CVI. SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW
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❝And I don't wanna live that way,
Reading into every word you say❞
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FLORIAN DIFIORE WAS SOMEONE WHO Lucia did not actually knew.
Yet, this was her dad she was talking about. How can a daughter not know her father well?
Because he never actually live long enough to tell you how he was, Lucia.
But why was that hard for her to accept?
It never really crossed her mind once of how much she had no idea how her father was like before she was born. She thought that the stories her mother told her would be enough, that the stories she gathered throughout the years from all those who knew him would be enough... She thought that everything was enough for her to learn about him...
Oh, how greatly wrong she was.
She didn't know anything about him. Not even an ounce.
Had he always been the Florian DiFIore that her mother knew? Had he always been someone with an unnecessary passion flowers and arts? Had he always been someone so accepting, or was he just like the person that killed him?
She stopped dead in her tracks.
That couldn't right, surely, he was not like him? Surely, Rodolphus Lestrange was actually a kind guy once and that was why her father had befriended him?
What was she talking about? Was she trying to make excuses for something she should not?
From walking, her pace began to speed as before she knew it, she began running through the corridors, not minding who she bumped into in the way.
"Why did I never thought about it... why did it never crossed my mind..." she whispered repeatedly under her breath, the gears in her head began moving in ways that was painful. She felt as if she was slowly going crazy.
Why did she ever bat an eye? Why did she just accepted everything that came out of people's mouth, without trying to even find the real truth?
Was it because she was content by the fact that her little-to-no memories of her father was filled with nothing but good things about him? Was it because she was content that it was never tarnished?
Was she glad that she had never thought about it before?
All those scenarios... those scenes she played out in her mind of what her father could have been before he was murdered...
"Hold on..." she told herself, slowing down in her tracks at a sudden thought. "Why am I so gung-ho over finding the truth? Why can't I be blissfully ignorant of how he was? Mum married and fell in love with him for a reason, and it was no doubt that when they met, he was already a change man..."
So, what was making her so hellbent in knowing the truth so much?
Questions and questions began to race throughout her mind so overwhelmingly that she had entirely forgotten about Harry, Ron, and Hermione. All she could think was her father's secret, and why Amycus Carrow had to tell her that. Was it just to swamp her with even more doubt of herself and the people around her? Was it to ensue panic?
Or... was it because Rodolphus Lestrange's murdering her father was more to it than meets the eye?
A best friend who killed their best friend in cold blood... betrayal?
Was that it?
Did Rudolphus felt betrayed by the fact that his best friend fell in love with a girl not of their nationality, but from some small country and is half-blooded? Was that it?
No... That was much too trivial of a problem to be upset about. She had seen many pureblood supremacists that accepted half-bloods sometimes, but deliberately tries to hide away their real blood status. She didn't think this was much of a problem, but then what was it?
What made Rodolphus Lestrange so insane to the point that he would want to kill Florian DiFiore so much?
If they were best friends then, and Lestrange was no doubt a pureblood supremacist back then too... why did she think that it would not be possible for her dad to be one once too?
People could change...
Lucia brushed her fingers through her hair, untangling it as she walked back to Gryffindor Tower ponderingly. She really did know nothing about her own father. Even Harry knows more about the father he never gotten to share a memorable memory with, and the thought that she had been in blissful ignorance, accepting everything about her father because she was desperate for more memories of him made her slightly sick.
You're a fool, Lucia. You truly are.
She muttered the password ("Historia") and entered through the portrait, instantly being greeted by the warm, scarlet common room she knew so well. In front of the fireplace were her friends, who immediately saw sensed her presence.
"Lucia!" Ginny called, and the said young woman stopped in her tracks, turning to the girl peculiarly.
"What?" asked Lucia.
"Seamus told me of what happened in Defence..." Ginny trailed and Lucia rose her gaze distractedly to Seamus, who blew a blissful whistle. But Lucia was not mad — quite the contrary really. She felt more...motivated?
"Oh yeah," said Lucia, nodding. "Peculiar, isn't it?"
"What? What's peculiar?" Neville stood up from the armchair, looking at his childhood friend with incredulity.
"Peculiar... peculiar..."
Lavender stroke Crookshanks in her arms, narrowing her eyes at Lucia. "She's gone cuckoo,"
"Did you drink something spoiled?" Parvati asked, as she came down the steps of the Girls' Dormitory.
"Better yet, have you accidentally eaten something green to make you like this?" Ginny asked, crossing her arms over her chest, tilting her head to the side.
"Green..."
"Ginny, what?" Seamus said, gazing at Ginny ludicrously. "'Eaten something green'? Do you know how much green food there is in the world that are eatable?"
"Oh yeah, name one!"
"Cake?"
"You could've seriously just said vegetable," deadpanned Parvati.
Seamus shrugged.
"Green... GREEN!" Lucia exclaimed, causing them all to jump in startlement; Crookshanks leapt away from Lavender's arms and into Lucia, who caught him swiftly.
They all looked at one another, before turning to look at her as if she had grown another head. "Huh?"
"Green — oh, Ginny!" Lucia seized Ginny's shoulder, beaming at the girl. "You're such a genius!"
"I mean, of course I am," Ginny grinned, before she tilted her head; "Why am I a genius again?
"Onde-Onde!"
"On.. what?"
"Onde-Onde! Memories! Journal! Books!" was all Lucia said, before she excitedly left them in confusion, hurrying up the steps to the Girls' Dormitory.
Seamus turned to the others, pursing his lips.
"Okay, maybe Lavender's right. She's gone cuckoo,"
Lucia barged into her dormitory and threw her schoolbag on her bed, placing down Crookshanks on Hermione's bed, before she made a beeline to her trunk and began to rummage through it. It was here somewhere, she remembered depositing it during the end of fifth year.
Frankly, she did not actually think she would be going through it again, for the last time she did, all she wanted to do was to cry her eyes out. But now, she was always on the verge of crying her eyes out, so why not take the risk? It was not as though she had anything to lose too, for she had already lost everything. Maybe it would punch some emotions in her.
Hopefully.
Or else, she would be very concern.
"Meow," Crookshanks purred against Lucia in hope of receiving from her, and he did. Lucia dubiously stroke his head, while her other hand busied itself by still searching through her trunk when she encountered a small yarn ball.
Crookshanks gazed at the yarn ball yearnfully.
"Ah," said Lucia, halting momentarily. "I see you caught her scent,"
"Meow," Crookshanks meowed at her.
"Meow," Lucia said back, though she was not even sure why she did that in the first place. Nevertheless, she shook her head and set the yarn ball on Hermione's bed. "Go on, Crookshanks. Play,"
"Meow," Crookshanks hopped on the bed and began playing around with the yarn ball.
Lucia sighed warmly. She could not imagine how much Crookshanks was missing Hermione, and perhaps Hermione herself was missing Crookshanks... she did not know. She was just hoping she was missing the poor cat somewhere around the world too.
She shook her head, throwing away every single thought of them before it could make her tearful and numb once more. She needed to focus on the task at hand, and that was trying to find the journal of Florian DiFiore.
After a couple more hours of searching, Lucia finally found it from deep within her trunk, inside her box that were filled with her childhood memories. She hurriedly back to her knees, flipping through the pages.
"There has to be something about them in this damn book, Crookshanks, Mr. Bao," said Lucia absentmindedly, talking to the playful kneazle cat and the stuffed bunny on her bed that laid still. "I know I'm not crazy,"
"Meow,"
Lucia gasped offendedly at Crookshanks. "I am beyond disgusted by you! I am not crazy!"
"Meow, Meow,"
"Listen here, buddy! I know what my goal is, and that is to find the reason why that bastard murdered him!"
"Meow, Meow, Meow,"
"That's... true," Lucia gulped, halting from going through the pages as realisation struck. "I don't know about how Dad died... all I know was that it was 'cold-blooded murder, but with passion'. From the Prophet in fifth year, I found out it was brutal..."
"Meow,"
"You think I should find out how he died too? Make sure that —"
Lucia's words were cut short when she heard a creak coming from behind her. She wheeled around and saw Lavender, Parvati, and Ginny looking at her with a look of utter concern and panic.
"Lucia..."
At first, she didn't understand what they were trying to imply right now, but then she turned her back on them and saw the mess and not to mention how she was talking to Crookshanks just prior...
"I'm not crazy," said Lucia at once.
Neither of the three said anything. Ginny then entered the room and engulfed Lucia in a hug; Lavender went into the bathroom momentarily, and Lucia could hear the sound of water turning on; Parvati made a beeline to her drawers and took out a couple of soaps. The three then gathered in front of her, looking down at Lucia.
"C'mon, let's have a bath, shall we?"
"What?" Lucia looked between them all peculiarly. "Why — ?"
"Just... just let's go," said Ginny, pulling her up.
"Wait, I'm confused," said Lucia, as the three of them pushed her into the bathroom.
"Yes, yes, we know," said Parvati, before shutting the door behind them.
༻❁༺
Lucia sat quietly in the Great Hall, playing with her watery stew as she her mind began its gears once again. She did not have time last night to read through every single one of her father's logs, for she was forced to be in the middle of "Girl's night" or whatever. But she was not going to give up.
She will have the answers.
And perhaps, she may need to halt herself from retiring. Detective Lulock Dolmes — it sounded better in her head still — must make a comeback. It was vital now.
No matter how much she was to use her normal brain, it was just nothing in comparison to her detective persona that she used to love playing as since she was a very questionable child that had watched too many mystery films with Hugo in the past.
For some odd reason, whenever she was to become "Lulock Dolmes", the ASDA version of Sherlock Holmes, she felt more... insightful.
Yes, you heard her right. Insightful. She felt more smarter and finding out answers seemed to be much easier than being just, well, Lucia. However, she had not tap into that part of her mind for years now. Especially after what had happened with Barty Crouch Jnr...
But this was important. No matter how scared you are, Lucia, you have to find out more.
At least with this, it would certainly help her feel the void in her heart. She needed something like this to make her forget about everything, and it was not as though she had anything better to do anyway this year.
What about N.E.W.T.s, you may ask? Yeah, well, she did not have much hope of living pass her eighteen anyway.
Watch her mysteriously disappear by Christmas.
Kidding.
But in all honesty, she really did not know whether she would be able to survive Hogwarts this year. She thought it would be a bit tolerable even if there were the Carrows and Snape ruling over the school, but she really did not estimate the Carrows to pick her as the target of their bully...
Now she was just waiting for when they figure out she was connected to Harry. Would they kill or torture her for information?
Oh, most definitely.
Would she be snitching on Harry, Ron, and Hermione? Of course not.
She would rather kill herself than being a snitch. She was a seeker, not the thing that the Seeker sought after. And it was not as though she had a choice on snitching them anyway, since she did not have any sort of recollection of where they were, what they were doing, or what their goal was.
She was useless as a ro —
"CAW, CAW!"
Excuse me?
Did she hear that right? Because if she did, then she did not know what to think of except of wanting to just off herself because of her monologue getting cut off —
"It's mail!"
Lucia looked up, before her face screwed, puzzled.
"That's an awfully a lot of amount of mail..." she said aimlessly.
"That's because it no ordinary mail," said Neville from beside her, also looking up at the parliament of owls. "It's the Daily Prophet mail. It was like that yesterday breakfast too,"
"What, so they send the Daily Prophet for free now without subscriptions?"
"It seems so," nodded Seamus. "But somehow, today's mail looks a bit too... rambunctious?"
"Rambunctious?" Lucia screwed her face in confusion. "What's that even supposed to mean?"
"Well —"
Before either Seamus or Neville could say anything, an owl swoop down on them, dropping three copies of the Daily Prophet on them. Lucia was swift to catch it, while Seamus and Neville got their with their heads before they could properly process the situation.
"Lucia!"
In the middle of opening the newsletter, Astoria Greengrass's voice called out for her. Lucia wheeled around and smiled at the girl, but she didn't reciprocate the gesture, for the only thing that painted the expression on her face: Panic.
Lucia looked at Neville and Seamus skeptically, before she turned back to the panting girl. "What's wrong?"
"Here, fruits!" Astoria shoved the plate filled with mangoes and watermelon to her. She then squeezed herself in between Neville and Lucia, plopping her own copy of the Daily Prophet. "Have either of you read it?"
"Well, we were about to when you suddenly came," retorted Seamus.
"Well, I suggest you to read it. Especially you, Lucia!" said Astoria, plopping a stale bread into her mouth. Her panic expression was replaced with disgust. "What is this?" she asked, vomiting out the bread she just ate.
"Bread," said Neville airily.
Astoria looked at all three of the seventh years, but they merely shrugged as they flipped through their own copy of the Daily Prophet.
Lucia took a sip of her watery stew when she suddenly spat in a sudden outburst.
"Hey!" Seamus seemed to be the one to get his by her, but Lucia gave him a quick apology before she trained her sole attention on the Prophet in her hand, propping it as high as she could, thinking she was just imagining it.
HARRY POTTER INFILTRATED THE MINISTRY?!
"He did WHAT?!" Seamus gaped, reading the headlines.
Lucia felt her heart going rapid at the sight of it. She read it repeatedly, hoping it was only a mistake — that it was an error in her part for being so desperate to want more updates of how Harry and the others were doing these past few days, weeks, and months. But this was no mistake, she told herself.
Sure, she did want some answers. But this was not how she imagined getting it...
"Have you read it? Have you read about what went on?!" a Gryffindor came running into their friend just a few tables away from her.
"Blimey... Harry Potter infiltrated the Ministry..." she heard someone from behind her said as they pass her.
"Can't be! Did they capture him?!" said a Ravenclaw that sat across her.
She felt her world slowly turning. This had to be a joke.
He could not have been that dumb to go into the Ministry...
Oh, who was she kidding? He did possess the right amount of dumbness to go into somewhere he was clearly in danger in entering... Why did you go into the Ministry in the first place?!
The "Boy-Who-Lived", Harry Potter, has recently been declared by the Ministry of Magic to be the Wizarding World's most Undesirable No.1 for the crimes of fleeing from the questioning of the unrighteous murder of Albus Dumbledore, the previous headmaster of Hogwarts. However, it had seemed that he finally had shown himself after not even a month of being titled the most wanted wizard alive.
During the rush hour of the 2nd of September, students have began attending Hogwarts whilst many witches and wizards were busy with their ongoing lives. "It was then Potter decided to strike," an anonymous told us.
Potter had allegedly kidnapped and impersonated three Ministry Official. The victims are as listed: Albert Runcorn, a highly respected wizard; Mafalda Hopkirk, a highly-knowledgeable witch assistant in the Improper Use of Magic office; and last but not least, Reginald Cattermole whose wife was taken into questioning for her rights of having wand that day. The three victims were unharmed, however Potter had successfully escape before the authorities could capture him.
The Minister of Magic, Minister Pius Thickness was passionate in relaying how baffled he was that such this had occurred under his watchful eye.
"I assure you that this matter will not continue. The Ministry would be in high alert from now on, and I implore you all to not underestimate this dangerous individual," said the Minister in hopes to reassure his people from panic.
"I have met Potter before; he was my students when I was watching over Hogwarts. He was a troubled child, and it is upsetting of how he had become when there were many preventions to stop this. If there are any inquiries regarding safeties and how to prevent from any of this to happen to any of our wizards and witches, you may book a time-slot to discuss the incident with me," said Dolores Umbridge, the Head of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission.
The Ministry of Magic later vowed that they will stop at nothing to end Potter's reign of terror over the Wizarding world.
"Harry's reign of terror?" Lucia scoffed a laugh, as she finished reading the article. "I think they're not getting their priorities straight here,"
"Would not be the first time, would it?" mumbled Neville distractedly.
"The thing is, Harry was seen in the Ministry. What's he doing there?" Astoria inquired, raising quite a nice point.
Seamus, Neville, and Astoria turned to Lucia for answers, who only responded by blowing on her cold stew. She then noticed their gaze and let out a defeated sigh.
"If you want to know from me, I suggest you give up," said Lucia.
"Why not? Shouldn't you know?" said Seamus, furrowing his eyes.
"I should, but I don't," said Lucia in the vaguest way possible.
"Okay, you're not making any sense," said Astoria. "Do you know or not?"
"I don't," said Lucia. "I used to, but now I don't,"
"What's that even supposed to —" Neville was cut off by Lucia as she stood up suddenly, shouldering her school bag.
"I'm going to head to class first," she patted both Astoria and Neville's head, before she walked away from the lot of them, leaving the three in quite a confusing state.
"She's not okay..." whispered Astoria in a worried manner. "She's trying to make it seem like she is — like this whole article isn't bothering her, but she clearly is bothered,"
"Lavender told us this morning of how she really gone off the rails last night," said Seamus, sipping his plain water.
"What happened?" Astoria scrunched her face in wonder.
"They caught her talking to Crookshanks and her stuffed bunny while the whole room was messy," said Neville nonchalantly.
Astoria's lips parted lightly. "Oh,"
Lessons went on just like usual and with deep intensity as they focused on studying for their N.E.W.T.s, however it was also much calmer in contrast to the first day of school where wands were brandished out and fights were threatened to erupt in the middle of the classroom with Houses fighting with one another.
Of course, in terms of Houses fighting with one another, nothing had changed except for the fact that people decided to use more of their words and brains rather than their wands and brawns. Lucia could not complain though, since it meant that she would be able to focus on her lesson while also thinking about other stuff that were filling her mind so inherently agitating to her.
But there were also times when those thoughts would be distracted, like when little Professor Filtwick was revising them through the Reductor Charm, or when Professor Sprout was teaching them about Asphodel and Alihotsy; "Careful when you use Alihotsy, for it can easily induce hysteria and uncontrollable laughter," just for Slughorn to soon teach them how to brew proper use of poisons and antidotes fore life-threatening situations. Transfiguration also was filled with Professor McGonagall constantly emphasising on the topic of human transfiguration that Draco Malfoy was very uncomfortable in hearing, for he was no stranger to human transfigurations thanks to what had occurred in fourth year.
Oddly, Lucia saw a pattern in their teaching. And it seemed that she was not the only one, for Seamus was quick to point it out to her after their Transfiguration lessons as they walked for their compulsory Muggle Studies lesson.
"They're definitely doing it on purpose!" he said. "They're teaching us indirectly on how to defend ourselves!"
"Yeah, that's evident and all," began Parvati sarcastically, "but I think you forget the fact that they are teachers, you know? They are obligated to teach us on how to defend ourselves,"
"Yes, but we were also supposed to focus on topic that we should focus in seventh-year! Not the ones that were already taught to us!" said Lavender. "Seamus might be right here..."
"Seamus, right?" Parvati looked at her best friend with incredulity. "Do you hear yourself, Lav? Back me up here, Lucia!"
However, Lucia stared at the ground momentarily in deep thought. "I don't think it's all of a far-fetch thing, Parvati,"
Seamus and Lavender looked at one another, beaming.
"Not you too!" groaned Parvati.
"Hear me out," said Lucia, as she led them to their next lesson. "The staffs definitely hates the Carrows, and it isn't exactly implausible for them to want us to be ready if the Carrows decided something that could change our whole school life, you know? It's better to prepare an umbrella before it rains," she added.
They filed into the line that was formed in front of the classroom door, where Neville was sitting patiently waiting for them.
"Neville! Neville!" Parvati approached him with a huff. "Back me up here!"
"What? What's wrong?" Neville looked in between in confusion. "Did something happen?"
"Listen to this; these prats thinks that the professors are teaching on how to defend ourselves —"
"But that's their job...?" said Neville, still confused.
"Exactly!"
"The context is that we saw a pattern that the teachers are revisiting old topics that seems more for defence and offence against enemies rather than the much more peaceful ones that we were supposed to be taught," told Lucia simply, and Neville parted his lips in an O, beginning to understand the situation.
"Oh yeah," he nodded slowly. "I do notice that..."
"You do?" Parvati snapped her head at him, while the other three beamed at him. "Really?!"
"Yeah," said Neville thoughtfully. "While you guys were in Transfiguration, I was hanging out with Ginny, Luna, and Astoria and they also were taught of things that seemed pretty advanced and something they've learnt in the years that pass."
"See! I know we weren't going crazy!" exclaimed Lavender.
"Take that!" said Seamus childishly.
"They're trying to tell us something..." said Lucia, playing with the cuffs of her sleeves. "They're trying to tell us to fight back?"
"Fight back against what exactly? Aside from being terrible people, they've also haven't done any provocation for us to do something," reasoned Parvati.
"Yeah, but it is only the second day, Parvati. Anything can happen when we haven't even gone through the first half of the term just yet," said Seamus sarcastically.
Parvati scowled at Seamus and before either Lucia, Lavender, or Neville knew it, the two began to swallow themselves into a great series of bickering that three chose to ignore when Lucia saw from the corner of her eyes that Pansy Parkinson was eyeing her before giggling madly. It was slowly getting irritating.
"DiFiore!"
Lucia ignored.
"Oi, DiFiore!"
Lucia leant on the wall beside her, closing her eyes. That buzzing...
"DIFIORE!"
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" Lucia snapped, the thin thread that held her patience was split. She looked at Parkinson with deep sense of annoyance, as she heaved a sharp and calm breath. "What do you want?" she said more calmly.
"Seen the news, have you?" daunted Parkinson. "Saw your boyfriend?"
Lucia rolled her eyes. Was this how Harry felt? Was this how he constantly felt whenever he was to see Malfoy coming and targetting him?
She wanted murder Parkinson.
"I think that's evident," said Lucia, shrugging. "Everyone has seen it since, you know, if your tiny brain can process it, the Prophet is the national news source of Great Britain?"
"What do you think of having to see your boyfriend being the Undesirable No.1?" Parkinson said, shoving the page in front of Lucia's face.
"Back off!" Parvati growled.
"Ah, I see you have dogs now," said Parkinson.
"Ignore her," scowled Neville, pulling Lucia back.
"Became like your nutter of a boyfriend, have you? Missed him I reckon?" said Parkinson, as Lucia's face was complete without emotion of any sorts. "Imagine having a boyfriend who is a literal felon? I would have wanted my family to disown me by then, don't you think?"
Lucia's jaw clenched.
"— oh," Parkinson turned back to Lucia with a smirk on her face, "I forgot,"
"Pansy, stop it!" pleaded Daphne Greengrass, but Milicent Bulstrode tugged her back from interjecting her friend.
Parkinson took a daunting step forward, "You don't have a family, don't you? All of them are dead, and one went insane —"
Lucia snatched the page from Parkinson, and seized the girl's nose harshly, before she pushed her back onto a wall, causing her peers to watch the scene with a gasp, and Lavender choke out a coherent, "Lucia!", but she merely ignored.
"What, can't breathe?" Lucia tilted her head apathetically, as she watched Parkinson struggled to breath. "Forgotten that you can breathe through your mouth, did you? I'm not surprised since with those small brais of yours, comprehending the most easiest thing could cause you to malfunction,"
Lucia let go of Parkinson, causing the girl to catch her breath. She glared at Lucia.
"You —"
"Me?" said Lucia. "You provoked me, Parkinson. I thought you learnt your lesson from last time? I guess I was wrong,"
"Y-You're going to regret that!" exclaimed Parkinson.
Lucia hummed. "Maybe," she said, unperturbed. "Go on, I guess. Go tell your mummy and daddy about what that nutter, Lucia DiFiore, did to their little baby. Go and tell them and disregard who you provoked. Act like a saint, I bet they would certainly believe you," Slowly, she crouched down before Parkinson with a small smile, "But talk about my family again with that much disrespect, I would suggest you sleep with one eye open. In this time of war, many things could happen,"
"Is that threat?" glowered Parkinson.
Lucia patted her head smilingly. "If the shoe fits,"
The classroom door opened before Parkinson or anyone could further retort, indicating for them to come in. Silence fell over them immediately.
"Come in," a wheezy voice for within.
Lavender and Parvati held one another, while Seamus and Neville shared a glance as Lucia led them into the classroom, where they were all instantly greeted by the unsatisfying face of Alecto Carrow, the new deputy headmistress that replaced Professor McGonagall, as well as the Death Eater that had taken the position as the professor for Muggle Studies as Professor Burbage was murdered over the summer.
It was odd to say the least. Why would a clear pureblood supremacist take on the position as the professor that would enlighten them about Muggle stuff, as well as why did the said subject became compulsory in the first place?
Many pureblood that was very against muggle-borns or muggles in general were very much in shock to see it becoming a compulsory subject when they were currently under the administration of Pius Thickness and his puppet master, Voldemort. Even Lucia was bewildered by it, for the only thing that was stated in the booklist was that they should bring parchment and wand only, which had settled a sense of suspiciouns from within her.
Lucia took a quick seat at the middle of the classroom, beside Draco Malfoy who had became her unspoken deskmate if she were to be alone. And whilst Lucia did not trust him one bit, he had also grown on her for indirectly standing up for her when she was being tormented by Amycus Carrow. Though she was not going to disregard of the things that happened in the pass years.
"There would be no need for talking, for I will be the only voice in this class," said Alecto Carrow, as she descended the steps from her office to arrive at the landing. "I get from my brother that you have met him, so I am not much of a stranger,"
On contrary, you kind of are...
"I am Alecto Carrow, call me by Professor Carrow. Anything other than would ultimately lead to your punishment," said Alecto Carrow, causing Lucia to blink blankly. Punishment she says?
This was already a punishment...
Her beady eyes looked around the classroom with a crazed smile. "I see an unfortunate amount of Slytherin in our class... may I at least know how many of you are pureblooded?"
A minority of the class held their hands up, such as Draco Malfoy and his 'friends', as well as Lavender Brown, Ernie MacMillan, and Neville Longbottom. Alecto began to count them.
"How disappointing," she said with distaste written in her eyes. "Not even half of the classroom,"
They limped their hands down, tensed.
"Well, it is to be expected. But look on the bright sight, shall we?" said Alecto in a disconcerting manner, "The least I know, Slytherin continues with their regality as my brother and I expected. All of them are purebloods!"
Lucia refrained the urge to openly roll her eyes at this.
"I-Is there a reason why you're asking for our blood status?" asked Lavender meekly.
Alecto's eyes zoomed at Lavender, who shrunk. "Yes, well, Brown I presume?"
Lavender nodded.
"If you must know, blood status is important. It should be the first thing you tell someone when you meet them, or else you would be just proving to yourself that you're one of those thieves, aren't you?" Alecto grinned madly.
"Thieves?" Lucia furrowed her eyes. "By thieves, do you mean...?"
"Mudbloods!"
They flinched.
Lucia's jaw clenched, but she still refrained herself from blowing up. I promise Mrs. Weasley... I promise Mrs. Weasley...
"Mudbloods, a species of individuals that does not their place," said Alecto, looking around. "There was this misconception that was taught to you all by your previous Charity Burbage about how they aren't so different from us. Those are incredibly false!"
Calm down, Lucia... don't act up.
Don't act up... don't act up... don't act up...
Lucia continuously picked on her fingers, trying to push the urge to contradict back down. She promised Mrs. Weasley to not be reckless — to not be on their badside — to not —
"How are those false?!" In unison, all heads turned to Neville Longbottom, who seemed to be the only one with the bravery to contradict the woman. "They aren't different than us! What can support your opinion that they are different than us?" he demanded.
Lucia had never seen Neville so vocal before about something other than Herbology. However, the atmosphere around him was evidently different than the atmosphere he would have when it came about Herbology. Unlike the peaceful subject in which he found solace in, he looked as though he was ready for a fight.
"Oi," hissed Seamus, tugging. "Are you mad?"
"A bit," said Neville, before turning back to Alecto with narrow eyes. "Enlighten me, Professor. Tell me how muggle-borns are different than us?"
"This," Alecto calmly gestured over to Neville in a bored manner, "is why the new generation must be free from this awful misconception. They became uneducated!"
"He's not uneducated, though," said Lucia, voicing out in support of Neville.
"You, shush," Draco stopped her from going any further, and she glared at him.
"Mudbloods and Muggles are all the same. They're like animals," said Alecto Carrow simple, before a passionate crazed look overtaken her. "They're stupid, dirty and all they know is driving wizards into hiding by being vicious towards them. Now the natural order is being re-established."
"Natural order? Are you talking about the murders that are going around randomly in the Muggle world, or are you talking about the unfair registration that Muggle-borns have to go through to 'prove' that they are 'real' wizards? Or is just both?"
Alecto ignored Lucia and simply waved her wand. Dozens and dozens of small pink pamphlets floated from one place to another before they slowly slipped in front of each and every one of their face.
MUDBLOODS AND THE DANGERS THEY POSED TO A PEACEFUL PURE-BLOOD SOCIETY
"What's this rubbish?" Seamus' face screwed in oddity at the sight of the pamphlet.
"The Ministry has prepared — rightfully so — the basics of how threatening Mudbloods mere existence in our society," said Alecto simply. "It'll help you with educating —"
"Is this supposed to be educating for us?" Lucia deadpanned in disbelief. But, why was she surprised? "This isn't education, this is rubbish and I so happened to have picked it up against my will."
"Professor, instead of blabbering about this rubbish, how about teach us the right stuff?" challenged Neville.
"The impudence!" she wheezed.
"What era are you in? Get with the time already, lady!" said Lucia recklessly.
"See, this is what the Ministry wants to prevent!" said Alecto, rounding on both Lucia and Neville. "These two are examples of people that are in need of proper education, and I will deliver it for the sake of the future generations!"
"Okay, let me ask you something," began Seamus, joining in with the chaos that Neville first created.
"Go on... Finnigan," Alecto scrunched her nose in disgust, and Seamus rolled his eyes.
"Purebloods are deteriorating, let's be honest here," he said bluntly, without any restraint. "How is the Wizarding population going to grow when purebloods are literally dimming in numbers. Are you suggesting that people should marry their cousins to keep up with the mania? Oh, who am I kidding? Wouldn't be a surprise, right?" said Seamus, looking shamelessly at the ones that he knew their family practiced incest.
They all glared at Seamus.
"This is the last warning — for all of you!" wheezed Alecto.
"You're being delusional if you think that purebloods can exist on their own," said Lucia. "The reason why many of the people from the olden times died so easily is also because how commonly practiced incest is. It's literally common knowledge of science for someone to know that incest could lead to severe birth defect, you weasel!"
"ENOUGH!" Alecto brandished out her wand out, pointing it directly at Lucia's head.
Silence fell upon the room immediately, and all breath was suck in. They were afraid to even move a muscle, as Lucia was being held in wandpoint by the said witch.
Lucia raised her gaze from her lap, and up to locked eyes with Alecto defiantly. Honestly, if she were to put an end to her, Lucia did not think she would resent her that much. She'll porbably just do her a favour in killing her off from this miserable world she was slowly having no will in staying in.
Before Alecto could do anything to Lucia, the door opened, revealing her brother who had a stern look upon his face.
"Alecto," his gruff voice called for his sister, causing Alecto to retract her hand away from Lucia and limping it to her side.
Everyone turned around to see what was happening.
"What is it, brother?" she asked in annoyance. "Do you have a reason in interrupting my class?"
"We found a lead that could possible get us to Potter," he grinned.
The students in the classroom began to talk to oneself as they discussed about what he just said. Draco turned to Lucia and saw that her eyes were as wide as saucers.
What?
"Oh fun," cackled Alecto. "What is it?"
Amycus Carrow turned his head to scan around the classroom before he laid his gaze on Lucia.
"Excuse DiFiore from your class. I'm bringing her up to Snape," he said.
The classroom went still at this.
Neville, Seamus, Lavender, and Parvati looked at one another before they frightfully snapped their head at their frozen friend. She clenched the hem of her skirt, fear written in her quivering eyes.
Huh?
Me?
Why?
"Why her?" asked Alecto.
Lucia felt panic ensuing within her, her world slowly felt as if it was crumbling.
"Because out of all of the people in this whole school, DiFiore had the most intimate relationship with Potter. A source told us that she's his girlfriend,"
Oh.