Chapter Ten: A Friend in Need
Snow was falling outside the castle, it was only a few days from Christmas and everyone was looking forward to the upcoming ball.
From the time Tesania's sisters had arrived the school had been buzzing about the new beauties, and everyone did not forget to mention Tesania.
A group of students stood by their secret opening to their common room talking.
"I heard they weren't really sisters to Nightshade because for one they don't look like each other and their skin tone is completely different." said the taller girl with brown hair stood by a taller, but plump boy. "Don't you agree Ernie?"
"Hannah, you know I don't. If Dumbledore says they are sisters, then I believe they are." Hannah scowled at Ernie's remark. "I'm sorry Hannah, but I don't."
"Fine, but I still don't think they are sisters."
"Well what if they have different mothers? Or different fathers?" asked one of the girls next to Hannah. Hannah looked down.
"I guess that's possible."
"I don't care about you guys say. The three of them of fucking beauties." said one of the guys next to Ernie. The girls scowled, but all he did was shrug and raise his hands and gave them an innocent smile.
"Yeah, but you're kind of shit out of luck of going out with any of them." said one of the elder girls.
"Yeah and why is that?" he asked.
"Two reasons, one, I do believe Tesania Nightshade is going out with Draco Malfoy, and two, they're all Slytherins." The guy quieted down after that. She was right and she laid it down flat for him.
Tesania and her sisters walked to their morning class together. They had Divination inside this time, because of the snow. So they climbed all the way up to the tower where Professor Trelawney had taught. It was pretty high and had many steps so they took them rather slow.
They reached the top and sat down at a round table with Hermione. Even though Hermione did not like the class she was told that she needed to take it in order to pass the last Exams and become an official witch.
"Hi Hermione." said Asef and Lilith at the same time. Tesania sat Hermione's left side and Asef sat on her right, leaving Lilith to sit across from her.
"Hi you guys. How was your weekend? I didn't see you very often."
"Oh, we were either in the library or in our common room." responded Lilith, smiling.
"Well, we also ate as well, and used the bathroom. So we were other places too." said Asef. Hermione smiled and then saw that the teacher had finally walked in.
Firenze looked at all the students and smiled softly. Their morning lessons had finally begun and everyone was curious to know what the next chapter held.
"Alright students, today we will be Mind Channeling, meaning you will be learning to channel into peoples thoughts. But I will warn you now. If I hear or find out in anyway that people are invading others thoughts without their permission, I will give a three weeks detention. If your try and enter someone's mind, they will know, because they will be able to feel your mind in them." Pansy raised her hand. Firenze turned to her and nodded, giving her permission to speak.
"So then what is the point of us learning this?"
"I was given instructions by Professor Dumbledore to teach you for self defense. By learning how to mind channel, you will be able to go through peoples memories and use them to your advantage." Firenze walked to the center of the classroom and began speaking again.
"Mind channeling is one of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named strong point…"
"So we're learning too defend our self from him?" asked Draco. Tesania looked at him and knew he was being sarcastic because she knew all about his family. From only being here for only a few months, she learned a lot about him in so many ways.
"Yes and no, Mr. Malfoy. This would also be a good defense against other wizards who tend to do wrong." Firenze went back to looking at the rest of the class, his tail swishing while he spoke. "I will also be able to teach you how to actually defend yourself with mind channeling. You will be able to force your opponent away from you by forcing your way into his or her mind. It will cause pain if they are pushing you out and you are pushing harder." Tesania looked up at the professor and thought for a moment. There was something she wanted to ask but she couldn't remember it now.
"Professor, do you actually think we will need this in our future?" asked Asef with her hand raised. She lowered it and then smiled softly.
Tesania gave a scowled look at her sister and then turned back to the professor who was promptly answering her question.
'That was the question I was going to ask.' thought Tesania.
"It always best to be prepared Ms. Nightshade." He looked at the sisters and gave a half ass smile. Hermione who was actually listening instead of raising her hand for answers had remained silent through the whole thing until now.
"Ummm, professor, are we going to learn about it now?" He nodded his head and gave a small cough to clear his throat.
"Alright, I want all of you to partner up." There was a bustle of movement of students trying to find partners. Tesania partnered up with Lilith and Hermione partnered up with Asef.
Draco looked over and saw that Tesania was already taken by one of her sisters and so he partnered up with Zabini, Crabbe and Goyle partnered with each other.
"Have you found out anything else about her?" asked Draco to Zabini.
"No, not much. Only that the other two girls are her half sisters from her father. They have different mothers."
"How do you find out this stuff?" asked Draco astonished that he could find out things that he or anyone else shouldn't know.
"Same way you did before you met Nightshade." Zabini smirked at the look on Draco's face. Draco knew damn well how he used to be before he had met Tesania. He was clever, sly, ruthless to the weak, liked to taunt, destroy things, steal and piss off the teachers. Now that he actually thought about it, he thought himself a pussy, and he didn't like it, but was he willing to go back to his old ways and threaten to lose Tesania? He shook his head, he'd think about it later.
"Alright now I want you to look at her partners face and concentrate. When you look into their eyes, I want you to stare at their pupils and even farther than that, look past their pupils. So concentrate on the color of them." Firenze paced back and forth in the classroom. "When you have successfully done this and you have had enough concentration, you will feel like you are being pulled into darkness. Now the other person will try and keep their minds blank of thoughts and memories. When you have successfully been submerge in the mind challenging all you will see is black, or at least you're supposed to, if you are seeing images, then you are seeing the other person's memories, if you are hearing words, then you are hearing their thoughts."
Draco looked at Zabini.
"You wanna go first?" he asked him.
"First for what? Being peered into or the one doing the peering?" He smirked. Draco smirked back and rolled his eyes.
"Ass. The one doing the peering." Zabini nodded and then turned fully to him. Zabini and Draco both concentrated, but then burst out laughing like other students for trying to keep a straight face, but couldn't.
Asef was the one looking into Hermione. She did really well at keeping a straight face and for that Hermione was doing well also. If Asef had broken out laughing she would have as well, but the one thing she was having trouble with, was blocking out her memories, she tried her best. She hoped that Asef had missed them when she was finally able to clear her mind. Asef had indeed though caught those memories, but as shocking and disturbing as they were, she still kept a straight face.
Class was soon over and Firenze had told them that they were staying on this for awhile, so there was no real rush at figuring out how to do it perfectly.
Asef walked close to Tesania and Lilith. As soon as they were alone, she finally spoke to Tesania.
"She's your friend right?"
"Who?" she asked.
"Hermione Granger."
"Yeah why?"
"There's something wrong. She's being abused by her family."
"What are you talking about, she says that her parents are perfect and they're dentists."
"Tes, I saw in her mind before, I read her thoughts and I saw them. She was hoping that I didn't see them, but I did. She's being hurt." Tesania turned to her sister after stopping and looked at her. Asef knew what she was doing. She was looking into her mind to see the images herself. When she did here eyes became very teary and fear gripped her. She was afraid her friend was being hurt over the maximum of what a human could tolerate. Being beaten with belts and large metal utensils. Smacked to the point of unconsciousness. She would have to tell Professor Dumbledore tomorrow. It was getting too late now and she was over tired from all of the work.
"You better talk to Dumbledore tomorrow otherwise I will." said Asef. Tesania nodded and Lilith grabbed a hold of her right arm and Asef her left and the three continued on their way to their common room.
Draco walked out from behind the corner with Zabini. The two looking very confused.
"Why are they sticking up for Granger?" asked Zabini.
"Because Granger made friends with Tesania the first day she came here. I owe Granger for helping me with Tesania, besides Granger actually stuck up for me, that's why I owe her." Zabini looked at him questionably.
"So what are you planning to do?"
"I think I'm going to have my dad have them put in a muggle jail. That way I don't owe her anymore. I hate having the knowledge that I owe a Gryffindor."
"Wow, you're really going to help her. Good luck with convincing your father; your mother I see you having a chance at convincing, but not your father and besides isn't he in Azkaban?" Draco looked down and then up.
"That's right, I forgot. Damn. Yeah I'll ask my mom tonight because all Dumbledore will do is look upon the situation and try doing the noble thing instead of the right thing." Zabini nodded his head in agreement. He and Draco walked back down the corridor to the Owlry to send Draco's mother a message explaining what was going on: How he was going out with Tesania, how Tesania's friend was a Gryffindor and that even though he would hate helping a Gryffindor, it was for his girlfriend, and he apologized to his mother for making her help a Gryffindor, but if it meant putting a Gryffindors family in jail and in trouble, even if for a good cause, it was worth it.