Saturday. The first weekend of the term.
Victoria made the decision to wake up first in her dormitory. Changing out of her pajamas and pulling on her black trousers and green blouse. Picking up her copy of Alchemy: The Most Ancient Form of Magic before heading towards the door.
Trodding upon a paw followed by a screech of a cat.
"Sorry," she whispers to Tabitha as she watches the gray cat scurry under Millicent's bed. Victoria hurries out of the dormitory before anyone could even stir. The common room was sparse this time of the morning. A couple of sixth-years gathered at the round table near the window glancing at notes and referencing their books. A third-year writing something on the desk next to the fireplace.
She plopped on one of the leather couches by the fireplace and curled her feet under her. Opening her dogeared page as the flames crackled in the hearth.
A few more people start to filter in from their dormitories. When Eridani had shown up to the dormitory, the two made the trek to the Great Hall for breakfast.
"You don't think I'd mind if I started sitting next to Harry on Friday?" she had asked Eridani.
It had been something that she had thought about, even if she was planning to tell Severus that she didn't like the way he treated Harry and her half-brother. Severus was bound to not budge, so it was best to come with a deterrent anyway.
Severus wouldn't dare to do anything if Harry was her Potions partner and if Andrew sat at the neighboring table.
"No, not at all," Eridani piped up with a nod. "I mean, that was terrible. I wanted to do nothing more than to slug Draco for laughing at him. Though I don't think it was just Harry that Lavinia was laughing at too."
The tables weren't at full capacity at this time in the morning (though Victoria wasn't surprised to see the cluster of Ravenclaws studying at one end of their table). She was slathering her cinnamon toast with marmalade when Kevin and Millicent came and joined them. In Kevin's arms was what looked like a football.
"A nice day to play football," Kevin said, longingly looking up at the clear blue sky above their heads.
"Football?" Eridani asked, raising her eyebrow.
"A sport where you kick a ball on the ground to strike a goal," Kevin explained defensively. "I'm not expecting that you'd be able to –"
"I got Muggles on my mum's side of the family," Millicent explained. "I've got a cousin who is on the football team for his secondary school, so I know what it is. You've got to keep that hidden before someone like Vincent gets a hold of it."
"Oh, you got a football, too?"
Dean Thomas warily approaches their table. A football of his own under his arm. A few feet away, she could see Harry, Ron, and Seamus Finnegan watching carefully as if they were afraid that he was going to be hexed by them.
"Sure!" Kevin answers cheerfully, patting his football with pride. "I mean. Before I got my letter, I always wanted to play for the Sunder-"
"My, my. Is it just me, or is the stench stronger than what it usually?" Lavinia drawled. She and Draco Malfoy were both standing with their friends. Looking at their guest with disgust.
"Hey, he just came to talk," Victoria snapped defensively. Fingering her wand.
"Sorry, but the Slytherin table shouldn't become a nexus for Gryffindor filth," Draco said. "Particular those from Muggle families."
"Do I sense trouble?" They all looked up to see Severus towering over them. "Anything I can help with, Mr. Thomas?"
"Um, no," answered Dean, slightly backing away as if to not stay here any longer." "I was just leaving."
He walks away, but not before dragging Kevin away from the Slytherin table. Prompting Severus to turn to Lavinia, and Victoria could see that he looked grave. "Miss Lavinia Mulciber, if you can follow me." He then turns to Victoria. "Victoria, that includes you."
What could Severus want that would involve both her and Lavinia? Unless it was about establishing house decorum and not engage in Slytherin in-fighting. Though, the two of them never drew attention to themselves for the week.
"I'll meet you at the Viaduct courtyard," Victoria tells Eridani before hopping from her seat, and she could feel Eridani's uncertain gaze as she leaves the Great Hall with Severus and Lavinia.
The two girls follow Severus down to his office, and as soon as Severus shut the door, Lavinia spoke. "If this concerns family, I see no reason why Victoria should be here."
"I'm merely following Hogwarts protocol, Miss Lavinia," Severus drawled. "So, this should concern her as well. Now, will the two of you sit down?"
Victoria had half-expected Lavinia to argue and stomp off. Not sit in the next chair and scooting it far from Victoria as much as Severus would allow her.
"I had just received an owl from your mother late last night, Lavinia," Severus began, sitting down at his desk, "and I'd preferred to break it to the two of you today before the Daily Prophet publishes its article on Monday."
"Is it about Grandfather Gaius?" asked Lavinia. "Father?"
Severus swallowed. "Gaius Mulciber was found dead by the ministry officials during their oversight of Azkaban on Thursday," he answered. "Whatever poor health he was would have been accelerated by the conditions there, though I should say that even the healthy wouldn't make it. The first of the Dark Lord's followers to die there was a young man who was barely twenty, a year after his incarceration."
Perhaps it was he was locked up when she was a baby. Or due to that information given to her by the Sorting Hat that she'd rather not think about. She'd felt nothing at the news. No shock, no anything.
Lavinia, she could see, was also devoid of any emotion as well. For she was also a baby herself as Victoria was at the time. "Thank you for telling me, Professor," she says.
"Thank you," Victoria said tonelessly.
"Given that you were only infants when these arrests took place, I didn't expect you two to show some semblance of emotion," said Severus. "As you wouldn't have any memories of him. Even if he's buried in Azkaban, a memorial is to be set for a date where you wouldn't need to be in school. Now, Lavinia, you are dismissed."
Lavinia dashes away from the office, leaving Victoria staring at Severus.
"Now, you might consider me summoning you here a waste of time," he starts, not wavering as he spoke. "Given the new piece of information that you unexpectedly –"
"I don't want to think about it!" she shouted, standing up. "So don't talk about it! It's like I'm drowning in the ocean when I do!"
For a moment, she expects him to reprimand her for raising her voice at him. She even thought that she saw fear flash for a moment in his black eyes before he recovers. "Very well then, if you don't to talk about it, we won't," he says softly. "If you don't want to think about it now, I'll let you. Though be warned, Victoria, it's going to become impossible for you to not want to think about it come a few years."
No, Victoria thought as she departed his office. I'll avoid thinking about it as long as I want to. Even if I'm a hundred.
Dear Mother,
It's going well here. I've been sorted into Slytherin. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, though I thought you should know. My lessons are going well as could be expected. I thought people would give me a hard time on my apparent "illegitimate" status, but not so much, which is good.
I hope you're doing well
Victoria
Edythe had stared at her daughter's letter for a minute. While his letter wasn't as long, Andrew had still managed to tell him what had gone on his first week (Someone had written Mass Murderer's Son on my notebook). For Victoria, it had seemed that something had happened but did not want to talk about.
Edythe closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and sighed. If Victoria was not going to tell her, she might as well ask someone who has an idea of what had gone on in school.
"Professor Severus Snape's office, Hogwarts," she says as she tosses the Floo powder into the grate of the fireplace. Stepping inside her destination, it had hardly changed since the days of those Slug Club meetings organized by the now-retired Horace Slughorn.
The only difference was the man now sitting behind that desk that Slughorn had occupied. His dark eyes widening in surprise at the sight of her.
"You had just missed her," said Severus as she had stepped into his office. "I had to inform her and Miss Lavinia of Gaius Mulciber's passing. School protocol, even if the two weren't related by blood. Is there anything I could help you with?"
There was something about his tone that he suggested that she didn't even if he knew what that thing was. And that bothered Edythe more than the time when she learned her brother had revealed his Lycanthropy to Sirius, James, and Peter.
"Severus, you know what happens in her day-to-day life," she points out as she approaches his desk. "I don't know much, and I'm literally her mother." Edythe shows him the letter that was sent to her. "She didn't write much, but a mother can tell if a child is holding something back in a letter."
Edythe closely watches Severus' reaction as he gazes at the short letter. He scans it once and nods. "The Sorting Hat knows about the student more than they do themselves, as it is known," he drawls, gazing away from the letter. "Unfortunately for Victoria, the Hat decided to be more forward with her on certain information than cryptic as it usually is. Apparently, she's not the first and the last."
"Certain information?" The blood drains from her face as icy fear takes hold. "She knows?"
"She'd rather not think about it or talk about it," he iterates as she turns. Covering her mouth. "Victoria had just told me that doing so makes her feel like she's drowning at sea. I don't think we should push her."
As if she was drowning at sea. One would, given the magnitude of such information. Part of Edythe was relieved that Victoria had chosen not to think about it. She was only a child who should be focused on school and everything that she enjoys. However, the other half had wanted to discuss the matter with her in a way that a child could take it.
As hard as Victoria might try, it was going to be hard for her to avoid it.
"You do realize there is going to be no way for her to avoid this for long," she pointed out.
"I have told her something in that regard, yes," he acknowledged.
"You may say otherwise, Severus, but I plan on speaking with her about it," she said, turning to gaze pointedly at him. "From the perspective of those that have fought him, not just from someone who rallied behind him during those years. We owe her that."
Without a word, she takes the Floo back home. Not waiting for a response as she did.
"What did Professor Snape want?" Eridani asked when Victoria met her at the Viaduct.
"My father, who is Lavinia's grandfather, he died two days ago," she answered.
Eridani clasps her hands over her mouth and gasps. "Victoria, I'm sorry!"
Victoria simply shrugs. "It's okay. I never knew him anyway."
The two girls traveled from the Viaduct to the part of the grounds near the lake where some of the students were congregating. She could see Kevin, Dean, and two other boys playing football while Harry, Ron, Andrew, Neville, and a couple other kids watched from the sidelines.
A few feet away, she thought she saw Cassiopeia and a couple of other Slytherin third years watching the ongoing football game. Judging by the nasty smirks on their faces, Victoria had a feeling that they might do something to disrupt the game.
"You think I should distract them from doing anything?" asked Eridani, who too noticed that something might go terribly wrong. Victoria could see Ron part from the group as if to see what his twin brothers were doing."
"Better you than me," Victoria replied. Watching as Eridani approached Cassiopeia's group before trekking towards the patch of grass where Harry and Andrew were sitting. "You've never played football before?" she asked Harry as she sat near him and Andrew.
"It's not that I didn't play it," Harry answered with a shrug. Looking at a pebble in his hands. "I just never had fun, I guess. I was always picked last for the teams at primary school."
In a way, that reminded Victoria of Draco wanting to exclude her from Quidditch due to her being a girl. Except that she didn't want him to ruin the sport for her. "Just because you got picked last for football doesn't mean that you'll be picked last here," she said. Dimly aware of Eridani holding her older sister's wand behind her back before running off with it.
"I don't know," says Harry, dropping the pebble he was holding. "Snape pretty much signaled me out yesterday. It's not like my dad did anything?"
"I suppose Andrew told you?" she asked, turning to look at Andrew.
"Someone had to," Andrew pitched in. "Apparently, Ron and Hagrid weren't too helpful."
"I was thinking, well, hoping that if I sit next to you during lessons, Severus might give you less of a hard time," Victoria offered.
"I don't know," Harry said, blowing his cheeks. "He might still give me a hard time to make himself look good to Malfoy."
"I don't think my guardian would want to alienate me by giving you a hard time if I choose you as my Potions partner," she said.
They published the article on Monday, though it wasn't on the front cover of the Daily Prophet. Instead, it was tucked in a corner on the second page.
Gaius Mulciber Dies In Azkaban
Gaius Seneca Mulciber, one of those imprisoned for his service to You-Know-Who, was found dead on the fifth of September. The Hogwarts Alumnus, who had been rumored to have been associated with You-Know-Who during their school days, was notorious for using the Imperious Curse to make his victims perform nefarious acts.
He is the second of You-Know-Who's followers to have died in Azkaban. The first being Bartemius Crouch Jnr, just a year after his incarceration for the incapacitation of aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom. He survived by his wife Lucretia Mulciber nee Travers, his son Dominic Mulciber (who's still serving his time for his crimes), his daughter Victoria Mulciber, and granddaughter Lavinia Mulciber. His daughter and granddaughter first-year students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"…and then this object with spinning wheels comes up from behind me," Draco droned as he had told his shoddy racing broom story to anyone who would listen. "I managed to duck before they can chop me up."
"Oh, those helicopters?" asked Kevin, making a spinning motion with his fingers.
"Yeah, whatever you Muggles call them," Draco snapped impatiently as Victoria set aside the morning edition of the Daily Prophet. Trying to ignore Lavinia glaring at her, presumably because they even thought to mention her name.
"Anyone else have stories on riding racing brooms?" asked Tracey. "More believable than the one that Draco is telling?"
"Plenty," Victoria answered without a beat. "Take anything he says with a grain of salt, though."
The days leading up to their first Flying Lessons of the year were full of select first years speaking about their experiences on broomsticks ("If I had a choice, I wouldn't attend," Lavinia sniffed once. "Riding astride a broom is not becoming of my stature."). As Millicent would tell it, she was zooming around the Welsh countryside since early childhood, and while not boastful as Draco's, Blaise did tell a rather self-indulgent story about his time on a racing broom during a holiday in France.
Hermione had checked out Quidditch Through the Ages and Neville rather nervously asked Victoria if he could borrow her copy. "Please, I just need to prepare myself."
"You needn't have bothered," Harry told her quietly when Neville was out of earshot. "He has had a lot of accidents on the ground."
Neville was not the most hand-to-eye coordinated person in their year. Andrew's story on how Neville nearly fell into the Blackpool coast after tripping on some rocks and that recent incident in Double Potions had proved just as much.
"He's nervous," she pointed out to Harry. "Even if I had accidents on the ground, I would still want to prepare myself."
Yet, even she could see that Harry was nervous about his first time on a racing broom. And Victoria had watched as Andrew and Ron steered him towards the trophy room. Perhaps to show him his father's name on the Quidditch medal.
Kevin had shown no interest in Quidditch. In fact, he never had seen the point in it. "You're just up in the air passing a ball," he said to Dean Thomas during Double Transfiguration. "How does one not fall and get killed?"
"Quidditch is more than passing a ball, Entwhistle," Ron said hotly. Leading to a three-way argument between the three boys over football and Quidditch that Professor McGonagall had to break up.
"I feel like I might throw up tomorrow afternoon when it's all over," a pale-faced Neville whimpered on the way to dinner. "Just thinking about it makes me sick."
As they pass through the doors, without any warning, it was as if Neville had stumbled over something causing him to fall over. Inciting jeers and howls of laughter from all the four tables.
"Twitchy brat needs to watch where he's going, does he?" sneered Cassiopeia. Looking down at Neville as if she had stepped on something foul.
"The Sorting Hat could be wearing off after years of use," suggested Josephine Macnair. "As for how else would it place the welp in Gryffindor?"
Victoria was in the process of unsheathing her wand when Andrew was the first to speak up. "Do anything else, Lestrange, or I –"
"Or what?" Cassiopeia jeered tauntingly, waving her wand around. "Blast me to bits and kill twelve others as your daddy did Pettigrew and those twelve filthy Muggles? Besides, at least you should be thankful that I used the tripping jinx instead of worse, which I probably won't hesitate to do in the future."
"Go away, or I'll tell Alphard," Eridani threatened, face red and fists clenched. "I'll tell our brother that you threatened to do worse to Neville."
"If I were you, Eri, I'd keep my distance from the riff-raff," Cassiopeia sneered before she and her friend stalked off to the Slytherin table.
"We seriously need to report her," said Hermione, glaring at Cassiopeia's retreating back. "One of these days, she's going to do as she promises and do worse."
"I'm going to tell Alphard and then tell Severus," Victoria promised. "I actually might have better luck if I do. He probably won't listen to anyone from Gryffindor."
Victoria was true to her word and went to Alphard first ("Believe me, I'll pass word to the other prefects," he said) before going to Severus about it. "I'll inform Minerva about it," he said. "Should Cassiopeia subject Longbottom to any dark curses, she'll certainly be suspended."
When Thursday dawned, Victoria and most of the kids in her year had a hard time concentrating in class. Always gazing at the clock, and it didn't help that it was a beautiful day outside. Victoria had often found herself staring at the window to look at the azure blue sky.
A few minutes before the time, Victoria, Eridani, Millicent, Kevin, and the other Slytherins hurried down the front steps into the grounds for their first flying lesson. The grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns towards a smooth lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the Forbidden Forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.
They were the first group there and took the opportunity to stand by brooms that didn't appear so bad out of shape. She had heard a couple of the older years – Miles Bletchley and Adrian Pucey mainly – complain how some of the brooms had its mishaps.
It wasn't long until they were joined by the Gryffindors. All of whom looking just as excited and nervous as they were. Neville, on the other hand, appeared as if he might vomit.
Their teacher, Madam Hooch, had arrived. She had short, grey hair and yellow eyes like a hawk.
"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Stand by the right hand over your broomstick and say UP."
"Up!" everyone shouted.
Victoria's broom jumped into her hand at once, but it was one of the few that did. Millicent's broom hardly moved at all, and like Hermione's broom, Eridani's broom simply rolled on the ground. Even if he wasn't the first one to have his broom jump into his hand, Draco smirked at Harry – who was one the few that had his broom jump into his hand at once – when the broom jumped into his hand. Victoria couldn't help but laugh when she saw the broom handle hit Ron in the face.
"Shut up, you two," he said to both Harry and Andrew, who were both laughing as well.
Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end and walked up and down the rows, correcting their grips.
"I know what I'm doing," Draco protested with a scowl when Madam Hooch told him that he was doing it wrong. "I did it this way for years!"
"You did it wrong for years," she said while shaking her head. Victoria and Eridani giggled upon seeing Draco deflate somewhat. The former sent a wink to Harry when she saw that he looked delighted about the sight.
"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly. On my whistle – three – two."
But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.
"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle - twelve feet - twenty feet. Victoria saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and –
WHAM - a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay facedown on the grass in a heap. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.
Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.
"Broken wrist," Victoria heard her mutter. "Come on, boy - it's all right, up you get."
She turned to the rest of the class.
"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."
Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.
No sooner were they out of earshot than Draco burst into laughter.
"Did you see his face, the great lump?"
Of the Slytherins, only Victoria herself, Theodore, Millicent, Eridani, Blaise, Kevin, Daphne, and Tracey weren't laughing alongside those that wore the same House colors as them. Victoria literally put her fingers in her pocket to unsheathe her wand as the heat reached her face.
"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil from Gryffindor.
"Yeah, shut up, Draco!" said Eridani.
"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" sneered Pansy Parkinson. "Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati."
"Why are you so surprised, Pansy," Lavinia demanded as Draco went to the spot of the grass where Neville fell. "Parvati has been consorting with Mudbloods and Halfbloods for the past week. Of course, she'd vouch for the Squib."
"Look!" said Draco darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."
Victoria remembered an incident this morning involving a Remembrall. Only because she heard Draco claim that he was only looking at it while Andrew, Ron, and Harry made a big deal about it.
The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.
"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly, stepping forward. There was an intake of breath as everyone had stopped talking to watch.
At Draco's nasty smile, she had a feeling that he was going to do something to get Harry into trouble.
"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find - how about - up a tree?"
"Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Draco had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off.
Victoria points her wand at Draco.
"Titillando!" she shouts, but the hex misses Draco, and he was hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"
Harry grabbed his broom.
"No!" Hermione shouted. "Madam Hooch told us not to move – you'll get us all into trouble."
Harry ignored her, and they all watched, transfixed as Harry went up to the air level with Draco ("What an idiot," Hermione could be heard saying). For someone who had never flown before, he was flying well. The excitement growing as Harry flew at Draco, who got out of the way just in time.
"Get him, Harry!" Andrew yelled as he joined the clapping.
Victoria inhaled, and there was a massive intake of breath as Draco threw the Remembrall in the air. Harry diving down to get it. Panic setting into her as she clenched the handle of the broom tightly. Don't get hurt, don't get hurt, don't get –
"Not so much a scratch!" Ron says in marvel as Harry was toppling softly on the ground. The Remembrall in his hand.
"HARRY POTTER!"
Professor McGonagall was running toward them, and dread was visible on Harry's face as he got on his feet.
"Never – in all my time at Hogwarts –"
Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously. " – how dare you – might have broken your neck –"
"It wasn't his fault, Professor-"
"Be quiet, Miss Patil-"
"But Malfoy-"
"That's enough, Mister Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."
They all watched as Harry followed Professor McGonagall from the lawn. The broom in his hand.
"He's not going to get expelled, is he?" Victoria had asked.
Andrew shrugged. "He might just have to write lines," Andrew suggested. "Or worse, get a suspension."
"I'd be surprised if you didn't get detention," Denmore tells Victoria with a glare. "You could have struck Malfoy to the ground with that hex of yours."
"I was only trying to tickle him so he could let go of that Remembrall!" she shouted in defense. Stomping her feet.
When Madam Hooch returned, they had resumed their lessons for an hour before they were dismissed.
"You know, Malfoy could have fallen to the ground and get a broken wrist like Neville or worse," Hermione said as they went back towards the castle.
Victoria snorted. "It's him that should be in the Hospital Wing and not Neville."
When they entered the castle, the nauseating smirk that Draco wore on his face was wiped clean when they met with Severus at the main doors. Who was wearing the severe expression he had worn when Neville melted his cauldron.
"Mister Malfoy, if you follow me, please," he prompted.
"Someone has to check Neville to see if he's okay," said Hermione as Severus led Draco down to the dungeons. Victoria, Eridani, and Andrew followed Hermione to the hospital wing while Ron said something about checking with Harry.
In the hospital wing, Neville was lying on a bed. His wrist was bandaged up, and his arm kept up in a sling.
"The hospital wing two weeks in a row," Neville groaned. "First the accident in Potions, and then I fall off my broom."
"It is only your first week," said Hermione. "Don't be hard on yourself."
"Cheer up. Everyone has their ups and downs," Andrew tried to assure, resting a hand on Neville's shoulder.
"Everything will get better," said Victoria, though unfortunately, her words sounded hollow. For Neville seemed to attract the worst of luck so far. Not the "brawny Gryffindor type" that Severus seemed to lump all the Gryffindors into.
Victoria was just eating her dinner when Severus approaches her at the table. "May I have a word with you, Victoria?"
She was only dimly aware of Lavinia's, Pansy's, and Laelia's whispers and giggles as she follows Severus from the table. She thought she saw Draco, Vincent, and Greg speaking with Harry at the Gryffindor table on her way out.
She has to see what that was sooner than later.
"Victoria, what were you thinking?" Severus demanded, nostrils flaring, as soon as they went into his office. "Do you realize what could have possibly happened had you not missed, and that hex actually hit Draco Malfoy while he was on his broom?"
He sits down. Black eyes lit with anger as he stared down at her.
"I was only trying to tickle him," she argued. "He had Neville's Remembrall."
"Yet, someone had already caught it, and he's been rewarded for it and made Seeker of his Quidditch team instead of the twenty points deduction and detention that I would have given him had he been in my House," Severus counters, that tinge of resentment in his voice. "You can justify it all you want, but still, Draco could have gotten hurt for your recklessness, Victoria. For that, twenty points will be taken from Slytherin, and there will be detention."
"What did Professor Snape want?" Eridani asked, looking up from her History of Magic essay.
"Got in trouble for attempting to hex Draco," she said, looking at the fireplace where Tabitha lay like she were a gray rug. Draco could have gotten hurt if it hit him. Unfortunately, Madam Pomfrey would have mended whatever injury he would have inflicted.
"Did you hear about the Gryffindor Quidditch Team?" Millicent looked up from her copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration.
"Laelia was talking Lavinia's ear off about it," said Kevin, shaking his head. "Apparently, she heard the Weasley twins go on about Potter being the Seeker."
Harry Potter? Seeker of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, when first years weren't even allowed to bring in their own broomsticks. Severus wasn't exaggerating then.
"The headmaster was from Gryffindor, so of course he'll allow McGonagall to bend the rules for their precious lions," pitched in Tracey resentfully.
While Harry wasn't expelled, which was a relief, Victoria felt that McGonagall could have given him detention and not just give him Seekership. It was possible to provide him with both.
On her way to her dormitory, she saw Draco, Vincent, and Greg huddled in a group whispering. Paying no mind until she heard Draco say, "I've given Filch the tipoff that someone is thinking of being in the Trophy Room at midnight. Expect to see Potter packing his bags to the train tomorrow."
Victoria could feel the blood leave the surface of her body and froze for a moment before dashing into the dormitory. No, Draco was not going to get Harry into trouble.
She was not going to allow it.