Chapter Four: Buzzing Humbugs
Chapter 4 of 4
MMADfanSuzie hears more Slytherin gossip, gets to know more members of Slytherin House, and has reason to worry about her Head of House.
Warning: Spoilers for Death’s Dominion and A Long Vernal Season.
Chapter Four: Buzzing Humbugs
Tuesday, 1 September 1998
The next morning, Suzie woke before the Charmed globe lit itself. She still wasn't sure how the Automagical candles worked, so she lay there in the near pitch-black darkness, the only light coming from the crack at the bottom of the door. She hadn't slept well. First, one of the other girls...Beryl Burbage, Suzie thought...had cried into her pillow behind her curtains until she fell asleep. Suzie felt sorry for her, but it made her think about her own home, her own bed, her own toys, dolls, music, bicycle, and everything else she was missing, especially her mother and father. She lay awake trying to think instead about the adventures ahead of her and not about the pit in her stomach, caused this time not by nausea, but by homesickness. Then sometime in the middle of the night, after she had finally fallen asleep, one of the other girls had gotten up and stumbled around in the dark, gone to the loo, leaving the bedroom door open so she could easily find the right door again, and then come back a few minutes later to climb back into bed. The light from the corridor had succeeded in thoroughly waking Suzie, though, and she could see the advantage to pulling her curtains around her bed as three of the other girls had.
The minutes and seconds seemed to creep by, and then the globe began to glow gently, gradually becoming brighter. Suzie swung her legs out of bed, grabbed the clothes that she had set out the night before, and shuffled off to the bathroom. She didn't want to wait in a queue to wash her face and brush her teeth. She hadn't had a shower the night before, but she decided that would have to wait until that night, since she didn't know when the prefects would be by to bring them up to breakfast.
It was chilly in the dungeons in the morning, and as soon as she'd washed her face, Suzie quickly pulled on the clothes she'd selected: black jeans, a green blouse with ruffles at the cuffs, and a grey zippered sweatshirt. She made sure that her green ruffles were neatly pulled out from the grey sweatshirt's sleeves. It wasn't layers of black, but it would do. Back in the bedroom, she pulled the bedclothes up, straightened the pillow, and then sat on the edge of her bed to pull on her black trainers. They were new and had cool velcro tabs instead of laces. She had a pair of white ones with cute, colourful little bugs on them, but she thought the black ones were more grown-up and Slytherin-looking.
Beryl, Xenia, Lida, and Mary were all moving around, rummaging through their bags and trunks, finding clothes to wear. They seemed still half-asleep, so Suzie picked up her knapsack, which she'd readied the night before on Perpetua's advice, and looked through it to make sure she had everything she needed. Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Potions, and History of Magic textbooks, and the first two Defence textbooks; dragonhide gloves for Herbology; three pens, a fat notebook, several sheets of parchment in a neat folder, and two quills and a bottle of ink. At home, she'd practised writing with a quill, but it gave her writer's cramp, and she still preferred her pens. Since everyone else would be using quills, she'd try using them, too. There might be other Muggle-borns in her classes, though, and they might use pens. She assumed that she wouldn't need anything for Astronomy, which everyone at the feast had confirmed was only taught after dark. Her wand was on her bedside table, and she'd put it in her wand pocket after she put on her school robe.
Suzie opened the drawer to her bedside table and considered the contents...the sweets remaining from the train ride the day before...but decided to save them for later and not put any in her book bag.
She was just pulling on her school robe...now with a Slytherin patch on it, somehow magically appearing overnight...when Ursula, Elizabeth, and Perpetua came in, knocking as they opened the door.
"Okay, you lot! Breakfast! Come on! Don't want to be late! You get your schedules this morning, too, so you need to be prepared to go straight to class from the Great Hall," Ursula said. "Got your wands? Come on, Beryl, get your shoes on!"
"I haven't been to the loo yet," Lida whined, her hairbrush in one hand and her left shoe in the other. Her pleated tartan skirt was askew, too.
"Well, hurry up! Elizabeth, you stay here with the slowcoaches. Anyone who's ready, come with me and Perpetua now, all right!"
Suzie shoved her wand into her wand pocket, smiling again at its warmth, and followed Mary and Xenia out with Ursula and Perpetua. They met the first-year boys in the company of the other wizards. Suzie smiled at Asghar and noted that Marion seemed to be having the same trouble getting started that Lida and Beryl were having, since he and Kevin Harper were both missing. Together, the eleven students trooped up to the ground floor and the Great Hall, where students were already eating and talking noisily.
As Suzie waved across the Hall at Toni, who smiled and waved back, she saw Professor Snape walking along the edge of the room, heading toward the back of the Hall. Remembering what Perpetua had said to her the night before, Suzie watched him carefully. She didn't know what Professor Snape usually looked like, but he looked fine to her now, standing tall and walking with purpose, his black robe sweeping behind him dramatically. Perhaps he was a bit pale, and there were dark circles under his eyes, but he no doubt had cares and worries that weighed him down. He didn't proceed to the staff table, as Suzie had expected he would, though, but opened a small door, disappearing behind it.
Suzie shrugged to herself and settled down to eat. She reached for the box of cereal making its way down the table, deciding to be careful of what she ate that morning, as Madam Pomfrey had recommended. There was a pitcher of pumpkin juice making the rounds, but she'd tried it last night and thought it was pretty gruesome. Instead, she poured herself a mug of tea and put a lot of milk in it. A breakfast like she had every day at home couldn't be bad for her, she thought, missing with a sudden twinge the sound of her mother's singing as she juiced some fresh fruit or pulled some homemade muffins from the oven. Suzie swallowed hard and ate her corn flakes.
Suzie was just finishing her breakfast when Professor Snape reappeared, stared out across the room, then strode toward the main doors and left the Hall. Suzie hoped he'd had breakfast. Her mother always said it was a mistake to go without breakfast, though her father only ever had coffee, waiting a couple hours before he had something to eat. Maybe Professor Snape was like her father that way, and he'd have an egg and cheese sandwich halfway through the morning.
The morning went by more quickly than Suzie could have thought possible, with Charms and Double Transfiguration taking the entire morning. In the afternoon, she would have Herbology, History of Magic, and Potions; the next morning, it would be Charms and Transfiguration again, with Defence added, but only Potions and Herbology in the afternoon. She was really looking forward to Potions. She knew she could make a better impression on Professor Snape. Of course, anything would be an improvement after having thrown up on him the evening before.
Slytherin first-years took Charms with Ravenclaw, and Suzie had immediately run over and given Toni a hug, feeling as though she was seeing an old friend. Toni was too surprised to reciprocate, but she grinned happily and the two girls had sat next to each other. They would also have Astronomy and History together, and they each promised to save the other a place, whoever arrived first.
At lunch, the Slytherin table was full of whispered rumours. It seemed that half the staff was missing from the Great Hall that noon, and someone said that Professor Snape was dying. Suzie was alarmed. Perpetua had been right: Professor Snape was ill.
"He's not dying," Kevin Harper said authoritatively. "He was taken sick during our class, but a house-elf appeared and Disapparated with him. I fetched Professor Dumbledore...he had me take over his third-year class...and Dumbledore said he was going straight to the infirmary. That must be where the house-elf brought him."
"But why are so many other teachers missing, then?" Lettie Pepper asked, gesturing toward the staff table. The only Head of House present was Sharon Carter, the new Head of Gryffindor. "I was there, remember?! I saw him...it was dreadful." She blinked hard, trying not to cry.
"Pull yourself together, Lettie," Perpetua said. "I was there, too. He wasn't dead. He was having a seizure of some sort. I'm sure the teachers are all doing whatever they need to in order to help Madam Pomfrey and the Headmistress with their work. It's not exactly routine to have the Deputy Headmaster collapse on the first day of school."
Suzie swallowed hard and nibbled at her cheese sandwich, listening to the older students debate what might have been wrong with their Head of House. She noticed that even in this discussion, Perpetua didn't mention that they'd seen the school matron in the dungeons with a basket of potions the night before. She guessed that was Slytherin discretion. Knowing that Professor Snape had likely been sick the night before, as well, only increased Suzie's worry rather than lessening it. She didn't understand what he was doing, teaching when he was sick, especially if the matron knew he was ill. It was probably because he was a hero, she decided, and he simply did his duty no matter how he felt. She would have to take him as her example. After all, Professor Hagrid did say that he was the greatest Head of Slytherin in history. On the other hand, Professor Hagrid had also implied that Professor Snape didn't have much fun. Suzie didn't think she'd emulate him in that way. Maybe once he was feeling better, he could have more fun. She really had to read How the Light Side Won and find out what Professor Snape had done that made him such a great hero...besides almost dying.
Suzie had time before her next class, and she didn't feel like listening to more speculation about Professor Snape's condition and whether he had been the victim of a new curse or whether he'd just never completely recovered from his injuries of the previous May. She picked up her book bag and slung it over her shoulder. Lida, a few seats down, got up and followed her out to the entry hall.
"Want to sit on the front steps?" Suzie asked. "We've seen hardly anything of the grounds."
Lida nodded. "Okay. That's a good idea. Herbology should be fun. It's out in the greenhouses. And now that Potions was cancelled, we have some time free after History of Magic. We could take a walk before Herbology."
Suzie nodded, grabbing one of the door handles and pulling with both hands.
"Allow me."
Suzie turned her head. A tall, slim, blond-haired Slytherin stood behind them with his wand drawn. Suzie let go of the door handle, then jumped out of the way when the door opened. The slim wizard's grey eyes sparkled for a moment as he took in Suzie's delight.
"Thanks! That was great!" Suzie said.
"No problem."
"This is Lida Shelby, and I'm Suzie Sefton."
"I know. I believe that everyone has heard of Suzie Sefton, the witch who lost her lunch all over Severus Snape." The grey eyes glinted with a touch of humour for a moment, then it was gone again.
"And you are . . .?"
"Draco."
"Wow! Draco! That's gotta be the coolest name ever!"
Draco followed Lida and Suzie out the front doors and leaned against one of the large stone dragons that flanked the steps.
"You're Draco Malfoy," Lida said.
Draco twitched his shoulder.
"So, is 'Draco' like dragon?" Suzie asked, pointing at the dragon. "Like in 'Draco dormiens numquam titillandus'?" She had carefully memorised the school's motto, which had been at the top of her Hogwarts letter.
"Yeah, it is. These dragons are new, though," he said, slapping the side of one. "Guess the steps were damaged, so they put these in when they fixed them." The wizard's grey eyes clouded over for a moment. "There's another new one over the gates, with that motto you just quoted."
"You must know Professor Snape really well," Suzie said, having noted that this must be the Malfoy everyone had spoken of, and wanting to get to know him better but without sounding like she was being nosy.
"He wasn't at school last year," Lida interrupted.
"But you're older, right?" Suzie asked, ignoring Lida. She didn't want Draco to become annoyed and leave. "I mean, you were a student here before that?"
"Yes. I returned for my seventh year." He paused, considering the little dark-haired witch in front of him. "I had to leave before the end of my sixth year. Family business."
Suzie nodded. "I see. It's good you could come back and finish school!"
Draco twitched a slight smile and looked out across the grounds to where some other students were throwing around a funny looking ball. Suzie thought he looked sad.
"Do you think Potions will be cancelled tomorrow, too?" Lida asked.
Draco shook his head. "They'll find someone else to take it if Professor Snape is still ill. A couple years ago, when Professor Dumbledore was still Headmaster, he taught Transfiguration when Professor McGonagall was sick. I don't think the Headmistress could teach Potions, but she could probably get someone else to. I think her brother's a Potions master."
"Yeah, he is," Lida said importantly, obviously glad to show off some of her own knowledge. "My brother is doing his apprenticeship with him. He told me how Mr McGonagall blew up his own apothecary to fool Riddle. Lawrence didn't know he was going to do it, but Mr McGonagall sent him to visit us for the weekend, and that's when he exploded the shop, and with him and his wife in it, too. They weren't hurt very much, but the apothecary was a complete wreck."
"He blew up his own business?" Suzie asked. What kind of war was this?
"Yeah, Riddle was going to do all these attacks in Diagon Alley and McTavish Street, and of course, the Order of the Phoenix couldn't let everyone know they knew about it, but they did, probably because of Professor Snape...the Daily Prophet didn't say so, and my brother didn't know, but you know it had to be Professor Snape who gave the warning...anyway, the Order of the Phoenix did what they could to close businesses and stuff so that fewer people would get hurt when the Death Eaters attacked. Mr McGonagall is the Headmistress's brother, and since she was practically running the Order of the Phoenix...they say it was Arthur Weasley, but really, a Weasley?"
"The Weasleys are an old wizarding family," Draco interrupted. "They have always been in the Order of the Phoenix. I wasn't in the Order, but from what I understand from the papers, the Headmistress ran everything here at Hogwarts and was in charge of, well, the spy operation, and Arthur Weasley was the Head of the Order after Dumbledore . . . supposedly died. Weasley was one of the first out those doors during the final battle...well, not those doors, those are new."
"You weren't even here, Malfoy," a voice came from behind them. It was Patterson, the one who had made the crack the night before in the common room.
"I wasn't either," Suzie said, turning to look up at Patterson. She didn't see any reason not to like Draco, but Patterson annoyed her. She looked at his hands. No ring. Maybe he just wasn't wearing his. But maybe he didn't have one. "Did you actually see the battle? Were you there?"
"Well . . ." Patterson blushed and looked away.
Draco smirked and gave Suzie an appraising glance.
"Do you think that Professor Snape will be okay?" Lida asked no one in particular.
"I do. He's got to be," Suzie said fervently. "Madam Pomfrey's probably giving him potions and he'll be at dinner tonight."
"I wouldn't count on that," Patterson said, coming down to sit beside the girls and leaning back on his elbows, stretching his long legs. "You don't fall down in a fit because you have a cold...or an upset stomach."
"I think he'll recover," Draco said, still leaning against the dragon, "but he didn't look well last night. I hadn't seen him in over a year, and I've never seen him looking like that."
"He looked even worse at the end of last year, Malfoy," Patterson said. "And I mean, that was before he was almost killed by the Dark Lord."
"Riddle," Draco said softly. "Call him by his right name, Patterson."
"Yeah, well . . . I guess you're right," Patterson said, sounding subdued. "Professor Snape didn't look very good last night, either."
"He didn't eat dinner, I noticed, or breakfast," Draco said. "But I still think he'll be all right. I've known him my whole life. He's Snape. He's Slytherin. He's strong. He's made it through everything else. He'll make it through this, too."
"And he's being taken good care of, right?" Suzie asked. "I mean, it's not like he collapsed when he was all by himself somewhere."
"Right, here's the best place to be sick, outside of St. Mungo's," Patterson said with a nod. He pulled a small white bag from his robe pocket and took a sweet from it. He popped it in his mouth. "Want one? Droobleberry-flavoured buzzing humbugs." He held the bag out to the others, and Lida took one. She giggled as it buzzed in her mouth.
"Malfoy?"
Draco took one and put it in his cheek. Suzie laughed as his cheek vibrated, and Draco winked at her. Patterson offered her the bag. Suzie shrugged. She'd hardly had any lunch, and she'd been good at breakfast. Regular Muggle mint humbugs had never made her sick. Her stomach felt fine. Just one wouldn't hurt. She took out one of the stripy green and purple humbugs and put it in her mouth. As soon as it touched her tongue, it began to buzz, and she burst into giggles.
"They buzz till you get to the centre, unless you bite them. It's better to suck them," Lida explained.
"You're a Muggle-born?" Patterson asked.
Suzie nodded, sucking on the humbug. She'd have to get more of these somehow.
"I thought there was something . . . um, different, about you," Patterson said, one eyebrow raised.
"Her excitement at an opened door was my first clue," Draco said with a good-natured grin. Suzie liked Draco.
Patterson laughed. "Oh, yeah, that's some amazing spell. Have to be careful how you use your wand in the beginning, Sefton, or it'll explode on you, and they don't let you get another one for a whole year. Don't go trying anything dangerous with it, like opening doors...or bottles of butterbeer!"
Lida giggled, but Suzie's eyes widened. Her wand could explode?
"Don't listen to Patterson. He's just an old gas basket. Always has been," Draco said. "It'd be really hard to blow up your own wand just by using it. Probably impossible."
"Oh, good," Suzie said, clearly relieved. She couldn't imagine trying to find another wand if hers exploded. It had taken long enough to find one the first time.
"Time to get back in...Defence next," Patterson said, standing. "Are you taking Defence, Malfoy?"
Draco shook his head. "I'll make sure these two find their next class. What's your next class?" he asked, turning to the girls.
"History of Magic," Lida said.
"The book looked really interesting," Suzie said. Her humbug wasn't buzzing as much. She must be almost to the centre.
Draco and Patterson exchanged looks.
"You want to tell them the bad news about Cahill, Malfoy? Or should we let them discover the grisly truth on their own?"
"They'll discover it two seconds after class starts," Draco said, flicking his wand and opening the front doors.
"He's not very good?" Lida asked.
"Let me put it this way," Draco said. "Our last History teacher was dead; this one makes you wish you were. Binns was a ghostly bore; Cahill's a ghastly one."
Suzie giggled, and Draco shot her a quick grin.
"I'm dropping it," Patterson said as they stepped back into the castle. "You two don't have that luxury, though. You have to take it through your OWLs. With any luck, he won't last that long."
Suzie had reached the centre of her humbug, and the Droobleberry flavour was intense, like a combination of elderberry and under-ripe plum. It was nice, but . . .
"I think I'm going to be sick!" That seemed to be her embarrassing new mantra, she thought desperately.
"The nearest girls' loo is..." Draco began. "Well, it's moot now, I suppose." He swished his wand, cleaning up the entry hall floor.
"I'm so sorry," Suzie said, tears rising in her eyes. She blinked them back. This was getting beyond embarrassing.
"Can you get to History on your own, Lida?" Draco asked.
"I'll drop her on my way to Defence," Patterson said.
"Come on, Suzie Sefton...or should I call you 'Suzie Sickly'?" Draco asked. "We'll go up to the infirmary, get you something."
"Thanks," Suzie mumbled. She'd been so careful at breakfast and lunch, too. How could she have been sick three times already? "I can go on my own, though. It's on the fourth floor." She'd already been there twice, after all.
"I want to see you get there all right without being sick again," Draco said, starting up the stairs with her. "Was it the humbug, do you think?"
"I don't know. I suppose so," Suzie said miserably. It seemed she couldn't eat anything new and fun.
"Some people are allergic to Droobleberries," Draco said. "My mother is." He looked around as if about to impart a deep, dark secret, then he whispered, "She doesn't just get sick to her stomach, though: she turns purple!"
Suzie giggled, and Draco smiled.
"There's other good flavours of buzzing humbugs," Draco continued. "You can try them and see how they are. If it was the buzzing that bothered you, you would have been sick sooner."
Draco knocked on the infirmary door and pulled it open. It seemed deserted. A house-elf popped into view.
"Can Strilpa help?"
"We're looking for Madam Pomfrey," Draco said.
"Madam Pomfrey be's busy." Strilpa looked over at Suzie. "Is an emergency?"
"Not really," Draco said. He put his hand on Suzie's shoulder and turned her around. "Let's go find someone else. You just need a tummy potion. Any of the teachers can probably help you there."
They walked down the corridor, then took a left into another broad hallway. At the end of the hall, Suzie could see a sign above a set of double doors.
"The library!" She had wondered where that was.
"You like libraries, too? This one's great, and we have a new librarian. Laura Walker Manning. She seems decent," Draco said.
He pushed on one of the doors, and it swung open easily.
"Madam Walker Manning?" Draco said politely.
The witch at the desk turned around and smiled. "Just 'Ms Walker Manning' is fine. Can I help you find something?"
"This is Suzie Sefton. She was sick. Again, that is," Draco said, obviously assuming that everyone in the school had heard that she'd thrown up all over the Deputy Headmaster. "Madam Pomfrey is busy. I thought perhaps..."
"Of course!" She looked around. "I can leave for a few minutes."
The three stepped out into the hall.
"You can leave her with me," Ms Manning said.
"That's okay. I can get her to her class after," Draco said. "I think it was the Droobleberry-flavoured buzzing humbug Patterson gave her. She seemed fine till she got to the centre."
"Just a buzzing humbug? Not something from the Weasleys' shop?" Ms Manning asked.
"Yes, just a buzzing humbug. I had one, too," Draco replied.
They returned to the infirmary, where Strilpa reappeared and again offered her help. This time, Ms Walker Manning asked her to open the Potions cabinet for her, which the little elf did with alacrity.
"Everybody's going to hear about this, I know it," Suzie said miserably, slouching into a chair. "I'll spend as much time in the infirmary as in the Great Hall. Everybody will talk about it, how Suzie Sefton came to Hogwarts and threw up everywhere she went, including on Professor Snape." She blinked hard, trying not to cry. She hoped she hadn't made Professor Snape sicker than he already was.
Draco sat down next to Suzie and patted her shoulder awkwardly. "Don't worry about that. I'm sure that they'll find other things to talk about. It'll be okay."
In a moment, Laura Walker Manning returned to Draco and Suzie with a bottle of potion and a spoon.
"This is the same potion that I used to give my own daughter when she was small," Laura said. "It should fix you right up!"
Suzie obediently opened her mouth for the potion. She swallowed it, and nausea swept over her again. Before she could give any warning, she threw up, losing the rest of her lunch all over Draco. It was purple.
"I'm so sorry," Suzie wailed.
Draco lifted his arms slightly, looking down at the mess, but before he could draw his wand, Ms Walker Manning had hers out, and she cast two charms, one to Vanish the vomit and one to freshen him up.
"Let's try this again," the witch said, pouring out another dose of potion. "That sometimes happens. A second dose should do the trick."
Suzie swallowed the potion, and this time, she nodded. "Better," she said.
"Good. Now I have to get back to the library. Could you sit with Miss Sefton for a while, Mr...?"
"Draco Malfoy," Draco said. "Yeah, I can. Then I'll get her to class, like I said. I'll explain to Professor Cahill why she's late."
"Oh . . . History of Magic, is it? Well, take your time," Ms Walker Manning said. "I'm sure you can get the notes from someone else in class, Miss Sefton...and remember, just because an older student offers you a sweet doesn't mean you have to take one!"
When the witch had left, Suzie looked up at Draco, who was staring across the empty infirmary.
"Thanks, Draco."
He blinked and looked down at her. "What? Oh, yes. You're welcome."
"Is something wrong?"
"I'm just wondering where everyone is." He gestured at the empty infirmary. "Even if they had Professor Snape in a private room with an Imperturbable on it . . . there'd be some kind of activity. People in and out of the room. Lamps lit in the ward. They must have taken him somewhere else. St. Mungo's, maybe."
"What's St. Mungo's?"
"Wizarding hospital in London. There are a few other wizarding clinics, but St. Mungo's is the big hospital."
"Is that where they took him after he was bitten by that snake, Nagini?" Suzie asked.
Draco shook his head. "I don't think so. I wasn't in the country at the time, but I think they treated him here."
"Where were you? You said you were away for a year?"
"A little more than a year . . . my mother and I were in Sweden."
Suzie thought about that, and she remembered what Lettie had said about him having "run away." "Can I ask . . . why were you and your mother in Sweden?"
"Lucius Malfoy...my father...made some ill-advised decisions. Tom Riddle . . . it would have been bad for us. I wasn't as worried for myself, understand, but my mother . . ." Draco averted his eyes.
"Your father was in the Order of the Phoenix?" Suzie asked.
Draco flushed. He shook his head shortly. "He, um, he was one of Riddle's followers," Draco said softly. He looked over at her. "You'll hear about it anyway, one way or the other. He was in Azkaban prison. He was a Death Eater. I was supposed to become one, too. Riddle blamed him for something that went wrong, a raid on the Ministry, and then when Riddle wanted a job done, he wanted me to do it. A kind of . . . payment for my father's failure. He had my mother prisoner, too, you see, or virtually one."
"So of course you'd want to save your mother!" Suzie cried sympathetically.
"Yeah . . . I did." Draco let out a light sigh. "Anyway, after they'd faked Dumbledore's death, the Headmistress came to me. Had me brought to her, actually. By Snape. She helped my mother and me leave the country. They set us up in a house in Sweden until it was safe to return."
Suzie had the sense there was a lot more that Draco wasn't saying, but he was clearly uncomfortable talking about it at all.
"I'm glad the Headmistress could help you and your mother," Suzie said.
Draco nodded curtly. "So you see, Sefton, Slytherin House has far more interesting things to gossip about than your stomach and its tendency to turn at inconvenient moments." He smirked. "Not that I suppose there are convenient moments for such things."
Suzie giggled.
Draco stood. "Okay, c'mon little snakeling, let's get you down to Cahill's class. We've delayed as long as we can. And whilst you're sitting there being bored in the extreme, remember: what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger."
"Did Nagini make Professor Snape stronger?" Suzie asked as they stepped out into the deserted corridor.
Draco paused and looked down at her, his grey eyes unreadable. "I suppose she must have," he said softly. "We'll certainly see, won't we?"
~End~
Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this little "sister story" to A Long Vernal Season and the additional glimpse of Suzie Sefton, her introduction to the wizarding world, and her first encounter with Severus Snape. Thanks!
(And yes, to those wondering, Draco paraphrases the Muggle philosopher Nietzsche there, but naturally, he doesn't know it.)
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Latest 25 Reviews for The Sorting of Suzie Sefton
42 Reviews | 7.86/10 Average
This is utterly adorable. I loved seeing Slytherin and Snape through Suzie's enthusiastic eyes; it's such a pleasant change from the Gryffindor-centric novels! I love Snape's speech to his students and also Draco's responses to Suzie. I liked the implied sense that although Draco is kind to Suzie, he hasn't been defanged (if you'll pardon the pun) as he isn't afraid to put Patterson in his place.I enjoyed your writing style and am eager to read Death's Dominion and it's sequel now.
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
Thanks very much,
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
! I think/hope you'll enjoy both Death's Dominion and A Long Vernal Season. You'll see some of Draco in both of those -- and nope, not defanged, but a far more thoughtful Draco emerges.I enjoyed envisioning Slytherin though Suzie's eyes -- naive, innocent, but still very-sharp eyes for an eleven-year-old -- and imagining it from the inside rather than from the Gryffindor POV, as you say.Thank you for reviewing! I appreciate it! :-)
Interesting seeing Slytherin and Draco through innocent eyes. It sets things up for her crush on Professor Snape. The scene in LVS where she tried to get him to dance with her and he blames fallen arches was a hoot.I still think she has a great future.
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
I'm glad you see a great future for her! :)Glad you liked that little scene between Suzie and Snape at the Halloween party. Yes, Snape's fallen arches -- haha!Thanks!
A stranger in a strange land. With really good food and a dicky tummy. One day, students of Slytherin will talk about the legendary Suzie, The Hurler. The Muggleborn who changed Slytherin House forever and went on to do great things in the wizarding world.
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
"Suzie, the Hurler"! haha! Yep, hurling here, hurling there, Suzie hurls everywhere!Glad you liked it!
What an auspicious introduction to Hogwarts. Suzie will certainly be remembered for hurling on the fearsome Professor Snape.And that he didn't AK her for it.
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
What a way to make a name for yourself! LOL!Good thing that Severus decided to not frighten the firsties and exercised some restraint!Thanks for reviewing!
Fwooper tail feather? Monkey pod wood?A most auspicious introduction to the wizarding world.
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
The Fwooper is one of my favorite HP universe critters. Such a funny concept! Glad you liked it! Thanks!
This was a fantastic little story. I loved being able to see events through suzie's eyes. She's so full of wonder and excitement, even a touch of apprehension, but it's all thrilling to her. Draco is really showing promise as a reformed Slytherin. There was a time when his sneer could chill even the warmest of hearts. Now, especially towards Suzie, he seems to actually have a heart of his own. Brlliant job with the story!!!
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
Thanks! I'm really glad you liked little Suzie's view of Hogwarts and the wizarding world.Draco's taking steps toward becoming his new self, and he's given himself the space to appreciate Suzie instead of just reacting to her out of some habitual response. I am sure his sneer is still lurking beneath the surface, but hopefully, it will be more selective in its target! lol!Thanks very much for reviewing!
Okay, I have to be honest with you: when I first began to read this story, I considered it only something I could read while (patiently, I swear!) awaiting your updates for 'A Long Vernal Season'... However, having said that, I have to confess that my attitude towards this story has changed dramatically over the course of the last few chapters. You are, to borrow a title from this and your other stories, Without Peer when it comes to engaging me, the reader, with your incredibly multi-dimensional original characters. I used to vehemently avoid stories with any mentions of OCs, but words cannot express how relieved I am that I made an exception, long ago, for your stories. And I know it sounds a bit snobby and, well, alright, downright awful that I avoided what could have been wonderful stories that included OCs, but before I read your work, everyone else's that I had read before you have only partially crafted a unique character – usually with great potential, but ultimately one that fell flat. (I include myself in this list.) But because of your innate talent and skill in writing, not only have I thoroughly enjoyed your work, and have since grown very close to your own original characters (and sometimes forget that they aren't canon), but have since opened my mind and enjoyed many other stories with OCs that I would have otherwise dismissed. So, thank you, so very much, for applying your gifted writing skills to this particular fandom, and for stripping the blinders off my eyes.I also want to tell you how refreshing this story is, not just because of your ability to draw me in to otherwise uncharted territory (for me) – but also to rediscover how I felt when I first read the first book of the HP series. All the wonder and awe that I shared with Harry as he discovered Hogwarts and the Wizarding world is now revisited, in a new light, as I explore with Suzie how new and magical the same world is, only under a new light, through a new perspective. I'm fascinated by the Slytherin House and how its members interact with one another, as before we've only really been given Harry's account, and just with Gryffindors – leaving us all to assume that something similiar happened in all the Houses. This is a unique and stimulating look at the HP universe that brings back all the excitement of discovering Hogwarts for the first time. I love this story, and fervently wish you continue it!
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
All right, embarrassing confession time: I actually got tears in my eyes when I read your review. Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm thinking of doing some more Suzie Sefton fics. I normally don't write stories about the students, but she was jumping up and down waving her hand -- and her wand -- begging to have a bit of her story told. I just might have to write another little story about her! I also don't usually write stories that focus on OCs, and partly because I know that "OC" in the list of characters can turn some readers away from a story, and having the primary character show up in the summary as an OC is a sure turn off for many people. However, I do like to think that I invest as much in my OCs as I do in the canon characters, in terms of figuring out psychology, motivations, background, etc., and I'm very glad you like them!Thank you again! And I'm very glad that you could feel some of the excitement that so many of us felt when we first started the HP series, and that you liked this view of Slytherin. I am especially glad, though, that it opened a new door for you and you've gone on to enjoy other stories that have OCs in them by other authors!
Response from KingPig (Reviewer)
Aaaw, thank you so much! I would love it if you do decide to write another Suzie Sefton story, as I also love to see her personal reflections of her Head of House, devoid (so far) of the biases of the past (and that was rampant within canon, being from HP's perspective). You are truly one of my favorite authors, so as long as you continue writing (especially about Severus, wink wink), I'm more than overjoyed!!
Nice ending: Not too fluffy, not depressing, but hopeful.I like the way Suzie worries about Professor Snape, just like she is concerned about her own future. It really is remarkable that she doesn't bother with other people's talk about Draco, but thinks he is interesting instead. And the way Draco is portayed is lovely.The whole story is just wonderful - that's about it.Well, then good luck for little Suzie "Sickly" Sefton.
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
Thank you,
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
! I'm glad you enjoyed it and felt it hit the right note at the end. Your kind words gave me a big smile!
I really like your version, where not every Slytherin ran for cover during the battle. Now I must read Long Vernal Season. Thanks for this charming, stand -alone OC piece. You've really added a lot of details of your own to canon.
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
Have you read Death's Dominion? That shows what happened in the battle with the Slytherins. chapter 29. Death's Dominion is a different sort of AU Yrs 6 & 7 fic, focussing on Severus & Hogwarts.Anyway, I'm glad that you enjoyed the story! I hope you enjoy Long Vernal Season, too! Thanks for reviewing!
This is so sweet. I suppose I am reading the stories in the wrong order, but I like this very much.
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
That's okay,
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
! There's no fanfic police around to force folk to read in any order! I'm just happy you're enjoying the little Suzie Sefton fic!Thanks for the review!
Such a charming tale so far! How like a kid, to blame her queasiness on "that last bean" rather than the fact she'd stuffed herself all day.
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
Oh, yes, that' last bean -- that's the culprit! LOL!Thanks for the review! Glad you're enjoying it!
Suzie cracks me up. Only she would be excited about taking potions after being sick yet again. She's truly a child of wonderment and excitement. hahaPatterson sounds like a right nasty git and I'm glad someone came back at him, not letting him stir up old wounds and gossip. Sorta reminds me of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle of old. lolAnd it looks like Suzie has made a friend in Slytherin House. That's good for her. I'm sure being a muggleborn in the noble house of Slytherin won't be easy. This is a fun little story and I'm really enjoying getting to know Suzie a little better.
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
Yeah, how exciting, to take potions after being sick! LOL!Patterson does have a big chip on his shoulder. And if some of his spite gets spewed in Draco's direction, we know what Draco was like to other students -- it might be interesting and instructive for him to be on the other end of things! Thanks! I'm very glad you're enjoying it!
Anonymous
Brilliant, wonderful chapter! I enjoyed myself very much and really can't say what I liked best - be it the way Suzie sees and experiences everything or the way she sees Slytherin House - great apporach!, be it Hagrid's talk, Snape's speech, the sorting... everything is just great reading stuff. I admire and love the way you let Snape appear here, so perfectly complementary to his appearance in LVS, giving his character drawn by you so much more depth and profoundness. The whole thing is just alive.
Your various vegetarian dishes or hints made my mouth water, by the way *g* - do you have proper recipies for the kidney been puree sandwich spread with the sultanas? Or the lentil pie? And if you happen to know a good Hummus recipie, too *laughs* I wonder whether you are going to insert in some chapter anyplace some musing about house-elves and their dealing with vegetarian food. Or food varieties in general... your chapter did add much bunny inspiration to my own musing aboug house-elves and cooking.
Author's Response: Actually, being a veg-head myself ;), I do have recipes for all those dishes. The kidney bean puree w/ sultanas (or raisins) is really good, though some people think it sounds odd. I'll try to get them typed up and send them to you. The lentil pie is actually quite a bit like Shepherd's pie, in that it's not really a "pie," but has mashed potatoes on top. It's quite yummy on a cold winter night . . . As to musings about food in general, and vegetarian food, there are some upcoming chapters in LVS where it is alluded to -- through Severus's eyes.
Digressions aside, I'm very glad you enjoyed the chapter! It's been a fun little side fic to write. Seeing the Sorting through Suzie's eyes really does give a different perspective, since she knows so little and doesn't come with a set of prejudicies -- for example, her interpretation of the fact that fewer students were being Sorted into Slytherin. She thinks it's lucky for her because there will be room for her by the time they get to the end of the alphabet, when the truth is, a lot of people were thinkg, "NOT Slytherin, NOT Slytherin!" LOL!
I had considered putting Severus's speech to Slytherin House in LVS, but somehow I couldn't quite make it flow right. In LVS, we only get his perspective of it after the fact, so it was interesting to be able to put it in here, but with Suzie not having a clue how sick Severus was and how he was barely holding it together -- yet he still managed to appear commanding. Of course, when he was closing his eyes, he was fighting a wave of vertigo, not some deep emotion, as Suzie imagined . . .
Anyway, thanks for the review! I'm really glad you enjoyed it!
Alcina vom Steinsberg's response: Yes, this bit about Severus' not feeling well came back to my mind very vividly in this scene, too.
I'm looking forward to the recipies! The pie sounds even better like this. I'll give you back my newly created somewhat indian lentil-pumpkin-stew, if you like. My house-elf husband finds it rather yummy.
“A Muggle-born witch in Slytherin, eh? Why not? Ambitious enough!”Oh, she certainly is ambitious, that one. Well, more determined and worried about making a good start.And Snape and all these tales about him practically made her want to be in Slytherin House - just like Draco made Harry want to be anything but a Slytherin. You've captured Suzie's feelings and thoughts really well, so that wanting to be in Slytherin just seems like the logical conclusion of it all - after all Snape "hadn’t even yelled at her when she’d thrown up on him". ;-) Additionally it's rather interesting to see Slytherin from a new point of view - from within. Especially the descriptions of the Slytherin areas of the castle are beautifully done and show exactly what little Suzie sees.
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
Thank you! Yes, Suzie's initial impressions of Slytherin were overwhelming, particularly at a point where she's filled with nervousness, excitement, and a sense of feeling not-quite-at-home. Latching onto Slytherin -- and Severus -- was a natural consequence for her.I'm glad that you enjoyed the descriptions of Slytherin. I really couldn't find a lot (canon) describing Slytherin from within, particularly the physical description of the common room and dormitories, so I just tried to immerse myself in Suzie's experience and let the images arise from that, if you know what I mean.Thanks for reviewing!
She wanted to be Slytherin because she met Snape. Awww...She must have a bit of a crush.
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
That's the general consensus, to Snape's chagrin! lol!Thanks for reviewing. Glad you liked it.
It's so cute how Suzie keeps worrying about being uncouth - such a funny thing for a little girl to worry about! I really enjoyed seeing the sorting from her POV, and I can see now how she developed such an enormous case of hero worship in such a short time.Also cute - her interpretation of Severus's eyebrow twitch as his way of smiling at her. LOL!Now I'm really looking forward to her meeting Draco, and how he comes to be her protector.
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
You know how little kids can latch on to something, well "couth" is Suzie's latest thing. lol!Yes, the eyebrow twitch. Suzie is very much a glass-half-full sort of girl, and willing to interpret things positively if she at all can! A bit different from her hero. ;DGlad you liked it! Thanks for reviewing!
I usually don't like original characters but Suzie is so likable. I like seeing a muggleborn actually want to be in Slytherin.
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
Thank you. I'm glad you like Suzie. She is one of the OCs from A Long Vernal Season, and I thought a little fic about her might be fun. I'm glad you're enjoying it.Thank you for reviewing!
Love the continuing story of Suzie :) it's very sweet and she's even more enjoyable as a character with her perspective at the fore. It's fun, also, to see Slytherin House from the inside, from a student perspective. Overall, it's a nice interlude and parallel to Vernal Season."its translucent-seeming green walls gleaming in their cool light."I really loved the alliteration and assonance in this sentence, and since it's rare to see that sort of thing in fanfiction, more or less, I had to comment on it X)
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
Thanks very much,
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
! I'm glad you're enjoying this little interlude and that you like Suzie's perspective.I'm glad you liked that sentence so well! :)Thanks for the review!
Anonymous
And another lovely chapter to this wonderful story! I really have difficulty telling what I liked best, though I suppose it's the vivid description of the last scene with Snape *rofl*. I'm not surpised she was sick after eating all this sweet stuff...
the "diet" part was truly interesting, too. It's high time for other dietary philosophies to show up in the wizarding world.
Alcina vom Steinsberg's response: Forgot - you get extra stars from me for all the lovely Snape lines... so perfectly described in this first impression the new students get... ;o)
Author's Response: Aww, thanks for the extra stars! lol! I'm glad you liked the "first impressions"!
As for the diets, I figure that if the population of Hogwarts draws from a wizarding world that in some way reflects the varying populations around the real world, there's gotta be some variations in diet and other kinds of cultural practices.
Thanks for the review!
hehe poor Severus. What an interesting start at a new school.Look forward to reading more :)
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
Yeah, and I'm sure that the way Severus is feeling at that point, it would have been tough for him to keep from tossing his cookies, himself, had it not been for little Twiskett! Phew!The next chapter will be up soon! Thanks for the review!
That was quite a journey. She sounds like a nervous eater. No wonder she was sick.
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
She's not exactly a nervous eater -- though maybe a bored one! She just wanted to try everything, since it was all new to her, and as she says, her parents don't believe in sweets, so she doesn't often eat Muggle sweets, either! Her tummy was not only overfull on the stuff, but it was in shock, as well! LOL! As you say, no wonder she was sick!Thanks for the review! Glad you enjoyed it. :)
I'm glad Suzie has already made some friends, and that so far everyone has been kind to the little Muggle-born witch. The lead-up to her first encounter with Severus was fun, knowing already what was going to happen. And the experience was a bit different from her POV. In LVS, we only heard that she gorged herself on every possible item from the trolley. In this chapter, it seemed a normal progression of events for an excited little girl wanting to experience all the new things in this world. Right up until she hurls on his robes, she's had very little information on Severus, and no reason at all to give him any thought. I'm curious to find out what causes her to settle on him as her new wizarding hero.
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
Ah, yes, what she hears about Severus! Just think, if she'd not overeaten all those treats and then thrown up on Snape, she'd never have had a private conversation with Hagrid on the way up to the infirmary, and another reassuring one with Poppy Pomfrey, before she went to the Sorting, and who knows where she might have landed.Thanks for reviewing! Glad you liked it!
Good Lord! I'm astonished she didn't puke long before the boat ride and seeing Snape for the first time. It's no wonder Suzie "tossed cookies" (quite literally) all over Snape. Good thing Twiskett was following Snape around that day. Seems that Suzie has made some great friends on the train. I hope she and Antonia remain close friends. I think they could be great for each other.And Kudos to you for using the world calendar. As always, the attention to detail is astounding and makes your fics very enjoyable to read!
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
Yep, remember Suzie's "Spice Girls" (or "Spicy Girls," as Severus said!) at the Halloween party? Toni was one of them, so she and Suzie did stick together. :)Using a calendar helps me to plan, and to make sure that I don't have a month's worth of events happening in two weeks. haha!Thanks, as always, for the review! Glad you liked it!
Yay! I'm so excited you decided to write Suzie's story. And surprised that you started it with her mother's POV. But it works very well. I've thought about how strange and frightening it would be to be a Muggle sending your precious child off to the wizarding world, and in Miranda, you've created a character as interesting as Suzie.I also like how you let all the background and history trickle into the story through relevant events, thoughts, and conversation, rather than giving a big boring chunk of exposition that leaves the reader with nothing to puzzle over.And I am puzzling over a few things. I attributed all the information from Ambrose as his being just a different and more open personality from old Ollivander. But the old guy is also much more forthcoming than he was with Harry in Book 1. So, is it that Harry was just a kid, with whom Ollivander wouldn't have had this sort of conversation with, and Miranda is an adult? Or has Ollivander's cryptic personality been tempered by his experience in the war?And the initial wand choices for Suzie. The first wand she tried was the same composition as Voldemort's and the second was the same composition as Harry's. Not a coincidence, I'm thinking... But I'm not sure what to make of the monkey pod wood and Fwooper feather - darn it, it's been too long since I read "Magical Beasts."
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
Old Mr Ollivander's miserable experiences, and his certainty that he would have been dead within days, or even hours, had he not been rescued, did temper him, but he also just enjoyed having an audience, and one that seemed appreciative -- he let a few things slip that he likely wouldn't have if Miranda had been a witch, too (e.g., the Mated Wands, which is not common knowledge). He's also feeling at the end of his days, and although he's intent on rebuilding the stock and helping to supply future generations with their wands, even those that might not yet be born, he also is appreciating the moments when he can share some of the beauty and wonder of the craft he's devoted his life to. It was also a slowish day, being before the school rush. ;-)Ah, yes, the Fwooper! One of my favorite HP birds. LOL! I like coming up with wands for all of my primary characters, and even some of the side characters, especially if I think it may become relevant at some point in any of the stories, so I was thinking about Suzie, wondered what her wand would be, and immediately though that it had to be of monkey wood, which is gorgeous, and I loved the name. As for the first two wands, Ambrose offered them to her partially out of curiosity -- and because she's a Muggle-born -- but also because she had certain kinds of readings that made phoenix feather a likely core. Holly and yew both have certain kinds of symbolism to them, as well. You notice that after, he switched to choosing rosewood wands a lot of the time. Anyway, an exposition on why I had Ambrose choose any of these would take up far too much space, but it was fun! Thanks much for the review! I hope you enjoy the rest of this little side-fic!
Suzie is just adorable:"But then she thought it might be cool to see what the inside of a brick wall looked like."And her vomiting over Snape's robes - poor girl. Your ability to create original characters that have heart and soul is amazing. They are not just an addition, but feel like they actually belong there in the wizarding world.
Response from MMADfan (Author of The Sorting of Suzie Sefton)
Thank you! I'm glad you like the OCs, and especially that you find Suzie adorable. :)I like to think of all the characters as little people running around in the stories, doing things, expressing themselves, interacting with each other, and so on, whether they're canon characters or OCs, so I'm glad you find that they blend in so well. I wouldn't want to start the school year in a new school in a new world by throwing up all over one of the teachers' robes! Yikes!Thanks very much for the review!