Despite being very distracted from, you know, barely being eaten by the three headed dog we find the Astronomy tower and manage to do our best to focus on planets and a bunch of stuff that really didn't matter to me at all.
"How on earth is this going to help us in the future?" Draco grumbles
"Think about it Malfoy" I say determined to prove my arrogant friend wrong "What if you get lost, you can use stars and stuff to figure out where you are"
"Or perhaps I could use magic" Draco rolls his eyes
I shrug "Fair point"
Grimm who was sitting on my other side snickers 'You know that this is a pretty easy subject if you focus right? Just focus and do what you can"
"A bit hard to focus after almost being eaten by a three headed dog" Draco says before muttering another comment about his father hearing about this and Dumbledore paying for having such a dangerous beast in the school
After Astronomy we had a break which was pretty good time considering we all really needed to talk about the giant dog.
"What do you think it's guarding?" Electra asks excitedly from our isolated area of the courtyard "Treasure? Secret spells? THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH!?"
"Electra shhhhh" Lisette shushes our excitable friend quickly "Nobody can know"
"Well maybe we can charm the thing into moving so we can get to the trap door and see what's inside" Draco offers
"I could look for a charm" Lisette says pulling a large book out of her satchel
The group sits there in silence until Lisette looks up from her book and suddenly says
"Evanesco!" she says happily "That spell makes things vanish...but it's usually taught after 2 or 3 years at Hogwarts" she slumped a bit
"Well I'm Draco Malfoy" Draco says "Unlike you Wright I'm perfectly willing to attempt things"
Lisette glares
"Don't fight right now" Electra mutters which seemed pretty out of character for Miss Queen of Perkiness
"You OK Electra?" Grimm asks, good, I'm not the only one that noticed Electra's sudden odd behavior
"Let's just focus on figuring out what to do" I sigh
Nothing much happens for the rest of the day except all of the Slytherins dreading the next Gryffindor filled day. We also discovered there were a couple other Gryffindor filled days namely Thursday where we had 3 classes with them instead of the 4 we had today.
Potions seemed pretty good. I was seated between Draco and Lisette. Electra and Grimm sat beside Lisette followed by some kid named Blaise Zabini who Draco seemed to know because they seemed to converse quite a bit before class started.
Potter was sat up front, I smirk, means Snape will see everything he does, thus more room for the boy to make terrible mistakes.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." Snape's words silence the class
Then suddenly….
"Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Snape asked suddenly focusing in on Harry
I looked up forcing myself to smirk a bit I guess Potter getting yelled at wouldn't be that bad to watch. A Gryffindor Girl, Hermione if memory serves correctly, is raising her hand like her life depends on it.
"I don't know sir" Harry Potter said helplessly looking around the room towards a boy with red hair (must be a Weasley)
"Tut tut, it appears fame isn't everything" Snape sneers "Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
"I don't know sir" Harry said though it appeared that Hermione girl knew
"This is so wrong" Lisette says with a frown
"Don't be a downer at least it's not us" Electra shrugs looking over at us
"Yeah" I agree "Still it's not very fair to be doing it to Potter"
"Oh come on he deserves it" Draco snickered
"Thought you wouldn't open a textbook before you came, eh Potter?" Snape smirked "What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfbane?"
"I don't know" Harry says quietly "But I think Hermione does, why don't you try her?"
A few daring people laughed at this.
"Sit down" Snape snapped at Hermione who was now practically standing up her hand as high as it would possibly go "For your information Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Dead. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfbane they are the same plant which also goes by the name of aconite….Well, why aren't you all writing this down?"
Everyone jumped and quills were quickly dancing over the paper. I had a feeling that even if my house was favored in this class I wasn't going to enjoy it much at all.
"And a point will be taken from Gryffindor for your cheek Potter" Snape smirked again
Snape set us all up with partners working to make a simple potion to cure boils. I was paired with Draco.
I opened my copy of Magical Drafts and Potions skimming through it to find the right page.
"It's page 12" Draco offered
"Thanks" I smiled
"First it said to crush 6 snake fangs in the mortar using the pestle then add 4 measures of it to the cauldron" Draco read
"Alright" I replied beginning the potion
"And be careful we don't mess it up I don't want to fail the class on the first day" Draco added
"Don't be a prat" I warned continuing my work "What do we do next?"
"Heat at 250 for 10 seconds" Draco replied
"Ummm...How do I do that…?" I asked feeling a bit stupid
Draco laughed, not his usual "I'm making fun of you your a loser" laugh but a real laugh.
"I'll do it you read the instructions" Draco replied seeming a lot nicer than when we first met
"We just have to wave a wand next that's easy enough" I shrug
We continued making the potion laughing slightly at the little mistakes Gryffindors continued to make. Some boy named Neville Longbottom had made a potion that caused boyles to pop up everywhere instead of preventing them and had to be taken to the hospital wing. Harry had been blamed for that too and had lost another point for Gryffindor.
At the end of class we were all waiting anxiously at our desks for our potion scores to come in. The Gryffindors all looked very pale, Slytherins too looked worried but it was pretty clear they were all going to do pretty well.
"If we failed this class I swear to god…" Draco muttered
"Don't be a bad friend Draco" I warn "Or I might start rubbing my family's wealth in your face and I'm telling you now I'm a lot richer than you are"
Draco glared.
Snape stood up at his desk everyone immediately stiffened.
"It seems" Snape said leaving me wondering if he was talking slowly on purpose just to intimidate us (if he was it was working) "That only one pair in this class knows how to properly brew potions" another long pause as everyone sat staring in anticipation "Miss Graves and Mr. Malfoy...Good job. You were the only ones to properly prepare the potion. 10 points to Slytherin.
The entire Slytherin half of the classroom broke out cheering but were quickly silenced.
"This however" Snape continued "Does not give you a reason to slack off for the rest of the year. It makes me expect much much more from the two of you"
I gulped and gave Draco a worried expression. I wasn't that great at Potions and I probably wouldn't have gotten such a perfect grade without his help…
"Don't worry about it if he slips up with either of us my father will be hearing about it" Draco smiled triumphantly
Next we headed down to lunch. Electra was back to normal from whatever her problem was earlier chattering away, Grimm stood in a permanent smirk as he listened to Lisette and Draco fight. I just tried in vain to get them to stop.
"Granger is such a mudblood brat" Draco fought "She doesn't even deserve to be here"
"Shut it you prat I spoke to her on the train and she was actually very nice" Lisette sniffed angrily "She's the only one at this school that's actually as intellectually superior as me. You're not even close Malfoy"
"Shut it Wright" Draco replied
"If you two don't stop fighting I'm going to go paint Snape's Classroom bright pink and blame it on the two of you" I warn
"That sounds like fun" Grimm commented
"You'd never get away with it" Electra laughed "I hear he lives in that classroom"
I rolled my eyes "No way"
"You care to test that?" Electra asked her eyes glistening with evil amusement "Tonight after curfew I dare anyone brave enough to go down to his classroom and look"
"Do you want to get us expelled?" Lisette snapped "No way anybody is dumb enough to do that"
"She's right" Grimm agreed "If Snape found out we so much as looked at his classroom after curfew he'd likely kill us"
"Well I'm not scared" Draco smirked "I'll gladly do it"
"Well if you're going I will" I reply smirking as well
"Fine" Electra grinned "After curfew you go do it"
"No way!" Lisette exclaimed "You guys are going to get EXPELLED! Does that matter to anybody other than me?!"
"How on Earth did you get into Slytherin?" Draco asked rolling his eyes
Grimm smirked "Easy. Behind her goodie-goodie exterior is an evil mastermind"
Lisette frowned and stomped off.
"Wait Lisette!" I shout chasing after her into the Great Hall
"That Malfoy guy is such a prick!" Lisette says glaring at the ground
"I know" I shrug "But hey. If we end up getting caught I'll blame the whole mess on him. I was just an innocent girl trying to stop him from getting our house in trouble"
Lisette smirked "Really?"
"That's a promise" I grin
We would have started evilly laughing if not for some passing Hufflepuffs...They looked far too easily scared.
During lunch the fighting ceased as we all started eating. Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy the girl who had also managed to get her feather to float in Charms were all crowding around Draco like he was some sort of a god.
"I wish he'd just tell them to go away" Grimm said
"That'll happen" Lisette snorted
Before anything else could be said a red envelope landed in my lap. My eyes widen.
"H-Hey Cy…" I looked up to see my concerned owl flying above my head before soaring away
"That's a howler" Grimm said with wide eyes "I got one from my mum once when I forgot to tell her I was staying out late with a friend. It was terrible"
"You'd better open it" Electra said staring at the letter fearfully
Draco looked over at me with a smirk "Who's it from?"
I look at the envelope then turn to glare at the Ravenclaw table where Tisi is smiling at me "Open it" she mouths. I take a deep breath in. Getting howlers from your evil older sister shouldn't be allowed. I open it.
"ALECTO GRAVES!" my sister's yell is amplified everyone turns to stare at me "WHAT A DISGRACE YOU ARE! HOW ON EARTH DID YOU GO TO SLYTHERIN! YOU FORCED THAT DAMN HAT TO PUT YOU THERE AND YOU KNOW IT! YOU'RE GOING TO BECOME EVIL IN THAT STUPID HOUSE AND DON'T EXPECT ANYBODY FROM OUR FAMILY TO COME HELP YOU WHEN IT HAPPENS! I AM DISGUSTED TO CALL YOU MY LITTLE SISTER! IN FACT...YOU'RE NOT EVE MY SISTER AT ALL! I WISH YOU WERE DEAD! I WISH YOU HAD NEVER BEEN BORN! GO JUMP OFF A CLIFF YOU HORRIBLE LITTLE BRAT! YOU'RE GOING TO DIE IN SLYTHERIN YOU ARE AND WILL FOREVER BE A RAVENCLAW! YOU WERE NEVER MEANT FOR SLYTHERIN! NEVER! "
I was out of the Great Hall before the howler finished tears rolling down my cheeks. I heard my name being called over and over but I didn't turn around. I just needed to get far, far, far away from anybody who might want to talk to me right now.
I ran through the dungeon and up to the common room door. I rubbed my eyes trying to ignore my blurring vision. I had absolutely no idea what the passcode even was.
"Alecto!"
I turned "What do you want Draco?"
"Snape is yelling at your sister for sending you such a terrible howler" Draco said looking downwards "I'm sorry"
"Just leave me alone I want to be alone…" I mutter
"You forgot the passcode to the common room didn't you?" Draco laughed
"What is it" I sniffled
"Serpent" Draco said opening the common room
I ran in immediately and headed towards the girl's dormitory only to have Draco grab my arm and pull my back.
"I don't think your sister was right" Draco muttered
"What?" I asked
"I said I don't think your sister was right" Draco replied "You belong here you know. I can see it already. You're a Slytherin, not a Ravenclaw and don't let your stupid sister pressure you otherwise
I smiled a bit wiping tears from my eyes "Thanks Draco…"
"No problem" Draco replied immediately regaining his annoying, egotistical, attitude "If you're feeling better to go back to the Great Hall your less...horrible...sister Megaera was looking for you"
"I'll find her later" I sniffed rubbing my eyes a final time "Where'd everyone else go?"
"We weren't sure where you went so we looked everywhere you might have gone I just happened to be the lucky one who actually found you" Draco said proudly
"I wish it wasn't you then I wouldn't have to deal with your attitude" I laughed
"Don't become a Ravenclaw" Draco said getting up "I would never sneak into Snape's classroom with a Ravenclaw"
I laugh again as he leaves. My sister really will regret making me feel this bad. I'm not a Ravenclaw. I'm a Slytherin. And you don't mess with a Slytherin…
Bad things happen when you do.
I smirked and began plotting for tonight and for my future revenge on Tisi.