บท 309: To the Nines!

When Harry inevitably managed to make a mess of his potion, Professor Snape couldn't help but humiliate him in front of the rest of the class. Oleandra had to admit that part of the problem lied with Harry himself: by the end of every potioneering session, the classroom would inevitably become filled with colourful fumes; how exactly was he supposed to read the instructions from the back of the classroom with his nearsightedness and his glasses all fogged up?

The obvious solution would be to sit closer to the front of the class, but Oleandra didn't really blame him for wanting to stay as far away from Professor Snape's desk as he possibly could. After being on the receiving end of Professor Snape's spite since her fourth year at Hogwarts, she knew just how bad it could get.

"You could have shared the improved recipe," Oleandra grumbled to Daphne as they ascended the stairs to the Great Hall for lunch. "When Finnigan's potion exploded, some of it nearly flew into my cauldron and ruined everything."

"My, my," said Daphne in mock surprise, "the great champion can't optimize a simple Draught of Peace? I'm truly shocked; what will your admirers think?"

"Oh, come off your high horse, Sis," said Oleandra with a slight smile. "Even Professor Snape was surprised when you finished the potion in thirty minutes. You came up with the new version on the spot, didn't you?"

"And if you praise me some more, I might be inclined to share in the glory next time," said Daphne sweetly. "If you ask nicely."

She was feeling rather happy with herself after her exploits in Potions. Thank goodness her gambit had worked…

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Oleandra and Tracey didn't take Arithmancy, so Daphne headed to Professor Vector's classroom by herself after lunch. After two years' worth of difficult Arithmancy lessons, most of the people who had chosen the class as one of their electives in their third year had already dropped the class by now, unable to deal with the heavy workload.

But Daphne wasn't like most people; she had a cheat to help with memorization and comprehension in the form of the diamond shape drawn on her forehead: Ingwaz, the spark of divine inspiration rune. Oleandra didn't like to use it, claiming it gave her headaches, but Daphne had adapted to its effects quite well; she just needed to sleep more to rest her brain, that was all.

"First Arithmancy class of the year," said Hermione happily as she took a seat next to her. "I've already read the course book from cover to cover, what about you?"

"I didn't get the chance, I'm afraid," said Daphne, shaking her head. "I daresay I was a bit busy towards the end of summer."

A familiar figure entered the classroom and took a seat at the front of the class; that of Mafalda Prewett. Daphne's knuckles whitened as she instinctively balled up her small hands into fists.

"That's her, isn't it?" Hermione leaned down to Daphne's level and whispered in her ear. "The one you fought in the Chamber of Secrets while I was petrified. Dumbledore wouldn't have allowed her to return if she really had been behind the attacks, don't you think?"

"I've always thought that there had been something strange about the way our fight concluded," Daphne conspiratorially whispered back. "In hindsight, I think she might have been put under the Imperius Curse, but I can't come up with any explanation about why we were allowed to live. Imperiused or not, she had us dead to rights."

The two of them watched as Mafalda unpacked her things from her bag. They didn't know where she had been all this time, as children did not get sent to Azkaban, but visibly, she hadn't idled away those days. If she was able to attend fifth year Arithmancy lessons, she had clearly done her homework.

"I'm worried about Oleandra," Daphne said, surprised despite herself at the words escaping her lips. "I can tell that she's angry and that she's frustrated, and I think she's looking for a way to let it all out."

"You mean, you think she'll try attacking Mafalda?" Hermione asked worriedly. "I wouldn't be surprised; Harry and Ron are pretty much hoping she'll try something again so that they can Jinx her without consequences."

Daphne was about to respond, but before she could say anything, Professor Septima Vector entered the classroom. If the teacher was surprised to see Mafalda in her class, she didn't show it.

"Good afternoon, students! If you don't mind, we'll begin straight away, since we have a lot of things to cover today," Professor Vector said as she dropped her bag behind her desk, before starting to draw esoteric symbols on the blackboard behind her without looking. "Now, over the past two years, we have covered numerology, symbolism and the magic of names; and how their intersection allows us to predict the future. As a refresher, could any one of you remind us which of all numbers is the most magical?"

Hermione immediately raised her hand.

"The number seven is the most magical of numbers," she said. "Indivisible and prime. Seven colours in a rainbow, seven Wonders, seven Pleiades, seven days in a week, seven continents, Seven Seas, the seventh son/daughter of a seventh son/daughter is always a Wizard/Witch, the number seven always…"

"Thank you, Miss Granger," said Professor Vector, raising a hand to stop her from giving any more examples, "the number seven is indeed the most magical number by western standards, but today, we will be learning about the number nine. The number nine is neither a prime number, nor is it indivisible, as it can be divided by three to give three. Even so, it is still an extremely potent number."

Hermione's quill fiercely scratched the parchment in front of her as she took note of Professor Vector's every word.

"The number three comes up quite often as a building block," she continued, "There are one hundred and eight worldly desires, three hundred and sixty degrees, six paths of reincarnation. All multiples of three."

Professor Vector tapped on the blackboard behind her with her wand, and one after the other, shapes began drawing themselves on it in chalk.

"The number nine itself has deep meaning as the three of threes," she explained. "Nine Muses, according to Greek Wizards. Nine circles of hell, according to Ancient American Wizards. Nine heavenly bodies, according to Hindu astrology. Nine planets, including Pluto. Nine Ennead, who are the Ancient Egyptian Wizards who first discovered the secrets of Alchemy. And according to our Scandinavian friends, the Wizard Odin hung himself to the World Tree for nine days and nine nights before he obtained the knowledge of Ancient Runes. Following Norse tradition, there should be nine worlds as well."