- matt chia's -
poetry, prose + commentary
poetry, prose + commentary
Monday, November 22, 2004
Chapter XIX
“Eh, timetables!� Barnabas shouted to the other Griffindoor fifth-years as they trooped down for breakfast.
Muthu raised an eyebrow. “Again?�
“It includes Muggle Studies,� Matt said absent-mindedly, as he took a bite of toast.
“You psychic or something?� Hu Ping said. “Oh hey, we have like two whole periods free after Arithmancy!�
The others glared at him.
“What?! It's not my fault we didn't sign up for the lesson, right?�
Barnabas sighed and pursed his lips. He looked remarkably like a grandmother.
“What d’you think the new professor’s like?� Muthu ruminated as he chewed his cereal slowly.
“What’s her name again? Wanee? Sounds kinda stupid,� Eunice said.
At this Minyu started repeating “Wanee� in a very cartoon voice. Everyone stared at her. She looked down pitifully at her shoes.
“Well, she looks quite nice,� Cheryl piped up brightly.
Barnabas looked up. “Looks can be deceiving,� he said darkly.
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“You don’t need to worry, class, it’s all in your textbook,� Professor Wanee said for about the thirtieth time, only halfway through the Griffindoors’ first Muggle Studies lesson. Most of the class was either feverishly flipping through their textbooks, but the rest were just asleep. Professor Wanee didn’t notice, really.
“Of course, you all know about Muggle maps, I’m sure,� Professor Wanee said carelessly. “I am going to give out some maps – you all will have to share. You will try the exercises on page 15 of your textbook. The exercises may look difficult, but everything you need to know-“
“... is all in your textbook,� Muthu murmured.
“Yes, thank you for completing my sentence,� Professor Wanee said with a withering glare.
Muthu inhaled deeply, but that didn’t prevent him from practically throwing the maps he was supposed to pass behind.
The professor turned around instantly, incensed. “Muthu! Don’t you know how disrespectful throwing the maps is? Now, say sorry to the maps.�
Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch. Cheryl giggled. Muthu hesitated.
“Say sorry to the maps!�
Muthu sighed, and picked up a map. Dusting it elaborately, he patted it and said “Sorry, map,� while rolling his eyes. Everyone noticed but the professor. Minyu suppressed a snort.
“Now that’s much better,� Professor Wanee said sagely. “Class, the school has spent a lot of money on these maps, and we should treasure them.�
Everyone nodded sagely in acknowledgement, but Barnabas said under his breath, “The school should spend more money and get better teachers, too.�
Minyu snorted again.
“Class, I expect all of you to be responsible for your files. Although I will periodically go through the filing with you, I still expect all of you to keep your files ordered and neat, all the time. I think we will need more reinforcement rings, so let’s buy that as a class, okay? Now, everyone, put 10 cents on your table, and Minyu will go round to collect it. I must have you understand that I will not provide the rings for you, because that is not my responsibility.�
“Such a cheapskate!� Muthu muttered, but it was still audible.
Professor Wanee stared coldly at him. “Don’t think I didn’t hear that,� she said, her demeanour as warm as ice. “If you don’t want to pay, that’s your problem.�
At that moment the bell rang. After Professor Wanee had walked out, with another cursory glance at Muthu, the Griffindoors gathered round. It was clear who had been asleep during the lesson – Yi Fan had a stupid, just-awake expression on his face, and his hair was tousled. Eunice clucked in disapproval, before saying, “Well... she’s not that bad, is she?�
“Such a horrible woman!� Muthu said loudly.
“Sorry, map,� Barnabas said sarcastically. “She has no idea how to teach properly!�
“She might as well read the textbook to us,� Minyu added contemptuously.
“Well, she’s still quite a nice person, I guess,� Cheryl said, feeling that this tirade against a new teacher was quite uncalled for. Eunice nodded in agreement.
“But how am I going to get an O.W.L for Muggle Studies like this?!� Barnabas wailed.
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No sooner had the fifth-years gone out of the classroom when Sunny and Yihui ran up, panting.
“What’s up?� Minyu asked, slightly alarmed by their frantic behaviour.
“Rachel... she’s... back!� Sunny panted, as she tried to catch her breath.
They all rushed down to the Entrance Hall. Seeing the familiar figure of Rachel standing there, looking up at them, Sunny and Yihui were both so happy that they practically pounced on her, hugging, screaming and generally making a lot of noise. There were smiles all around, and the Griffindoors were just about to cheer for Rachel’s return when who should they see but Desmond, coming down the staircase.
Noticing that everyone had suddenly gone quiet, Rachel followed the direction of her friends’ gazes and saw him - he turned, and looked at her. Their eyes met, but neither could bring themselves to say what they wanted to say, what they couldn’t say now. He brooded on the staircase for a moment, before turning back and walking in the direction he had come from, his head down.
“He still won’t admit it,� Yihui said quietly, but the anger was apparent.
“I... it couldn’t have been him! I...� Rachel tried to bring herself to say something to defend him, but she was cut off.
“You can remember what happened?� Sunny asked eagerly.
Rachel sighed, and shook her head. “Not at all. The last thing I remember was – I don’t even remember anything about that day. All I know was what one of the nurses told me, which wasn’t much. But... but it can’t have been him. I know it!�
Sunny and Yihui looked rather reluctant. “But... you can’t remember!� Hu Ping said.
Rachel fell silent. She turned away.
“Erm... well, it’s nearly time for lunch,� Cheryl said brightly, trying to break the ice.
“Oooh yes, let’s go! I’m hungry,� Barnabas said, streaking off in the direction of the Great Hall.
“Well, I see Barney’s still the same,� Rachel smiled wanly, laughing. But it was a forced laugh, and she knew it.
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Mr. Kiw and Ms. Ee were suffering from hunger, sunburn, and incessant tickling from the cacti beneath their feet when all of a sudden, the tickling stopped, and Kiw saw the cacti shrinking back into the sand. He was about to give a triumphant laugh, when he saw someone – some people! in the distance.
But it appeared they had also seen him (or rather, what was left of him), for they were now making a beeline for him and Ms. Ee.
“Ms. Ee! We’re saved! We’re –“
But he could never finish uttering his exclamation of joy, for at that very moment he saw the faces of their “rescuers�. They were tribesmen, and very crude ones at that. They were all dressed in similar brown cloaks, but they were all carrying metre-long spears. Their eyes were bloodshot. And they looked rather hostile.
Kiw stared, terrified, as their leader, a great hulking creature, went round what was left of him, and broke out into hysterical laughter. He spoke to his companions, and they too laughed, jeering at the two of them stuck in the middle of nowhere. Of course, Kiw didn’t understand their language because it seemed to consist of primitive grunts and hoots and suspicious-sounding oinks, but he understood the body language. He whimpered piteously.
At this the leader took out a gnarled, foot-long stick from his cloak. Mr. Kiw stared. Was that...?
The tribesman just waved the stick and muttered something. A moment later, Mr. Kiw and Ms. Ee found themselves whole again, standing in the middle of the Sahara Desert. They had just finished admiring their whole bodies when a collective grunt from the tribesmen brought them back down, sharply, to earth.
Kiw was just about to bring up the idea of Apparating again when the tribesmen began to point to his mole most ferociously, practically jabbing their fingers at his face. They were also making a racket as they communicated with each other using a series of loud, repulsive oinks and even moos.
After a while they fell silent. Kiw and Ee, stupid as they were, simply bypassed the chance to Apparate, because the leader of the other group simply took out his stick – no, wand – and waved it in front of their faces.
The last thing Kiw saw was the golden sand, almost burning in the darkness that enveloped him, slowly, till he saw no more.
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He felt the heat reaching his ankles, and going up his legs – tortuously, he opened his eyes, to see a whole group of tribesmen staring up at him. Up – because he was tied to a wooden pole. He struggled with his bonds, but soon gave up, exhausted. To his left, Ms. Ee was waking up too, groaning.
The heat was nearly at his knees now, burning. He looked down.
The orange flames were dancing higher, as the tribesmen awaited their dinner.
Comments:
Hello!
The part about professor wanee is soooo funnie! lol!
and I still enjoy barnabas's remarks! lol It's always makes me laugh!
I'm serhua!
The part about professor wanee is soooo funnie! lol!
and I still enjoy barnabas's remarks! lol It's always makes me laugh!
I'm serhua!
# posted by 
: 11:30 PM
: 11:30 PM
yoyoyoyo! omg i've been missing out so much! like how mean matt can portray mi to be huh. haha... itz cool tho. u noe, im getting sick of always being the good guy.. hahaha cant help it tt i haf to be so good.. but dun b so bad k? i wan a good ending hor. i mean for ME! like.. i become good so can help save the day. or wadeva. i dun wan the ending is i tio curse n get fed to the dogs or sth HOR.
yeetien.
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yeetien.
# posted by : 2:29 PM
: 2:29 PM