The Outcasts Of Hogwarts

Chapter 10 The 30th September

From the moment Amaris had woken up that morning, she had known it was going to be a bad day. Her bones had ached with every step on the long walk down to the great hall and she knew it was only going to get worse. But she didn't let it show. She couldn't.

After struggling down some breakfast while the others chatted around her, she headed off to her lesson with Dumbledore, which was potions.

"Are you quite alright Miss Lovec?" Dumbledore asked for what must have been the dozenth time. Amaris looked up to meet his concerned eyes piercing into her from behind his desk. She'd zoned out again, she just hoped her face hadn't slipped into showing her pain.

"I'm just a bit tired," she responded, hopefully convincingly, "I'm sorry, I'm trying to focus but I think I did it wrong again, the fumes are making me sleepy." This, technically, wasn't a lie. In front of her was a cauldron full of a purple bubbling concoction, that was emitting a thick yellow cloud of smoke which made her eyelids feel heavy.

Her teacher got up from his desk to observe her progress. The potion was supposed to cure black spots on plants and was the easiest one in the book but even after several tries to get it right, she was yet to be successful. It was stupid, all she had to do was read the instructions and carry them out but it was like the ingredients were purposefully doing the opposite of what they were supposed to. She let out a sigh in frustration, then tried not to wince as a pulse of pain shot through her. 

"Potions isn't really your thing, is it?" Dumbledore gave the potion a concerned look. He took out his wand and waved it over the cauldron, causing a large droplet of the contents to rise slowly and drift over to a pot plant on the desk. With another flick of his wand, he let the potion fall. There was a puff of smoke and once it had cleared, the plant had been replaced with a pile of round biscuits filled with jam (jammie dodgers to us muggles).

With a chuckle, Dumbledore picked up one of the biscuits and gave it an experimental sniff. "Well I have to say, it takes talent to get a result this far from the target." He took a bite then pulled a face, "though I think you might have filled them with salt rather than sugar."

He turned to Amaris, a smile on his face, to find her staring blankly into the cauldron, her eyes glazed over. He put down the biscuit and turned Amaris to look at him, snapping her out of her thoughts again. "I do know what this is all about."

He knows! How? Amaris felt her heartbeat quicken and she tried her hardest not to let her panic show in her face. But his eyes seemed to be searching her soul. Of course, he does, he's Dumbledore. 

"It's because of your father," stated Dumbledore, taking Amaris by surprise, "I've read the report from his trial and I understand that you and the ones you consider family suffered because of the potions and sliders he created."

Amaris dropped her head to hide her relief. As much as she hadn't wanted the truth of Dumbledore's words to be spoken, at least it meant her real secret was still hidden.

Dumbledore continued, "But it is a requirement that every student learns at least the basics in Potions. That being said, I think we've done enough for today. Go and get an early lunch."

Amaris looked up, this time showing her relief. She thanked her teacher then quickly tidied away her things. Leaving the room as quickly as possible, she counted herself lucky that she only had Dumbledore in the morning that day. She didn't think she could have lasted much longer with those light blue eyes watching her every move.

Unable to face lunch in the busyness of the great hall, she headed outside into the crisp autumn air. She headed towards a willow tree by the edge of the black lake where it's low hanging branches protected her from the wind as well as obscure her from view. As she sat down, she tried not to grimace. Safe from watching eyes, Pachua grew in size and wrapped himself around her and she managed a giggle, his feathers tickling her skin.