Zuko hated Herbology. Plants were okay, he guessed, and it wasn’t like Professor Longbottom was mean. He just couldn’t meet Zuko’s eyes. Or say his last name.
“Zuko, do you mind helping me carry the fanged geraniums? Azula, get out of the flowerbeds.”
He used everybody else’s last name. Zuko’s sister leapt up and back into her seat, something pressed against her chest.
It might be better if Longbottom were mean. Then Zuko could get angry at him.
“So Zuko.” Azula smiled winningly. “I think we should work together don’t you?” That was the other thing Zuko hated about Herbology. They had it with the Slytherins, and Azula-
Toph grabbed his arm and yanked him back towards her, dragging his chair across the greenhouse floor. “He’s working with me.”
“Fine,” Azula snapped, and glanced back at her friends. “Ty Lee, we’re working together.”
“But Mai and I-”
“Ty Lee!”
“Alright, Azula,” Ty Lee said quickly. While she beamed and bounced over to her friend, Mai heaved a sigh.
Professor Longbottom cleared his throat. “Now, I’m going to be walking around to see how you’re doing. If you need any help, just ask and I’ll come right over.”
Hand in her pocket, Azula watched Longbottom until his back was turned. “Hey Mai. Mai!”
“What?”
“I have a present for Zuko will you give him it for me?”
Mai eyed her warily. “What is it?”
Azula pulled her hand out of her pocket and threw whatever she had been hiding in it right at Mai. Zuko heard someone yelp, and then Mai scream, and he thought it must have been Mai and his mind had been playing tricks on him, and that he hadn’t heard a yelp at all.
The snake Azula had thrown draped over Mai’s neck, undulating. “Oh my God Azula!”
Zuko leapt to his feet and pulled his wand out of his robe. “What-”
“No one move!” Professor Longbottom rushed through the rows of tables, drawing his wand. “That’s an adder.”
The whole class turned to him, the snake forgotten. The poisonous snake around his friend’s neck just forgotten. Even Professor Longbottom was looking at him. He grabbed the snake and lifted it into the air, and he heard someone whisper, “What jusssst happened?”
“What?” Zuko snarled, gazing around the room. Then he realized he’d shouted out in their twin language, and, no one knew... They never used it in public.
And the worst part was it wasn’t even Azula’s rule. It was his. The little voice spoke again as the snake crawled into his pocket. “Sssscared.” Zuko agreed.
“You’re a parselmouth!” the professor said at last.
“What do you mean?” Azula demanded. “He just told me it wasn’t funny, and-”
Professor Longbottom frowned and peered at her. “You understood him?”
Azula spread her arms. “Of course I understood him, he-”
“You’re a parselmouth too?” Ty Lee squealed. “They’re really really rare, that’s so...” Then her face fell. “Oh.”
Zuko slumped into his seat as the whole class started talking. “Loud,” the little voice said from his pocket. Zuko put his book over his head and tried to sink into the table.
He just kept thinking, his mother was the Dark Lord’s most loyal follower.
~*~
A half an hour later, he and Azula sat in the Headmistress’s office, and she was talking about paternity tests and fertility spells.
Hufflepuff Zuko: Zuko’s father’s revealed
“Zuko, do you mind helping me carry the fanged geraniums? Azula, get out of the flowerbeds.”
He used everybody else’s last name. Zuko’s sister leapt up and back into her seat, something pressed against her chest.
It might be better if Longbottom were mean. Then Zuko could get angry at him.
“So Zuko.” Azula smiled winningly. “I think we should work together don’t you?” That was the other thing Zuko hated about Herbology. They had it with the Slytherins, and Azula-
Toph grabbed his arm and yanked him back towards her, dragging his chair across the greenhouse floor. “He’s working with me.”
“Fine,” Azula snapped, and glanced back at her friends. “Ty Lee, we’re working together.”
“But Mai and I-”
“Ty Lee!”
“Alright, Azula,” Ty Lee said quickly. While she beamed and bounced over to her friend, Mai heaved a sigh.
Professor Longbottom cleared his throat. “Now, I’m going to be walking around to see how you’re doing. If you need any help, just ask and I’ll come right over.”
Hand in her pocket, Azula watched Longbottom until his back was turned. “Hey Mai. Mai!”
“What?”
“I have a present for Zuko will you give him it for me?”
Mai eyed her warily. “What is it?”
Azula pulled her hand out of her pocket and threw whatever she had been hiding in it right at Mai. Zuko heard someone yelp, and then Mai scream, and he thought it must have been Mai and his mind had been playing tricks on him, and that he hadn’t heard a yelp at all.
The snake Azula had thrown draped over Mai’s neck, undulating. “Oh my God Azula!”
Zuko leapt to his feet and pulled his wand out of his robe. “What-”
“No one move!” Professor Longbottom rushed through the rows of tables, drawing his wand. “That’s an adder.”
“An adder!” Zuko yelled. “That wasn’t funny, Azula!”
The whole class turned to him, the snake forgotten. The poisonous snake around his friend’s neck just forgotten. Even Professor Longbottom was looking at him. He grabbed the snake and lifted it into the air, and he heard someone whisper, “What jusssst happened?”
“What?” Zuko snarled, gazing around the room. Then he realized he’d shouted out in their twin language, and, no one knew... They never used it in public.
And the worst part was it wasn’t even Azula’s rule. It was his. The little voice spoke again as the snake crawled into his pocket. “Sssscared.” Zuko agreed.
“You’re a parselmouth!” the professor said at last.
“What do you mean?” Azula demanded. “He just told me it wasn’t funny, and-”
Professor Longbottom frowned and peered at her. “You understood him?”
Azula spread her arms. “Of course I understood him, he-”
“You’re a parselmouth too?” Ty Lee squealed. “They’re really really rare, that’s so...” Then her face fell. “Oh.”
Zuko slumped into his seat as the whole class started talking. “Loud,” the little voice said from his pocket. Zuko put his book over his head and tried to sink into the table.
He just kept thinking, his mother was the Dark Lord’s most loyal follower.
~*~
A half an hour later, he and Azula sat in the Headmistress’s office, and she was talking about paternity tests and fertility spells.