Chapter 4

School begins

The first day was as she had expected. They all met up in the great hall for breakfast, just as the postage owls flew in. Beth didn't even bother to look up, as she sat down to spoon out some porridge.

Malfoy was sitting with them again, talking animatedly to Nott, just as some sixth year Griffindors passed the table. All Beth's friends looked at them, as they passed, and sneered, when their 'chief' as Beth liked to call him, looked up.

Markus Potter was a fine build, as fine as Griffindors went. He strode with a kind of assurance that made even a Slytherin think twice before hexing him. His dark brown eyes and prominent black, messy hair, made him nearly as popular with the girls as Avery, maybe even more so.

He looked up with contempt, as some of his gang started to draw their wands.

"No," they heard him murmur, "not here, later!"

Edecombe, who had drawn his wand, let it slip into his robes once more.

"Am I guessing correctly, when I say that you are planning a small get together?" Avery asked, his eyes glinting.

"If you mean, us hexing you into oblivion, then yes, I guess you could call it that." Potter answered smoothly.

"Oh, lovely," Avery's smile turned into a grimace, "I can't wait." And he stood up suddenly, facing Potter chest to chest. Both stared at each other in hatred, but Potter backed down, and walked away, muttering again, "not here!" as his frisky friend pulled out his wand yet again.

Eliza looked curiously at Beth, as they made their way toward the entrance hall after breakfast. She seemed nervous, yet anticipated as she walked toward the great marble stair case.

Beth followed, but looked around, expecting Potters attack any moment. But it did not occur. The day passed as a normal school day did, the teachers welcoming them to their classes, and warning them of the exceptional workload for sixth years, that lay ahead.

Beth was bored by the second speech, when the transfiguration teacher, Professor Dumbledore pressed the importance of doing their homework, and practicing every night before they went to bed.

"As if we haven't got anything better to do," Eliza yawned, and Cassandra giggled from her other side.

Beth didn't feel like listening to Dumbledore either. He was an annoyingly precise kind of teacher, whom they often saw roaming the corridors, when they where out with the gang.

"So what do you think Tom wants to talk to us about?" Eliza whispered.

"I have no idea," Beth answered, quickly concealing the note that had just been passed to her, by Avery under the table.

She unfolded it there, slowly, trying not to make a sound. It read:

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HEADING POTTER OFF AFTER LUNCH, AND ASKING HIM EXACTLY WHAT HIS PROBLEM IS?

Beth nudged Eliza and showed her the note who then passed it on to Cassandra. Both of them nodded, and she turned around and gave Avery, who was sitting two rows behind them, next to Longbottom, the thumbs up.

Sadly it wasn't them, who found Potters gang, but Potter who found them. Just as the lunch bell rang, and all the students filed into the entrance hall in order to get to the great hall for lunch, Potter swept in front of Beth, blocking her path.

"Now, you useless peace of snake hive,' she yelled, "what the hell is your problem?"

"My problem is you," Potter retorted, pulling out his wand and standing quite still.

Beth was confused, what had she done to piss Potter off this much?

"Yesterday, when you hexed Hagrid," Potter jugged her memory, "that was really low."

Students started to make a ring around them, josteling and craning theis necks for a better view.

"Oh that!" Beth exclaimed, "see if I care," she spat, and pulled out her wand as well. She could feel her friends doing the same behind her, just as Potters gang did behind him.

"How would you care, if I did it to you, you stupid bitch?" He yelled and pointed his wand at Beth, but did not say an incantation.

At that moment, he gazed into her eyes, and Beth felt an awful pain in her chest, just as the first curse hit her in the stomach.

It had come from Grey, who stood behind Potter.

"You coward!" Beth heard Nott cry, as he in turn shot a curse toward the Griffindors.

This was the excuse everyone had been waiting for. Both parties started to hex each other, some dueling in the proper way, others like Malfoy, hitting people in the back when they weren't looking.

Beth stood up, slowly recovering from the stunning spell. Hexes and spells of all colors and sizes, whooshed past her, as she struggled to find her opponent.

Her throat horse with anger, as she began to rain hexes onto Potter, as may and as varied as she could think of.

Being the exceptional wizard he was, he deflected most of her spells, and only the body locking charm hit him fully. But one of his friends knew the counter curse, and he was facing her in a flash.

"I can't believe you started this without me," Tom's voice said, just above Beths right ear.

Tom Riddle was standing behind her, flicking his wand lazily. Suddenly all the Griffindors fell to the ground in a full body lock, all of them completely immobile.

"Tom?" Beth gasped, and turned around instantly. Sure enough Riddle stood there, eyes a dazzling shade of light grey. Smiling he pointed at Potter, "next time I will let you finish him off." With that he strode away, robes billowing out behind him.