Hogwarts: Era of Darkness

At least the Potion class was good and uneventful. I didn't get to poison myself, and I didn't get to blow the cauldron up in my face, like Pansy Parkinson, adding one of the fake ingredients she copied from Quincy. Speaking about the potions, I finished right behind her, with around a fifteen-minute gap between us.

"Very good!" Professor Slughorn smiled at me, which was surprising. I didn't get anything but a handshake, yet he seemed much more friendlier than before.

"Thank you, Professor." I smiled back, and while leaving the classroom, I whispered to Quincy, "What is it with him?"

"He knew you mostly copied me last year, and he is not fond of copycats. I think he is pleased that you are improving!" She answered calmly, fixing the bag on her shoulder.

"Hm… I see… well, that is true, I did copy you most of the time… because you are just better at potion brewing!" I grinned, taking the bag off her shoulder and throwing it around my back.

"But the bet-" She looked at me, slightly embarrassed and red in the face.

"Nah, don't worry about it! We have time before the next class… what will it be?"

"History of magic."

"Geh… right after lunch? I will fall asleep… oh boy… Want to go out a little? Sit at the lakeside? While it's still warm outside!"

"Sounds good; let's go!"

"And you could tell me what it was that the Professor gave to you because you pocketed it so fast, I couldn't see!" I whispered, looking around, knowing some of our classmates, who were heading the same way as we, were thinking about the same thing.

"I'll show you!" She winked, and I had to wait to see it until we reached the lake and sat down on the green grass, watching its calm surface and enjoying the early autumn sun and its warm rays. "It was this!" She produced a small, little rock. 

"What, a skipping stone?" I quipped, looking at it dumbfounded and expecting it to be a joke. It was a practical one; I will give her that.

"It's a bezoar!" She moaned, rolling her eyes, disappointed that I did not get it at first, pocketing it.

"That is a fancy name for a rock."

"Argh… Idiot! Don't you remember it?" She asked, pouting, and I almost answered that I didn't, but then… yeah, I did. Now that she mentioned it, the name did ring a bell.

"The stuff in the stomach of goats? That can cure almost any poison? Yuck."

"See? You do know what it is!" She nudged me, looking frustrated that I was playing the idiot on purpose. 

"I just remembered it! This is the weird thing…" I murmured, turning towards the lake.

"The only weird thing is that you have a brain that can remember things." She added with a plain voice, then realized what I meant, watching my eyes being lost in thoughts. "What was weird?" She leaned closer while asking.

"I recalled it from our previous year's textbook. Like having it before me. Same with the potion recipe the Professor wrote on the blackboard! My memory feels sharper."

"Oh! That? Yeah, mine too!" She exclaimed, "I think it's the ritual thing! I don't know what or how magical snakes think, but yeah, when I try to recall something I learned, I am doing it is much easier now!"

"Really? Hmmm…” I scratched my chin, now much more relaxed about it, "That is an unexpected boon! Anything else?"

"Nothing. Besides a bit better senses, speaking with snakes and… I think that is it! You know, with my new powers, when brewing the potion, I could smell when to stir and add the next ingredients! No wonder Professor Slughorn was so happy; I made a perfect potion!"

"I do have a feeling you would have made one without the extras!" I nudged her right when both of our ears twitched, hearing steps heading for us. Turning towards the origin of the noise, we saw Draco and two of his new cronies coming our way; Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini. 

"What a first day, huh?" I whispered as we stood up, watching Draco come up, wearing a pretty smug face.

"Nice day, isn't it?" He asked, displaying such a fake smile it reminded me of Professor Lockhart.

"Was," I answered plainly, and I knew he got my meaning, same as his new followers. At least they were not as blockheaded as the previous lot. 

"I'd watch my tongue if I were you, Anguine!" Parkinson said in a sneering tone, "You are speaking to a Death Eater! Show some respect."

"Yes, Your Highness." I bowed ceremoniously, "Please forgive this humble servant for forgetting his place!" While speaking, I could hear Quincy's chuckle from behind and the silence from before me. I wasn't surprised seeing their weird expressions, seeing me present a 'proper' etiquette, but also hearing my tone, oozing with sarcasm. 

"I want to see the reward Professor Slughorn gave you." Draco continued, his tone much colder, looking behind me at Quincy.

"Sure." She picked the bezoar out of her pocket, showing it to them, holding it between her fingers.

"You take us for idiots?" Parkinson spoke again in her high-pitched, ear-hurting voice. "That's a rock you picked up, don't dare to mock us, Blood Traitor!"

"I am not a traitor!" She pocketed it, flaring up at once. "I am a pureblood witch like you!"

"Like me? Dream on! You are the child of traitors; you should have been executed just like your mother was! You are worse than Mudbloods!" 

"Calvorio!" Quincy shouted at once, and I heard her spell whizz past by me, hitting the stunned Parkinson in the face. She was so surprised that Quincy attacked her at once she didn't put up any defenses. Tapping her body, she felt fine, exhaling the air stuck in her chest, thinking everything was fine. Well… not really. Her hair was gone, blasted off her head which was now shining like a bowling ball. 

"You dare-?!" Zabini reached for his wand, same as Draco, who was also surprised by the quickly escalating events… Like I would give them time for that!

Flicking my hand, my wand was already in my grip, casting spells, aiming at Zabini first, "Locomotor Wibbly!" I shouted, turning his legs jelly, making him fall to his back while my aim was turning towards Draco next, "Expelliarmus!" I cried out and watched his pale body rise to the sky before I swished my hand, making him land with a loud crack on the ground.

“Petrificus Totalus!” Quincy called, freezing the trio as we stood above them victoriously.

"That was not the disarming charm." She whispered into my ear, and I just smiled. It wasn't. I used Levioso on Draco, lifting him up and then dropping him on his back, confirming my theory that I could use wordless casting and mask it by saying a different spell's incantation. I just had to match my hand movement to the real spell formulated in my mind. "What now? He IS a Death Eater, and his father is here too."

"Now you remember?" Draco said it with his eyes, watching us while being bound by Quincy's spell.

"Not a big deal. If he does not go crying or walks back injured, prompting an investigation, we should be okay!" I pursed my lips, raising my wand. "Well, we could throw them into the lake too. What do you say?" I grinned, seeing Parkinson's face turn whiter and whiter.

"Not bad… I can conjure some stones and attach them to their feet." Quincy nodded, agreeing nonchalantly. 

"Sure!" I grinned, and when I pointed my wand at them, I couldn't help but find delight in the terror in their eyes. "Obliviate!" 

…

….

……

We were coming out of Professor Binns's classroom, yawning simultaneously, deciding to visit our little North Tower headquarters to relax and wake up from our hypnotic trance. While walking away, I watched the trio of Draco looking at us, feeling somewhat confused. I was wondering if I screwed up something or not… but that should not be the case. They shouldn't remember what had happened. Maybe wondered why Draco's back hurt, but that was all. Or… And I am sure they wondered, just like everybody else, why Parkinson's head turned bald and why wasn't she taking it leisurely. Did I go too far with implementing a memory in her that it was Draco who ordered her to show her loyalty to him? Probably not. I hope...

"Weren't we supposed to not get into trouble?" Quincy asked when we arrived, wearing a slight smile on her face.

"You started it." I retorted at once.

"Okay, okay~! Sorry!" She chuckled, "But her attitude… and words…" Her voice trailed off, turning sorrowful. 

"I get it," I whispered, gently hugging her, which she let me do, wrapping her arms around me in response. "It's okay…"

"I didn't know her…" After a brief silence, she added, "But that does not mean she can speak badly about her!"

"Was she…" I tried asking the questions in my mind but couldn't put them into words.

"She was punished for what my father did. The coward escaped, leaving the mess to my mother, and she paid his price! I hate him!"

"..." I had no words to comfort her with, so I decided to remain silent instead, stroking her head in response which slowly calmed her down.

"Let's drop it… sorry to lay it out on you so suddenly."

"Nah, do it more if it helps!" I smiled, ruffling her hair which made her pouty and angry, a much cuter look than her crestfallen expression. "Want to play something? We can visit the library tomorrow! We have the whole year before us!"

"Hehe… you know… that does sound good! Less stressful than before!"

"That is what I'm thinking, ahaha! I have a feeling this year will not be as stressful as our previous one!"

Oh, how wrong I was…