"She did what?" Samantha asked, her jaw on the floor.
"Took one hundred and fifty points from Gryffindor," Hermione said. Neville whimpered.
"I'm going to bed," he said, and left up the stairs.
Samantha didn't know how to respond. She walked to sit next to Harry, and Max followed, sitting between her and Hermione.
"We'll never win to Slytherin now," said Max.
"How could she- from her own-?" Samantha asked, her hand now over her mouth.
"Should've taken two hundred points from Malfoy," Harry muttered. "We were only trying to help a friend."
"We can't tell her that, though, because then Hagrid'll get in trouble for keeping an illegal dragon," Hermione said.
"So we've gotta accept Slytherin winning for the three hundredth year in a row?" Samantha asked, standing up again.
"I don't know what we could possibly do to earn a hundred and fifty points back in two months," Leslie replied.
"We could- we could..." Samantha started, but had no ideas.
"Our best bet is the Quidditch match," Max said solemnly.
"That's not gonna get us so many points, though, even if we can win," Harry corrected.
"Well, don't do anything that could possibly lose us half a point and maybe we won't come in last," Hermione advised.
"Do you guys have detention?" Samantha asked.
"Yeah," said Harry glumly. "What're your detentions, normally?" he asked Samantha.
"Depends on what I did, sometimes it's cleaning stuff for Filch or writing lines, that kind of thing. It won't be terrible, just boring," Samantha assured him.
"How many have you had, Samantha?" Hermione asked.
"Well, let's see... two for hitting Quirrell, one for jumping into a Quidditch match without permission, and one for calling Snape 'Snivellus'," she counted. "So, four."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You haven't even been here a full two years." she reprimanded.
"And my detention numbers will only double in the coming years." said Samantha blissfully.
"Not really the thing you want to accomplish here, you know." Leslie said, raising her eyebrows.
"Why not accomplish everything? I've already got top of class, star Quidditch player, prank the Defense teacher, hit a teacher with snowballs, get knocked out while exploring at night, sneaking into Snape's office, finding out a huge school secret, and sneaking two Slytherins into the Gryffindor Common Room," Samantha listed.
"I plan on adding Prefect, Quidditch Captain, sneaking into the Forbidden Forest, midnight Quidditch games, discovering another major school secret, sneaking into all House Common Rooms, sneaking into the kitchens, getting Snape fired, and finding every secret passageway. Oh, and getting Outstanding on every O.W.L.," Samantha said.
"What other major school secret could you possibly discover?" Leslie asked.
"It's an eight story castle full of magical kids that's been around hundreds of years, it's gotta have a bunch of secrets," Samantha shrugged.
"And why is getting Snape fired on your bucket list?" Hermione asked.
"Have you met the guy? We're better off without him," answered Samantha.
"You think you can make Prefect and do all those other things? No one in their right mind will make you a Prefect if you get Snape fired, organize midnight Quidditch games, and sneak into the kitchens," Max told her.
"The teachers don't have to know about all that. Plus, Dumbledore's definitely not in his right mind," Samantha countered.
"How would you ever hide a midnight Quidditch match from teachers? Do you realize the noise that would cause?" Leslie questioned.
Samantha shrugged. "It wouldn't be a full-school activity, just something between friends. You know, our group, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred and George, maybe Katie Bell or other Gryffindor team members playing a game while it's dark out, and we could light mini fires in jars for light," she said.
"That actually sounds really fun," Max said.
"Yeah, you're onto something," Harry agreed.
"See, we should do it! And, if we can find the entrance to the kitchens, we can nick some food from there for an after party on the stands," Samantha told them.
"It's not very responsible-," Hermione started.
"No, we've got to try this," Leslie stopped her.
In the excitement of their hope for midnight Quidditch games, the group had forgotten that they were not down one hundred and fifty points. But they were quickly reminded of this fact the next morning, where it was all anyone could talk about.
Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws were all mad at Harry, Neville, and Hermione. They had all been hoping to see Slytherin lose that year.
Slytherins, on the other hand, were delighted. With Gryffindor down so many points, they were now almost certainly going to win the House Cup. Again.
"I'm sorry about the points," Bella told Samantha at Potions.
Samantha managed a weak smile. "I just was hoping that Gryffindor could win this year," she replied sadly.
"I mean, you've still got the Quidditch match, and Gryffindor had the two brightest students of first and second year, so you'll be able to earn some back," Bella pointed out.
"But not enough to win," Samantha said, stirring her cauldron.
"There's always next year," said Bella.
"That's a whole year away. Besides, who knows what kind of shit we'll get up to next year?" Samantha asked.
Bella gave her an "are you serious" look. "What kind of stuff are you planning for next year?" she questioned.
"Oh, a few things," Samantha said, smirking.
"What kinds of things?"
Samantha looked around and saw that Snape was only two stations behind, criticizing Connor's smoking mixture.
"I'll tell you tonight, after dinner," Samantha whispered, then went back to mixing her potion.
That evening, Samantha met Bella at the entrance to the Great Hall after she finished eating.
"So, what're your plans for next year?" Bella asked as they began their walk in the cool evening air.
"So many things. I've basically got a bucket list of things I want to do before I leave Hogwarts," Samantha answered.
Bella raised her eyebrows. "Really? What's on this list?" she inquired.
"Well, a few things that'll take time, like being Prefect, Quidditch Captain, and getting Outstanding on all of my O.W.L.s, and a few smaller things, like sneaking into the kitchens and the Forbidden Forest," Samantha answered. "Then a few things that are more anytime, like finding all the secret passageways, sneaking into all House Common Rooms, and discovering another major school secret."
"Not ambitious at all, I see," Bella said sarcastically. "You plan on all of that and being Prefect? And Quidditch Captain?"
"Well, getting Outstanding on all of my O.W.L.s will help, I'm sure," Samantha said.
"You don't take O.W.L.s until the end of fifth year, they'll have already appointed Prefects by that time," Bella told her.
"Well, I'll get perfect scores on every exam until then," she replied, holding her head up.
"Good luck with that," Bella rolled her eyes.
"Anyways, the main plan is going to be much better than any of those," said Samantha.
"What's the main plan?" Bella asked skeptically.
"Midnight Quidditch games," Samantha answered proudly.
"What?" Bella questioned.
"It's exactly what it sounds like. Get people together, from our friend group, and my brother and his two friends, and the Weasley twins, and the Gryffindor team, and have a game of Quidditch at night. After, we'll raid the kitchens and have an after party in the stands," Samantha explained.
"Why only the Gryffindor Quidditch team?" Bella demanded.
"Well, anyone else might tell a Professor. None of them are known for being reckless, are they?" Samantha said.
"It's a bit unfair to only let Gryffindors play," Bella said.
"I'm not saying only Gryffindors can play, I'm saying let's not invite a bunch of random people into our secret game of Quidditch," Samantha said.
"What makes them random, that you've never met them?" said Bella.
"Yes, it's like inviting strangers to a child's birthday party," Samantha said.
"Well, this isn't a child's birthday party, this is a midnight sports match, and I think it's unfair to say that only certain people can play," Bella told Samantha.
"If the people you're suggesting weren't about to go tell on us to Snape so that they would win the House Cup because of a biased teacher for the twelfth year in a row, then maybe I'd let them play!" Samantha shouted.
Bella's nostrils flared. "We did not win the House Cup just because of Snape!" she yelled.
"Oh, because Snape would totally take one hundred and fifty points off his own house," Samantha screamed.
"He's not an idiot who'd risk Slytherin's glory for a bunch of first years out of bed! Besides, Malfoy got fifty points taken off too, don't forget!" Bella replied.
"Snape probably gave them all back for guessing the right ingredients in Potions!" Samantha said hotly. "He's a vile person, you have to realize that!"
"He was in love with your mum!" Bella shouted.
"He wanted to date her, that's not in love!"
"You literally said it was love when we saw the memory!"
"I was being stupid! He wanted to date her, and she was dating his bully! Because his bully changed for the better! And what has Severus done except be a bully to everyone! He mocks Connor and Alyssa, he mocks Harry and Neville, he calls Hermione a know it all, and he told me and Max we'd forget each other over the summer because we're young!" Samantha ranted.
Bella suddenly looked less mad. "Are you and Max a... a couple?" she asked.
Samantha blushed. She hadn't meant to reveal that. Of course, Bella knew they had kissed, but she hadn't mentioned anything after that, so no one knew about her and Max besides them... and Snape. "What?" she questioned in an attempt to distract Bella.
"You heard me," Bella smirked.
Samantha didn't reply but instead scanned the ground.
"You're a couple, aren't you?" Bella said, smiling. "Oh, how long has it been going on?"
"Since that kiss," Samantha said quietly.
"Oh my God, really? That long?" Bella asked.
"Yeah. I mean, I wouldn't really say couple, but then again, I wouldn't know how else to describe it," Samantha answered. "It's not like we're stereotypical, making out all the time kind of thing, but we have... kissed since then."
"Well, whatever happens with you two, I'm rooting for you," Bella said.
"You're the best," Samantha told her, grinning.
"You are," Bella replied.
A few days later, it was time for Harry, Hermione, and Neville's detention.
"Good luck, you three! Don't lose your minds writing lines or cleaning bathrooms!" Samantha called to them as they crawled out of the portrait hole.
"We'll try," Harry replied before the painting swung shut.
Samantha decided to wait up for him, and Leslie, Max, Ron, Damon, Connor, and Elias all decided to join. They played Exploding Snap, Wizard's chess, and tried to curse each other for most of the wait, only completing a small bit of homework.
Finally, Harry, Hermione, and Neville reappeared. They all looked slightly shaken, and Neville scampered off to bed without a word. They put away their games immediately.
"What's wrong?" Samantha asked.
Harry eyed the crowd of people. Samantha understood. They must've discovered something about the Philosopher's Stone, and couldn't tell the three extra people in the room.
"Our detention was in the Forbidden Forest," Harry said finally.
Samantha's jaw dropped. "You went in the Forest?" she asked.
"They willingly let you guys go in the Forest?" Damon demanded.
"What happened?" Leslie interrogated.
"There- there was a dead unicorn. Someone killed a unicorn," Harry answered.
"There are unicorns in there?" Connor wondered.
"Someone killed a unicorn? They can't do that, that's just pure evil!" Samantha cried.
"I know," Harry agreed. "Killing something as pure as a unicorn leaves the killer cursed for life."
"They deserve it, if they'll kill something as innocent as that," Samantha said bitterly.
"There was unicorn blood all over... and centaurs, a bunch of centaurs, telling us that 'Mars is unusually bright tonight'," Hermione said.
"Oh, that's gotta mean something bad," Samantha said, "because Mars is the Roman God of war."
"Seriously, when do you learn this stuff?" asked Harry, bewildered.
"Well, this was easy, because Roman Gods are basically just Greek Gods with different names. Most planets are named after them, like Pluto is named after the Roman God of the underworld, who's called Hades in Greek Mythology, or Jupiter is named after the God of Gods, called Zeus in Greek Mythology. In fact, I think all but Earth is named after some sort of Mythological God," Samantha told them all.
There was a pause. "Did anyone follow that?" Damon asked after a while.
"It's not really that hard," Hermione shrugged.
"Anyways, what were you saying about Mars being bad?" asked Harry.
"Well, as I said, Mars is the Roman God of war. Mars being bright could translate to 'war is bright', which I doubt means war is happy. I think it's more along the lines of 'war is coming'," Samantha explained.
"Lovely," said Max, rolling his eyes.
"Well, we have got You-Know-Who still out there, it was only a matter of time," Damon said casually, shrugging.
"How soon, though? Is war coming tomorrow, or in a few years?" Leslie asked.
"If Voldemort were coming back tomorrow, I think there would have been some sort of sign," Samantha told them. Everyone but Harry flinched.
"Maybe not, though. Maybe he'd have discovered some way to keep his rise to power secret," Elias reasoned.
"We can't just go from peace one day to fully-fledged war the second, though," Samantha countered. "There's gotta be some sort of red flag to tip us off."
"Dumbledore's here. They say he's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of, we'll be safe as long as we're here," said Ron.
"Still, it makes me uneasy that the centaurs say war is coming," Connor said.
"It makes everyone uneasy. I don't think any of us want war," said Samantha.
The next day, which was thankfully a Sunday, the group of them met in an empty classroom so Harry could tell them what had happened in the Forbidden Forest that night.
"Malfoy pranked Neville, and we switched. I was walking with Malfoy when we found the unicorn, dead. And there was someone standing over it, drinking it's blood," Harry told the five of them. "And the centaur that found me, Firenze, made it seem as if it were Voldemort drinking the blood, so as to grow stronger."
No one quite knew what to say to that.
"Well," Samantha finally said, " if it really was Voldemort, then war is definitely coming."
Suddenly, Hermione drew breath. "Snape wants the Stone for You-Know-Who! They say he was ripped from his body, right? So Snape is trying to get the Stone to give to You-Know-Who so he can be restored to his body!" she said.
"That makes sense!" Samantha cried.
"And all this time we just thought Snape was trying to get rich..." Harry mumbled. "Bane thought Firenze should've left me there to die... something about not interfering with what the stars say... thought Voldemort should've killed me there, probably written in the stars."
They continued talking for hours, until Peeves came in and started throwing chalk at them and they had to leave.