'Stop worrying - you're giving me a headache.'

Eris ignored Phinease, her thoughts spinning. She was worried about what Snape might be telling Avril inside the class room. She was worried about what Phineas had said - someone would fall before her? Severl someones from what he said...

'Things are going to work beautifully, Eris. Just you wait. Everything will happen - but it will be your job for... Never mind. Intruders are coming. Attack them!'

Eris spun around, her wand poised at the ready. Edmund and Cormac stood before her. She quickly dropped her wand back to her side.

"Sorry. I, er, I'm just a bit on edge."

"That's fine. I get it - Snape wouldn't stop glaring at you," Edmund smiled.

"You saw that?"

"Everyone did," Cormac replied. "I thought he was going to murder you!"

"The Killing Curse is illegal, Cormac." Edmund leaned against the wall, a slight smirk gracing his features.

'That ruddy little... Murder him! Rules have never stopped you before!'

"Edmund's right... But I don't put it past Snape. He bothers me. Plus, he magicked the door. I can't hear what the two are talking about."

Edmund's smirk grew wider. "Sit with me at the Gryffindor table and I'll help you."

Eris wasn't sure why he'd make such a stupid request, but she shrugged non-the-less. "Sure."

Edmund pulled out his wand and gave it a wave or two, mumbling something under his breath.

Eris pressed her ear to the door.

"-associate with a Gryffindor is very degrading for a Slytherin of your blood status."

Snape's voice made Eris's blood boil. She wanted to slam down the door and murder him.

'Murder the Gryffindor boy, not the Professor!'

"Eris, you ok -"

"Sh!"

Avril was speaking on the other side of the door, her voice sounding cool and calm. Eris couldn't hear her full reply, though it sounded as if Avril was saying, in her own way, that Snape should mind his own business.

"As Head of your House, I find it to be perfectly appropriate, Miss Zetta." Snape's voice was a mock-cool, as if he were trying to slighlty anger Avril.

Eris was sure Avril was gifted with a wand... If only Avril'd have the guts to murder a professor.

"So we are not allowed inter-House unity, Professor?" The rest of her words blurred from there. Eris growled. Why couldn't she speak louder?

"We'll just be going, then," Edmund said. "Oh, and I got something for you. Thought you'd like it."

Edmund handed Eris a book. She grabbed it and slid it into her bag, not bothering to look at the cover.

"Yeah... Have fun spying on Snape." Cormac waved. The two quickly took off down the hall. Eris decided to ignore them, as Snape was saying something else.

"Not. It is just discouraged by man teachers in the school."

Once again, Avril's words sounded too quietly for Eris to hear.

"I cannot speak for him."

For who?

'Why does it matter?'

'Shut up, Phienas.'

Eris faintly heard footsteps approaching the door. She stood straight, crossing her arms and glaring intently at the wall.

Avril opened the door.

"Snape's a git," Eris said, glaring at the door as it closed. She hoped he heard.

"So you did hear, then?"

Eris could feel her anger, along with Phineas's anger, and the two combined to give her whole being a darker tone to it. "Of course not..."

Avril sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes - no, most of the time - I believe you were meant to be in Slytherin, Eris Black."

"Runs in the family," Eris instantly said.

'Damn straight.'

Eris tried not to hit her head.

"I don't believe the reasoning behind all that he said. Dumbledore must not mind it..."

Eris wanted to comment on how she could at least her Snape, but decided it best that she didn't. Instead, she argued with Phineas on whether he was allowed to curse in her mind or not.

Eris, so caught up in her time with Phineas, didn't quite realise as to what class they were going to until Phineas mentioned it.

"I don't need this class. I know plenty. And I'm still mad at Snape."

Eris had been speaking of how her Uncle Remus had taught her. After all, one can't be in the Black family without knowing of the Dark Arts. Remus had said it was the way they grew up. Would they support it or fight it - and so he taught her how to fight it.

"Professor Quirrel is the teacher next, right?" Avril asked, turning towards Eris.

"Yeah... He look like his own shadow would scare him to death."

"Seriously... How could he be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher when he doesn't know how to defend himself? And what's with the turban? Lice much?"

Eris gave her best attempt at a terrified man. "N-now, today, c-class, we'll be learning about the d-d-dangers of s-s - SHADOW!"

Avril laughed at Eris, who cast her a grin.

"Bet you our first class will be to defend ourselves from his monster lice," Eris joked.

Avril sighed. Eris could tell that her thoughts were far away. And so she ignored her and thought of what was going on with Remus back home.

When they made it to the classroom, the Slytherin and Gryffindor first years were all standing outside, each far apart from the other House. There was a notice on the door.

"To all students:

Professor Quirrel has found himself unable to teach at this time. All Defense Against the Dark Arts classes are, until further notice, canceled. Study periods will take the place during thist ime in the Great Hall under the supervision of Headmaster Dumbledore. Students must attend and will work on assignments.

Deputy Headmistress,

Minerva McGonagall"

A Slytherin boy cheered and Edmund and Cormac yelled in delight. Katie and Evie giggled at them, though Evie did tell them to be a bit more quiet so that they wouldn't get in trouble. Until Cormac winked at her, and she told him he was free to make all the noise he wanted. (Apprantely it'd be better for all the girls if he were in detention.)

Everyone began to make their way to the Great Hall, until they were forced to a stop by McGonagall.

"There have been some issues with you schedules. Hand them all back, plase. Your new ones will be given out tomorrow morning. Until then, you are to go to the Great Hall as said on the notice. Free periods until dinner after. No flying."

She took up all the schedules, stopping to tell Eris that hers had already been found at the Slytherin table, and left.

Some people groaned and complained about not being able to fly. Edmund was not one of them. Instead, he seemed a bit relieved. Eris decided she'd have to speak to him.

"Quirrel is quirky, isn't he," Avril whispered to Eris, following the two Houses in the back.

"I wonder how they mixed up the schedules..."

"I dunno," Eris shrugged. People make mistakes, but... Even Eris felt something wrong with this.

'This hasn't happened before,' Phineas remarked.

'And you know because...?'

'A secret you'll learn about later, Eris.'

Eris tried not to stick her tongue out.

"Maybe it's got something to do with what's his face?"

"Quirrel? I don't know... Maybe... He wasn't here for class... I didn't seehim at the feast... He could've had something to do with the schedules...?"

"Maybe we can do like those Muggle books about the spies," Eris grinned, holding up her wand as if it were a gun (a Muggle device that fired deadly rounds at people).

"I doubt that..."

Eris could feel Avril burst her bubble - that's how disappointed she was.

"But maybe we could try to watch Quirrel closely for a while..."

Eris pouted. "Fine... But I'm so breaking into his office."

Avril gave her a grin, as if she were pleased with herself. "Thought so."

'Bit too smug, isn't she?'

Eris decided not to answer.

At least, not to him. Her and Avril talked the whole way to the Great Hall on what they were going to do and such things of that nature.

The two Houses in front of them remained to themselves, as separate as oil and water. Eris and Avril, however, walked quite close to one another, careful to lower their voices whenever a painting or a student took interest in their words. (Or, perhaps, when they realised a Slytherin and a Gryffindor were talking to one another like friends.)

When they made it to the Great Hall, everyone ceased speaking. The Great Hall, instead of bustling people and food that made you want to eat as much as possible and then some more, was deadly quiet and quite empty. The four tables were deserted and, at the very other side of the room, Dumbledore sat, writing something.

The room was far too large and far too quiet for Eris to take. Avril, however, looked just at home. Eris wasn't sure how the two became friends or how they were destined to - they were complete opposites. The room, depsite being large and airy and quiet, made Eris feel like she was going to sufficate.

Her heartbeat increased. Visions of thousands of days alone in several different houses danced on her eyelids when she blinked. An iritating and insanely unbearable tone of bells ringing hit her ears. She was dimly aware of Avril walking towards the empty Gryffindor table. Eris numbly followed.

Eris was just beginning to wonder if she should ask Dumbledore for help when the sound of speaking hit her ears. Edmund. Talking to Cormac. Evie to Katie. The two Slytherin boys.

The bells stopped. Her heartbeat slowed. The visions left.

'You, my dear Eris, are insane.'

'I think you're on to something,' she thought back, grabbing a book from her bag. She glanced over at Avril, who was sketching something on some paper that she hadn't noticed before.

Eris looked at the book - it wasn't the one she had meant to grab. This one must have been the one from Edmund. She read the title: ?

Eris opened it, curious. Everything in it had to do with unicorns.

Her heart was beating so loudly, she was almost sure Avril could hear it. A quick glance revealed that she could not.

Eris scanned the book for bits of knowledge that she didn't know - she wanted to know about the unicorn she had seen the night she arrived.

Several minutes later, in which Eris had covered more than half of the book, Dumbledore strolled gayly into the room. Eris stopped reading. He'd been there when they arrived... He sent her a smile, along with any others who made eye contact, and then went to the teacher's table, where he stayed silent.

Eris glanced around the room. Everyone was doing something - so long as it didn't include anything school related.

She decided to read a bit more - until Avril's picture caught her eye.

"Now, doesn't that look familiar. Two crossed wands... A lion... A snake. Wonder where I know that from..."

Avril shrugged, as if she hadn't quite registered what Eris had said.

"I like sketching what I've seen that not many people have... Like the thestral..."

"what else have you seen, then?" Eris asked, remembering the thestral. Perhaps that was what made Angelina hate her so much? "The things that not many others do."

Avril paused for a moment, glaring softly at the paper before the glare went away. A blank look took its place. Avril set her pencil aside.

"I'm just exremely observant, I guess... I just notice things..."

Eris didn't buy that. Especially with the way that Avril had to set her pencil aside and not look at her.

"How observant? And what things, exactly?"

Avril looked a bit upset with herself before the blank look returned. Eris was getting tired of that real quick.

"I don't know... The thestral... I saw a unircorn once - no, twice..." Avril began to sketch again.

Eris felt something wrong. But she also felt that Avril was beginning to open up.

'Wait. Did she say unicorn?'

"Did you see it, too? The one outside our compartment window when we got here?"

Avril jerked her head up so quickly, her hair went flying. Some of it smacked Eris, but she decided to ignore it. When she spoke, her voice was lowered.

"So you saw it as well?"

"I thought I was the only one. It was gone so quickly. I've been reading up on them and, according to this book, the unicron was warning us."

Eris held up the book for Avril to see.

"What about, though?" Avril questioned. "If it was warning us... What about?"

"Well, this is where I've really been reading…" Eris flipped through the pages, trying to find the correct passage. Finally, she just gave up. "It says in this book that unicorns are known to warn young girls of evil beings and situations. But only if it feels they would be in danger." Did that mean one of them was in danger? Or both? From what? Or... who?

"It looked lik this..." Avril showed Eris a drawing of the unicorn. Eris moved closer.

"The eyes..." They weren't drawn in. But she felt they were important. "Do you remember them? I do... So much fear..."

Eris knew that look of fear. It was the fear she had had on her face one night when Remus had broken out of his prison in wolf-form and nearly killed her - she had seen it reflected through a mirror. It was horrible.

"They were gold and silver combination... I think..."

Something told Eris that Avril knew more than 'think.' Suddenly, Avril froze.

"What? D'you remember something?"

'She's got a gift,' Phineas whispered in Eris's mind. 'Something's special about her.'

Eris tried her best to ignore him, but her emerald was burning again.

Deciding she didn't want to talk to Phineas (and that Avril had been in La-La Land for too long), Eris began to snap her fingers in front of her eyes. Finally, Avril jumped back to herself, though it took a shout of "Avril! Snap out of it!" for her to do so.

"Hmmm... Oh, sorry." Avril didn't seem sorry.

Avril began to shade the unicorn, her thoughts still far away.

"I'm sneaking out tonight." Eris didn't know where it came from or why she had said it as loud as she had, but she knew it was the truth.

"WHAT?" Avril demanded, staring at Eris as if she had grown a thousand heads. Eris faintly thought the image to be funny, but decided not to act on her impulse to laugh.

"Oh, you heard me. I'm going to the Forbidden Forest to find that unicorn. I feel… Something's up. I think it may need our help."

"Lovely. How's your luck, then?" Eris cocked her head to the side, waiting for Avril's answer.

"I have no luck… Any I had was sucked out of me by Stephen. He has all that Irish luck and charm…"

Eris paused for a moment. She could see someone out of the corner of her eye looking at Avril. A Slytherin boy.

"That Slytherin bloke that keeps making eyes at you?" Avril's eyes shot open. They were so big, at least three kittens could've drunk from the saucers they'd make.

"What? No… He, er, no." Avril looked highly uncomfortable. Eris tried her best not to laugh. She could practically see the look of 'he doesn't, does he?' running through her.

"So, when we sneaking out, then?"

Eris gave Avril a devilish grin, nearly forgetting about Stephen.

"The sooner the better."

'This'll be interesting.'

So many things happened... So sorry. Things are back up, though. Hopefully things won't fall behind again.

May the penguin be in your fate!

Eris Black