Chapter Text
Buy a wand. Should be a simple task. Why am I so nervous then? I’ve been to Ollivanders many times already, and I know all about every type of wood, I shouldn’t be nervous about something as simple as buying a wand from Mr Ollivander! Come on, Rowan, walk to the shop. It’s not difficult, just put one foot in front of the other. Deep breaths. It looks like another boy is getting his own wand, maybe I should wait a bit outside. I just need to calm down. The boy inside looks pretty calm, I wonder how he does it. He’s strangely familiar, but I can’t recall why. He’s very pale and has straw-like hair. He’s skinny, but not from being underfed: instead, he looks like he doesn’t go out or exercise often, just like me.
Only a minute passes, and the boy steps out of the shop marvelling at his new wand. I can’t help but get curious and glance at it, trying to distract myself from my illogical nervousness. That shade of the wood, it looks like…
‘Is that a hornbeam wand?’ I can’t help but ask.
The boy flinches, startled.
‘…Yes,’ he says, looking wearily at me. Great, I’ve made him nervous too. Now he’ll think I’m weird, and I haven’t even introduced myself! Way to go, Rowan. ‘How did you know?’ he asks.
‘My family’s tree farm supplies wood for wands and brooms, so I’m something of an expert,’ I say, sorry for having startled him. ‘Sorry, are you getting started at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry too?’
Why did I have to say the full name of the school? Now he’s definitely going to think I’m weird! Or maybe he’s weird too—he doesn’t seem put off by the awkward question. He’s smiling a bit; I hope that’s a good sign.
‘I am. And I guess you are, as well?’
‘Yes!’ I say, unable to contain myself. ‘I’ve been reading Hogwarts: A History in anticipation of my first year, so I’m also something of an expert on Hogwarts.’
‘Really?’ he asks with a friendly expression. ‘Do you like reading then?’
I nod, grateful that the conversation is steering away from the awkward beginning. ‘I love reading and learning, especially about magic! I want to be the youngest professor to ever teach at Hogwarts…’ I trail off, realising that I’ve just ruined the conversation again by oversharing in my excitement. Or maybe not? He doesn’t look put off by that sudden comment like most people do. ‘Also, staying inside and reading keeps me from going outside and farming,’ I add, making him chuckle. Muttering, I add one last thing: ‘That and the fact I don’t have any friends.’
The boy is now smiling amusedly.
‘We can be friends,’ he says, offering a hand for me to shake.
‘We can?’ I ask, unsure. He nods, encouraging me to shake his hand. I do, beaming. ‘I’ve never had a friend before! I’m Rowan Khanna. What’s your name?’
‘James Smith, but call me Jamie,’ he says happily.
The surname rings a bell in my head, and I can’t help but ask, ‘Like Jacob Smith?!’
It’s a silly question really; Smith is a very common surname, and he could just be muggleborn with no connection to the Smith wizarding family… But to my surprise, he frowns and nods.
‘Yes. He’s my brother.’
‘The same Jacob Smith that was expelled from Hogwarts for breaking school rules in search of the fabled Cursed Vaults?!’
I should have stayed quiet, I tell myself before even finishing the sentence. But Jamie doesn’t look as annoyed as I would think; instead he has a curious expression on his face.
His brown eyes bore into mine as he asks, raising an eyebrow, ‘How do you know all of this? I’m pretty sure that isn’t in Hogwarts: A History.’
‘I know almost everything about Hogwarts!’ I shrug. ‘Besides, that was a big story in the Daily Prophet. Everyone at school will know.’
He frowns again, mumbling, ‘Great. They’ll all think I’m weird.’
‘We’ll be weird together!’ I say before I can stop myself.
But my new friend is, again, not at all put off by my weirdness. Instead he laughs and nods.
‘Works fine for me. I was excited to get to Hogwarts, but now even more so if we go together,’ he admits.
‘Me too!’ I say. I feel the coins Mum gave me to buy something I liked in my pocket, and decide to ask my new friend his opinion on this matter. ‘My Mum gave me just enough to buy something special for school. I want something that will let everyone at Hogwarts know that I’m a serious intellectual who is well on his way to becoming Head Boy. What do you think I should get?’
He looks me up and down, thinking his reply.
‘I could see you wearing a smart scarf,’ he settles on, and I nod, considering the idea and liking it a lot. He has to leave to buy the rest of his school supplies, and I say goodbye just as I remember that I still had to buy a wand.
Feeling much less nervous, I step into Ollivanders, and Mr Ollivander greets me with a smile.
‘Ah, young Mr Khanna! I knew I would attend you this summer. Here for your first wand at last, yes?’
‘Yes, Mr Ollivander.’
‘I took the liberty of putting one aside that I thought might be a good fit,’ Mr Ollivander notes as he searches a high shelf behind the counter and takes a thin, rectangular box. ‘Unicorn hair core, and I’m sure you can identify the wood?’
‘Rowan,’ I say with a chuckle as he shows me the wand.
‘Indeed. Rowan, ten-and-a-quarter inches, slightly bendy. Like I said, it seemed fitting,’ Mr Ollivander says as I take the wand in my right hand.
It feels warm, and comfortable to hold. No, not just comfortable—natural. I slash the wand over my head, and a stream of colourful sparks bursts from the tip. The wandmaker looks just as elated as I am. I pay seven galleons for the wand and thank him again before leaving the shop, deciding to go to Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions next.
The first day of September arrives, and Mum and Dad take me to London. Since my little brother Ashok is only three years old, we go by train from Aldershot to London instead of Apparating there, and then take the Underground to get to King’s Cross Station. Dad helps me load the trunk into an empty compartment and I kiss them goodbye, giddy with excitement. I wonder if I’ll find Jamie in one of the other compartments! I hope I do, I don’t know anyone else and it was stressful enough to befriend him in the first place. But just as I’m searching for him, I hear his voice calling to me.
‘Rowan!’
I turn around and see him loading his heavy trunk onto the train. Though panting, he’s smiling brightly at me.
‘Jamie! It’s fantastic to see you again! Here, let me help, I found a compartment down this way,’ I say quickly, helping him lift the trunk.
He nods gratefully, and together we make short work of getting his trunk into the compartment. Sitting down with a sigh, he says, ‘Thanks.’
‘How do you like my scarf?’ I ask, having put on my scarf for the occasion.
‘It suits you,’ he says with a small smile. ‘You look like the smartest first-year, and the future youngest professor in the history of Hogwarts.’
‘It was your suggestion! I’ll be coming to you for all of my fashion advice,’ I say, and he laughs merrily. I peer out the window, and notice my parents are waving at me. ‘Hey, I see my family from here!’ I point out, waving back at them.
He looks out as well, waving at a woman who, judging the visual similarities, I guess is his mother. She doesn’t look as happy for her son as the other parents around; instead she looks deeply concerned. But as I wonder about it, the reasons become obvious. She probably fears Jamie following in Jacob’s footsteps. A loud whistle blows and the train begins to move, snapping me out of my thoughts. We stand up and wave at our families until they disappear from sight.
‘Have you started reading your textbooks?’ Jamie asks me when we sit back down.
‘I have read each one at least twice! They’re all very interesting; I can’t wait for our classes to begin. Herbology with Professor Sprout, Transfigurations with Professor McGonagall… What are you looking forward to?’
‘Oh, you know, a little bit of this, a little of that…’ Jamie says with a shrug. ‘Everything’s useful, and I want to learn everything I can!’ His smile falters a bit, and the next sentence is barely a whisper: ‘Especially if I can use that to find Jacob.’
‘We’ll learn some really useful and powerful spells in Charms class…’ I say, trying to cheer him up. ‘Well, not powerful at first. We’ll probably start with simple but useful things like the Wand-Lightning Charm, or the Unlocking Charm, or…’
I go on a tangent, listing every spell I remember from The Standard Book of Spells, Grade One. Jamie doesn’t interrupt me; he looks quite interested in fact. ‘…or the Feather-light Charm, or the Locomotion Charm, or… Actually, I think that’s all of them.’
‘I bet you’ll get full marks in Charms,’ he says with a friendly grin.
I scoff, waving a hand. ‘I haven’t tried any of those yet, I don’t know how good I am at Charms… But I’ll certainly try!’
A witch pushing a trolley full of sweets stops by our door, asking, ‘Anything from the trolley, dears?’
We buy some sweets from the trolley: Jamie buys himself a couple of Liquorice Wands and a Chocolate Frog, and I get a Sugar Quills and some Cauldron Cakes. Nibbling on the sweets, we continue our conversation about our subjects and Hogwarts.
‘Do you know what House you’ll be in?’ Jamie asks at one point.
‘Well, we can’t know,’ I remark, adjusting my glasses slightly. ‘And they all have such interesting histories! A lot of people say Gryffindor’s the best, but I’m not too convinced by it. Sure, Dumbledore went there, but bravery and brawn don’t sound that scholarly.’
‘Ravenclaw’s the scholarly one, maybe you’ll go there?’ Jamie questions.
I shrug. ‘Maybe. I do love learning, and Rowena Ravenclaw’s one of my heroines. But I’m a bit curious about Slytherin.’
‘Curious how?’
‘It has a sinister reputation, but a great number of Ministers for Magic were Slytherins. I think that’s because of the ambition and drive that defines Slytherins.’
Jamie hums in thought. ‘I see what you mean. Honestly, I would see myself in Slytherin.’
My eyebrows travel upwards very quickly. Not that many people would outright say such a thing. ‘You would?’
‘I don’t see myself in Gryffindor,’ Jamie explains with a small shrug. ‘Bravery? Never seen that in me. And the way Jacob talked about them… Way too showy for my taste. Hufflepuff is—well, Hufflepuff. It’s not that outstanding from what I’ve heard, but I’m sure it’s nice. I like learning and solving puzzles, so maybe Ravenclaw could work out for me. But I don’t love learning just for the sake of it! I want to put that knowledge to use. I like the idea of being seen as powerful. Not in a dark way,’ he quickly adds. ‘Just in a “he could probably do anything” way… And…’ Jamie looks down, frowning slightly. ‘Jacob was in Slytherin. Going there could be a great opportunity to retrace his steps… Being in his old common room, maybe finding something he left behind…’
‘I’m sure you’d make a great Slytherin,’ I say encouragingly.
He smiles at me. ‘Thanks. I’m sure you’d be too, if you went there. You’re pretty ambitious, you know.’
I scoff in disbelief. ‘Please.’
‘I haven’t met anyone else who wanted to be the youngest professor in Hogwarts so fervently.’ He frowns slightly again, looking a bit worried. ‘Look, if we go to different Houses… let’s stay friends, yeah?’
‘Of course! I don’t see why we wouldn’t be.’
‘But I do hope we both go to the same House,’ Jamie says with a small chuckle. ‘Be it Slytherin or Ravenclaw. Heh, I’ll take Hufflepuff, or even Gryffindor, if we’re together. I don’t know anyone else and it might be awkward to make friends if everyone knows about Jacob like you did.’
‘About that,’ I say, remembering a worry I had a few days ago. ‘What should I do if someone brings up your brother?’
Jamie’s eyes narrow slightly. I can tell he’s thinking his answer very thoroughly. ‘Follow my lead,’ he decides, and I nod. ‘I don’t want to draw attention to myself at first, so let’s try to not make a big deal of it, but I appreciate knowing someone has my back if needed.’
The rest of the train journey we spend chatting about our home lives. Jamie doesn’t talk much about his parents or Jacob at first, sharing more the longer we chat. Oddly enough, I don’t think he ever mentions his father, only his mother. I don’t press him on that, he already looks uncomfortable talking about it. He’s very interested in my anecdotes as a big brother to Ashok, mentioning how curious he is about being an older brother. I, on the other hand, can’t imagine what a ten year old difference between me and my brother would be like when Jamie mentions the age gap between himself and his brother.
We change into our school robes when it gets dark, and a little later the train reduces speed, arriving at Hogsmeade station. We’re told to leave our trunks here, and so we leave the train and jump on the platform with the other students, sticking close together to not lose sight of the other. A gruff voice calls the first-years, and a hulking man makes his way through the crowd and signals us to follow him. Someone this huge, this must be the groundskeeper I’ve heard about! He leads us through a forest and to the shore of a lake across which we can see Hogwarts Castle atop a cliff. ‘Look at that!’ I whistle.
‘It’s huge!’ Jamie said in awe. ‘It’s not like I imagined it at all.’
‘It’s even bigger inside,’ I note, going on a tangent about what I read in Hogwarts: A History while we board a boat together with two other students. The fleet of boats the first-years board moves on its own, and we enter the school through an underground boathouse.
‘I wonder how they sort us into the Houses,’ Jamie says as we follow the groundskeeper and stop before the huge oak doors to the castle.
‘I don’t know. Hogwarts: A History doesn’t say… And my parents said it should be a surprise…’
‘Yeah, my Mum said something like that too. Told me I don’t need to be afraid of anything, at least,’ Jamie comments, glancing around at the other students. Most look very nervous. A blonde boy with short hair and a very round face looks downright terrified, but I’m not sure if it’s because of the nervousness of being at Hogwarts or because someone in particular scares him. He keeps glancing at a brunette girl for some reason and flinching any time she moves slightly.
The groundskeeper knocks on the doors, and they are opened by a tall woman in emerald robes. She looks very stern, like the kind of professor I want to impress most.
‘This must be Professor McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration Professor,’ I whisper to Jamie, and he nods.
Professor McGonagall beckons us to follow her inside, to a smaller side chamber just off the Entrance Hall.
‘Welcome to Hogwarts,’ she says, instilling silence in everyone. ‘Before you join your classmates and we begin the start-of-term feast, you must be sorted into your Houses. Your House will be akin to your family here at Hogwarts. You will share classes, a common room, and dormitories with your housemates. The Houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin; each with its own noble and rich history, and with a long list of renowned witches and wizards under their banners. I hope all of you will be a credit to your future houses. I suggest you all smarten up as much as you can before we begin,’ she adds sharply, looking at a few students with less-than adequate clothing. ‘The Sorting Ceremony will be watched by the rest of the school.’
She leaves the room, and everyone around us starts talking to each other about the Sorting Ceremony. No-one knows exactly what the process is, but Jamie reassures me that whatever it is, it can’t be dangerous.
‘They can’t kill us off yet, it’d be a mess!’ he jokes. ‘I’m sure whatever it is, it won’t be hard.’
But he’s shaking slightly, I can tell. Maybe it’s because of the nervousness of all the people around him.
‘When I call your name, step forward and sit down, and put on the hat to be Sorted. Ali, Badeea!’ Professor McGonagall says, holding up the hat in one hand and a scroll in the other, after the Sorting Hat’s song.
A pale girl with a blue and star-spangled hijab steps forward, sitting on the stool and putting on the hat.
‘RAVENCLAW!’ it shouts. She runs to the Ravenclaw Table after passing the hat to the next student. More and more students are called, in alphabetical order.
‘Copper, Ben!’ McGonagall calls at one point. The boy that I thought looked absolutely terrified earlier is now grey on the face, and his face turns somehow more fearful a fraction of a second before the hat was lowered onto him.
It takes the hat a minute to deliberate with this boy, but it finally yells, ‘GRYFFINDOR!’
I’m called right after Karasu, Tulip (who is joining the Ravenclaw Table). My knees shake nervously, and I accidentally bump into the brunette girl Ben Copper seemed so terrified of.
‘Sorry,’ I barely mutter in my excitement. Everything goes black when I put on the hat; it’s too big for any of us.
‘Well, well, well…’ I hear a little voice in my head. It sounds like the Sorting Hat is chuckling to itself. ‘So much here to see! You have a lot of curiosity, boy, yes… Lots of brains here… Quite a memory for facts and dates… But also ambition and drive… You’re certainly willing to put in a lot of work, I feel… And here… untapped potential… Bravery, loyalty, cunning… Well? Nothing to say?’
‘I’m not sure what to say…’ I reply mentally.
‘You don’t need to say anything, I can see it all… You want to be with your friend, I sense it… I can’t know exactly where I’ll put him, but I think I know just where to put you… SLYTHERIN!’
There are claps and cheers from the Slytherin Table and a few jeers from the Gryffindor one. I take off the hat and pass it to the next, a Kidd, Wilfred, and join the Slytherin table. A tall fifth-year boy with a Prefect badge shakes my hand and welcomes me into the house. I watch on as the others are Sorted, crossing my fingers under the table in the hopes Jamie will be Sorted into Slytherin too. At last, McGonagall says, ‘Smith, James!’
It had felt like the hat had taken a while with me, and it’s doing the same with Jamie. Some students around me share whispers, and I can see some teachers are doing the same. They must be wondering if he’s related to the infamous Jacob Smith, or if it’s just a coincidence in surnames.
Suddenly the hat bellows, ‘SLYTHERIN!’
Jamie’s beaming as he takes off the hat and passes it to the brunette girl I bumped into before running to sit with me. Unlike with me, there are very few cheers, and more jeers than for the other new Slytherins from the other tables. He doesn’t seem too affected by this, surprisingly enough. The girl after him is Sorted into Slytherin even before Jamie has sat down. Soon enough, the last student is Sorted (into Ravenclaw) and Dumbledore stands up, preparing to address the entire Great Hall.
‘Welcome!’ he says with open arms and a wide smile. ‘Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. The past few years have seen a great weight lifted from our world. Remember, while you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you House Points, while any rule-breaking will lose House Points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to your house. For now, enjoy the feast!’
The empty golden plates suddenly fill up with food, and we practically pounce on it like rabid wolves. A few sweets were not enough to avoid a hungry stomach during that long train ride, after all. We continue our conversation about how our classes will be like during the feast, and after dessert we’re lead to our common room in the dungeons.
They tell us the password to enter the common room and how often it’s changed (biweekly, and when I ask if they meant twice a month or once every two months they clarify that it’s twice a month). The Slytherin Common Room is absolutely stunning: it’s dimly lit by greenish lamps and a warm and large fireplace, with a skull decorating the mantelpiece. Black, expensive-looking sofas provide a place to sit on and relax; and at one end of the room there are lots of tables to do homework at and huge windows that show the inside of the Black Lake. The Prefect that had shaken my hand points the way to our dormitories and explains a few basic rules, welcoming us again into Slytherin.
‘What classes do you think we’ll have tomorrow?’ I ask Jamie.
‘No idea, Rowan. But I hope to learn a lot from whatever they are,’ Jamie says with a look of determination. ‘I need to learn as much as possible to find Jacob.’
A third-year girl overhears him and scoffs loudly, walking to us. ‘So it is you! I can’t believe they even let you in here after your mental brother got expelled, and ruined Slytherin’s reputation even further.’
My blood boils, and before Jamie can stop me I step between them and berate the third-year. ‘Jamie will be an outstanding Slytherin! I’m assuming you aren’t, since you spend your time bullying first-years.’
The third-year scoffs again, looking weirdly at me. ‘Whatever. I’ll be keeping an eye on both of you.’
‘It’s not worth it, Rowan. Let it go,’ Jamie whispers, pulling me away and up the staircase to our dormitory.
‘Sorry. I know you asked me to follow your lead earlier, but I can’t let anyone talk to my friend like that.’
‘Thanks, Rowan. Something tells me that won’t be the last time someone brings up my brother.’
The first day of classes we’re handed our timetables, and Charms with Professor Flitwick is our first class in the morning, shared with the Gryffindors. We’re taught the Wand-Lightning Charm, and Jamie gets the hang of it pretty quickly. He manages to cast the brightest Lumos between the students, earning ten points for Slytherin. After Charms, we have Potions, again with the Gryffindors. Jamie has to go to the restroom during the small break between the lessons, promising to catch up with me before class started, and I go alone to the dungeons. I’m the first to arrive to the Potions classroom, and wait patiently outside. Barely five minutes have passed when I hear a mocking voice that makes me turn around.
‘What, did your little friend abandon you?’
‘What?’ I look at the speaker: it’s that brunette girl I bumped into during the Sorting. I hadn’t realised her eyes were violet until now, nor noticed the weird lock of orange hair over her right eye—it gives her a funny look. ‘No, he just went to the restroom. Who are you?’
‘Merula Snyde,’ she says, as if it was obvious or common knowledge. ‘The Most Powerful Witch at Hogwarts.’
I try to stop myself from laughing at her self-appointed title. ‘Really?’
‘I am!’ she screams at me, looking mad. ‘Admit it, or I’ll jinx you so hard you’ll spend your first week in the Hospital Wing! Admit it!’
‘I can’t!’ I say, taking a step back out of instinct.
‘Say I’m the most powerful witch at Hogwarts!’
‘It’s logically impossible! I’ve made numerous lists of the most powerful witches at Hogwarts based on multiple factors. You’re less powerful than Professor McGonagall, Professor Sprout, Madam Hooch, Madam Pomfrey, every single seventh-year… You’re just a first-year like me!’
‘I’m nothing like you!’
Suddenly, Jamie’s calm voice interjects, and I’ve never been more happy to see him (not that I’ve seen him that many times, but this is definitely the happiest I’ve been of seeing him): ‘I don’t know why the most powerful witch at Hogwarts would be bullying a first year… Unless she’s insecure…’
Everyone’s gathered around our scene, and Merula’s absolutely enraged. ‘Who do you think you are?’
‘Jamie is the one who should be claiming to be the best wizard,’ I protest. ‘Professor Flitwick said he cast the best Wand-Lighting Charm of any first-year!’
Merula’s face shifts, and I suddenly feel uneasy at her expression, one of realisation.
‘Jamie…? I know exactly who you are…’ She laughs, pointing at Jamie. ‘You’re James Smith. Your brother lost his mind, disgraced his house, got expelled from school, and was never heard from again. The Sorting Hat should be burned for putting you in Slytherin,’ she adds acidly.
Jamie looks weary of her. ‘And you are…?’
‘Merula Snyde. First-year Slytherin. The best witch at Hogwarts. I overheard the professors whispering about you at the Feast. I suppose you think you’re better than me. I should put you out of your misery before you ruin Hogwarts like your brother tried to.’
Somehow, Jamie manages to chuckle at her threat. I wonder what it is that he finds so risible. ‘I don’t want any trouble.’
‘You don’t have a choice.’
‘You’re just afraid I’m more powerful than you,’ Jamie says, in a voice so cold I can barely believe it’s his.
‘Let’s find out who’s more powerful right now…’ Merula eggs him on, but just then the door to the Potions classroom is opened roughly and the Potions professor steps out, scanning the scene with his black eyes.
‘Smith. I knew you would be trouble.’
‘Merula was bullying my friend, Profes-’
‘Get to class, and be thankful you aren’t headed for detention.’
We do as the professor says, and are seated in the same table as Merula and our dorm mate, Barnaby. The lesson starts, and Professor Snape shows us how to prepare a Cure for Boils. Jamie and I pair up for the task, following every step with methodical precision. It’s coming along perfectly, and after an hour when he gives it a finishing touch with a small spell it looks exactly like the book describes… for a second. Then, it starts bubbling, there being no fire underneath the cauldron. Oh, no… This looks just like…
‘Did you add Bulbadox powder?’ I ask, moving slightly away. ‘From my studies, this looks like the beginning of the explosive reaction caused by adding Bulbadox powder…’
‘Explosive?!’
BANG! Jamie’s cauldron breaks in two and spews its contents outwardly like a geyser.
‘Congratulations,’ Merula says sarcastically. ‘You have cured the table of boils.’
Snape’s nostrils are flaring in anger. ‘You should have never been allowed inside of my classroom, Smith. Not since your brother have I seen such a reckless Slytherin. Ten points from Slytherin! What do you have to say for yourself?’
‘I must not have been given proper instruction, Professor.’
The entire class holds its breath, waiting for Snape to punish Jamie for his insolence. Miraculously, he doesn’t. ‘You are fortunate I won’t be giving you detention today. Or worse. Stay to clean this mess. Class dismissed.’
My mouth is still gaping as Jamie cleans up the remains of his cauldron. I consider the tactical pros and cons of such a snappy response and try to cheer him up. ‘I can’t believe you blamed Snape, but it was the right choice. It threw him off, and kept him from taking more House Points.’
‘You should have known that coating your cauldron with Bulbadox powder would make your cauldron explode,’ Merula whispers condescendingly. ‘I certainly did.’
Jamie’s fury is ignited again. ‘What is your problem? We’re both Slytherins. You just cost us House Points!’
‘I’d rather lose House Points now than have you ruin Slytherin forever. Now, there’s no doubt that I’m the most important first-year, and you’re nothing but a disgrace just like your brother.’
We’re hanging in the Slytherin Common Room after lunch when one of our fifth-year Prefects, Felix Rosier, rounds on Jamie with a look of anger.
‘You already lost Slytherin ten House Points?! We’re in fourth place now. What happened? Considering what your brother did to Slytherin’s reputation, I should have kept a closer eye on you!’
Jamie’s face goes very red, and he’s clearly having trouble keeping the calm outlook he had yesterday. ‘Look, it wasn’t my fault! Merula Snyde sabotaged my cauldron and made me lose those points.’
I can see Merula laughing to herself in a corner of the room, acting as if she was studying and infuriating me.
‘Can you prove it?’ Felix asks Jamie. ‘Maybe you could talk to Snape if you have any…’
‘No,’ Jamie sighs. ‘I have nothing to show Snape.’
‘Well, perhaps there’s still hope,’ Felix says, taking out a closed envelope from his robes and handing it to Jamie. ‘Professor Snape sent you a letter directly to our common room.’
‘Why wouldn’t he send it to me?’ Jamie asks, opening the envelope and reading the letter.
Felix shrugs, uninterested in wondering such a thing. ‘Probably because he despises you. He hates almost everyone, so I wouldn’t take it personally.’
‘It says I have to bring him a jar of pickled slugs from a storeroom to make him reconsider,’ Jamie said after reading it. ‘There are some directions here as well to the storeroom.’
‘Want me to go with you, Jamie?’ I offer. ‘It’s the least I can do after you saved me from Merula.’
He nods gratefully. ‘Thanks, Rowan. You know your way around the castle much better than me.’
Felix practically throws us out of the common room so we get on our way, ordering us to hurry before Snape changes his mind. We follow the directions on the letter, which makes me question my own sense of direction when they lead us to a corridor different from the one I thought the Potions storeroom was in.
‘I always thought it was located in the Tapestry Corridor,’ I comment when we reach the door the letter says is the storeroom. ‘I suppose there must be more than one…’
Jamie opens the door and steps inside into a pitch black room. I follow him, and the door closes immediately behind me without my input.
‘Why did you close the door, Rowan?’ my friend asks. ‘Can’t see a thing in here.’
‘I didn’t! It closed behind me as soon as I stepped inside! And I think it’s locked!’ I reply, trying to open the door but finding it impossible.
‘Lumos!’ Jamie says behind me, and we see at last that we are not in a storeroom. We’re in the middle of a plant of some kind, composed entirely of thick vines that cover the walls, floor and ceiling. ‘What is that thing?!’
‘A deadly plant called Devil’s Snare,’ a sing-songy voice says from outside the door. ‘Some fourth-year Slytherins showed it to me when I first arrived. It’s sensitive to light, so if you’re really better than me at the Wand-Lightning Charm, escaping should be no problem…’
‘Merula?! You locked us in here?!’
‘Along with sending you a fake letter from Snape. I told you things would only get worse for you, Smith. Something has to stop you from ruining Hogwarts. May as well be Devil’s Snare…’
It’s a miracle we get out of that room with only a few scratches and torn robes. We can barely keep the plant at bay with the dim lights from our wands, and would suffocate if the enormous groundskeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, didn’t find us in the nick of time. We change into fresh robes after reporting back to Felix and explaining the situation with the Devil’s Snare, and then we go to the courtyard to have some fresh air and a game or two of Gobstones. I remember during the game that I had heard the name Snyde before, in an article in the Daily Prophet, and share the information with Jamie: the Snydes were Death Eaters who had been caught a few months ago, and Merula is probably their daughter. We’re not done with her though, as she appears again and taunts Jamie with rumours about Jacob becoming a Death Eater. Jamie taunts her back, mentioning her parents. He clearly touches a nerve, as she jinxes him the moment he turns his back on her and sends him to the ground.
‘Merula is never going to leave us alone…’ I lament as I help Jamie stand up, once Merula has left.
Jamie’s face is lined with anger and a clear drive for revenge. ‘Not unless I learn more spells, and find someone who can teach me how to duel.’
‘Why do you think our Prefect wants to meet us on the Training Grounds?’ I ask Jamie the next day after our last class, while we’re waiting for Felix around the lawn by the castle.
‘I wouldn’t be surprised if Merula somehow got us kicked out of Slytherin,’ Jamie mutters, kicking a bit of dirt.
‘Do you want to talk about what she said about your brother?’
Looking down, he shrugs, scowling and crossing his arms. ‘You already know most of the story. My brother was obsessed with the idea of the Cursed Vaults and their mysterious treasures. No-one believed him. He broke all kinds of rules, put people in danger… All to prove he was right. Some people say he unleashed curses on Hogwarts… others that he was cursed himself… Everyone thought him mad.’ His face twists in anger. ‘Merula was lying about him being involved with You-Know-Who. But she was right about him being missing. After he got expelled, he ran away from home—hasn’t been seen since. There were rumours he came back here, searching for the vaults.’ He closes his eyes with a pained expression on his face. ‘Sometimes I wonder if he really was mad. Sometimes I wonder if I am, too…’
‘I don’t think you’re mad, Jamie,’ I say quickly. ‘I think you’re brilliant, and I’m glad you’re my friend.’
A small smile returns to his face. ‘Thanks, Rowan.’ The smile fades as he notes, ‘She’ll keep attacking us until we do something to stop her. But we don’t know how to defend ourselves…’
‘That’s exactly why I invited you here,’ Felix’s voice says behind us.
‘You know what happened with Merula?’ asks Jamie.
‘Word travels fast at Hogwarts. I wouldn’t be doing my job as your Prefect if I didn’t help teach you to defend yourself. Even if you insist on fighting someone from our own house… So I’m going to teach you two how to duel.’
‘But we don’t know any spells,’ Jamie points out.
‘Slytherin keeps a secret duelling book hidden in the Artefact Room. It will teach you various spells, potions, and techniques. Meet me again after you’ve learned a duelling spell, and I’ll teach you everything else you need to know.’
‘So this is the Artefact Room…’ Jamie mutters when we enter the room, looking around the small and cluttered space.
‘First impressions?’ I ask, admiring everything myself.
‘It’s impressive. Look at how much magical stuff is crammed in here!’
‘Yes, I know! I want to look at all of it. They say untold treasures lie within the Artefact Room.’
‘Along with untold odours…’ Jamie jokes, scrunching his nose. ‘Let’s hurry up and find that duelling book…’
‘All right, for now I’ll fight the urge to catalogue every single amazing thing in this room.’
We begin searching the cabinets, and at one point Jamie turns around and asks, ‘Did you hear that?’
I shake my head. ‘Hear what?’
He doesn’t reply immediately, bringing a finger to his lips. He suddenly perks up. ‘There it is again! A voice calling my name!’
‘It wasn’t me…’
‘I know it wasn’t you. You’re sure you didn’t hear anything?’
‘Quite sure. Perhaps it was your imagination? Twice?’ I ask, worrying for my friend. Perhaps this whole situation with Merula is stressing him too much.
‘Perhaps… Let’s just find the duelling book…’ he decides, and we get back to work. A bit later, he takes out a dusty book jammed in between two cabinets, and removes it with some difficulty.‘Found it! Slytherin’s secret duelling book!’
‘Brilliant!’ I say cheerfully, looking at the snake-shaped crest on the book’s cover. But something goes wrong: Jamie freezes up, looking suddenly distressed. He falls to his knees, holding his head in pain.
‘Jamie! Are you all right?!’
He stands up shakily, breathing heavily. ‘I saw things… In my mind… They flew by so fast!’
‘What did you see?’
‘Suits of armour… A staircase… There was a giant spider and a dragon… And there were rooms with an odd glowing tower in them… oh, and a knight surrounded by ice!’ He looks around the room frantically. ‘The voice! There it is again!’
‘Just now it called your name? I heard nothing!’
He shakes his head. ‘It said “The ice is here. The vault will open.” This is mad. What is happening to me?’
‘Did anything like this happen to your brother when he was at Hogwarts?’
‘He went missing, I don’t know…’
‘Perhaps the voice and the vision are connected to the Artefact Room?’ I suggest.
‘Then why aren’t you hearing and seeing things, too?’
‘I’m not sure,’ I say, doubtful. ‘But let’s get you out of here, Jamie…’
Felix helps us a lot with our extracurricular duelling training. We learn the Tickling Charm in our free time, and Jamie somehow manages to convince Professor Flitwick to teach him the Disarming Charm as well. Afterwards he tells me he had to promise the professor he would only use it in self-defence to convince him. Since we expect Merula to attack again at any time, we both think it’s not a promise he would have to break. Our first duels together usually end in draws or small victories for one of us, but by the second day of training Jamie is consistently winning every duel against me. He always helps me get back up and encourages me to try harder or compliments me for my spellcasting, but I can tell he would prefer a more dangerous opponent. I’m not bothered by this; in fact, I would prefer it if he found someone else to train with. I don’t know how much this training experience will help me become a Hogwarts professor, and it takes time away from studying other things.
I’m waiting one morning for Jamie in the courtyard, just a few days into the school term. I see Merula half-hiding behind a pillar, and my brain immediately goes into flight mode. But she’s not here for me or Jamie, I realise immediately when she makes her move. She’s not even looking at me, but at Ben Copper, that Gryffindor boy who looked constantly terrified. She intentionally bumps into him from behind and starts yelling at him, taking out her wand. Ben’s crying, and a crowd is quickly forming around them. I look around for Jamie, and there he is! He’s just arrived, looking confused at the crowd.
‘Rowan! What’s going on?’
‘Merula is threatening Ben Copper. He keeps trying to walk away, but she won’t let him.’
In the blink of an eye, Jamie pushes his way through the crowd with a hard expression. But there’s something else in his eyes… is that glee? I know he’s been waiting to get back at her, but he looks almost giddy on the inside.
‘Just leave me alone!’ Ben pleads, rubbing the spots where Merula has jinxed him.
‘Disgusting Mudbloods like you shouldn’t ever be allowed in Hogwarts. Leave the magic to real witches and wizards.’
Some of the students around them stifle a gasp at the insult. Jamie steps between them, facing Merula. ‘If you want to fight someone, fight me.’
She laughs cruelly. ‘You never learn, do you, Smith? Why don’t you be more like your mad brother and go missing?’
‘You’re the one everyone wishes would just go away.’
‘Make me, Smith.’
Jamie has taken out his wand, but he doesn’t raise it yet. What is he doing, why isn’t he attacking?
‘I’ll duel you if I have to,’ he says, but he still doesn’t raise his wand. Is he waiting for her to attack? Unless… Of course! There are so many witnesses, if she attacks first he can claim he was acting in self-defence with proof in spades!
‘Try it,’ Merula goads, and her hand flinches slightly. ‘You’ll lose again like the loser you are.’
Jamie doesn’t take the bait, keeping his wand towards the ground. ‘I won’t let you hurt anyone else…’
She cuts him off, impatiently shouting, ‘Flipendo!’
Jamie is sent to the ground like he was a few days back, and she snickers, ‘Wrong again, Smith.’
Jamie stands up quickly, shouting back, ‘Rictusempra!’
‘Flipendo!’
Each one dodges the other’s attack, and Jamie quickly shouts, ‘Expelliarmus!’
There’s a flash of red, and the duel is over.
‘How’d you learn that spell already?’ Merula protests, her wand far away from her on the ground. ‘No fair! You can’t be better than me! No one can be better than me!’
‘I beat you, Merula. Now apologise to Ben, and promise to stop bullying everyone.’
‘I’ll never apologise to you losers and Mudbloods! I’m Merula Snyde! Fourth generation Slytherin! The greatest witch at Hogwarts! I do what I want when I want! I run this school! I-’
Everyone’s silent around her, our eyes not on her but on the two figures behind. Professor Snape clears his throat, stopping her rant, and he and Professor Flitwick demand to know why they were duelling. Snape’s clearly trying to punish Jamie first and foremost, but some protests from the eye-witnesses make him reconsider, as Merula cast the first spell. Professor Snape decides they should both be punished for unsupervised duelling on school grounds and orders them to meet him in the West Towers in twenty minutes. Jamie looks defeated despite his impressive victory against Merula and says goodbye gloomily before heading there on his own, and I’m left there alone and horror-struck at the prospect of my only friend being expelled for defending this Gryffindor from a bully.