ON GOING - RE-WRITING 2024
What was it that made the girl so extraordinary? Was it because she was a Harry Potter's best friend, or maybe it was because she was the most beautiful girl, blessed with the Diggory genes. Perhaps it was because she was...
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The first day of term held more of the same chaos as Camille would've expected, only this time...more so. Though she didn't want to admit it, the sea of green that surrounded her made her feel right at home. The owl post had come and go and Camille had already had to sit awkwardly as Ron received a Howler from a very angry Molly Weasley.
Camille couldn't help but stifle a giggle as she remembered the car incident everybody spotted on the train earlier. There were numerous times when Cedric would join the twins as they flew around in that car across the paddocks that separated the Diggory's house from the Weasley's. Even Camille had the thrill of flying in it alongside Ron watching as Percy ordered them to get out immediately. Of course, Fred did just that. He leapt as Cedric cast an 'Arresto Momentum' spell to slow his fall, giving Molly yet another panic attack caused by her sons.
"To think we have Professor Lockhart as a teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts. He looks like someone who'd defend his hair only." Draco's taunting voice rang through Camille's ears as the students hurried off to their first classes of the day.
Camille smiled. "You'd probably defend that new coat of yours."
"After saving you of course." Draco gave her a smug proud look, laughing a little at his own words whilst glancing to see how she'd respond.
A laugh. That's how the girl responded. "You'd be the one needing saving. I'd be the one to hold the attack."
Draco smirked. "So you'd save me?"
Camille simply looked to him and blushed slightly. There was something about him this year, something different. Perhaps everybody seemed different this year. One year older shouldn't change much, she thought. But there she was, a girl of twelve soon to turn thirteen, finding herself blushing like one would over an innocent school crush.
No, she thought. She does not have a crush on Draco Malfoy. Her father would never allow it.
DADA class was something Camille did enjoy, but perhaps this year would beg to differ. She'd found a seat somewhere in the back row, hoping to find Brooklyn or Savannah bundle into the seat next to her but of course, the boy who always followed close behind, beside or in front sat beside her. She didn't mind it as much as she had last year. Though she would never admit it to anyone, Draco was the only one within her year group of Slytherin students to be remotely anything close to that of a friend.
The door opened and in Lockhart's usual narcissistic style, the golden haired man swaggered into the room. As he glided down the steps, re-straightening a tilted painting on the wall, he began to introduce himself. "Let me introduce your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher...me. Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League and five times winner of the Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award - but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her."
"I'm sure if I was the banshee and I saw him smiling at me I would be running away too...it's hideous." Draco whispered to Camille, earning a muffled laugh from the girl he so dearly tried to impress.
Professor Lockhart laughed greatly. Others did not.
"I see you all have my wonderful books on the tables, so I figured we should begin with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about, of course, just a little look to see how much you've taken in from reading all of them." Lockhart continued.
Camille looked horrified. She turned to Draco who wore a similar look. "I haven't read any of them."
"Me neither." Draco muttered back.
They were allowed thirty minutes to complete a bunch of questions that mostly resembled nothing of DADA content but more of Gilderoy Lockhart's personal preferences. Camille wanted to throw her hands up. What did Lockhart's favourite colour have to do with defending themselves against a creature? Would shouting the word blue (if that perhaps was his favourite colour - for she had no idea) save her from the Bandon Banshee?
Hermione had of course received full marks as she smiled contently with Lockhart's presence. Seamus and Dean continued to laugh silently by the front, neither doing well on their quiz.
"Ah, Miss Diggory. You regretfully got none of them right." Lockhart handed her quiz back. Camille would've card if it hadn't been for the other twelve students to receive a flat zero also. Including that of... "You too, Mr Malfoy. You couldn't seem to remember that my favourite colour is lilac?"
Draco snatched the paper from Lockhart's hands, stuffing it amidst the pages of his textbook.
As Lockhart went to the next table Draco leaned in for one final remark. "My father will hear about this class."
As if that class hadn't reached its highest point of awfulness, Lockhart proceeded to tap on a covered cage by the front of the class. He described that in the cage was one of the most foulest creatures known to man-kind, or so he said.
With a flick of his wrist, the cage was exposed and inside...inside the cage was...
"Cornish Pixies?" Seamus choked out with the greatest of laughs. "They aren't even dangerous."
Lockhart smirked. "Oh...don't be so sure!"
Camille had heard of them before, from Molly Weasley. She'd likened them to her twin sons. Now, Lockhart was planning to open the cage to release them and Camille leant forward, excited and interested.
Utter chaos was what followed next...much like Molly's allegory.
The Pixies shot out every, zooming around, giggling. One grabbed Neville by the ears and lifted him up onto the ceiling candelabra. Multiple pixies hit the back windows, glass shattering as it rained glass over the back row. Draco grabbed Camille, pulling her under the desk as shards of glass pelted above them. Other students were running out of the class. The classroom was becoming an utter mess of destruction thanks to these little critters.
Lockhart called out a useless and unheard spell which did absolutely nothing before the Pixies took his wand out of own hand. As he sprinted out of the classroom leaving the six remaining students inside to deal with the problem at hand, the pixies used the wand to let the giant animal Skelton fall from the roof, crashing hard against the middle tables. Neville simply couldn't do anything as he swung from the ceiling. Ron and Harry continued to hit them with books whilst Draco and Camille hid under the tables of the back row.
Hermione stood up like the lioness she was and aimed her wand at the little purple pixies. "Immobulus!"
Then, the creatures floated around in slowness as they were unable to move. Draco stood up, followed by Camille then Harry and Ron. Ron looked up to Neville, still dangling from the roof.
"My father will most definitely be hearing about this!" Draco muttered, strutting out of the classroom with his and Camille's pile of books and his crumpled quiz paper in hand ready to be dropped in the nearest bin on his way out.
Camille smiled at Hermione who smiled gleefully back, proud of what she'd done.
Professor McGonagall sprinted in, hearing the raucous of noise from down the hall. She gasped at the sight and slowly, Camille snuck out of the room to avoid a lengthy conversation with the Gryffindor head.
