Nothing seemed to happen for the next week for Zarif. The only thing that was now different is that Hermione was refusing to speak to Harry and Ron for some reason and Malfoy looking miserable all week.
"So what's the problem?" Zarif sighs as he was about to walk by where she was sitting and stops right by her table in the common room.
"Those two constantly are breaking the rules and putting others in danger," Hermione states, willing to open up a bit as she wasn't mad at Zarif.
"What wizard or witch always isn't out there? You never get to get by without breaking a few eggs," Zarif recounts.
"How can you say that? You can't survive this world without following the rules," Hermione states. "You are just like those two troublemakers."
"I'm trying to survive based on my life," Zarif points out.
"I heard…every spell?" Hermione asks carefully.
Zarif sighs and lifts the sleeve of his right arm to show her the recent marks from practicing last night. Hermione examines it for a bit before Zarif pulls his sleeve back down and gets ready to go to the flying class.
"How are you going to live with this?" Hermione asks, watching as he left.
"Day by day seems to help," Zarif just says as he walks out of the common room while carrying his bag.
Zarif made his way down to the lawn where the lesson has been to see Merula already there alone.
"Missed something out here?" Zarif questions as he walks up and puts his bag to the side while holding out his arm and one of the training brooms shot right into his hand.
Merula glares a bit as she couldn't hide she was disappointed no one else was here beside him now right now.
"So, is the bet still on?" Zarif asks.
"You will say it to the entire class today," Merula says glaring at him now.
"I haven't told what will happen when I win," Zarif simply says.
"Why would we go into that when I am obviously going to win," Merula says.
Zarif just hums and rubs his head, partially showing his bruises to her before he drops his arm and looks around for any other students to come onto the grounds.
"Oh look. Isn't that the one who stole the spotlight with Harry last time?" Zarif asks, knowing full well it would put Malfoy in her sights.
Merula turns her gaze onto Malfoy and somehow makes him squirm under her gaze.
'Oh, you will be fun if I can keep redirecting your attention elsewhere,' Zarif thinks smiling as everyone else started to come onto the grounds.
Soon Madam Hooch came and started instructing them all and halfway through, a few of the class were in the air.
'Seems simple enough. Nothing changed about this now that I think about this,' Zarif thinks.
"Alright. Now for those in the air, you will try and fly through as many of these," Madam Hooch says conjuring up a course of multi-colored magic rings. "As fast as you can," Hooch finishes, holding a timer.
"Mr. Trazax, you will go first since you were the first into the air," Madam Hooch says.
Zarif takes a deep breath as he prepares to take off and aim towards the first ring before hearing the click of the timer and takes off. Flying through the course, he is now noticing a very major difference from the last broom he flew on before reaching the end.
"Fifty-three seconds," Madam Hooch calls.
Zarif lands on the ground and gets off his broom, joining the group of people as they wait for the next.
"Well done. That will earn you a distinction and ten points for Gryffindor," Madam Hooch says.
"Thanks," Zarif simply replied and is somewhat thankful that all the flying doesn't involve wands.
"Next, Ms. Snyde," Madam Hooch calls.
Merula smirks and gets on before quickly taking off as Madam Hooch keeps track on her timer until the high student came back and she tricked the time. "Forty-seven seconds. Very impressive. Fifteen points to Slytherin. Now Mr. Malfoy!" Madam Hooch calls up to him, showing she was still angry at him for last week.
Malfoy frowns as he prepares to take off before doing so. Zarif not caring about that as he looks to Merula and sees her smirking at him, knowing she won the bet and makes him sigh. It's going to be a long day with her, But thankfully, he was able to not show it.
"One minute and nine seconds," Madam Hooch calls.
'At least he can't brag to us both,' Zarif thinks somewhat happily.
"After class," Merula says walking past him.
Zarif just hums before sighing. 'Can't all be winners.'
One after another, the class went through the rings and got their times. Most of them in the minute to two-minute mark. And so, by the end of it, Madam Hooch dismissed them and walked off. But just when everyone was about to leave, Zarif saw Merula standing a bit away, waiting for him. Zarif gave a roll of his eyes before sighing. "Merula is the best witch ever," he says out loud and captures most of the class's attention before he walks off.
"You heard him," Merula says smirking, turning on Draco specifically seeing if he had any comments.
Zarif scoffs under his breath and returns the broom before grabbing his books to see his next class. He just hopes she doesn't get a bigger head at this. 'Guess I will have to beat her if she does get a bit of an ego,' Zarif thinks.
Zarif yawns as he tries to read up anything that has changed since he last read the theories of magic. Sitting down in the Great Hall with everyone else as they try to eat. Zarif only mildly eating away.
As the owls flooded into the Great Hall, as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls. Zarif looked up to see what the commotion was just as interested as everyone else to see what it was and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped the large parcel right in front of Harry who was sitting next to him, knocking Harry's bacon to the floor. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel. Zarif peaked over Harry's shoulder to see the letter said in bold letters, 'DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.'
Zarif raises an eyebrow at that before slowly moving his gaze around the room till he realized that only a few can make this happen and look toward the professors' table to see a few owls standing there, being petted by McGonagall. "Guess…it's an early birthday present," Zarif guesses innocently.
"A Nimbus Two Thousand," Ron moaned, enviously catching Zarif's attention as the other four from the orphanage in his year had talked about it before. "I've never even touched one," Ron adds.
The three left the hall quickly, Harry and Ron wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class and Zarif wanted to see this incredible broom for himself, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Harry and felt it. "That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Harry with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter. First years aren't allowed them."
"Oh shut up you cowardly worm," Zarif says to Malfoy cutting off Ron who was about to say something.
"Now you watch it you…" Malfoy starts.
"Cripple, or orphan, a combination of the two? I can take a few guesses of the name. But for now, shut up, let us through, and let Harry enjoy this present," Zarif lists off on his fingers. "I doubt many get a chance to ride such a broom in this day and age. And I doubt you will until you end up in a game that you could be doing, but aren't. So back off. Or else."
"Or else what?" Malfoy sneers.
Zarif stares at him before smirking. "Or I'll tell Merula that you called her a lousy witch. I am sure Merula would love to hear you three are trying to bully again," Zarif says smirking. "She doesn't like thunder stealing."
The three paled greatly, Crabbe and Goyle backing up at the suggestion.
"Come on guys. Let's get going and see what this broom looks like," Zarif says walking past the three and still smirking at them, loving the way they squirm as he notices Flitwick appearing near Malfoy's elbow.
Malfoy, seeing this, immediately tried to tattle on Harry only for Flitwick to remark he already knew.
"Now are you going to open that package or what?" Zarif asks as they get to their shared bedroom.
"Alright, alright," Harry said unwrapping it.
"Wow," Ron sighed, as the broomstick rolled onto Harry's bedspread. Zarif for one wasn't sure how to really react. Although the mahogany was shining from what he thought was wax and the engraving in gold that read 'Nimbus 2000', it looked like any old broom to him.
"Well, it's here now…don't we have double potions today?" Zarif asks.
"Oh no," Ron groans.
"Guess we have to wait to see this broom in action later," Zarif sighs.
"We best run before Snape gives us detention," Ron says quickly.
"Better hide that. I'll try to stall and see if I can win over Snape for a bit," Zarif says grabbing his bag and runs off.
"In the trunk," Ron quickly says as Zarif leaves.
Zarif quickly heads down to the potions classroom. Running past many of the students and goes down into the dungeons. Finding that some of the students are already in class. And there is Snape walking to the class. 'Oh, shit…okay. How to distract? Someone made a mess? No. That would only piss him off. Oh, wait!' Zarif runs up to Snape and slides right in front of him. "Professor," Zarif says bowing to him as he tries to come up with the next few words.
"Yes, Mr. Trazax?" Snape asks, nearly sneering.
Zarif clears his throat a bit. "I am wondering if you can help teach me more about the potions we have learned in the past. I am sure a very skilled professor such as yourself would love to have to teach such a student as myself your fine arts."
"Hum…well, I suppose I can give you some advice," Snape says.
Zarif smiles a little as he sees Harry and Ron quietly sneak into the class. "Please do. It would be nice to learn from the master of potions and what should have been defense spells."
"Then join Ms. Snyde at her table at the front. Also, Potter, Weasley, why are you late?" Snape asks turning to them.
'Dammit…maybe a charm on his class,' Zarif thinks as he walks off to the potions table.
"Two points from Gryffindor, each," Snape informs after hearing their excuse.
Zarif sighs as he rubs his forehead and stays behind the table and looks slightly to the side to see the certain ego boosted girl who smirks at him and looks away annoyed at her now.
"Knowledge in potions?" Zarif asks.
"I am the best," Merula repeats his words back at him.
'Oh boy,' Zarif thinks.
Working with this girl was now a nightmare. Especially since he played dumb and now has to follow everything she did. He almost hates the fact he has to suck up to Snape to get those guys out. They really now owe him as he gave a glare to the two.
"Today we will be making the Wiggenweld potion," Snake informs.
"Oh, a healing potion," Zerif mutters as he starts to get out his stuff.
"Don't be so coy," Merula reminds as she gets her own supplies out as well. "Ok. Check and see if we have these ingredients. Salamander blood," Merula says.
Zarif sighs and looks through the ingredients. "Yes," he says finding the vial.
"Lionfish spines?"
"Check." Finding the bag.
"Flobberworm mucus?"
"Here." Finding another vial.
"And honey water?" Zarif asks.
"Here." An orange vial is picked up and looked at.
"We are ready then," Zarif says looking up from the book.
"Then watch and learn," Merula says doing the initial parts.
Zarif watches and waits as she keeps going until he stops her. "Wait. Five more lionfish spines then flubber mucus," Zarif says stopping her.
"Excuse me?" Merula states.
"You use ten, not five," Zarif says, showing her the book real quick so she can read it.
Merula peeks at the book before sighing and grabbing five more and continues to work with a scowl on her face now.
Zarif inwardly sighs in relief as there were no more slip-ups as the potion turned a dark green at the end and Snape came over to check the results.
"It seems you were right in needing help. Though, it does show how inadequate you are in potion making. Though you recognize this and even asking for help…five points for Gryffindor and ten points to Slytherin," Snape says before walking off as Merula smirks over at Zarif who rolls his eyes and shuts his book.
From that day on, Snape decides to make his and Merula's pairing in class a permanency. From there, Harry started going to Quidditch practice instead of studying or doing homework with Zarif and Ron.
But that didn't matter to Zarif at the moment. He knows that some form of other activity such as Quidditch practice will keep Harry busy. So he decides to focus on doing his spells. And right now, it is illumination spells in charms. Unfortunately, for what he thought was simple enough spells that won't knock his arm back, he was dead wrong. Every cast in class was making a large recoil on him. Enough to send his wand or arm, if he was holding onto his wand taught enough, flying. It actually started to put a strain on his muscles and bones now, but he hopes his casting arm will get used to this abuse soon enough. However, he did feel his arm being stopped in place by another spell and he could not figure it out at one point before it went back to normal.
This showed his extra classes were needed to his chargin and now word was getting around about his handicap. Which the Slytherins found funny till he showed he was not intimidated by any of them and even said they have too much free time of being failures as they were there trying to bully him instead of improving themselves.
Of course, the fourth year he said this to didn't take to kindly to it and hit him with the flipendo spell right in front of Snape and boy, did he got angry at that. He deducted fifty points from Slytherin and gave the student a month of detention to boot. Snape didn't show it outward, but anyone who knew him could tell Snape was nearly steaming with anger.
From there, Slytherins started to shy away from this as their own head of house disapproved greatly of it and had even taken house points away. Zerif also noticed himself seeing a lot of Snape seemingly at random. After that time seemed to fly and soon it was Halloween day.
"You are really lucky," Ron says at charms.
"How so?" Zarif asks as Flitwick was about to start teaching.
"Malfoy and the other guys aren't bothering you anymore. How did you get so lucky?" Ron asks, almost if searching for his secret.
"The reason why is watching us," Zarif whispered, making Ron look up to see Merula watching them.
"So…getting bullied, huh?" Ron asks.
"She isn't bad. You just have to distract her before she starts," Zarif says as he works with his partner Neville.
They all stopped when Flitwick tried to get their attention. "I have exciting news today class. I think you all are now ready to learn how to make things fly with the Wingardium Leviosa spell," Flitwick says using his wand to cast the spell on Trevor, Neville's toad, making him fly around like a puppet before landing him back beside Neville unhurt, but looking a bit excited.
"Ribbit."
"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual to observe the entire class. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important too, never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."
"Still hilarious," Zarif says smiling as he picks up his wand. The wrist movement he found not to difficult, having practiced it several times with Flitwick in the extra classes, but he hadn't tried casting the spell itself.
"Wingardium Leviosaw."
"Wingardium Leviosaw."
"Wingardium Leviosaw."
"Wingardium Leviosaw."
"Wingardium Leviosaw," Ron tries to say as he ends up flicking his wand hard at the quill in front of him.
"You might want to stop before you break it," Zarif warns as he keeps doing the motions with his wand, but still not casting the spell. Working up the nerve to endure the coming pain.
"Then how do you say it?" Ron asks and Hermione was about to start before seeing him grip his wand hard and make the motion.
"It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-say, make the 'gar' nice and long," Hermione says before showing him, sending the quill into the air.
"Wingardium Leviosa," Zarif says and aims it at his quill before grunting quietly as his arm reels back a little and makes the quill flat before lifting his arm up slowly and watches it float in the air. "That's how you say it," he says before letting go of his wand and the quill drops, gripping his arm tightly. 'Steady stream spells actually keep it clenched up like that? Shit!'
By the end of class, Zarif headed out with Ron and Harry. Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class. "It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly."
Zarif was going to say something about this before someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Harry caught a glimpse of her face and was startled to see that she was in tears. "I think she heard you," Harry points out.
"So?" Ron said, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."
'Let it go Zarif. Punching him in the nose will solve nothing,' Zarif thinks rubbing his temple.
Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Harry and Ron overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone. Ron looked still more awkward at this, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations put Hermione out of their minds.
"Almost like a real party," Zarif commented.
A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the floating pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.
"Pardon me," Zarif says a bit hungry now as he goes to find a seat with a good selection he might like.
Zarif dug right into the helpings of baked potato, lamb, and form ribs while many others were eating on the sweets and Halloween candies.
'Way better than most of the meals I had at the…maybe that explains why we never celebrated,' Zarif thinks as he remembers how the time at the orphanage was with holidays that he hears from the other kids.
Zarif keeps eating as Ron and Harry found their own places than in ran Quirrell. "TROLLLLLL! IN THE DUNGEON!" he yelled running halfway to the professors' table where Dumbledore had stood up. "Thought you should know," he said before collapsing forward.
'Okay…who faints forward?' Zarif asks himself as he grabs another piece of rib while every other student starts to scream and run out of the Great Hall. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence and turn everyone to him.
"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!" Dumbledore instructed and Percy smirked as he was in his element.
"Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect," Percy said as everyone started to follow him besides Zarif who stayed behind and went to Flitwick while the rest of the professors had left for the dungeon except Snape.
"Professor," Zarif says.
"Zarif, you should really leave with the others," Flitwick almost orders with worry.
"Professor, I heard Hermione was in the girl's bathroom on the first floor. She wasn't here and may not know about the troll," Zarif informs, making the professor pale.
"Oh, dear," Flitwick says about to run off to check this.
"Professor, I can get Hermione, while you head down with the rest," Zarif says.
"And if you face the troll?" Flitwick asks worried, looking at his arm.
"Well, if it's in the dungeon with all of you, then I don't think I will and if I did, I am sure I can outrun or outsmart it," Zarif insists.
"I am not sure on that. Especially if you need a spell," Flitwick says worriedly.
"Well, you're needed to fight the troll and who else will know and think to go get her?" Zarif aks.
Flitwick hums to himself for a moment before sighing. "Very well. Make it quick and get back to your common room," Flitwick instructs.
Zarif only ran off as quick as he could towards the bathroom. After making it out the main hall, someone grabs his robe sleeve, stopping him in his tracks. "What the…?" Zarif stops and turns to see Merula standing there and not looking happy. "You can bully me later. Right now, I got a friend to save."
"Where are you off to?" Merula asks.
"…you know what…I could use your help," Zarif says.
"With that troll? Really?" Merula almost demands.
"No. It's my friend Hermione. Last I heard, she is still in the girl's bathroom on this floor, crying after something Ron said," Zarif informs.
"That's his fault for putting her there," Merula states.
"Yeah. He was a jerk who said something in anger but do you want her to be possibly found by the troll?" Zarif asks.
Merula sighs and hangs her head. "Fine. Let's get going. You're going to get killed anyway."
With Merula in tow, Zarif made his way to the bathroom where he gestured for her to go in. "Please be nice about it," Zarif says.
Merula sighs and went inside shutting the door behind her and Zarif waited. He kept waiting till he heard heavy footsteps before quickly rushing inside. "I think the troll is coming this way," he whispers quietly to the two girls. "One word needed, how are you?"
"Fine…we can't hide much," Hermione whispers back.
"Find somewhere," Zarif says before looking around seeing only the stalls were the only thing that could conceal something from view. "I really wish I had an invisibility cloak or some spell that could do the same right now," Zarif mutters to himself as all three got into a stall together to hide.
They stay quiet until they hear heavy thumping and then groaning, a very gruff groaning, coming into the room. They all press themselves against the wall and listen as the door closes behind it and then a click. Zarif blinks and slowly looks at the two girls. "Did the door just lock?" he whispers.
"If I survive this, the one who did that is dead," Merula whispers.
"I'll help hide the body," Zarif adds before quieting when they hear the thumping getting closer to them. The three then heard a tapping and Zarif's eyes widen and pull both to the ground as a club smashes the stalls and causes both girls to scream.
"Hermione!" a familiar voice calls.
"Move! Crawl!" Zarif orders and pushes both of them as he moves a piece of wood off of him and sees the large bumbling troll raising its club. He quickly rolls out of the way as it crashes where he was and crawls the other way.
"Hey! Peabrain!" another familiar voice calls and a piece of wood hits the troll in the head, distracting it as it stupidly takes a moment before turning to see where it had come from.
"How about some spell to knock it over?!" Zarif demands as he moves around the troll. "And not for knocking out," Zarif adds.
The five proceeded to have a frantic struggle with the troll with, to Zarif and Merula's astonishment, Harry had at some point climbed onto the troll and stuck his wand up its nose. The troll started to swing a bit wide now, smashing sinks before Ron cried the first spell that came to his mind. "Wingardium Leviosa!"
The troll somehow loses its grip on the club and looks dumbly confused at its hand before looking upward and staring at the floating club. "Hey. You figured it out," Zarif adds jokingly as the club falls and bonks the troll on its head.
Merula hits it with the flipendo spell from behind, hoping to hurt it as it became unsteady and fell forward unconscious.
"Not bad at all…now who wants to leave before the professors find this mess and we are in it?" Zarif adds at the end quickly.
Zarif and Merula watched as Harry got to his feet. He still was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done. The silence lasted a few moments before Hermione finally broke it. "Is it dead?"
"I don't think so. I think it's just been knocked out," Harry says as he bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy gray glue.
"Urgh…troll boogers," Ron said as Harry wiped it on the troll's trousers.
Zarif, seeing this, walks up before kicking it to see if it responds, but got nothing. 'Too different than back then.'
Soon the sound of loud multiple steps was heard as the faculty arrived. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart. Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at Ron and Harry.
Zarif wishes he could have disappeared for the second time that night and it seemed Merula did as well from her expression as they never saw McGonagall look so angry. Her lips were even white. "What on earth were you thinking of?" Professor McGonagall started, with cold fury in her voice. Harry looked at Ron, who was still standing with his wand in the air. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"
Snape gave Harry a swift, piercing look before slowing turning his head, catching others in the corner of his vision. Zarif, seeing this, nervously waves at him and Merula pales now.
"McGonagall," Snape says trying to get her attention to where he was looking.
"Mr. Trazax and Ms. Snyde?! You too?" McGonagall says before noticing Hermione.
"Well…we came here looking for Hermione as she was not at the feast and I had heard earlier that she was crying in the bathroom and wanted to be left alone," Zarif informs, quickly stopping her and making some of her anger fades.
"We came here to grab her and run back to the common rooms. We were about to do so when Zarif heard the troll outside and rushed in to hide," Merula adds, trying to talk their way out of this situation.
"Is this true Ms. Granger?" Snape asks.
"Yes professor," Hermione says.
"And I told professor Flitwick about this before we came and basically said it would be ok if we were getting Hermione and not go after the troll. Which we did until the troll came out of the dungeon and…how did it get into the castle anyway?" Zarif asks, trying to use misdirection on them as he does with Merula all the time.
"Don't change the subject Mr. Trazax," McGonagall instructs before he nervously chuckles.
"Look, we just saved a student here and took down a troll. Can we at least gain some leeway?" Merula asks.
"With a professor's permission," Ron adds.
"Very well then…five points to all four of you for sheer dumb luck," McGonagall says.
'I couldn't have put it any better,' Zarif thinks sighing.
"Well then, all five of you, off to your common rooms," McGonagall instructs.
"Don't need to tell me twice," Zarif mutters as they all run past.
At the staircase, Zarif stopped this time, grabbing Merula's sleeve as she had earlier before she ran into the dungeon.
"Yes?" Merula asks, turning to him and snatching her sleeve back.
"Thanks. You didn't have to come with me to help so thanks, Merula," Zarif says genuinely.
Merula raises an eyebrow and keeps watching him. "Really?"
"Yes," Zarif says simply. "In fact," Zarif says checking if they were alone first. "As thanks, I will let you in on a secret," Zarif says before snapping his fingers and a will o' wisp appeared at the end of his index finger. "I am only handicapped when it comes to using magic with a wand."
Merula stares at the will o' wisp as it floats around before Zarif raises his other fingers and four more appear before he closed his hand into a fist again and all five go out and head up the steps towards the toward his common room is.