At the end of her first week of classes and Eudora had to admit that magic was hard. On the outside it just looked like waving a wand and uttering a few words but there was so much more to it. There were equations and pronunciation, linguistics, and charts about all the things one needed to know to properly cast. At a certain point most of it would be almost intuitive, at least according to the professors, but it was like learning to play five instruments at once while doing math.

The wand-lighting charm she thought she had a good handle on was just one example. Did you want a beam or a glow? How big did it need to be, or how bright? It was even possible to get color in it at a certain point. There were a dozen or more variations on it too. She'd learned by rote the most basic of these, and thinking that was it had been proud of her progress. Her progress had been good for one learning on their own, but there was just so much more.

Only her levitation charm was up to par with what an adult witch should be able to do, and it was her most used spell. Had she really mastered it it would be much easier still, silent, and able to make much more complex movements than she was capable of, but it was still enough to get praise from the professors as it was.

She thought on all of this, and on how much more there was to do as she knocked on Professor Nathri's door. It was the time for her meeting with her house head, one she'd hope to earn some praise during.

“Come in,” the light feminine voice called at her knock.

“I'm here for our meeting professor,” Eudora said, looking around the office.

It was neat, with thick green carpeting and sleek black shelves stacked with books and files along the walls. At the center of it all was Professor Nathri, quill scratching away on some note or other, her desk in tight piles of paper. Before the desk was a pair of chairs, high backed and lightly cushioned, a small table between the two.

“Ah, take a seat Ms. Pyrites, do you care for some tea?” With a wave of the teacher's wand a small tray appeared, pouring her a cup of fragrant brew.

Eudora took her drink and looked towards the teacher. “Thank you.”

“Quite welcome. Don't worry dear you're not in any trouble, on the contrary you seem to be doing fairly well in your classes. I just like to have a chat with all of my new students, get to know you, look out for any concerns, that kind of thing.”

“Do you have any concerns ma'am?” Eudora asked, knowing she was one of the first to be called to this little meeting.

“Should I? I've read your file Eudora, your parents...” as she spoke the girl felt her hand clench.

“I'd rather not talk about that,” she said quickly, cutting off Professor Nathri.

There was a hard tapping of a nail on the wood of Nathri's desk, the older witch did not like being interrupted one bit.

“Very well, and I suppose you don't wish to speak of your brother either. So let's talk about your home life,” she said, moving on.

“What do you want to know?” Eudora asked.

“Are you happy? Well taken care of? Your aunt graduated before I began teaching here so I never knew her personally, and I can't find any information on her work...”

“She doesn't work, and if she ever raised a hand to me she'd sorely regret it.” Eudora tried to keep her composure, it didn't appear that Professor Nathri meant any harm, but she was heading right towards very prickly subjects.

Professor Nathri sighed. “If you're not going to answer my questions you can at least get better at hiding it.” After a few more moments and a sip of her tea she continued. “Do you know why I do these?”

“To get to know your students?” Eudora said, returning the answer she was given before.

“To find anyone on the route to becoming a dark witch or wizard and change their path.”

Before she realized she'd risen Eudora was on her feet. “I AM NOT...” but her voice cut off before she could continue, silenced where she stood.

“Sit back down young lady,” Professor Nathri commanded, eyes hard and wand in her hand. Once Eudora had complied she continued. “You are skilled enough, and driven, ambitious of course, and angry, but I don't know why because you won't tell me.”

For a couple of minutes the silence stretched between them. The professor simply waited, watched, let things proceed, and eventually her charge spoke.

“When they took my parents away I couldn't do anything,” Eudora finally said quietly. “When Ophiuchus lay in my arms, blood going everywhere I couldn't do anything, when that stupid dragon got loose and went wild I ran because I couldn't do anything, and every time I see my aunt burning my inheritance bit by bit while not fixing anything I can't do anything. I hate it, I hate feeling powerless.”

She didn't know when the tears had started, but by the time she finished speaking they were pouring. Soon after an arm was around her, pulling her into a hug she didn't even bother to resist. How long had she been without such contact she wondered, how long since she'd felt warm and safe? It felt as if she'd been starving for it but not known what she needed.

“I understand that better than you know Eudora, but I also understand something else,” the professor said once she'd calmed down.

“What's that?” she asked.

“That we often miss the things we can and do do because we're thinking of what we want to do. From what I hear you did do something with that dragon.”

“It didn't really work,” the younger girl griped, after all the beast had still caused chaos.

“Better than anyone else had managed, and do you really expect me to believe you've done nothing to stymie your aunt who you appear to dislike so much?” That stung a bit, because of course she had.

“Not enough,” she complained.

“But more than anyone else I'd wager. I'd also wager that you know what you'll do when you can.” Fair enough, she knew her aunt would be ousted from her home at her earliest chance.

“I do.”

“Good, now let's make sure to focus what you want in a positive direction shall we? Keep those feelings going towards something good for people rather than harmful. Frankly dear I think you need some friends, and not just other Slytherins. I like our House but variety is important.”

“Gawain and I are friends,” Eudora objected.

“More than one.”

Eudora grumbled. “I'm not very good at making friends.”

Professor Nathri tapped her lips. “How about a club then? Other students who share an interest make for easy friends.”

That was not the worse idea Eudora had ever heard, and there were some subjects she'd like to see more of.