Chapter#11- Lost and Found
Golden light flamed around the Slytherin common room as a young boy with dusty red hair poured over his course books. "Let's see... that's fifty two and forty five... sixteen... than add..." Eric paused as someone approached him.
"A bit early to be studying don't you think?" Argen questioned with a dull grin. "Classes haven't even begun and you're out here working on bloody Arithmancy!" He informed.
"I'd like to get a head start." Eric replied in a dull voice.
"Oh...." Argen realized. "So, tell me about your dream. My older brother told me you had a nightmare about being sorted into Gryffindor. Was Potter there?" Argen asked in anticipation.
"You have an older brother?" Eric inquired, than cringed at the thought. He did not really like the idea of four Malfoys wandering around the dungeons; even if he did happen to like one of them.
"Yea, his name is Dolor... he's in his fifth year." Argen boasted. Eric scowled, than continued to listen as Malfoy dragged on. "He's a school prefect; not exactly the Malfoy position, but he helps father a great deal." Argen countered.
"Helps your father with the dark arts?" Eric asked as his eyes narrowed in suspicion. This was just the type of evidence he needed and although Eric had no quarrel with the dark arts themselves; unless you counted fear. The thought of getting at least one Malfoy expelled was beginning to appeal to him.
"What do you think?" Malfoy asked as his lips contorted into a sarcastic grin.
Eric frowned at the remark. He was not going to be able to rat on Malfoy after all. "I think you know more than you're telling me, Malfoy." He accused. Argen just gave a wicked smile, raced up the stairs and vanished out of sight.
"Stupid git..." Eric mumbled to himself, than began again to study. After what seemed like only minutes, Eric was interrupted by a tubby second year telling him that it was breakfast and that he'd better get there quick or everything good would be taken. Eric sighed, than packed his things and headed down to the great hall. The Slytherin table was packed full with students and Eric was in no mood for pushing or shoving. Instead, he settled himself at an empty table near the teachers and began to eat his breakfast which magically appeared in front of him.
After breakfast, Eric made his way to his first class; Arithmancy.
"Good morning class, my name is Mr. Dorago. I'll be your Arithmancy professor." The teacher announced, than paused as the tardy students found their seats. "Today you'll be learning the art of relationships. I suspect only a few of you will find it interesting or useful as it takes a very strong mind to use, let alone to master." He explained, than turned to wink at a group of Ravenclaws which were busy scribbling down notes. Eric cringed, but than managed a slight smile as he remembered that Ravenclaw House was known for its brains.
"Hey, look what I got..." Eric heard a voice whispering.
"Where'd you get that... aren't those forbidden?" Another voice replied. Eric turned around and noticed two dark haired Slytherin boys sitting hunched over their desks with what looked like small black cards spread between them both.
"Leto! Black! Kindly pay attention to your lessons!" Mr. Dorago commanded as the two boys quickly cleaned up the cards, placed them safely in their packages and stuffed them into their pockets. "Now, Black... can you please tell me how one determines a relationship?" Dorago asked hoping to catch the boy's inattention in order to give him a detention.
Nervous, Black responded. "You have to find their formula." He said with a slight jitter.
"Correct! Five points to Slytherin!" Dorago announced. Everyone grinned except for the Gryffindors. One of them; a straggly red-headed girl even yelled a curse at Black. She missed.
Black scowled, than pulling out his own wand he returned it. The girl flipped over backwards, than clasped her face in horror as something began swelling under her skin. All the Slytherins began to choke with laughter. Even Eric was giggling as the girl began clawing ruthlessly at her face trying to free whatever was trapped inside.
"Nice swelling charm! Where'd you learn it?" Someone asked.
"Black! Weasley! Detention!" The teacher interrupted. Scowling, Black took his seat. "Ms. Weasley, how on earth did you get yourself into this?" The teacher questioned as the young girl continued to claw herself. "Turgia-Expelus!" Dorago voiced as he preformed the counter-charm. Red faced and still rubbing her cheeks, the girl joined the rest of the Gryffindors. Eric suppressed another giggle.
Finally after about an hour of chaos, Eric's Arithmancy class come to an end and he was just about to rush out the door when he spotted it. It was a smooth black card embroidered with bright silver edges. Hastily scanning the classroom for the card's owners but not finding them, Eric stuffed the card into his pocket and pledged he would give it to them as soon as he entered the commons.
"Hey..." A familiar voice panted.
Eric spun around, than scowled as he noticed Argen carrying a rather filthy yellow rat. "Wha..." Eric paused in shock. He was quite unsure what to make of the small rodent which was now trying to claw its way up Malfoys sleeve.
"Oh, this... Transfigurations Class." Argen said as he gripped the rat between his fingers and tried to pry it loose from his robes. "We had to turn out pets another color and I chose yellow because that's the color of cowards." Argen finished as he finally yanked himself free of the panicked rat. "It's also the color of the Hufflepuff house. They can't even look at one of us Slytherins without squealing to a teacher." He added.
"I wonder why." Eric scowled. "With people like you and Black around, who wouldn't be terrified of our house?" He snickered.
"Black... What'd he do?" Argen asked as be began twisting the rats tail around his fingers.
"Weasley was miffed that Black got Slytherin five points, so she tried to cast a curse on him. She missed but he got her." Eric explained.
"What type of curse was it?" Argen inquired, than began to fiddle with the rat's tail again. He was trying to tie it into a not.
"It was a swelling charm, but the teacher countered it and gave them both detentions." Eric finished. "And what the heck are you doing to that poor rat Malfoy!?" He exclaimed.
"Oh!" Malfoy realized as he dropped the rat which raced away squealing at the top of its tiny lungs; a giant not twisted into its tail. Eric snickered. Annoyed, Malfoy gave him an evil stare than bolted up the stairs.
Golden light flamed around the Slytherin common room as a young boy with dusty red hair poured over his course books. "Let's see... that's fifty two and forty five... sixteen... than add..." Eric paused as someone approached him.
"A bit early to be studying don't you think?" Argen questioned with a dull grin. "Classes haven't even begun and you're out here working on bloody Arithmancy!" He informed.
"I'd like to get a head start." Eric replied in a dull voice.
"Oh...." Argen realized. "So, tell me about your dream. My older brother told me you had a nightmare about being sorted into Gryffindor. Was Potter there?" Argen asked in anticipation.
"You have an older brother?" Eric inquired, than cringed at the thought. He did not really like the idea of four Malfoys wandering around the dungeons; even if he did happen to like one of them.
"Yea, his name is Dolor... he's in his fifth year." Argen boasted. Eric scowled, than continued to listen as Malfoy dragged on. "He's a school prefect; not exactly the Malfoy position, but he helps father a great deal." Argen countered.
"Helps your father with the dark arts?" Eric asked as his eyes narrowed in suspicion. This was just the type of evidence he needed and although Eric had no quarrel with the dark arts themselves; unless you counted fear. The thought of getting at least one Malfoy expelled was beginning to appeal to him.
"What do you think?" Malfoy asked as his lips contorted into a sarcastic grin.
Eric frowned at the remark. He was not going to be able to rat on Malfoy after all. "I think you know more than you're telling me, Malfoy." He accused. Argen just gave a wicked smile, raced up the stairs and vanished out of sight.
"Stupid git..." Eric mumbled to himself, than began again to study. After what seemed like only minutes, Eric was interrupted by a tubby second year telling him that it was breakfast and that he'd better get there quick or everything good would be taken. Eric sighed, than packed his things and headed down to the great hall. The Slytherin table was packed full with students and Eric was in no mood for pushing or shoving. Instead, he settled himself at an empty table near the teachers and began to eat his breakfast which magically appeared in front of him.
After breakfast, Eric made his way to his first class; Arithmancy.
"Good morning class, my name is Mr. Dorago. I'll be your Arithmancy professor." The teacher announced, than paused as the tardy students found their seats. "Today you'll be learning the art of relationships. I suspect only a few of you will find it interesting or useful as it takes a very strong mind to use, let alone to master." He explained, than turned to wink at a group of Ravenclaws which were busy scribbling down notes. Eric cringed, but than managed a slight smile as he remembered that Ravenclaw House was known for its brains.
"Hey, look what I got..." Eric heard a voice whispering.
"Where'd you get that... aren't those forbidden?" Another voice replied. Eric turned around and noticed two dark haired Slytherin boys sitting hunched over their desks with what looked like small black cards spread between them both.
"Leto! Black! Kindly pay attention to your lessons!" Mr. Dorago commanded as the two boys quickly cleaned up the cards, placed them safely in their packages and stuffed them into their pockets. "Now, Black... can you please tell me how one determines a relationship?" Dorago asked hoping to catch the boy's inattention in order to give him a detention.
Nervous, Black responded. "You have to find their formula." He said with a slight jitter.
"Correct! Five points to Slytherin!" Dorago announced. Everyone grinned except for the Gryffindors. One of them; a straggly red-headed girl even yelled a curse at Black. She missed.
Black scowled, than pulling out his own wand he returned it. The girl flipped over backwards, than clasped her face in horror as something began swelling under her skin. All the Slytherins began to choke with laughter. Even Eric was giggling as the girl began clawing ruthlessly at her face trying to free whatever was trapped inside.
"Nice swelling charm! Where'd you learn it?" Someone asked.
"Black! Weasley! Detention!" The teacher interrupted. Scowling, Black took his seat. "Ms. Weasley, how on earth did you get yourself into this?" The teacher questioned as the young girl continued to claw herself. "Turgia-Expelus!" Dorago voiced as he preformed the counter-charm. Red faced and still rubbing her cheeks, the girl joined the rest of the Gryffindors. Eric suppressed another giggle.
Finally after about an hour of chaos, Eric's Arithmancy class come to an end and he was just about to rush out the door when he spotted it. It was a smooth black card embroidered with bright silver edges. Hastily scanning the classroom for the card's owners but not finding them, Eric stuffed the card into his pocket and pledged he would give it to them as soon as he entered the commons.
"Hey..." A familiar voice panted.
Eric spun around, than scowled as he noticed Argen carrying a rather filthy yellow rat. "Wha..." Eric paused in shock. He was quite unsure what to make of the small rodent which was now trying to claw its way up Malfoys sleeve.
"Oh, this... Transfigurations Class." Argen said as he gripped the rat between his fingers and tried to pry it loose from his robes. "We had to turn out pets another color and I chose yellow because that's the color of cowards." Argen finished as he finally yanked himself free of the panicked rat. "It's also the color of the Hufflepuff house. They can't even look at one of us Slytherins without squealing to a teacher." He added.
"I wonder why." Eric scowled. "With people like you and Black around, who wouldn't be terrified of our house?" He snickered.
"Black... What'd he do?" Argen asked as be began twisting the rats tail around his fingers.
"Weasley was miffed that Black got Slytherin five points, so she tried to cast a curse on him. She missed but he got her." Eric explained.
"What type of curse was it?" Argen inquired, than began to fiddle with the rat's tail again. He was trying to tie it into a not.
"It was a swelling charm, but the teacher countered it and gave them both detentions." Eric finished. "And what the heck are you doing to that poor rat Malfoy!?" He exclaimed.
"Oh!" Malfoy realized as he dropped the rat which raced away squealing at the top of its tiny lungs; a giant not twisted into its tail. Eric snickered. Annoyed, Malfoy gave him an evil stare than bolted up the stairs.
