The Prisoner Of Azkaban (A Harry Potter Rewrite)

A TALE FROM THE PAST

Ria located Hermione on the sixth floor, heading for the Ancient Runes classroom. She had met Ron and Harry in front of the Great Hall and reassured them that Malfoy was perfectly fine and would not be causing any trouble with Hagrid. They had let her know, Hermione had already left and asked the girls to meet them in the Great Hall for dinner once they were done.

"Hey.", Ria said, panting, finally catching up with Hermione.

"Hey! What happened with Malfoy?", she questioned, immediately.

"I waited till Madame Pomfrey healed him", Ria told her, "He is back to perfect health and he won't be stirring up anything with Hagrid. He knows he'll have me to answer to if he does."

To anyone who didn't know Ria, assuming that would be enough to keep someone in line would be presumptuous. But Hermione did know Ria. So, she knew perfectly well this threat would work as well as any other. Maybe even better.

The two girls reached classroom 6A about five minutes before the bell. The room was dark; every single window closed and curtains drawn. It reminded Ria of Trelawny's classroom, except that instead of the smell of sherry floating through the air, this room smelled of old books and parchment; a warm, solid, comforting smell that instantly put Ria at easy and cleared her head. She loved the smell of old books. Spending almost half of one's life in a library would do that to a person.

There were shelves covering the entire back and left wall, filled with rolls upon rolls of old parchments, rectangular wooden blocks, leathery material that looked to be animal hide, and stacks of circular wooden or leather cylinders that Ria was certain held old scrolls. It was like an entire runic library and Ria couldn't wait to be able to explore.

Opposite Ria, between the two gigantic closed windows, was a huge fireplace with partially burnt wood and iron trays with different shapes in them. Moulds to create runes. Beside that, on a smaller low shelf, were all the instrument one could want or need to make runes of any form.

There were only four double desks, each with two separate book holders and two torch like stands on either side, burning with bright blue flames. Witchfire. At the front of the class there was a similar desk for the Professor and on the wall, the usual blackboard.

There was just one other person in the classroom; a Hufflepuff Ria immediately recognised as Susan Bones. They've had quite a few conversations in Herbology last year; mostly about her aunt who was the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry.

"Hey!", Ria greeted her enthusiastically, as she and Hermione moved to occupy the desk beside her.

"Hi!", Susan greeted with equal enthusiasm. "It's just the three of us then?"

"Looks like it", Ria said.

"Might be a problem with the odd number", Hermione added.

"I'm sure we'll manage", Ria said. "I am so excited to start this!"

"Same", Susan agreed. "I was reading a bit of the book over the summer and the whole thing is honestly fascinating. I mean, as someone who was born and bought up in a magical household, the normal forms of magic sort of loose their lustre. But Runes are something not many people work with or talk about. It is a nice change."

"Yes!", Hermione said, sounding delighted. "I read the entire book over summer! I would love to know more about the history of it all, though."

"Trust you to complete the reading before session even starts!", Susan said with a laugh. "How much have you read?", she then questioned Ria.

"I - kind of finished the entire book in one sitting", she replied awkwardly.

Hermione gaped at her.

"It was too fascinating!", Ria said pouting slightly. "I couldn't put it down. So, I kept reading and then before I know it I've read through the entire thing."