Disclaimer - J. K. Rowling owns the Harry Potter universe.
Listen to while reading - Paramore: Ignorance /OH9A6tn_P6g
'My only love sprung from my only hate!
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
Prodigious birth of love it is to me
That I must love a loathed enemy –'
"Miss Weasley", Professor Longbottom calls, causing me to jump. "What is the best way to kill an Angel's Trumpet while ensuring no harm to oneself?"
I reply quickly. "Diffindo, or any other severing spells are the best defence against an Angel's Trumpet, because any spell that causes it to burn will release the poison in the leaves into the air. This poisons gas results in instant death if breathed in, and sever inflammation if it comes into contact with skin, that is also fatal if not treated immediately."
"Very good! 5 points to Gryffindor", the Professor smiles. "Now, Mister Balordo…"
I tune out and open my cleverly disguised copy of Romeo and Juliet again. I don't see it necessary for me to read the Herbology textbook like the rest of the class should be, as I already have it practically memorised. Anyway, Muggle literature fascinates me.
At the end of the lesson, I wait for the rest of the class to leave before saying goodbye to Professor Longbottom and heading out of the greenhouse to go to my next class.
"It must be sad to have nothing else to do except memorise textbooks all day", a voice behind me mutters.
I stop walking to whip around and see the pale, pointed face of Scorpius Malfoy sneering at me. I glare at him, but turn back and continue my way to Potions. I don't know why his attacks hurt me more than the rest of the Slytherins. Maybe it's because he usually formulates them more than just 'insufferable know-it-all', like everyone else.
Maybe.
Thankfully the Slytherins don't share Potions with us, so he eventually has to leave me be and head off to his own class. I push all thoughts of the slimy little ferret to the back of my head during potions, and after another great mark from Professor Rigorosa, my mind was focused completely on having lunch and continuing Romeo and Juliet.
As I walk down to the Great Hall, I hear a commotion in a nearby corridor, so I take a detour to investigate properly.
"Don't you dare turn your wand at me, Death Eater!" my cousin, James, calls as he fires off an unspoken hex.
Malfoy hastily dodges the hex thrown at him. "I am not a Death Eater, Potter!" he yells back. "Petrificus!"
James lazily deflects the spell, and retorts, "Why not? You Malfoys are all the same. Sly, weak, freakish Pureblood maniacs. All you need is a Voldemort to order you around."
BANG. James's next curse creates a small crater in the wall behind Malfoy. I notice little beads of sweat on the ferret's forehead, and stifle a grin. I knew that James had missed his target on purpose. He's not a violent wizard. He just likes to scare Malfoy a lot.
"I. Am. Not. My. FATHER." Scorpius yells, sending another curse in James's direction.
In stark contrast to Malfoy's obvious hatred of this argument, James is thoroughly enjoying it; deflecting every curse sent at him with ease, a grin on his face.
"Yeah, you aren't your father, are you? At least he managed to HIT Dumbledore with that disarming spell."
That was the last straw, it seems, as Malfoy decides to chuck away his wand and charge at James – none of his spells were going through anyway.
James doesn't break a sweat though. Before Malfoy gets anywhere near him, he's hoisted upside down in the air as if an invisible hook had grabbed him by the ankle.
It's then I notice Professor Rigorosa at the far end of the corridor on my right. Urgh. James has gotten into enough trouble in his previous years. This is supposed to be his year to start over, and here is a teacher about to walk in on a fight that he probably caused. I decide that it's time to intervene.
"Stop!" I tell James, walking in between him and Malfoy. The latter falls in a thump behind me.
"Get out of it Rose", James says, trying to get past me to hex his opponent again.
"You can't afford any more trouble. Please stop", I plead. "Rigorosa is nearby."
Finally, James lowers his wand. "Fine. You'll get it next time, Malfoy", he calls as he turns down the corridor and.
I watch him go, then bend down to grab the book I'd dropped in the process.
"Thanks for that", a voice behind me says. "You didn't have to do it."
What? The ferret actually thinks I stopped James for HIM? The nerve!
"I didn't do it for you, Death Eater", I snap. In the corner of my eye I see his fist coming dangerously close to my face. A sharp pain runs through my nose. As something wet hits my upper lip, I pull my wand out of my boot, turn around and hit Malfoy with a bat bogey hex.
Just as Professor Rigorosa decides to turn into the corridor.
"What is the meaning of this?!" he roars. I spin around, blood still dripping down my face. "Detentions, both of you, and 10 points from both your houses. I will see you in my office tomorrow evening. Hogwarts does not tolerate this kind of unruly behaviour!
"I expected better from you, Miss Weasley", he adds, before sweeping off.
I point my wand at myself this time, putting my nose back in place while running these recent events over in my head. I. Do. Not. Get. Detentions. And now that miserable excuse for a wizard has just landed me one with the strictest teacher in Hogwarts! But remembering my vow to start ignoring Malfoy (which isn't going so well), I take a deep breath and head down the corridor. Having lost my appetite, I walk back to the Gryffindor common room, leaving Malfoy alone, still with big flappy things on his face.
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