Ascendio - Book 1

Chapter 6 - Chandler

"Wake up!" a feminine, but strict, voice boomed across the Great Hall.

Multiple people started, making the tables look like they had jumped. We were all a little sleep-deprived--from the train, or from the Head-Girl's torture machine, I wasn't sure. We looked over to see our Headmaster, Minerva McGonagall,

She surveyed us, unimpressed. "Slim pickings this year, or are they merely late bloomers?"

A couple of students cowered as she strode down the middle row. "Listen up, and listen well. I am Professor McGonagall. In my class--furthermore, in my school, there will be no foolish or dangerous behavior. You will not cheat, you will not lie, and you will not fail purposely. The consequences are..." she paused. "...severe."

"There is one loophole of these rules," McGonagall swiveled, now at the end of the room, with a twinkle in her eyes. "We will not punish you... if you don't get caught."

Rose nudged me. "That's what we do," she whispered, a sly grin stuck on her face. "Scorpius likes to call it 'espionage', or spying, or something, but I like to call it a way to get enough galleons to get me by wizarding school."

"But... you're Hermione and Ron's child," I said.

"So?"

"I don't know, I just thought they would get money for saving the world or something."

"'Fraid not, kid. Just 'cause you save the world from an evil, noseless and not to mention bald freak doesn't mean you get an increase in pay. In fact, they broke several laws while doing it. I doubt the Ministry thanks them for it at all. Plus, my brother's the one with the allowance, see?"

"Yeah," I said, tempted to continue the conversation but I had already missed a ton of McGonagall's speech.

"--Forest is still strictly forbidden," the professor continued. "Any who enter have the great possibility of a long and painful death."

Several children looked pale, or green, at this statement. They knew that the most likely cause of said death was the rejects hidden away in the Forest.

"Now, I expect you to get the best grades you can this year. Just because we're rebuilding doesn't mean we're slowing down your education." McGonagall sighed. "I can see some of you are dozing off now, so lets get to breakfast."

With a graceful wave of her wand, the tables filled with steaming dishes and tempting desserts. Scorpius, on Rose's other side, gently swept up some chicken wings, mashed potatoes, and scrambled eggs, then descended upon them with the ravenous hunger of a starving man. I gaped at him until Rose nudged me--rather painfully--with her bony elbow.

"Stop staring," she hissed. "He doesn't realize he eats like that, and I don't want him to get embarrassed 'cause some kid thinks he's eating weirdly. Tons of other people eat like that too, see?"

I nodded mutely and started scraping food on to my own platter, trying to ignore the massacre of meals going on a few seats down. I grabbed some potatoes, eggs, and a glass of milk, absentmindedly glancing to my left side--and was greeted with the sight of an empty seat. I froze for a second as the absence of my sister hit me like a load of bricks, and gently put down my glass before turning over to the Hufflepuff table.

Cress's head swerved back towards her table and started to eat. I stared at her for a moment more before solemnly turning back to my food. If she wanted to play that gave, well, so would I.

Rose was talking to Scorpius now, so I was left to eat in peace. I methodically shoveled food in my mouth, trying not to eat messily as to avoid embarrassing myself like Scorpius. A flicker of movement to my other side startled me, and I turned. A little boy sat next to me, silent and still. He stared at an empty plate, and almost seemed to blend into the wall.

"Hello," I said by way of greeting, before stuffing another spoonful of potatoes in my mouth. He didn't respond. "Are you going to eat anything?"

The boy turned to me. "No," he said--it was more like a whisper.

"What's your name?"

No response.

I turned back to my food and ate some more. When I turned back, the boy was still staring at his plate. After a moment's hesitation, I swept some food from one of the platters on to the empty plate. "Eat something," I urged.

The boy didn't respond, but as I turned back I saw him start to wolf down his food. Holding back a tiny smile, I looked at Rose as she finished her conversation with Scorpius and started to eat again.

"What class do we have next?"

She smiled evilly. "Herbology, with Professor Longbottom, see."

I looked at her for a second. "...What's so bad about that?"

"It's not the professor, O'Malley. We have class with the Hufflepuffs."