I couldn't see Mandy at the staff table and I didn't see her until the afternoon lesson I had with her. She gives me a wink before I sit down. Way to make me have a heart attack! I wasn't paying attention so Hermione successfully stunned me a lot of times (fourteen times all up!). We were still having practical defence lessons and we were on stunning opponents today.
I tried to concentrate and in the end I stunned Hermione six times by the end of the lesson. When everyone was leaving the classroom I stayed back to "talk" to Mrs Prince.
"I am not going to be on the receiving end of one of your talks Danni, I am not a child." She cuts in before I have any chance to say anything.
"Then I will make this civil then, you could have died! I was really worried about you, did you even know what you were facing?" I asked her annoyed.
"Yes I knew what I facing, it wasn't that difficult to work out if you paid attention to your surroundings," She replies to me.
I raise an eyebrow with disbelief.
"It was a Basilisk," She replies calmly.
I wanted to shake her out of her calm facade, how can she speak about things so calmly.
"And you decided it was a good idea to go after it and kill it by yourself, how did you even manage that?" I ask.
She sighs and pinches her nose with her thumb and forefinger. "Danni I can't reveal to you all I know, it has been done that is all you need to know," She says then walks to the door and opens it.
"Please leave now, I'll catch up with you later Danni," She says this while pointing a finger out the door.
I huff then stalk out, Mrs prince is insane.
I am walking out onto the pitch for the first match that I will play for the Slytherin team. I haven't had enough training with my team members. Their tactics are so different from the players of Salem Academy. I am actually nervous for the first time ever playing Quidditch, I have never felt so unprepared and I think that is why I am nervous.
"On my whistle," Said Madam Hooch. "Three ... two ... one . . .
"All right there, Scarhead?" Yelled Draco before he zoomed to his keeper station.
I kick up from the ground and go higher than everyone to keep my eye on finding the snitch. I have a better broom but Potter's skills have improved so drastically from playing all last year I am not sure who is better. I zoom back and forth a bit to make sure I am not missing opportunities to sight the snitch. I automatically check to see where Potter is. Can't have him find the snitch while I am not being careful.
He is in-between George and Fred, not playing at all. The twins were constantly hitting a bludger that kept stopping in mid-air and turning to attack Potter purposefully. NO! This is so unfair, I finally get to test my Quidditch skills and I get cheated. Surely this means the game is going to be cancelled now. How can we play a match with a rouge bludger.
"Slytherin lead, sixty points to ten," I hear Lee Jordon yell over the microphone.
I hear the whistle for a time out. Damn, it won't be long until they tell the coach and we leave. Even in the rain I am enjoying playing Quidditch but it won't be the same winning with Potter not even being able to play properly.
I was all ready for the game to be cancelled when they came back up to play. What's going on, surely they would cancel the game. I fly closer to Potter to understand why he is continuing to play with a bludger attacking him continually like that. He does a silly move to avoid the bludger that would make any ballet dancer jealous.
"Training for ...
I was about to insult him when I notice Potter intently looking in my direction. The snitch was near my left. I quickly grab the snitch out of instinct. Slytherin roars are manically loud. Potter stayed in the same place too long and got hit by the bludger to the head. Lucky he wasn't too far off the ground!
Mrs Prince comes on the pitch and so does Hermione, Hermione casts a spell to make the bludger explode. I make my way to the ground not at all in the mood for congratulations from my team but I manage to smile. Draco gives me a high five. It was their choice to play on after all, I should be happy about winning but this isn't the victory I wanted. I felt so cheated.
Mrs Prince leaves with Potter trailing in mid air alongside them to go to the Hospital wing.
I mange to extract myself from the teams congratulations to speak with the coach.
"Madame Hooch," I call to her.
"Yes Danni," She replies.
"Why was the game not cancelled, there was a rogue bludger going after Potter?" I ask.
"Well I asked them if they were ready to resume play, they wanted to continue. It was out of my hands then, a game can only be cancelled if the team wishes it," She replies annoyed.
I don't think she approved of their behaviour either. I hope Potter's injury wasn't too severe.
I was almost at the door of the hospital wing, I notice Ginny pacing at the door. She made her decision to go in but as she opens the door people are getting pushed out. The whole Gryffindor team had decided to visit Potter. Not surprisingly Hermione and Ron did as well.
"This boy needs rest, out! OUT," Madam Pomfrey shouts.
Hermione spots me, "Oh, you're too late to see Harry, but he is a lot better."
"Oh, I was after you actually, I thought this is where you'd be, I was wondering if you had any idea who cursed the rouge bludger?" I reply.
Hermione raised her eyebrow in disbelief at me. "No, no idea. We are going to visit Hagrid to inform him Harry is OK, did you ... er never mind, I'll see you later Danni," She says changing what she was going to say due from my involuntary cringe.
Later that night in the kitchens, I sat and munched on snacks thinking about events that had happened. Mrs Prince hasn't told me more on the monster and ever since that day I confronted her she has been avoiding me. I don't want to go to Dumbledore because I don't trust him. Ever since I realized that Hagrid was a part of this school I found it hard to trust him. Not to mention when the school needed him most last year he left us. I hear footsteps outside the door. I quickly perform a concealing charm. The doors open, it's that boy Colin.
He goes to fruit bowl and grabs some grapes.
I take the conceal charm off me.
"Hi Colin, I am no stranger to midnight snacks but grapes I must say is a odd choice of snack," I say, I get up and pick up some cup cakes.
"Want one?" I say shaking the cup cake a little.
"Hi Danni, I am going to see Harry, want to come?" Colin says. He didn't even appear to be startled by my sudden appearance.
We walked stealthy to the hospital.
"You made that Bludger try and kill me?" I hear Harry roar. I put my finger to my lips to tell Colin to stay silent.
"Not kill you, Sir, never kill you!" A house elf replies, for no other creature can be mistaken to have that voice.
"Dobby wants to save Harry Potter's life! Better sent home grievously injured, than remain here, Sir! Dobby only wanted Harry Potter hurt enough to be sent home!" The elf continues.
He went on to explain how bad he is treated and how Voldemorts disappearance caused by Harry made House elves be treated better since that day. I felt bad for him. He talked briefly about the chamber being opened before.
"I'm not going anywhere! One of my best friends is Muggle-born, she'll be first in line if the chamber really has been opened .." Colin gasps mistakenly. I must say that I am very touched he cares so much for Hermione. I smile at this.
"Dobby must go," I hear the elf say nervously and then I hear the pop of his departure.
I open the door more completely and walk in with Colin. Harry hears us and pretends to be a sleep. Very bad actor indeed.
"Harry it's just me, Danni, and Colin we came to bring you snacks," I say to him.
He stops pretending to be asleep and sits up.
"So it's true there could be attacks then? I can't believe that elf was responsible for the Bludger," Colin states, he sits on the bed next to Harry. Colin made no attempt to be discrete! I am not happy we were caught eavesdropping. I join, sitting next to Colin.
"He didn't tell me anything I didn't already know, Sirius has been giving me information about the situation. He has been helping me a lot lately, but I am surprised Dobby did all those things. Did you hear the part that Dobby blocked us from entering the platform?" Harry replied.
I start munching on some grapes without thinking, Colin smirks at me but says nothing. I have a cup cake instead and give Harry a cup cake as well.
"No we didn't hear that part but I am glad that mystery was solved," I smirk, I remember yelling at them for that stupidity. So it wasn't completely their fault after all.
The three of us talk for a while then Colin and I decide it would be good for us to leave. I wanted to tell Colin and Harry that their fears were pointless but this would put me in the position to explain what Mrs Prince has done. I may be annoyed at her for risking her life like that but I trust her and I don't want the trust we have to be broken, her and Zander have been friends with our family for as long I can remember.
Swelling Solution was the potion that we were working on. I concentrate on the potion but Draco is starting to annoy me with his childish antics.
"Drake give it a rest, stop rubbing in the fact we won the Quidditch match, it was practically cheating the way we won that match," I snap at him.
Snapes super hearing made me a target. "Problem Danni?" He asks next to me popping out of nowhere.
"No Professor," I answer innocently.
I continue following the instructions to finish the potion, Snape goes to his usual victims to sneer at their work. If that look was given to my work even once I would work my hardest to never get it again. It would make me feel so stupid.
By the end of the lesson we all handed in the potion for marking. I am sure mine was right the colour. Hermione and Harry were the only ones who made it correctly also.
The cat had yet to be fixed but that was a relief because I didn't want that cat lurking around when I went to the kitchens at midnight. Professor Sprout was still teaching us the life cycle of the mandrakes.
I didn't hear anything about the Slytherin monster until the evening before we left for the Christmas holidays. It was a strange speech because even though Professor Dumbledore assured everyone that the Slytherin monster was no more he didn't mention how or by whom. Not to mention I didn't hand over the diary to any teacher. Mrs Prince I noticed had a foul look in place, she looked like the female version of Professor Snape with that look.
Daphne and Hermione couldn't visit this Christmas.
"Danni, this is not good news. When Kreacher came to me for the fang I knew it was a Horcrux. I'm glad you gave me a Patronus message to tell me everything was all right but that school is very dangerous," My father announces at the dinner table.
"Yay, does that mean Danni will go to Salem Academy with me," Cries Tammy in delight.
"If that's what Danni wants to do love," My mother replies.
Everyone kept going on and on with their opinions on what I should do. Why would I give up Hogwarts though. It's so much fun, Salem Academy is way more strict with the work load. Sevvy looks tired all the time and he always has lots of projects that are way too time consuming. Perhaps it would be more challenging but I really like the pace of Hogwarts.
"No, I am staying at Hogwarts," I answer putting an end to the discussions.
An alarm throughout the house blares. I grab my wand out of its clasp.
"It's OK, that should be Mrs Prince," My mother calls.
"How long is Zander staying mother?" Sev asks.
"A week at least, that should give you two enough time to finish your project," My mom replies.
I hear a knock at the door, My father answers it. It's Mrs Prince and Zander.
Severus and Zander leave to work on their projects for school and Tammy leaves for "study" in Salem Academy. But really, her and her friends are just going to the duelling rooms.
I sit at the table with my parents and Mrs Prince. My mom has just gotten them coffee.
"I have a problem I wanted to discuss, I presume Danni has told you about the Horcrux and the schools problem with monsters," Mrs Prince announces.
"Yes we were discussing earlier if it's right for our daughter to be subjected to such school, and whether or not it would be a wise decision to put her in Salem Academy instead," My father replies.
"This mustn't leave this house, but the reason Dumbledore was so nonchalant about all this chamber of secrets business is because I had a disagreement with him, I'm leaving Hogwarts in June," Mrs Prince counters.
My mother tenses and my father looks annoyed.
"That's settle then, Danni you're leaving Hogwarts also," My father almost shouts.
"I will NOT, I want to be with my friends!" I scream.
"Danni is doing very well in Hogwarts, she is top of all classes, I see no problem with her continuing," Mrs Prince says worriedly.
My father slams his fist on the table and yells, "And what will be the next disaster, that man can't run a school correctly."
"Dayme! Enough, this is Danni's decision, remember your reaction when your parents almost put you in Hogwarts! Danni feels the same way about Hogwarts as you did about Salem Academy," My mother replies.
He sighs and relaxes but he still looks concerned. After that Mrs Prince left and I went to be alone in my room.
With helping Severus and Zander with their projects and Tammy's consist whining about me not going to Salem Academy with her it was nice that Christmas came around. I sent both Hermione and Daphne gifts. They both gave me sweets. Both grandparents came for a huge feast. My Grandmother Merida brought me new outfits, she had to magically alter them because I am not as short as I used to be. With relief I was on my way back to Hogwarts.
The first afternoon back to school I decided to go to Dumbledore with the diary and explain everything. I decided to do this because I wanted Mrs Prince to stay here. If I can explain everything maybe they can work out their differences. I use the same password I used last year but they didn't budge. I went through different passwords it could be, when I got to chocolate frogs it opened for me. I smirk, his obsession with sweets is the only thing I understand about this wizard.
I was about to knock on the door when I hear Mr Malfoy's voice.
"So you have caught the culprit?" I hear him say.
"Yes, but that is a matter between Mrs Prince and I, I wish not to discuss it," Dumbledore replies.
I hear Mr Malfoy grunt. "When Draco gave me the happy news I was glad. But there has been no news of who or what caused it," Mr Malfoy counters.
I slowly and silently walk back down the stairs, I didn't want to be caught.
I wait patiently at the door for Mr Malfoy to leave. He leaves and notices me at the door.
"Danni dear, how are you?" Mr Malfoy asks.
"I'm well Mr Malfoy, how is Narcissa?" I ask.
"Splendid Danni, your family have to visit us in the summer, I was just speaking to your father recently and he said it was a great idea," He replies.
It was then I noticed Dobby was trying to catch my attention. He was pointing to the Diary then to Mr Malfoy then hitting his head. He did this action again and I slightly nodded at him to let him realize I understood his actions. I slyly used my robes to hide the Diary from Mr Malfoy. I CANT believe Mr Malfoy was responsible. I knew Mr Malfoy wasn't exactly pleasant company to people who weren't his friends, just the same as my father. I didn't realize though that Mr Malfoy was that involved and trusted by the Dark Lord. I'll have to tell my father about this.
We talked a little bit about school then he left.
I was about to go to up the stairs when a brown snake Patronus came towards me. It's my mother's. It run away from the door down the hall. I follow it. Danni, don't talk to Dumbledore about the diary is what it whispered before it left. I sent her a Patronus message (deer) back to inform her that her message was received.
Talk about the chamber of secrets died to be non existence. No one was happier about this than me. (And Ginny, she was very bubbly since she heard the news) I was enjoying Hogwarts, charms club was very interesting. We learnt beauty charms mostly but some spells that we learnt surprised us.
Ever since we came back from the Christmas break D.A.D.A moved at such a fast pace, I think Mrs Prince is trying to get as much defensive spells taught to us before she leaves. The only person keeping up with me was Harry.
During the Easter break we had to decide our new subjects for next year.
"It really could impact our whole future," Hermione announces to Daphne and I.
Daphne shrugs and says, "I doubt it, it's fifth and seventh year exams that count most Herm,"
"I don't know if that's true, I got a very long letter from my Grandmother Spencer. She gave me some pointers. She told me that most definitely not to take Care of Magical Creatures or Divination," I reply to them.
"Really, but they sound so interesting. To see all the magical animals, unicorns! It sounds like it would be a fun subject to take," Hermione replies.
"I am going to take Home Economic Charms, but I haven't decided on my other second choice," I respond.
"Why don't you do Magical Arts?" Daphne says excited, "You learn how to paint moving pictures."
"But I am not much of an artist though," I reply a little bit jealous of her talent.
The three of us talk back and forth the possibilities of subjects to chose. In the end we came to the answer. We had to research quite a lot to decide what we were going to chose.
I was going to have Home Economic Charms and Arithmancy. Hermione chose Arithmancy and the study of Ancient Runes. Hermione was so funny, she was actually going to tick all subjects if we didn't research with her! Daphne choose Home Economic Charms and Magical Arts.
I was having a lot of practice for Quidditch, the next match we have is against Hufflepuff. This would be the match for the cup. Gryffindor ended up being in third place, Ravenclaw was last.
I walk onto the pitch very excited having the chance to play in the finals! We may win the Quidditch cup this year.
"Now I want a nice clean game, from all of you, 3 .. 2 .. 1
I wonder if the game didn't have Slytherin playing if she still gave the same message of a nice, clean game ...
We where twenty minutes into the game 60 points to 10 in our favour. I don't think this is good though. The snitch hasn't been sighted yet and if he catches the snitch before me we don't have enough points to win.
I gasp, he has spotted the snitch! I race to where he was diving. I take a huge risk by not moving for a Bludger that had been hit in my direction, it pays off I saved seconds. I start to level, I elbow his sides quickly to distract him then grab the snitch!
I sigh in relief, we had won the Quidditch Cup! I am so happy about this. I cheer with the rest of the Slytherin's. This put us in a incredible lead for the house cup as well.
In the next couple of days the high of winning the cup was knocked down when we starting getting lectures about exams. It was many hours of study now. Hermione and I always managed to be the last every night in the library studying.
I walk back to the common room to sleep.
"Finally you're here, can you help me with History of Magic study?" Draco asks me, "You always manage to pay attention in class, I don't know how you do it," He continues.
"You mean you want me to give you study notes? ... That wouldn't be helpful," I reply.
"Why not?" He counters.
"I use short hand, you wouldn't understand it. I will help you by quizzing you," I reply.
The next half hour I quizzed Draco on history of magic.
I collapse in bed after that, due from exhaustion it was the first night in months that I didn't end up in the Kitchens.
At the next morning Daphne at breakfast looked at me with concern, "Danni, you look dreadful maybe you shouldn't study so hard, you and Hermione have dark rings around your eyes now," She says with concern.
"I want to do as well as I did last year, see my dad was questioning if I should stay here and If my results are excellent maybe he won't mention it again," I reply.
"Why was your father wanting you to leave Hogwarts?" Pansy interrupts.
I talk to them about the fact my father was worried that he couldn't run the school properly due from Hagrid being here and the Slytherin monster. Even though nothing eventuated he was still concerned.
The exams went better than expected, like last year Hermione was the only one wanting to talk to me about exams.
"Well done Slytherin for winning the house cup. Before we start the feast I want to make an announcement . Unfortunately Mrs Prince will be leaving us, we wish her luck in her future endeavours," Dumbledore says.
Daphne and I groan, "I hope we don't get a complete weirdo next year," Daphne then says.
Daphne and I don't listen to the rest of the announcements and talk about Mrs Prince departure instead.
When I left the hall I see the cat Mrs Norris run away, I roll my eyes in annoyance. Daphne had entered her room and I was about to enter mine when I noticed Bitch Danni.
I magically change it to say Daniela Merida. I was being so stupid when I decided that I wanted a nickname like that.
I received top marks for every subject expect History of Magic. Hermione got top marks for that subject. I was top in D.A.D.A, but Harry was close.
Harry for some reason wasn't talking to any of us. It wasn't until the train ride home when Weasley lost it.
"Harry stop ignoring us! Just because Dumbledore is a fool doesn't mean you have to take it out on us," Shouted Weasley.
This is a new development, I didn't know Harry hated Dumbledore.
"You know you can trust us, what did he do this time?" Asks Hermione.
"Same as before, he is a fool," Harry replies in anger.
"Yeah, and you ignored us for weeks, is it because he wants you to go back to the Dursleys again? I still can't believe when you found out about Sirius he tried to convince you to stay with the Dursleys," Replies Weasley.
So that's why he ignored me last year when I was trying to find out what was going to happen when Sirius and him were reunited.
"I can't believe it either, almost ten years I had to stay in that house. No visit from him to see if I was treated fairly, no concern whatsoever and now he wants me to stay back there without an explanation. No way! I was kept in the cupboard under the stairs and had to do all the chores, they are horrible people. And they are very against using magic. Sirius has been helping me with study over the holidays and I really enjoy living with him and Remus," He said all this very quickly.
"Those BABIES did what? You're a wizard you need to know how to survive in this world of ours. Don't you dare go back to them," I say this shouting.
Hermione gives me a knowing smirk.
"I agree, muggle's can be cruel to people with magic sometimes, it's jealously," Daphne adds.
My father was there on the platform to pick me up, he was chatting to Mr Malfoy.
"Danni! So glad you're back," My father calls to me. After I say goodbye to everyone, I leave with my father. I was walking down iniquitous drive back to my house thinking how next year will turn out.
A/N: The next book in the series is called. Daniela Merida and the vermin Prisoner of Azakaban