It had been a few weeks, and Locust's impression of Professor Quirrell had improved. Every time she looked at him, she felt a delightful pain in her scar, which she kept hidden with her metamorphic ability. Currently, it was Friday, November the thirteenth. Right now, Locust was walking to dinner with Draco, Hermione, and Blaise. Her curse on the Weasel had faded. He was no longer late to every class, and his potions exploded less than half the time. In one last burst of bad luck, he, Finnegan, and Thomas had been caught in the third-floor corridor on Halloween. They lost Gryffindor three hundred points, knocking them down to fourth. Slytherin was in the lead with four-hundred-fifty-two points. Ravenclaw was second, and Hufflepuff third.
"So, how do you three think you did on the DADA exam?" Hermione asked, shouldering her bag.
"Rather well. What I don't quite understand is, why would anyone want to defend against the Dark Arts? They leave behind such a lovely thrill." Locust murmured behind her fan.
"They're against the law, Lo'. There used to be a good deal more classes, back when Dippet ran the school. Dumb-as-a-door eliminated most of them. Rituals, Dark Arts, Voodoo was an elective. Now, he's pushed a great deal of anti-Dark laws through the Wizengamot. All those classes came to an end." Draco lectured.
"I'll speak with Mamma and see if you can come over this summer. She'd love more students. Papa can even help with your fencing." She gave them the closest thing to a smile as she could. It came off as more of a leer, but her friends knew what it meant, and smiled back. "Little rabbit, you'll adore the family library. If you like, I can add you to the family magicks. You'd have to give a little blood and pick a patron god or goddess. That should be easy enough. Athena or Minerva would suit you best."
"Patron gods? Family magicks? What are those?" Her rabbit's eyes shone with lust for knowledge.
"Lo', once again, this is NOT the place to discuss this." Blaise admonished as they settled at the Slytherin table. At first, they had gotten some resistance from the other snakes, but Locust had settled that with a few bouts of nasty acne, spelling 'BIGOT' on the foreheads of the dissenting few.
"Then we'll head to the meeting place after dinner." The meeting place was what a house-elf she had...coerced, told her was Ravenclaw's Room of Requirement. She and the others had met there before to fence, talk, and practice magicks that were frowned upon. The other three nodded and finished their food before standing. After a long trek, they reached the second-floor corridor. Locust paced thrice, and an ebony-colored door appeared. They entered into their usual sitting room and settled into their usual seats. Locust sat in a wing-back chair, of a leather the deepest green. Blaise sat in a soft tub armchair, of a shade of emerald. Draco's seat was a lawson armchair in gun-metal gray. Hermione reclined delicately on a fainting couch. All but Draco had changed out of their robes. Locust wore a black dress with a corset, Blaise a gray two-piece suit with a green tie. Hermione wore a color-coordinated blouse, gloves, jacket, and skirt.
"Well little rabbit, family magick is a specific set of spells that only one family had access to. Mine covers the Dark Arts. We have an extensive wing of the library dedicated to such books."
"Mine is specific charms to control Veela allure and a few contraceptive spells. Mother's family magicks covers necromancy."
"My mother's family magick is mostly, um..." Blaise went bright red.
"Madam Zabini's family magick is sex magic, little rabbit." Locust sipped from the tea she had called for.
"Pardon me!" Hermione was redder than a Weasel's hair.
"Sex magic is magic that draws energy from two consensual parties. Now, ma tueur, what of your father's family?"
"Voodoo. I inherited my complexion from him, as he was Creole. Other than that, we have about everything due to all the marriages mother's been part of. She is the black widow of London."He shrugged and added a sugar cube to his cup.
"So, is that why muggle-borns are looked down on so much?" Hermione's tone was inquisitive.
"That, and you all lack patrons. Patrons are the gods we each chose to worship. For example, I chose Formoori, Lo' chose Loki, and Blaise chose Set. All gods of chaos and or mischief. You could go with Tau, of the Guarani tribe, or Eris, of the Greeks and Romans, if you wished to follow the trend."
"Hermione, you have almost a year to choose your patron. It's almost a law to chose before your thirteenth birthday. We'll help, so there's no need to-and, she's gone." Draco had cut himself off, as the eldest amongst them raced for the library
LINE BREAK, BABY!
It was so cold. It was now mid-December, and the dungeons were freezing. The others had taken to hiding in other common rooms and pilling blankets on their beds. Locust loved it. She, Draco, and Blaise were chatting quietly at a table in the library while Hermione checked the stack of books next to her for the answers on the midterms she had just taken.
"'Mione, I'm sure you did fine. Here." Draco handed his friend a bookmark and stood. "It's almost curfew, let's head to bed." The quartet parted ways at the door, and they all headed off. Then, they heard a scream.
LINE BREAK!
They had found Hermione, HER little rabbit, laying in a corner sobbing. Her teeth had grown massively, and her gums were bleeding. her other teeth were beginning to tilt to accommodate her front two. She had a gash on her right temple, which was bleeding as well. Locust snapped her fan shut in her rage.
"Draco," Her voice was like folded steel, hard, sharp, and cold. "go. Run to Pomfrey. Tell her we'll need blood replenishing and calming potions, along with skele-grow. Then, fetch McGonagall." The usually proud boy quivered in repulsion at his friend's state and obeyed. "Blaise, walk ahead and clear me a path. I'll levitate her. Let's go, little rabbit. You'll be fine. Whoever did this will pay." Hermione sniffled and nodded. And so, the odd procession set underway.