Chapter 84
Chapter 84
Harry and Ron had not been expelled.
When Suer awoke and went down to the Great Hall for breakfast, he found a crowd of young lions gathered around them. Ron, red in the face, was loudly describing how he and Harry had driven across half of England before finally reaching Hogwarts.
He appeared to be thoroughly enjoying his moment at the centre of attention.
Almost everyone listened avidly to the tale of their adventure. The sole exception was Percy. The Gryffindor prefect sat rigidly by himself, shovelling mashed potato into his mouth.
Hermione was there too, but she looked furious. Her expression was even darker than Percy’s.
She plainly needed someone to comfort her.
Suer took it upon himself to do so.
He sat beside Hermione and patted her shoulder reassuringly.
“At least the good news is that nothing happened to them.” Suer glanced towards Harry and Ron in the middle of the crowd. “Not a scratch on either of them.”
“A happy ending all round.”
Hermione glared at him. “All I can be thankful for is that term hadn’t started yet, so Professor McGonagall couldn’t take points from Gryffindor.”
“I don’t see what they’re so proud of either.”
“Quite, quite.” Suer nodded. “There’ll be a good show in a moment.”
Just as he picked up a bowl of porridge and began adding sugar, a commotion broke out overhead.
Hundreds of owls poured into the Great Hall, circling beneath the ceiling and dropping envelopes and parcels into the crowd. One large, dusty specimen crash-landed headfirst in the milk jug beside Hermione.
Suer lifted the poor owl out by its legs, revealing the red envelope clenched in its beak.
“Good grief, Errol!” Ron cried. Then he saw the red letter.
“Oh–no–”
His expression was one of pure terror.
“It’s all right. He’s alive.” Hermione poked Errol with one finger. The owl lay upside down on the table with his feet in the air.
“No. Ron’s worried about the Howler,” Neville said faintly. “My gran sent me one once. If you don’t open it quickly… something dreadful happens.”
Even as he spoke, smoke began curling from the four corners of the envelope.
“Hurry. You’ve only got a few minutes…”
Ron’s trembling hand reached for the letter. Suer reacted at once and clapped both hands over Hermione’s ears.
Hermione turned her head to look at him, an unspoken question above it.
An immense roar filled the Great Hall.
Suer’s head rang. He had remembered to protect Hermione’s ears and entirely forgotten his own.
“…ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! YOUR FATHER’S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, AND IT’S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT!”
Dazed, Suer watched the red letter shout its final words and burn itself to ashes. Only then did he lower his hands from Hermione’s ears.
His eardrums were still throbbing. He sighed, folded his ears over with both hands, and rubbed vigorously in the hope of driving away the buzzing.
He looked at Ron, who seemed determined to bury himself beneath the table. Had he simply waited outside the barrier for his parents to take them to school, none of this would have happened.
Sometimes stopping to think really was important.
“Shall we go to class? First period is Herbology. Hufflepuff and Gryffindor have it together.” Suer turned to Hermione. The new prefect had given him the week’s timetable the previous night.
“Are your ears all right? You look uncomfortable.” Hermione nodded, gathered Voyages with Vampires into her arms, and stood.
“I’ll live.” Suer rubbed his ears once more.
“I’m coming with you.” Neville hurriedly packed away the things his grandmother had sent. “Wait for me.”
Neville was not quick, but Harry and Ron had already adjusted their moods and finished breakfast at remarkable speed.
Whatever else happened, nothing was allowed to interfere with eating. Suer could only shake his head.
The five of them left the castle and crossed the vegetable gardens towards the greenhouses. As they drew near, Professor Sprout strode across the lawn with Gilderoy Lockhart beside her.
Lockhart wore flowing turquoise robes. His golden hair was thick with mousse and glittered in the sunlight, and a turquoise top hat trimmed in gold perched on his head.
How much do you like green? Suer wondered.
“Ah, good morning!” Lockhart displayed his standard eight-toothed smile and waved to the students. “I have just been showing your Professor Sprout how to treat an injured Whomping Willow. I happened across several of these extraordinary plants during my travels…”
“That’s strange,” Hermione whispered to Suer. “Isn’t the Whomping Willow at Hogwarts the last one in the world? I read it in the Encyclopaedia of the World’s Endangered Plants.”
“Greenhouse Three today!” Professor Sprout called before Suer could answer.
The young witches and wizards took one look at the obvious anger on her face and silently filed towards the third greenhouse.
At that moment, Lockhart called Harry back.
“Is this Greenhouse Three?” Only four of the five remained. They entered with the crowd without the slightest intention of waiting outside for Harry.
“I’ve been in here before,” Neville said. “There are lots of dangerous and deadly plants.”
“If I’m right, Professor Sprout is going to have us repot Mandrakes today. There are a great many seedlings in here.”
“Mandrakes?” Suer’s ears pricked up.
If he remembered correctly, one of the ingredients required for the special Transfiguration he intended to learn in second year–the Animagus transformation–was a single Mandrake leaf.
Perhaps he could find a chance to pluck a few. They would have to be mature leaves, of course.
In a distant corner stood several pots of Mandrakes bearing yellow-green flowers, but they were some way from the part of the greenhouse where the students would have their lesson.
There was no hurry. He had a great deal of preparation left to do.
He still needed to find a way into the Restricted Section. The ordinary shelves only held books that mentioned Animagi, offering a simple description of the magic and listing some of the materials it required. The books containing the precise method and formula were probably locked away in the Restricted Section.
Whichever way he looked at it, he would be very busy that year.
It was not only the Animagus transformation. He also wanted to learn how to cast a Patronus Charm.
Suer had not forgotten that, in the original timeline, they would spend their entire third year in close proximity to Dementors.
There was very little time and a great deal to do.
Of course, he was not arrogant enough to attempt the Animagus transformation entirely by himself. One small mistake during the process could be fatal.
The tragedy of the Quintapeds was warning enough.