James Potter was a bit discouraged after Tia snubbed him, but he wasn't completely put out. He went back to talk with Sirius.
"I don't know why you try with her James," Sirius shook his head, "she obviously doesn't want to be friends with anyone, so why don't you just give up?"
James looked shocked, "why, my good Sirius, give up? Moi? I would never dream of such an action."
Sirius looked at him strangely, then shook his head again, "I don't know why you're so determined anyway."
James wore a somber gaze, he looked at Tia's back, then turned to Sirius. "Because I feel… I dunno, connected I suppose you could say, to her."
"What?" Sirius exclaimed.
"Yeah, I feel as if our futures are linked somehow, you know what I'm saying?"
"Not really, but that's okay," Sirius responded.
"Hmm," James looked over at Tia, "I just need to get some information about her, and then, well, we'll see."
"What kind of information?" Sirius asked.
"Information about her father," James responded immediately.
Sirius nodded, "okay, I'll get it to you before lights out tonight."
James grinned wickedly, "okay, thanks."
"No problem," Sirius said as he calmly drifted away from James. James then put himself next to another boy, Remus Lupin.
"Hey Remus!" James said.
Remus jumped, "hi." He said nervously.
James detected that this kid was severely shy. Maybe he could solve that.
"So where are you from?" James asked, and that started a conversation that continued until they got to the dorm rooms. The two of them said goodnight fast friends.
Before James went to sleep, Sirius sidled up to him.
"I have the information that you want," Sirius said.
James bit back an exclamation of surprise.
Sirius noticed his expression and he grinned, "I have my connections. Anyway, her father is a dark wizard named Voldemort. He has been raising her in a very distorted way, according to my sources, until a month ago when she was about to have her soul taken from her by the dementors, that is when Dumbledore stepped in and adopted her. Apparently, Dumbledore has spent this past month teaching her right and wrong is, and what the law is.
"So therefore Tia more than likely, has never had a real friend in her life, and probably doesn't even know how to go about getting one," Sirius concluded.
"Poor Tia," James murmured. "Thanks Sirius, I owe you one."
Sirius shrugged, "Nah, it's okay. I'm always happy to help a friend."
James grinned, "goodnight Sirius, and expect that tomorrow will be interesting."
Sirius grinned back, his eyes sparkling mischievously. "'Night!" With that, Sirius went to his bed.
James lay awake that night, thinking. With a person like Tia, to get their attention, you needed to hit a nerve, and apparently, from her reaction earlier, her father was a nerve to hit.
As James was planning, he had absolutely no idea what immediately would become of his planned action, but maybe if he did know, he would think twice.
* * *
The next day they got their schedules. Tia looked at hers, and grimaced. They had transfiguration with the Slytherins today. Tia quickly ate a piece of toast, and left the Great Hall to get to the class.
As she exited, she looked down at herself. She at least had won one argument with Dumbledore. He had said that students wore black robes. But Tia had tried robes, and she did not like them whatsoever. She insisted that they were uncomfortable, and unless she was perfectly comfortable, she could not do magic correctly. Which, of course wasn't completely true, but her meaning was clear. She wouldn't do anything the teachers said to do unless she was able to wear what she deemed, "comfortable." Dumbledore finally complied, but he insisted that it be modest. Tia had readily agreed to that. She remembered the looks that Death Eaters had given her when she wore something that showed a bit too much. She was wearing today a baggy pair of black cloth pants and a bright red shirt that matched her eyes. Her shirt had long sleeves that slit at the elbows. It wasn't a terribly tight shirt, but it was comfortable. Tia made sure that at least one thing was covered.
On her right shoulder, there was a tattoo. It was a tattoo of a skull and a snake protruding from its mouth. It had been put on her when she has first born. Tia wasn't sure why it was put on her shoulder; all of his other supporters had it on their wrists. She had never asked her father about it, if there was one thing that he hated, it was questions. She had shown Dumbledore the mark, and he had told her to keep it hidden. Tia had felt that this was a good idea, and had obeyed him.
Tia reached the classroom that she was supposed to be at, but before she entered, she heard someone call her name.
"Tia!"
It was James Potter.
Tia bit the insides of her cheek, and completely ignored him. She stepped closer to the door.
She sensed that James was not happy with her ignoring him. But she forced herself not to care.
"Tia, did your father teach you to be so rude?" James asked in a mocking voice.
Tia felt white-hot anger surge up in her. She turned around and faced James, her red eyes glaring.
"Of course he must of," James continued, "after all, only and idiot would be rude on purpose to everyone. Don't you know that if your rude, you don't get any friends?"
Tia's eyes flared, "are you saying that my father's an idiot?" Tia demanded in a tightly controlled voice.
A few years down the line, if James had heard Tia use that tone of voice, he would know to back off, but at this moment, he was completely ignorant of the danger he was in.
"Let's see," James pretended to think about it for a moment, "yeah, that's exactly what I was saying. And I think that you're an idiot for following him."
If there was one thing about James Potter, he was blunt, very much so.
Tia's hands trembled with anger, and she reacted in the only way that she knew how. She jerked her fist out, and it made contact with James's jaw. He reeled for a moment, then returned the hit.
Tia wasn't at all hurt, it was like an ant charging into her. She was ready to give him one kick that would send him flying, but at that moment, Professor McGonagall intruded.
"Why I never!" She exclaimed. "Fighting on the second day here! Fifty points from Gryffindor and detentions for both of you! Now everyone inside."
Tia suddenly noticed that a crowd of people had stopped and gathered around them, she shook her head and walked into the classroom.
Professor McGonagall started the class with role call. After which, she turned her desk into a pig, and then back again. The whole class gasped, and applauded except for Tia. Tia was laughing. She fell out of her desk laughing so hard.
Professor McGonagall walked over to her with a sour expression on. "May I ask exactly what is so funny?"
Tia stood up, and held back her laughter. "It's just that everyone thought it was impressive to turn a desk into a pig."
"How is that funny? I'm willing to bet that you can't do that," an uptight Slytherin sneered.
Tia flashed him a grin, "actually, I can do better." Tia set her wand on her desk, and waved her hand. Every single desk in the room was magically transformed into a barnyard animal. Not just pigs, there were cows, there were chickens, there were horses, dogs, and cats you name it. McGonagall looked around her classroom in dismay.
"Change them all back at once!" McGonagall commanded.
"With pleasure," Tia told her. She turned to face McGonagall with a smirk on her face, and suddenly, there was silence.
Everyone but Tia looked around, all the desks were in their proper shape, color and position.
McGonagall straightened her robe, and simply said, "well, take another thirty points from Gryffindor, and add another detention to Ms. Riddle for you insolence and disruptive behavior! Now take your seat, we will begin by learning the spell to change a match into a needle."
McGonagall demonstrated, then set the class to accomplish it. Tia, of course, had her match turned in a wink. McGonagall came to look at it. She looked down at the match, then looked up at Tia. Tia returned her look with one of her own. After a few moments, McGonagall looked away.
"Now class, see how well Ms. Riddle has done," McGonagall said with her voice and hand shaking.
Tia smiled with satisfaction.
* * *
James struggled to change his match to a needle, all the while completely pre-occupied with Tia, who was lounging in her chair with a look of extreme satisfaction on her face.
Sirius and Remus, who were sitting right next to him, each gave him a "I-can't-believe-that-you're-spending-a-whole-detention-with-her" look.
"Is that a good look or bad look?" James questioned in a tired voice.
Sirius shook his head, "I'm not sure." James gave him a quick glance. "I mean, she is one cute girl, but she's probably dangerous."
"Yeah, I mean look at her, she doesn't even use a wand!" Remus put in.
James glanced thoughtfully at her. "Your right she doesn't, but you see, I think that as soon as she's our friend, that could be helpful."
Sirius snorted, "right, her… our friend… don't think so."
"Oh ye of little faith!" James mocked. He smiled to himself. "Just you wait guys, this is all part of my plan."
Sirius shrugged, and Remus sighed.
(And this is it… for now… I'm not going add another chapter until someone gives me a review… that way I know that my story is being read… and is liked… so if you could review!)
