Chapter 273 - Busy Monday

The ceiling of the Great Hall was serenely blue and streaked with frail, wispy clouds, just like the squares of sky visible through the high mullioned windows, the next morning. Chris, Ginny and Colin made their way to Gryffindor table for breakfast.

"You are not talking to Jason," said Ginny taking a bite of toast. It wasn't a question.

"I know," Chris shrugged, sipping her orange juice.

"Do you guys not together anymore?" said Colin surprised.

Before Chris or Ginny could answer, Professor McGonagall came to their table to hand out the schedules.

"History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, and double Defense Against the Dark Arts," Chris read her schedule. "Wow, we really are O.W.L.s students, huh? This just got suddenly zero to a hundred."

"Hello," said Luna drifting towards them. "Did you get your schedules, I was waiting for mine. Looks like we just have potions together this year."

"Yeah," said Colin nodding. "But there will be too pressure, Ron was telling me."

History of Magic was a interesting subject if not for the teacher. Professor Binns, their ghost teacher, had a wheezy, droning voice that was almost guaranteed to cause severe drowsiness within ten minutes, five in warm weather. He never varied the form of their lessons, but lectured them without pausing while they took notes, or rather, gazed sleepily into space. Chris and Colin had always found this class fascinating as they both knew nothing about the magical world before their eleventh birthday.

As the bell rang Chris, Colin and Ginny quickly caught up with Luna and hurried to their potions class.

As they filed into the potion classroom, Professor Slughorn's great walrus moustache curved above his beaming mouth, and he greeted Chris with enthusiasm.

"Now then, now then, now then," said Slughorn. "So you all will be attending your O.W.L.s this year. I advise all of you to put your hard work in it. Today, you will make the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Turn to page fourteen in your books and begin. I do not expect a perfect potion from anybody but I will be marking it from O.W.L.s standards. Now off you go!"

There was a scraping as everyone drew their cauldrons toward them and some loud clunks as people began adding weights to their scales.

"That's not fair," said Colin to Chris. "You have made that potion before."

"And you helped," reminded Chris.

"I think, all four of us is going to get a good grade," said Ginny.

"Maybe," said Luna dreamily. "This potion gives good energy."

Chris barely needed to look down at her book to read instructions, as Colin mentioned she had made the Draught of Peace twice before. Hermione's notes had etched into Chris' mind from that time.

After half an hour, Slughorn started to look around, peering through everyone's cauldron. He stopped as reached Chris, Ginny, Colin and Luna's table.

"No less than an 'E', miss," Slughorn smiled at Luna. "What's your name?"

"Luna Lovegood, sir," smiled Luna.

"Now, you?" He looked at Colin's cauldron.

"Colin Creevy, Professor," Colin replied.

"Exceeds Expectations!" said Slughorn then turned to Ginny's cauldron. "And you too Miss Weasley, an 'E'."

Ginny smiled a little then Slughorn reached Chris' cauldron and a look of incredulous delight spread over his face.

"Outstanding! As I said, a gift in Potion making," he said loudly. "Excellent, excellent."

Happy at Slughorn's reaction Chris head to lunch. Though he was a little too much enthusiastic, it was a lot better than getting snide remarks from Snape even after achieving a perfect potion. As Chris drew nearer to the Great Hall a voice called her. Chris turned around and came face-to-face with Jason Fawley.

"Hi," said Chris surprised.

"Hi," said Jason.

"Hi Jason," said Ginny. "Chris we will wait for at the table."

Ginny, Colin and Luna left before Chris could say anything.

"So — ?" Jason looked around as people passed and looked at them. "You are famous now."

"Yeah, I guess," said Chris coldly. The words and Jason's sarcastic tone had hit her more than she had expected.

"Well, I was really busy over the summer," said Jason. "How was your summer?"

"Good," replied Chris shortly.

"You were with the Weasleys, weren't you?"

"Yes."

"Chris, why are you talking like that? Why are you mad at me?" Jason said frustrated. "Look, I told you, I was busy over the summer."

"So busy that you couldn't write me a letter?" Chris crossed her arms over her chest. "But it's okay, I still understand that but what about yesterday? Have you tried to find me yesterday on the train?"

"No, I was — with Astoria," said Jason angrily. "She had broken up with Malfoy, she was really upset. I had to —"

"You had to be there for her?" Chris narrowed her eyes.

"What's got into you, Chris? You were never jealous of Astoria," snapped Jason.

"I am not jealous of Astoria," said Chris keeping her voice down. "It's about you, Jason. I don't think you understand what the problem is, do you? You have time for consoling Astoria but you don't have time for writing your girlfriend a letter."

"It's not the same, Chris," said Jason.

"Exactly, it's not the same and it shouldn't be," said Chris with a sigh. "One of us is your friend and another one is someone you claimed to be in love with. Anyway, I am not comparing us, I am not asking you to not be there for Astoria, I just wanted you to be there for me too, you know."

"You have changed," said Jason, looking queasy.

"So do you," replied Chris and walked into the Great Hall.

After lunch, Chris barely paid attention to the Centaur Firenze, who had become their Divination teacher last year. He talked about the positions of the stars, and how they interpret various big incidents of the world. Usually, Chris was very curious and attentive in his class but today, she just lay under the enchanted starry sky, gazing at them without taking in any word from Firenze. Chris' mind was racing, all thoughts coming to the same questions repeated times; Had she changed or had Jason changed? Maybe both of them. But who was right and who wrong?

Still lost in thought Chris dragged herself to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. But all her thoughts escaped her as the classroom door opened and Snape stepped into the corridor, his sallow face framed as ever by two curtains of greasy black hair. Silence fell over the queue immediately and Chris found herself absolutely attentive again.

"Inside," he said.

Jeez! Snape was dangerous.

Chris looked around as they entered. Snape had imposed his personality upon the room already; it was gloomier than usual, as curtains had been drawn over the windows, and was lit by candlelight. New pictures adorned the walls, many of them showing people who appeared to be in pain, sporting grisly injuries or strangely contorted body parts. Nobody spoke as they settled down, looking around at the shadowy, gruesome pictures.

"Now, I want your fullest attention, when I speak," said Snape. His black eyes roved over their upturned faces. "You have had four teachers in this subject so far, I believe. Naturally, these teachers will all have had their own methods and priorities. But before we begin today's lesson, I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the Dark Arts and the Defensive art against it."

Snape set off around the edge of the room, speaking now in a lower voice; the class craned their necks to keep him in view.

"The Dark Arts," said Snape, "are many, varied, ever-changing, and eternal. Fighting them is like fighting a many-headed monster, which, each time a neck is severed, sprouts a head even fiercer and cleverer than before. You are fighting that which is unfixed, mutating, indestructible."

Chris stared at Snape. Snape respected the Dark Arts as a dangerous enemy, and Chris respected that.

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To be continued. . .