The Father and the Son
written by Lizzie Scamander
Tiberius Nott's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has arrived. As the son of the Death Eater Theodore Nott, it will be hard for him to settle in. But maybe he will be able to help others ignore his past and find out, eventually, that the son is not the same as the father. IN PROGRESS
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
14
Reads
855
An Opportunity
Chapter 5
The next morning was just like Tiberius had expected it to be. After sleeping in an opulent four-poster bed with an emerald duvet, silk sheets, and a feather pillow, he headed out of the Slytherin common room, out of the dungeons, and into the Great Hall, where a very satisfactory breakfast awaited him. After finishing two fried eggs, golden-brown toast spread with lots of butter and jam, and a hash brown, he watched the post arrive. The hundreds of owls swooped in, a large tawny landed beside his plate, knocking over his hot chocolate and with an envelope clamped in its beak. Depositing the letter before him, it started helping itself to some corn fritters. Breaking the seal, Tiberius pulled out the paper within.
Dear Mr. Nott,
I have received intelligence that you wish to join the Slytherin Quidditch Team. As a first-year, this is quite unlikely that you will get a position. However, the student who implored me to consider you is of a very respectable Quidditch family, and perhaps there is a chance that you will make it to the team. Please do not spread the word about this, it is indefinite, and this is a one-off opportunity. I will inform you of my decision no later than the 9th September.
Yours sincerely,
Pr. Wessex
Tiberius finished reading with his mouth slightly agape. Swallowing, he reread 'the student who implored me'. Who else could that be but Maya? But she was angry at him, and besides...
Besides what? Excitement replaced his doubt. He stood a chance at getting on the Slytherin Quidditch Team! He would get Brutus back for his sneering words! But then he jumped out of his ambitious thoughts as Professor Virneburg came striding down the Slytherin table and handed him his time-table. Peering at it, he read as follows:
Charms - 9:00 a.m
History of Magic - 9:45 a.m
BREAK
Potions - 10:30 a.m
Herbology - 11:30 a.m
LUNCH
Transfiguration - 2:30 p.m
Defence Against the Dark Arts - 3:25 p.m
BREAK
DINNER (5:00 p.m)
He finished reading and folded the Time-table parchment up before tucking it into his bag. He had packed all the necessary books and other items he thought he would need, his books, quill, ink, parchment, and wand, of course, of which weighed inside as he stood up and left the Great Hall. But even with the distraction of lessons, he could not stop thinking about the aspect of becoming a Quidditch player.
But then he had to turn his attention to finding his way to the Charms classroom on the second floor. The sight of the Moving Staircases was amazing, but seeing the ghosts drifting casually around even more so! He supposed it was more surprising for some other students, though, those who were Muggle-borns and of whom had not been at all introduced to the magical world before they had received their Hogwarts letter.
Finally, he reached the Charms classroom. Entering a little apprehensively, he sat down at a solitary desk and pulled out his wand. Professor Virneburg stood at the head of the room, watching her students sit down and then turn to look at her. When the hubbub had died down, she pulled out her wand, faced a small mouse sitting innocently and unsuspectingly on her desk, said a complicated incantation which Tiberius could not decipher as being English-related, and thus helped the mouse accomplish a very difficult set of gymnastics, which included cart-wheels, handstands, flips, and the splits. Her class then broke into gasps of awe and admiration, with some laughing at the mouse's peculiar performance. Professor Virneburg did not permit herself a smile.
"Such simple charms are very common in our modern magical world," she said, "and should not be treated with such awe, though I do understand that you have probably never seen a charm before, at least those who do not come from wizarding homes. Therefore, it is my duty to provide you with a complete and academic education of Charms, which I am promptly ready to do. However, beginners at Charms start at the basics, of course, and if you were imagining we would be making each other flip and cart-wheel from the start I am afraid you were very wrong." Here she paused to allow them to digest this information. Then, turning sharply to the blackboard behind her, wrote the words (with her wand), Basic Charms. Turning back to her class, she gave them a curt nod before speaking again. "Probably the easiest charm I know of, requiring the lowest amount of willpower and concentration, is the Wand-lighting Charm. Judging by the name, I am sure you are all now aware of its effect. Despite its simplicity, however, the Wand-lighting Charm can prove very useful in the most difficult of situations. But before I go on, who can tell me the incantation for the Wand-lighting Charm?"
A hand behind Tiberius shot up. He looked around, and saw it was Duri Chang. Swallowing and turning back to face Professor Virneburg, he wished he had sat somewhere else.
"The incantation is 'lumos', professor," he said promptly.
"Precisely," Professor Virneburg said approvingly. "And due to your knowledge of that when you haven't even been five minutes into your first class at Hogwarts, I award you five points to Slytherin. But anyway - let us turn back to the charm. When cast correctly, a soft, faintly yellow beam of light should appear at the tip of your wand..."
But Tiberius wasn't listening, for he was thinking something much, much different from the Wand-lighting Charm.
