a/n: published november 21, 2016.
lol, still rushing.
Among the Slytherins, Darcy felt like a new student. She had never seen the sorting hat sort in public, and didn't realize how the place seemed to be much gloomier. Her sleepy eyes trailed a first year boy walking towards her table, sitting right across from the year five prefect girl.
Most people in the entire Great Hall noticed how alone Darcy was with the chatty Slytherins. Harry, of them all, saw how her eyes were lazily gazing at the sorting hat with such distrust. He wondered why the hat actually did sort her in Slytherin. Darcy was a kind girl, very loyal like her aunt. She stood her ground, dealt with unkind words last years because of her muteness.
It struck Harry that Darcy hadn't spoken a single word since they reached Hogwarts. Even in their departure to sit at the different tables, Darcy walked away with a more indifferent look. He wondered if maybe Darcy didn't want the bulk of Hogwarts to know she can now speak. She even wore a scarf to hide the very same jewel that equalizes her vocals.
"Well, now that we're all settled in and sorted," Albus Dumbledore said. "I'd like to make an announcement." When the Great Hall situated itself, he continued. "This castle will not only be your home this year, but home to some very special guests. So Hogwarts has been chosen to host the Triwizard Tournament!"
Darcy's eyes shot up from picking her food (she noticed that Ophelia was not there yet), and Harry diverted his attention away from her. Albus was waiting again for the curious whispering to stop.
"For those of you who do not know, the Triwizard Tournament brings three schools together for a series of magical contests. From each school..."
And from there on, Darcy was no longer interested. She saw Harry's face, flushed from eating, focusing on Dumbledore. He thought he was being inconspicuous while staring, but she felt his intense eyes on her.
Her bored eyes then followed the Slytherin's as they stood. Everyone was objecting the age limit being seventeen. Her mouth pursed, thinking about the undesirably dangerous tasks that would await. Darcy agreed with the rules.
When the Hall was excused for the evening, Darcy followed her house mates down towards the dungeons. She felt exceptionally murderous, wanting to stab every sniggering remark thrown at muggle-borns. She'd been hearing the supposed insults more and more often within the common rooms.
The next morning, Darcy settled herself in her bed to get up, ignoring Viola Richmond, the Carrow twins, and Gemma Fawley and Tracey Davis. None of them were particularly bad. Out of all of them, Tracey was more quite than the others when it came to in-dorm speaking.
Except, it seemed this year that Darcy noticed how much her dorm mates noticed her presence.
"Hey, Darcy?" said Gemma Fawley. She had extremely curly hair, with the complementary dark and smooth skin. She was short, and the color of the Slytherin robes seemed less compatible with her. From first sight, Gemma's kind face could've mistaken anyone that she was Hufflepuff.
At first, Darcy didn't even reply. She thought that it was hre mind playing tricks, that her loneliness in the house was getting to her.
"Darcy?" Gemma asked again, and this time Darcy whipped around to see the girl fully from her bed.
Not sure if she should speak, Darcy jumped off her bed and gave a "hymn" in response.
"I," Gemma started, "I was wondering if you wanted to grab a bite back down to the Great Hall?" Her voice was suggestive and kind, something that was new.
Darcy looked around the dorm, seeing that Tracey and Richmond were standing up as well to leave the dorm. Her stomach grumbled a little. It would be a lie that Darcy didn't want to grab more food, so she agreed and they made their way to the Great Hall.
As always, Darcy didn't participate in their chatting of the Triwizaard tournament. She sat with the group, and took her plate of extra bread and tea. She munched down as much as she could. She just wanted to go to classes, away from these people.
"You should take it slow, there," said Tracey, her eyes widening at the hungry girl.
"Oh, sorry," mumbled Darcy, but she still stuffed a spoonful of oatmeal in her mouth. Her eyes caught the surprised Slytherin girls. Nonchalantly, Darcy said louder, "Yes, I can talk now. I don't want to say how, so please, leave it be."
After eating in silence again, Darcy took the last three biscuits from the bowl, and stood up from her seat. "Thank you for inviting me, though," she said as she walked by Tracey. "It was very kind."
. . .
"Hello Hermione," said Darcy, taking her seat next to her in Defense Against the Dark Arts. "Did you save this seat for me?"
She rolled her eyes. "I wonder what we're learning today. I would've thought Ophelia would be the one to take the class this year," she said.
Shrugging off her robes, Darcy pulled out the Defense book for the year. "She's still doing no-maj history."
Hermione sighed, leaning forward in her chair. "Ron's been very excited to know what Moddy'll be teaching us."
"Really?" inquired Darcy. "Isn't Moody an ex-auror?"
"Yeah, but, Moody!" Ron said from across the two, "Been waiting the entire week to have this class. Bloody--"
"I was wondering why I couldn't find you all before class," said Darcy and looked behond her. The Slytherin were all pushed to the back, it looked like, except for her. "Looks like the--"
The doors to the class were opened heavily, revealing a very stuby and ugly man. Darcy jolted a little, turning her body back to the man with the wooden foot.
"You can put those away," he growled, limping to the very front of the class.
The class returned the books back. Ron was excited, jumping around in his seat.
"You all are very behind," said Moody, "on curses. Something that a certain wizard will try to cast on you. They come in many strengths and forms. Though, the Ministry thinks you all are too young, but Dumbledore thinks very highly of you all. He reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what you're up against, the better. So, do any of you know which curses are more heavily punished?"
Several hands were raised tentatively. Among them was Ron and Hermione. Moody pointed at Ron. Darcy watched Harry, who was diligently staring ahead
"My dad told me about one," Ron carefully said. "Was it the Imperius Curse, or something?"
"Yes," Moody said, "you're father would know quite a lot about that one, eh? Gave a whole scandal in the Ministry..."
He got up heavily, and from his desk he pulled out a jar. Inside the jar were three spiders. Darcy cringed, not liking the sight of them.
"Imperio!" Moody muttered.
One of the spiders leapt from Moody's hand on a fine thread of silk and began to swing around as though in a trapeze. It stretched its legs rigisly, did a back flip, and then landed on a desk.
Everyone was laughing, except for Moody.
"Think it's funny?" he growled. "You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you?"
The laughter died away almost instantly. Darcy began to get chills on her arm, not liking what was about to happen.
"You better avoid being hit--CONSTANT VIGILANCE is needed," he cried out. The spider was laid back down on his desk. "Now, anyone else know other illegal curses?"
. . .
"That was quite crude," shuddered Darcy when she joined Ron and Harry with Hermione down the stairs.
"Crudely awesome," said Ron. "Oh, but, sorry, Harry. I just meant..."
"Yeah, I know, it was pretty eye-opening," Harry mumbled.
"Hurry up," Hermione said from behind the three.
Darcy spotted Neville from the side of the passage. He was staring at the stone wall, and he looked so disgruntled and horrified about the Cruciatus Curse.
Hermione was the first to comfortantly place a hand on his shoulder. "Neville?"
He shot his head towards her. "Oh hi!" he said in a high voice. "Some lesson--ah, really starving though..."
Darcy stepped forward and placed her hand on his elbow. She looked him straight in the eye. "Neville, really...are you okay? It was a cruel lesson..." she said with a knowing look.
"No, I'm good," he said in a more ethusiatic voice.
"Longbottom," said the voice of Moody. He was coming down the stairs, limping still with that squeaky wooden leg of his. "Come on up, we can have a cup a tea..."
Neville looked even more firghtened, staring at the four with a pleading look to take him away.
To Harry, Moody said kindly, "It seems harsh, Potter, but you've got to know...C'mon Longbottomm, I've got some books for you..."
"Oh wait," said Darcy when the other three would not save him, "Neville, weren't you hungry? You can come to the Great Hall with us..."
Moody waved it off. "I've got some of my own food--way better than what those elves cook!" he said, pulling away Neville.
When the pair disappeared from view, Ron turned to the three. "What was that about?"
Darcy stayed quite about the Unforgivable curses. It was harsh, and it shouldn't have been done in a harsh manner either. She recalled the horrid look Neville had. She pitied him, but soon realized that wasn't what he should get...His parents were great, house her mom...