Voices. That was the first thing Eris was conscious of, but she couldn't open her eyes. The numbness over her body slowly subsided, and at first, she wished it hadn't. She felt sore beyond measure as if her entire body was bruised by being thrown multiple times against a wall. Then, she began to orient herself and realized she was laying on her stomach with her head twisted to the side.

She felt something in her hand, and her fingers closed around it with great effort. There was movement and shouting. She couldn't make out who it was or what they were saying, but through the confusion, she heard her name being called.

Eris' eyes fluttered open. At first, she only saw light. Then forms came into view until they melted into blurry objects. She distinguished a small table with a blue vase on top of it holding a brilliantly pink colored flower, a glass of water and a stack of paper beside it. She began to wiggle her toes, then tried to shift herself, but a hand pressed down on her leg.

"You're alive!"

When Eris turned her head to the other side, she let out a yelp of pain. It felt stiff, like the worst torticollis she had ever contracted.

Marion was sitting on a small stool next to her, and Eris realized that it was her hand that she was holding. It took her a moment to notice her smudged makeup and red eyes, and her heart sank. Marion never cried.

"Oh dear Merlin," she breathed, whimpering a little. "I thought you'd never wake up."

Eris gathered whatever strength she had and began to shift onto her side. Every small move pained her to the point where she held her breath. Marion stood over her, hesitating to touch her as she moved.

Finally comfortable, Eris took in her surroundings. She was in the Hospital Wing, and by the way her body felt, it wasn't just for a few hours.

"What happened?" Eris croaked. Marion began to cry again but quickly wiped her tears away.

"Was absolutely horrific," she said, placing her hand over Eris'. "You crashed into the bleachers."

Visions flashed before Eris' eyes. The Bludger, Regulus, Remus, her broom, and then darkness. Eris lifted her hand away from Marion, feeling her bones creak like the gears of a machine that haven't been oiled up in a decade. She felt her face and noticed she had plasters scattered all over. She then twisted her arm, only to feel large strips of material that circled her from the front to her back where she had a lot of padding. That's when she realized she wasn't wearing any clothes, covered by a thin white blanket.

"Don't worry, nothing on your face will scar," Marion said, "Madame Pomfrey assured me of her skills when she was tending to you. She said it was the nastiest case she'd seen yet. A concussion, broken wrist and forearm, face covered in scratches… And if it weren't for your clothes your back would've been ripped off entirely. Pomfrey mended everything, though she said the cuts on your face and back shouldn't be dealt with magic or potions, your body can handle only so much all at once."

Eris registered her words, unable to imagine the pain but felt it's after effects. "How long was I out?"

"'Bout three days." Marion picked up a few cards from the table next to her. "Pomfrey almost lost it at the number of visitors you've had."

Eris cracked a smile, and it only made Marion cry even more. She began to wail about how unfortunate she was for getting into such an accident, and that if she could she would take her pain on for her. Eris assured her that she was well alive, and nothing seemed out of place. At least she hoped she wasn't going to grow another arm from her back.

"You know," Marion said, looking down at the cards. "I never knew how quite popular you were with the boys."

Eris rolled her eyes, thinking this wasn't the time to be bringing that up. Marion looked like she was about to say something when she suddenly sprang to her feet. "I need to tell everyone you're awake!"

She ran out the ward before Eris could ask any more questions. Curiosity got the best of her, and she wondered whether or not Remus had visited her. Then again, she also wondered how Claire and Diana were doing, hoping they weren't a mess like Marion. Her parents crossed her mind, and she wished her mom could be sitting next to her. She longed for her comfort, for a bowl of her famous chicken noodle and chrysanthemum soup. She wanted to hear her dad joke about her condition, a way of knowing he was worried sick for her but didn't want to show it.

More than anything at that moment, Eris just wanted to go back home.

Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall were the first to visit her. Eris had to insist that the accident was entirely her fault, never once mentioning the Beaters or Regulus Black. The House of Black was an infamous family, and she was afraid to get on their bad side. Who knew what would happen to her if Regulus were to find out she's a Muggle-born pointing fingers. McGonagall didn't believe a word she said, quietly telling Pomfrey she would get to the bottom of this.

The nurse helped Eris sit up, explaining to her all of the procedures that were taken to help heal her. The treatment for the gashes on her back would be taken the next day as to give her body time to rest from the extensive magic that had been used to mend her bones.

Eris gently reached over to her night table and grabbed the handful of paper, only to realize they were letters. Apart from Diana, Claire and Marion, she didn't recognize the others. There were 20 or so letters from other students, commending her on her actions. It made her happy, though she was disappointed about not receiving anything from a particular someone.

Marion later brought Claire and Diana over, and they all hugged her despite Eris yelling out in pain. They kept her company for a while, filling her in on their shared classes and giving her their notes. She was grateful to them as she didn't think she'd be out of bed until two days from then.

As the sun set, Pomfrey ushered the girls out and Eris was left alone. She had a very light meal and was then helped to lay on her stomach again. Applying pressure on her back pained her greatly, and she only needed to sleep on her front for one more night. She was more of a side sleeper, but Pomfrey advised her to sleep as she did for the past three days.

Eris was the only resident in the ward. It made her feel lonely and it had an eerie feeling to it. Hogwarts at night always creeped her out, especially when she didn't have any company. The room was dimly lit thanks to the small candles floating overhead and it made Eris feel like she was in Dracula's castle waiting to be devoured.

No matter what Eris tried, she couldn't fall asleep. Small noises kept making her jump in fright, and she wished that at least Pomfrey would keep her company, but she was resting in her quarters and was only to be summoned for emergencies.

The sound of footsteps echoing in the room made Eris' heart stop entirely. They were too hurried to be those of Madame Pomfrey, and the first thing that came to her mind was a dark wizard waiting to murder her with a machete. Why he had a machete instead of a wand, Eris had no clue.

She squeezed her eyes shut, thinking the person would leave her alone if she pretended to sleep. The footsteps became clearer as the person got closer to her, and she thought she was done for.

Then came a whisper, "Eris?"

The girl opened her eyes, only to see Luca staring back at her. She exhaled deeply as he sat down on the ground so that they were face to face. Eris had never seen him from up close and finally realized why all those people couldn't help but stare at him wherever he went.

"What are you doing here?" Eris said in a hushed tone, afraid someone would come in to check on her.

"I had to see you," he said. "I only overheard your friends talk about you after dinner when we were heading to the dorms."

"You snuck out past curfew just to see me?" she flashed him a smile. He scoffed with a grin, placing his chin on the mattress and staring back at her with his doe-like eyes.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Turner," he chuckled quietly. "Anyway, how are you feeling?"

"Apart from my boobs concaving in this position, I'm going to be fine," she said, and a blush crept up his cheeks, no doubt imagining it.

After a moment of silence, he said, "Why didn't you listen to me?"

Eris frowned and got up on her forearms. "How was I supposed to know that was going to happen?"

Luca gripped the sheets, looking like he was trying to stop himself from saying something. "I know," he started carefully, "what your opinions are on the Houses-"

"Hajoon convinced you to try and stop me, right?"

"Who the hell is Hajoon?" he said a little louder, but immediately regretted it. "You mean the new Beater for Hufflepuff? What's he got to do with this?"

"He warned me not to-"

Eris paused, her mind beginning to work normally again. Hajoon warned her just like Luca did, but Luca claimed they had never met. It only added confusion to the matter, but Eris had to confront Hajoon about what had happened.

Luca stared at her, anticipating her words. Seeing as she was thinking deeply about something, he sighed.

"I didn't want you to take part in this year's tryouts because of Cassidy Jones."

Eris widened her eyes. "I thought you said I wasn't good enough?"

Luca pushed his long hair back, then massaged the back of his neck. "Well, there is that too but… Dear Merlin Eris, don't get me wrong."

"I'm listening," she said, but her foot began to shake impatiently.

"Cassidy…" He suddenly groaned. "This isn't the time to be telling you this."

Eris moved to sit up, but almost let out a scream that would wake the entire school up. Luca stood up and tried to help her, but she shooed his hand away. It suddenly reminded her how she slapped him at tryouts and regretted it again.

With great difficulty she managed to sit upright, crossing her legs slowly. "You will tell me or so help me I'll hex your broom during your next match."

Luca's gaze dropped. "Do you remember the bloody match between Ravenclaw and Slytherin 'bout two years ago?"

Eris nodded, the memory vivid in her mind. She couldn't bear to watch the match. Accidents happened left and right and most of the Ravenclaws were injured during that time. All of the members of the reserve team got to play, and most members were reluctant to go back on the field in the following matches due to mild trauma. The referee missed all of the happenings, and Ravenclaws seemed to injure themselves spontaneously.

"Cassidy Jones orchestrated that."

Eris' heart sank. "What do you mean? She injured them?"

Luca stared at the bed sheets, recalling the events. "An injured player asked me to grab his things from his locker, and I passed by their tent. I overheard everything."

"Will you get to the point? Why the hell was she behind that bloodbath?"

"She instructed her team to do anything to get us off the pitch. She made them hurt my team for their gain. For a stupid Quidditch match that we ended up winning anyways."

Eris couldn't believe his words. No one could have been that… That evil. She shook her head, denying his account.

"Maybe you heard wrong, maybe she was chastising them for the way they were behaving-"

"She's a Slytherin for Merlin's sake, Eris. You seriously doubt she isn't capable of that?"

A lump formed in her throat and her words were nothing but a croak. "Because she's a Slytherin?"

Luca's eyes widened as he realized what he had said. "I'm not saying that you-"

"I know perfectly well what you meant," She snapped. "How can a stupid house define a person like that?"

"Can you explain how not one Slytherin had the common decency to go against what she wanted?"

Eris stayed quiet. Who knew what Cassidy told them they would get in return for such horrible actions. She didn't even want to imagine what could have driven them to do those things and it terrified her even more if there wasn't anything for them to gain.

And then it clicked.

"You were afraid I'd become one of them."

"No, I was afraid that they might hurt you." Luca looked up and met her gaze, his lips parting again but no sound coming out. He was a terrible liar.

Eris turned away from him with her eyebrows knitted together, slowly shifting in the bed. She laid back down on her stomach and her head facing away from the boy. He stood there for a moment and then she watched him walk out of the ward.

She suddenly remembered that she forgot to ask him whether or not she had made the team. Unfortunately, she knew the answer to that already.

"Honestly, I predicted Cal would ask Raven out. Don't think it'll last long though."

Eris was listening to Marion speak as they were heading down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Eris was glad to finally be out of the hospital ward and back to her normal daily life. She did feel a little stiff from not moving for so long, but in a few days, everything would be back to normal. At least she hoped.

As they entered the hall, Eris felt a chill creep down her spine as her eyes locked with Cassidy's. She was sitting with the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team, and when the others turned around to see what their Captain was staring at, they immediately turned back with their heads hanging low. Even Regulus seemed very quiet and uncomfortable among his peers.

"OI!"

The entire hall went quiet, and everyone turned towards the Gryffindor table. James Potter was standing on his bench, a finger pointing towards Eris. "EVERYONE! GIVE A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO THE SLYTHERIN THAT SAVED MY FRIENDS FROM BEING BEHEADED BY A ROGUE BLUDGER! YOUR CHIVALRY WILL BE REMEMBERED! TO ERIS TURNER!"

The entire Gryffindor table erupted in cheers and claps, while Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw followed out of politeness. Slytherin remained silent, glaring at Eris who was changing colors like a chameleon. She wanted to run back to the hospital ward and hide there until no one would remember her name. She didn't mind the attention, but having the entire school know about her was overwhelming in the least.

Marion ushered her to an empty spot. After a moment, everyone went back to their conversations and meals. Eris slumped down in her seat and crossed her arms over the table, burying her face and letting out a long whine. Marion prodded her with a slice of bacon, and Eris immediately shot back up. She couldn't help the situation, glad that Remus and the others were safe, though it was unnecessary for James to do that.

The girls ate their breakfast, Marion leading the conversation as always. Eris didn't have much to say as she spent the last five days laying face down in a bed. She did enjoy the gossip Marion filled her in on but quickly went to talk about what she had read in the Daily Prophet.

"It seems He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named is moving West," Marion said. "The Ministry is having a tough time discussing with the French wizard Community for a plan. Dad says it'll fall through."

Marion's entire family had a position in the Ministry. Many children attending Hogwarts had parents or family members working there, and it was a tough sell for Eris who had to explain what kind of job her parents had. Her father was supposedly a carer for Magical Creatures in Ireland, while her mother traveled the world in search of a very rare magical root. It was simple, and no one could look into it, though sometimes she wished she had come up with something a little more exciting for them.

"Merlin, he's so dreamy."

"Since when do you fancy Merlin?" Eris laughed.

Marion let out a chuckle and pointed towards the exit with her chin. Eris turned her head to see Hajoon speaking with another Hufflepuff, whom she recognized to be on the Quidditch team.

Without even realizing it, Eris got up and started walking towards the boy. Marion called back to her, cursing Eris for always leaving without saying anything. But Eris was driven by the thought that there was something very off about Hajoon. His warning came to mind, and she felt there was something behind the accident. Was he in cahoots with Cassidy and then felt regret and tried to warn her? Was it his plan all along to make sure she went for tryouts knowing how much she loved proving people wrong?

Her pace quickened as his conversation ended and he turned to walk out. She walked out of the hall, suddenly realizing she had an entire slice of bread hanging from her mouth. She must have looked like a moron running through the entire hall with food dangling from her lips. She looked around, but Hajoon seemed to have vanished into thin air.

"Eris?"

She whipped around and almost dropped her piece of bread. Remus was standing in front of her, his usual disheveled self in full splendor. She immediately noticed some fresh cuts on his face, and her eyes widened.

"You alright?" he asked, laughing. She quickly took the bread out of her mouth and shoved it in her back pocket. She probably looked like a goat caught in the headlights while eating grass.

"Me?" Who else you dumbass, she thought. "Uh, yeah."

He gave her a smile, and she felt her knees buckle. "Listen, I never got to thank you for what you did- I mean, we were all supposed to thank you but James kind of made it very… Official."

Her cheeks reddened at the thought of it again. Leave it to James Potter to completely ruin her morning and reputation.

"It was very brave of you, and a little stupid. Why didn't you just let us get hit by the Bludger? I'm sure that would've caused less damage than it did to you by trying to protect us." She thought about it and realized he was probably right.

"I don't think my conscience would've been clear if I just watched by." She dropped her gaze.

"Still, thank you for that. There must be some way we can repay you- Apart from announcing it to the entire school." He chuckled. Eris' cheeks tinted pink again, and she gave off a sheepish laugh. She hated herself for the mushy thing she became when she was around him.

"I guess," she said, "if I ever have a favor in mind I'll come to you guys."

"Just a favor? For saving our lives?" he raised an eyebrow, but she shrugged.

"I'm not really the type to ask for anything in return for kindness," she said.

He sighed, a sympathetic smile stretching across his lips. "Eris, what you did was heroic, not mere kindness. Honestly, if it's within our abilities we will repay you."

"Okay, I have something."

His face lit up and he waited for her request eagerly, whether he wanted to genuinely be nice to her or just not feel indebted anymore, Eris wasn't sure. She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts and the best way she could express her desire.

"Could we… Possibly be friends?"

It sounded a lot more pleading than she had meant it, and at that moment she wanted to dig a hole and stick her head in it. Remus frowned at her words, looking confused. "Just that? That's your great request?"

She nodded, but she was ready to run for the hills as to not be anywhere near his reaction. Instead, he gave her a warm smile.

"I'm a little saddened that you didn't consider me as one before," he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "But I guess it should be official. Nice to meet you, friend."

He gave her a bow of his head and stretched his hand out to her. She began to laugh and shook his hand, noticing warmth radiating from his skin.

Eris was about to say something when Marion finally caught up to her, eyeing her peculiarly as she noticed Remus was with her as well. Eris shook her head to make her go away, but Marion was having too much fun making faces behind his back. Remus caught her gaze and turned around to see Marion with pursed lips, but she quickly recomposed herself.

Remus excused himself as he had to get to class, and left the girls with one last smile. When he was out of sight, Eris practically melted into Marion's arms.

"What the hell was that all about?" she asked. Eris had a goofy smile on her face and she let out a long sigh. Marion rolled her eyes, straightening the girl out.

"You need to stop imagining your wedding day with that boy," Marion said. "Come on, we've got Dueling now."

Eris snapped back to reality. Dueling was her weakest class, not because she wasn't able to fight, but because she couldn't. Hurting another person made her stomach churn and preferred getting hit by spells than casting them. She dreaded that class, even more than Divination.

"I forgot to mention," Marion said as they were walking back to the dorms to gather their things, "Remus and the gang came to visit you once or twice while you were out, among other boys." She sighed.

Eris missed a step on the stairs and planted face first. Her cheeks flushed beet red and she was rubbing furiously at her nose while Marion couldn't stop laughing at her reaction, a few tears escaping her eyes.

The Duelling class was the largest Hogwarts offered. There were no seats, just a large space with a platform on which students dueled. Depending on the number of people in the match, the platform would accommodate it. It was the only class all houses shared, and Eris always found herself looking for Remus. Sadly, he was nowhere in sight.

Many students loved this class as it was an opportunity to showcase abilities and step up to a challenge. As they couldn't fight without getting in trouble outside of classes or even the school, it was like a field day for students.

"Alright children- Griffin please get off the windowsill- I want all of you to settle down!" Professor Wenlock held a hand to his temple, a habit he had when nothing was going his way. He had such a small voice that even when he was angry he just sounded like clown who inhaled too much helium during his lifetime. Eris pitied him because he wasn't a bad teacher, he just let everyone walk over him, including students.

"Today's duel will be a very interesting one!" Wenlock said once the student's settled to hushed whispers. "The names were suggested to me by an anonymous student, but I must say it is a divine pairing!" He paused for a moment, taking out a piece of paper from his long white coat. "Eris Turner? Where is Eris Turner?"

Eris' heart caught in her throat. Marion turned to her best friend, her face as pale as paper. Eris had just gotten out of the hospital, and they both knew she was going to head straight back after this.

Eris raised a shaking hand, and Wenlock immediately spotted her, ushering up to the platform. "Oh dear come come, we don't have much time- And, O'Brien? Luca O'Brien?"

Eris almost screamed. It wasn't possible. She couldn't have such bad luck.

Luca emerged from the crowd and walked up onto the platform. He looked disinterested, even a little disgusted. Something snapped in Eris' head, and she balled up her fist. Why was he looking like that whereas she was the one who was supposed to be mad at him?

But when their eyes met, her eyebrows knitted together. His eyes were glazed as he stared back at her. He tilted his head to the side, the corner of his lip tugging into a subtle smile. What was he trying to tell her?

"Bow," Wenlock said.

They both took out their wands, and per proper etiquette, they walked to the center of the platform.

"I'm not holding back," Eris said.

"You shouldn't."

Luca bowed, and Eris remained standing until the professor cleared his throat, making her bow as well. They walked to the ends of the platform and turned back towards each other.

"You know the rules," Wenlock said. "You may yield if it proves to be too much. No illegal spells, and no fighting with the intention to kill."

Eris wanted to give up before he even called for the start. She was mad at Luca, but not to the point of wanting to hurt him. She had never wanted to hurt him.

"LET THE FIGHT BEGIN!"

Neither one of them raised their wand. They stared at each other in a trance, Eris trying to communicate with him. But she couldn't read what was in his eyes.

A moment passed, and the class grew restless. People started to talk, losing interest in the pair. The professor's patience wore thin and he yelled, "IF NEITHER OF YOU THROWS A SPELL AT THE OTHER YOU WILL FAIL THIS ASSIGNMENT!"

"Anteoculatia."

No one had time to blink before Luca had sprouted antlers from the sides of his head. The entire room roared with laughter, but Eris didn't know if they were just mocking her choice of spell for a dueling match or they were genuinely entertained by it. Luca remained still, the same distant smile still on his face.

"I give up," Eris said. "You win this match."

Eris bowed and walked off the platform, much to everyone's surprise. Even the professor seemed stunned, as no match was ever this short, or uninteresting.

"Ravenclaw wins 10 points, but Mr. O'Brien fails the assignment," Wenlock sighed. Luca nodded, his antlers suddenly growing flowers making his entire house laugh. He couldn't help but chuckle under his breath.

Eris made her way back to Marion, but on her way, she passed Cassidy Jones and her group of friends. She was staring at Luca with a sneer, and as their paths crossed, Eris overheard what she was saying, and she lost it.

"Calvorio!"

The people around Eris let out a scream as they saw a flash of red light, and Cassidy was on the floor. Her hair pooled around her as her bare head shone as bright as a beacon, making a few suppress their laughter.

"TURNER!" she screeched. Everyone stared at the two, eyes wide as those of owls. Eris was fuming with rage, ready to send out another curse at her. Cassidy frantically tried to gather whatever strands she could, until she turned a murderous gaze to Eris. Cassidy reached for her wand, but Professor Wenlock stepped in front of them.

"What is the meaning of this?" he yelled, "You know very well it's against school conduct to use unauthorized magic! And on a fellow student at that! Ms. Turner, you better have a good explanation for this."

Eris didn't falter. "It's one thing to be associated with evil in Slytherin, but living up to it is disgusting. Why don't you share with all of us what you just said about Luca?"

Marion ran to her friend's side, her hand latching onto her arm, "Eris, what the hell?"

Cassidy looked around, eyes shaking. She stared back at Eris with seething hatred, and her eyes spilled tears. "You monster!" she cried out. Luca had made his way around the platform to join the crowd, poking a few students in the face with his newly sprouted antlers.

"Eris what did you-" Luca's eyes found Cassidy who was still on the floor, weeping over her lost hair. He tried to stifle a laugh, but it overcame him and he guffawed to the point of holding onto Eris so that he wouldn't fall over.

"Your actions are inexcusable and this will be solved in detention." Wenlock helped Cassidy up, who was holding onto a few bunches of her hair, face covered in tears. Eris knew that what she did was a little out of proportion, and she wasn't sure why she acted that way in the first place. It was the first time she had ever received detention, but she didn't regret her actions.

"Professor, can't you give me detention too?"

Both Wenlock and Eris turned towards Luca, who had regained his usual smile and arrogant look.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Mr. O'Brien-"

Luca turned to his best friend, Tim McMiller. "Sorry mate. Calvorio!"

A flash of red light and Tim was sporting the same look as Cassidy. However, he was laughing loudly as opposed to the dramatic display of hysterics the Slytherin showed. He high-fived Luca, and Wenlock merely sighed, muttering about Luca getting detention for sheer stupidity. "Class dismissed!"

Wenlock shuffled Cassidy out of the room, Tim trailing behind hoping he could get his dark brown hair back. The other students gathered their things, the occasional fearsome glance directed towards Luca, Eris, and Marion who hadn't moved.

"What did she say?" Marion asked. "I've never seen you use a curse before, let alone ever lose your shit like that."

"She said she'd love to see Luca's head mounted on our Common Room wall."

Luca gulped, a hand slipping to his neck. Eris turned towards him, admiring her unfortunate work. There was now a birds nest on top of his head. "I'm sorry about that- This."

Luca laughed. "I never got to apologize for what I said. I think we're pretty even now."

Eris gave him a weak smile. She didn't want to know what kind of repercussions she would face after this incident.

A tall boy in yellow caught her eye. Hajoon was in the doorway, staring at her. Once their gazes met, he immediately left among the crowd. Eris' heart skipped a beat and pushed past Luca and Marion, the latter cursing her again. Eris needed answers, and she was finally going to get them.

She bumped into people and muttered apologies, her eyes searching for the Hufflepuff colors. She saw him as he turned a corner, and she darted towards him. The crowd continued straight ahead while she entered an empty adjacent hallway that Hajoon almost reached the end of by then.

"Hajoon!"

He stopped walking, and Eris caught up to him. He slowly turned around, his lips curling inward before speaking. "Eris."

"We need to talk," she said. "How did you know something bad would happen at tryouts?"

Hajoon shrugged. "No idea. Just woke up to moss growing on the left side of a rock and thought something might happen. Don't waste time looking into it."

He turned on his heels and fell into a quick pace. Eris wasn't having him run away again from her, and she grabbed onto the back of his robe. He didn't even notice her and continued to walk while dragging her behind him.

"You will give me answers or so help me-"

Hajoon stopped walking again, and he whipped around with widened eyes. Sweat beaded at his hairline, and his gaze was fixated on the other end of the hallway. He winced and blinked rapidly until he suppressed a gasp. He looked around before grabbing Eris by the arm. The girl protested and he silenced her by putting his hand over her mouth, dragging her to the nearest door he could find: a broom closet.

He threw her in first and followed, closing the door behind them. Eris was pressed against the wall, Hajoon just an inch away from her.

"You better have a damn good reason for this-"

"Quiet!" he hissed. Eris' heart hammered against her ribcage, and she wasn't sure what was happening.

And then she heard footsteps.

"Dumbledore needs to know where he stands in this war."

Eris pushed past Hajoon and pressed her face against the door, one eye staring outside through the gap between the frame and the door. She could distinguish a group of men, all in black.

"Can't we just kill them all? Who has time to ask about their blood status?"

"Patience, Kariv. Lord Voldemort knows what he's doing. A genocide destroys all hope, the death of a few instills fear. However, if a student stands in your way, show no mercy." He rolled up his sleeve to reveal a tattoo of a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth.

Eris almost let out a shriek as she realized who they were.

Death Eaters.

"We don't have much time until they realize we're here," a man with long pitch black hair and a pointed nose said. "Torture, kill, maim, do as you wish. The Dark Lord will be pleased we've infiltrated the school either way.

"I hear there are students in a potion's class that are just dying to get out of there," a stout man laughed. "Head to the West Wing, we'll head to the East."

A chill ran down Eris' spine and her eyes widened. Luca and Diana had potions in the East wing at the moment.

Eris moved to reach for the doorknob, but Hajoon was a little too quick on his reflexes.

"What good will it do if you die right now?" he said in a hushed tone.

"I have to protect my friends," she whispered back hastily. She moved again but he restrained her.

"If you think a balding curse will stop them, you are sorely wrong."

"This is different, I can at least distract them-"

"You will die!" Hajoon flinched at the tone of his voice. "If you don't have the intention to kill, you will be dead before you can even lay eyes on them!"

"Who said that?"

Hajoon grabbed Eris and pressed her against him as he slammed into the wall. He whispered an incantation just in time when the door burst open. The stout man looked into the closet but saw nothing apart from a bucket and three mops.

As the man eyed the wall carefully, Eris and Hajoon were under a veil that made them invisible. Hajoon's arm was around her shoulders, holding her tightly against his chest. She noticed he was holding his breath, and she unknowingly did the same. She could hear his heart beating at an unimaginable pace, and he also smelled faintly of peppermint.

The door closed with a bang, a broom falling against Eris who let out a small squeak. The footsteps began moving away from them, and both Eris and Hajoon resumed breathing again.

"If I don't do anything, innocent people will die," she whispered looking up at him. He stared back at her, his eyebrows knitting together. "If I don't take a stand, then I've sent my friends and innocent people to their graves."

"You escaped death once on the Quidditch Pitch, what makes you think you'll be successful again?" He said. Eris continued to stare up at him. After a moment, Hajoon bit his lip and let go of her.

Eris carefully opened the door and peaked out, noticing no one was there anymore. "Go get the Headmaster, I'll deal with them!"

She ran away from Hajoon who was about to protest again, but he quickly turned the other way and ran as well. The adrenaline pumping through Eris' veins made her think irrationally, and she wasn't sure what she would do if she crossed a Death Eater.

As she turned a corner, she slipped her wand out of her pocket. She took on a fighting stance, but there was no one there. She continued to run, picking up speed as she exited the West Wing and arrived at the foot of the staircase leading to the East Wing.

Her eyes met the black haired Death Eater and the stout man who were halfway up the stairs.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

A white light traveled across the room in an instant from Eris' wand, but the black haired man lazily swung his wand. "Protego."

"Expelliarmus!" The stout man yelled out, and Eris' wand shot out of her hand, hitting the wall and clattering onto the ground. "Shouldn't you be in class, girl?" he said but raised an eyebrow. "A Slytherin? A Pureblood, no doubt?"

Eris' breathing turned ragged, and she stared at both of them without blinking. No spell came to mind, and her voice even disappeared. Without her wand, she knew she was dead, and once again Hajoon's words were a reality.

"You heard what Vincent said. Show no mercy," the black haired man said.

"But Kariv, it's a bit bittersweet to kill someone from my own House," the stout man said. Kariv rolled his eyes.

"Then torture her, Moro," Kariv responded turning his back to them. "I'm continuing my way to that potions class."

Kariv disappeared into thin air, and Moro's lips twisted into a malicious smile. Eris took a step back but her legs gave out and she fell to the ground, sweat trailing down her face.

"Let's see," Moro started. "How about I crush your legs first? Confringo!"

Moro pointed his wand to the ceiling and an orange light emanated from it, a part of the ceiling exploding over Eris. Large debris fell from up high, and Eris scrambled to her feet. She threw herself to the side, barely missing the huge pieces of stone falling near her.

"See, using the Cruciatis curse on you is too easy. I like to see my victims dance," Moro cackled. "Who said Death Eaters only like to cause mayhem? We like to be entertained too. And I personally like to be more creative."

Eris spotted her wand laying on the ground just a few feet away from her. She began to crawl, and Moro merely laughed. "Deprimo."

It felt like the air suddenly collapsed on top of her. Eris screamed out, feeling her entire body being crushed against the floor. She reached her hand out with difficulty, trying to grab her wand. Her fingertips only brushed against it, but to no avail. She could barely breathe as her chest tightened, and she closed her eyes, thinking it would all be over in seconds.

An explosion sounded throughout the room and the pressure lifted off of her. She coughed repeatedly, finally being able to breathe again. She turned to look over at Moro who was laying on the stairs, slowly getting back up. There was a large hole in the staircase near where he was standing before, and with a dazed expression, Eris looked around the room. A pair of hands grabbed onto her and there was a flurry of yellow fabric around her.

"Hajoon?"

Hajoon stared at Moro with gritted teeth, blood trickling down his temple. Before Eris could scream out, Hajoon cast another spell but missed royally when it hit a pillar far away from the Death Eater. Hajoon hauled Eris up, "Are you alright?"

Eris nodded and reached to touch his head, but he turned away. Moro looked confused, shaking his head a few times before his eyes focused on the pair. Eris felt fine, thankfully the spell didn't last long to break every bone in her body.

"A Hufflepuff? Attacking me? And coming to the aid of a Slytherin?" he hissed. "You'll be the first to go. AVADA-"

"REDUCTO!"

The staircase exploded and Moro's screams died out as the entire thing collapsed under him. Hajoon looked to the side at Eris, his mouth agape. She had found her wand.

Eris collapsed to the ground, panting. She had never cast such a powerful spell before, nor did she recall ever learning it. Hajoon knelt down and put an arm around her shoulders, making sure she was okay.

"Children!"

Both Hajoon and Eris looked to the opening that led to the North Wing. Minerva McGonagall followed by Professor Sprout and Madame Pomfrey hastily made their way towards them. Pomfrey grabbed onto Hajoon and inspected his head.

McGonagall helped Eris up, and she swayed in her arms. "Pomona you go on ahead and see if there's anyone else in need of assistance," she said, and the woman in question ran towards another exit.

"The school is safe thanks to Hajoon's timeliness," McGonagall said. "You have saved hundreds of lives."

The look on Hajoon's face was far from what Eris would've expected. It was ridden with guilt.

"What happened to you?" Eris asked.

"Crossed a Death Eater and he got me," he said. "If it weren't for Professor Slughorn, I would've been dead."

"Poppy, get the hospital ward ready. Who knows how many others have been hurt, or worse-"

"Minerva!"

Everyone turned to look at the top of what used to be the stairs on the second floor. Albus Dumbledore and a number of other professors stood in front of them, measuring up the room and it's destructed state. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yes, here is fine. I don't know about the rest of the students," McGonagall replied, holding tighter onto Eris who felt her legs lose strength.

"Who on earth destroyed this place?" Filius Flitwick asked, eyes narrowing at the rubble. A bloody hand stuck out from the pile of stone, a wand balancing on the tip of its fingers.

"I'm so sorry sir," Eris practically sobbed. "I only meant to defend ourselves."

Dumbledore's expression softened, but he stared at Eris with contemplation. His head slowly turned to the side, and then he frowned. He whispered something under his breath that Eris couldn't make out, and she watched him take his wand out of his pocket.

"Get them treated for their wounds. The school is on a lockdown from now on," Dumbledore said and turned to leave.

"What about the other Death Eaters?" Hajoon called out after him.

"They've been taken care of!" the headmaster replied, and he disappeared.

McGonagall turned to the boy. "Take her to the infirmary. Madame Pomfrey and I will check the halls for others."

They left the same way Sprout did, and Hajoon approached Eris who's legs were trembling.

"I've never seen such a powerful spell before," he said.

"I was so scared," she said, and without realizing it, her tears spilled onto her cheeks. She began to sob, thinking the both of them were staring death in the face. Hajoon pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. She cried into his chest as he slowly patted her back. She tried to calm herself down but she continued to shake, and only a few moments later did she realize she had just killed a man.

"I- I never meant to kill anyone!" Her hands gripped at his robe to the point of her knuckles turning white. She began to breathe in sharply, about to hyperventilate. Hajoon sensed this and he took a step away from her, his hands over her shoulders. "Look at me- Listen to my voice. You saved me, you saved everyone, alright? You were the hero, not me. You prevented a massacre. You protected everyone."

Eris calmed down, her eyes going back into focus. His dark brown eyes were boring into hers, and her breathing slowed down. He gently wiped away her tears and gave her a small reassuring smile.

Eris reached out to his face, touching the cut over his eyebrow. He winced a little but forced a smile. "It looks worse than it is, I promise."

Eris scoffed and shook her head. She felt tired and weak, not being used to such a huge outburst of magic all at once. Hajoon took note of her weary figure and turned his body towards the exit.

"Can you walk?" he asked, and she nodded. She took her steps very slowly while holding onto him, but after a few minutes, they hadn't even made out of the room. Hajoon sighed and said, "If you'll excuse me."

He hooked the back of her legs and lifted her off the ground. Eris didn't have the energy to even say anything and rested her head against his shoulder. Her eyes quickly closed, and all she was conscious of was the smell of peppermint filling the air around her.