In Harry Potter as Neville Longbottom

Chapter 9: Helena Ravenclaw - my new professor (Re)

One week after my first meeting with the Grey Lady or Ms Helena Ravenclaw, I was back in the ROR (Room Of Requirements). After taking a magical oath in front of Grey Lady, I promised to remove the curses and black magic placed on the tiara in the next three years while Ms Grey would share her knowledge with me.

During the potion class when the whole first-years were getting tortured by the lonely bat professor, I was here learning about runes and herbology.

"Are you sure professor Grey?" I asked my new professor after confirming for last time about the information I received.

"You can call me Ms Ravenclaw, Neville. And Yes, I am sure. While finding a lost grimoire sounds interesting, it's a waste of time in reality. Every Grimoire is bound by strong blood magic and after so much time has passed, finding the location of any such grimoire is also not that easy.

Besides, what you need is your grimoire and not somebody's else. Your magic, your spells and your knowledge are yours and fundamentally different from anyone else. No two wizards even if they have the same affinity have the same magic, will do magic in the same way."

"But why runes and herbology?" I asked and I hope it is a better reason than my affinity because I had checked my wand though is strange and help me communicate with plants and beasts, it has no relation with grimoires.

"Well, what do you think is written in those grimoires? Wand movements?" Don't be a fool boy, wands came after the grimoires. In the early days, all wizards were runemasters. Only by learning runes can you truly understand the power of charms. And don't belittle Herbology.

Only after a thorough understanding of magical plants, that are all around us, you can find the best materials to craft your own grimoire and its pages. Remember, blood is one part of the grimoire. It's not the complete ink or paper. The ink and parchment must be made of trees that respond to a charm better than others.

After all, what is the point of making a grimoire if it can't amplify your magic."

Ms Ravenclaw explained in detail and I finally understood the principle. It is just like making wands. Using better barks can help in accessing the spell faster and even provide a boost to its power. The base logic on which wand makers design their wands.

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"Alright professor. So what are we learning today?" I asked her excitedly. After all, in front of me is the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw who has been learning all types of magic even in her ghost form for decades.

"I won't be teaching you anything for now until you memorise and understand these five books.

1) Advanced Rune Translation

2) Ancient Runes Made Easy

3) Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms

4) Rune Dictionary

5) Spellman's Syllabary

You will first learn how to walk and then I will teach you how to run. I give you six months since you are so confident in fixing my mother's tiara. After six months, I will check all your knowledge before sharing mine.

Trust me little Griffyindor, this is more than I have ever done for any Ravenclaw in decades. Don't let me down."

Giving her final piece of advice, Ms Ravenclaw floated in the room and started checking all the books present here. There were huge towers of books here and being a true Ravenclaw, she had enough to pass her time.

I will later move all the other things from this room to my family house. There is too much stuff and it would be stupid to let it rot here. I can put these in my own shop after fixing the robes and crucibles and other items where they will fetch a good coin.

Besides, the coins are before the goblin wars and hence selling these to goblins will fill my drying vault in Gringotts. Goblins would love to have these coins. Anyway, these plans can wait till Christmas before I can summon our house-elves here.

As a lord of my own house, I can summon my house elf during festivities and that shall solve all this trouble.

"No issues professor. Challenge accepted." I mumbled to myself and grabbed the books I bought earlier. Learning runes was more like learning about logos and graphic design in the muggle world.

The symbols, signs and patterns are sometimes simple and contain one meaning but sometimes, they are just part of a bigger construct and their meaning can change depending upon the 'sentence' they were used. Not so simple at all.

In this way, my new classes on runes and herbology started with Ms Ravenclaw during my potion class. My occlumency was something I practised every day during my free time near the lake.

I noticed that using my wand & "Patronus Charm", I can communicate to animals nearby. I can feel their emotions and even though understanding words is not easy, it surely is a hidden boost to my abilities.

Some wizards and witches had the magical ability to talk to and communicate with animals and like Parseltongue with snakes and our dear Rubeus Hagrid could also communicate with the beasts but I don't think he ever realised it. I know even our night guard/cleaner squib Argus Filch can maintain a high degree of communication with his cat, Mrs Norris. So, this was not something new to the wizarding world. It was just a random unique quality that few possessed.

The only thing that was sometimes funny and crazy was our defence against dark arts classes - DADA. I found our professor pathetic and useless in more than one way. The smell of garlic was unbearable and I had to use the Bubble-Head Charm on myself after the first class.

The Noseless bastard hiding behind the head of our professor must have been desperate for the Philosopher's stone as I could see our trio going through the library these days more often.

That was a huge sign. Ron in the library.

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"Can you watch where you are going, fatso?" I heard a scornful voice from no doubt the bitch face Pansy who I might have accidentally just hit. Ok. My fault.

"Sorry. Are you fine?" I asked her. Genuinely I didn't like this bitch face but hey, it's my fault for walking while daydreaming.

"Remember this fatso, next time you even come close to me, I will make a scene you never forget. I don't want to be touched by blood traitors like you!" She said angrily and loudly and maybe she should not have said those words.

"What did you say?" I asked her in a low voice and currently being in an empty corridor was not going to help her in any way.