Harry Potter and the Prince of Slytherin

Chapter 17: Feasts, Electives, and Student Organizations (pt 3)

3 September 1993
Ancient Runes

Just before nine o'clock, Harry and Blaise sauntered into the Ancient Runes classroom, and each took a seat on either side of Hermione on the front row. Just in front of them was the teacher's desk, and on it was what looked to be a small painting on an easel covered by a cloth. The teacher herself had not yet arrived.

"How was Muggle Studies?" Harry asked amiably. "Was it worth getting up an hour earlier than we did?"

Hermione smiled. "Yes, actually. It was quite informative."

"Really?!" Blaise inquired dubiously. "What in Merlin's name could anyone teach you about being a Muggle?"

"Well, probably nothing," she answered. "But I learned a great deal about the whys and hows of the Statute of Secrecy that I didn't know before. Also, I found it quite instructive to see how all the Purebloods in my class reacted to finding out about the Muggle space program. I'm looking forward to when Professor Potter introduces the topic of nuclear weapons to them."

Harry snickered at that but then schooled his face into a more dignified expression as Professor Babbling entered through a door in the back of the classroom. He'd spent some time over the summer reading up on one of Hogwarts' younger instructors but had never directly interacted with her before. After his shocking realization about Quirrell and Voldemort in November of 1991, he'd briefly been alarmed when Bathsheba Babbling showed up to breakfast one morning wearing a turban of her own. He quickly relaxed upon realizing that this not a ridiculous turban-like monstrosity like the strange headgear Quirrell had worn to conceal the Dark Pimple, but rather a traditional turban worn to recognize Babbling's ethnic heritage. In short, it was at once exotic and fashionable while also small enough to reassure Harry that the woman had nothing evil growing out of the back of her head.

According to what Harry had learned since, Bathsheba Babbling (nee Mekonnen) was of Ethiopian descent but had been raised primarily in the wizarding enclave at Timbuktu in what Muggles presently called the Republic of Mali. While Muggle Timbuktu was sparsely populated and impoverished, its magical counterpart was a thriving cosmopolitan settlement about five times the size of Diagon Alley, with a population of well over 7,000 wizards, witches, and squibs living in a bustling town hidden from Muggle eyes by powerful magic.

Although most African wizards and witches attended Uagadou, those from North Africa often had ties to Europe and so frequently went to Beauxbatons for their magical education. The young Bathsheba Mekonnen was one of those who did, graduating with honors in 1981 before embarking on an Ancient Runes mastery. She also met her future husband, David Babbling (from a once-British family that had expatriated to France in the 17th century) at Beauxbatons, but they had been semi-separated since she accepted her Hogwarts position in 1989. Mr. Babbling had refused to move to England as he held an important position in the French Ministry of Magic, but the two remained happily married despite (or perhaps because of) their separation for the majority of every year. The consensus among the older Slytherin boys was that Babbling was the best-looking Hogwarts professor – Harry was mildly disturbed to hear that his mother was a close second – but unfortunately she was still not good-looking enough to get students to sign up for her rigorous Ancient Runes class unless the student had a personal reason for taking it anyway.

"Good morning, students," Babbling said brightly as she removed the fashionable but less-exotic-than-a-turban "pointy witch's hat" worn today and placed it atop a marble bust of a surly-looking Samuel Johnson. "Welcome all to Year One of Ancient Runes, which I promise you will be perhaps the most demanding class you take at Hogwarts but hopefully also the most fulfilling. At least for those of you who are able to master the material instead of being defeated by it."