Renae awoke the next morning to find the other girls already up and moving. She looked at her watch, groaned, and let her head flop back down on the bed.
"Six in the morning…," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "Bloody hell…"
The previous night came flooding back to her. She had been sorted into Slytherin, apart from her friends and family in Gryffindor. After the dreadfully long feast, Renae followed the other Slytherins down to their dungeon common room. She had pulled on a pair of p.j. pants and lay on her bed until late that night, having to endure her roommates, Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, and Sally-Anne "Sara" Perks, gossip about how the boys were turning out. Renae had almost decided on sleeping in the common room when snores replaced their high-pitched and extremely irksome voices.
"Hey, she's up," Sara said.
"Well, well, well…," said Pansy, curling her hair with her wand. "Good morning, Miss Italia. Breakfast is at eight, so you might want to start getting ready." (see picture here… http/ long have you guys b-b-been up?" Renae asked, failing to stifle a yawn.
"Since five," said Pansy simply, now putting on thick layers of eye-shadow.
"Doing what, do I dare ask?"
"Preparing," said Sara. "Only the beautiful survive in this place."
"You're going to need more than a couple of hours to survive then," Renae mumbled darkly.
"Do you want me to do your hair?" Sara asked, piling Renae's hair on top of her head.
"No thanks, I'm good," she said.
Renae got out of bed and stretched. Sitting on a chair next her four-poster bed was a Slytherin uniform, complete with a silver and green tie. She grabbed her clothes, brush, and toothbrush and headed into the bathroom, off to the side of her room. Renae changed into her uniform and laughed at her reflection. Smiling, she brushed her long hair and pulled it into a half-ponytail. After brushing every one of her teeth, she put her things back in her room and grabbed her backpack. It was now almost seven o'clock. Renae proceeded down to the common room and took a seat on one of the leather couches. A few minutes later, Pansy sat down next to her. For a moment, they both stared into the fireplace. Pansy broke the silence.
"Look," she said in a business-like tone. "I love Millie and Sara to death, but… you see, Millie's not the type who'd go get her nails done with me and Sara's a little… too intense for me, even as girlie as I am."
"And?"
"I want us to be friends," she said. "You seem pretty cool and I think we would be a good mix."
"Well, not many people will just pop up and want to be my friend," Renae sighed. "I guess I have to start somewhere."
"Yes!" Pansy shrieked. She pulled Renae into a bone-shattering hug and ran up the stairs.
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph," Renae muttered. "What have I gotten myself into?"
"…and if it's really cold or something, we can just stay in and do each other's nails!" Pansy giggled.
"Great," Renae said. She grabbed a few more pancakes and began adding syrup.
"How many of those are you going to eat?" asked Sara, incredulously.
"I don't know," Renae shrugged. "Maybe like… six. I didn't eat at all yesterday."
"Sixth years! We need to work out your schedules! Gather 'round!"
Professor McGonagall arrived at the end of the Slytherin table, carrying a pile of parchment. Renae jumped in line with Pansy, Sara, and Millicent. When it was Renae's turn, McGonagall smiled.
"Ah, yes… Miss Cantera," she said, pulling out Renae's grades. "Let's see… 'Outstanding' in Herbology, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration" -her eyes twinkled- "and Potions. You received 'Exceeds Expectations in Care of Magical Creatures and Astronomy… yes, that's all very excellent indeed. It looks like Miss Granger will have some competition. Would you like to drop any classes?"
"Just the last two, thanks," Renae said. She took her schedule.
"You look exactly like your mother," McGonagall said suddenly. "Spitting image. I met with your mother when she gave me you and your siblings' grades. She was a dancer, correct?"
Renae nodded.
"And you're just the same," she continued. "Long legs… dainty arms… grace. But your father said you were built for Quidditch. I knew him well. I trust you will be trying out for Chaser this year?"
"Probably," Renae said. "Professor, shouldn't you finish handing out schedules?"
"What- oh, yes!" she said. "Thank you, Miss Cantera. I shall see you in my class… on Wednesday."
"Thanks, Professor."
"Renae sat back down and looked at her schedule… free period, Defense Against the Dark Arts, break, free period, lunch, free period, Potions… an easy day, no doubt.
"Oh, you're lucky," Pansy said. "I only passed three of my O.W.L.'s…"
"Yeah, well…" said Renae. "I've always been good in school and stuff."
"Well, I'd better get going then," Pansy sighed. "I have Charms next…"
She departed from the table, her head hung. Renae felt a tad sorry for her. It was just natural for Renae to be smart, she couldn't help it. Failure was no option for her, and her mother made sure of that. Renae swallowed the last of her orange juice and went back to the common room… maybe she could get some more sleep…
"The Dark Arts are many, ever-changing, and- why, how nice of you to join us, Miss Cantera."
"I'm so sorry Professor, you see, I got lost and-"
"Quite understandable," said Snape lightly.
Renae had indeed gotten lost. It wasn't until she ran into Sara, who was skipping class to meet some guy named Blaise Zabini. She had pointed Renae in the right direction and she had quietly entered the room, feeling nervous.
She started towards the table where Hermione was sitting, intending to take the empty seat next to her, but-
"I think there is a seat next to Mister Malfoy, Renae," Snape said smoothly.
Renae turned about-face and walked straight towards his white-blonde head and took a seat. She put her bag down next to her and stared attentively at Snape.
"Now… we shall be starting on nonverbal spells. What advantage do nonverbal spells have?"
Renae and Hermione's hands shot up. Snape ignored Hermione's hand, which was feverishly waving around in the air.
"Yes, Cantera?"
"The person on the other end of your wand won't know what you're doing," she said clearly. "You can do stuff behind their back and they won't know what hit them."
"Precisely," said Snape. "Ten points for Slytherin. Now, you will divide into pairs and attempt to jinx your partner without speaking. Then, they will do the same. Get to it."
Renae stood up and looked around. Hermione was partnering Neville and Ron and Harry, of course, were staring at each other, wands pointed at each other, and attempting to stifle their laughter. Renae turned back towards Draco.
"I guess we're partners then," she said.
"Yeah, sure…," he replied, not looking at her.
They took their places and raised their wands. Draco was to be trying the nonverbal spell first. He stared, unblinkingly, at Renae, who stared back, waiting. Twenty minutes passed and still, nothing happened. Renae's arm was starting to fall asleep when Draco sighed and lowered his wand.
"You do it," he said exasperatedly.
Renae raised her wand and looked intently at Draco. She pictured him falling backwards onto the floor and thought "Stupefy!" in her head.
A red light issued from Renae's wand hit Draco in the chest. His eyes closed and he fell back with a crash as his head hit a chair.
"Shit!" Renae whispered.
"Well done Miss Cantera!" said Snape. "Twenty points to Slytherin! Miss Cantera? What's wrong?"
"When I Stunned him, his head hit the chair," she said timidly, biting her nails.
"Take him up to the Hospital Wing, then," said Snape.
"Uh…"
"Oh, that's right… Potter! Accompany Miss Cantera to the Hospital Wing… oh, and help her carry him, I don't think she can…," Snape said to Harry.
"I can, too!" Renae said. She picked him up, bride-style, and walked over to the door. "Harry- door, please!"
"Oh, right," he said, opening the door for her. She followed him through a tapestry and up a flight of stairs. Harry looked awkwardly at her.
"Are you sure you can carry him?" he asked.
"Of course!" she said, panting as she climbed the last step. "Is this it?"
"Yeah," Harry said. He opened another door to reveal a large room, lined with beds. A woman came out from the back room and rushed towards them.
"Good heavens, what happened to him?" she asked.
"She Stunned him and his head hit a chair, Madam Pomfrey," Harry explained.
"Lovely, now he's bleeding," Renae said as blood oozed out of Draco's head and onto her shoulder. "Can I put him down somewhere?"
"Oh, yes, right over here," Madam Pomfrey said, pointing to a bed.
Renae laid him down and muttered a spell to remove the blood from her robes. She brushed a strand of white-blond hair out of his grey eyes. Madam Pomfrey hurried back into her office and returned, carrying a bottle of purple liquid, a cloth, and her wand. She moved past Harry and Renae and poured some of the purple liquid onto the rag and began to dab at his bleeding head.
"So, you actually Stunned him without saying anything?" Harry asked, breaking the silence.
"Yeah," said Renae, staring at Draco's blank face. "It's really easy. I've been able to do it for months."
"Really?"
"Really," she laughed. "My mother was out of town and I came down with a bad case of Laryngitis. My brothers, of course, were hell, and I couldn't say any spells to make them shut up. So I just… thought them. You have to picture what's going to happen, clearly, and then think the spell."
"You figured that out on your own?"
"Basically… my mom could do it, so I tried it out."
"He's been knocked out, dears," Madam Pomfrey said. "He's not Stunned any more, but it will be a little while before he comes around. You might want to go grab his books for him."
Renae and Harry headed back down to the classroom, as Madam Pomfrey said. They opened the door to find it just the way it was; no one could perform a nonverbal spell, except Hermione.
"He's been knocked out, Professor," Renae said as she closed the door behind them. "Madam Pomfrey told me to grab his stuff and bring it up."
"Very well," Snape said. "Potter, you can stay here. Miss Cantera is capable of going by herself now."
Renae exited the room and trumped back up to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey was fixing bandages around Draco's head.
"You can just drop those here, by the bed," she said.
"Thanks."
Renae placed his bag at the foot of his bed and looked at his expressionless face. A booming bell rang and she hurried back to the classroom to get her books. She met up with Harry and Ron outside the room and walked out into the fresh air. Hermione had rushed off to the library to get a head start on her Arithmancy homework.
"That was absolutely brilliant, 'Nae," Ron said. They sat beneath a beech tree to the side of the lake.
"What?"
"Jinxing Malfoy!" he said. "Harry told me what you said."
"Cool," Renae replied, pulling a piece of grass off of her robes. "What classes do you guys have next?"
"Hold on…," Harry said, reaching for his schedule. "We have the same ones!"
"Excellent!" Ron and Renae said.
"Oh, is this going to be fun…," Renae laughed. "This is going to be hell for the teachers. Oh well…"
Reviews!
Paprika90- thanx and a bunch of grapes! Lol. Randomness. Yea I read book 6. it rox. Lol… of course she wouldn't be in Gryffindor! But youll find out why in a few chapters… hehehe…