Chapter 3 – First Day Back

I woke up in the morning to find both boys gone. Why didn't they wake me up? I wondered. I thought we would have gone down to breakfast together. I showered and got ready quickly then headed down the common room to see if they were there.

There were a few students there but the boys were nowhere to be seen. They must have gone down to breakfast already. Ginny was sitting on one of the large sofas talking to a girl in her year.

"Good morning" I welcomed once I had made my way over to her.

"Morning Bailey" she greeted "Are you just going down to breakfast?" she asked.

"Yes. Are you? We could walk down together" I replied.

"I was just waiting for you" she said and got up.

She said her goodbyes to the girl she had been speaking to as she was still waiting for someone and we headed out.

I told her what had happened the night before between Lavender and I as we walked down.

"I just don't think I can live with her for another year" I stated unhappy.

"I can't believe she actually said that to you. What a bitch" was Ginny's reply as we entered the great hall.

I looked over to the Gryffindor table trying to find Seamus and spotted him sitting beside Lavender.

"I can't believe him" I said as we walked over.

Ginny just shrugged "He's an Idiot.

I took a seat across from him. Lavender looked pissed off that her presence hadn't made me it elsewhere.

"Thanks for letting me sleep with you last night" I said to Seamus just to wind her up.

"You know you're welcome anytime" he said with a smile.

Lavender looked angry. She got up and moved seats knowing her presence was unwelcome.

I laughed as I put some toast on my plate and poured some coffee. Happy that my comment had upset her.

Once we had eaten Professor Mcgonagall made her rounds with our timetables.

"Professor I think there's a mistake" I stated looking at mine "I don't take Muggle Studies"

"I'm afraid not miss Mackenzie. Muggle Studies is now a required subject" she answered and continued on to other students.

I wasn't happy. My mother was a half-blood so my grandmother is a muggle and I know as much as I need to about them. I don't need to take a class about them.

"I don't think this is going to be regular muggle studies" Ginny said looking at her own timetable "Carrow is the teacher and she's one of them"

"So I have to listen to some prejudiced cow going on about how horrible muggles are for an hour?" I questioned "this just gets better and better.

"This also means that Defence Against the Dark Arts is probably going to be closer to just full blown Dark Arts" Neville added coming up behind me.

I really wasn't going to like this year. Nothing was the same and not one thing had changed for the better. The DA reforming would probably be the only thing that kept me sane this year.

"What has everyone got first?" Ginny asked. "I'm in Herbology" she continued.

"Potions" I answered.

"Divination" replied Seamus.

"I've got a free" said Neville looking at his own timetable.

"Why do you still take that?" I asked Seamus "It's a load of nonsense and you know it"

"See you later" was all he said getting up not bothering to answer my question.

I watched as he left for his first class. He sped up to catch up with none other than Lavender. So that's why I thought upset.

"I better grab my bag then head down to the dungeons. I'll see you all at lunch.

After going to my dorm to put the books I needed for the day in my bag I walked down to my potions classroom alone. When I got there I found a small group already waiting to go in. Professor Slughorn was the only person to arrive after me and I realized that this small group was our entire class. Harry, Ron and Hermione had been the only other Gryffindor students to take Potions with me last year so I was on my own now. Two of the four Ravenclaws from last year were also gone. They must have been muggleborn.

I silently took a seat beside Ernie Macmillan the only Hufflepuff in the class and offered him a small smile.

"This year is going to be the hardest yet and you all have a lot of work to do before your N.E.W.T examinations." Slughorn began the lesson. "Last year I gave a prize of Felix Felicis to the best potion brewed this year working in pairs you will attempt to make your own"

Everyone seemed excited at this but I wasn't. It's not that I don't want a cauldron full of liquid luck because honestly I would love that but I knew this would be the hardest potion to make and Ernie while good enough to be in a N.E.W.T class was nowhere near good enough to make Felix Felicis. I doubted anyone would actually be able to make it and wondered why we were wasting six months on something we wouldn't need for our N.E. .

It turned out that it was optional for extra credit and today was only signing up and preparing. Anyone who wanted to attempt the potion would have to work on it after class. Everyone believed that their potion making abilities would be enough. I was the only one in the class not rushing to sign up. I thought about it a little and decided that as long as it wasn't taking up class time it might be worth a try.

"Great. I had a feeling no one would turn down an opportunity like this" Professor Slughorn laughed. "I will be assigning partners so don't get too cosy because I want to see students from each house working together on this"

I Looked around my classmates and hoped I would be with Ernie or at least one of the Ravenclaw boys. Luck wasn't on my side since there were four Slytherins and four non Slytherins so I was going to be stuck with one of them. It's funny I really could use some Felix Felicis right about now.

Slughorn began reading out the four teams. "And last Mackenzie with Nott. I wasn't you all to sit with your partners and discuss when you will be coming to the classroom to work on your potion. Once you have all decided on days and times come to me and so I know when to expect you in the classroom."

I lucked out. I was hoping I didn't get Malfoy or Lance. Chloe Lance would have been the worst possible option for me. I hate her more than Malfoy and Lavender put together. She used to be like a sister to me. I didn't get along with Zabini either. The last time we were paired together it was a disaster even though we are the third and fourth best in the class. Well first and second now that Harry and Hermione are gone. I had never spoke to Nott before even though our fathers 'worked' together. He was distant and quiet. I never really saw him talking to anyone much.

I wished Ernie good luck with Lance and gathered my things.

I took the seat next to Nott and turned to face him.

"So when is best for you?" I asked politely "I can do any day after seven"

"Seven is fine make it Tuesdays and Fridays" was the reply I got.

He didn't seem to be bothered working with me which was a surprise since his fater was a death eater and I was a Gryffindor blood traitor. I was glad I wouldn't have to put up with the snarky comments.

We gave Slughorn our time slots and then discussed how we would go about the project.

When the class ended we got up to leave. We both had Dark Arts next and ended up walking together mostly in silence.

Just as we were coming up to the class he said something hilarious and I burst out laughing. The students waiting to go in turned in our direction. The Gryffindors and Slytherins drew us daggers for talking to each other which caused me to roll my eyes.

I saw Seamus waiting to go in and went over to him.

"I'll see you tomorrow night" Theodore said before clearly trying to wind up Seamus then walked off and standing next to Zabini who didn't look happy and started talking to him in hushed tones.

"So you're meeting up with a Slytherin tomorrow night?" Seamus asked not looking happy with me.

"It's for a potions project you idiot" I snapped at him.

"Yea 'Cause it really looked like it was potions you were discussing when you were laughing your head off" he retorted.

"Actually it was. What does it have to do with you anyway?" he was starting to piss me off. I can talk to whomever I like.

The classroom door opened and Professor Carrow instructed us to go in and take our seats.

Seamus and I sat together despite our disagreement.

Carrow was an awful teacher and Neville had been right this was just Dark Arts. He was instructing us to pair up with the person next to us and practice the Cruciatus Curse on each other.

"There's no way in hell I'm doing this" I refused.

"Is that right miss Mackenzie" he looked directly at me smiling. He knew exactly who I was and looked delighted to teach me a lesson.

I picked up my bag ready to walk out when he hit me with a spell.

I felt light headed and a little disorientated. "Put the bag down" I heard a voice in my head. I didn't want to but my body reacted immediately dropping it. He had used the Imperius Curse on me.

"Strip" the voice said. That I definitely didn't want to do but I had no control over what was happening. I tried to fight it but failed. As I pulled off my shirt I could hear shouting but it sounded distant. I continued fighting but the compulsion to listen to the voice was far too strong and I slipped out of my skirt.

The next thing I knew I was standing in the middle of the classroom in nothing but my underwear and Carrow was standing wandless having been disarmed. As I quickly pulled on my skirt I looked over to Seamus who had a burst lip and was struggling with Goyle then while i slipped on my shirt as fast as I could I looked at Neville who was being held back by Crabbe.

If neither of them had disarmed Carrow who had it been. Others seemed to be looking around for whoever had done it I grabbed my cardigan and tie then began quickly making my way out of the class. Seamus managed to knock back Goyle for a minute and ran over to me. We left the class together.

"Get back here right now! Both of you! My class has only begun" Carrow shouted after us.

I walked began running towards Gryffindor tower to avoid the evil teacher.

By the time we got there and headed up to the boys dorm I was crying. That had been the most embarrassing five minutes of my life and both Seamus and Neville had been hurt. The tears wouldn't stop coming and when Neville showed up after class I was still crying.

Ginny burst in ten minutes later just as I stopped crying saying Lavender had told her what happened when she saw her at lunch.

"Carrow said to inform you both that you have detention tonight" Neville said "I know you don't want to go but you can't avoid him forever no matter how sick and evil he is" Neville said putting an arm around my shoulder. "And you won't be alone I've to go to so you'll have me and Seamus there"

I didn't want to go but knew the Carrows would make things even worse for me. You-Know-Who and his followers could get to my mother. She lived alone and didn't follow his views so she would become a target just to punish me.

"They can't break me" I stated standing up and brushing myself off "lets head down to lunch I'm starving"

I headed to the door determined to remain Strong.