Authors note: Sorry to repeat this but if anyone knows how to get my views counter fixed it would be much appreciated thanks!
Chapter 10:
Kim hobbled her way back to the girls dormitory. It was dark and things looked normal but as soon as Kim had been in the room long enough for other people to realize she was alone, everyone pulled out their wands, the tips already glowing. It freaked Kim out for a second and she almost lost her balance on her crutch. Everyone had been lying awake waiting for her to come back.
"What happened," asked a girl. "Did you get attacked by werewolf?"
"What?" said Kim, already on red alert.
She was very tired but the dorm couldn't have figured out her secret that quickly.
"That girl told us you two were being chased by a werewolf," said another girl, the head girl Kim realized and she was pointing at Diamond.
"Oh uh yeah," said Kim. "I got away though," she lied. "McGonagall found me and got rid of it before it even got close."
"Then how'd you hurt your leg?" someone pointed out.
"I tripped," said Kim, through gritted teeth.
Some of the girls laughed but Kim ignored them. At least they bought the story. Kim bit down on her lip as she hoisted herself into bed and tried not to make more than a whimper. It felt so good to be back in bed, Kim had never felt so grateful for a place to sleep. Her head sunk into the pillow again and finally she could sleep.
Kim awoke the next morning in a cold sweat. She dreamed she had become the beast that had chased her last night and had chosen to prey on Coco and Edmund. It was the giant squid swimming above her bed that reminded her that she was still stuck here. She didn't get to press a big do over button like she'd wished. Kim was still in Slytherin house and after last night, she was still infected.
Thankfully, Kim realized that her leg felt much better than the day before and she didn't even need her crutch to stand. She'd have to thank Professor Silva and Longbottom today if she saw them. Kim dressed herself in the same fashion as the day before, but let her hair down this time. She also noticed the green and silver pin striped tie that was included in every nightstand drawer. Kim put it on and looked at herself in the mirror. The gauze was still noticeable through her tights so she put on long black socks that reached to her knees. They were hot but they'd have to work for now.
Kim noticed that Diamond had decided to conceal her white hair in a turban and was wearing dark sunglasses as well. She almost didn't recognize her as she walked past and Kim scurried to catch up with her.
"I didn't know what happened to you last night," Diamond said as they walked together towards the great hall. "I thought maybe it had gotten you."
"The werewolf?" said Kim. "I really didn't want anyone to know about that."
"What? Why?" asked Diamond. "I'm sorry, I was just scared. After Professor Umbridge found me he told me to go back to the common room. I was worried sick last night. Kim you have to realize how sorry I am. We shouldn't have jumped down into the lake, we could have just said no."
Kim stopped walking and Diamond almost took off without her but she doubled back.
"Kim what's wrong?" asked Diamond. "You're almost paler than me," she said and touched her own face.
"Diamond it got me," Kim said before she could change her mind."It got me Diamond, the werewolf."
Diamond's face darkened and she even took off her sunglasses to look Kim in the eye. "You're infected?" she said.
Kim nodded, scared she might have just lost a friend but instead Diamond just walked beside her.
"It could have just as easily been me," she said quietly.
When Kim and Diamond reached the Great Hall the room was abuzz. There were kids everywhere, scrambling around, trying to get their schedules in order. Someone handed Diamond and Kim a schedule as they took a seat at the Slytherin table and they looked over it together while chatting over breakfast. Kim had Herbology first thing in the morning which sounded like a bore. Then she had charms, something called defence against the dark arts and finally potions in the afternoon. Kim was pleasantly surprised when Coco and Edmund joined them at the Slytherin table and Kim learned that Edmund had also become a Ravenclaw.
"Oh look we have defence against the dark arts together," said Coco, referring to her schedule. "Professor Umbridge is head of our house and he seems pretty cool."
"Yeah, I've met him," said Kim.
After breakfast all the first year Slytherin girls and boys headed off to the greenhouses. Inside there were all sorts of plants, some of them looked normal enough others were freaky and reminded Kim of Little Shop of Horrors. The Slytherins had class with the Hufflepuffs so Kim didn't recognize any of the other students. She sat with Diamond on the stools facing a long table with empty clay pots at each place.
"Welcome to Herbology first years," said the teacher and Kim recognized him from the night before as Professor Longbottom.
"What kind of name is that?" Diamond snickered under her breath after he introduced himself and Kim recognized other kids doing the same.
"Today we are planting elephant trunks," said Professor Longbottom. He taped his wand a piece of chalk and it began to draw a basic diagram.
"Yuck," said Diamond.
"There or course are not real elephant trunks," continued Professor Longbottom, they are just called so because the plant itself looks like a green elephant is sticking it's nose through your pot. "Now everyone remain seated, I'm going to be passing out the bulbs. Don't do anything before I say so."
Herbology was boring, just as Kim had expected it to be. She really wanted to learn how to do something with her wand. Thankfully, next period she was off to charms.
The man who taught charms was a very small professor in the sense that he was barely above Kim's knee. He had white hair and and spouted a snowy mustache and had to stand on a stool in order to be taken seriously in class. Finally it came time for Kim to use her wand.
"You all have a feather in front of you correct?" said Professor Flitwick and the class responded. "Good," he said. "Now repeat the motion I make with my wand as well as the words I say. Wingardium leviosa."
"Wingardium leviosa," said Kim and copied the motion pattern she's seen Professor Flitwick use. Nothing happened.
"Remember class, it's wingardium leviosa, not leviosa," he said, exaggerating his movements.
Kim tried again with several more failed attempts. She was already starting to get frustrated. Diamond had already achieved success and Kim realized she was the first one in the class.
"Well done Miss King? is it?" said Professor Flitwick. "That's 10 points to Slytherin, good job."
There was a groaning from the Gryffindors across the room.
"10 points isn't going to get us far," muttered Diamond. "I heard the teachers decided to take 200 points from Slytherin. We'll be in the negative till at least Halloween!" she exclaimed.
When Kim finally lifted her feather a few inches in the air she was stunned with delight.
She'd just made the feather move on her own. It was a feeling like none she'd ever compared to. As she tried to make the feather fly higher it fell down again but on the next try she could get it almost as high as Diamond. For the rest of the period Diamond couldn't stop smiling.
At lunch some of the Slytherins, including Diamond went to go harass some Gryffindors, specifically James Potter because they'd heard he'd teased the pudgy blonde girl in Kim's grade. Instead Kim decided to sit at the Ravenclaw table with Coco and Edmund who were buzzing about the transfiguration lesson they'd just had with Professor Hayes.
"Wait so you actually turned a cockroach into a pencil sharpener?" Kim asked, incredulous.
"And that's not even the best class," Coco said excitedly. "Defence against the dark arts with Professor Umbridge I heard is the best. I can't wait."
"Hey Kim what happened to your leg?" Edmund asked. "That wasn't there before right?"
Kim realized that the long black socks she'd put on this morning had fallen down and the bloody gauze was clearly visible through her tights.
"Oh uh, I fell," she said and quickly rolled her socks back up.
"Okay fine don't tell us," Edmund said, raising his arms. "There's just no way you could have fallen that badly."
Kim planned on eating the rest of her meal in silence but her plans were over run when Professor Alexandria came barreling into the dining hall looking distraught. She received a sharp look from McGonagall before reaching the podium where she could address the students. The look on her face was of panic and distress. This did not look good.