Miriam gave you an encouraging smile as you sat down at the head of the long table covered with books and tea cups. Most of your professors were sat around it, watching you with interest. Their eyes kept flicking to Professor Fig—which you assumed meant he had been the one to ask them to come to this clandestine meeting.
You caught Professor Weasley's eye as she sent you a thoughtful head tilt—her kind features helping you feel a little less nervous.
The Figs sat on either side of you, bookending you with their comforting presence. You looked along the line of teachers.
Garlick was smiling brightly—appearing just happy to be there as she looked around. Hecat had her arms crossed as she stood leaning against a credenza at the back of the room. Sharp, Ronen and Onai were on your left while Riddack sat beside Weasley, Shah and Howin on the right. Kagowa had also chosen to stand at the side, hands on her hips as she watched you get settled.
Professor Fig cleared his throat.
"Thank you my friends for agreeing to meet under such mysterious circumstances. I appreciate your trust in me—and Miriam. As you all know, the goblin Ranrok has been increasing his efforts to wage some kind of war against wizards—with much of his impact being felt in the valley around Hogwarts. He has been collecting loyal followers and has even drawn some dark wizards into his employ."
Sharp sucked his teeth in irritation as he huffed.
"Not the Ministry is doing anything to help." he muttered ruefully, earning a few corroborating nods from his colleagues.
Fig gave him a knowing look.
"I know, Aesop. The Ministry seems more concerned with muggle conflicts brewing abroad than the ones at our own door. Our friend George Osric, you all know him—well he wrote just yesterday that he has had no luck convincing the ministry to increase Auror presence in the valley or try to bring Ranrok in—it is most frustrating."
You saw Fig's eyes darken as his wife continued.
"Ozzie said that they have at least heard reports that Ranrok is using some powerful form of magic—not natural to goblins. The issue is we did not have any proof of this magic—that is until our young Slytherin here entered the picture." you felt your heart tighten as every pair of eyes fell on you. Ronen looked actively concerned while Sharp remained stone faced. "This story is really hers to tell." and she gave you a significant look that had you taking a careful breath before scanning the faces watching you.
"Alright. So to begin with—I haven't always been a Slytherin."
***
As you told your story, you watched your Professor's faces shift and change with each new incredible or dangerous detail. When you told them of the package from the Ravenclaw you saw Hecat's eyes go wide, her aged fingers finding her lips as she watched you. You saw Miriam send her an unreadable expression.
As you got to events that included your friends—you started being a little less forthcoming with details—and names. While you praised the ability of your fellow Hogwarts students, you didn't want them getting in trouble—and therefore avoided identifying them.
Miriam stood while you were telling them about the memory of Isidora to nip to a sideboard to bring over the book from the restricted section and lay it on the table.
You finished your story with a resolute vow to avoid The Ravenclaw's fate and stop Ranrok from whatever calamity he planned for the valley—and Hogwarts.
"I cannot know what any of your counterparts did for their Ravenclaw student—but I do not believe she placed her trust in them as I am doing with you. She seemed to believe she had to do it all alone—and deeply regretted that choice. So I give you this information with no caveats or expectations. I just want you to be prepared for what may be coming on the horizon."
You let out a controlled breath as you looked to your mentors. Fig's eyes held equal parts pride and worry, while Miriam just gave you an approving nod.
Professor Ronen let out a sad sigh.
"I was so hoping this was going to be a surprise party of some sort—though the 'surprise' I suppose is still present. Oh my dear child." and he set his warm brown eyes on you. "I can only commend you on maintaining such a cheerful disposition and dedication to your studies while also carrying this weight—this responsibility. Thank you for trusting us, my brave Slytherin."
Your other Professors nodded—though a few looked deep in thought as they related your sequence of events to their own observations and worries.
Onai looked up with an arch expression.
"This certainly explains a lot, my young rogue. I have been having difficulty lately divining events even only a few days ahead—I get such contradictory predictions. If everything we are experiencing has happened before—but was changed by having this warning sent through time..." she sighed with a hand to her head. "Stars guide and protect us. I fear we may be heading into quite uncharted territory in regards to—unpredictable magic."
Hecat stepped forward, with her colleagues turning to see how the formidable witch would react.
"The power of time is not something I thought a person could wield as they would a spell." she said softly with disbelief. "Such magic is highly dangerous and if it fell into the wrong hands—we cannot allow Ranrok to get it. That goblin has been itching to start a war for decades—and he seems to have finally found his edge."
Miriam nodded grimly.
"Thankfully though, we have ours." and she reached to grip your hand with a meaningful look before setting the adults with a remorseful grimace. "Sadly, this situation is of our own making. Wizard prejudice against goblins and non-human magical beings is what bore his rage and led him—and many goblins to hate us all. Ranrok's brother told me that it was a wizard's cruelty and selfishness that corrupted his heart. While that is no excuse for his actions, we must accept some of our blame on this matter."
You saw your professors all look down, Garlick biting her lip as she twisted a long gnarled root in her fingers in a nervous display. Sharp seemed to be having some inner argument, his eyes flicking to you as he worked through his thoughts. You watched Professor Weasley pull a lock of her flaming hair and worry it with her long fingers while Howin picked at the heavy leather on her arm guards, her face unreadable.
Kagowa was rubbing the back of her neck before she sighed, rolling her shoulders and lifting her chin with a determined eye.
"So what can we do? How do we help you?" she asked, meeting your gaze. You saw the rest of the Professors all regain their spirits to quickly and stoutly pledge their assistance.
You felt a weight lift as you realised that none of them were headed for the door—or to cart you off to an asylum. You smiled cheerfully, your eyes glittering.
"You have all already been helping me by getting me caught up on my studies—starting as a fifth-year has not done me much favor in regards to my education." you then caught the Potion master and your Defense tutors' eyes. "Thank you both for the additional lessons—they have already proved invaluable. As well as your clever note, Professor Ronen." you added with a cheeky smile at your head of house.
The teachers nodded humbly, with Ronen appearing chuffed he was already unknowingly helping.
As they discussed elements of your story, you noticed that the way they looked at you seemed to have changed slightly. Where you were once just another student—you were now an ally in a foretold fight barreling down on all of you. You sat up a little straighter, attempting to keep your gaze level with the talented and brilliant adults around you.
Miriam pulled the book closer to her.
"We still have some mysteries we must solve—as well as keeping The Headmaster in the dark. Phineas will shut down anything that even sniffs of going against the Ministry—or if it will make him have to lift a finger." she added with a sneer—earning a few hums in agreement. "He is already suspicious, seeming to have boundless time and interest to pop up anywhere in the castle—as I am sure you all know firsthand. We will need to be careful. Fortunately though, I may have uncovered the next location on our quest just this morning."
Miriam then gently opened the bejeweled book from the restricted section. You heard chair equals on the wooden floor boards as your professors stood to look over you and Miriam's shoulders. You caught Ronen standing beside Sharp, subtly encouraging the taller man to lean on him—Sharp nodding minutely as he gripped his shoulder.
You looked back down at the book and saw to your surprise and delight that the missing pages appeared to have been expertly repaired. You marveled at the fresher, cleaner parchment carefully threaded into the aged ripped remains of the original. There were now beautifully illuminated pages with cramped text and archaic letters and depictions.
"Oh Miriam! I am as impressed as ever with your restoration work. Truly a gift." commented Professor Riddack in her charmingly thick Scottish accent. Miriam blushed a little as she said she actually had some repaired Arithmancy scrolls that might interest the young teacher—much to her animated delight.
You saw Hecat lean over, placing her hand on Miriam's shoulder as she peered at the pages.
"You said that the memories are from when Niamh Fitzgerald was headmistress? Why don't I recall her name?" asked Hecat.
"Because she has all but been erased from the school's archives, Di. I almost got in a row with Scribner over it—but she insisted that the few mentions in footnotes was all there was on Fitzgerald." lamented Miriam with a huff, turning another of the book's pages. "But there must be a portrait of her somewhere—all headmasters have one. I asked a few paintings and they seemed to think there was, except..."
You looked up when you heard Shah sigh, your Astronomy professor pushing her wire-frame glasses up her nose with a single finger.
"—except it would be in the headmaster's office." she finished with a defeated tone, the rest of your professors looking cross...particularly Kagowa.
"That's the rub, Sattie. He will never let us in—not willingly anyways. We will have to keep following the trail as the Keepers set out—hopefully towards answers." said Miriam, turning another page.
Professor Weasley hummed as she adjusted her frock cuffs.
"If the Ravenclaw alter said the Keepers were 'afraid' of her, then it stands to reason she must have spoken or interacted with them—an enchanted portrait seems just the magic for the job." she observed. Miriam grinned up at the redhead, praising her friend's attention to detail.
You looked back down at the book. The page Miriam had stopped on looked half blank, the bright parchment below the restored text looking unfinished. Fig looked at his wife.
"Is that that unusual bit you mentioned, my love?"
She frowned at the blank space before you reached to pull the book closer to you. Miriam looked up with a sour expression.
"Yes—this is actually the part we need, too. I was hoping to get some of your insights, my friends. All my spells say the page is restored...but if I have deciphered the text correctly then the map to the next trial should—"
"It's right there." you finished, cocking your head as you watched metallic bubbling magic start to seep from the parchment. Your hand found hers as she turned to focus on the book.
"Oh stars. It's like the Hogwarts map—I should have guessed. My spark—this is incredible." she whispered excitedly while you felt the crowd of teachers lean forward with interest behind you.
You smiled at Miriam and then carefully let go of her hand for a moment, quickly unbuttoning and pulling up the sleeves of your shirt, holding your bare arms up.
"I can show you if you like." you offered with an enticing flutter of your fingers. You felt the varying temperatures and textures of your Professors hands as they each gently found purchase on your arms, crowding in closer.
Professor Ronen let out a shocked expletive that had you snorting out a laugh as Miriam chastised him affectionately about 'young ladies being present'. Garlick moved close to your side as her warm fingers found your wrist.
"It's so beautiful. Oh my precious daisy. What a remarkable gift. Thank you for letting us see this—and help you fight Ranrok. I am utterly impressed by you." she said with a bright, warm smile.
You blushed as you ducked your head, looking once again at the map that was appearing on the page.
There was a sketch of a forest with small landmarks you didn't recognise. You also saw the illustration of a swirling pattern—like the centre of a sunflower. You felt Kagowa lean in, holding your elbow.
"That's the Forbidden Forest. I know that rock ledge—I even think I recall that swirling formation. It didn't look like a door of any kind." she said, turning to Miriam. "Just more unexplained ruins from the Lost Ages."
Miriam beamed confidently back.
"That is where my talented Spark comes in, Chiyo. These trials are locked only to those with Ancient Magic. I believe if we take her there, she can find our way in." and she squeezed your hand as she looked at you.
You took a deep breath before looking over your shoulders catching all their eyes.
"Alright. So if this is the location of the next trial—and the passage to a magic chamber Miriam says is under us somewhere, then when do we go find it?" you ask brightly as your Professors slowly let go of your arms to spread out into the room—discussing options and strategies.
"We can't have Black snooping around—and we can't get caught by Scribner or Moon. They would both sell us out if given the chance." grumbled Sharp as he rubbed his scruffy jaw. "—but next week is the Harvest Festival...we could use that as a cover for accessing the trial. If we went next Sunday, most everyone will be too hung—tired, to care if a few Professors and a student slip away."
Onai nodded appreciatively, before she raised an mischievous brow—reminding you very much of her daughter.
"I recall the headmaster getting quite— spirited at the last festival. You know, I received a rare Spectra whisky from a formerly ill-fated wizard, whom I gave a quite useful prediction. I should offer to share it with our diligent—and greedy gaffer. It is known to be delicious—while also rather potent. I doubt we would see him at all the following day." she said with a side eye to you—making you suppress a laugh.
The rueful looks on your professor's faces had Miriam attempting to contain a smile, her lips pursed tightly. You heard Shah grumble about a headache the size of a mountain troll was appropriate payback for 'five years of stagnant wages.'
Sharp beamed at the Divination Professor before turning to the rest.
Howin offered one of her Kneazles to give Scribner something to chase around the library that day. Apparently the school's Beast-master had a cunning kneazle that loved sneaking in to sleep on the squishy sofas, much to the annoyance of the irritable—and highly allergic, librarian.
"I have just the plant I have been dying to try and breed—it's just that it's pheromones can sometimes make neighboring plants behave oddly ." admitted your Herbology professor innocently. "Moon might be quite distracted were his prized topiary around the castle to start...walking about."
You stifled a shocked giggle as you heard Riddack attempt the same, her sweet face glowing with impish delight.
"Alright we have a date and clever distractions. So who will be accompanying our stout heroine?" asked Sharp.
Miriam immediately volunteered herself, followed almost as closely by Eleazar, both of them snatching up your hands to hold them tightly. You saw a flicker of varying emotions on the rest of your professor's faces—with Hecat's warm yet tight smile at Miriam catching your eye.
Sharp nodded with a wry look.
"I doubt we could stop you." he muttered warmly before turning to the other's. "But who else? I suggest two more to ensure the castle is protected by the rest. Darla, as ever, we appreciate the support you give students in the village at weekends, so please continue to do so during the festival."
The Arithmancy teacher readily agreed to protect her students visiting Hogsmeade, while also vowing to subtly encourage her husband to issue more statements on the loyalists from the government—with you learning he worked in the ministry press office.
"I will accompany my newest and most enigmatic snake into the forest—I am her head of house after all." Ronen volunteered with a tug on his robes and an encouraging nod at you and your mentors. "I am as deft at combat charms as I am with a joke. I am at your disposal." and he gave a cheerful bow.
Hecat stepped forward with a raised brow and crossed arms.
"I will also go. I need to see more of this magic for myself. I will also not turn down a chance at a legendary Miriam Fig field mission—I have missed them dearly." she said with an affectionate smile.
Miriam beamed back.
"One of my most talented apprentices—no wonder you were snapped up by the department of mysteries, my darling Di."
You smiled at the close friends—but your mind was warring with the ages of the two witches and this information, having assumed the defense Professor to have been the senior.
Fig stood up, still holding your hand as Miriam also helped pull you to your feet. He looked at you then his wife before the rest of the faculty.
"Alright my friends. I think we, with our collective expertise and disciplines, we can put up a rather good defense against Ranrok—and stand behind this young woman as she fights for the future—both hers and ours."
You saw every teacher give you an encouraging look or smile, each of them ready to stand beside you and defend your home—defend you.
As you smiled, fighting back tears, you knew this must be what The Ravenclaw had wanted—because you had never felt more prepared for what was coming towards you than you did right then.
***
You hugged the Figs goodbye before you headed into the Great Hall for lunch.
You headed down the tables as you saw Sebastian look up from the Slytherin table, his face looking relieved as you smiled at him.
You greeted your friends as you quickly squeezed between Ominis and Sebastian.
"There you are Bash—everything ok?" Sebastian asked in a low voice. You saw Imelda and Nerida look up as Ominis turned to face you. You smiled with a nonchalant wave of your hand.
"Oh its fine—it was a meeting I was late for with some of the professors. I have to do extra work due to starting late and they have kindly offered to help." you said carefully—trying to not lie...just edit a little. Sebastian gave you an arch look as he seemed to understand.
"That's good to hear. It's nice they are helping you."
You gave him a meaningful smile as you covertly found Ominis knee with your own—giving it a nudge.
Nerida and Imelda seemed content with this answer and asked if you wished to join them in the library for the afternoon—seeing as your visit that morning had been derailed.
"That would be wonderful...I still need to complete the last few lines for Shah's assignment—speaking of...your clever paramour wouldn't be joining us would he, Nerry? I could really use his help." you asked with a pleading look that had her grinning and nodding.
"I'm sure Amit would be happy to assist. He has been trying to find a book on potions in relation to star charts anyways, so we were all going to return after lunch."
Sebastian seconded the prospect of getting help on the Astronomy assignment—though he admittedly had significantly more work to do on it than you did.
***
After you had finished lunch you joined your friends once more on a trip to the library—with you actually completed this time around.
Ominis sat beside you at a large table on the upper level while Amit and Nerida had joined on the other side. Imelda had already taken off for the stacks to try and locate a charms book she had been recommended. Sebastian decided to ignore the open chair next to Nerida and squeezed onto the little cushioned bench with you.
"You don't mind sharing right, Bash?" he said with a cheeky grin as he pulled out his assignment, your sides pressed together. You shot him a tired look before shaking your head with a smile.
"You are lucky it's rather cold in here and you are practically a human furnace, Seb." you muttered affectionately as you set out your quills and ink.
The autumn chill had indeed settled into the bones of the castle. The library was not immune to this change as you pulled the collar of your shirt closer to your throat, shoulders hunched—wishing you had layered up.
Sebastian suddenly twisted—you ducking to avoid his elbow as he grabbed the back of his thick woolen jumper and yanked it over his head, revealing a tartan button down, his hair disheveled before he ran a hand through it.
"Here—it's too warm for me anyways." and he casually offered the dark green sweater by pushing it into your lap, avoiding your eye as he started setting out his scrolls.
You blanked at the gesture before flushing a shade and thanking him quietly. Pulling it over your head, the large garment shrunk your frame. You bunched the long sleeves up on your arms before fluffing your hair out.
The warmth and comfort it provided was most welcome—especially the residual body heat from your fiery copperhead helping your frame thaw from its frigid state. Your nose filled with the strong aromas of coffee, cinnamon and just—well, Sebastian.
You looked up to see Nerida watching you with idle interest—eyes darting between you and your bench mate before she swiftly recovered with a friendly smile.
Amit then offered to help you on your Astronomy assignment, with you and Sebastian both immediately peppering the Ravenclaw with questions. Amit seemed delighted to share his insights—excitedly showing you both some helpful charts in a book that was good for understanding the trickier astrological concepts.
"You are so brilliant at this, Amit. I feel bad we are taking up your time." you admitted with a guilty look, Sebastian nodding beside you. Amit shook his head with a bright grin.
"Nonsense! I am so happy you Slytherins desire my help with your studies. I'll admit my Ravenclaw housemates can be rather particular about sharing knowledge or taking instruction from other students—even fellow Ravenclaws. It makes me feel quite good to be able to teach others and have them listen and learn."
Nerida beamed at the slightly blushing boy while you, Ominis and Sebastian warmly thanked Amit for the lend of his skills. Sebastian then gave him a jovial head tilt.
"Well you are part of our little nest of snakes now, Thakkar." and he gave a wink to Nerry, who looked up to her beau with a shy smile. "And if there is anything we can help with just say the word —though I'm not sure what." he laughed with a sheepish shrug. You saw Amit's eyes light up as he leaned towards the brunette beside you.
"Actually Sebastian, I hear from Nerry that you are quite good in Divination—which is my current Achilles heel. I couldn't bother you for some help with my astragalomancy report?" he asked with a hopeful smile—followed by a covert pleading look from Nerida.
You saw Sebastian's eyes widen with surprise before his face cracked with a grin, eagerly encouraging the teen to get out his report to see what he could do. You also took this opportunity to get your scroll on belomancy completed—greatly impressed with Sebastian's ability to offer substantial help on both reports.
He really was brilliant at Divination.
Your cheeks warmed watching him lean over a thick book alongside Amit, thoughtfully and cleverly explaining the dice throwing prediction method to his rapt pupil—who was quickly scratching notes as he nodded, concepts becoming clearer to him.
Ominis and Nerida had moved closer together as they planned out your Herbology group assignment—with you and Amit taking quick breaks from your reports to agree on topics and assign tasks. Imelda also wandered back after a short while—grumbling about Scribner's shelving logic as she held a large Charms book, heaving it onto the table.
After another couple of hours you and your friends were pleasantly caught up on most of your assignments—and slightly more prepared for upcoming ones.
"I wanted to look for some books on potions before dinner." you said as you stood, stretching with a groan before packing up your materials.
Sebastian said he would meet you all later as he needed to finish a letter to Anne back in the dorm. You moved to return his sweater but he held his hands up.
"I'll get it back later. Don't want your teeth chattering to distract anyone from their reading." he joked before stepping forward. He gently pulled the thick forest-coloured collar closer to your now flushing throat, adjusting it to sit properly—while also making you have to look up into his quite close freckled features. "Besides—green really is your color, Bash."
He grinned darkly as you turned away to hide a deep blush, stuttering a quick thanks before heading quite determinedly towards a far aisle, ignoring your friend's curious looks.
***
You walked down another stack beside Imelda, skirting past a few younger students huddled around a book on the floor. You saw Amit standing at the end, hands on his slim waist as he stared at the bookcase stretching up before him with a frown.
"Alright there, Amit?" you asked as you came to see what he was looking at, Imelda stopping at a shelf close by that had caught her attention.
He sighed as he looked down at you.
"I need that red book but I cannot seem to reach it. It also appears to have some irritating charm on it meaning Accio won't work." he rested his sharp jaw in his hand, scowling at the book as he thought.
You pulled out your wand and tapped a few times on your palm with a thoughtful look.
"Well you aren't charmed, are you? I could give you a boost?" and you wiggled your brows with a grin.
Amit looked a little wary but thanked you, straightening his already perfect posture to prepare for the enchantment.
You stood back, and with a careful levitation spell, lifted the Ravenclaw the additional few meters to the book. He plucked it from the shelf and you brought him gently back down. You turned to see the younger students looking up with delight at your spell, Mel's brow quirking as she shook her head with a smirk.
"Thank you, my friend! I hadn't thought of asking for that type of help. This is just the book I need." said Amit. You nodded with a grin.
"Is that a potions book?"
He hummed in agreement.
"Indeed. It's on potions that are effected by astrological events—like how the moon effects Polyjuice Potion."
Imelda came up beside you to look at the heavy leather book he held open.
You nodded as you squinted at the pages filled with cramped text and etchings of star charts and dissected creatures.
Imelda asked with surprising interest about his report for Sharp as you moved along the books beside your friends. You ran your fingertips along the cool spines, still appreciating the comfort of the borrowed jumper—though its flirtatious lender was also making you feel a tad warmer as well.
You looked back over your shoulders at your companions
"Do you know a good book for looking up potion ingredients?" you asked. Imelda frowned as she thought a moment before suddenly nodding—beckoning you to follow her down another aisle.
"This book is good—pretty dry, but comprehensive."
You accepted the fairly new looking tome Imelda had slipped off the shelf.
"What are you looking for?" she asked as Amit came to join you in the next aisle. You schooled your features as you said you were working on project to build a unique magical object. They must have tipped your tone as they thankfully asked no follow up questions.
"I am still unsure of a few ingredients. Tree snail shell...lava glass." you muttered as you flipped through the index.
"Lava glass? Your object requires lava glass? How interesting!" piped Amit. You turned excitedly to the Ravenclaw.
"You know what it is? I need specifically a wither infused lava glass sphere." you said clearly, looking hopefully up at him.
"Oh my...that is quite the ingredient to try to procure—especially in this political climate." he added with a hand on his neck. "Lava glass is goblin made. I have read about it in my studies of the language. To infuse with wither, you will need a goblin to do it—only they can." he informed with a slight wince.
Your heart stuttered a bit at this information before you nodded with a tight expression. Imelda bit her lip with a scowl.
"I would highly advise attempting to procure one from a third party—I wouldn't approach goblins. Amit is right, it's a tense time." and she crossed her arms, looking to the side.
You suspected her heart had hardened as Sebastian's had over their shared belief that goblins caused Anne's affliction.
You gave a non-committal hum and kept looking through the index.
"Well—anyways...I also need to find out what Drigdog trees look like and how to powder Tentacula teeth—and procure Tentacula teeth." you lamented with a constrained rub of your forehead. Imelda asked about the Drigdog trees and you told her about the Spectra Dew as described by your redheaded Gryffindor friend.
"Oh yes. I know what you are talking about now. I have seen the dew on some early morning rides, it glitters in the sunrise on the tops of trees–rather pretty. Maybe you and I could go out and find some." she offered offhandedly as she pulled another book off the shelf.
You stilled at the kind offered, ducking your head to catch her eye.
"Just name the morning, Reyes. I really appreciate it." you added with a meaningful look. The little captain appeared surprised at your sudden change in demeanor but gave you a curt nod of understanding.
"Of course." she added with a stout smile.
You gave her a grateful expression as you heard footsteps approaching from around the end of the aisle. You looked up to see Ominis and Nerida walking towards you, the former holding several books under his arm. You skipped forward to see what he had found as Nerida weaved her way to her Ravenclaw's side to view the book he had been searching for.
When you approached you saw his face flicker with confusion before he shook his head slightly and smiled at you when you greeted him.
"Ah, hello my adder—I nearly thought you were Sebastian for a moment." he chuckled with an embarrassed look. You frowned and asked why he would think that. The blonde smiled genially with a little raise of his shoulder. "Apologies—it's just I have found myself depending a little on your daily scent choices to locate you, and you currently, well—smell a little like Seb if he wore rose and honeysuckle perfume." and his nose scrunched a little.
You looked down at the green jumper you were still wearing before you nodded and hummed with understanding.
"Oh—yes. I suppose the honeysuckle doesn't particularly compliment the herculean amounts of coffee Seb must drink based on the smell of his clothes." this earned you a stifled laugh from the blonde as he held out his arm in his usual invitation. You moved to his side to thread yours through his as you moved down the stack towards your friends at the end. "Though don't think I didn't notice your subtle scent guess—which of course was correct." you sighed affectionately, causing Ominis to look a little triumphant as you reached your friends.
Imelda's eyes flicked up as she was talking to Nerida, catching yours with a mischievous glint.
"—I would also watch out for this one, Nerry. I caught her sweeping your new beau right off his feet earlier." Imelda said with an impish wink at you, causing Amit to duck his head with a chuckle. Nerida made a mock show of horror as she placed a hand on her heart and gasping indignantly at such an affront.
You gave the smirking Captain an arch look.
"You caught me, Mel. I was attempting to steal Amit from Nerry by impressing him with my levitation spells—it's how I get all my suitors." you said frankly, earning you a few snorts and suppressed giggles. "Just a quick trip off the ground and usually they're mine. Guess you won this round Nerry, your Ravenclaw was unaffected by my wandwork-wiles" you lamented, lifting a shoulder with faux disappointment as your friends attempted to contain their fits of laughter behind their hands.
You were still in a library, after all.
***
Later that evening after dinner you and your Slytherin friends were settled into one of the warmer parlours in your house, the huge crackling fireplace filling the room with dancing shadows and snaps and pops from the hissing logs.
You were working on a letter to Anne while sitting on a settee with Ominis who was also catching up on his correspondence. Sebastian and Imelda were spread out on a rug in front of the fire, lying on their stomachs as they slowly leafed through the books they were reading. Nerida was sat at a little table close by working on an embroidery project for a dress, using the bright oil lamp on the table to illuminate her work, tapping her foot along with the warbling music coming from the gramophone in the corner.
You looked down at your half-finished letter and cocked your head with pursed lips as you tried to think of any possible activities you might want to do for your birthday. You had never celebrated one and therefore were a little thin on ideas. You twirled your jade-colored quill in your fingers.
Seeming to pick up on your pause in writing, Ominis leaned over.
"Everything alright?" he asked quietly.
You sighed, reaching and placing a light hand on his forearm, tapping your finger a few times.
"Yes, everything is fine. Well...it's just...Anne asked what I wanted to do for my birthday—and I am not sure what to say. I don't really know any birthday traditions." you said softly, biting your lip.
Ominis nodded with understanding, placing a cool hand over yours.
"I see. Well, seeing as this is the first birthday you have celebrated, I suppose you get to decide your own traditions. Don't worry about it being related to celebrating a birthday...just tell her what you would like to do—whatever makes you happy, my adder." he said with a genial head tilt towards you.
You thought about this, about times in the past you were happy.
"I like games? I used to play all sorts at the orphanage with the other girls." you offered brightly, you mind already filling with memories of laughing, shrieking girls and silly antics.
"Ooo, love games. What are we talking about." said Sebastian, lifting his head from his book a few feet away. You told him about Anne's request and your desire to play some games at your party. Sebastian beamed while Imelda glanced up without moving her head—eyes narrowing with a smirk.
"Games could be fun." said Imelda with a brow raise. You heard Nerida hum in a warning tone before standing to lean over the back of the sofa you and Ominis were on. She gave you a pensive look.
"I would be cautious. Seb, Anne and Mel are rather cutthroat—honestly, Ominis too." and she nudged her cousin affectionately as he gave a resigned nod. You cast a sly glance at Sebastian and Imelda on the rug, both looking up with matching innocent expressions—making you laugh.
"I don't know...I can be rather competitive, Ner—Champion Doe three years running." you warned with a side-eye at the pretty brunette, her face lighting with interest. At the behest of your friends you explained the party game you played at the orphanage.
"It's pretty basic. It's called Deerstalker. You play it around a large table. Two people are blindfolded and put at the ends of the table. One is the deer and the other the hunter. You both have to keep at least one hand on the table. The Deer or Doe —" and you glanced at the girls. "—they have to escape the hunter for three minutes. If the hunter catches you—you're out. You can go over or under the table but you must keep touching it. The hunter can call to the deer once while standing still and the deer must knock three times on the table. It's jolly fun, really. Everyone else knows what's going on and can make sounds to try and help either the deer or the hunter."
Your friends thought this sounded capital—until Ominis chuckled with a shrug.
"I suppose I should recuse myself from the game—I'm rather used to finding my way around blindfolded." and he smiled as he waved a lazy hand in front of his eyes.
Sebastian just made a derisive noise from the rug.
"Ah, we can just spin you 'round a few times mate—or get you plastered." he added with a wicked cackle.
Ominis shot him a terse look.
"Charming suggestions, Sebastian." he said with a sardonic tone. You squeezed his arm.
"It's alright, Ominis, I'll take the challenge. Though I warn you, I am rather good." you said with a teasing lilt to your voice.
Ominis sucked his teeth to suppress a grin, carding his free hand through his hair as he often did.
"Let the hunt begin then, little doe." he taunted in a low voice that had your friends snickering—though you felt his hand grip yours tightly for a second before his large thumb tapped along your knuckles, your heart heating a degree.
While your friends discussed other party games they liked—many including magic, you scratched down a list of games to explain to Anne to see if she was amiable to them.
You mumbled as you shook out your wrist and stretched your fingers.
"Bloody quills..."
"Bash?"
Sebastian had his head cocked to one side as your friends eyed you.
"Sorry—I am still not used to using quills. I wish I could just use my pen, but it was busted in the journey...wait." and you mentally kicked yourself for being so thick.
"Witch." you muttered to yourself in a chastising tone as you pulled your battered and bent fountain pen from the bottom of your satchel.
The tin pen with the cracked faux mother of pearl handle had been a hand-me-down from an older girl. It was one of the few possessions that was in your pockets when the carriage was attacked.
"Oh yeah—those are those short metal quills muggles use. I think I saw a muggle-born Hufflepuff using one once." said Nerida with a curious expression as she watched you take out your wand, casting the repairing spell.
You watched the pen magically un-bend, the thin nib untwist. Within a few seconds the pen looked better than it ever had—the tin stem shining with a mirror finish.
"Magic is so brilliant." you whispered with a giddy grin. Sebastian chuckled as he stood, stretching loudly before coming to see your muggle object.
You pulled out your enchanted scented ink pot and used the draw mechanism to pull up ink into the chamber. You then tested it back on your field guide.
Rich pine-scented ink flowed onto the parchment from the nib in smooth lines—with you silently grateful that the object didn't explode when filled with charmed ink.
"Certainly smaller. Point to muggles for that." observed Sebastian with interest as he held out his hand so he could inspect the object, leaning over your shoulder to scribble on your test page. "That actually works better—where can I get one of these, Bash?" he asked with another appreciative inspection of the pen before he handed it to Nerida, who leaned down to draw a little snake.
"We would probably have to go to a muggle village or town." you replied as Nerida passed it to Ominis, who looked particularly eager to inspect the pen, running his fingertips over the metal. You smiled as you offered him the test page and he signed his name—his smile growing. He moved his fingers to the small lever—causing you to dart forward and wrap your hands around his.
"Ah ah...careful. Pull that you will be wearing the ink, mate." you giggled as Ominis gave a grateful and sheepish smile.
"Thank you. I can become quite enraptured by mechanical objects—sometimes at my own risk. A fascinating device."
Ominis then asked you specific questions about how it worked as Imelda used to to draw a star on the page—surprised at the ease of use of the muggle implement. You smiled as she handed it back.
"I'm surprised Wizards haven't adopted them—though I will admit they are not as pretty as quills." you sighed as you spun the pen in your fingers. Nerida hummed as she leaned on your shoulder from behind the sofa.
"It's a tricky topic. Some wizards are distrustful—or worse, dismissive of muggle inventions or contributions to knowledge. Magical folk are protective of their culture—it takes us a while to adopt new things." she added with a smile. "That's why muggle-borns— or raised are so important to getting Wizards to stop dragging their feet on progress—like with merepeople." she finished with a luckless huff.
You patted her head affectionately.
"Ah, I'm not too worried, Nerry. I know you are going to sort it out." you said confidently. Ominis warmly seconded your prediction—drawing a blush from Nerry as she wrapped her arms around your shoulders.
"So if I one day ran for parliament, you would vote for me?" she asked with a squeeze, making you giggle.
"I'll get started on making your leaflets, Minister."
***
You heard Poppy and Natty enter into the main room, calling out for you.
"Allo! Be down in two ticks." you leaned on the banister to smile at the pair. "It might be raining and cold outside this morning—but it is a warm summer day in the Vivarium. I'll bring food and we'll meet you there."
It was early Monday morning before breakfast. You had invited your friends to come and discuss your meeting with the teachers—as well as enjoy more time in the sunny magical environment.
Sebastian and Ominis came up from the lower level, discussing their brew's progress. They had both started using the clean and available potions stations along with yourself—saving having to use the communal school cauldrons.
"Can I get a hand with the tea—I'm still not deft enough at my levitation charms not to make a mess." you called over the railing, beaming down at the boys.
Sebastian placed a hand on his friend to stop the ever-polite blonde from immediately volunteering. The freckled copperhead dug into his satchel and shot you a mischievous eyebrow wiggle before he popped open his broomstick.
Throwing it to the ground; where it hovered just above the floor, he leapt onto it and balanced his hands out a moment. He then lifted the knee at the handle side to tilt it up—into the air.
"Careful, Sebastian!" you exclaimed—while still being slightly impressed with his balance. He crossed his arms as he found his center, rising up with a confident smirk.
"Awww, worried about me, Bash?"
He rose to be eye level with you as you cocked your head to the side.
"Worried I would have to drag your unconscious body to the hospital wing when you cracked your head on the floor." you said with your hands on your hips.
He laughed heartily—which did a serviceable job unbalancing him.
Sebastian's arms sprung out as he wobbled—his smile dropping as his eyes went wide. You leapt forward and snatched his robes, yanking him in towards the rail so he could catch himself.
"Alright there, Seb?" called Ominis from below.
"Seems I have some skill at predictions after all." you muttered with a terse look at the sheepish brunette blushing up at you where he clung to the rail. "He's fine, Ominis...incorrigible—but fine. We will meet you in the Vivarium—Poppy, Nats and Deek are already in there."
Sebastian used his broom to boost himself over the rail, popping it shut before skirting to your side with a cheeky grin.
"You were still impressed, though—right, Bash?" he asked with a hang-dog expression, following you to your kitchenette. You glanced up at him and after a moment you shrugged and held up your thumb and forefinger a little apart.
A crooked grin filled his face as he nodded appreciatively.
"Room to improve then. Here I'll get that—take the smaller one."
***
Your friends sat on the rustic wooden table to the side of the clearing. Deek had found it in the 'Hidden Things' state and pulled them into the Vivarium; along with two stone benches—though he must have used his magic as they were very solid. He sat beside Poppy on the bench, the two of them happily chattering away.
You pulled out the dishes from the basket while Sebastian carefully placed the casserole dish filled with breakfast foods such as fried mushrooms, hash browns, eggs and a selection of meats. You pulled out a small bowl of chopped fruit and offered it to the two delighted looking girls and beaming elf.
"I take no credit for this meal—the house elves kindly gave it to me and Sebastian early this morning—we went to the kitchens!" and you detailed your visit, describing your delight with the warm and comfy space—and the lovely elves.
Poppy sighed as she filled her plate with fruit and fried potatoes.
"Awww you should have been in Hufflepuff." she pouted.
Natty shook her head.
"Gryffindor house was robbed. Our Rogue, as my mother likes to call her, should clearly have been in my house." she then caught your eye as she filled her plate. "—plus, she was apparently quite fetching in red robes according to Garreth." punctuating her remark with a nonchalant bite of mushroom.
You heard Sebastian huff as he sat beside you, grabbing the coffee decanter from the middle. Ominis hummed in an noncommittal tone as he poured tea for the table—Deek looking surprised when Ominis asked his preference, sputtering out an answer as Poppy grinned, nudging the elf affectionately to try and help him to feel more comfortable.
As you settled your friends started to ask about the teachers—and exactly how much you had told them. You told them everything that happened—with caveat that it was kept a secret. You told them you had hidden most of them from the teacher's notice in regards to Ranrok—aside from the deputy head who knew about Sebastian.
After you finished you saw Natty shaking her head.
"Ooo my mother—I hate that I am so proud of her cunning...but she lectures me about misbehaving!" she crossed her arms as Sebastian chuckled.
"I think your mum is wicked—getting the headmaster so steaming he won't notice the missing teachers? Pure genius."
You nudged him in agreement as you smiled at her.
Natty gave a head tilt—clearly leaning more towards pride. Poppy asked about the trial and you told them about Miriam thinking it led to somewhere inside the castle.
"It's great you have the teachers going with you to the Forbidden Forest—you will be so protected." observed Poppy warmly—slight relief in her features. You sent an affection look back. Ominis nodded as he finished his tea.
"I agree. Ronen and Fig are powerful wizards—but Hecat is a force to be reckoned with—as I hear, is your dear Slytherin mentor."
Sebastian also admitted that having four, fully trained wizards and witches would certainly make him feel better about not being there with you.
As you rose to get ready for Theory, Poppy grabbed your sleeve.
"I got a letter from my gran this morning—she says that poachers are getting closer to the castle. I think we should try to get Highwing to come to the Vivarium. Hippogriffs are very rare these days...I think she will be targeted." she muttered softly. Your eyes contracted with concern as you and your friends all assured her of your assistance.
"We could go tomorrow afternoon? Before dinner? See if we can find her and use the nab-sack to bring her here." you offered. Poppy frowned, asking why not today. You looked wary.
"We need to prepare—if Highwing is being tracked by poachers then we must be careful. I do care about Highwing's safety—" and you stared down her furrowed brow "—but I care about yours too. As I have discovered first hand—being underprepared and underestimating the danger is a recipe for potential chaos." you added with a meaningful look.
Sebastian put a hand on her shoulder—promising to help tomorrow afternoon, including the lend of his flying skills. Poppy's face still had a shadow of fight in it—but she sighed and agreed with a tight nod.
You all helped clear up with magic and a bit of competitive teamwork. You waved goodbye to Deek as you headed out
***
As Herbology started to wind down, you frowned at the cuts littering your stinging fingers.
And the day had been going so well.
In Theory, you had been assigned a group report which you agreed to do with the chatty redhead beside you. Professor Fig had given you a small, tired look as he flicked his eyes to the Gryffindor beaming beside you as he recorded your partner and assigned a topic in his ledger.
Flying had been canceled due to weather—which also meant so was Astronomy.
You had gotten to play games in Flying, using the clock tower building as a court for a series of ball-based games.
You, Imelda and Nerida formed a quite vicious team where the aim was to charm the ball before throwing at the opposing team to try and get them out. Kagowa clapped with a significant head nod as your charmed ball successfully spring ropes around the Ravenclaw girl it hit, causing her to wobble before her teammate steadied her.
After lunch, Ominis and the whispering couple following you, headed to Herbology. Ominis had politely asked for your forgiveness as he had another claim on his time after class. You didn't ask as he seemed nervous about it, assuring him you would catch up on the love-crossed Miss Woodhouse at a later date.
The aforementioned class turned out to include getting oil from blades of Brizgut grass.
Garlick had explained how to carefully run your fingers down the grass folds, avoiding the sharp curled barbs. While those at your table had only caught themselves once or twice on the thorns, you couldn't seem to keep your battered fingers away from them.
Another sharp intake of breath.
"—and ten is my limit." stated Ominis with a head shake, moving to gently take the grass from your hands.
"What?" you asked with a furrowed brow.
"You have hissed ten times in the last five minutes. I cannot in good conscience keep letting you proceed or you will have no fingers left at the end. Please ask Garlick for some Dittany, l'll finish this one." he said softly, concern in his features.
You then watched as he expertly laid a large thumb on the fold of the grass and swiftly running it up the blade, released the oil at the tip—while avoiding every single thorn.
"Show off." you muttered affectionately, carefully giving his wrist a brief squeeze of gratitude that had him nodding with a smile.
You spied the large sunhat of your professor, leaning over to help a pale, dark-haired Slytherin boy with his oil collection. Garlick looked up and saw you nervously standing to the side, waiting for her to be free. Beaming at you with her dazzling ginger features she beckoned you over.
"Everything alright, my Daisy? Oh, look at your hands! You and Mr Black seem to be having a run of bad luck today—stay here, I'll get you both something."
As your Professor skipped away to another greenhouse, you looked down at the vaguely familiar gangly boy sitting at the potting table. He glumly slid his grey eyes up to you, flicking to your injured fingers before covertly trying to hide his under the table.
Black?
Phineas.
Right. Now you remembered.
Sebastian had mentioned one of the Headmaster's sons was his and Ominis' roommate—though, from his tone you didn't think they liked each other. The sensible part of your brain, however, thought most of this was borne from who the boy's father was.
It must be hard to be the Headmaster's son.
"So...how many times did you get nicked?" you asked with a luckless smile.
Phineas looked surprised to have you speak to him, glancing nervously at his tablemates. The Hufflepuffs and Gryffindor were busy talking amongst themselves—and pointedly ignoring him. He eyed you with distrust before he sighed.
"Seven." he huffed.
You nodded appreciatively at this.
"I guess I win with ten. Bully for me." you added in a sardonic tone before winking at him in a friendly gesture.
He furrowed his brow as he seemed to be searching for some sort of insult in your remark. Not finding one, his eyes softened and he gave a shy look back.
"It's the angle you have to bend the blade so as not to get scratched...I can't seem to get it." he admitted, still watching you carefully.
"Oh I know. I swear I was holding them exactly like Garlick and I still hit every bloody barb. I am rather rubbish at Herbology." you laughed with a shrug.
Garlick appeared again holding a glass bottle and shaking her head, causing her twin tails of flaming hair to sway.
"Oh nonsense—you just need more time. You will get it, my dormant little garden snakes. Some sunshine and support and you will both be growing like knotweed. Hands out, please."
Phineas stood, causing you to to take an unconscious step back when you saw how tall the boy was—though, he seemed to be perpetually hunched so as not to loom over people. You both held your hands out as she unstoppered the bottle and poured a little into each—Phineas needing slightly more for his massive hands.
You and the dark-haired Slytherin both rubbed your hands together, sighing in tandem relief as the stinging dissipated and the wounds sealed themselves. You looked up at Phineas as he politely thanked your professor before the redhead left to heal up anyone else who also had been 'unlucky'.
Studying the teen beside you, you supposed he looked a little like the Headmaster—though not as much as the burly seventh-year you saw strutting around the school. Sirius Black was almost as wide as he was tall, with an air and voice that seemed to echo your authoritative Headmaster. The only real similarity seems to be Phineas' hair—while Sirius had long locks tied in an in-vogue tail, his younger brother tamed his thick wavy hair into a neat, side-swept style with product, giving it a glossy finish.
After satisfied his hands were healed he glanced back down at you.
"Maybe I'll win next time." he commented quietly, his lip quirking as he gave you a slightly friendlier expression. You grinned up at him.
"Oh do not underestimate my unparallelled talent to injure myself with plants. I could probably do some damage with a dandelion." you advised with a pointed look—earning a throaty chuckle from him, lifting a knuckle to his nose. You then introduce yourself, apologizing for not doing so sooner, especially as you were in the same house.
Phineas again looked taken aback, but gently accepted your now fully healed hand, covering it entirely with his dinner-plate sized one, giving it a brief shake.
"Phineas—Black. It's nice to formally meet you...I hear your name amongst my roommates quite a lot. You were muggle-raised, correct?" he asked, biting his lip as he tried to make light conversation.
You nodded cheerfully, explaining that you were raised in a muggle orphanage. Phineas's eyes brightened as he asked questions about your village. You were surprised at his interest, but told him a little about the town and the local manor house. He took an excited step towards you when you mentioned the motorcars that visited the manor house when you worked there.
The young lad was clearly quite enamored with automobiles, asking you questions about 'petrol' and "engines'. He looked over his shoulder before he pulled a worn and crumpled leaflet from his pocket and showed it to you.
"I found this in a junk shop. It's from France. They have started doing actual racing over there—with a proper league en'all." he added with a giddy tone. "I would love to go to a race."
You peered at the stationary illustrations of motorcars, the different elements described in cramped French text. You grinned up at him when you recalled something.
"Actually, I heard from a muggle under-gardener that they are doing racing in England too. He was always hanging around in the manor garages trying to get the drivers to let him have a go in one." you giggled. "Maybe you can see a race here in the U.K?"
Phineas' expression soured as he stashed the leaflet back in his robes.
"I can't imagine that request going down well with my parents." he muttered ruefully.
You winced a little, recalling some past remarks by Ominis about the headmaster's dislike of muggle—well...anything. Your heart flickered with sympathy for the quiet boy, passionate about automobiles against his family's wishes.
You took a step closer with a conspiratorial expression.
"Yes, well in circumstances such as yours, Phineas, I would possibly suggest a wise apothegm— it is sometimes easier to ask for forgiveness, than permission." you whispered with a mischievous head tilt. Phineas' eyes widened before his face split into a toothy smile, his mouth looking a little oversized on his face.
"That is excellent advice—and an English race would be easier to swing than a French one...I will certainly take it into consideration." he said with an arch look, making you suppress a giggle.
"All patched up then?"
You turned to see Nerida approaching with Ominis and Amit, having all finished their assignments. You noticed Phineas backing away from you, ducking his head as he looked ready to return to his seat. You frowned a hair before recovering with a smile at your friends.
"Yes—Dittany to the rescue as always. I was just telling Phineas that I am all thumbs when it comes to plants...and none of them green, unfortunately." you laughed, catching the retreating teen's eye with a friendly look.
Amit cheerfully beamed at the towering dark-haired boy while Nerida smiled politely. Ominis, however, kept his features impassive as he nodded at his roommate.
"Black."
"Gaunt."
Your eyes narrowed a degree at the cool demeanor between them—not hostile, just distant. You shook your head.
Teenage boys continued to be a riddle in progress for you.
Thankfully your cheerful professor came wandering back to break the uneasy silence that was starting to grow.
"Have we all had an enriching lesson, my industrious daisies?" she asked in her dreamy voice. You and your friends nodded, you smiling as she lay an encouraging hand on your shoulder.
You frowned as you looked to her.
"I hope there is a way I can make up my work—I know I didn't finish mine." you admitted. Phineas also mumbled about the possibility of extra credit work to pull up his marks, rubbing the back of his neck.
Garlick looked pensive for a moment before she raised a finger with an idea.
"I need to re-pot some young Tentacula seedlings after class. If you were both to help, I am sure it would be more than enough to make up your assignment." she kindly offered.
You immediately agreed—feeling your luck had turned around as that was precisely the plant you wanted to speak with Garlick about. You beamed encouragingly up at the raven-haired boy—who was clearly having some inner argument. He looked down at you before finally returning a small smile. He thanked Garlick for the opportunity, pledging his assistance.
You told Garlick and Phineas that you would meet them in the next greenhouse as you went to collect your things, the class breaking for the afternoon.
As you packed up your bag you felt Ominis come and stand at your side, arms crossed as his mouth twisted. You sighed as you looked up at him, already getting rather good at reading his alabaster features.
"Let me guess—you don't like Phineas." you stated, glancing at the boy ducking under a door frame to follow your professor into the adjacent greenhouse. Ominis huffed as he tapped his arm with his thumb.
"It's not that I dislike him." Ominis sighed. "Truthfully, I don't really know him all that well. Black is an odd duck—keeps to himself. It's just...he is the Headmaster's son. You don't want to risk revealing something that could get back to his father by spending too much time with him." he warned.
"Has he done that before?" you asked.
Ominis frowned.
"Well...no—but his brother certainly has. Sirius ratted out Imelda last year for trying to arrange a trip to a muggle football match—she wanted to try and glean strategy from it, but the Headmaster shut it down" he pointed out with a terse look.
You pursed your lips with a hum.
"So you are judging him on the actions of his siblings." you state archly.
Ominis opened his mouth to argue—before he was struck with your meaning.
He scrunched his nose, ducking his head as he nodded.
"That...is an excellent point." and he ran a hand through his hair. " I suppose it would be rather hypocritical of me to cast judgment on him without cause." he admitted with a guilty expression.
You stepped forward, placing a hand on his arm, squeezing it affectionately.
"It will be fine. He seems nice—a little skittish, but pleasant enough. I can't imagine having the headmaster as your father makes for an easy school experience. Maybe he just needs someone to talk to that doesn't know all the details of his family from the last five years?" you offered.
Ominis smiled warmly at you.
"I, more than most, can appreciate that, my intuitive adder. I guess I just always thought of him as just one of the Headmaster's sons—and yes, maybe I painted him with the same brush as his brother. Still—you don't want any more reason for the Headmaster to be noticing you." he warned.
You huffed with a derisive sound.
"I am not going to let him decide who I can be friends with—even if it is his son."
Ominis chuckled.
"A strange act of defiance if I have ever heard one—but one very much in keeping with your disposition. I wish you luck on your new friendship—and maybe I too will endeavor to be a little nicer to Phineas...reflecting on it, I suppose we have more in common than I thought." he admitted sagely.
"A willingness to change past prejudices—classic Mr Darcy." you muttered at the slightly blushing blonde.
***
"Alright, now we just need to feed the babies." said Garlick cheerfully.
Babies?
You curled a lip at the row of twisting, snapping plants that you had just helped your Professor re-pot.
You and her were working with two very different definitions of the word 'baby'.
When you had joined them in the larger Greenhouse, you and Phineas had been instructed to distract the nightmarish plants while Garlick changed their pots. This involved a crab skewered on a stick that you held out to try and keep the vicious eyeless head trained on you—and not the redhead.
Phineas had more reach than you which meant you had to get closer to the snapping teeth. You had thanked the boy earnestly when he caught a vine working its way to your ankle, bringing a large boot down on it to stop it pulling you off your feet.
After twenty minutes you and Phineas were sweating and tired—though you had gotten into a good rhythm of ducking and weaving around each other to distract the plants—sometimes having to parry its vines as if in a duel.
You had also managed to ask Garlick about tentacula teeth and powdering them—both she warmly agreed to help with when her plants were ready to shed a set.
Professor Garlick then brought a large bucket of hissing, snapping crabs that smelled like low tide, causing you and Phineas to step back, your sleeves to your noses.
"Right, gloves are over there—just toss each plant two or three crabs. Then you are both done—full marks." she said with a nod. "You Slytherins have been most helpful."
You both thanked her and promised to complete the task as she bid you goodbye, heading to her next class. You wandered over to the box she had gestured to and pulled out a pair of thick leather gloves.
"I am not sure any of these are going to fit you." you muttered as you pulled the half a dozen pairs out—all looking far too small for him. "If you move the bucket, I can toss them at the plants?" you offered, smiling up at him as he peered lucklessly into the box.
"I suppose I can hold it further from my nose than you can." he joked as you chuckled appreciatively , pulling on the gloves. You then made your way back as the boy picked up the bucket with a look of disgust and held it far out in front of him—but low enough for you to reach.
You grabbed the first wiggling, gooey crab.
"So gross...and people ask why I don't like plants?" you mumbled as Phineas snorted.
"So horticulture is out. What do you like to do?" he asked lightly as you chucked the first crab at a plant a few meters away—surprised at how fast a vine snatched it from the air before it ended in the open maw of the plant with a crunch.
"I like to read and cook—and magic, of course. Though, as I have only known about it for a month you can see why it is still quite interesting to me." you said over your shoulder, throwing another crab.
"Magic is very captivating. I also suppose that explains your friendship with Gaunt—I have hardly ever seen him without a book in his hands."
You nodded warmly.
"Yes, Sebastian calls us 'book-dorks'...though I suppose in a way we are." you admitted with a resigned expression. "Can I ask—why do you like muggle automobiles so much?"
The boy ducked his head with a shy smile before he watched you whip a crab at a far plant to watch it spring out a vine.
"I'll admit it is an odd fascination for...well let's say a Slytherin to have. I saw them in London a few years ago. We were going to meet our cousins at a muggle restaurant—don't tell anyone." and he gave you an impish wink, making you giggle as you tossed more crabs. "—anyways, we had to go to Oxford Circus and there were all these—incredible machines racing up and down the streets. My father called them dangerous nuisances but I thought they were just—brilliant." and his face filled with a dreamy smile.
You warmly commended his hobby—stating confidently that were he to wander into any muggle pub he was sure to find more auto enthusiasts. He raised his brow and nodded slowly as you threw the last of the crustaceans to the hungry plants.
"Thank you for the insight—maybe I'll just try out that 'asking forgiveness' thing."
You beamed up at him as you both headed out the door towards the dungeons.
"So—might I call you Fin?"
***
After a quick shower and change you were back out into the Slytherin common room. You walked towards the exit when you saw Phineas stooped in the doorway, clearly waiting for you.
You smiled at him as he looked over his shoulder and stepped to your side.
"Hello again, Fin." you said warmly, please to see an actual genuine smile easily fill his face.
"Hello again. I wanted to see if I could possibly get your help with something?" he asked politely—though he kept looking furtively around. "Maybe on the way to dinner?" his voice held a warble of nerves and you nodded slowly, glancing around the common room.
You heard the subtle intake of breath before you caught the dark hair and wicked grin of his brother coming through a hallway with a pack of large seventh-years.
You had heard enough about the brutish and cruel teen to realize he was probably no better to his little brother.
"Okay. Let's go." you said cheerfully, smartly taking a tight hold of his arm and quickly slipping out the exit.
Once you were up another hall you saw his frame relax, gently leading you to a side hall.
"Sorry—I didn't want my brother taking this." and he pulled out a brightly colored—though slightly battered muggle magazine. You read the words Motor Yearly in a large, eye-catching font with a picture of a spindly-looking car in a field.
"Where did you get it?" You asked with active interest as he opened the magazine, you both craning over the black and white pages filled with specifications and parts for motorcars. Phineas grinned.
"I found it in Tomes and Scrolls. Mr. Brown let me have it for next to nothing because it wasn't meant to be in his shipment."
"That's lucky! He must have a charm on that shop because I often make good finds. So what can I help you with?"
Fin grinned and flipped to the back. You saw an advertisement for the next annual for the following year along with an order form.
"I want to get the next issue—but I don't understand how this works...what a 'postal order' is or even how to get it delivered."
You blanked at the odd request before beaming up at him.
"Of course—here sit." you pulled him to a bench by a stained glass window. You both sat down as you started to study the advert.
"Okay...yes, I see. You can do this, Fin. You would just need to go to a muggle post office. There are loads in London. If you get a money exchanged at Gringotts you can go into one and ask for a postal order for this amount." and you pointed to the number next to the '£' symbol. "Then you fill your address out here."
Phineas bit his lip.
"Okay. I get the 'post order' thing—kind of...but my family's house in London is—hard to find. Is there any other way to get it?" he asked with a pleading look.
You nodded quickly with a smile.
"No worries. Just have it delivered 'care of'—you then put a post office's address...you could do it all in the same place at the same time. Then you check back later to see if it's arrived. My Headmistress would do it with her beauty products. She was sweet on our postman and didn't want him seeing her buying make-up."
Phineas snorted a laugh before taking a deep breath and sighing happily.
Peering down at the well-leafed through annual, the teen was practically vibrating next to you with excitement. Pulling out a tiny notebook, he used his wand to unlock it and started taking notes on what you told him. He asked for clarification on the order form and what the 'postal district' meant.
After a few minutes he seemed confident he could try his postal scheme when his family went to London next month. You smiled warmly up at him.
"I admire your passion, Fin. Your commitment is inspiring. You know, you really should talk with Ominis—he likes this mechanical muggle magic too." you needled affectionately as you saw him shyly smile—though he still seemed unsure. "Come on, then. I'm famished...well so long as dinner isn't seafood." you added with a grim expression, eliciting a bark of laughter that echoed down the hall from the reserved teen.
***
You walked into the Great Hall with Phineas, with him smiling jovially down at you as you told him the inventions you had read about at muggle World's Fairs.
He had been fascinated when you described 'the switchback railway ride', the Slytherin finding the description of an open top miniature railway an exciting concept.
You walked up the tables—earning a few questioning looks from other students that you simply ignored. You looked up and noticed that the entire teachers table was empty—though this happened sometimes if meetings ran long.
As you drew close, Sebastian raised a confused brow at the pair of you coming toward him.
Phineas ducked his head and said he would see you later—thanking you again for your help. You placed a finger over your lips to show it would remain a secret and he gave a grateful nod before heading to the other end of the table.
As you sat you saw Phineas slump down beside some grim looking Slytherins—including his brother who thankfully seemed quite distracted by the mousy blonde girl beside him.
"Making more friends, Bash?" he asked with an unimpressed look.
"Maybe. One can never have too many Slytherin friends. Besides, Fin is quite sweet." you observed simply as you started filling your plate.
Sebastian cocked a brow at the nickname but smartly said nothing, instead asking about your lessons as he tucked into his steak.
As you were detailing your bad luck in Herbology, you saw Nerida enter with Ominis and Amit, the three of them smiling and chatting as they moved towards you.
You placed a hand on your heart as you caught the swift peck on the cheek Amit gave Nerida before heading to his table—her face flaming with delight as she sat down opposite you.
"Nice afternoon?" you asked lightly, making Sebastian grin beside you as she attempted to act natural.
"Very nice, thank you. You?" she said with an aristocratic air as Ominis sat next to you.
You nodded with a polite smile.
"I distracted killer plants with a stick then threw crabs for a while." you said nonchalantly as you sipped your tea. Nerida did a good job in schooling her features as she suppressed a laugh, before giving you a knowing smile.
"So another Monday at Hogwarts?"
"Naturally, darling."
You then descended into giggles as Imelda came to sit.
"Do I even want to ask?" she said as you and Nerry recovered. Seb just shook his head.
"They're cracked—don't worry about it. So did you see that petition Spencer Nells is trying to spin up about Quidditch?"
You were getting to the end of your meal as the side doors blew open with a bang as the headmaster came striding in looking grim as Professor Weasley quick-stepped to keep up—her features also looking ashen. The hall quieted as Black walked up to the podium, he cleared his throat nervously before pointing a wand at his neck to amplify his voice.
"Students. Until further notice the castle is on lockdown. There will be no outdoor activities and no trips to the village."
This was met with a roar of outrage but Professor Weasley's face had you finding Ominis' hand beside you and squeezing it.
"Something is wrong." you muttered.
The Headmaster bellowed for quiet before he continued.
"This is a serious matter! A student is missing." he growled.
The hall started hissing as people looked up their tables for missing friends—some standing to peer around the hall.
You felt your heart become uncomfortably tight as you started to panic.
"Who is it?" called a voice from Ravenclaw, earning support from other tables.
Professor Weasley stepped forward, her demeanor grave as she looked out over the sea of faces.
"I'm afraid we cannot confirm the whereabouts of Hufflepuff, Miss Poppy Sweeting."