The storm had blown out by the next morning, Penny joined Ursula and Heather in the Great Hall, her hair wilder than ever. Juno somehow had avoided being squashed at any point in the night, but informed Penny she had snored loud enough to keep her dormitory awake. Penny had questioned Heather about this, who eventually admitted it was a regular occurrence. Sniffing in indignation Penny gave her permission to use a Silencing Hex in future.
The Malfoy eagle owl had delivered a large amount of sweets and cakes to both Draco and Penny, the owl screeching noisily when Juno snapped playfully at it from inside Penny's robe, missing only by millimetres as the owl hopped out of reach. Glancing at the timetable Snape was handing out, Penny groaned to see he was her first lesson in the dungeon. Although the Potions Master was never overtly unpleasant to Penny, she despised his constant eerie stares and knowing smirks. She had come to suspect that he was fully aware of her parentage, and like many of the Slytherins, admired her power.
"Stay out of sight" Penny told the lump in her pocket, as she was sure Snape would have something to say about her illicit pet. The lesson past without event, they were producing a Shrinking Solution, Juno kept still and silent and the Hufflepuffs predictably noticed nothing unusual. Penny went to Defence against the Dark Arts with the Ravenclaws, apprehensive of her first lesson with the strange man from the night before. Luna smiled at Penny and made as if to approach when she saw her, but Penny merely half smiled in response before turning away to face her Slytherin friends.
Her class filed into the classroom and got out their text books before the distinctive clunk of his wooden leg announced his arrival. He took a register, his blue eye rotating to whoever answered.
"Persephone Black" He growled, both eyes rising to Penny's face, who looked back at him scowling. After a few seconds silence his blue eye moved to the lump in her pocket and his eyebrow hitched.
"Are you aware you have a snake in your robe pocket Miss Black?" He said roughly. Juno stirred in Penny's pocket as Penny tensed.
"You use your magic eye to look through people's clothing a lot?" She retorted defensively, flushing at being found out. Moody smiled, distorting his features even more. Reluctantly Penny dipped her hand into her pocket "He can see you" Penny hissed, her eyes narrowing as Moody's eyes widened but otherwise didn't flinch at her use of Parseltongue.
"His eye can see through clothing?" Juno replied surprised as she slithered out onto the desk, to the gasps of the Ravenclaws, one of whom actually squealed and fell off her chair in fright. Moody looked from her to the snake, his mind clearly thinking fast. After a moment he continued the register as though he hadn't stopped and went on with the class.
"So Professor Lupin says you have seen some of the Dark creatures on the curriculum, Kappas, Red Caps, Hinkypunks and Grindylows yes?" He enquired to general agreement. "The only ones you are yet to study are Boggarts and werewolves. Well we will cover them briefly, but I have noticed you are behind on hexes and curses. Very behind." He said with distaste. "Curses and counter curses are my speciality, I have one year to get you up to speed on what wizards and witches can do to one another."
"Only one year?" Luna piped up from behind Penny, not even shrinking as Moody's blue eye focused on her. He half smiled, a truly terrifying sight, before nodding and grunting in response.
"Everybody grab your wands and follow me, leave them" He said as some people went to gather their bags. "Leave the snake as well" He said to Penny, who glared at him before laying Juno gently in her bag. He led the way roughly down to a unused class room on the floor below, where a small cupboard was rattling gently.
"Now, Boggarts take the form of whatever the person facing them fears the most. The trick is" Moody said looking over his class as their faces paled "To laugh in its face." He said letting out a bitter laugh "There is an incantation Riddikulus but it needs you to think of an amusing image to force the Boggart to assume" Moody went on, explaining as Penny zoned out thinking. He instructed them to form a line, and Penny could sense everyone around her thinking of their worst fears and how to overcome them. Penny frowned as she thought hard. What was she afraid of?
The Muggle flashed unbidden behind her eyes, and she flinched. The line moved forward as the usual culprits of clowns, spiders and snakes appeared. But this was different, she thought fiercely as she forced the muggle out of her mind, she was armed, she was not defenceless, nobody could touch her when it came to power, and she would obliterate anything that tried to hurt her. Except the Dementors, she reminded herself bitterly, she couldn't fight them, they made her relive every awful moment…every mistake… the muggle…her Nana…
Penny shook herself angrily to retract from that line of thought as she followed the line as it inched forward. So Dementors, she decided, picturing their loose flowing robes and sucking breath. Suddenly she pictured the Dementors giving the Dementors kiss with full cartoonish red lips and she giggled. Then she pictured this big lipped Dementor stumbling over its own robe like the clumsy boy Neville in the year above. The Longbottoms, she thought, her smile vanishing. No, she thought firmly don't think about that.
She gave herself another shake as she found herself front of the line, the Boggart a few feet in front of her. She drew her wand confidently as the Boggart shimmered rapidly, aside from Dementors she was afraid of nothing, she thought fiercely as she waited for a Dementor to appear.
Suddenly the shimmering stopped and Penny frowned in puzzlement as a small figure appeared in a crouched position. As it she realised who the figure was Penny gasped, suddenly everything going on around her vanished as her eyes fixed on the individual before her.
Straightening up its wild beehive and prominent cheek bones framed a sinister smile as bluey green eyes glared cruelly from its face. The robes it wore were stained all down the front with a thick dark red liquid that dripped onto the floor beneath it. Penny breath hitched as her doppelganger took a step towards her, its teeth bared in a feral snarl. All the blood in her face felt like it disappeared to pulse around her eardrums as she took a step back, away from the Boggart.
Think she implored herself as her legs shook beneath her. The doppelganger's evil snarl widening as it approached, letting out a high pitched cackle that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Stopping right in front of the shaking witch the Boggart leaned in, its blue green eyes rapidly flashing black then red before resuming its previous colour. Leaning over Penny's raised wand it spoke in a cold whisper.
"Murderer"
"NO!" Penny yelled slashing her wand upwards sending her doppelganger flying backwards, landing with a loud thud. Cackling again the figure shimmered with a crack noise and took the form of two unfamiliar adults screaming in agony "NO! STOP IT!" Penny roared slashing her wand again, unaware of the line behind her shrinking backwards against the wall behind her. CRACK The motionless form of her Nana lay grey with her hand over her chest, a tiny bloodstained beehive figure bent over her. "NOO!" Penny screamed "REDUCTO!" She shouted, the force of her spell making the air rippled as it collided with the Boggart. It exploded into black confetti that fluttered down like black snow.
Crashing to the floor, Penny's eyes squeezed shut as she clamped her hands over her ears. Unaware of her surroundings Penny jumped when soft hands grasped her wrists, turning her tear stained face Penny saw Luna's concerned grey eyes met hers.
"Come on" Luna said gently, pulling Penny up, who rose without resistance. Putting one arm around her back Luna guided her past the rest of the class, Heather Ursula and Theo all apparently too terrified to move, and Moody didn't seem intent on preventing her leaving but rather stared at her with fascination as she past. Penny didn't even register where Luna was taking her, her heart and mind hurting too much. Suddenly they were outside the Entrance Hall, the cool air hitting Penny's face. Sitting down on the stone steps Luna remained next to her, one arm around her back, the other staying across Penny's wrist. She said nothing, which Penny was grateful for.
So that was what she was afraid of. Penny thought finally. She could defeat any enemy, she was powerful beyond all reason, nobody could destroy her. Except herself, she thought bitterly. They remained like this until the bell rang, cutting through Penny's trance. Standing abruptly, Penny shook herself, straightened her robes and rubbed her eyes. Glancing uncomfortably at Luna, Penny cast around for something to say but was saved the trouble. Smiling brightly, Luna merely reached across and gave Penny's hand a squeeze before disappearing back inside.
After a few more moments gazing into the grounds Penny spotted the fourth year Slytherins and Gryffindors heading up from Hagrid's Hut. Unsure who she wanted to see her like this less, she quickly also turned and walked back into the castle. Suddenly remembering her bag and with a pang Juno, Penny headed back to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, silently praying Moody had already left for lunch. Those hopes were soon dashed.
"Hello Persephone" Moody's gruff voice said as she had opened the door. He sat behind the teachers desk, his magical eye on the beams above his head, following his gaze Penny saw Juno was wrapped around it, hissing angrily down at him.
"Penny" Penny corrected "Come here" She hissed as she scoped up her bag. Juno reluctantly started making her way down. "What?" Penny snapped as she noticed Moody watching her closely. He chuckled to himself which annoyed Penny further. "Sir?" She added carefully. She didn't doubt he had noticed the Longbottoms form of her Boggart, and she was wary of giving him anything else to hold over her. She didn't know why, but she didn't trust the odd looking Professor.
"You remind me of your mother" He said as Penny shot him a filthy and questioning look but said nothing. "I was not aware that Bellatrix carried the Dark Lord's child" He said with an attempt at casualness that didn't fool Penny for a second. "I wonder how he would feel to find out he has a daughter" He added with a threatening note within his forced casualness.
"How would you know that he didn't know?" Penny challenged, internally cursing herself for taking the bait as Juno finally reached her feet. Covering her moment of weakness she bent to scope Juno up, who slide into her usual pocket.
"So you do not deny you are the Dark Lord's child?" Moody pressed ignoring her question. When she didn't answer he continued "Parseltongue and the power you displayed against the Boggart, very few possess those gifts" Moody said more to himself then Penny.
"My parentage is none of your business" Penny snapped scowling. "Professor" She added sarcastically.
"Anyone with Dark connections is my business" Moody growled back.
"So I am to be judge on the crimes of my parents?" Penny shouted back, discarding any attempts at politeness. "Crimes that happened before I was even born?" She said angrily, Moody regarded her calmly as he processed her words.
"I guess not" He said eventually, then his face smiled its distorted smile. "Our fathers can always be…disappointing" He said, Penny noticing the bitterness behind his smile. "Off you go Persephone" He said suddenly "I have some…. things I must take care of" He said, drawing out a piece of parchment and a quill. Penny quirked an eyeborw in puzzlement as she turned to leave.
"I don't trust him" Juno said from her pocket "Something isn't right about him"
Penny made a non-committal noise as her thoughts returned to her Boggart, and what it meant. As she wondered into the Entrance Hall she saw Hermione rushing out, her mouth clearly still processing her lunch. Meeting her eye Hermione merely waved dismissively as she rushed out. Penny joined her friends at the Slytherin table, ignoring the fact the sudden hush at her appearance probably meaning they had just stopped talking about her. Prodding her food she sat in silence brooding before heading out to her first Ancient Runes class with the Gryffindors. Juno had grown restless in her pocket so Penny dropped her off by the Entrance door to explore the grounds before heading up to the Ancient Runes classroom. Most of the Slytherin third years hadn't taken Ancient Runes so Penny was pleased to see Ginny arrive with the Gryffindors. That was until Ginny revealed the news of her Boggart had spread already making Penny groan.
"So who were the other figures that appeared?" Ginny asked quietly as Penny who looked away shrugging "Come on Penny" Ginny said frustrated "Why do you never talk to me? Or maybe you would rather talk to Hermione" Ginny emphasised causing Penny to give her a strange look.
"What are you on about?" Penny whispered back confused by Ginny's bitter tone.
"Do you have feelings for Hermione?" Ginny said dramatically, causing Penny to burst out laughing, "Gesturing to her at the World Cup, getting all cosy and tangled on the train" Ginny listed, her eyes narrowing "Would explain why you can't stand my brother" She finished conclusively. Penny just stared in disbelief at her before she smirked in mirth. This however seemed to be the wrong thing to do as Ginny jutted her chin out irritably before turning her heel and rejoining her Gryffindor friends, her back to Penny.
Penny stared after her girlfriend in exasperation, this was the last thing she needed. How could she even think she liked Hermione. It was absurd. Wasn't it? Penny's inner voice answered unbidden. She had never really thought about it. As they sat in class Penny looked irritably over at the Gryffindors surrounding Ginny before sitting with members of her own house and getting absorbed in the lesson.
Heading to dinner Penny groaned for the hundredth time that day as she heard her cousins drawling voice reading a newspaper aloud to the Entrance Hall to hear. That could never be good.
"There's a picture Weasley!" Malfoy said gleefully as Penny entered the Entrance Hall, rolling her eyes to the ceiling as he insulted Mrs Weasley. She scowled slightly as Harry insulted Narcissa but before she could comment Draco had cast a hex at Harry before a loud bang sounded as her cousin suddenly changed into a pure white ferret between Crabbe and Goyle. Looking up the staircase behind her Penny watched Moody limp rapidly past her to Harry, folding her arms casually as she peering at the ferret with mild interest. She watched amused as the ferret made a run for it and got bounced up and down in punishment. As it squealed in pain Penny frowned as it gained even more height.
"That's enough" She said unfolding her arms and drawing her wand to face Moody. He eyed her wand wearily as she stepped down the stairs to stand between him and the ferret. He considered her for a moment, the ferret dangling mid-air.
"Professor Moody!" McGonagall's voice called down the stairs, her arms full of books. "Miss Black!" She said alarmed as she saw the young witch was pointed her wand directly at Moody mangled face. "Explain yourself!" McGonagall demanded as the witch didn't take her eyes of Moody.
"He carried out the threat you made to me when we first met Professor" Penny said gesturing the suspended ferret behind her as McGonagall looked confused. Comprehension dawned on McGonagall's face as she rounded on Moody.
"Professor Moody! Is that a student?" She demanded yelping as Moody confirmed it. "NO!" She said dropping her books and drawing her wand. Penny stepped aside as there was clicking noise before Draco reappeared, flushed with indignation and pain as McGonagall yelled at Moody before he dragged Draco down to see Professor Snape. McGonagall gathered her books with a swish of her wand, considering Penny as the latter put her wand away.
"Well done Penny. You did the right thing to intervene." McGonagall said with a note of pride in her voice that caught Penny off guard. "Five points to Slytherin."