The Girl with the Stone

Challenged

Chapter six: Challenged

Whispers followed Dove down every corridor she turned from the time she left the Gryffindor common room. Students lined up and stood on their toes to try and get a glance of her between the tall redhead boy and the Lucius Malfoy's son. She wished they wouldn't. She was having enough trouble finding her classes. When she'd been here before she had only seen the infirmary, two corridors, and Albus' office. Now she faced a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. And all of that seemed to change and rotate around the castle a few times a day. Sir Nicholas was more than happy to point any students the right way. Peeves, however, would point you the furthest away he could. He'd dragged the carpet out from under their feet, emptied waste buckets over their heads, and even lured them to the third floor out of bounds where they were found by Argus Filch and his cat. The four of them automatically took a disliking to each other until Dove and the boys were saved by the Bloody Baron who happened to be passing by.

"What is going on here?" He practically growled, but it reminded Dove of when Severus was putting on his Dungeon Bat persona. She relaxed and kind of smiled. His eyes ghosted over the three students (Oh yeah, I went there. I did that.) with a hard to describe facial expression.

"Move along, Baron," Filch said nastily. "Just our new celebrity thinking she doesn't have to follow the rules."

"No!" Dove said, now talking to the Baron. "Please, we got lost and Peeves told us this was the way. We didn't mean to. I'm sure Professor Snape or McGonagall would be able to sort this out."

"Snape?" the Baron asked, now regarding her with interest. "You do know what his opinion is said to be on those not of his House, do you not?"

"He's her guardian, sir." Draco said cautiously. "Her father."

"Is he really?" the Baron asked again. "And you, I remember your father and grandfather. You're one of mine, aren't you?" Draco nodded and the ghost looked back to Filch. "Then I am sure this is just a misunderstanding. I will speak to Peeves about this and escort the three of you on your way. Good day."

Gob smacked they followed the ghost to somewhere they actually recognized. "Where to?" He asked Dove.

"Charms."

"Go down this hall, turn left at the Argyle painting, go up that flight of stairs, take another left, and it will be on your right just passed the painting of Лебединая принцесса." They looked at him expectantly. "She'll be the blonde girl reading the book, and the classroom is on the right of the small corridor just past that."

"Thank you so very much, sir."

"I take care of my own, and by extension you." And then he was gone.

~

Classes were amazing, even if they were difficult to start with. Dove had been afraid she would be miles behind everyone else, despite Severus telling her she would be fine. She found she was just on par with everyone else, except Hermione and Draco. Those two were already ahead of everyone and very competitive with each other. Just mentioning her name in front of him got him started on the know-it-all.

They had Astrology every Wednesday at midnight where they were to learn the names of constellations and star patterns under Professor Sinistra's guidance. She seemed nice and was passionate about her subject to the point that Dove thought she sometimes forgot she was teaching a group of eleven year olds as opposed to gushing about it. Professor Sprout, a sweet dumpy woman, taught them about fungi and strange plants. Dove was used to gardening at the Dursley's and she'd helped Severus with his own garden of potion ingredients. History of Magic was dreadful and even Hermione was struggling to take it seriously. Though, Dove would admit it was pretty cool that a ghost was teaching. Professor Flitwick was a good teacher, after the initial squeak he let out seeing Dove's name on the roster. He'd even called her Lily twice. Minerva, as expected, was strict. She started off the first lesson with a lecture, paying close attention to Dove and the boys.