Harry Potter and the House of Ravenclaw

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Chapter Six - Of Sorts

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The students and staff gasped as one as the Sorting Hat's verdict rang in the air. Jasmine Ravenclaw, descendent of Rowena Ravenclaw, heir to the House of Ravenclaw, had been put into Gryffindor.

No one clapped as Jasmine made her way silently to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to her cousin Lucy.

Harry could not help but stare at the girl sitting opposite him. She looked petrified as she glanced at Lucy, George, Fred, and then at Ron.

Harry turned in his seat to look up at the High Table. He could see Professors Snape, McGonagall, Flitwick, Lupin, and Rowl staring practically open-mouthed at the situation. Each was looking at the others and shaking their heads in disbelief.

Dr Ravenclaw was in a sort of numb stupor. She had a strange look on her face, a mixture of shock and revulsion. As a member of the Ravenclaw family, Harry supposed that her daughter being put in Gryffindor was a bit of a shock for Dr Ravenclaw. But if Harry was honest, the reaction had probably had more to do with her being a former Slytherin.

Dumbledore, however, seemed his usual calm and collected self. He casually walked around to take his usual seat in the centre of the High Table.

"Now that our new students have been sorted into the appropriate houses..." Dumbledore spoke as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened... "we can begin our welcome feast."

With the end of Dumbledore's sentence, food appeared on the large plates down the centre of each House table.

It was as if someone had turned the sound back up in the Great Hall as the students and staff began talking again.

"Err, so what time did you two get here?" Ron attempted to make casual conversation in order to take Jasmine's mind off the other students who kept glancing at her.

"We arrived about three-ish." Lucy smiled at her cousin as she helped herself to some tuna pasta bake. "Got shown round by Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore and then went to talk with Dumbledore in his office."

"What do you think of Hogwarts then?" Hermione asked in an overly polite manner.

Lucy thought for a second. "It's very..."

"Big." Jasmine spoke up.

"You get used to it." Fred smiled at Jasmine.

"Yeah." George chipped in. "Don't worry, we'll help you, Jas. You're a Gryffindor now, so you're our responsibility."

Harry couldn't help but laugh at hearing George use the word 'responsibility' as neither of the twins really had any idea of the word. They were the school mischief-makers and the biggest trouble causers Hogwarts had seen since Harry's father James Potter and his three friends, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew.

Apparently Harry wasn't the only one who found Fred and George's serious attitude funny. Ron, Hermione, Lucy, and Jasmine were all sniggering. not to mention half the other Gryffindor students within earshot.

**********

The conversation during the feast slowly changed from Jasmine's sorting to other matters such as Quidditch, classes and gossip. And soon both Jasmine and Lucy seemed to visibly relax. Everyone had been introduced and the whole of the Gryffindor table was back to its normal self.

It was at this point that Hermione chose to broach the subject.

"How did you find the sorting?"

Ron shot her a fierce glare but Hermione didn't seem to notice. Instead she pressed on with her questions oblivious to the stunned looks on Jasmine's and Lucy's faces.

"I mean, I wasn't expecting you to be sorted into Gryffin-"

"Neither was I," Jasmine cut her off. "I was so sure I'd be put into Ravenclaw. What I mean is, I just assumed..."

"Well, never mind." Ron smiled. "It's great in Gryffindor. You'll have a great time."

"Yeah, the really brave get put in Gryffindor." Lucy patted Jasmine on the back.

"So, err, anyway," Ron began another attempt at normal conversation. "Jas, it's going to be a bit weird for you, isn't it? I mean, being taught by both your mum and your uncle."

"No more weird than you being taught by your aunt and uncle." Jasmine replied shortly.

"I suppose..." Ron trailed off.

"Actually it'll be nice to spend some time with Mum," Jasmine said as she reached over for more food. "Don't really see a lot of her at home. She always has people over, and seems more interested in spending time with them than with me."

"Err, Jas..." Ron started. "There's something you should know."

~~~~~

As the feast ended everyone had left the Great Hall and gone up to their respective common rooms. Everyone except Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, Lucy and Jasmine.

They had made their way to one of the disused classrooms Fred and George knew about. It was there they told Jasmine about Snape.

"So this Professor Snape." Jasmine was sat on a desk. "What's he like?"

"Git," said everyone bar Hermione and Lucy.

Jasmine raised one eyebrow. "Bad then?"

George scowled. "He's miserable..."

"Total nutcase..." Fred nodded in agreement.

"Takes points for no reason..." Harry frowned

Ron pulled a face. "The way he looks at you, it's like-"

Jasmine held up her hand to silence them. "I get it, he's not very nice."

"He's a good teacher though." Hermione muttered quietly. Ron threw her a look of disgust and she fell silent also.

"And he's going out with Aunt Verena?" Lucy shook her head. "I don't believe it. I mean, we knew she wasn't with Uncle Bevan anymore, but this..."

"We know." Fred shrugged. "But what can we do?"

"We'll do nothing." Jasmine stood up. "If that's what Mum wants to do, then let her."

"But Jas-" Ron began.

"But what?" Jasmine cut him off. "We can't go telling her to stop, even if we don't like it or him."

"I was going to point out that the Daily Prophet and the rest of the Wizard media will start poking around." Ron scowled. "I don't think the rest of the family will appreciate that."

"As long as they're discreet-" Lucy started to say.

"They haven't been. Not so far." George shook his head. "The whole school knows."

"George is right." Hermione put her hands on her hips. "It only takes one student to tip off the press."

"We can guess who'd that be." Ron almost growled. "Malfoy."

"He wouldn't." Jasmine shook her head.

"He has as much to lose as us." Fred agreed with Jasmine. "We may not like him-"

Jasmine cut across Fred. "Why?"

"What?" Fred turned to face Jasmine.

Jasmine narrowed her eyes. "Why don't you like him?"

"He's a stuck up, pompous little-" Ron began.

"He's always strutting round like he owns the place," Hermione put in.

"He insults everyone he thinks he can, students and teachers," Harry finished.

"That doesn't sound like the Draco I know." Jasmine frowned.

"We see him every day for a year." Ron cocked his head. "I think we know what he's like."

"Well, then, you don't see the same side of him that I do." Jasmine continued to frown.

Ron almost laughed. "Obviously."

"Ron, you don't get it. The person you just described is so far removed from my second cousin you have no idea." Jasmine raised her voice slightly. "You just described a stranger."

"Perhaps Draco acts differently around family," Hermione offered helpfully.

"Perhaps," Jasmine muttered.

"Anyway." Lucy sighed. "We're still stuck with what to do with Aunt Verena and Professor What's-his-face."

"Jasmine's right." Hermione shrugged. "We can't do anything." Then upon seeing the boy's disgruntled faces explained, "Look at us. We're teenagers. What can we do? We can't go ordering adults about."

"Hermione's right." Lucy nodded. "We've no right."

"'No right'!" George cried. "She's putting our family in the limelight for some stupid little fling!"

"And how do you propose to stop them then?" Lucy shouted back.

George fell silent.

"Right then." Lucy scowled. "I'll write to Mum and tell her what's going on. I suggest you do the same." She looked at Ron, Fred and George.

"I should tell Dad." Jasmine said under her breath.

Harry heard her.

"Why?" Harry whispered so that the others couldn't hear. They were busy planning what they were going to tell Mr and Mrs Weasley, not to mention Lucy's Mum, Mrs Rowl.

"Well, he should know," she whispered back.

"What will he do?"

"I don't know, but I think he has a right."

Harry thought for a moment. Jasmine was right. Mr Ravenclaw had a right to know what his wife was doing under his nose, but still...

"He shouldn't find out through a letter." Harry whispered to her finally.

"Well, it's better than reading it the newspaper one morning, isn't it?"

She was right again, Harry knew it.

"Couldn't someone tell him?" Harry offered. "Face-to-face."

Jasmine bit her lip in thought. "I could tell my sister or even my brother. They don't get on with Mum. They won't mind hearing about this through a letter. They'd tell him."

"Do that, then." Harry nodded.

"We should go back to the common room before we're missed." Hermione was looking around nervously as if Professor Snape and Dr Ravenclaw were going to burst in at any moment.

"Hermione's right." Harry nodded. "Let's get back. You can write your letter there. No one will bother you."

Everyone nodded and followed Fred and George as they led the way to Gryffindor Tower; giving a commentary for Lucy and Jasmine all the way.

**********

The common room was still quite busy but the majority of the students had apparently decided to go to bed early.

The group settled themselves at a table and soon the three Weasley brothers were busy writing to their mother. It was a difficult letter to write, even with Hermione's help.

After about half an hour, Lucy bade everyone goodnight and made her way to the sixth-year girls dormitory.

A couple of minutes later, Ginny came down to help with the letter writing. Evidently she had bumped into Lucy on her way to bed and decided that her input was necessary.

Harry sat near the fire watching the Weasleys and Hermione try and word what must be a very awkward letter. He turned round in his chair to look at Jasmine.

After Lucy had gone to bed she had stood up and had now taken to pacing up and down the common room.

Harry couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Today must have been very stressful. Not only had she been starting a new school, she had been sorted into essentially the 'wrong' House and to top it off her mother was having an affair.

"Nice," thought Harry.

He stood up and quietly made his way over to the pacing girl. Checking that the others hadn't noticed him, he gently tapped Jasmine on the shoulder.

She jumped and let out a small squeak of surprise.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I was just- I just thought I'd check-"

"I'm fine," she answered too quickly.

"I doubt that." Harry attempted to smile. "Today must have been a bit-"

"I'm fine," she repeated, attempting to blow a piece of hair out of her face.

Harry frowned, realising he was getting nowhere.

"Err, you know before, you said you'd had a tour?" Harry asked. "Well, would you like another one? I can show you ways around Hogwarts which usually take people ages to find."

Jasmine looked him up and down slowly. "No," she said finally. She reached up to move the offending piece of hair out of her face. Her hand was shaking like a leaf.

Harry looked from her hands to her face. "Are you sure you're all right?"

Jasmine took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. "I told you before, I'm fine."

"Oh." Harry was taken aback. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Jasmine shot him a look which Harry could have swore was almost a sneer.

Why was she being like this? Had the sorting really been that bad? Had she been that opposed to being a Gryffindor? Harry tried again.

"I just thought that today might have stressed you out."

This time Harry was sure Jasmine sneered at him. It was remarkable how much she looked like Draco Malfoy. The lively green eyes of the Hall were gone. Staring back at him were cold eyes.

"I'm fine. I don't need your help or your sympathy." Jasmine spat out in a whisper. She walked past Harry, almost colliding with him. "I can look after myself."

With a final sneer Jasmine walked over to where the Weasleys and Hermione were sat and began to help them write the letters.

**********

Weeks passed with no mention of any of the Ravenclaws in the Daily Prophet. Everyone was taking this as a good sign and even the rumours around school had died down.

Ron, Fred, George and Ginny had written to Mr and Mrs Weasley telling them everything about what had happened. Mrs Weasley had sent a letter back saying it didn't surprise her but that she'd try and sort things out.

Lucy had written to her Mum and had also spoken to her Dad, Professor Rowl, about it. He'd seemed angry and said he'd have a word with Dr Ravenclaw.

And Jasmine had written to her sister, Vanora, and her brother, Kean. They'd both written back saying they planned to tell Mr Ravenclaw together.

That, however, had been the last any of the Gryffindors had heard on the subject. No more letters had come back to any of them, Professor Rowl hadn't spoken to them, not even Dr Ravenclaw had approached Jasmine about the matter.

It had been a good few weeks and now all of Hogwarts was preparing for Halloween, the announcement of the fifth-year prefects, and the first Hogsmeade trip of the year.

"Cheer up, Harry." Ron grinned at him in Transfiguration on Monday afternoon. "We've got Professor Lupin next and you know last week he promised us a treat."

Ron was practically bouncing in his seat at the thought of his next lesson.

Professor Lupin's mood had improved since the night of the second sorting. Even through the full moon last week he had remained quite cheerful and surprisingly lively. Normally the full moon drained him terribly and he looked the worse for wear afterwards. However this month he looked, well, better. He hadn't lost any weight and Harry could have sworn he had fewer grey hairs.

~~~~~

The week before, during Defence Against the Dark Arts, Professor Lupin had held his hands up at the end of the class.

"Can I have your attention please?" he called to the children, who one by one fell silent.

"Thank you. Now I realise we've had a mix of both theory and practical lessons regarding Dark Creatures, however, next week I hope to have something a little different for you."

The class hummed with excitement.

"Now please, understand that I can make no promises, but hopefully I'll have something very special for you. Something that will not only be informative and helpful towards your O.W.L.S but will also be a lot of fun." He smiled at them.

They had left that lesson whispering and wondering. The whole of their year was talking about what Lupin had planned for the Hogwarts fifth years.

~~~~~

"Now I want at least a roll of parchment on this." McGonagall's voice broke into Harry's daydream. "And no, Mr Longbottom, you may not refer to the textbook. This is to gauge how much you've taken into your memories. And it will help with your revision."

"Revision," Seamus muttered. "We're only in October and the exams aren't until May at the earliest. I've not even thought about revision yet."

"Who has?" Dean laughed.

The five boys from Harry's dorm room turned and glanced quickly at Hermione.

Neville chuckled. "Three guesses."

The boys packed their things away and started the walk to their final lesson. Harry looked back to check where Hermione was, but as usual she was getting notes about the homework from Professor McGonagall.

The excitement and anticipation were reaching fever pitch as they arrived at Lupin's classroom.

"Come in, come in." He greeted them all at the door. "Sit down."

The class rushed in and found their usual seats, before Lupin shut the door and walked to the front of the class.

"Now, last week I promised to have a little surprise lined up for you." Lupin smiled slyly at the room full of children. "And, I have not disappointed you."

A few small cries of "Yes!" and "Cool." came from the class.

"On Friday we will be going on a class trip." Lupin was forced to stop for a moment while the classroom filled with noises of excitement. "Your year as well as the students in the year above you who are studying Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts will be joining Professor Rowl, Madam Hooch, Madam Pomfrey, Hagrid and me. We will be going to study some River Trolls in their natural environment. We will leave Hogwarts on Friday afternoon and return on Sunday night. Are there any questions? Yes, Hermione?"

Hermione lowered her hand which had shot up as soon as Lupin had asked for questions.

"What will we need to bring with us?"

"An excellent question, Hermione." Lupin turned to the blackboard and wrote as he spoke. "Please copy this down. You will need to bring with you two extra sets of warm clothes, for Saturday and Sunday. No, they don't have to be your school robes.

"You will also need to bring with you something to write on and something to write with, there will be note taking and exercises to do.

"Oh, as we'll be staying for two nights, warm night clothes are advised as well as toothbrushes, hair brushes and anything else you might need to make yourselves presentable in the morning. But please be reasonable, you will have to carry your own things and will only be allowed one bag."

The class laughed quietly as they copied the list down.