Walking to charms was a much different experience than walking potions.
For one, the charms classroom was, thankfully, much more accessible than the potions lab.
Where one was located in the depths of the castle, in what you were nearly 100% sure was a former dungeon, the charms classroom was just a short walk from the great hall.
Also, unlike the walk to the potions lab, you were not accompanied by a prefect, or even Harry, on your journey; instead, in the flowing river of students, you were solitary. Thankfully, an upperclassman was kind enough to inform you that the charms classroom was near the library, and you knew where that was very well.
Coming to a large door, solid wood, with a large steel knocker, you considered it, matching it to the description you had been given by the upperclassmen, before concluding that it was indeed the correct entrance.
Although…
You looked right and left in the hallway. It was nearly entirely empty, the students you could see instead heading, rather lethargically, in the direction of the great hall.
This seemed like the right place, but you couldn't help but wonder…
Where were all the students?
You weren't late to class, were you?
The thought came into your head and stuck there. What if the reason the door was closed, and there were no students in the hallway, was because you had taken too long getting to class? What if you got another detention on the third day of classes?
The thought shot a spike of cold through your heart. Despite how pleasurably your last detention turned out, you weren't looking to become a delinquent and get dozens of them.
What would your parents think?
You eye the closed door with some apprehension, ruing that you had forgotten your pocket watch back at the dorm. With it, you would have been able to know for sure how long you had until class, instead of guessing.
Taking a deep breath, you decided to just bite the bullet.
Taking hold of the large knocker, you pulled the door open.
There was initially some resistance, but with a little bit of good old-fashioned grit, you managed to drag the heavy slab of wood just wide enough for you to slip in.
To your surprise, you were not met with a classroom full of students, with all eyes on you, judgmental of the latecomer. Instead, the room was empty, quiet, and as you looked around, you noted how there were papers on each of the desks, as if waiting for the students.
You blinked, taking in the scene.
Where was everybody?
Your observation was interrupted by a startled "Oh!" and frantic shuffling behind you.
Turning around.
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Professor Flitwick, your head of house, was sitting at her desk, a pile of papers in her hands, although she set them down as soon as you met eyes. She was sitting upon a stack of books, in order to reach her desk, and seemed to have been sorting through paperwork when you came in.
She also had the majority of buttons on her shirt unbuttoned, unveiling a large degree of cleavage. Not that she seemed to care, nary of a blush on her face as she raised an eyebrow at you in question.
"Mr. Granger!" She said brightly as she recognized you. Hopping off the desk, she trotted on over.
"Professor Flitwick." You said, respectfully, doing your best not to look at the expansive cleavage you now had a clear view of.
You failed, as the professor trotted closer, her lack of bra, and lack of support from even her button-up, leaving her breasts free to bounce with each step.
Her eyes flicked from your face, down to her own cleavage, and back up. A frown, as if she were confused, appeared before she shrugged.
Yeah, it seemed like she noticed.
But whether she cared…
From the lack of flush, as well as the way she didn't bother to fix it, you didn't figure it out.
"You're early, Mr. Granger, nearly half an hour so. Most students would still be at breakfast?" She asked.
You frowned, trying to understand how that could of happened. You woke up at the regular time, got Harry out of bed. Went to breakfast for about half an hour, and…
Oh.
That was why Harry seemed tired.
You had forgotten you'd set your alarm an hour early the night before, to give you more time for studying that morning.
You blushed slightly. You'd have to apologize to her later for dragging her out of bed an hour earlier than usual.
Flitwick seemed to read the confusion and realization on your face and smiled.
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"Not a problem!" She chirped. "Gives us time to get to know one another. Muggle-born, I believe, betcha have a few questions about little old me?" She seemed rather chipper about to whole thing, and gestured to herself as she spoke with a single thumb.
You also noted how, interestingly, near the end of her words, an accent seemed to slip through, before she quickly coughed, and, showing the first sign of embarrassment throughout, blushed slightly.
Well, you did have some questions, and a chance to talk to a non-human sentient one on one was something you'd never even come close to before.
Eventually, the professor managed to maneuver both of you back to her desk, where she took a seat on her pile of books once more, and with a flick of her wand, another chair from the wall was flying through the air to land on the other side.
You took a seat across from her, eyes still flashing towards the green valley of green flesh that seemed poised to escape every time Flitwick so much as shifted.
Once you were both seated, the petite (in height only) professor clapped her hands together excitedly, beaming towards you as she did.
"Well, Mr. Granger, I hope you have some thoughtful questions ready. You can consider this your first one of the year." She said with a teasing grin.
In response, you reached down into your bookbag and withdrew your notebook. The one you had filled out specifically with questions you had about the magical world.
Flitwick's grin widened as she watched.
"We have a true Ravenclaw here." She said, excitement threading through her voice.
You didn't bother responding; instead, you flipped through the notebook until you found two pages.
The one you had marked for charms, and the one you had marked for magical creatures and beings.
Looking back up, Flitwick had crossed her legs and steepled her fingers, looking just as eager a you felt.
"Come on." She said, gesturing with a hand.
You smiled.
"Well, my first question would be how Goblin communities and family units function, er, if you don't mind answering that, Professor Flitwick." You rushed to add the respectful address at the end.
If anything, though, she seemed delighted and leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands.
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"Hmm, a good question, one that has both a short and a long answer. You'll get the long answer in Professor Binn's class, but for the short answer…" She thought for a bit, her tongue out in a cute manner as she thought.
"Goblins are… insular." She began. "We, as a people, tend not to like anyone coming into areas we've determined to be 'ours' without having prior permission. That goes double for belongings." She grinned, stopping her lecture briefly. "That's why we make such good bankers, we just throw other people's stuff next to ours, and then get paid to secure our own belongings." She snickered.
You used the brief pause to continue scratching down notes, much to the pleased look on professor's face.
"Anyway, Goblins usually form into family units voluntarily, with those we're interested in, rather than by blood." Professor Flitwick paused briefly, a flash of a blush coming over her face. "Goblins reproduce, primarily, asexually, but that does not stop some goblins from having, erm, relations with others. This usually occurs in groups of two or more across their family unit. A polyamorous relationship."
She paused, considering, before adding- "Goblins are also pack creatures, so where one goes, more will follow. This trends into groups, with groups tending to combine to form much larger ones, if it's believed it will improve the overall happiness, with smaller sub-groups forming within."
You paused in your note-taking. There was a small blush on your own cheeks, at the rather sensitive topic, but you had a question niggling at the back of your head…
"Professor, what do you mean primarily?" You asked, brow furrowed. You hadn't heard of many creatures across the animal kingdom with multiple methods of reproduction, aside from maybe some single-celled organisms or starfish.
Flitwick blushed, but as she spoke, a strange look entered her eyes.
"Well… goblins are able to produce as humans and wizards do, through intercourse, but…" A frown crossed her face. "There is a bit of a stigma against Goblins, and most wizard folk aren't very fond of us. Most goblins aren't very fond of wizard folk in exchange. It is an unfortunate reality of the political climate we've been living in."
As the professor spoke, you watched as her ears drooped, and she seemed to wilt as she talked about it. The sight of the seemingly bright and happy professor growing morose so quickly made you feel guilty about asking the question, and you reached forward, putting your hand on her own in an attempt to comfort her.
"I'm so sorry, Professor, but-" you searched for a way to cheer her up, and thankfully, something came to mind, "-anyways, I'm sure that can't last much longer. I think you look stunning. I can't imagine anyone who doesn't. I know I'd take up an offer from you in a moment."
You weren't lying with what you said, although perhaps you'd give it some thought and a few dates first, but your words seemed to have done the trick, and the professor looked back up, ears at attention once more, and a wide smile on her face.
Her violet eyes scanned your face for… something, and after a moment she seemed to find what she was looking for, and her grin grew wider.
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"That's kind of you to say, Herman." She purred, the hand you were petting twisting quickly and catching your hand in her own grip. Her skin was incredibly soft and uncalloused, but the hold was unrelenting, and her nails, claws, you now realized, pushed into your hand lightly, ensuring you couldn't pull back easily.
Flitwick's eyes were considering as she held your hand, before she smiled widely.
"If you'd like, I can introduce you to some other Goblins this weekend. I know Gringotts has been looking for a student to do a work-study with them, and I think you may make a good candidate."
You blinked, surprised. You hadn't thought work-studies would take place in your first year, but…
It did seem like a good opportunity.
But weren't exclusive opportunities to learn more, before anyone else can, why you came here in the first place?
"I'd love that, Professor Flitwick!" You beamed back at her as you answered. The professor returned your smile, squeezing your hand once, a bit too tightly, before letting go.
"Anyway, you had a few more questions, I think, before I got sidetracked," Flitwick said, pulling back slightly. "I think we still have around…" She glanced at the clock. "Fifteen minutes left, if you'd like to continue our discussion?"
You nodded eagerly, flipping to your third page, having filled the first two with notes.
"Absolutely, if you don't mind, Professor."
She smiled indulgently.
"I've always had time to help stimulate a young mind."
She licked her lips again when she said that, but you paid it no mind as you considered what to ask next.
There had been plenty of information on Goblins, and you had a feeling Flitwick wouldn't mind you approaching her later, seeing how open to conversation she was now, with more questions regarding the race.
What you really had questions about was Hogwarts specifically.
"Professor, I was curious about, in your opinion as a professional, the most important charm for me to learn first will be?" You said, as earnestly as you could, pen at the ready.
Flitwick hummed, eyes closing slightly as she considered. This went on for nearly a minute before she snapped her fingers.
"I've got just the thing, Mr. Granger, a skill that you normally don't learn until your second year, but I expect will be most useful to you in your first." Reaching forward, Flitwick snagged a single book from a nearby pile, pulling it out swiftly enough so that the pile simply fell down an inch or two, but didn't wobble in the slightest.
"Where is it, where is it…?" Flitwick muttered, quickly skimming through the pages, before finally… "Aha!"
She planted her finger on a single page, pinning it to the table, before spinning the book around to face you, using said finger as an anchor point.
Accio (Summoning Charm)
The book showed the clear wand motions, as well as the phonetic spelling of the incantation spelled clearly.
Flitwick grinned as you read.
"I cannot tell you how many times this charm has come in handy for me." She grinned. "Good for when you forget something, and good when you're in a pinch otherwise." She gestured towards your wand, which you had placed on the table beside your notebook. "Give it a whirl."
And for the next few minutes, you were instructed in the basics of the Accio charm by Professor Flitwick personally, and encouraged to practice on a crumbled ball of paper she had tossed onto the desk. The first few attempts were abysmal, according to the Professor, your wandwork needed minor improvements.
Thankfully, she took it upon herself to assist you, taking a firm hold of your hand and guiding you through the wand movement. You did your best not to blush at the way her still quite exposed cleavage pressed against your arm.
At one point, she even made the claim that your shirt was restricting movement and undid your sleeve in order to "allow a greater range of motion."
The feeling of her warm tit-flesh on your arm sent shivers down your spine, and you tried your best not to stare, either at her chest or your own very apparent hard-on.
Still, looking her in the eyes, Flitwick seemed, abnormally, happy at your attention, and for a second, you thought you saw her eyes flick downwards, but you couldn't be certain.
By the end, you had managed to get it to move towards you, although not very fast. Still, the professor smiled up at you proudly, still keeping her grip on your arm, you couldn't help but smile along.
Unfortunately, neither of you had the time to continue in depth on the clearly quite advanced charm.
So instead, you both sat down, even as the rumbling of students grew closer.
"One more question, if it's alright, professor?" You asked as you collected your belongings, preparing to head to one of the desks at the front of the room.
Flitwick nodded, even as she whipped her own wand about, papers flying this way and that until each desk had a few more added to the pile.
"Are there any traditions, or otherwise, regarding Ravenclaw that I ought to know?" You asked.
Flitwick worked as she thought over your question, before responding, just as the first student entered the room.
"Not that I know of, although some of the ghosts may know more. Many traditions of all houses have become lost through time. Why, the Ravenclaw common room itself became lost for a two-year stretch a few decades ago." She chuckled at the memory.
You nodded, noting that down as well, before taking a seat at the front of the room.
-x-X-x-
As class started, and students began to file in, you got a picture of just how truly large the class was. The desks had given you the illusion of understanding, but as you observed students enter the room and just keep, on coming, you realized that, perhaps, you had underestimated the number a little bit.
The charms class, being a mixed class, rather than being done by house, was filled with an eclectic mix of students, from upperclassmen who presumably failed the class before, to first years you recognized from the train. All from different houses as well, about an even split, if you were counting correctly.
As the students began to take their seats, they picked up the two papers Flitwick had set onto the desks while the two of you conversed.
The first, which you were quite thankful for, was a syllabus, providing an overview of the course, the grading rubric, and the assignments that will be given. You had already taken the time to read it in full and memorize it, but you decided to give it another read, just for the fun of it.
It was when a majority of students got to the second page that they groaned out loud.
A placement test would be the first assignment to be completed this semester, and for some of the students, this evidently scared them more than it would seem it should.
You weren't to start yet, as noted by the shimmer placed over the paper. Flitwick had explained it to you as the Illegibilus charm, a spell that, in its most basic forms, made handwriting illegible to nearly all who would try to read it.
She had demonstrated on your own notes, and you would admit you did freak out a little bit when your entire notebooks suddenly changed into nonsense.
She had said that the charm would be lifted once the entire class was present, sitting, and she had given her opening speech.
You were still people watching, considering the Accio spell, and the potential uses it could have for you, when there was a hum from just in front of you.
Looking up from your note-taking, you met the eyes of one Luna Lovegood, smiling that same dreamy, wispy smile that she had the night she crawled out of your bed.
Startled, but not unhappy, you favored her with a nod.
"Good morning, Luna."
She smiled back, and then an odd noise escaped her throat before she could respond verbally.
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"Mmmmh~ Good morning, sweetheart." She muttered back, smiling widely as she shifted in place. It almost seemed like she was looking somewhere else when she spoke.
You were a bit taken aback by the tone of endearment out of nowhere, but you nodded nonetheless.
The conversation stalled there for a moment, and you shifted uneasily, until, finally, Luna blinked, her eyes clearing up, and she looked around herself in with a vaguely surprised look on her face.
"Are you alright?" You asked hesitantly.
Your words seemed to catch her attention, as her eyes locked onto your own, and soon she had a much wider smile on her face.
"Better than ever, Herman. May I please sit next to you?" She asked, gesturing to the empty seat on your left.
You nodded, and Luna glided into place.
In some cases, she got a bit too close to you, but it was nothing a few gentle pokes couldn't fix.
Or at least that's what you thought.
No matter how many times you corrected her, she just kept putting her head on your shoulder, so when the class finally started, it did so with you functioning as a living pillow, with Luna Lovegood as the consumer.
Despite the blonde-haired girl who seemed quite determined to get quite comfortable in her seat, almost leaning her entire body against you, you did your best to stay focused on Flitwick, as the diminutive professor began her class as she usually did.
That is to say, by demonstrating the charm in question to the class.
"I'd like you all to look at the papers I've placed on your desks." She began, gesturing forward.
You did, as did the others, only to blink before looking again.
Covering the paper, and not just in the lines, was an indescribable mass of scribbles. And you did mean indescribable. Every time you blinked, it seemed to change. Occasionally, you'd be able to make out a word, or a symbol, but just as quickly it seemed to vanish into the ether.
The noises of confusion around you assured that you were not the only one who had this problem, and the green-skinned professor at the front of the room smiled before hopping up onto her stack of books, surveying the group.
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"What you have in front of you is the assignment for today's class, and your homework if you don't get it done. The paper is charmed with the Illegibus charm. Today, you will learn the spell and counter spell to do the same. Let's begin by…"
Flitwick trailed off, and you began diligently taking notes as the professor went through the spell, its origins, and pronunciation.
As you took notes, however, you found your right arm jostled a few times. You did your best to ignore the distraction, but it continued happening until finally, you let an irritated noise escape your throat and turned to the distraction.
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Luna was still smiling, and despite her seeming to focus on the professor with half of her attention, the other half still seemed to be somewhere else. Her eyes were clouded, and her cheeks were flushed with heat.
When you turned to her, finally, her hand was half up, ready to poke you again. It lowered, and instead, without looking at you, the blonde took your gaze as permission to ask her question.
"What day of the week is it, Herman?"
You felt your eye twitch.
"Thursday." Was your brief reply before turning back to Flitwick?
Another poke.
"What month?"
You didn't even look this time.
"September, now please, I'm trying to focus on the class."
Annoyingly, the girl let out a giggle, but thankfully, there was a brief silence after that.
Brief.
A hand ghosted your free one on the table, the petite limb coming to rest atop your own lightly.
Her fingers felt quite cold.
You spared a glance at Luna, but, in an odd fit of focus, the other girl seemed entirely engaged in looking forward.
Or at least, daydreaming while doing so.
You turned back to your paper, deciding that if the girl was satisfied with her hand atop your own, and it would keep her from interrupting your note-taking, it would be fine.
Fingers, slowly, curled around your own, but you were resolute in allowing the girl this, if it let you pay attention to class.
But that didn't stop you from noticing when she began, slowly, tugging your hand towards herself.
This would go on for a while, with Flitwick calling on numerous students to try their hand at the pronunciation. You yourself raised your hand a number of times, although after the first class, the professor had pulled you aside and given you an upper limit on the number of times she'd call on you in class.
Throughout all of this, though, Luna had persisted in playing with your hand, proving her lax nature by not taking a single note. Instead, she spent her time fiddling with your fingers, long since having utilized both of her hands to examine your own.
She spread your fingers, feeling over each one, before momentarily occupying herself with making your hand into a fist, before finally pressing her cheek against it, using it as a pillow for a bit.
Eventually, though, she shifted.
"Mmm~ Herman, could I-?" She began.
Flitwick had just started in on the nuances of the pronunciation, your favorite part. You felt a bit bad as you absently waved the other off, but you could ask her what she needed after class.
"Sure, Luna, just let me get this down first." You muttered absently, bring your hand up to pat the other on her head, in an attempt to keep her quiet.
What you didn't see, though, was the expression she made when you did.
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You would only understand later exactly what you had unleashed.
Still focused, you felt Luna grab your hand, her own wrapping around it as she seemed to give a hug, briefly, and you figured she was just using it to warm her own, still icy, digits.
Flitwick had sent you all to attempt the charm on your own sheets, so you put down your quill and lifted your wand, considering the syllables of the spell.
As you did, you idly realized that Luna had placed your hand in her lap, and was kneading it with her own, it wasn't uncomfortable, though, so you ignored it.
There was rustling of cloth, and you felt something slip past your wrist, and your hand was suddenly directly against something smooth, warm, and ever so slightly damp.
You narrowed your eyes, confused. You didn't want to look over, and risk getting Luna off task again, but you couldn't quite figure where she had slipped your hand.
You flexed your fingers slightly, trying to determine what you were cupping, and Luna jumped, a squeak leaving her.
A mystery, hmm.
-x-X-x-
You considered your options carefully, feeling the surroundings of your hand with inquisitive energy.
From your investigations, you were able to understand more of the surroundings. On one side, you had a loose layer of cloth covering the top of your hand, alongside what you were reasonably sure was some kind of elastic. On the other hand, the warm mound you felt before.
Squeezing it, you observe that it was soft and pliable. The slight dampness seemed to increase the more you handled whatever it was, and Luna occasionally squeaked and shifted slightly as you did. Her grip on your arm, keeping your hand wherever she had placed it, remained firm though.
You muttered the spell a few times over the paper, watching as the text flexed and wobbled at your attempt at magic, but stubbornly remained incomprehensible. Multi-tasking, while not your greatest skill, was something you were relatively practiced at.
At the same time as your spellcasting, you began further investigation into your hands, surrounding, this time, deigning to shift your fingers around, trying to find some detail that would help you pinpoint the location.
Eventually, you were able to find what felt like some sort of seam, and, with some minor working, you pushed your fingers under it.
There was a sharp intake of breath from your side, and then Luna let out a giggle.
"Ooohhh… that's what today is." There was a smile in her voice.
"Illegibus," You said aloud, instead of responding. The counter curse was taking some time, and Flitwick had suggested that students who are struggling with one should try the other. Gratifyingly, you watched as the page of notes you had just written morphed into nonsense.
Then you cursed in your mind as you realized you'd just hidden your notes from yourself.
Now, underneath another layer of fabric (you were begging to think the girl had tucked your hand into her bookbag, with a spare robe or something), your hand roamed. The area was even warmer than before and felt moist at the touch.
Exploring, you eventually came across a small nub. Brushing it lightly, you were rewarded with a squeak from Luna. Carefully, you worked your fingers forward and pinched the nub between the two of them.
"Hnnngh!"
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The muffled noise from Luna made you jump a bit, but by now, it was frankly personal at this point, and you were determined to use the powers of observation you were so proud of to figure out where exactly your hand was without looking.
Testing the nub a bit more, evidently upsetting Luna if the sounds were any indicator, you eventually let it go after lightly handling it. Instead, your hand roamed further down, where you found what you figured was the source of the dampness.
A small slit, probing it lightly, you found it seemed tight, but not sealed. Pushing more, you found it also most definitely was the source of the dampness, the pressure being rewarded with a flow of liquid.
Rubbing it over with your hand, the heel of your hand brushing roughly against the nub from before as you did, you felt that you were finally beginning to get a picture of what it was, but first, you figured you needed to do a further check, just to be sure.
After all, there was no way that…
You probed carefully, with two fingers, before finally, feeling confident, you slipped them in.
You had intended for only the tips of your fingers to enter the gash, but when you first pushed in, Luna jumped, and her hands holding your arm jerked, subsequently plunging you deep inside.
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The tunnel your fingers entered felt warm, wet, and most apparently tight. With curiosity, you flexed your fingers, bending them in order to lightly scratch at the walls.
Luna shuddered, and you could swear you heard a moan.
There seemed to be something at the end of the tunnel, but you weren't quite able to reach.
Withdrawing your hand slightly, the tunnel seemed to cling, not wanting you to leave, and you were resisted as well by Luna, and her grasp on your hand. Still, you pulled out slightly before thrusting your fingers back in, attempting to reach further.
This examination and exploration went on for a while, with Luna hunched over your arm. Thankfully, despite her distractions, you did manage to get the spell, getting back not only your notes but also decrypting the paper Flitwick had provided.
It was, of course, more homework. You probably were the only student in the class that cheered when you realized that, you other hand working away in the meantime.
Just as you were about to reach the end of whatever tunnel you had found, Luna let out a noise loud enough that you nearly whipped your head around. Flitwick herself looked around with a raised eyebrow before seeming to shrug. The blonde girl's entire body shuddered, and the tunnel turned into a flood quickly, soaking your hand.
Frowning, you finally gave up, withdrawing it. Whatever it was, it wasn't worth ruining the sleeve of your robes.
"That was even better than in my dreams." You heard Luna mutter.
You turned, finally, to look at the other girl.
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"That was wonderful, thank you, Herman." She said brightly, smiling bright and smug in ways that confused you. She was breathing heavily and seemed flushed.
You raised the still-soaked hand to your nose, sniffing it.
It seemed… familiar.
You looked back at Luna, who just smiled brightly.
You narrowed your eyes. She didn't, did she?
You looked down towards her legs. There seemed to be a sheen of wetness and a few strands connecting her creamy thighs.
Luna didn't twitch.
There was no way… You would have noticed…
Turning away, you looked for something to wipe your hand on, only for a pale hand to thrust into your vision, holding a handkerchief.
"I saw you'd need one of these." She said.
You took it slowly.
"Thanks…?" Something about the girl seemed off, and she was positively glowing from happiness in a way that she hadn't been when she first entered the classroom.
Before you could question her further, though, a clock in the corner of the room rang out, and students began packing up.
You turned back to where Luna had been standing, only to find the girl was gone. Her belongings were packed up, and the chair she had been sitting in was empty, although soaked.
Sitting on the seat though…
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You quickly picked them up, blushing. Tucking them into your bag, you couldn't help the embarrassed scowl form on your face.
You'd have to give that girl a talking to. It didn't do to just leave panties, where anyone could find them.
You shuffled out of the classroom quickly, intending to catch up with the blond-haired girl.
Unfortunately, by the time you got to the hallway, she was nowhere in sight.
-x-X-x-
Despite having spent a good ten or so minutes searching for Luna amongst the halls of Hogwarts, the blonde deviant was nowhere to be seen. You had eventually given up and resolved to hunt the girl down in the dorm.
To give her back her panties, of course, both of them.
You couldn't imagine what Harry would think if she found out you just had a stash of panties under your bed.
It would make you seem like some kind of pervert or something.
Still, as you couldn't find the other girl, and it was still some time until the next class, you figured now would be a good time to explore.
After all, you were in a magical castle.
Magic. Castle.
You had been looking for a good opportunity to do a bit of exploring ever since you got here, but it felt like at every minute there was studying to be done, classes to take, or people to speak with.
Now, though, in the empty hallway with no one there but yourself and your thoughts, the opportunity had presented itself.
You considered, briefly, exploring the grounds outside, and the thought even crossed your mind, about the third floor, that the headmaster had explicitly forbade.
But you settled your desires there and instead chose to wander the halls. Occasionally, you would come across a door. A single knock told you whether anyone was inside, and you poked your head in more often than not when you didn't hear an answer.
The majority of the rooms you found were either empty classrooms, store rooms, or just filled with various display cases carrying anything from trophies to plaques.
It was near the end of the second floor, when you were trying to take one of the moving staircases down, that you found it.
In an abnormal movement that you hadn't predicted, rather than pointing up or down, the stairs seemed to slant slightly, bringing you directly across the way, acting more like a bridge than a staircase.
Because the purpose of this venture was to explore, you decided to roll with it.
This choice brought you to a… less-than-stellar-looking hallway.
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The bricks grayed into a dull white color that looked neither clean nor dirty. The light from the brazier dimmed, creating warped shadows on the wall, and the ceiling grew high, with odd tunnels you couldn't quite make out running throughout.
Suddenly, the magical castle didn't quite seem so magical anymore as you walked along steadily.
Reaching the door, you braced yourself; the thought of stopping, oddly enough, never entered your mind.
Pushing, it took almost your entire body to slowly inch the massive stone slab forward, but eventually you did it.
The inside was dark, but upon entering, it lit up with a bright light. You blinked a few times, clearing the spots.
The sudden flash had momentarily blinded you, but it had filled the room with light. You were within a circular chamber, the walls made of the same brick.
Along the floor were large circles, marked with a variety of symbols. Some you recognized, being Norse, but others were foreign to you.
In the center of the room, sat a large, stone table.
On it, a book, and a knife.
You approach the table, and a feeling in your gut tells you to run. Your legs wouldn't stop, though, and soon you were there.
Hesitantly, you reached forward, and you half expected your arm to shoot towards the knife, but instead.
You grabbed the book, and as you would any other, you tucked it into your bag.
Turning, you began walking out, and upon leaving the confines of that circular room, you stumbled, feeling as though your body had suddenly returned to you.
Breaking into a job, you left that long hallway. You kept going until you were on the moving staircases once more.
When you turned around, you couldn't find the hallway again. The book weighed heavily in your bag.
UNLOCKED RITUAL ROOM
GAINED RITUAL BOOK
-x-X-x-
Dinner time came around fast, with you still reeling from your… experience, earlier. You entered the hall a bit later than the other students, so most were already seated. You made your were into the hall, waving at the several greetings you got as you entered.
You had started to notice a trend, if you will, among the Hogwarts students.
Specifically, you had started to notice a gender imbalance within the school.
For every one male student you met within the school, it felt like you would meet at least seven or eight female students.
In fact, in your house, there were only four other male Ravenclaw students in your year. So, as you walked through the aisle between tables, waving as you were greeted, you found yourself dealing with many a flirtatious greeting, followed by giggling and winks.
You returned them with your own, although half-heartedly. It seemed to satisfy the other student, though, and soon you found your way to Harry, who met you with a bright smile of her own, patting the notably empty spot beside her.
You collapsed into the chair, and the black hair girl handed you a plate, already filled.
"Busy day?" She asked.
You shrugged.
"A bit of both, to be honest."
You had wanted to tell her about the room and the book. But for some reason, you found yourself unable to bring it up. Instead, you bit into the shepherd's pie on the plate, observing the hall around you.
You and Harry made idle chit-chat, this being the second day that the two of you had entirely separate classes. Apparently, Professor Sprout was a tough but fair instructor. The older woman had, evidently, threatened to take Selence Malfoy over her knee if the girl didn't stop needling Ms. Longbottom.
It had evidently shut the blonde girl up and made Harry's day, from the way she was giggling. You laughed alongside her, the thought of the smug, somewhat rude blonde girl being spanked in front of the entire class having a visceral appeal to you.
You honestly wouldn't mind getting a hand on the girl in that way yourself. Teach her some manners the same way your mother taught you.
You were pulled from your thoughts as Harry continued on about her day, expounding on the benefits of this class and that. She was halfway through her rant about Veronica's top popping three buttons in defense when there was the sound of a throat clearing behind you.
You looked up and over your shoulder, only to see nothing. The throat was cleared again, and your gaze fell down.
To the left, Professor Flitwick stood, her buttons fully buttoned this time, with a small smile on her face.
To the right…
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A goblin, with black hair, much shorter than Flitwick, that entirely covered her eyes. She was wearing a pair of black dress pants and a black, rose-patterned button-up shirt, made of a fabric so thin and sheer that you thought you were nearly able to see her nipples underneath. Despite the fact that she wore high heels, she didn't even surpass you in height while you were sitting down.
With her eyes covered, the most immediate feature that drew your attention, aside from her large chest, a factor you were beginning to realize was relatively common in the wizarding world, was her rather pronounced lips. Outlined in matte black lipstick and seeming quite puffy, they were by far the most striking feature about her.
She stood, legs apart, a clipboard in hand, alongside a pen. Despite her eyes being hidden, you got the sense that she was eying you.
"Mr. Granger," Flitwick began brightly, "apologies to interrupt your dinner, but regarding the internship we discussed earlier today, I contacted Gringotts, and they actually sent over a representative a bit early, to conduct an interview and fill out some paperwork with you."
She gestured to the other goblin. Who was silent up to this point?
"This is Griphook, and the goblin they sent."
The professor went silent, both Goblins looking at you, as if testing your reaction to the black hair shortstack. You took that as the sign to introduce yourself and stood from your chair smoothly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Griphook." You said, holding out a hand.
There was a moment of silence before they both broke out into wide smiles. The sharp teeth on display, for some reason, seemed to send a shiver down your spine. Harry's hand came up and grabbed onto your own.
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.
Griphook stepped forward, uncomfortably close, enough so that her breasts pressed against your legs lightly. She brought an arm up and took your hand in both of her own.
"I assure you, Mr. Granger, the pleasure is all mine." Her voice was low, surprisingly so for such a small creature, and flowed like velvet. It reminded you, in a way, of a used car salesman, if that person were also a Hollywood actor.
Griphook turned slightly towards Harry before coming back to you. Her grin widened, and her grip tightened.
"May I call you Herman?" She asked.
As you considered yourself an intelligent person, you never did anything "without thinking" but rather, you carefully considered all of your choices, and made the most logical one.
That being said, there were instances when, perhaps, you made a choice and didn't consider all the variables.
Namely, the way Harry and this new Goblin, Griphook, looked at each other, as she still didn't let go of your hand, waiting for an answer to her question.
So you gave her one, smiling widely.
"Sure!" And you smiled widely, delighted at the educational opportunity to get to know a genuine sentient being of a different race. You squeezed her hand back in response, but when you looked up to meet her eyes, or at least where you figured her eyes were, you found the black haired goblin looking away.
Following her gaze, you found Harry had her wand out and had a decidedly unhappy look on her face.
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-------------->
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Griphook, who had still yet to let go of your hand, grinned at your friend.
"And who is this little one. Surely not one of your students, Freya. She barely looks like she's seen nine winters, much less eleven." Her words were teasing, and she seemed to almost bare her teeth in an aggressive smile as she looked down at Harry, over her cleavage.
Flitwick, who had been addressed, smiled as well.
"I assure you, Griphook, Mr. Potter's small stature aside, he is perfectly old enough to be present at Hogwarts, simply slightly underdeveloped next to others his age." She stopped, as if done speaking, before she seemed to realize something, or at least, acted like she had.
"Oh! And Mr. Potter is male, dear." She added on, throwing a, somewhat theatrical, consoling look over at Harry, who had turned red at the byplay. Her wand was still clutched in her shaking hands.
Finally, Griphook let go of your hand, seemingly satisfied. She withdrew the clipboard from where she had tucked it under her arm, checking it, before nodding and looking back.
"Fun aside, Herman, if you would be so amiable, I would like to converse with you in a private room over some papers I will need to have you sign, before allowing you into Gringotts proper." Griphook tapped the clipboard with a finger. "Normally, we'd have you do this when you entered, but since Freya seemed so confident with you, we figured we would get it out of the way early."
You considered turning back to your plate of half-eaten shepherd's pie. You considered it before pushing it away. In a flicker, something unseen took up the discarded plate, as it had every night, leaving your spot at the table clear. Beginning to gather your things, you stood from the table, only for a hand to grab your shoulder as you went to step out.
Harry had latched onto your arm. Her hair shadowed her eyes, but her grip was like iron around your forearm.
"Herman, mind if I come with you. When it comes to things like this, I've heard it's good to have a second set of eyes, to ensure not… Sketchy business goes on."
The implication of her words seemed to unsettle the two goblins, whose faces molded into looks less… friendly. They seemed like a strange mix of competition and aggression.
At Harry's question, you were silent for a moment.
Frankly, you would certainly not mind if Harry were to come along. The other Ravenclaw was your friend, and she was right; another set of eyes made things much more efficient. But, ultimately, the decision lay with Professor Flitwick and Ms. Griphook.
Both of which seemed to give your friend less than friendly looks. Maybe if you spoke up for her.
"I'm sure he didn't mean it that way-"
"I did."
"-but I would appreciate it if Harry could come with me. He's a good friend, and I'm sure he could benefit a lot from the internship as well!" You pleaded with the others, putting on the look you only ever used when you really wanted something from your parents.
The two Goblins looked at you, wavered, then gave in.
"I suppose another intern could be beneficial."
"Only if he behaves himself, Herman."
"Besides, this could be fun."
Freya paused before looking over at Griphook, who was smiling now. She frowned.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Well…" Griphook smirked before leaning over to your professor, holding up a hand to block her whisper into the other's ear. Flitwick listened, before her eyes widened in shock, and she pulled away, only for the other to pull her back and continue. Slowly, Flitwick's green skin darkened, and the signs of what you sure was the goblin equivalent of a blush formed, as her eyes flicked between you and Harry.
Finally, Griphook pulled back, and Flitwick was silent before finally nodding.
"Yes, you may accompany us, Ms. Potter." She said, before stiffly turning around and begging to march away. Griphook chuckled before turning back to you. You had fully stood from the table, and Harry was packing up herself as the black haired goblin held up an arm.
"If you may, Mr. Potter, Hogwarts does get awfully confusing for one of my height." She said coyly. Then, without waiting for you to respond, the Goblin hooked her arm through your own, somewhat awkward with the height difference, and began marching you away.
This was much to Harry's chagrin, and the girls yelped, and hurried footsteps behind you were audible, as she latched on to your arm on the other side.
And thus, you were escorted out of the hall by your best friend and a goblin you had only met that day.
-x-X-x-
You were eventually led to a smaller room, just off the great hall. You recognized it as the room that you were led into before the sorting. From there, Flitwick brought you out of that room and into a nearby room.
It didn't seem big enough to be a classroom, more the size of an office than anything, but it had evidently been set up for this occasion, with a small fireplace against the far wall, and two chairs plus a loveseat dominated the set around it. A small coffee table dominated the majority of the space in the room, though, and the fire was already crackling when you entered.
Flitwick gestured for the lot of you to enter first, and closed the door behind you.
Immediately, you were pulled away, Harry grunting as your arm slipped from hers, Griphook leading both of you to the Loveseat. She gestured for you to sit first, before a little hop and a bit of scrambling had her joining you. With a scowl, Harry sat in one of the free chairs, and Flitwick took the remaining one.
There was a brief silence, as Griphook shuffled her papers, before setting the majority of them on the table, keeping a couple in hand.
"First, I wanted to speak to the two of you about confidentiality agreements and…"
The meeting quickly got started, the goblin sitting next to you getting to the point surprisingly quickly, explaining, and having you and Harry look over numerous documents, before signing them. Professor Flitwick even did the same, proposing some changes to the other goblin.
This wasn't received very well by Griphook, but the change made sense to you, so the other goblin acquiesced with a brief glare towards the professor, who flashed you and Harry a smile.
"I wouldn't leave the two of you alone against a proper business goblin like Griphook." She grinned.
This would go on for a while before finally, you thinned out the pile enough so that the next paper would be the last taken up from the coffee table.
"Finally, there are your duties," Griphook said, finally lightening up from the serious demeanor she had adopted at the start.
"Your duties will be varied, but the majority of it will be done shadowing specific personnel throughout their daily lives at the bank. You will also be expected to spend some time socializing outside of work hours, as part of the cultural exchange. This includes, but is not limited to, meal times, holidays, traditions, rituals, recreational activities, relationship activities, and more." Griphook to breathe, after saying the entirety of it in one go. When Flitwick didn't interject, she continued, looking towards you.
"This internship is mainly done by your choice, although we will need advanced notice of when you plan to arrive. The question for you is, which branch of the bank would you most be interested in shadowing first?"
You looked towards Harry for guidance, but the black haired girl had spent the majority of the discussion with her arms crossed, glaring at the two goblins. She just shrugged at your look, leaving the ball in your court.
Turning back to Griphook, you considered your options.
-x-X-x-
The Vaultkeepers
The Goblins who dwell at the heart of the bank. Those who guard the treasure.
Duties:
Manage gold, coins, jewels, enchanted valuables
Oversee vault access
Perform magical inventory checks
Handle deposits and withdrawals of physical wealth
Led By:
Gloria "Goldie" Vaultkeeper
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The Ledger Hall
The number-crunchers and spell-writers of financial records.
Duties:
Track every transaction
Maintain enchanted ledgers
Balance books at the end of each moon cycle
Ensure no coin mysteriously vanishes (or walks away)
Led by:
Longstroke
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The Loanwrights
The department that grants or denies loans to wizards, fae, merchants, and guilds.
Duties:
Evaluate risk
Set interest rates
Approve requests for coin, equipment, ships, or magical items
Negotiate contracts (sometimes magically binding)
Led by:
Redrum
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The High-Council Liaison
Handles the bank's relationship with the ruling power.
Duties:
Follow royal financial laws
Communicate tax requirements
Manage vaults for noble houses or the crown
Deliver financial reports to the monarch or council
Led by:
Griphook
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-x-X-x-
You considered your options, as Flitwick and Griphook had described them.
Admittedly, to you, the Vault keepers seemed like the least interesting option. Security was unlikely to vary a huge amount, even across species, and while you were far from helpless, physically, looking over at Harry, whose form was minuscule even compared to the goblins who were nearby…
You didn't think she would be able to keep up with any intense like that.
The second one that stuck out to you was the Ledger Hall, but you discarded that notion as well.
The Loanwrights, on the other hand…
Your hand hovered over the file, or more specifically, the picture.
That Goblin… something about her seemed to call to you. You couldn't quite figure out what it was. You were on the verge of picking it when, as you were shifting forward, you felt your hand brush against something soft.
Looking over, you realized that in your idle movement, you had accidentally brushed your hand against Griphook's thigh.
You blushed, even as the black haired goblin met your eyes with a smile. Pulling your hand away, you were peripherally aware that Flitwick and Harry had started their own conversation in the background. Leaning back up, your attention was pulled away from the files and towards the Gob, who simply grinned wider as you gulped.
"Feeling me up, are ya?" Griphook smiled, her voice becoming slightly guttural in response.
You stuttered, blushing all the while, out denials, even as the Goblin in question glanced towards the other two in the room, before turning back to you.
"Mighty bold, for a first-year wizard to take a grab at the High Council Liaison like that, but I can understand why you would. There aren't many human witches that can sport things like these, huh?" To your mortification, as she spoke, using the grip she had on your wrist, she brought up your hand and placed it onto her breast, pushing it in until you could feel her soft flesh molding between your fingers.
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"Eh, I-" Was your intelligent response. Griphook smiled wider, her sharpteeth on display as she used her free hand to lift her other breasts up.
"Imagine if I were to tell Freya about your little grabby hands. Imagine if I were to tell your headmaster about what a naughty boy you are." She seems to be deriving enjoyment from the way you blushed and squirmed.
Practically mauling her own breast using your hand as a medium, you felt, through the thin fabric of her blouse, something hard and poke into your palm.
It didn't take much imagination to understand what it was.
Desperately, you look around, trying to figure out if there was some way. Anyway, to escape this situation. Shamefully, you felt your pants tighten, and you hoped she didn't notice that as well.
From the way she glanced down, you'd say she did.
You felt something on your own legs. Looking down, you saw the goblin's free hand resting on your thigh. Concerningly close to your crotch.
She leaned in further.
"I might be able to be persuaded to forget this, if you do something for me."
You numbly nodded.
"This weekend, I think you would benefit from some time with the Liasons." She said, softly, mouth close to your ear. You shivered at the tone.
But before you could respond, though-
"Maybe you should stop teasing him, Griphook."
Looking over, you saw Flitwick watching the two of you with a smirk on her own face. Harry turned as she spoke, and as fast as a snap, Griphook snapped back to her original position, leaving your hand hovering in mid air, and a bulge in your pants you hoped Harry didn't notice.
"Well, have you made a decision, Herman?" Griphook asked, as if nothing had happened.
Shakily, you nodded again.
"I think the Liasons would be a good place to start."
Griphook beamed, and you couldn't help but wonder exactly what the other had planned.
-x-X-x-
The walk back to your dorm was enough time for you to recover from Griphook's grip, and finally, once you answered the Riddle and entered the common room, you felt your face finally cool, and thankfully, your pants no longer felt as tight.
Oddly enough, Harry seemed to have gotten into quite the conversation with Flitwick, the two having carried on throughout the walk up, leaving you alone to stew in your embarrassment. Probably a blessing, to be honest, you didn't exactly want to explain what happened to Harry, and every time Flitwick had looked at you since you had left the room, it was with this smug, knowing smirk.
It made you think that perhaps she wasn't quite disapproving of the other's actions, but rather, it felt as if she approved.
You weren't sure whether or not you wanted that.
Still, upon stepping in, the Goblin and Human quickly sequestered themselves off to Flitwick's office to continue talking. You caught something about brooms and try-outs, but didn't catch more than that.
Tired as you were, your original intent was to simply go up to your room and unwind with a good study session, but just as you were about to head towards the staircase, you were intercepted.
Specifically, you spotted something that froze you in place.
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Panties.
Specifically, a familiar pair.
You felt your eyes narrow as you examined the sight in front of you. Pure annoyance, overcoming arousal and embarrassment.
You recognized those panties.
Walking around to the other side of the couch, the body was draped over, and you found your target.
Luna Lovegood, reading a book in perhaps the most uncomfortable position known to man, looked up at you with an innocent smile.
You glared down before taking a seat on the couch next to her. Luna, in an entirely unneeded and unnecessary movement, chose to roll over forward, onto the couch, rather than just stand up. This ended with a scramble of limbs, but eventually, the blonde-haired girl ended up lying down, her head in your lap.
The panties in your book bag weighed heavily, and you wanted to return them, but your sense of manners stopped you from doing it when you saw so many students watching, so instead…
"How was your day, Luna?" You asked stiffly. She smiled in response.
"Fantastic, thanks to you, Herman. How was your meeting with Grippy?" She asked, nuzzling into your thigh.
You wondered, only briefly, how she knew about your meeting, before you recalled that she sat at the same table as you.
"Good, thanks. I have an internship lined up with the Goblins."
Luna's face brightened.
"Oh, that's good! Things are picking up then." She paused, grabbing your hand and covering her eyes with it. "You're going to break some records, you know?"
"What?"
She giggled before ignoring your question, carrying on instead on a different track.
"You know, that book you have, the Kama Sutra, it's a special version," Luna spoke lowly, a smile on her face that, for the first time, you registered as naughty. "You don't normally find this out so early…" She continued in a sing-song voice.
"What do you mean by that- Wait, how do you know about that book?!"
You weren't even sure you were supposed to have that book, much less have other students knowing about it. Did Luna go through your stuff?
"Heh, yeah…."
You looked at her, did she just…?
"Anyways, if you go to page three hundred and eighty-seven, you should find a very useful section to study for this weekend. If you're lucky, you might be able to beat your personal record." Something about the way she said that seemed… ominous, but before you could question further, Luna swung herself up and quickly began walking away, towards the girls' dorm. She looked back for only a moment.
Then smiled again, before raising her skirt.
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You blinked, then quickly checked your bag.
There were now two pairs of panties, rather than one.
You felt like hitting something.
She can't keep getting away with this.
-----
Later that night, after you had calmed down, you would open your book to her suggested page.
Your face flushed, and you were happy your privacy curtains were closed when you were exposed to a full-page, foldout diagram of a small green woman.
But once you started reading, you couldn't stop.
Erogenous zones in the ears, huh…
You'd end up going to class tired the next day. And that charms class, you couldn't look Professor Flitwick in the eye without blushing.