Seven Years

Chapter Three: Diana Cavendish and the Vile Third Year

Amanda's not as cruel this year. It turns out she has troubles on her mind bigger than Diana and their petty in house squabbles. Her deranged uncle is on the hunt for her and they've got dementors around the school to keep him out, magical beings scary enough that they even test Diana's resolve. She hates them, their cold crawling under her skin and trying to leech away her happiness. Not that she has much to begin with. So what little she has is precious to her and she wants to keep it at all costs.

With Amanda minding her own business, Diana now has more time to herself, to focus on her studies, to pick up other hobbies. She distances herself from her friends, spends time in the library, in the boathouse, and it is on one of those days when she is alone that she sees something dreadful. Given the yellow starkness of the students scarf she knows them to be a Hufflepuff student, one who is currently being bullied- pressed up against the wall as two meat heads box her in. Diana can't hear what the two Gryffindors are saying but her bark cuts through the air.

"What do you think you're doing?" she struts to them, carrying her power and brandishing it like a sword. Gryffindors might not like her but they know what she can do and they would be stupid to not heed that.

"Stay out of this. Unless you want in. You are a snake after all," hissed the big burly one, his lips curling up in an ugly sneer and his friend laughed encouragingly at that. So this wasn't just any regular bullying- it was a racial one. If this had been first year or even second, Diana might have been content in just letting this happen since she didn't know this girl and she was a mudblood. But this year, things are different. She's taking a muggle studies class and they are such fascinating people with all manner of innovations to make up for the fact they do not have magic. They are not as dumb as wizards make them out to be, and Diana wants to learn more about them, wants to be more open minded towards them. She's never liked putting down others and only ever put up a front of hating them for her family. And now, after this class, she has even less reason to spite them. She is intrigued by them and yet, no one will believe that because of what colors she wears.

"I have more class than this. I suggest you leave this student alone least I take matters into my own hands." Her eyes are cold stones, and the two boys balked a little but it turned out these two were stupider than the usual bunch of Gryffindors because they continued to stand there.

"This mud blood thinks she can show us up in class. She is nothing but dirt and should know her place rather than make fun of pure blood wizards like us by insulting our intelligence," spat the friend. Short and squat in appearance he reminded Diana of a toad.

Ah, purebloods who were too stupid to be put into the Slytherin household but who still considered themselves worthy of respect from anyone. They weren't fit to lick the dirt off of her boots. "That's amusing- thinking you have an intelligence to insult in the first place," is her steely rejoinder.

They gape at her for a while, not processing her words at first. "Wait- is that an insult?" says the toad look a like.

"If you have to ask than you don't deserve to be at Hogwarts," she muttered out darkly. Really, the standard of who went here had dropped. Now they were letting just about anyone in.

"You don't-"

She slipped out her wand with ease. "Stupefy." The both of them fell to the floor. She had warned them. She hated nothing more than a bigot. A dumb, bigot.

"T-thank you," Akko stuttered. "But really, it was fine." She was used to dealing with things like this and if she just apologized and kept her head down than they usually let her go without too much pain.

"Bullying you was fine?" Diana hid her wand, aghast at the Puff's thought process, at her easy demeanor.

Akko was shocked by the intensity of Diana's words and her stare. She wondered, did the princess of Slytherin remember her? But no, it didn't seem that way and all of Akko's hoping for them to be able to meet randomly, to have another chance to cross paths and start being friends from there, is marred. Of course why would Diana remember her. Akko was just some no name Puff who struggled with her grades in class and who couldn't even cast a decent Stupefy spell. Diana had done it effortlessly, like it had been blinking to her. "No-no it wasn't, but I was kind of rude to them-"

"Don't let them step all over you. You won't be improving the conception of mud bloods people have. Fight back." Diana knows that she cannot openly fight for muggle born rights, so this girl will have to do that for her, and for herself most importantly.

Akko is taken aback by her words, but in a good way. She'd often heard claims of Slytherins being the biggest bigots of all towards muggleborns and she has born the brunt of that truth more than once. But Diana...she's not like that. Despite being Slytherin and one of the most influential ones, she's not like the rest of them. She is good, a true hero, no matter what others say.

"Right, but thank you. Really, this is the second time you've helped me." Akko smiled brightly, pushing back a flop of her hair that had gotten into her eyes. She knew she shouldn't have mentioned that Diana had helped her prior, but she couldn't resist from slipping it in in foolish hopes that it might trigger a memory. She badly wants to use this opportunity to get closer to Diana, to not let their chance to be something more slip through their fingers.

Second time, when had there been the first-? A small memory of a hug and a bottle of butter beer filled Diana's head. "Ah, right!" she said when she recalled. That precious bottle had been given to her by this girl. While she hadn't remembered her face, she could see memories reflected in that warm smile, one she was flashing now.

"I don't have much on me to thank you-" Akko dug into her bag but Diana's hand rested on top of hers, stopping her. "That's fine. You needn't repay people with goods for helping you. A thank you suffices." And then she jerked back her hand when she realized it was still on top of Akko's, realized it had moved without her willing it in the first place. Her body must have just wanted to check if it truly was those same strong hands from before. It was.

Starting to be late to class, and mortified by her impulsive actions, Diana decided it was time to go.

Turning on her heel, she left. Akko stood looking over the bullies unconscious forms and then ran after Diana. She wouldn't be giving up this easily.

"Hold up, let's walk together to the school."

Diana slowed down only a little in her gait and let Akko nearly talk her ear off as they walked in together. It would be months before they saw each other again and Akko wished it wouldn't be like this- their acquaintanceship based on stolen moments to talk to each other, to bask in the others presence. She wanted to get to know Diana more but she supposed maybe in the future she could. So she locked up in her memory the exchange they had while walking to the school and treasured how Diana had been so heroic in rescuing her.

Akko promised she would be stronger, and that she wouldn't let others try to get the best of her, if not for her own good than to honor Diana's words.

Meanwhile, Diana takes up Quidditch this year because she is good on the broom and because her mother wants her to. Says it shows how great of a witch she is, how talented and multifaceted, if she does this. So she becomes the Seeker because she's always had an eye for small details. This naturally pits her against Amanda as she is the seeker as well. On the field Amanda is savage, ruthless and not above using down and dirty tricks. Diana has always been gentle by nature and so sometimes it is hard to be as rough as Amanda who pushes and kicks at her broom, and in one instance causes Diana to fall from her broom and crash down to the ground like a rock in water.

Diana wakes up in the nurse's office, Hannah and Barbara by her side. They've got tears streaming down their faces and are chewing out Amanda whose shoulders are slumped and who looks defeated. "It's okay," Diana croaks out, pausing their argument. "She didn't mean it."

"How can you be so sure?" Hannah barks out. "She is nothing but gutter snipe!"

"Hannah, Barbara," Diana says and there is a warning in her voice telling them to heel so they do. "Give me a moment alone with Amanda."

"But-"

Diana glares at Barbara and even though her glare is weak from the dulling potions in her body to heal her broken arm, it is effective. They leave, shooting Amanda nasty stares on the way out.

"I'm sorry," Amanda apologizes. "I didn't mean to do that. I guess I just let my anger get the best of me."

"It's okay," Diana says because ever since last year, there is another layer to the animosity between them that other's won't understand. They may not like each other but they respect each other because of taking down a huge monster together. And Amanda's in no state to pick fights with Diana now. She's having trouble with the dementor's, fainting all too often when they swirl around her like hungry vultures.

"Thanks. I'll get out of your hair now," Amanda says and lumbers off, shoulders a bit higher up, not feeling as bad for Diana has forgiven her.

Diana gets another visitor that night. It's Akko of all people, though Diana doesn't know her name but she recognizes the face and that ridiculous ponytail on top.

"I wanted to return the favor. You helped me out of the bed when I was a statue and you fought off those bullies for me, and so I'll help you." She opens up her hands and there is a herb there, green and smelling of mint.

Right, Diana recalled the girl from second year handing her a beer as thanks and hugging her warmly when she was freed. And Diana recalled the girl from the beginning of third year walking her back to school after Diana had saved her from some bullies. "Something to help you. I grew it myself." She is proud of her hard work and Diana feels a flash of her prejudice flare up.

Mudblood's digging in the mud where they belong, snarls a voice in her ear that suspiciously sounds like mother, and she wants to smack the plant from Akko's hands, wants to get her away from her, get those dirty hands digging in the dirt away from her-

-and she takes a deep breath and calms herself. She will not suffer to those prejudices. She swore to herself she would stamp out her own inclinations because she doesn't want to hate people just because they are different than her, even if she has to pretend she does.

So she smiles and takes the plant, because there has been an awkward stretch of silence in between them. Akko's hands are warm on hers as they linger for a moment on each other. "Thank you," Diana thanks because she knows what herb this is and it will help with the pain of her broken arm.

"No problem," Akko swirled to leave but Diana called out to her, not ready for her to go. She remembers having noticed this girl somewhere earlier, somewhere during first year? Her memories tickle at her and she wants to know more. That hairstyle is familiar. She hasn't changed it in years so it is a big clue.

"I don't know your name."

Akko stops, scratches the back of her head, turns around. "It's Akko. Akko Kagari."

But no, the name sparks no recollection. "And I'm-"

"Diana Cavendish, the princess of Slytherin. I know," Akko mumbles sheepishly and Diana's cheeks flare. Right. People would know her. Her fingers absently stroke the plant, feeling the fuzzy texture. She shouldn't be embarrassed by the fact she is known, but she is for some strange reason.

"And which house are you from?" Diana asks because she doesn't remember the yellow scarf on that day they met in third year.

"Hufflepuff," Akko answers and now it is her turn to be blushing. "I know a lot of people don't think it's a great house, but it is."

Ah, now Diana remembers something. She remembers laughing at the witch on the first day, on the day they were sorted. "You're muggleborn," she blurts out and Akko cringes at this and Diana's heart hurts. She knows what that cringe means- it means she is fully aware of how people treat her and have been treating her because she is muggleborn.

"Don't let them get you down. There is nothing wrong with being a muggleborn," Diana feels like she needs to say something nice to this because Akko doesn't deserve to be looked down upon though Diana had done just the same when she had first heard of her.

"Thank you!" Akko smiles brightly, so bright it is blinding in this near dark of the nurse's room. "But I came here to make you feel better and not the other way around."

There is the creak of the door opening and Akko takes that as her cue to leave. "I've got to go. Dinner starts in a few and I'm starved!" To make her point, her stomach growls loudly and she hurries away without another word. But on the inside she is freaking out because she just had a normal conversation with Diana. When she heard the blonde was hurt she had to come offer her some help, because she still felt indebted to Diana for saving her earlier from being a statue and from those bullies. And now...despite all her nerves, she'd played it cool and it had ended up going swell.

Her smile is so big that even Hannah and Barbara, Diana's two lapdogs, don't sour her mood. "Mudblood."

"Scum," they whisper to her as they pass by, on their way to Diana. But Diana hears this exchange and hides her plant so they don't find it. Hiding things from her friends has become a habit.

"Was the mudblood in here?" Hannah inquires.

"What did she want?" Barbara sniffs, hands on hips as the two of them stand at the end of her bed. "Doesn't she know you're ill and can't afford to be exposed to her germs?"

"She was only wishing me well. She's free to do that." Diana never yells but her displeasure is made obvious by the way she fluffs up her pillows and lays down facing away from them. "I wish to rest."

The girls know they are dismissed and walk away sullenly, wondering what has their leader so upset.

Under the covers Diana strokes the leaves of the tiny plant and decides she's going to buy a pot and grow it on her windowsill. She won't eat it. She can't bare to lay waste to Akko's efforts to grow something worthwhile so she'll preserve it instead.

When Diana recovers, she seeks out Amanda. The red head is shocked by this, but becomes smug when Diana informs her she has a favor to ask.

"Come crawling to me, snake? Dropped off that high pedestal of yours?"

Diana ignores that, having no time for childish words. "Do you know Akko Kagari?"

"Uh, yea, I do. We talk." Amanda tips her head to indicate so-so.

"Than I want you to befriend her. Hang out with her more."

Amanda wasn't expecting this, thinking more along the lines that Diana would deride Akko for her muggle nature. "Why?"

"People are hurting her for being muggle born, and I don't like it."

"It's your people who are doing it!" Amanda hisses and she has a point but still.

"Not only my people. Prejudice isn't only a Slytherin thing. We may speak it openly but there are others who wear the disguise of not being a racist but who are underneath that false facade and strike in other ways."

"And why do you care so much?" Amanda accuses and Diana doesn't know why. She just...does. She'd followed an impulse to talk to Amanda and she never does and is now regretting it. She has to talk her way out of this.

"Because she is a kind person and I cannot do anything to help her. You two get along well and you're the girl who lived. Your word has more sway. If I say I'm suddenly for muggle born rights than no one would believe me. You, they will."

Amanda nods her head slowly, lowering her arms from her crossed position. "Okay, but I don't know how much help I can be. I've got a lot on my plate right now."

"Than eat it!" Hannah and Barbara stride up, defensive. "And leave Diana alone, scoundrel!"

"She came to me," Amanda raises her hands and lifts off the wall she was leaning on and ambles down the hall back to class casual, and finished with this conversation.

"What was that about?" Hannah asks and Diana shakes her head. "Nothing important. Let's go to class."

And Amanda does have a lot on her plate. Diana surely doesn't know the extant of it; it doesn't sound easy, but she does keep an eye out on Akko. The two of them parade down the halls together and Diana looks on in longing, wishing she could openly walk with them. But Amanda doesn't want her friendship and Akko will get along better with Amanda anyways. It's best if a muggle born doesn't hang out with a Slytherin because if mother finds out it won't be good for the family.

Mother is disappointed anyways and Diana's hands crumble up the disparaging letter. Diana only placed second school wide for her grades, coming after some witch named Sucy and mother is upset. Diana's lost her claim to first place for the third year in a row and always to the same witch. Mother urges her to find out who she is and deal with her, or pick up her grades unless she wants mother to deal with Diana.

Diana doesn't know which option is worse.

So Diana just waters her plant from Akko and watches as it blossoms to life in front of her. It's already grown so big and the smell of mint permeates her room wonderfully. It smells of hope and healing words and it makes her feel a little bit better.