Professor McGonagall did not come. She must
have no choice, so she asked a ghost to send her words. The ghost should be
Gryffindor, and he looks really polite here. He bowed slightly to the students
and told them Professor McGonagall had some emergent matters to deal with and
could not come, and then it went away, ignoring the Hufflepuffs who seemed
intimidated by the sight of him.

  Virginia
didn’t understand, for she thought the ghost had been very normal indeed, but
she knew soon enough. The ghost, after sending the word, suddenly floated into
the air and pulled off his head. Er… Virginia felt nauseous; she coughed
fiercely. The ghost laughed and went away, leaving a room full of poor
first-years.

  She
thought she knew who that ghost was. That must have been Nearly-Headless Nick.

  A
self-study class with no teacher, the students chatted under their breaths.
Ravenclaws quietly read their books. Virginia thought herself very lucky indeed
to have been put in Ravenclaw. If this was the other two Houses….. She trembled
at that thought.

  She
started looking through her books while thinking about what she should do next.
First she should master more incantations, and then there’s Potions. She’s not
very talented at Potions. Although the Potions ingredients were really very
disgusting, she could still do well with the help of the protection gloves.

  However,
perhaps it was truly the problem with natural talent, everytime she correctly
follows the steps stated in books the product is, although usable, still not
satisfying. And the smell…. She almost always ran away as fast as she could
after each class.

  Every
Potions class was a Cruciatus Curse for her. She thought of the evil witches in
Muggles’ fairy tales, those with long pointed nose and ugly faces. They come
out in dark, windy nights and brew poisons in some underground chambers. They
laugh with bloody mouths and yellowish teeth. They add colorful ingredients
along with disgusting things into the cauldron, like the dark witch who fed Snowwhite
the poisonous apple.

  Then
she suddenly thought of the headmaster and trembled heavily. No! She didn’t
think of him at all! Forgive her, she didn’t indeed!

  But
she truly couldn’t bear the ingredients. Their smell were disgusting enough,
but they also had to be added into the cauldron and brew above fire! That smell
couldn’t be imagined without actual experiences.

  The
aroma of Potions? Oh, damn that aroma! She never ever felt that way!

  Maybe
she should suggest the school to give everyone a respirator during Potions
classes. As for the pretense…. Can she say the respirator can prevent saliva
from dropping into the potions? Er….

  She
really hadn’t got any talent in Potions, so she thought herself very lucky to
have Horace Slughorn as her professor. He was much kinder than Severus Snape,
and he happened to be a rather smooth Slytherin. If her Potions professor was
still Severus Snape, Virginia couldn't guarantee that she do not explode her
cauldron.

  It
looks like she shouldn’t spend time on things she’s not good at. She has no
talent, and she admits that straightforwardly.

  She
walked out of the classroom and planned not to have luch at the hall today.
Then she was disturbed by a shierk that sounds like a dog being stepped on the
tail. She recogized that the sound belongs to Alecto Carrow.

  “I’m
the professor. I can use any means to punish the troublesome kids!” The dog was
still shierking loudly.

  “Oh
I don’t agree.” Severus Snape replies. Virginia thought it would be wise to go
away now, but her feet seemed to be stamped on the ground by curiosity.

  “Snape!”
Alecto Carrow suddenly dropped her voice, “If master knows you are protecting
the cubs of Albus Dumbledore, how would he react?”

  “Well
done. If you think you are now threatening me, I’d say the Dark Lord isn’t as
silly as you are.”

  “Who
do you think you are talking to!” Her voice makes Virginia think that she must
be jumping when saying this.

  Snape
disrupted her, “Silly enough to think,” he raised his voice suddenly and then
dropped back to a low whisper, “that triggering students’ riot is beneficial to
future plans.”

  “But
they write those recruiting messages on the wall… I know who wrote the words!”

  “Proof!
You have to catch them red-handed! I know you haven’t, so I gave them
detentions.” Snape resumed his cold voice and seemed hurried, “I am busy, very
busy, and I have no time to deal with all these. I just left for a morning.” He
paused, “You have to understand that if possible, the Dark Lord doesn’t want
any disturbance within Hogwarts.”

  “Alright
Snape, if you are sure…” She still sounds unconvinced, but apparently the Dark
Lord has strong deterence, so she compromised temporarily.

  Alecto
Carrow went away. Virginia gave herself a Disillusionment Charm and hurried
away.

  “Who’s
there!” Severus Snape’s voice came. She started to run and met some Slytherin
seventh-year students. She recognized one of them. It was Draco Malfoy.

  They
seemed not to have noticed her. “Draco, did you see anyone running?” Snape
asked.

  “No,
professor.” Draco answered coldly. His discontent with Snape is well-exposed in
his voice, and that surprised Virginia slightly. Snape went away after that.

  There’s
only a History of Magic class in the evening. Virginia was taking notes, not
History of Magic notes, but Charms’. She listed all spells she has mastered.
She still hasn’t attempted any attacking spells. And Apparation, she still
doesn’t dare trying.

  Then
she suddenly thought of Portkey. That was indeed an easy spell, but she couldn’t
understand the theory behind it. She thought of the circumstance in the
original book: Harry Potter dreamed of Mr. Weasley being bitten by a snake, and
Professor Dumbledore sent them to the headquarter with a Portkey made at the
spot. That was really a practical spell. She decided to ask her head house for
help.

  Virginia
was tactful in asking her question. She didn’t ask directly how to use the
spell, but she asked whether the theory of making Portkeys is similar to that
of Apparation.

  Professor
Filius Flitwick appraised her sprirt and told her that they both are means of
transportation, but the spell “Portkey” requires that the maker has been to the
place and can locate it clearly in the mind. Then the maker can grab the thing
and say the incantation. If the thing emits bluish light and vibrates slightly,
then it has been successfully made into a Portkey. And the magic has
limitations. If you are going to choose a place that belongs to other people,
then you have to first ask for permission or it won’t work. If this is a secret
place, then only the secret-keeper can make the Portkey.

  Professor
Flitwick then said piteously that although this was a rather simple spell, it
still cannot be used by Virginia, for it require the magic power of an adult
wizard. And Apparation is a highly dangerous spell. For those who are not
familiar with it, they may end up inside the wall or into water, and Splinch
can also happen in some occasions. He emphasized that this was a spell that can
be learnt only in the sixth year. And then he said if there’s no pre-placed
Anti-Apparation spell, and if your magic power is strong enough, you can
virtually go to anywhere with no limitation. Of course this is theoretically
speaking, for no one is powerful enough to ignore distance. So in comparison
the Portkey is more advantageous in transporting over long distances. But it
also has limitations. You have to make it first, for intance. So under emergent
conditions Apparation is the better choice. And Portkeys have to be reported to
the Minister of Magic because too many people are using this spell.

  Virginia
was excited when she walked back to the Common Room. She saw a student in front
of the door and understood that he must have failed to correctly answer a
question of the door hook. She had also failed once and that was quite
embarassing.

  She
smiled to the first-year and knocked the door. It says in a song-like voice. “Which
one is more valuable in life, the peak or the low ebb?”

  Virginia
thought quickly and answered, “They are all experiences, and experience is
fortune. They cannot be compared, for they are equally valuable.”

  Walking
into the Common Room, the first-year quickly ran back to the dorm.

  Virginia
sat down in the armchair and exhaled deeply. Ravenclaw is indeed a good place,
for it can prevent you from having a much too hot brain.