Queen of Disaster | 𝑅𝑒𝑚𝑢𝑠 𝐿𝑢𝑝𝑖𝑛

Chapter 19

     "No. I don't like nicknames."

     "Too bad, Reg." Diana smirked as he rolled his eyes. "I guess you're stuck with it now."

      "Great. Just wonderful," Regulus muttered under his breath flatly, but Diana only chuckled, accompanying him up to the hospital wing.

***

There was a gloomy atmosphere in the Slytherin common room in the week after the Quidditch match which they had lost. But they didn't give up and practiced harder, determined to defeat Ravenclaw in their next game which was going to take place before Christmas break.

Although ever since their first Quidditch practice of the year which had been weeks ago, Diana and Finn started to hate each other more than ever before. Finn still hadn't forgiven Diana for 'accidentally' knocking him off his broom with the Bludger.

     It was hard to tolerate him on the Quidditch practices, but that wasn't the only problem. Diana had to see him every day in different classes, because they were in the same year.

     That day, Diana and Layla had gone up to the Transfigurations classroom, taking their usual seats as they all waited for Professor McGonagall to arrive. Seeing as this was one of the most important subjects, they had Transfigurations lessons twice a week, which the Slytherins shared with Gryffindors.

Diana glanced at Layla who was sitting beside her with her book propped open before her, reading the upcoming lesson in advance.

"What are you doing?" Diana asked with a confused frown. This was the first time she'd seen her friend studying with such concentration.

"Studying. What does it look like I'm doing?" Layla answered without taking her eyes off the book as she held on to her quill, scribbling notes into her book every once in a while.

Diana chuckled. "Since when do you study in advance?"

"Since we have O.W.Ls this year," she replied curtly.

Before Diana could come up with a witty and sarcastic comment, their attention was caught when they heard firm footsteps entering the classroom. Turning their head, they saw Professor McGonagall walking inside.

Although she hadn't even reached her desk at the top of the classroom that a few seconds laters, four boys ran into the classroom as they laughed.

"Uh oh," Remus muttered and came to a sudden halt as he sighted Professor McGonagall inside the class.

But James, Sirius, and Peter were too busy laughing that they didn't notice Remus had stopped, so they ran into him and all of them fell down with a loud thud like dominos.

Everyone in the class sniggered. The only person who didn't seem amused at all was Lily Evans, who rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the book in front of her.

"Get up! All four of you!" Professor McGonagall said sharply, and so the four boys got to their feet as quickly as possible, dusting off their black cloaks. "What is the meaning of this!?"

"Erm... the meaning of what, Professor? If you don't mind me asking, of course," said James, acting as though he was extremely interested to know the answer.

"This is certainly not the first time you four show up to the class late!" said Professor McGonagall angrily, tired of their childish behavior which hadn't changed even after five years.

"But you haven't even been in the class for five seconds, Professor!" Sirius said defensively.

"Silence, Mr. Black!" Professor McGonagall snapped. "Ten points will be from taken from Gryffindor. The next time you enter this class even a second after me, it would be detention! Understood?"

The four boys nodded.

"And Mr. Lupin," she went on, turning to face Remus with a firm and scolding gaze, "you're a Prefect. You're supposed to be the one keeping them in line. I expected more of you."

"Sorry, Professor," he muttered, throwing his head down.

While Remus looked ashamed and Peter seemed to he extremely nervous, Sirius and James were trying their best to keep a straight face and not to burst out with laughter.

Professor McGonagall sighed, shaking her at them in exhaustion of having to deal with them for so long. Even the thought of having them in her class for two more years worried her.

"Go ahead and take your seats," she finally said.

Everyone watched them as the four boys walked into the class with mischievous grins on their faces. Although as they were passing, Remus turned his head slightly to look at where Diana was sitting. Their eyes connected for a brief moment before they both briskly looked away.

"So," Professor McGonagall began once the class finally fell quiet, "today we are starting Vanishing Spells. These are easier than Conjuring Spells, which you would not usually attempt until N.E.W.T. level, but they are still among the most difficult magic you will be tested on in your O.W.L."

With that, Professor McGonagall started to explain the theoretical parts of the lesson and the wand movements, before instructing them to start practicing.