Chapter 12: - The Daily Prophet

The following day the first years woke later then usual because Amanda didn't wake them, it seemed that after the fight she had completely given up on all them. At breakfast Lily didn't know weather this was a good thing or not, as Amanda sat at the opposite end of the Gryffindor table and all the other students gave them a wide berth, a few students passing the first years still called things out like "Traitors" and no one but Gideon rebuked them, eventually after a few fourth year boys had made some really rude comments Gideon moved over to sit with them. Lily knew that he had only done it to shield them from any more vicious actions and also out of pity, but even so Lily did appreciate his gesture. This seemed to make Dymphna very happy she wasn't going to forget Gideon's package of mercy in a hurry has she was talking to him throughout breakfast and thanking him profusely.

Frank had sat next to Lily and Alice but no one but Dymphna and Gideon where talking, James and Sirius hung their heads and stirred their porridge miserably, Lily thought that she would have felt sorry for them if she hadn't felt really angry about what they had done to Severus and the fact that she and the others who had only tried to stop the fight from escalating had all got detention. Lily was torn from her thoughts by a voice from behind her,

"Budge up!" said the voice, turning around Lily saw Miriam standing behind her smiling and apart from the fact that Miriam looked a little pale she looked otherwise fine. Lily grinned at Miriam has she made room for her at the table, Miriam sat down and pulled a small fur ball out of her pocket that was purring loudly,

"Mac!!!" Lily called looking at the little kitten in amazement "Where did you find him?" but Miriam just laughed and stroked the kittens head and changed the subject,

"I heard all about what happened" Miriam said feeding Mac some kippers, "So I see the rest of the house didn't take the points deduction very well" Miriam gestured to the rest of the Gryffindors that had separated themselves from the first years literally. There was a six foot gap at the table isolating the first years from the rest of the house.

Lily didn't really want to talk about what had happened yesterday but when she tried to change the subject by asking Miriam why she had to spend the night in the hospital wing Miriam became very evasive and changed the subject to how Mac had got out of their dormitory. Lily didn't want to explain that ever and decided to ask Miriam how Severus was, as soon as the words had left her mouth Lily wished she hadn't asked,

"Madam Pomfrey says he'll live" Miriam said angrily as she looked at James and Sirius "So you two can relax because you won't be going to Azkaban!"

Lily didn't know what Azkaban was but what ever it was Lily knew by the reactions of the others that Miriam shouldn't have mentioned it, James and Sirius looked at Miriam as though she had just slapped them in the face, Dymphna gasped, Peter made his funny squeak which he always did when he was nervous or shocked, Alice looked as though she was struggling with indignation on behalf of her brother and from being impressed at her friend for having said what she had, Frank and Remus reacted angrily saying that Miriam had no right in saying what she had said but Lily was pleased to see that Amy was just as confused as she was.

"Let's not pretend that none of you thought that last night" Miriam said making her voice heard above the continued protests of Frank and Remus "You two should be relived that Severus is conscious and that Madam Pomfrey's one of the best healers there is-"

"Relieved" James burst out furiously cutting across Miriam "He's scum -"

"Why do you hate him so much?" Miriam said cutting James off much to Lily's relief, she didn't want to hate James anymore then she did.

"Why?" James said looking a little shocked at Miriam's question "Because his parents are dark wizards!" James said this as though it was the most obvious thing in the world

"And what do you think his are? Sugar plum fairies!" Miriam yelled as she pointed at Sirius, who looked enraged,

"You can talk," Sirius yelled back has he got to his feet "Your families darker then the night's sky!"

"I've never said otherwise" Miriam said calmly her mouth curling into a sinister smile

"That's enough!" Gideon said standing up, every student and teacher in the hall had turned to see why Miriam, James and Sirius where arguing "Haven't any of you learnt anything from what happened yesterday, you have to learn that the worlds not split into black and white and what's right and wrong. Some times life's bloody unfair but you have to learn how to deal with the cards that life's dealt you, there are people you have to live with weather you like them or not. Every Gryffindor dislikes the Slytherins it's been a mantra for hundreds of years but nothing, nothing like what you all did yesterday has ever happened before, it's one thing turning on someone you don't like just because their different but turning on each other isn't going to help!"

Lily knew that Gideon's words had been wasted on the first years, it may have even been too late, Sirius was staring at Miriam as though he wanted to straggle her, James was looking at Sirius as though the fact that his parents where dark wizards was the worst thing that could have ever happened and Miriam was smiling even more at the rift she had created between the two friends, the other first years sat quietly not knowing what to do, and slowly Gideon sat down.

"Why do you like him so much?" James asked bitterly under his breath so that Gideon couldn't hear,

"Because he's never given me a reason not to" Miriam hissed back as she stroked Mac's head.

Lily had the feeling that today was going to get even worse, and she was right. Gideon escorted the first years out into the grounds for their flying lesson where he left them standing a little way from the Slytherins; Mister Podmore as usual still hadn't arrived yet.

All the Slytherins where huddled together talking excitedly, when they saw the Gryffindors they broke apart laughing and Bellatrix Black led them over to where the Gryffindors stood.

"Well look here everyone it's the famous Miriam Artemis" Bellatrix said grinning as the Slytherins laughed, the Gryffindors just stared blankly oblivious to what the joke might be.

"Your family have always been show offs haven't they Mi!" continued Bellatrix, "Tad's so intelligent he could run for minister of magic and Jed's the good looking sportsman, so where does that leave you?" Lily saw Miriam's cousin Eloise giggle but Miriam shot her a look and she immediately stopped and hid herself behind Dolohov,

"Your family has always thought that they where better then us Blacks" Bellatrix said as she glared at Eloise "But Miriam really, selling yourself out, tut tut. What will your farther say?"

"What are you jabbering on about Bella?" Miriam said angrily,

"This-" Bellatrix pulled a rolled up magazine out of her robes and threw it to Miriam who unrolled it. Looking over Miriam's shoulder at the magazine Lily could see that it was called Witch weekly and the main image was of a smiling witch, different article descriptions where covering the witch as she smiled and fluttered her eye lashes,

"I don't get it?" Miriam said shrugging,

"You will" Bellatrix said grinning "turn to page 38" Lily watched Miriam flick through the pages until she came to the page Bellatrix had said, Lily's face dropped, the article was titled:

A daring rescue at Hogwarts

And below the title was a colour picture of Miriam with pigtails dressed in her Hogwarts uniform looking very sulky,

A great act of heroism took place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry last Friday as Miss Miriam Artemis, the only daughter of the current heir of the ancient and noble Artemis family, sacrificed her own safety to rescue a fellow student from what could have ended in tragedy in a simple flying lesson.

That was all that Lily managed to read before Miriam rolled the magazine up again. Bellatrix laughed and Lily even heard Sirius trying to stifle his own laughter,

"Can I keep this?" Miriam said hiding her shocked expression, Miriam's words cut Bellatrix's laughing off,

"W-What!" Bellatrix demanded apparently amazed at Miriam's words,

"Can I keep it?" Miriam repeated smiling at the stunned look on Bellatrix's face "You know for the family scrap book. You see we Artemis' being so famous and influential have several different scrap books full of articles about us, or would my-" Miriam stopped opened the magazine and read from it "Close, personal friend and eyewitness Miss Bellatrix Black" Miriam rolled the magazine up again "Prefer to start your own family scrap book with this article, after all the Blacks never do get much of a chance to shine in the vast shadow cast by us Artemis's do they?"

Lily had to laugh out loud at the putdown that Miriam had dished out, it was obvious that Bellatrix had hoped that the article that she had incited would have unsettled Miriam but even though Miriam had looked surprised to have seen it, Lily thought that she had recovered from it spectacularly. Bellatrix glared at Lily for laughing but Lily didn't care it was worth seeing Bellatrix humiliated and she and the rest of the Slytherins moved away from the Gryffindors, some of the Slytherins where even smirking.

"You think that your families really something don't you" Sirius growled has Miriam turned round to face the rest of the Gryffindors,

"Compared to your family Sirius they are something!" Miriam said storing the magazine in her bag.

Sirius balled his fist in anger and Lily was sure that he would have retaliated if Mister Podmore hadn't appeared on the grounds at that moment.

"Gather round, Gather round" Podmore called spreading his arms wide and beckoning the first years towards him,

"Your going to pay for what you and James did to Severus" Lily heard Miriam say as she brushed past Sirius,

"I'm so scared!" Sirius said holding up his hands and mocking being afraid of Miriam,

"You should be Black, because you don't have your friends anymore" Lily heard Miriam say as she gestured toward James who had walked off towards Podmore with Peter. Sirius' face fell as he remembered how James had reacted at breakfast when Miriam had told everyone that Sirius' parents where dark wizards,

"You had better watch out for yourself Miriam" Sirius said jabbing Miriam in the shoulder with a finger,

"Don't worry about me Black, I'm an Artemis remember" Miriam said smiling

"Yeah well this is one thing that an Artemis isn't going win!"

"If you say so Black, if you say so" Miriam said laughing.

Lily didn't like the sound of that, they where all in enough trouble as it was without starting a fight within their own house,

"What is with those two?" Lily asked Alice but she just shrugged and said that she really didn't know. Lily wanted to settle this before it went to far and they were all expelled,

"Miriam!" Lily called as she ran to catch up with her "Why can't you drop this stupid family rivalry between your family and the Blacks"

"Stupid rivalry! That's what's between me and Bellatrix, but with Sirius it's now personal"

"Personal! He's not done anything to you?"

"Not directly no but he's not getting away with what he did to Severus-"

"But he's not getting away with hurting Severus, we've all had points deducted because of that fight and we've all got to do a detention! I wouldn't call that getting away with anything!"

"Lily" Miriam said putting her hand onto Lily's shoulder "I really value you has a friend and yes I do understand what your saying but unfortunately it's gone past reasoning" Miriam smiled reassuringly but Lily didn't get a chance to dissuade Miriam from what ever she may have been thinking has Podmore was calling for the girls to end their conversation and join the rest of the class.

Miriam, much to her disappointment had been exempt from the flying lesson that day by Madam Pomfrey and so has Podmore got the class to practice their stands and hand positioning with the brooms, Miriam settled herself down on the grass a little way from the class and played with Mac and watched him pouncing on insects. Lily had completely forgotten that Miriam had put Mac back into her pocket after breakfast, when he had fallen asleep on the table and as Podmore corrected Amy's hand positioning Lily wounded what Miriam would have done if she was allowed to fly today, surely she wouldn't have kept him in her pocket. As the lesson progressed the first years where allowed to have a longer fly on the broom sticks, Lily waved at Miriam as she zoomed past her, but even the fact that she had been playing with Mac and that Mister Podmore had spent fifteen minutes of the class assuring Miriam that they were only going to practice basic things like turning and height control, Miriam didn't seem very happy that she was missing out on a potential chance to try and knock Sirius off his broom.