|
Chapter six. Same warning as before |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chapter Six: Professor Binns and the Tale of Harry Potter
Albus sighed and flopped onto the chair next to Scorpius as the rest of the Slytherins filled the seats that the Ravenclaws left remaining, “That Professor Estrella is a pain in the a**”
Scorpius chuckled and leaned back in his chair propping his feet up on his desk as he did so, “Transfiguration wasn’t that bad, was it Al?”
“It was horrible.” Albus glared back, “I have no idea how James is so good at it.”
Scorpius shakes his head and smiles at Albus, “maybe the talent ran thin in the family?”
“I hope you fall.” Albus glared at him again before turning his attention to the Ravenclaws, “Rose, Tegan, and Leon should be here somewhere…”
“Behind you. If you look.” came the almost-better-than-you sound of tone.
Albus looked back and smiled at the serious face of Tegan beneath her short, curly brownish-red hair, “Very nice to see you too.”
“Slytherin.” Tegan said back still glaring at him. The boy beside her elbowed her and pushed her aside.
“Sorry, Al.” He said calmly, “Uncle Percy seems of, ‘ow you say, rubbed off on ‘er?”
“Well he is her dad.” Albus said back smiling at Leon, “where’s Rose?”
“Flirting with a Slytherin.” Tegan said wrinkling her nose up in discus, “oh, ew its Zabini too.”
Scorpius rolled his eyes at Albus then looked over at Tegan, “Well if you don’t like Slytherins so much why are you talking to some?”
“I was never talking to you, Malfoy. I was talking to Albus who happens to be rather descent when he’s not smelling like the snake den you call a common room.”
Scorpius opened his mouth to snap something back but at that moment professor Binns came in through the chalkboard causing all the students to find their seats almost immediately.
Professor Binns opened his ghostly mouth and gave a chalky sounding cough before blinking out at the class and droning out, “Welcome to History of Magic.”
Albus, Scorpius, and the rest of the Slytherins all slumped forward after that first sentence. It was obvious that this was going to be a class to sleep through and let your book teach you later. After a few moments nearly half the class was snoring which didn’t seem to faze the Professor at all. Albus blinked a few times then remembered what he and Scorpius had planned to do and raised his hand.
Professor Binns stopped in mid sentence and coughed once more in his chalky manner before blinking at Albus, “Yes Mr. Portly?”
“Ummmm…Professor? I was wondering if you could teach us something more recent?” Albus asked timidly nudging Scorpius awake with an elbow to the ribs.
Scorpius jerked slightly and, with a slight snort, sat up, “Like how the dark lord was destroyed?”
Professor Binns shook his semi-transparent head and muttered, “What is with you children and wishing to know things that are so shrouded with mystery?”
“Please Professor? You must’ve seen the whole thing since it happened at Hogwarts!” Scorpius said for Albus’s sake.
“Fine, Fine.” Professor Binns cleared his throat which reminded most of a clogged Vacuum before staring out at the now fully awake and alert classroom, “It was about nineteen years ago when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named fell. And yes, it was here, at Hogwarts. It was towards the end of the year and Severus Snape was the headmaster then, his only year. There were two death eaters, followers of the dark lord, who were causing havoc already in the castle walls as teachers, one in muggle studies and one in defense against the dark arts.”
“It is now safe to say that there had been a true prophecy between Harry Potter and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.” Albus sat even straighter at that, “The Prophecy clearly stated that one could not live while the other survived and that Harry was to be the one to kill Him.” Professor Binns paused and blinked at the classroom that was watching him so intently, “Many of your parents were there that night. It was a ferocious battle that involved Giants, Dementors, and giant spiders as well as werewolves, death eaters, and the order of the phoenix.”
“Many were killed and some weren’t found. The Dark Lord himself told the school that they would all die. So Harry Potter decided he would end it and before he left told one of our own professors, Neville Longbottom that if he, Harry, did not come back then Neville would have to find a way to kill the snake that the Dark Lord kept around him.” He paused, “Now this is the part where it is murky because Harry would not tell the full story to anyone but his dearest friends. It is said that Harry already knew that he had to and was about to die. That he walked into the forest where the dark lord was staying and came to the clearing without his wand raised is almost all we know is true at this point.”
Albus’s breath was barely existent as he imagined what his father did as for once the ghostly professor did not drone them to dreaming, “It is said and accounted for by Narcissa Malfoy that The Dark Lord than raised his wand and said the death curse killing Harry. Yet it was not Harry that the death curse killed. Apparently Harry was either nearly killed or had fainted because as the Dark Lord got his footing he told Narcissa to check if Harry was alive.”
Scorpius was sitting straighter as well as their professor continued, “She checked and though I cannot completely say what conspired between them, she told the Dark Lord that he was dead though he was not. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named then took Harry to the school and had him set down at his feet. He told the entire school that they had fallen to his control. Longbottom couldn’t take it and ran forward thereby unleashing the Dark Lord’s rage. He called the old sorting hat to him and made Neville put it on before catching it afire. Yet Neville was a pure Gryffindor and was able to pull out Gryffindor’s sword which he used to slice off the head of the Dark Lord’s great snake.”
“Harry used the distraction to hide for a few moments as the entire Great Hall of people attacked the Death Eaters. Even our own House Elves joined the fight. Harry somehow followed the Dark Lord to a clearing in the people where it is said he removed his invisibility cloak and proceeded to taunt and mock the dark lord with his real name, Tom Riddle. Eventually You-Know-Who cast the death curse but it rebounded and it killed its caster instead of Harry.” Professor Binns gave a hacking vacuum-like cough then looked out at the class, “And that would be the final battle.”
Albus and Scorpius exchanged looks then the bell rang signaling the end of class which the whole class got up to and headed towards the door. The entire class was muttering about their lessons and heading off to their next classes. Albus waved goodbye to his Ravenclaw cousins before going over to Scorpius.
“That was……ummmm….wow.” Albus said looking at his feet as they walked down towards the dungeons for their potions class.
“Yeah I know.” Scorpius said as they rounded the corner towards their next class in the astronomy tower, “It was weird hearing things about our relatives we didn’t ever know.”
“Well, Gage, look what we have here.”
Albus and Scorpius turned around to see two identical twins with their arms hooked and mischievous looks on their faces. Albus blinked, “Fred and Gage?”
Scorpius looked over at him, “You know them?”
“You know sometimes it sucks having a huge family.” Albus muttered, “They’re my cousins from my Uncle George.”
Fred put his hands on his hips, “Well you don’t have to talk about us—”
“—like we’re not here. We do have feelings.” Gage finished for his twin before running one of his hands through his spikey red hair.
Albus rolled his eyes, “What do you two want? We’ve got to get to class. It’s already a long enough walk as it is to the astronomy tower.”
“Well we just wanted to give the ickle firsties a nice hello but you’re being quite cruel.” Gage said pretending to whimper and tear up.
Fred wrapped his arms around his twin and mock glared at Albus and Scorpius, “You hurt Gage’s feelings! Mean firsties!”
Albus rolled his eyes, “Awww come on we all know you’re tougher than that. Mum says you’re almost exactly like Uncle George and his twin used to be.”
Gage and Fred exchanged glances then shrugged, “He’s on to us.” They said to each other, “Let’s go find some of those potions we’re not supposed to touch.”
Scorpius shook his head, “Come on we’re going to be late and Professor Sinistra will kill us.”
“She’s a night owl according to your brother. He told us this morning that if we’re late she’ll just say never do it again.” Albus adjusted his bag on his shoulder as they started down the corridor again.
“Yeah well Elan likes to screw around with first year’s heads. He told me that last year he got a second year to ‘buy him lunch’ even though our lunches are free. When I tried to figure out if it was true he showed me the money and it turned out to be the cash that had been in my snitch bank that was in my room.” Scorpius said as he opened a door for Albus and shrugged, “He likes doing it to people. Mum says that he gets it from the ‘Slytherin’ side of the family.”
Albus rolled his eyes and entered the room to find a seat before the heavily blinking Professor Sinistra noticed him. He reached back, grabbed Scorpius’s sleeve, and dragged him to the seats in the back.
“Well what do you know….He actually told the truth this time!” Scorpius smiled and gave the air a small punch of victory.
Albus smiled as well then looked up as the door opened again to let in the last round of students. He paused and bit at the tip of his quill when he noticed Gale coming in last. He glanced down and realized that the only seat left was next to him, “Crap. Scorpius we have a problem…”
 Kasen_Kurama · Mon Aug 20, 2007 @ 02:14am · 0 Comments |
|
|
|
|
|
