Chapter 1
The Creature
"Neville, this is too confusing…" I said pinching the bridge of my nose. Herbology was certainly my worst subject… ever. "What's the difference between this plant and that one?" I pointed at the book in front of us. The library was empty, the only sounds were me flipping the pages of the textbook and Neville's heavy breathing.
"Well, this one is poisonous and this one isn't."
"Why didn't you tell me that in the first place?" I wrote down notes on parchment.
"I did…" He said, as if annoyed.
Finally getting the hang of this chapter in Herbology, I was writing away on my parchment. It was nearing nine o'clock and I was hurrying to write down as much notes as I could to turn them into Ms. Sprout tomorrow morning.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Neville intimately reading a book about beautiful but deadly flowers. That's pretty fascinating… you think it's all pretty for one second then BOOM it shoots you with a venomous poison and your dead before you can say another word.
"I think I'm done. This won't definitely get an outstanding grade, but I will pass." I held my paper up and stuffed it into my bag. "Thanks for helping Neville." I patted him on the back.
"Anytime Alex, and- if you want more help… I would be willing to… you know help you." He stuttered.
"Of course." The chair I was sitting in creaked as I stood up. Neville gathered his books and threw them into his bag. We turned off the lamp in the library and walked out.
The picture frames were sleeping, and I could hear the cold gusts of wind whipping through the trees. As I was walking I looked to my side and Neville wasn't there. I looked back and he was as still as a rock.
"What the matter?" I asked him.
"Di- did you hear that?" He shook. I stopped and listened for a bit and then looked around the empty hallway.
"No, I didn't. Come on, you probably just imagined it."
Neville nodded and continued walking beside me. Then I heard it… loud footsteps. They sounded as if the person has 6 legs. It was running fast, so, I couldn't spot it.
"I heard that! Oh shit…" I turned my back to Neville's so that we were back to back. Looking down the corridor I saw a huge shadow of a creature. Not a human, a multi-legged creature.
"Come on." I pulled his arm.
"No! It might be dangerous."
"You always say that, now follow me!" I held my book bag by its handle for a weapon, not that it would do much damage, but it was the only thing I had in my possession.
I looked around the corner and saw this beast.
"What the fuck is that?!" I practically screamed, getting its attention. This six legged creature had a brown tint to it. And a... stinger? As it walked into the light I could spot out that it was an abnormally large scorpion. I was moving backwards, my eyes still on the scorpion.
"Kill it! Kill it!" Neville screeched. I got my wand out of my jacket pocket and pointed it to the creature. Before I could say one spell a big shot of green gew gushed out if it's stinger. It hit me right in the right upper arm. The stinging sensation was overwhelming and I dropped my wand.
The scorpion was now running towards me, but just as it got close enough to me, I performed a wand less spell. A blue light shot of my hand and collided with the monster. This sent it billowing back to hit a stone wall... The scorpion smashed against it, and with that extra time, I grabbed my wand.
"Avada Kedavra..." I whispered. In a blink of an eye the beast was slain, well... slain by the spell.
I heard footsteps coming from the far left. My arm left like it was practically on fire, I couldn't look at it, and I didn't want to see it. The pain was unbearable making me sink down to the cold stone floor.
"Help! Neville?!" I looked around for him, but he wasn't there. I don't blame him for running- he was just following his instincts.
"Hello? Who is there?"
"Over here!" I cried out.
As the man was coming, I had the courage to look at my arm. The flesh look almost melted off, and I could almost see my bone…
"What happened?" A low voice said.
I pried my eyes away from my gory arm and looked up at the Slytherin. "Oh great..."
"Bloody hell, your arm is terrifying. Shouldn't you get to the Hospital Wing?" Draco had his hands in his pocket, not even thinking about helping me up.
"No. I'm fine, thanks Malfoy." I took my wand out and help it to my arm. It couldn't heal if the venom of the scorpion was still on it.
"Aguamenti." Water squirted out of the tip of my wand onto my arm. I washed out any green gew, and it finally started to heal.
The wound was closing up, the muscles were woven back together, and all the blood that gushed out of my arm was now getting sucked back into my veins. And finally, my skin grew back together…leaving a nasty scar. I may get healed from the inside, but it always leaves a scar. I sighed in relief.
"Now, Woods. I know you are a freak, but that is just abnormal." Draco spoke from above me. His hands still in his pockets, but now there was a smug look on his face.
I got up and brushed the dirt off my clothing. "Just don't tell anyone. There's enough excitement going on in Hogwarts." My eyes wandered to the dead carcass down the hallway, and so did Malfoy's.
"Merlin… I'm glad I wasn't here 5 minutes ago." He walked closer to the scorpion.
"You can admire that beast all you want, but I'm going to the headmaster's office." I gathered my bag and wand in my hands. "I think it would be best if you left…" Knowing that Draco might have something to do with the Death Eaters, it wouldn't be a great idea to have him standing alongside a mutant creature from hell.
"Telling me what to do will not make me leave, Woods. I suggest you go do your business. I can handle myself." He scoffed. I ignored his threats and walked towards Dumbledore's office.
Draco knows my secret, my imperfection. Oh the irony… the one person in the whole school, whom I wouldn't tell, knows.
It was dark and cold. My sleeve was torn so the cold wind was puncturing my skin. Only a few more steps to Dumbledore's office, I thought. I looked up and whispered every single candy I knew from the wizarding world. But, then the statue in front of me started moving and a staircase revealed. Slowly, I walked up it.
"Miss Woods, what brings you here today?" Dumbledore was sitting at his desk with his glasses at the very edge of his nose. Rubbing my sweaty hands together, I tried to think of a clever way to explain what happened.
"I um… Just to let you know my actions were for self-protection." I assured him.
"I'm sure they were… Now, tell me what happened." He pushed his glasses further up his nose and stared at me.
"There was this huge scorpion with a gigantic stinger. If I didn't do something it would have rampaged the whole school. So, I kind of just…" I said stuttering off.
"You performed the killing curse, am I right?"
"Sorry Headmaster, it's just I didn't want to die." The mere shock of what was happening when I was fighting the scorpion overwhelmed me and the only thing I could think of was killing it. "Well, I knew I wasn't going to die, because you know… But, the pain was bad… really bad."
"I understand. You will not be expelled for using such a curse, but I have to give you detention for a week."
"I'm fine with that. It just means Draco is going to have to cover my shifts for-"
"He will join you in detention." Dumbledore cut me off.
"Wait, what did he do?"
"Mr. Flitch caught him snooping around in the astronomy tower at midnight. I'm sure you won't mind having company when you serve detention."
I didn't want to show any sign of annoyance in my face, but Dumbledore knew pretty well about the Slytherin and Gryffindor rivalry.
"And what will we be doing for our punishment may I ask?"
"You will be in the dungeons, cleaning up the place."
This keeps getting better and better. Not wanting to hear any more of this punishment about something I did to save the school… I decided to leave.
"Headmaster, I should get some sleep. Don't want to be sleepy in Herbology tomorrow." I smiled.
"Of course. Goodnight Miss Woods." He nodded his head. I waved goodbye to him and headed back to my common room. The halls were quiet and I'm glad I didn't hear any footsteps. The faint breaths of the sleeping paintings always creeped me out. I mean, you know how many times I've snuck out with my ex-boyfriend to make out in the hallways? I've wondered if the paintings secretly spy on you.
I walked up the stairs to the common room and said the password. As I entered, the common room was pitch black with hints of silver, red, and green shimmering because of the thin piece of moonlight shining through the window.
Sleep. The only thing I could think of right now and ever. On my tippy toes, I walked swiftly to my door which was locked with a special password. Seeing that I'm rooming with Draco for the year, it would be safe to keep my room on lockdown from him, and from anyone except for my friends.
Tomorrow will be Tuesday. The second day of the week. And you know what they say, the second day is always better than the first.
