"Good afternoon, class." Artemis tossed her black velvet cape over her chair casually as she looked to the students.
She was wearing a loose white shirt, cross-hatching down the slit in the neck of her shirt as the sleeves were drawn in on a string. Her black bangs were tied behind her head, the rest of her obsidian silky mane flowing down her back and over her shoulders. She wore leather brown pants, the hems roughly trimmed for a wild look as they had been tucked into her shin high chocolate brown boots.
She turned to the class, her snow blue eyes glittering behind her thin rectangular spectacles.
"I've heard many jibs and quarrels about this job but I'll accept the terms. However, before we begin the necessary requirements, I just want to give out a short pop quiz on your skills as of now." Some groaned; Harry didn't mind.
Pulling out their wands, they faced grindylows, kappas, but then the fun challenge arrived: two boggarts.
"Riddikulus!" The hissing cobra gave a loud –crack!- and turned into a joke snake in the can.
Laughing, Hermione came forth to test out her wiles. Two Professor McGonagalls came out, shame written on their faces as they told her she failed Hogwarts miserably.
"Riddikulus!" They turned into report cards with all A's.
Laughing and jeering at the boggarts, it was suddenly Victoria's turn to go. She drew out her wand casually; Artemis' eyes focused on her as she released the boggarts.
The creatures' shapes shifted and morphed, the class gasping at the outcome of their guise.
Garnet stared back into garnet, the twins giving an evil smirk as they came towards her. She backed down slightly, her eyes wide with fear. She drew up her wand, her mouth trying to force the syllables out.
"Ri-Ridd-" Artemis' black wand shot out, her voice clear and commanding.
"RIDDIKULUS!" Victoria cried out before Artemis could, the twins cracked in a puff of smoke to be replaced by two Malfoys with their pants down.
The Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors laughed heartily, Victoria smirking before her fingers suddenly let go of her wand.
"Victoria?" Seamus gently tapped her on the shoulder.
Her eyes were wide, tears running down her cheeks as Artemis rushed to check on her.
"Class dismissed." She said hurriedly, looking into Victoria's eyes.
Ron and Harry exchanged confused looks as they left the classroom, Artemis kneeling down and speaking gently to Victoria. Harry leaned back to hear before he saw Artemis' wand pointed at Victoria.
"What the-?" A sudden blast of white light enveloped the room before Victoria slumped on the floor.
Harry didn't see Victoria fall because Ron had grabbed him by the collar and dragged him off to Herbology.
"Ron, get off! Let go!" He wrenched Ron's grip from his shirt as he caught his breath.
"Well, why do you always come late to most of the classes?" Harry's eyes were still focused up on the balcony of the Defense Against the Dark Arts doorway.
"Are you listening, Harry? Harry!" He jumped, looking back to see an irked Ron.
He rolled his eyes and stormed off, Harry taking one last glance before following Ron.
----
Victoria wasn't in the common room that night. Harry was perturbed by not seeing her presence as they went up to bed.
"Madam Pomfrey said she has a faint heart." Neville whispered to Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, "I came in to get a hex removed and I saw her lying on the bed. White as a ghost."
"You mean she's having fainting spells?" Seamus hinted a note of worry in his voice.
Neville nodded quietly as the three walked up to their dorm. Harry caught bits and pieces of their conversation; it only made the knot in his stomach harder.
"Harry? What's wrong?" Hermione put down her book, Charms and Seals for the Untamed Soul by Kirwin Blandford.
He shook his head.
"Nothing, just that test in Transformation is getting me a bit psyched."
----
Red, snake eyes leered upon Harry, a dark grin spreading on his pallid lips.
"I see you, Harry. And I'm coming for you."
Harry drew up his wand, pointing at the demon as he drew his own wand.
"Avada kedavra!"
Harry wondered who had said those words when he realized it was himself who had casted the worst of the Unforgivable Curses. The blast of green light flared from his wand, but he heard the shrill laughter grow louder.
"Fool, you should have known better." Harry saw his thin hand raise up.
"AVADA KEDARVA!" Harry shielded his eyes, the green aura swallowing him up.
He could feel himself falling, wallowing in the screams of his dying parents.
"KUH!" He woke up with a start, grouping himself and finding his skin to be clammy and cold with sweat.
He got out of bed, slipping into his sneakers as he snuck down into the common room. He stopped short as he felt a blast of cold air and hid behind the banister. His eyes chanced a glance to see a darkened shadow pull into the common room.
He recognized her to be Victoria, watching her slump in an armchair while Alder perched on the head. She groaned softly, panting as feathers and leaves brushed around her ankles. She lazily flicked her wrist, the window snapping shut as she leaned back and exhaled deeply.
"I fear, Alder. Things don't feel right." She looked to her friend, stroking his feathers, "Someone's coming, otherwise he wouldn't be so rampant these days." Harry leaned in to listen when an awkward silence fell.
Harry looked to the armchair to see she was missing.
"Good evening, Harry." He jumped at the unexpected sultry voice behind him.
He spun around to face Victoria, her face impassive as her garnet eyes flared in anger.
"What brings you so late an hour, Harry?" He stuttered as she walked towards him.
"I was, uh…having a bad dream and…uhm…" He stumbled down the stairs as she walked down them, her robes flickering ominously.
She brought her hand up, Harry becoming more curious than afraid. Her hand tensed, fingers curled slightly as she sent a magical force against Harry. He tried to parry the attack with his arms, but he knew his efforts were fruitless as the streams of power cascaded into his mind. He felt his body go numb before his eyes went dark. He slumped against the floor, Victoria walking up to him as she shook her head in the waning flicker of the fireplace.
"Foolish, Harry." She stooped down, scanning over his unconscious face as she gave a grim smile.
----
He woke with a start, throwing his blankets forward. He looked around, his sight blurry as he realized his glasses were on his nightstand. Shoving them onto his face, he rolled out of bed and got dressed in a hurry. He knew he was late for class; the sun was already high and up in the morning, the December frost melted away.
Scrambling down the steps, he rushed out from behind the Fat lady and to the Great Hall to grab something quickly to eat.
When he came in, a strange silence and a murmured hush rippled through the four long polished tables. Harry took a seat by Hermione, who was just finishing her scrambled eggs.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" She put her fork down meticulously.
Looking both ways warily, she leaned into Harry's ear.
"Post hasn't arrived."
"Huh? Why worried then?"
"Harry, it's nearly the end of breakfast. The owls haven't come out and delivered our mail yet." His brow raised in confusion before a sudden shriek startled him.
Alder had soared through the high windows, carrying a parcel in his talons as he landed not too far from Victoria. Harry took a double take, shocked beyond thought.
She smoothed out her falcon's feathers gently, smiling softly as she undid his parcel and fed him a few scraps of bacon and sausage. She opened up the box, her face suddenly draining of emotion. She pocketed the box quickly, looking down the table casually as her eyes came upon Harry. She grinned gently.
"Ohayo, Harry."
"Good morning, Victoria."
"Sleep well?" Her smile seemed fake, her garnet eyes flickering.
Harry paused for a moment to think, but another question came to him first.
"Victoria, why are you usually absent for breakfast."
"Ah, my "mysterious" disappearances." She chuckled, her voice sultry as Seamus turned his head up, "I have terrible migraines in the morning, sometimes unbearable. So I go to Madam Pomfrey for a remedy."
"Oh." Harry nodded matter-of-factly, the bell suddenly ringing.
He inhaled his breakfast, wiping his face clean of crumbs and pumpkin juice as he grabbed his books and headed off to Transfiguration class.
As he walked to class, he noticed Victoria took a different route. Curious, he slyly slipped from the crowd and spied on her. She was leaning against the wall idly, her arms positioned as if holding something. Her back was turned to Harry, concentrating on the contents of her parcel.
"Why the hell did you give me this?" She seemed to be talking to herself; Harry listened in.
"What use would I have for it? Harvesting Hadgrid's chickens next? Or perhaps you'd rather I reap the Forbidden Forest?" She sighed and slipped the box back into her pocket, heaving her bag and turning around.
Harry had to be quick. Seeing a door beside him, he took out his wand.
"Aperire!" The door swung open and shut silently as Harry ran in.
He heard steps, then, silence.
"Ickle students hiding in broom closets, are we?" An annoying voice screeched in his ear.
Harry spun around to see Peeves, glowering and trying to hush up the pest.
"For once, can't you just shut it!" Peeves gasped mockingly.
"Student swearing at poor ol' Peeves, my my my." Grinning darkly, the poltergeist shot out from the closet, flinging Harry out.
He rolled to his feet, looking around worriedly. Victoria had left, the hallway leading back to the Transfiguration Class. Peeves zoomed around his head like a moth to the lamp, cackling.
"Student late for class! Student late for class!" Harry jolted, realizing he was late.
Fixing his glasses, he ran to Transfiguration class.
----
He stumbled on the threshold as he came in, out of breath and huffing as Professor McGonagoll gave him a slightly disdainful look.
"And where were you, Potter?" He spluttered in his words and failed to come up with an answer, "Sit down, Potter. 5 points from Gryffindor."
Hermione tutted at Harry's tardiness as he took a seat beside her. He turned to see a sallow-faced Victoria, her wand clutched tightly in her hands as she seemed to fidget in her seat.
"Now, today's exam shall cover the transformation of a spool of thread to a mouse, a bat to a mug and finally, change your desk into something of your choice AND back to it's original form." Many groaned and took out their wands, coming up and performing their test.
Neville was having a hard time with his mouse; it's tail was made of blue thread. He looked desperately out to the staring class, watching in horror as the Slytherins guffawed under their breath. Victoria glowered.
- Neville, flick your wrist gently; don't try to hit it - He jumped, looking around.
- Calm down, Neville. Otherwise we're both screwed. Just do as I instructed and you'll make it. - He seemed to nod as he gracefully flicked his wrist.
The spool mouse gave a squeak and turned into a cute, fluffy white mouse. The Gryffindors cheered, Victoria smirking as she winked to Neville. He went on to transform his bat into a mug, making a perfect shape as he finally came to his desk. Flicking his wand, it suddenly turned into a giant toad. Most of his classmates jumped, McGonagoll clapping ecstatically as he turned it back into his desk. It gave a ribbit before turning into involuntary wood once more.
Others went before Victoria took up her stance. She drew out her wand, giving a smart flick of her wrist as she changed a red spool of thread into a black mouse. She grinned, changing her bat into an arabesque looking mug before coming to her desk. She smirked rather darkly, raising up her wand. Saying the incantation, the desk jerked and shuddered and went silent. The whole class was focused on the desk now, wondering what had happened. Wings suddenly erected from the desk lid, squalls and roars coming forth as arms and legs sent splinters in all directions. A long neck stretched out, fangs roaring as a serpent tongue rolled forth.
"Miss Jacent, this is highly unacceptable!" Within a second, the raging beast shrank back into her desk, going quiet.
She turned to Professor McGonagoll, rolling her wand casually between her fingers as she smiled softly.
"I'm sorry, Professor. I was given my imagination to work with." Malfoy snickered and buried his face on the desk, hiding his laughter, "And I would ask, Malfoy, that you keep your mouth shut."
She turned, her hair and robes wavering out as her eyes narrowed on the giggling mass.
"Class dismissed, everyone."
"Good." She muttered darkly, grinning as she edged towards Malfoy.
He was bad mouthing Neville as she walked out of the classroom, watching like a prowling tiger as he made his way down the steps. She suddenly drew out her wand, pointing it at him like a foil.
"Petrificus labrum!" Malfoy's lips suddenly sealed shut, muffled screams coming from him as he struggled to pull his lips apart.
She grinned as she walked down the steps, humming benignly.
"Teaches you that your mouth is a source of evil. If you want, I'll continue your speech in hell." She beamed like a child, walking down the last steps.
Malfoy's wand whipped out, glaring as the hex wore off.
"Expelliarmus!" Her body was slammed into the stone wall, slumped against the floor as the Slytherins exploded in laughter.
Harry had walked out just as Victoria was sent into the wall, glaring as he drew his own wand.
"Harry, no! You'll get in trouble!" Hermione grabbed his hand, stopping him from casting a spell.
"But he just attacked her for no reason!"
Victoria shakily stood up, glaring as she turned to face Malfoy. She licked off the blood that came from her split lip corner and grinned.
"So you ask for it." Drawing up her wand in a rush, she shouted.
"VERTIGO!" A jolt of magic shot into Malfoy's brain, knocking off his sense of balance as things went blurry.
People had stopped and some jeered for the two fighters as they dueled, Victoria grinning as she saw Malfoy stagger like a drunk.
"Expelliarmus!" His blast fired off in an odd direction, about to collide with Ginny Weasley before the bolt ricocheted off her body.
She looked around, shocked before seeing Victoria's hand outstretched in her direction. The bolt fired into Goyle, whom crashed into a dizzy Malfoy as they barreled down the steps in a messy heap. Some applauded and some booed, Victoria taking a mocking bow before a voice that even made Victoria freeze in fear exploded from above.
"VICTORIA JACENT!" She turned, petrified as she saw Professor McGonagoll stomp down the stairs, "WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING?"
"Prof-fe-ssor." She gulped and gave a sheepish smile, looking to a groaning Malfoy that was bumping into walls, "Uu-uh…"
Professor McGonagoll undid the spells on Malfoy, turning on her heel to Victoria.
"I don't know how you Americans run your schools, but HERE, no reckless assaulting!"
"But Malfoy was insulting my friend-!"
"I don't care, Miss Jacent. Twenty points from Gryffindor and detention this evening.
Her nostrils flared in anger, her eyes growing colder as she saw Malfoy jeer at her. As McGonagoll turned, someone screamed.
"Professor, look!" Many others had gasped as she turned, staring at the floor.
McGonagoll turned and jumped, rushing over to Victoria as she lay unconscious on the floor. Malfoy was cracking up, Hermione suddenly smacking him in the face as she glowered.
"You would do well to shut up, Malfoy." He sneered and shrank into the crowds; Harry, Ron and Hermione turning to see Artemis come by.
"Professor, I heard a riot; what's going on?"
"I'm afraid she's had another fainting spell." Artemis kneeled down, gently cocking Victoria's head as she allowed a few drips of a potion from her pocket into her mouth.
She gently heaved Victoria into her arms, looking to the rest of the students.
"You'll be late for your next class; please move on." She turned, her black velvet cloak wavering as she stormed down the hallway with Jacent in her arms.