Bottles and Broomsticks

Chapter 2

2 The next morning, after Zanna had gone up to her rooms, an extension off of one of the towers, the same that led to the infirmary. She walked to the Great Hall, the same that they had eaten in the night before. It had been turned into a more homey, picturesque scene than the night before. The room was bright and warm, the ceiling of the sky, cloudless and blue, and the tables had been set with family favorites. Eggs and bacon, hot cakes and muffins, milk and coffee. Fruit of all kinds and dainty cookies which you could eat a dozen of and still have room for dessert. The only person talked more about that morning than Zanna herself was Harry Potter, but it was a close race. More students were willing to talk to her than Harry and she felt that living at the castle might have given her an unfair advantage. She had met the students in the older years before and they knew who she was, technically speaking. No one knew she was the daughter of the Headmaster for dear reader this was indeed Zanna's idea, for she's always had a caring heart. No one at school except the professors knew she was the daughter of Albus Dumbledore, and the reasoning was she didn't want any of the students to feel cheated. Bias among family is common and she felt that if the students knew her heritage they would feel the Headmaster would be unfair in judging the houses for the prize of the House Cup. Zanna sat down at the Slytherin table, looking over her shoulder as someone called to her. She waved, greeting the student, then turned back to the platters of food before her. It was an early morning and students streamed in and out, eating at their leisure. Rules about food at Hogwarts were very flimsy, breakfast ended half an hour before classes began, anytime before that time you could come in for food. Lunch was served together, all of the houses eating together at one time with all the students present. Dinner was different, you were supposed to eat with you house at a certain time, but for the most part students sat anywhere and everywhere, eating whenever until the dinner period ended at eight. "Morning," Said a voice and she turned. Draco sat down next to her, Crabb on her other side, Goyle on the other of Draco. "May I help you?" She asked, grabbing a jam filled pastry. She had unofficially met Draco and his goonies last night during the annual ice breakers. The Hufflepuff house had come down to join them and both houses had stayed up way too late for either of their goods. "I was just saying hello," He said, narrowing his eyes at her. "Or is that too mature for you?" "I'm very mature," 123 years of mature in fact, for that is how old our darling character is. He was silent, scoffing. There was an awkward silence as Zanna nibbled on her pastry, scooting over slightly as Crabb reached in front of her to grab a hotcake. "You could have asked," she muttered. "Crabb," Draco snapped. "I know you and your love with food, but have some manners," "Sorry," Crabb said, sitting back down. "Give me a hotcake," Zanna raised an eyebrow at him. "Please," He finished with a sigh. She picked up the platter and set it before his plate. "All for you sir," Crabb swapped his empty plate with the one full of hotcakes and dumped a bottle of maple syrup onto the plate. Zanna leaned away from him as the syrup dripped off the cakes and plate and onto the table. "Crabb," Draco said again. "It's fine," Zanna said, crossing her left leg over her right to keep it farther away from the mess. "I've witnessed worse," There was a beat of silence before she turned her head to face Draco on her left, glancing past him to Goyle who seemed happy with his plate of eggs. She directed her attention back to Draco again, "What class are you most excited for?" "I'm not sure," He replied, grabbing an apple from the bowl of fruit. "Broom training maybe, or potions," "Sure, Severus is very good at his job," She agreed. "You call him Severus?" Draco asked, eyeing her. "I-" She furrowed her brow, "No, of course not. Not to his face, no. Never," Draco shrugged, "I've only ever heard my parents refer to him by his first name," "Mm," She hummed in acknowledgement. "I've also heard that Charms is using the new book written by Z.A Dumbledore, The Creativity in Every Word," He quoted. She swallowed. She had written that book the year before and had sent it in to be published for the use of the school. Most of the books used at Hogwarts were written by her, using different pen names of course. It would be too easy for someone to put two and two together if she used her real name. A student could see her and the name on the book along with the back cover photo of her and discover her ruse. "She's a very good writer," Draco continued. "Indeed," She shrugged off her discomfort. "I liked her book on Quidditch, how she introduced the rules from all over the world into one game that could be played globally by anyone, without having to know the rules of a certain country." "Yes, that was one of my favorites," Zanna nodded, remembering the year she had spent traveling the world to discover the rules of Quidditch around the globe that were different from the rules in Europe. In Asia, if you hit a swan with a Quidditch ball your team was disqualified. In the United States, it's illegal to play Quidditch anywhere but in the western state Texas, Wyoming, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Kansas. In Russia, you have to take a shot of Vodka every time you hit a bludger. Draco shifted the conversation, "What classes are you looking forward to?" "Oh," She knew them inside and out, but out of every class, broom basics was always her favorite. "Broom training most definitely," Draco nodded. The Bloody Baron rose up through the bowl of fruit then and eyed them. "Classes are starting soon," As he finished the statement all the food on the tables disappeared. "I guess so," Zanna scooted out of her seat on the bench. The Baron floated away. "I guess I'll see you at class," Draco said, stringing his bookbag over one shoulder. "Yeah," She waved slightly and started back towards the stairs that would take her up to her room. After retrieving her bag, fighting off Peeves, dodging an entire eight flights of stairs and walking down the hall to the potions classroom, she finally sat down at a desk. The room was empty for the most part, stressed first years who were terrified of tardiness also sat at desks. Severus sat at his desk and Zanna placed her bag on the desktop before standing again and walking up the raised platform to face him over the desk. "Miss Dore," He didn't look up from his lesson plan. "Sev," She said. "Have you- you know," He looked up at her. "No," He said quietly. "My mark is still dormant, which means one of two things," "He's not back," "Or, he doesn't have a body," Severus said. "He can only utilize the mark if he has his body," She let out a steadying breath, "Yeah, I know," She strung her hair over her shoulder. "Sev he's not going to let me out until Tom's been eradicated," "I know and I'm sorry, but I'm doing all I can," "I know Sev, I know," Her voice broke slightly as the disappointment of the situation settled into the bottom of her heart. "Don't cry-" He touched her arm. "I'm not Sev, it's not a big enough deal to cry over," She said sharply. My sweet reader you must understand what she means, for it will be important later. Miss Zanna Dumbledore can't cry, unless the situation is so absolutely desperate, no tears will come, only the feeling. This is because our darling witch is part phoenix, which I will explain to you later. "Go sit down Zanna, watch Harry, if anything seems off you'll know it," She nodded, turning to sit back down. She found her bag on the floor and Pansy and another girl from Slytherin sitting at her desk. She raised an unimpressed eyebrow at them. "Oh look Liv," Said Pansy, "I think she's upset," Olivia Shatter giggled. "But it's really hard to tell, since she has so many overwhelming traits," "Go along and join the Hufflepuffs witchy," Pansy mocked. "You seem to like them better anyway," Zanna raised her hand and her bag flew off the ground and onto her shoulder. "Just because I'm a Hufflepuff," She made quotes in the air with her fingers. "Doesn't mean I can't get angry," "How did you do that?" Ask Olivia, "We haven't learned that magic yet," "Done what?" Zanna said, make big eyes at them both. "I don't know what you mean," "You just did magic!" Pansy slapped the desktop. "We haven't learned that yet!" "I didn't do any-" "Miss Zaranda," Snape said, stepping around his desk. "Take a seat," She sneered at Pansy and walked to a desk at the back of the room, which was filling up rather quickly now. Zanna pulled out her potions book, notebook, and quill setting them down one on top of the other in cynial fashion. "Is this seat taken?" She glanced up. Draco was looking at her, chewing on the inside of his cheek, head cocked to one side. "No," She gave a one shouldered shrug. "Cool," He slid into the desk next to her. "Draco-" Goyle started. Draco thumbed to the empty desk behind him. "Just sit there, Merlin it's not this difficult," Zanna's nose twisted up in a suppressed smile. "They're pretty helpless," "Oh you have no idea," Draco rolled his eyes. Zanna leaned back against the bench, "They'll grow into it," She glanced at Snape quickly, he was watching her. "They usually do," "I sure hope so, I'm not sure what else I can do to help them be independent," Draco put his books on the table in the same order and fashion Zanna had, rearranging them slightly so the lined up edge for edge with the desk. "How long have you known them?" "I grew up with them, our parents attend school together. Different years for the most part but they knew each other," "Yeah," She remembered Mister and Misses Crabb and Goyle hanging with the Malfoys before they were all married. "They're always following me," He muttered quietly. "They're great and all, but-" "You can't be you for yourself and them for them," She finished. "I understand that," "Yeah," He agreed. "Okay," Snape interrupted, holding up a sheet of parchment that he began to read attendance off of. They got to Harry Potter and Snape paused, glaring at the boy, which set Zanna on edge but it passed as Snape moved on. "Zanna," Snape looked at her. "I already know you're here don't say anything," She wrinkled her nose at him, grinning sarcastically. "Welcome to potions, we're here to learn, not have fun. If you mess around you'll most likely blow up yourself or your classmates, I don't wish to clean up any more body parts than I've already have had to with this job." He turned to face them, standing before his desk. "For the first half of the semester we will be working on memorization of the magical elements and most of the chemical elements, how they work together and separately, what not to combine, and how to know what potion someone has been put under just by studying their mannerisms and side effects." The class concluded with no real excitement and Zanna walked out with Draco, Crabb, and Goyle. "Draco-" Pansy said, butting into Zanna as she and Olivia joined the group. "I just wanted to make sure you're coming to study group tonight," "Pansy everyone is going to study group tonight, it's a house obligation," Draco raised an eyebrow at her. "You'll be studying with Finch and my group right?" Pansy said, elbowing Zanna back as she tried to join ranks with the group again. "I don't know Pansy," Draco said tiredly, "It all depends-" "Depends on what?" Pansy snapped. "Where they decide to put me," Draco finished irritably. "You never know Pansy," Zanna said, looking at the floor as they walked. "Draco may actually be smarter than you give him credit for," She looked through her lashes at the girl. "I never said he wasn't-" "To be in your study group Pansy you'd really have to be struggling," Zanna shrugged, "But whatever." She jogged away from the group, "I'll see you at Broom Basics," She said to Draco before turning back around and pounding up the stairs. At broom training, she met Madam Hooch, who was setting out the practice brooms. "Rolanda?" She asked, going up to the woman. "No Miss Dore, you may not use your brooms, as much as I admire them your job is to fit in and not seem like a spoiled child," Rolanda Hooch said before the question was asked. "Okay first," Zanna said, grabbing an arm full of brooms from the shed and following the other woman. "I'm not a child-" "You look like one-" "And second, I am spoiled," Zanna finished, flicking her head so her braid flicked in the air. Madam Hooch laughed and Zanna grinned. "At least you admit it my dear girl," "I'm older than you," Zanna said, setting her arm load out in a straight line across from Rolanda's line of brooms. "By twenty-one years," Rolanda said. "That's quite a time," Zanna replied. "That was about the time I went to New York with Newt," "I remember reading papers about that adventure once I came to Hogwarts," "It was quite a trip," Zanna agreed. The first year student started to walk into the courtyard at the back of the school and Zanna turned away from Hooch, taking her place next to a broom. "Alright everyone!" Madam Hooch called, "Get next to a broom!" The children ran up and took their places next to a broom. Hermione was next to Zanna and she smiled at the other girl, who smiled back tentatively. "How are your classes?" Zanna asked. "Going well, yours?" Hermione replied. "Quite good yeah," Zanna shifted. "What's your favorite class, or what do you think it will be?" "I don't know," Herminone said. "Even though Snape scares me I do enjoy potions, and charms. And the history of magic!" She said excitedly. Zanna nodded, "All good classes," "What about you-" "Ladies!" Madam Hooch snapped, standing before them. "If you're quite finished we'll begin," Hermione flushed and Zanna huffed affectionately at Rolanda. "Alright, everyone stand next to your broom. Put your hand out above it, and calm but controlling, tell it up!" Madam Hooch said. "Up," "Up!" Different calls came from the children as they tried to get their brooms to work. "Up," Zanna said calmly and the broom rose to her hand and stopped. "Very good Miss Z," Madam Hooch said, eyeing her mischievously. "Up, up!" Called Hermione at her broom. "Don't yell at it," Zanna said, stepping away from her broom which stayed where it was in the air. Zanna took Hermione's hand and positioned it above the broom. "Up," The broom rose to Hermione's hand. "Down," Zanna said and it lowered. "You have to act like it's a part of you, and extra limb almost. Know how you want it to move and tell it as much, verbally of course," Hermione nodded and Zanna let go of the other girl's hand. "Up," The broom rose to Hermione's and she grinned at Zanna, who smiled back. "See? Easy," "Thank you," Hermione said, looking over to the others down the rows. Zanna returned to her broom, stroking it slightly but when it didn't respond the way her other brooms did she stopped. "Alright," Madam Hooch said, "Once you have that, mount your broom, but do not lift off," They all swung their legs over the handles of their selected brooms, waiting for Madam Hooch's next command. "Now, pull back slightly on the handle of your broom, it's going to rise. Once your feet are off the ground push the handle back down and it will lower," They all did, except for Neville, who didn't have a good relationship with his broom and was now floating across the courtyard. "Neville Longbottom! Come back down!" Madam Hooch called. Zanna looked at the woman, ready to fly off and save her fellow student, but Rolanda motioned her back. "Neville-" The broom tipped the boy over and he slipped off falling into a bed of flowers against the one wall of the courtyard. "Ow!" He cried and Rolanda ran over, Zanna slid off her broom to follow. "Stay where you are! Stay on the ground!" Madam Hooch called as she helped Neville up. "Ow, ow," Neville said, cradling his arm. "It's probably broken," Hooch said. Looking up she eyed the rest of the group. "Stay off your brooms until I get back!" She walked Neville out of the courtyard and into the castle. Zanna started to walk back to the group but Draco brushed past her. "What are you-" "Look what the cluck forgot," Draco said, bending over in the flower bed and picking up a glass ball. "Neville's remembrall," Harry said, "Draco, give it back!" "Come get it Potter," Draco said, getting onto his broom and floating up into the sky. "Give it here Malfoy," Harry said. "Draco-" Zanna started but then Harry was on his broom and in the air too. "Harry!" She called. "Boys come down!" "Draco-" Harry started. Zanna waved at hand at her stationary broom and it came to her. She ran with it, jumping onto the handle and riding it like a skateboard up to the boys height in the air. "Now gentleman-" "Catch!" Draco said, tossing the remembrall over his shoulder and flying back to the ground. "Oh Merlin!" Zanna called, "Can I not get a break?" Harry zipped past her to catch the remembrall, she followed him closely. He flew along the wall and tried to grab the ball. She jumped off her broom and grabbed the handle of his broom as he caught the remembrall. She pulled up, catching her broom in the other hand as she brought Harry's broom to a slow descent on the ground. Harry touched the ground and she shoved him off the broom. "Do you have any- any, idea how much trouble any other person here would get in for pulling a stunt like that?" "Bug off snake," Harry spat. She grabbed his collar, "Minerva McGonagall is going to walk out that door in six seconds," she pointed to a door under the overhang along the edge of the courtyard walls. "And when she does you'll be praised for being stupid, which is much, much more then I would have given you," She pushed him back. "I don't know who you think you are, but I have a job to do and I can't do it if you're dead." She walked away from him with both brooms in hand as McGonagall came out the door Zanna had pointed to, calling for Harry to follow her. "What the bloody hell was that?" Ron spat as she rejoined the group of first years. She glared at him and he stepped back, raising his hands in surrender. "Nevermind," She tossed the brooms to the side, pushing her braid back over her shoulder and turning to the large doors into the castle.