3rd year Part 3
"How did the OWLs go?"
Elise had a habit of joining her brother at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. It really didn't matter anyway, on Monday mornings, students were too tired and lazy to actually wake up to dine at the Great Hall let alone make an issue with another house student sitting at another house's table.
Sirius poked at the yoke of his fried egg with his toast "Please…" he sighed "I'm still not ready to talk about it"
James nodded with a slight grin of agreement, his mouth full of cereal.
Lupin and Pettigrew were absent from the table; Remus had scurried off to his first class of the day, early, to help a professor and Pettigrew-they all assumed was still sleeping cozy in his bed.
It was early, way too early, and on a dreary day like today, no one even tried to wake up. It might be summer, but after such a hot week, nature was making up with a continuous downpour for the past fours days. The sky still seemed dark and grey as if was still time for bed. An so there were only a handful of Gryffindors, a scattered few Ravenclaws, a few to none Hufflepuff and a little over a dozen Slytherins at the hall.
"Maybe the two of you should have studied harder" Eli taunted as it was a joke but she really did feel the boys didn't prepare as much as they should have, especially Sirius.
James made a face and took the rim of his bowl to his mouth and spoke before he drunk down the milk "any harder and my noggin would have exploded"
"Well it's done now and whatever happens, happens" Sirius shrugged a little too casually "Now I'm just ready to blow off the rest of the school year"
"No you are not. You still have to prove to you're professor that you'll deserve the N.E.W.T classes you'll receive next year"
Sirius rolled his eyes to Elise and then immediately turned to stare him in the face to gain him on his side, but for once the boy didn't acknowledge Sirius's idea. He was rebellious but not that rebellious to throw away all his marks that he'd worked for this year, even if it wasn't his best.
Sirius's face started to sadden and before he could really find any words to say to James the three were interrupted. Actually, Sirius had noticed the suddenly uninterested look James had for him and now found look of amusement and wicked curiosity growing for someone else?
The rambunctious boy, confused, followed his best friend's gaze to this averagely tall girl with long strands of copper red hair. He smirked.
Elise turned around suddenly feeling that awkward presence of a body behind her, it put her on edge; but when she'd seen the look on her brother's face she immediately knew who it was. She sighed at his actions and finally met with the girl's sharp green eyes; even through the girl had completely ignored Elise and stared sternly at James.
"Evans..." her brother threw his hair back with an absent minded flip."…Can I do something for you" his grin was so haughty and condescending that it made Lily sick.
Sirius made a face, his eyebrows raising as he looked away from Lily and looked at Elise as if to find that common ground to say that this scene wasn't going to turn out well and they should probably leave now while they could.
Lily had paid no attention to the Eli or Sirius; she simply watched James with a disgusted face "Yes. Apologize to my friend Severus!"
"That little snake deserved what he got!" he shot with such intensity he stood up, he was so loud it had caught unwanted attention.
Lily was both a little embarrassed and overwhelmed by the boy's sudden movement, but she nevertheless stood firm. "a-and how so!"
His fists tightened, he didn't know what to say. At the time hexing Snape seemed to so satisfying but now when he saw Lily's face so upset and frustrated, he really didn't know how to explain himself.
She wanted to shout at him, with so much hatred for making her feel al these different emotions, but this wasn't like her at all. She was the rational one; she'd have to make his guy pay for what he'd done to her best friend with words.
"He-"
"-Aren't you so proud James... the self proclaimed hero..." she hmphfed and glowered at him when, when she'd seen the sudden glint of shock in his eyes due to her words "...just stay away from him and ... me " the red head tried to stay as unsympathetic as she could. After all, even if she had befriended James, his cruelty in hexing Severus to deform his head in order to tantalize him could not be ignored.
She sneered at Sirius when she'd remembered the numerous other times she'd noticed Sirius, specifically, rallying up a crowd to publicly humiliate her best friend "you aren't any better!"
He was so caught off guard by her violent stare that he'd raised his eyebrows confused and pointed at himself to make sure it was him she was really talking to. But as soon as he'd realized she was, Lily turned on her heels after a final glare at the two boys and left. The students around the scene who had been openly watching had dispersed into their conversations pretending not to pay attention.
James was left standing watching the red head leave; he didn't find it in himself to stay in his hall surrounded with all these students who had just witnessed all of this, so he abruptly left without a goodbye to neither Sirius nor Eli- just hastily grabbing his books and walking out. In the meantime Sirius had broken out of his shocked façade and stared down anyone who had the guts of following his best friends gaze. "Damn people can't just mind their own business..." he violently shot a look at a fourth year Slytherin boy across the hall who had just snarled at James. The boy suddenly surprised and frightened of the look blinked twice before awkwardly looking down at his plate. "Poor, mate" he was speaking about James.
Elise shrugged with a sigh and whispered back "but you have to admit, torturing Lily's best friend to get her attention is kind of …arrogant and idiotic"
The fifth year blinked- taken aback by Eli's comment. He was a bit offended, almost hurt, because after all it was both Sirius and James' master plan to get James and Lily together this way. He refrained himself from telling Elise how James acted this way because of jealousy towards Snape.
"This is exactly why you aren't a Marauder" he jeered instead, knowing that Elise always wanted to be part of his, James, Remus and Peter's group. He remembered that day a few years ago when Elise had finally found about the secret group meeting they had together and how she'd begged to be a part of it. Even if they made her do all these ridiculous errands to possibly let her join, they'd never actually permitted her to join- always making up excuses such as "You're not old enough" or "this is only a boy's group"
She sighed; it was pitiful how Sirius still seemed to think it bothered her that she wasn't allowed to be a part of this little group. The charade had gone so long that she was finally that old enough to realize, besides the fact in helping Remus, exactly how stupid this group was "I'm sorry I don't make it my goal to make Snape my one and sole enemy…" she rolled her eyes taking a bite of her toast as she mocked and grinned at him.
Sirius narrowed his eyes "as I recall it, you were willing to do anything to become one of us"
"Yeah well that was before I figured out how immature this club of yours had become"
Sirius looked her incredulously. What had happened Elise? What had happened to that little Gryffindor pride she had? Was it finally burning out and cooling over into a overconfident shrewdness for being in Ravenclaw for so long?
He simmered himself before boiling over and rolled his eyes away from the girl; hunching and crossing his arms on the table.
Eli meant to speak sarcastically, but it would appear it came out a bit harsher and real then she had intended it to. While she really did find their actions juvenile she never meant to really show those feeling to them.
She flipped one side of her dark hair behind her shoulder and dropped her toast on her plate before taking a heavy breath to ease the sudden awkwardness. It hadn't worked and so she rose to her feet, grabbing her bundle of books as she did so. "My Defense against the Dark Arts final is about to start, I'd better get going" she waited, standing in front of Sirius. However, the curly haired boy was still looking away from her annoyed. "…aren't you going to wish me luck, Sirius?" she tilted her head and stooped over a little to meet his gaze and when he'd reluctantly meet his sharp grey eyes with her dark blue ones; Eli smiled a little apologetically as if to make sure everything was okay.
He grumbled before pushing his one stubborn curled cowlick away from his face "…good luck…"
"This is unethical…" queasy and so uneasy Holly Madison stood next to Elise, watching a Slytherin boy send a Gryffindor girl flying against the wall on the opposite side of the room.
Holly was a petite blonde Elise had come to befriend. Their friendship just gradually grew out of the fact that they happened to have their bunks next to each other in the Ravenclaw girl's dorm. The nightly conversations before bed had simply made them close enough to call each other best friends.
"I'll say…." A boy stood on the other side of Elise watching a bit mesmerized at the duel between Gregory Baddock and Rosie Bell. The boy was Bradley Belby, another Ravenclaw student Eli had come to befriend. He was a dirty blonde, awkwardly lanky and tall boy but he still managed to pull off a calm and collective persona- he kind of came along with the Holly package.
Professor Randtop, a short and stern old man finally ended the duel with a flick of his wand to stop the stinging hex Gregory had just slipped out of his tongue. "That's enough" he nodded at the boy before looking over at Rosie who was still trying to get up from her fall when she hit and thudded off the wall.
"Did I pass?" the ginger Slytherin asked with a bemused smirk still eyeing the upset girl.
The professor had already begun to scribble into his clipboard and waved at the two leave the dueling stage. When he had done so, a few Gryffindors rushed to Rosie's side, trying to help her up and Gregory promptly jumped off the long stage joining his Slytherin friends, still wickedly grinning.
The 3rd year class had begun talking while waiting for the professor to choose the next two to duel. Everyone was on edge, chattering nervously about either how unfair it was seeing a Slytherin win, a boy bullying a girl like that or the professor's twisted decision in letting students duel instead of taking a straightforward written test as a final.
Elise watched a few students silently freaking out, probably wishing not to be summoned next onto the stage. A few were loud and openly nervous, like Holly. She was shaking in her shoes next to Eli, "Oh please don't let me be next… pleaseee" she prayed, closing her eyes.
Bradley sighed, nudging Holly "We all have to go today, so might as be next to get it over with, you know?"
The blonde suddenly opened her eyes and rolled them to the boy, "I'm just not ready yet"
"or are you scared that you might end up against a Slytherin like that Lesley girl" Elise chuckled with Bradley as they saw the reaction of putting the idea into Holly's head. She immediately turned to the thin and black haired snake of girl standing cross armed next to Samson Parkinson; she had a snarl plastered on her face that ruined her real beauty.
"Stop it! I am not!" The two chuckled, watching Holly squirm with nervousness and frustration.
"Ah-hem!" the chatter was suddenly broken by the professor's deep and loud call for attention. It was time for the next examination.
Holly led out a last squeak of anxiety as the students waited for Randletop to continue and finally announce the next pair of names.
"Knowing my luck, I just might end up dueling Lesley" Eli whispered low to Holly and Bradley. The blonde laughed slightly and eased at the thought and Bradley simply shook his head at Eli's grin.
"Elise Potter…" Randletop boomed looking down the list on his clipboard
She sighed and bumped Holly; throwing a wink to Bradley. "Knowing my luck…"
Other students wildly searched around for Elise just to get a glimpse of her reaction at the call of her name, but she'd already made her way to the stage; climbing up to one end of the stage and waiting for Lesley's name to be called.
"…and" the professor narrowed his eyes and pointed at something on his clipboard trying to read the other name he'd scheduled to duel Elise. "… Black…" he read "Regulus Black" he looked around trying to find the student.
Her confidence had suddenly vanished and it seemed quite clear to Holly and Bradley and most of the students the look of fretfulness on Elise's face. Her arms which were crossed before fell to her side, gripping her lightly Spaltled Maple wood wand tightly in her hand.
It would have been easy dueling Lesley, she was nothing in compassion to Regulus… after all Regulus was a Black- he was related to the black sisters, especially that seventh year, Bellatrix,... a-and Sirius… he had to be good- no, more than good, extraordinary…
The boy silently emerged from the sea of Slytherins and ascended up the steps to the other side of the stage, his dark ebony wand in his hand.
With his other hand Regulus combed his hair back studying Elise with a blank face. The look made her tremble in anxiousness, nervousness and fear; after that escapade a few months ago, they'd seemed to ignore each other completely and now they were forced to acknowledge each other once again.
After a reaction like that a small grin tugged on the side of his lips.
Her eyebrows rose at the smirk and she suddenly stood up tall and sifted her left side towards him. What was he trying to playing at?
"Wands at the ready!"
Slytherins bolstered Regulus' name with excitement, Hufflepuffs were watching horrified, Gryffindors a little concerned and amused and Ravenclaws silently confident in Elise.
The boy followed Elise suit, however turning his right side towards her and then the two were forced to bow at each other.
She glared at him with so many questions swirling in her head, but once she'd meet his grin with her own; she found her confidence again.
"Ready" Randletop waited for the girl and boy to raise their wands and when they did, he licked his lips and barked "Begin-"
"-Experlliarmus!" The motion was second nature and quick; Eli enthusiastically pointed her wand at Regulus and he stumbled backwards, his wand flying to the floor.
Holly smiled jumping in excitement with a clap; a few Slytherins noticed, in particular Alecto Carrow and Lesley, and threw violent looks at the girl. But that didn't deter the kick a few Ravenclaw students got from watching one of their own succeed against a Slytherin.
Regulus was surprised; he didn't think Elise would be so abrupt and decisive….
He bent over to pick up his wand, still watching her as he did; he found it utterly funny and amusing when Elise cocked a grin waiting for Regulus for a move- how confident she was acting.
He then jerked his shoulders forward and resumed position; if she waiting for him then so be it. A wicked smile formed on his lips "Affligo" a ray of cobalt light shot from the tip of his wand
"Fi-" There was no time for a block and the spell struck her hard as if a cast iron pan had just beaten her chest and knocked the wind right out of her lungs. With a wheeze she coughed "Everberus!"and just as the spell before had hit Elise so hard, a magical fist had knocked Regulus, but it didn't seem to faze him as much as she'd intended it to. Astonishingly, he still only attained a scuff on the face and didn't even bother to acknowledge it.
The lack of any real damage frustrated Elise and with a complex circular motion she threw the spell that had caught the most attention "Serpensortia!"
A sudden outcry came from the Slytherins; they hollered and cussed at the girl. But others found it funny, ironic and incredibly clever. Bradley had even made it a point to excitedly fist a 'yes'
The snake had spewed out of thin air and slithered languidly down the stage towards the black haired boy; occasionally hissing.
He flicked his wand in a quick motion, sourly "If I could, I wouldn't mind sending an eagle to attack, either..." the snake suddenly dispersing in air with a burst of green smoke.
She made a face at the way he mocked her.
"….Stupefy!"
"Protego!" she swung her wand shielding her from the stun and found herself particularly shocked and dismayed that he was going as far to stun her into unconsciousness. What was more irritating was the fact that Professor Randletop didn't mind it either.
The game was ending; with more spells being thrown around, the more competitive and angry they became towards each other. That playfulness was gone from the beginning and with the duel starting to drag due to the two's stubbornness in becoming victorious, frustration was the getting the best of the two.
She swiveled her wand "Impedimenta"
"Finite Incantatem" he blocked
"…Vermillious!"
"Finite"
"A-amitteo!" the spell had failed to do anything
"Finite!" and Regulus spoke anyway and took the chance with "Astrupicus!"
The professor rose with fear "…Regulus!"
A jet of loud crackling lightening whipped around the room causing students to scream in chaos and stoop away from the stage.
How the boy was about to control such spell was beyond Randletop "Regulus!" he shouted again.
But the spell had already stricken Elise, causing her jolt to the floor with excruciating pain. She had managed to lazily block herself with the same shielding charm as before but it was so weak that Regulus' spell still affected her.
"Regulus!" this time it was Elise who spoke- shouting with a sheer anger. She struggled to pick herself as she glared at Regulus, but it didn't matter to her if she got up or not, she simply didn't want to give him the satisfaction of having the last spell in the duel and so she waved her wand with so much force at him and opened her mouth to announce one last spell to finish the deal.
"Crucio!"
There was a gasp of so much fear and horror that the chaos from before died down into an eerie stillness or moment of overwhelming terror.
"Enough!"
It was a like hundreds sharp scotching hot blades impaling her entire body from the torso to even the eye. The sensation was mind splitting; she screamed, squirmed and raged in hatred all together.
But it was a mistake—a slip of the tongue!
As fast as it happened, as fast it had ended when he dropped his wand in alarm and fright. Backing away slowly and regrettably, Regulus had bumped into Professor Randletop who had hastily ran onto the stage.
A Hufflepuff girl was crying, shaking from the site of such disturbing inhumanity "You monster!"
No, he wasn't; it just came out of his mouth! He never meant it. He's just seen- no heard of it so many times…
"Silence!" the professor dashed around Regulus and to Elise.
The boy wildly looked around at the disgusted and horrified faces but then meet with her's. Elise was still trembling, trying to find strength and getting up. Her eyes were ablaze with so much panic and pure hatred.
"No. I-" he tried to explain and maybe even express regret but when he meet with Elise's eyes, it had suddenly ripped his heart and deeply saddened his being but the tried hard not show it. He didn't have the gall to continue and yet he did to shout out the curse.
Elise didn't know what to take of it, all she knew was that she felt an indescribably searing pain spreading her whole body, forcing her to sleep and welcome the eerie silence and darkness insidiously trying to envelope her. She didn't want to,instead she wanted to spit out a spell of her own, get even with vengeance but then those grey eyes stroke her hard; no longer as guarded and suddenly open with so horror and regret. It was enough to make her forget everything. Everyone around her panicked in fear and yet she heard nothing at all and blurred into unconsciousness.