Time had passed since Aine and Draco had found the Room of Requirement and the Vanishing Cabinet. Both of them had spent a few nights sneaking out of their common rooms at night, feigning deceit that they were doing their prefect duties of patrolling around the school grounds. It was tough to convince their respective partners and friends but eventually, they bought the lie. It was easier for Draco since he often did his tasks alone, though Pansy tried to follow along, she was unsuccessful as the boy had told her off harshly. She soon took a step back and respected his orders, not wanting to fracture the 'friendship' she has with him any further.
Aine, however, had a harder time selling the lie to her friends. Hermione was slightly concerned when Aine even covered the days she had duties, and she had always done it alone. She couldn't understand why Aine was insisting on it, knowing how busy the younger girl was too. Aine had reassured her friend that she simply wanted to do it to keep herself from overthinking, to be busy doing activities so that she wouldn't think about the pain of losing her father. It haunted her even to this very day.
Even Ron had become puzzled by Aine's behaviour, but he had shaken the doubts he had away. He ended up persuading his fellow prefect to drop her apprehension. They had all believed that Aine had no ill intentions, that she wasn't the kind of girl who would be up to no good. Though what they didn't know was that she was not that kind of girl anymore, she wasn't the Aine Estoileon they knew in the previous years. She had changed, forced to do something she didn't want to do. Yet, it wasn't something she could just tell them so casually. It wasn't as if she could let them know what happened and what she had to do. If she did, they'll be in danger too.
It wasn't just Aine and Draco performing secret assignments without their friends' knowledge. Harry too, had his own private lessons with his Headmaster, they had delved into the memories of Professor Dumbledore's, looking through the ones he had shared with He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named. Their first lesson had been where Dumbledore first met young Tom Riddle in 1938 when he had visited the Wool's Orphanage run by Muggles.
The little boy who had been abandoned by his father was left under the care of the Muggles who had taken care of him. Young Tom had an unsettling mysterious demeanour to him ever since he was a child, he barely spoke and when he did, bad things happened. Which resulted in him being cast out of the other children in the orphanage, a black sheep who did not fit in. The truth is, Tom always felt he was different from the other kids, and he was. He was not like the rest, no one understood him, nor try to.
Regardless, Tom was not crazy. The other children might beg to differ though, they started out bullying him because he was a quiet child who had little to no emotions even when he was left out or picked on. As time went on, they soon started to fear him and thought of him as a creepy cold-hearted child. Whenever they mocked or did awful things to him, terrible things would happen to them in return. Someone would get hurt, physically and mentally if he wanted. It was like bad things always happened to those who had crossed him, and he found pleasure in that. It made him feel superior, that he had them all in his palms.
Tom was a wizard. He had magical blood flowing through his veins and magic that was so powerful that he would lash out if left uncontrolled and untaught. That was when Dumbledore found him and offered him a place in his school. To learn and tame the magic within him. But what he hadn't expected was that Tom soon grew into a young man who came to crave power.
He believed he was different and his time at Hogwarts only proved that he was different. He was much more powerful than anyone, except he felt lacking. He was still not up to the level of the man who had brought him out of the dark orphanage and into this magical world where he had belonged. He was still weak compared to Dumbledore and thus, began his dangerous conquest for more power. For he hoped that one day, he would surpass the older man and be the most powerful being that everyone will come to fear.
And so he did.
Tom Riddle had become the number one wizard whom everyone was afraid of. He had become Lord Voldemort.
"Aine?"
"Aine..."
"Aine!"
"Huh? Oh. What is it, Mione?" Aine questions, snapping from her daze. She meets the brunette's worried gaze.
Hermione sighed and closed her book. "Are you alright? I've been calling you since just now but you were completely out of it!" she stated, putting a hand on Aine's forehead to see if she was unwell.
Aine gave a sheepish smile to her, she wasn't burning up nor was she sick in any way. "I'm fine, Mione! Just... Lost in some thoughts," she replies and her friend huffs.
"Clearly! Look at the bags under your eyes! I'm taking your duties today so you have a good rest tonight, okay?" Hermione scolded lightly.
"No, I can—"
"Nope!" her friend retorted back, popping the 'p' in the 'Nope'. She gave Aine a furrowed look, making the girl close her lips before she gets nagged again. "Have you been even sleeping properly? You always come back so late even when patrolling! And you keep tossing and turning in your sleep! You're going to fall sick if you don't take care of yourself, little one," Hermione remarked.
Aine simpered lightly as she looks down at her bracelet.
"And now you're laughing when I'm expressing my concern!" she scoffs, unable to believe what she was seeing. "You know what? Maybe you should just head back to the Gryffindor common room and take a short nap!"
"It's a lovely day out, Mione. And it's Ronald's first practice. We should be there for him," Aine said, jerking her chin to the awkward carrot-head boy who was standing in the Quidditch field. He was armed head-to-toe with protective equipment, his face pale with nervousness and he froze on the spot as he waited for Harry's instructions, unlike the group of other students who were here for the try-outs.
"Oh, for goodness sake!" Hermione groans, figuring Aine had a point. She exhaled again, her gaze landing on Ron with worry.
Harry and Ginny were standing in front of Ron, looking over to the group of scarlet uniform players who were mingling excitedly with one another. None of them paid attention when Harry was briefing them about the drill for the day. His voice was drowned out by the players' jabbering and he struggles to get them to pay attention.
Thankfully, Ginny was by his side and she wasn't having any of their disrespect. "SHUT IT!" she yells, annoyed by the group who wouldn't listen to instructions. Her voice was loud and clear that those who were in the spectator seats could hear her fierceness.
"That's our girl," Aine smirks and Hermione smiles proudly at their friend.
If the players weren't listening before, they most certainly are after hearing the redheaded girl's roar. They jolted into their positions before Ginny takes a step back to allow Harry who was appointed as Quidditch Captain to speak again.
"Thanks," Harry muttered over to Ginny who gave him a nod and a smile. When all eyes were on him, Harry gulped and tried not to tense up with the attention he had received. He took a deep breath before continuing, "Alright, um... Now then, remember— Just because you made the team last year does not guarantee you a spot this year. Is that clear?"
The group of students in the field looked at each other, finally feeling the jitters when Harry announced that their place wasn't fully secured until they have seen everyone's performance. There were only murmurings before a handful of them bobbed their heads.
"Good."
As they gathered their supplies preparing to fly, Ron had not moved an inch from the place he had stood. He was the only one in the team who had his equipment ready after all. He anxiously looked around the stands, his nerves relaxing when he saw Hermione and Aine waving at him from the seats. The two girls cheered for him and he snickered when Aine nearly fell from her seat to cheer for him by jumping and flailing her arms brightly. It helped him ease up a little and gain a bit of confidence.
"Jeez... Ai..." he mutters with a grin, shaking his head. He blushed a little when he caught Hermione's eyes on him, her lips pursed before offering him a smile that made his heart skip. He never saw her smile like that to him before.
From behind, someone bumped his shoulders and stood next to him. His build was taller than him and his chin was high and mighty, unlike Ron's who was already slouching. He could already see some of his peers comparing the two side by side from the spectator stands and his self-assurance was plummeting.
"No hard feelings, Weasley, alright?" the boy next to him said. It was Cormac McLaggen, a fellow Gryffindor boy who was a year older than him.
"Hard feelings?" Ron asks, bemused by his senior's words.
Cormac's gaze settled on the two girls in a distance, he went on to explain to the younger boy. "Yeah, I'll be going out for Keepers. Well, It's nothing personal."
Ron gapes at him, his features scrunching up when he realizes that Cormac was after the same position he was after. He was trying out for the Keeper's role too since that was the only post he was confident about. Being a Seeker was way out of his league and he was afraid of Bludgers after seeing what they can do when he saw Fred and George play as Beaters. He was alright with being a Chaser too but after hearing how Harry had told him that he had great potential for a Keeper role, he became motivated to strive and improve for it.
"Really? Such a big guy like you?" Ron questions, he couldn't believe his ears and eyes. Cormac was visibly taller and more muscular than he was and there was no doubt he had the strength to fight against those nasty bludgers. "You've got more of a Beater's build, don't you think? Keepers need to be quick— Agile!"
Cormac sniggered at the compliment, he proved Ron wrong when he caught a fly in front of the ginger boy. "I'll have my chances," he replied, crushing the bug with his gloves and then rubbing the remains away. He snuck a look at the two girls in the stands to see if they had seen how cool he was catching a flying insect with his bare hands. Despite looking very proud, Aine and Hermione weren't paying attention to him. One was busy marvelling at the different shapes of clouds while the other only had eyes for Ron.
Both Aine nor Hermione did not converse with Cormac before. Nevertheless, in their eyes, he was merely seen as a cocky, arrogant dude.
"Say, um, you think you could introduce me to your friends, Granger or maybe Estoileon? They seem pretty cute," Cormac commented with a wink to the girls when their eyes briefly met. Aine immediately cringed and Hermione clears her throat, looking away. "Wouldn't mind, eh, getting on a first-name basis, you know what I mean?"
Ron frowns at him, he felt irritated all of the sudden. "No. No, I don't," he replied, giving him a look. He straightens his back and looks up at Cormac as if daring him to try. "Aine is taken, so don't even think about it."
Cormac clicks his tongue, still staring at Aine who was now wearing a deadpanned look. She harboured no hard feelings for the boy but perhaps it was the way he was looking at her with such lewd eyes and how coy he was acting.
"He has a real punchable face," Aine told Hermione after tearing her eyes from Cormac. Her friend rubs her arms to rid of the goosebumps she had and gave a nervous laugh.
"That, I have to agree," Hermione said.
Unknown to the girls' impression of him, Cormac's shoulders drooped a little. "She's taken?" he gasps, not knowing that one of the two girls he had eyes for already had a partner. "Aw, shucks."
Ron rolls his eyes, revolted by the audacity of his fellow housemate. "Yes, by Draco Malfoy," he said proudly. For the first time, he was actually glad Aine was in a romantic relationship with Draco. He wouldn't be able to stand it if she and Cormac became a couple. "So watch it," he warns.
"I'll settle for Granger then," Cormac shrugs, patting Ron's back before moving forward to do his tryouts.
Both Cormac and Ron took their positions by the goalposts on each end of the field. The former swerved in smoothly so that Aine could literally see his confidence bursting through in waves. Ron, on the other hand, was still feeling a little insecure and it had shown through his flying skills. He managed to fly to the goalposts with his unsteady broomstick and took a shallow breath to calm his nerves.
Cormac gave a smug look to Ron when he could hear the students from the stands cheering for him and not for Ron. It was as if everyone had already predicted the outcome of the match between the two boys and thought that Ron hadn't stood a chance.
"You got this, Ron!" Hermione screams across, trying to boost her friend's confidence.
Even Luna who wasn't usually invested in Quidditch matches had come to cheer for her friend too. Both she and Aine had waved their hands in the air, pumping their fists as they shouted together.
"Good luck, Ron!"
"You're doing great, carrot-head!"
"STOP CALLING ME 'CARROT-HEAD', AI!" Ron manages to shout back, finally getting hold of himself. He felt all of his tingling nervous cells seep away when he shouted back, which also caused some of his peers to be surprised by his fierceness. Thanks to that, he had a bit of a morale spike and felt better.
The try-outs soon began and the Gryffindor team did a few small rounds with the new batch of players. Ginny was zooming through the air with the Quaffle in her hands as she evades the two members aiming for the Chaser position. She was headstrong and manoeuvred confidently in the air, taking a sudden dive to avoid getting snatched. Before she could even slam into the ground, she pulled up her broomstick at the last moment, causing the two players aiming for her to crash into one another as they had not mastered full control on pulling up. Ginny gave a smirk behind her back before throwing the Quaffle into the hoop.
However, Cormac who had been guarding it had knocked it away skillfully with the tip of his broomstick. He had showcased outstanding forte in the Keeper's role, not even flinching one bit when a Bludger had almost smashed into his face. He had calmly moved his broom aside and allowed it to hit the metal rings instead.
Even Harry had to admit, Cormac did have a knack for the Keeper's role but he still had faith in his best friend.
And Ron did not fail him, he did not disappoint Harry or his sister when he had to defend his own goalpost. Although he had a rigid stance, he did get by with protecting his side of the post fairly well. Hermione had thought he was like a stiff wooden doll, especially with all the brown equipment on him. Ron performed relatively well considering his first try-outs, he was even on par with Cormac! Although if there was one thing the boy had lacked, it was his way of guarding and going on offence.
He had stretched his limbs awkwardly whenever the Quaffle met him, doing shoulder and head bumps to send the Quaffle away from the ring. The balls would always bump away as if they had been lost of air within instead of flying back at such speed. At times, his performance seemed to be by luck instead of skill. Nonetheless, the Gryffindor's Quidditch Captain had seen his capabilities and know that it was all on Ron's abilities to defend.
Halfway through the defence, when one of the players who was trying out for the Beater role whacked the Quaffle too harshly. The Beater boy cursed, quickly apologizing but Ron was determined to hit it away as he did before. However, he had overestimated the force of the ball when he attempted to use his shoulders to knock it away. As a result, he found himself losing the balance on his broomstick and stumbled to the side but not before grabbing onto the wooden body of his flying equipment.
Hermione gasped and Aine clenched her eyes, peeking through one opened lid to see if her friend was still in one piece. Sure enough, he was. For now.
Ron held onto his broomstick for dear life, he could feel his hand slipping away and his broomstick struggling to carry his dropping weight.
Everyone shrieked and was on the edge of their seats, even Ron's sister whipped around her head in concern. Harry, who was overlooking the players swallowed as he watched his best friend slowly get back to his seat on the broom. "Come on, Ron..." he mutters to himself, hoping his friend would find his strength and conquer the fear and anxiety.
Hermione had stopped reading ever since Ron had been in the air, her brown irises widened as she sat in silence, tensed for him. It was a side of Ron that she has rarely seen as he was always fooling around and up to no good with Harry, he loafs whenever he can and she even had to drag him with her to do their prefect duties. Yet, here he was, being ever so serious and passionate about Quidditch. He even looked charming for once in her eyes and seeing him genuinely trying his best had made her attracted to him.
How cool...
Aine stifled a giggle when she caught Hermione blushing, she had overheard her friend's inner thoughts about her new profound perspective of Ron. Aine had always witnessed Hermione being cold and rough to Ron but deep down, she knew her friend had a crush on him for years. She was just in denial and didn't want to admit her feelings for him. Both Aine, Harry and even Ginny could see how the two acted with one another. They were opposites but had attracted to one another. At times, they even bicker about like a married couple.
Perhaps, after seeing Ron in this new light, Hermione would finally grow to accept her romantic feelings for him. Someday... Aine was sure it'll work out between them given time.
It was nearly the end of a session, with a couple more times left. Each team did their final spurt of gaining points and performing to the best they could. Hermione stared between Cormac and Ron, the older boy was still as conceited as ever and for some reason, it had annoyed her. Turning her head to the side, Hermione placed a hand over her lips and pretended to cough to clear her throat. Secretly, she cast, "Confundus."
Being placed in a trance of confusion, Cormac's broom jerked to the left and he ended up missing the last attack that had successfully been scored in his hoop. He shook his head and blinked, wondering what in the bloody hell just happened.
Thinking the spell she had cast had gone unnoticed, Hermione remained nonchalant but her lips had curled higher than ever. It was only when both Aine and Luna slowly peered in her direction that she froze and her smile faded. The two girls smirked at the brunette, both of them had heard the little whisper she had spoken.
"What..?" Hermione asks, feigning ignorance with a timid smile.
Aine and Luna titter among themselves and began teasing their friend whose face had completely brightened into the colour of a certain red-headed boy's hair.
"Nothing~" Aine simpered innocently, still poking fun at Hermione with Ron.
By the end of the game, Ron had overcome his nervousness and became warmed up enough to perform to his potential. It was announced that he would make it into the Gryffindor team as the new Keeper after managing to score one additional extra point in comparison to Cormac. The two boys would have been tied if it wasn't for Hermione's charm. However, the only ones who knew of Hermione's spell were only Aine and Luna and they were most certainly weren't going to tattletale to anyone about it. So, all things considered, it went well even for Cormac who had lost since he was put on the reserve team in the end.
~~~
Shortly after the tryouts, the Gryffindors chilled and lazed around. Aine sat by the fireplace and snuggled Crookshanks in her arms with Hermione, Ron and Harry. She stares blankly at the fire, lost in her thoughts once more. The flickering flame made her recall how she had burned Lahar before the new school year started. How he had burst into flames and was reduced to nothing but ashes, the screams that echoed in the cold cellar until the man was silenced. In a couple of days to come, she needed to begin their first operation of murder.
Her bubble of thoughts popped when Hermione scoops her cat out of Aine's lap to hug. Ron was rambling on about his successful Quidditch audition. "I have to admit I thought I was going to miss that last one!" he bragged, relishing his triumph against the older boy who had fought for the same position. He rambled on and Hermione rolls her eyes at Aine. It was thanks to Hermione that Cormac had lost that last goal. In other words, she was partly responsible for getting Ron the Keeper role.
"I hope Cormac's not taking it too hard. He's got a bit of a thing for you, Hermione— Cormac," Ron nudges the girl. She huffs, her hand stroking Crookshanks over and over. There was a grimace on her face and she shook her head at the revelation.
"He's vile!" Hermione stated.
"That I agree," Aine said to herself in a soft voice.
Ron puckered his lips, looking at both Hermione who had shown zero concern about Cormac's affection for her and Harry who was deeply invested in the small blue book. He met Aine's gaze and the girl gave him a small smile, shrugging when she noticed how bored he was. He throws his head back and met the tantalizing eyes of a fellow Gryffindor girl who had sat next to Neville. It was Lavender Brown.
Lavender gave him a shy wave before looking down at her diary, smiling to herself as her cheeks became pink like her headband.
It was when Harry finally spoke, breaking the awkward silence. "Have you ever heard of the spell: Sectumsempra?" he asks Hermione and Aine, bending over to the girls to show them a page of the Advanced Potions book.
"No, I haven't!" Hermione snaps, as if in a foul mood. Crookshanks jumped away from her and ran back up to their room, annoyed by the commotion. The girl sighs and narrowed her eyes back at Harry, "If you had a shred of self-respect, you'd hand that book in!" she scolded.
Aine adjusts her sitting position, trying to have a good look at the book but Harry had already seized it back. All she knew was that it was a potions book and it was pretty worn out too. She didn't need to be told to know that it clearly did not belong to Harry. It was far too aged and the book appeared to be in tatters. She remembered seeing him carry that book out from Slughorn's class a few weeks back and her friend has since then been hogging over it protectively.
"Not bloody likely," Ron chimed in. "He's top of the class. He's even better than you, Hermione!" he added and Aine shot him a look to stop talking. She could see Hermione's face blackening with envy and exasperation. However, Ron did not catch the hint and went on to speak. "Slughorn thinks he's a genius!"
Aine slowly turns away when Hermione jerks her head to Ron, she silently prayed for the fate of her red-head friend. Finally, she lashes out at Harry after being fed up.
"I'd like to know who that book belonged to," Hermione said to Harry. "Let's have a look, shall we?" she demanded, reaching for it.
Harry was quick to avoid her, he scrambles back and his grip on the book tightens "No!" he retorted, hiding the potions book to safeguard it.
His reaction caused both Hermione and Aine to be perplexed. Just what was so important in that regular old potions book for him to be all defensive about it? The two girls scrunched their faces in disbelief and inched closer to him. Harry stood up and stepped back from them advancing on him.
"Why not?" Hermione questions.
"T- The binding is fragile!" Harry stammered.
Aine scoffed at his reasoning, she arched a brow. "The binding is fragile?" she repeated, saying the words aloud made her realize how ridiculous it was but it seems Harry had not shared the same opinion. She walks towards Harry with Hermione as the boy tried to head to his room to escape.
"Yeah..." Harry trails off.
Aine exchanged looks with Ginny who nodded, and from behind. She casually swipes the blue book from Harry's hands and skips over to her best friend as they shared a glimpse of the contents.
"Who's the Half-Blood Prince?" Ginny questions and Harry clicks his tongue, dejected that his little secret book got exposed.
"Who?" Hermione presses on, she looks up as if trying to fathom who the mysterious 'prince' is.
"That's what it says right here," Aine pointed out, taking the book from Ginny's hand and they examine the book together. "This book is property of the Half-Blood Prince..." she mumbles, repeating the words inscribed on the front. Aine flips through a couple of pages and spots detailed handwritten notes on almost every page, it was somehow familiar but she pushes the thought away for a second. Going back to the precise notes in the book, she scans through a couple of recipes. One was the Draught of the Living Death which her friends had brewed that day.
It then struck her.
"Hang on— These notes are really elaborated and the words written about some recipes are so intricate that it actually makes the brewing much easier and efficient!" she said, recalling how Slughorn had once told her before that none of his students was able to brew such a complex potion with such accuracy except Harry. It makes sense since he was the only one who had read the contents of this book which was literally like a cheat sheet.
Harry groans, pushing his hair back. Of course, Aine would have spotted it right off the bat... He thought to himself.
"That's how you're a genius... It's because you've followed the tweaked notes written by the owner of this book!" Hermione exclaimed, feeling betrayed and yet deep down she also felt better in some ways too.
"Prince... Half-Blood Prince..." Aine mutters under her breath, casually tossing the book back to Harry before he jumps on her for it. Her footsteps go round and round until she reaches the couch before slumping down.
Why does that sound so familiar..?
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