one of our new students, Eileen O’Haver, is very upset. One of the names that Headmaster Nigellus said was her brother.
Suddenly turning serious, Professor Tremens nodded and started making her way towards the end of the staff table. “I’m sorry, Patronius,” she said as she went, pardoning and excusing herself past the other teachers between her and the end of the table.
“Oh, quite all right, Icaria, quite all right,” Patronius called after her even as I led her towards Eileen.
I hurried back to the table, Professor Tremens following closely behind, and approached Eileen with a gentle smile. “Hi, I’m sorry to run off like that. This is Professor Tremens, she is the head of our house, I thought she might be able to help.”
While I spoke, Professor Tremens quietly assessed the situation, looking over Miss O’Haver with an appraising eye before coming around to her side and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “I’m so sorry, dear,” she said as she led Eileen over to a more quiet location. I didn’t hear anything else she said, but I did glance over from time to time while they spoke, and Eileen seemed to steadily improve in color and bearing.
The rest of the feast passed largely uneventfully, with much small talk. About half way through Eileen returned, still upset but definitely much more in control of herself. She even ate a little, which I thought must surely be a good sign. I didn’t think I’d have any appetite if I was in her situation.
My first official duty as Prefect began as soon as the meal ended. As the headmaster dismissed the students to their respective dormitories, I stood up and worked to gather the new students of my house to me. “First years, please, can I have all first years and new students over here please,” I tried to speak loudly, unable to escape the feeling that it all felt very unnatural. Some small part of my brain tried to figure out if I’d ever had to speak loudly before for any reason even as I called again. “First years, please gather, thank you!” I beamed as one girl, Galatea, came up to me hesitantly, followed a moment later by Eileen and Celestine.
“Welcome to Hogwarts,” I said with a great deal more confidence than I felt. “My name is Delia Prince, and I am in my third year of five at Hogwarts. I am the Prefect of Ravenclaw house. This means, basically, that if you have any questions, ask me and I’ll help, if you need anything, ask me and I’ll help, if you break any school rules and I catch you, you’ll be in trouble.” I smiled, hoping that had come off sounding like a joke.
“I am Celestine,” said Celestine with a smile. She was older than me, I realized, and she spoke with a crisp French accent. “I am a transfer student from Beauxbaton. Can you tell me, where would I find information about other refugees – my parents, my brother, they are still missing, I have not been able to find them.”
I seemed to be having a great deal of luck finding situations I could not help with at all. “I suggest you speak to Professor Tremens,” I replied with a smile, “I do not have any particular contacts, but Professor Tremens is the head of our house and she may be able to help. I’m sorry that I can’t do more.”
“No, no, it is alright, thank you,” she said with a smile that I now realized was tinged with sadness and fear. I pointed towards the professor, and she moved in that direction.
“Anything else I can help you with as…” but before I could finish asking about further questions, there was a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, and there, right behind me, was Professor Lestrange. I was always rather nervous around the Transfiguration’s teacher, for she was the head of Slytherin house and she was always very strict. “Yes, professor?” I asked as innocuously as I could.
“I need to speak with you, Miss Prince,” Professor Lestrange said in a clipped voice.
“Yes, yes, of course,” I looked around quickly, and noticed that Lycia Gringott had not left yet. “Lycia, can you please stay with the first years while I speak with Professor Lestrange?”
Looking vaguely startled, Lycia came to stand next to me, nodding slightly. “I suppose,” she replied absently, her coin twirling between her fingers idly.
“Thank you,” I smiled and turned towards Professor Lestrange, who lead me aside slightly. “What can I help you with, Professor?”
“Miss Prince, who is the Quidditch Captain for your house?” snapped the professor without any other preamble.
“Professor?”
“The Quidditch Captain. Who is in charge of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team this year?”
A vaguely unsettling feeling settled into the pit of my stomach as I sorted through the students who I had seen at the Ravenclaw table that night. Now that I considered it, I was the only member of the team who still appeared to be at the school. Not all of the students on the team had been in their last year of studies, either, so I couldn’t imagine where they had gone. I combed my memories. Had any of them been here? Was I really the only remaining player? I pictured where I had seen people sitting and tried to remember if I had seen Robert, Millicent, Henrietta, or Luke, the other team members who should still be at Hogwarts. I could think of nothing. “Well, Professor, I don’t actually know. I, uh, I think that I might be the only member of the Quidditch team still at the school.”
“I see,” Lestrange sounded like she completely lacked sympathy. “Then you are Captain of the team. Tryouts are tomorrow. I suggest you find people who are interested in playing Quidditch.” With a cold smile, Professor Lestrange turned and left without even saying goodbye. All I could do was stare at her in slight shock, the words ‘captain’ and ‘quidditch’ echoing hollowly in my head.
I left and headed quickly and with a strange feeling of determination towards the table at which all of the teachers sat. Professor Icaria Tremens, Charms and Automata master, as well as the head of Ravenclaw house, was talking animatedly to Professor Patronius, the head of Hufflepuff. Professor Tremens, though head of Ravenclaw, was perhaps the most gregarious person I had ever met, a strange combination. Yet, despite that we all loved her dearly and looked up to her greatly, for she was knowledgeable and helpful, sweet and caring. I know I always felt she was something of a second mother figure, and I expect I wasn’t the only person who thought of her as such.
“Oh, Delia darling, how are you, did you have a good summer?” Professor Tremens noticed me, turned my way, cut off her conversation with Professor Patronius, and greeted me all in one single smooth motion.
“Professor Tremens, hi, thank you I’m quite well, my summer was quite good. However, there is something of a problem, one of our new students, Eileen O’Haver, is very upset. One of the names that Headmaster Nigellus said was her brother.
Suddenly turning serious, Professor Tremens nodded and started making her way towards the end of the staff table. “I’m sorry, Patronius,” she said as she went, pardoning and excusing herself past the other teachers between her and the end of the table.
“Oh, quite all right, Icaria, quite all right,” Patronius called after her even as I led her towards Eileen.
I hurried back to the table, Professor Tremens following closely behind, and approached Eileen with a gentle smile. “Hi, I’m sorry to run off like that. This is Professor Tremens, she is the head of our house, I thought she might be able to help.”
While I spoke, Professor Tremens quietly assessed the situation, looking over Miss O’Haver with an appraising eye before coming around to her side and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “I’m so sorry, dear,” she said as she led Eileen over to a more quiet location. I didn’t hear anything else she said, but I did glance over from time to time while they spoke, and Eileen seemed to steadily improve in color and bearing.
The rest of the feast passed largely uneventfully, with much small talk. About half way through Eileen returned, still upset but definitely much more in control of herself. She even ate a little, which I thought must surely be a good sign. I didn’t think I’d have any appetite if I was in her situation.
My first official duty as Prefect began as soon as the meal ended. As the headmaster dismissed the students to their respective dormitories, I stood up and worked to gather the new students of my house to me. “First years, please, can I have all first years and new students over here please,” I tried to speak loudly, unable to escape the feeling that it all felt very unnatural. Some small part of my brain tried to figure out if I’d ever had to speak loudly before for any reason even as I called again. “First years, please gather, thank you!” I beamed as one girl, Galatea, came up to me hesitantly, followed a moment later by Eileen and Celestine.
“Welcome to Hogwarts,” I said with a great deal more confidence than I felt. “My name is Delia Prince, and I am in my third year of five at Hogwarts. I am the Prefect of Ravenclaw house. This means, basically, that if you have any questions, ask me and I’ll help, if you need anything, ask me and I’ll help, if you break any school rules and I catch you, you’ll be in trouble.” I smiled, hoping that had come off sounding like a joke.
“I am Celestine,” said Celestine with a smile. She was older than me, I realized, and she spoke with a crisp French accent. “I am a transfer student from Beauxbaton. Can you tell me, where would I find information about other refugees – my parents, my brother, they are still missing, I have not been able to find them.”
I seemed to be having a great deal of luck finding situations I could not help with at all. “I suggest you speak to Professor Tremens,” I replied with a smile, “I do not have any particular contacts, but Professor Tremens is the head of our house and she may be able to help. I’m sorry that I can’t do more.”
“No, no, it is alright, thank you,” she said with a smile that I now realized was tinged with sadness and fear. I pointed towards the professor, and she moved in that direction.
“Anything else I can help you with as…” but before I could finish asking about further questions, there was a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, and there, right behind me, was Professor Lestrange. I was always rather nervous around the Transfiguration’s teacher, for she was the head of Slytherin house and she was always very strict. “Yes, professor?” I asked as innocuously as I could.
“I need to speak with you, Miss Prince,” Professor Lestrange said in a clipped voice.
“Yes, yes, of course,” I looked around quickly, and noticed that Lycia Gringott had not left yet. “Lycia, can you please stay with the first years while I speak with Professor Lestrange?”
Looking vaguely startled, Lycia came to stand next to me, nodding slightly. “I suppose,” she replied absently, her coin twirling between her fingers idly.
“Thank you,” I smiled and turned towards Professor Lestrange, who lead me aside slightly. “What can I help you with, Professor?”
“Miss Prince, who is the Quidditch Captain for your house?” snapped the professor without any other preamble.
“Professor?”
“The Quidditch Captain. Who is in charge of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team this year?”
A vaguely unsettling feeling settled into the pit of my stomach as I sorted through the students who I had seen at the Ravenclaw table that night. Now that I considered it, I was the only member of the team who still appeared to be at the school. Not all of the students on the team had been in their last year of studies, either, so I couldn’t imagine where they had gone. I combed my memories. Had any of them been here? Was I really the only remaining player? I pictured where I had seen people sitting and tried to remember if I had seen Robert, Millicent, Henrietta, or Luke, the other team members who should still be at Hogwarts. I could think of nothing. “Well, Professor, I don’t actually know. I, uh, I think that I might be the only member of the Quidditch team still at the school.”
“I see,” Lestrange sounded like she completely lacked sympathy. “Then you are Captain of the team. Tryouts are tomorrow. I suggest you find people who are interested in playing Quidditch.” With a cold smile, Professor Lestrange turned and left without even saying goodbye. All I could do was stare at her in slight shock, the words ‘captain’ and ‘quidditch’ echoing hollowly in my head.
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Date: 2005-11-23 04:19 am (UTC)