Hogwarts: The Legacy

(c)2005 by Josh Cohen. May not be reprinted, except for personal use. The Potterverse was created by JK Rowling, and remains her property. I\'m just borrowing it for a little while.

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ONE: THE THIRD YEAR BEGINS

Warning: contains nudity and Exploding Snap.

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Jason Goldman, Christopher Talmadge, and Alison Tanner were playing a game of Exploding Snap when the tap came on their compartment’s door. “Well, don’t just stand out there,” Jason said, “either come in or don’t.”

The newcomer slid the door open and stepped inside, closing it behind herself before sitting gingerly on the bench next to Alison.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, “but everywhere else was taken.”

Christopher, the most gregarious of the three, smiled at her. “It’s all right. We’re not going to bite you, despite what you may have heard.”

“Oh. That’s good.” She didn’t even crack a smile, although she did seem to relax ever-so-slightly. “My name is Dina Patil. I’ve just transferred into Hogwarts this year.”

“What year?” This was Alison.

“Third.”

“So are we,” said Jason. “Do you know what House you’ll be in?”

Dina shook her head. “I came from private instruction in India. My mother went to Hogwarts, though. She was in Ravenclaw. I can tell from the colors of your robes that you are as well.”

“Mmhmm.” Jason dropped a Warlock of Snares on top of the pile of discards at the center of the game; the stack of cards exploded with a sharp bang! and fluttered to the floor. “My name is Jason Goldman. This rake to my left,” and he inclined his hand, “is Christopher Talmadge.”

“But never Chris,” he cautioned.

“And I’m Alison Tanner,” said Alison, extending her hand to Dina. “You can call me Ally if you really want to.”

“Thank you.” Dina shook Alison’s hand as gingerly as she possibly could.

Christopher called the cards up into his hand with an accio spell; of the three, he was the best at Charms. “Do you know how to play?” Dina shook her head. “All right, then. We’ll teach you.”

As Dina learned to play Exploding Snap, she observed the three students sharing the car with her. They all seemed fairly sure of themselves, confident and unafraid, very little like Dina. Alison was somewhat shorter than Dina, who was only about five-three, and stocky, although she had already apparently developed quite obvious curves, even under her robe. Her hair was a pale brown, her eyes dark-green. She had rather round cheeks and milk-pale skin. Compared to Dina’s caramel-colored flesh and dark-brown eyes and reed-thin figure, she felt Alison was definitely the more-attractive of the two of them.

However, Christopher far outstripped anything Dina had ever imagined. Tall, decently-built, with well-kept blond hair and bright-blue eyes. She could see herself falling for him much more easily than the other boy, Jason, who had plain brown hair and amber-brown eyes. Jason couldn’t be classified as “stocky”, but he certainly wasn’t slender. He was also – by her own admission – the first Jewish wizard Dina had ever met.

“We’re not much different,” Jason said as he won his third game of Exploding Snap in a row. “Do you know any muggle Jews?” Dina shook her head. “It’s basically the same, except that while muggle Jews go through Bar or Bat Mitzvah and only change mentally, wizarding Jews get a bump in magical ability. It was kind of cool, actually.”

“Yeah,” Christopher said, unamused, “he left barely able to change a mouse into a teacup and came back turning ferrets into fine china. Completely busted the curve in Morrigan’s class.”

“Morrigan?” Dina asked. She was starting to get the hang of the game.

“Professor Morrigan,” Alison elaborated. “She teaches Transfiguration, and she’s favored to take over as head of Slytherin House this year.”

“Why?”

“Professor Snape has resigned from Potions,” Jason grumbled. “Which bites because I actually enjoyed that class.”

“I’ve heard things about Professor Snape.” Dina shuffled the deck and dealt five cards to each of them; it was her turn to deal. “That he’s difficult to get along with and very unforgiving.”

“All true,” Jason said, “but my granddad and my dad both are excellent with potions, even though dad left Hogwarts before his fourth year. Granddad sent him to the Salem Academy of Magic in America and he didn’t get the ‘full Snape’, as granddad called it.”

“Why?”

Christopher took up the thread; he’d heard the story countless times. “After the events of the Quidditch World Cup, combined with the near-death of Professor Stein, who’s Jason’s great-aunt, and don’t tell anyone because he hates people knowing, Jason’s dad decided he’d be safer in America, away from the Voldemort situation.”

“Oh. Yes. That.” Dina knew all about Voldemort; her mother had been at Hogwarts during his heyday. “Is that why you sound so American, Jason?”

“Nah,” Alison said as she dropped the Lord of Wands. The discard pile gave a rumble, but didn’t explode. “That’s because his mum’s from over there.”

“Almost a squib, too,” Jason added as he covered Alison’s Lord with the Lady of Wands. Everyone else drew a card; the playing of a Lady was a cantrip. “They moved back to Ottery-St-Catchpole to live with granddad and grandma after mom got pregnant. Now they live in Aberdeen.”

“My parents just moved to London,” Dina said. Christopher had played a Seven of Wands; Dina placed her Seven of Snares over that, and the discard pile gave another ominous rumble. “It’s very... busy.”

“Yeah, really.” Alison’s voice was a raspy alto. “Muggle motorcars knock you down in the street if you don’t watch where you’re going, too.”

“I noticed.”

A series of tinkling bells sounded through the cabin. “That’s the signal that we’re fifteen minutes out,” Jason said as he slapped down the Ace of Snares. “We probably ought to get ready.”

Christoper covered the Ace of Snares with a Lady of Snares; Dina, Jason, and Alison drew cards. “You all look ready already,” Dina said. Her voice, while still whispery, was no longer timid.

“Mostly.” Jason eyed Dina. “You going to play something?”

“Yes.”

Dina dropped the Dervish onto the top of the discard pile, which exploded into a shower of pasteboard rectangles.

“Well-played,” Jason said. Christopher accio’d the cards to his hand and slid them back into their box. “We’ll have to do this again.”

“Yes, I think so.”

Alison draped an arm over Dina’s thin shoulders. “You’re going to be fun to have around.”

“Firs’ years!” called the tall, bulky form of Professor Hagrid. “Firs’ years, over here!”

Most of the students waved to Hagrid as they passed him; Dina was visibly shaken, though. “Is he... are there...?”

“Half-giant,” said Alison as she led the four of them to the horseless carriages. “Only one at Hogwarts. Great person to know, really. Soft touch, too.”

“Oh. How nice.”

Jason lifted himself into the carriage and then held out his hand toward Dina. She took it, her fingers thin and cool in his warm ones, and he helped pull her in. Christopher boosted Alison up, then scrambled in behind her.

Jason’s presence was solid next to Dina’s. She felt comfortable; she didn’t know why. “What pulls these?”

“Thestrals,” said Alison. “You can only see them if you’ve seen death up close.”

“I guess it’s good that I can’t see them.”

“I suppose so.” Christopher, though he hadn’t told his friends, could see them. His father had been killed in a building collapse, one that Christopher himself had barely managed to escape.

The ride to Hogwarts was only about ten minutes; the sun was already down, even though it was still August, and Dina found herself getting hungry. “I do hope there’s food when we get where we’re going.”

“Oh, there’s plenty of food. Don’t you worry.”

Professor Flitwick was waiting when they disembarked. He led them through the massive entryway, the hourglasses of rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and topazes looming over the students, waving the returnees into the Great Hall. He also waved Dina aside.

“Miss Patil,” he said, his voice squeaky, “I’m Deputy Headmaster Flitwick. I also teach Charms.”

“A pleasure to meet you, sir,” she said. Dina held out her hand to shake Flitwick’s when he offered, although she hadn’t much dealt with people as small as the professor.

“I’m glad to see you’re making friends. However, I do need to pull you away for just a moment. Mr Goldman, Mr Talmadge, Miss Tanner, if you could go inside, please?”

Dina’s dark eyes looked worried, but Jason rested a hand on her shoulder, just for a moment. “We’ll be at the Ravenclaw table. It’s the one to the far left, if you’re facing the main door. Come see us when you can.”

“All right.”

Dina allowed herself to be led away by the floating professor, who ushered her into a smallish anteroom. There was a tall, black-haired man standing there with a frayed old hat in his hands. His nose was large, almost beak-like, his eyes black, but his skin was virtually white. His robes were a perfect black, and at his cuffs Dina saw tiny jet-black buttons.

“Severus,” Flitwick said, “this is the transfer student.”

“Very well.” The tall wizard’s voice was very cultured and very foreboding. He turned to Dina. “My name is Professor Snape. This is the Sorting Hat. I would ask that you put it on, and it will tell us which house you will be sorted into.”

“What does that mean, Professor?” Dina asked.

“Oh, don’t fear,” Flitwick said. His voice was a combination of compassionate and conciliatory. “Even if you aren’t sorted into Ravenclaw, there’s no rule preventing you from socializing with your friends.”

“All right.” She reached out, and Professor Snape rested the hat in Dina’s hands. She placed it on her head and waited.

It started to move.

“Hmm,” said a voice that echoed inside her head, “I recognize you. Your mother was in Ravenclaw, her sister in Gryffindor. I placed them both, you know.” Dina gave a small noise of assent, although she was quite unnerved by the talking hat on her head. “You are very, very bright, and there is bravery in you. Loyalty, too. Not much ambition, but you may be hiding that out of your trepidation. So no Slytherin for you. And while you are loyal, I don’t think that the effusiveness of the Hufflepuffs quite fits your manner. No, for you it will be Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. I wonder which.” Dina’s mind flashed on the moments she’d shared in the train car and the horseless carriage with Jason, Christopher, and Alison. The hat must have picked up on it, because it said, “you’ve formed bonds already. That’s good. I was thinking about putting you in Gryffindor, but I think your demeanor might fit better in Ravenclaw.” The voice grew louder, and reached her by way of her ears instead of her mind. “Ravenclaw!”

Professor Flitwick – still floating – lifted the Sorting Hat off Dina’s head and handed it back to Professor Snape. “I’ll see you inside, Severus.”

“Yes, very well, Filius.” Snape turned, his robes whirling around his body like a black cloud.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“Oh, no, no,” Flitwick assured her. “Just go on in. You’ll see where your friends are. I have to meet the First Years and tell them what’s coming up next for them.”

“Yes, Professor.”

Flitwick led them out of the anteroom and pointed Dina toward the doors to the Great Hall. As she turned, she saw a group of thirty or so young, overawed children standing beside Professor Hagrid. Flitwick took over for him, and he followed Dina into the Great Hall.

The hall itself was massive; big enough to fit all of the students at Hogwarts. Each long table seated more than one hundred students, although the distribution wasn’t necessarily even. The table with the green banners above it had the fewest students – maybe one hundred and ten – while the one with the red banners had more than one hundred thirty. The analytical part of Dina’s mind stored this away as she made her way to the table with the blue banners over it. She quickly picked out Alison, Jason, and Christopher and made her way to them.

“So,” Jason said as he toyed with a fork – every student had a place setting, although there was no food present, “you got sorted into Ravenclaw, I’m guessing?”

Dina nodded and sat next to Alison; the two girls sat across from the two boys.

“I’m glad,” Alison said. “There’s only been me and Lady Margolotta, and she’s not much for talking.”

“Lady Margolotta?”

A consumptive-looking girl, at least five-foot-eight, with a silky curtain of black hair and disturbing violet eyes, waved a hand. She was sitting three seats down from Christopher. “It is so lovely to meet you, Miss Patil,” she said, her voice sharp and tinkling. “I am Lady Margolotta von Terraphan, but you may call me Lady Margolotta.”

“Very well. Pleased to meet you.”

“Likewise. I’m certain we shall have plenty to discuss later on.”

Dina raised an eyebrow; Alison whispered, “she thinks she’s a vampire. Her real name is Margot, and she’s from Leeds, but her older brother is into gothic culture, and she sort of picked up on it.”

“Does he go here?”

Alison shook her head. “She’s the only witch in the family.”

Dina shrugged slightly. Jason seemed to be on the verge of saying something, but there was a gentle chiming and everyone looked forward. Professor Flitwick was floating in front of the dais upon which the staff table sat.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to welcome you all back to Hogwarts, and to our first-year students, welcome nonetheless. Before we sort you into your houses, I would like to introduce the faculty, so that you may be apprised of any changes.”

“This is weird,” Christopher whispered. “Normally, the headmaster does this.”

Dina wondered where Professor Snape was.

Flitwick continued. “Many of you have already met Professor Hagrid, our Care of Magical Creatures instructor.” He pointed to Hagrid, who received thunderous applause; he sat on the far end of the staff table. “Next is Professor Stein, who teaches Muggle Studies.” Professor Stein, to Dina’s surprise, was in a wheelchair, but she levitated it effortlessly to wave to the students. “Next, Professor Morrigan, our Transfiguration instructor.” She rose half-out of her seat to the accolades of the Slytherin table and some of the Ravenclaws, accolades that grew in volume when Flitwick added, “Professor Morrigan has just been named Head of Slytherin House.”

“I knew it,” Jason murmured under the din. Christopher pulled a galleon out of his pocket and handed it to Jason. Dina gathered they must have bet on that.

“Our next professor,” Flitwick continued, “is Professor Vector, Head of Gryffindor House.” The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers. “Now, I would normally sit next to Professor Vector, but as you can see, I’m a little occupied.”

Flitwick waved his hand in the other direction. “At the far end of the table is Firenze – just Firenze – who teaches Divination.” The applause was more polite and restrained. Firenze, to Dina’s surprise, was a centaur. “I shall skip over the next two seats for a moment and draw your attention to Professor Sprout, head of Hufflepuff House, and teacher of Herbology.” The Hufflepuffs, under the yellow banner, cheered. “To her right and your left, Madam Pomfrey, the medi-witch in charge of the infirmary.” Polite applause. “To her right, Professor Lupin, who teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts.” This professor gathered a fair bit of applause from all the tables.

“And now, I would like to introduce some of the new members of the staff.” A door to the right of the staff table opened and two men stepped out, walking behind the already-seated staff to stand between Professor Sprout and Firenze. “First of all, this tall individual here is one you probably already know.” The murmurs were spreading virally through the tables. “His name is Ron Weasley, and he recently retired from the Chudley Cannons reserve squad to replace Rolanda Hooch, who has left Hogwarts for a position with the English Quidditch League. Mr Weasley will be teaching flying and also overseeing the Quidditch program here at Hogwarts.” There was some applause for Weasley, but also some censure; it had been Weasley who’d allowed through the goal that lost England the Quidditch World Cup two years previously. “Next to him is Professor Alister Bryant, who will be teaching Ancient Runes.” A smattering of polite applause. “Professor Bryant recently graduated from Oxford University, although he is most definitely not a muggle.”

“Now, our two most important acquisitions. First of all, I would like to welcome back to Hogwarts a young woman who was instrumental in the defeat of Voldemort. She will be your new Potions Mistress. Her name is Hermione Granger.”

Dina watched as a shortish, slender, self-assured witch in a plain blue robe walked behind the staff to stand next to Professor Lupin, who looked up at her admiringly. “And that only leaves one person: your new headmaster, Professor Severus Snape!”

The tall, beak-nosed man with the swirling cloak made his way to the center seat of the dais; Professor Flitwick floated out of his way.

“I’ll keep this short: I know many of you are not fond of me, and I know many of you may think I’ll favor Slytherin simply because that was my house at Hogwarts.” He half-sneered, his voice imperious. “I do not tolerate ignorance or willful disobedience of the established rules, all of which are available for you to read in your common rooms.” He gazed out over the students. “I don’t have anything inspiring to say. I’m not an inspiring person. Sorry to disappoint you.” The room had grown very, very quiet. “Quidditch tryouts will be in two weeks; Mr Weasley will oversee them. Captains should get their practice schedules to him no later than this coming Friday.”

Snape paused. “I do not expect to see many of you in my office. I will be loath to see the students who fail to meet my expectations.” He looked down at the First Years. “Now, let’s get the lot of you sorted so we can eat. I missed lunch, and I’m sure that no student here wants me to get... cranky.”

Only Professor Granger laughed at that, the sound echoing through the large hall. Dina looked at her in wonderment, that she was willing to defy Professor Snape’s somber, foreboding attitude.

The students had been sorted. The meals had been eaten. Now, the Prefects for Ravenclaw House, along with Professor Flitwick, were leading the students to their tower.

“I still don’t see why everyone’s so afraid of Professor Snape,” Jason complained. “It’s not like he’s ever personally hexed anyone.”

“No,” said Christopher, “but it’s not like he actually likes anyone, either.”

“He seemed to like Professor Granger,” Dina said in her quiet voice. “Both Professor Snape and Professor Lupin.”

“It would make sense,” put in Lady Margolotta, who was walking beside them. Actually, walking wasn’t nearly descriptive enough; the tall girl was sweeping along the corridor. “The three of them were in the Order of the Phoenix together. It is said that Professor Granger was present at Voldemort’s death.”

Dina raised her eyebrows.

“It’s true,” Alison added. “Professor Granger and I are from the same town. Her father was my dentist.”

“Dentist?” asked Lady Margolotta.

“Medi-wizard for teeth.” Jason chuckled. “Possibly the only form of torture that muggles condone to practice on each other.”

“Too bloody right,” Alison said. “Before my magic came out in force I used to go every six months. It was terrible.”

The group of students – now numbering one hundred twenty in all – stopped in front of a large portrait at the end of a long corridor. Professor Flitwick levitated himself. “This is the entrance to the Ravenclaw Common Room. This year’s password is Draco Nobilis. If it needs changing, you will be notified. Prefects, please see to it that everyone is settled in; I’m going to bed.” Flitwick floated away down the hall, mumbling a password to a much-smaller portrait, which opened to allow him access.

Everyone followed the four Ravenclaw Prefects into the common room. The first-years followed them up to the stairs to the dormitories – the girls behind Annalise September, a seventh-year, and the boys behind Robert Fox, a sixth-year.

“Come on,” Jason said, walking off toward a ladderlike stair, “I’ll show you where we hang out.”

“If it’s all right,” Dina demurred, “I’d rather just go up to bed. It’s been a long day, and classes do begin tomorrow.”

Jason shrugged. “Whatever you want. Christopher?”

“Lead the way.”

The two boys climbed the stairs, leaving Alison and Dina standing in the middle of the common room. “Neat, isn’t it?” Alison asked as she started off toward the dormitory staircases. “Alcoves and nests for three stories. Plenty of room.”

“It certainly looks... comfortable. A little open for my expectations, but comfortable.” Dina followed Alison up the stairs to a door reading “Third Year”. She pushed it open and Dina entered the room where she would be spending her nights for the better part of the next five years.

Professor Hermione Granger stepped through the portrait hole that led to her quarters and chuckled again. Severus had such a great sense of dry humor, and now that he and Remus were almost on the verge of friendship, things would be so much easier than they were in their Phoenix days.

Hermione crossed the sitting room and dropped into the large, cushioned chair behind her desk. Her rooms were far more than she’d expected; a sitting room, a bedroom, and a bathroom. It was reminiscent of the Head Girl quarters she’d shared with Anthony Goldstein during Seventh Year – they shared a sitting room, anyway, and each Head had a private bedroom and bath. Hermione had transfigured the wall hangings to something a little more comfortable – lots of blues and greens – and lightened the carpet to a pale, noontime-sky blue. She had a window overlooking the main quad at the center of the school as well.

In addition to the large desk that Hermione enjoyed, there were several couches and chairs, low tables, and a fireplace connected to the internal Hogwarts Floo network, as well as to her home in Wiltshire. She would miss her regular bed, to be sure, but the bed provided by Hogwarts was nothing to sneeze at. In her bedroom, the furniture was all heavy, well-maintained oak, and the bed was soft enough that it felt as though it could swallow her whole. And the bathroom... well, that was far more opulent than she needed, with a tub big enough for four and a shower big enough for ten, along with a loo and a bidet and enough room for an entire cosmetics shop on the counter.

Hermione sighed and slid off her shoes, curling her toes in the thick carpet for a moment before bending her head and turning to her lesson plans. She read them carefully, checking to ensure there would be no errors, and then, satisfied, rose and strode into her bedroom, unsealing her robe and dropping it on the floor as she went. Her shirt followed, then her skirt, then her brassiere and her panties, and she was nude when she reached the bathroom door. Even though dropping her clothes on the floor galled her senses of organization and neatness, she wanted nothing more than a long, relaxing bath before bed.

She was more than surprised when she opened the bathroom door and found Draco Malfoy already in the tub.

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