Halle Potter and the first year of madness
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Halle looked shocked as the angry face of Colubra Zabini stared down at the six of them. Before anyone could utter words, she was unlocking a classroom door and shuffling them in.
No one said anything. She closed the door and they heard her cast two charms before turning to face them.
"What in Merlin's name are you all doing wandering about the castle? Especially on the third floor?" Growled Lu.
Her voice was sharp and piercing.
Halle felt as though she was being told off by her grandmother. She shivered and bent her head down.
"Oh what, you're all mute now? Perhaps your head of houses will get you to talk?" Said Lu whilst she folded her arms.
"Look this is my…."
"Lu please, can't you just let this go?" Said Blaise interrupting Halle from speaking.
Lu stared at him for a moment and suddenly the anger in her face dissipated and became inched with concern.
"Blaise what happened to your head?" She asked, walking over to him.
She took her wand and said another spell that lit up the entire classroom.
One look at all of them and telling them off was no longer her priority.
"What happened to all of you?" She asked worried.
Only Blaise and Dewei were physically hurt but Neville looked like he might go into a catatonic state, Ronnie kept glancing at the door as though the beast was going to come running in any minute and all the colour had drained from Hermione's face.
Halle still felt her heart pounding in her chest.
Lu asked them again, now noticing Dewei's swollen face.
What could they tell her? That the Malfoy's had set her up to get in trouble? That they had been trying to do the exact same thing? That Filch had almost caught them and they had ran into a giant three headed dog that almost killed them?
No, they couldn't tell her that.
"Hello! earth to first years! What happened? Blaise! Dewei what happened to you? Why are you both bleeding? Why do the rest of you look like you've been taken to Azkaban? Are you guys the reason I heard Filch making so much noise? What's going on? Talk now or I'm getting McGonagall and Snape." Ordered Lu, her face stern again.
Halle was trying to form words but Blaise spoke first.
"Look, Dewei and I got into a fight in the trophy room. We did this too each other. As for these lot they were taking Longbottom back to the Hospital wing. He hurt himself severely like an idiot earlier and for some reason, he's in pain now. As they were making their way down to 1, they heard us and came nosing about like typical Gryffindorks but that's when Filch came and we ran for our lives. We're not trying to be expelled in the second week of Hogwarts." Said Blaise casually.
Halle couldn't believe that Blaise had just covered for them. He was there when his god sister had challenged them and he knew that they had also been ready to get his god siblings in trouble but he hadn't told his sister.
Halle and Neville had given the jars back to Ronnie which were both back in her bag and hidden in the fold of her cloak. The cloaks looked like any normal cloaks, so Lu had no reason to suspect that they necessarily weren't going to the hospital wing. The castle was chilly enough to wear them and Neville had hurt himself during their flying lesson, so a very plausible excuse had just been provided to them by Blaise.
She couldn't believe how easily the half lie had slipped off his tongue either. It was so believable.
Lu however definitely seemed to be questioning her brother's story. She stared at him for a long moment but his face didn't waver, even with the blood dripping down his temple.
She looked to Dewei and he simply nodded. It didn't matter that they were fighting verbally or physically, he was going to back his brother no matter what.
"Why were you fighting?" Asked Lu suddenly.
The three Zabini's eyes then begun having a silent war with each other.
The atmosphere became thick with rising tension.
Finally, Blaise spoke.
"I wanna see him but aunt Cissy says not unless all three of us agree. I know you would, if just to listen but I've been trying to convince him and he's not budging. Ask Lena if you don't believe me." Said Blaise.
He was talking about his stepfather. Blaise wanted to see Odium Kadam but Dewei didn't. Is that what their argument on the weekend had been about? It seemed plausible given everything she knew about Dewei and his past but something didn't seem right.
Halle wasn't sure what but she could tell there was more to the story.
"And that's enough to fight about?" Asked Lu.
Her voice still carried suspicion but now another tone was laced in her words. Perhaps one of understanding?
"Yes." Said Dewei through gritted teeth.
Lu simply stared at her brothers for several moments. Halle supposed she was sizing them up trying to figure out if their story was believable.
Halle couldn't tell if she believed them or not because suddenly, she looked at the rest of them with scrutinising eyes.
Halle wanted to wince but she didn't look away.
Her eyes took in herself, Ronnie and Hermione before settling on Neville.
"What happened to you Longbottom?" Asked Lu suddenly.
Neville stammered to get his words out. The look that Lu was giving him was extremely intense.
"He…" started Ronnie.
"I was asking Longbottom." Said Lu raising a hand to silence Ronnie.
"I..I…broke….my…my…wrist today…Mad..Madam…Pomfrey fi…fixed it for me." Stuttered Neville.
Halle wanted to wince. If she even partially believed Blaise, she definitely didn't believe Neville.
"If Madam Pomfrey fixed your wrist, why do you need to return to the hospital wing at this time of night?" Asked Lu in a measured voice.
Halle started to panic. Neville was going to crack and tell Lu what really happened and they were all going to get expelled.
Neville took a large gulp. Halle who was right next to him grabbed his hand for reassurance.
Suddenly his voice became very calm as he answered Lu's question.
"She did but my wrist has been throbbing half the night. I think I started panicking so I went down to the common room and Hermione was there finishing up some homework. She got these two for me and they promised to take me down to the Hospital Wing because I've been getting lost around the castle a lot and I keep forgetting the passwords. Ronnie said I probably just slept on it in the wrong position but Madam Pomfrey could check it to be sure." Said Neville looking her in the eye.
It was the first time she had heard Neville lie before. She now felt silly for doubting Neville so quickly. Lu's eyes narrowed for a second but it seemed that she believed Neville more than she did Blaise, however her eyes shot toward herself, Ronnie and Hermione.
"And all three of you needed to accompany him?" She asked, her voice less tense but still suspicious.
"I'm better at getting around the castle. Madam Pomfrey likes Ronnie more than us so we hoped if she saw her first, she might not be too angry that we were coming so late and Hermione knows the spell that you just used. So, we could see when making our way to the hospital wing." Said Halle now easily letting the lie slip off her tongue too.
She felt bad for lying to Lu as she knew she was serious about being head girl but she wasn't ready to go back to Privet drive.
Lu looked her dead in her eyes searching to see if she was telling the truth but Halle once again held her gaze.
"What's with the cloaks?" Asked Lu suddenly.
"I asked for them. I borrowed them from my brothers and his mate. Neville wanted us to go down to the lake on Saturday. It's cold so I asked for their cloaks. I pre asked because I know that the moment the weekend starts Fred and George will be preoccupied with some prank no doubt, So I got them earlier and when Hermione came and got us, I grabbed them cause it's chilly in the castle and I didn't want anyone to see us walking around in our pj's." Said Ronnie adding onto the lie.
Halle wondered if she should be concerned that they all felt it easy to lie through their teeth like this.
It was lucky that Hermione was in a bathrobe and they actually had changed into their Pj's to convince their roommates of going to bed, making the lie believable.
It still shocked her that Blaise supplied it for them. He had no reason too. He was part of the snake gang. Why cover for Gryffindors who were the enemies of his god siblings?
Lu peeled her eyes away from Ronnie and gave them all one final look before she returned her gaze back to her brothers.
"I know for a fact that the whole truth isn't being stated here and I should make it a point to make sure every single one of you lose house points and receive detentions but for the simple fact that I don't know who's lying from who, my two brothers are bleeding and I actually like the rest of you, is the only reason I'm not hauling you off to the headmaster's office right now and believe me when I say just because I'm related to two of you, doesn't mean I wouldn't.
You have no business walking up and down the corridors at night, especially on this floor which Professor Dumbledore has stated is out of bounds. My excuse is, I patrol at night alongside others and you're extremely lucky that it was this head girl you ran into and not anyone of my peers, the teachers or Filch because they wouldn't be so lenient. Now understand this, I won't be covering for any of you a second time. And if you do have an injury next time have a prefect, take you. Only staff, your head girl and head boy slash your deputy head boy and head girl and prefects are allowed to wonder the corridors at night and even then, there are restrictions.
Blaise if you want to have chats with Dewei next time do it in the daylight. Dewei don't ignore Blaise because I don't want to see my brothers end up in the hospital wing. You're some of the few family I have left. So next time Dewei don't be difficult and both of you talk your problems out otherwise I'll be interfering as you always like to tell me. Now Boys, I'm going to take you down to the Hospital wing, girls, I'd like you to return to your dormitory and go to bed. Understood?" Said Lu authoritatively.
Her voice carried a strictness in it that made Halle want to shiver.
She wondered if this was how a mother truly reprimanded her children?
Halle, Ronnie and Hermione all nodded their heads.
"Good. I'm taking your word only this once but I won't be turning a blind eye again. I want to make that extremely clear. Now, boys behind me. Ladies give it a few minutes then return to Gryffindor tower." Instructed Lu.
She then walked to the door and said another spell and the group heard the clicking sound that signified the door was unlocked.
Blaise and Dewei silently walked behind their big sister. Neville was still beside Halle who could see he was nervous.
"Come along Longbottom." Said Lu not looking back.
Halle gave his hand another squeeze of reassurance before whispering in his ear. "Go on. We'll wait for you. Promise."
Neville gave her a look of uncertainty but nodded his head and dropped her hand as he made his way behind the Zabini's.
After a moment of standing behind the door Lu pushed it open and walked out the door plunging the classroom into darkness. The boys followed swiftly behind her with Neville shutting the door behind him.
Ronnie suddenly collapsed to the ground and Halle felt the need to lean up against one of the tables.
Her legs felt like Jelly.
Within the space of fifteen minutes or less, they had almost got caught by Filch, almost been eaten and told off by Colubra Zabini.
She wouldn't hold anything against Lu. She had seen her do her job on the express and if she could tell off the Slytherins than the Gryffindors shouldn't merit preference just because she had rescued them once.
She seemed like such a model big sister. She thanked the stars that she had let them off. She hoped that she would be able to get over this soon. She didn't want to lose Lu's kindness.
She knew the dog had to still be behind the door but she felt almost sick to have to leave the safety of the classroom and walk past the third corridor knowing that a beast lay behind it.
"You think we should…" started Halle in a much shakier voice than intended but she was interrupted by Hermione.
"I told you not to go wandering around the castle at night and neither of you listened to me. Zabini even made it a point to tell you that you were tricked. How stupid do you both have to be to realise that you can't just do whatever you want? Do you know how…."
"Give it a rest Granger and get off your high horse. No one told you to follow us, so you easily broke the rules too and yes, we're now aware that we were tricked. Do you feel better now? Does your day get better knowing that the justice system of the school bloody rules is being attended too? That you get to say I told you so? Oh well done, how your life must be filled with joy." Said Ronnie harshly.
Hermione's lips became a thin line and Halle knew a blow up was about to happen between the two witches. She quickly stepped in.
"Enough!" Said Halle authoritatively.
Both looked like they were about to argue with her but she raised both her hands to silence them.
"Yes Hermione, we know you're right but someone as smart as yourself should know when to read the room and now is not the time to gloat. In case you forget, we haven't left the classroom yet, so shut it. As for you Ronnie, you're not helping. We still need to get back to the common room and arguing is only gonna draw attention to our location. So quit it." Said Halle in a measured tone.
She saw the look of Indignation grace Ronnie's features but one look from Halle and she held her tongue.
Even Hermione kept silent.
Halle took a deep breath.
"Ok, I doubt that thing is getting out and it's been a few minutes. Let's go." Said Halle and with great effort she bounded toward the door.
Ronnie walked swiftly behind her with Hermione bringing up the rear.
Halle pressed her ear against the door. There was no noise in the corridor. She slowly opened the door and stepped out into the corridor. No one was around. Without a second thought she beckoned the other two to follow her and began speeding up the corridor towards the stairs.
Closed door or not she still wanted to put as much distance as possible between the dog and themselves.
They noticed the Ravenclaw Head boy patrolling the fifth floor but he didn't notice them so they continued bounding toward the seventh floor until they were at Gryffindor tower. Luckily the fat Lady had returned and they quickly spoke the password and stepped through the portrait into the common room.
Although the shock of seeing a vicious three headed dog had somewhat passed, the three girls stood there catching their breath for several minutes. The common room was dead silent.
Ronnie suddenly broke the silence.
"Should we head up or wait for Neville?" Asked Ronnie specifically to Halle. Her voice was devoid of its casual flare and was rather anxious now that she wasn't berating Hermione for berating them.
"I told him we'd wait for him." Said Halle aware of her own anxious tone.
"We were told to go to bed." Blurted out Hermione.
"And we will. As soon as Neville is back and safe in the common room." Said Halle doing her best to keep her tone calm. She didn't want to start an argument that could wake up their housemates.
"We were told to go straight to bed. Do you think that you're above the rules? If you keep pulling stunts like this, you're solely going to be the reason Gryffindor lose the house cup, that's to say if you're not eaten by three headed dogs because you can't learn to stay in your bed for the night." Said Hermione. Her tone harsh and unforgiving.
"That's not fair. We didn't plan to end up in a room with that thing or go looking for it either." Said Halle starting to feel the anger inside her build up.
She could feel her fists slightly clenching and had to silently utter her mantra to herself. Although her mantra was more aimed to horrible taunts, it tended to keep her emotions in check which she had to admit in recent days she had been slacking on.
Already she had let the Snakes, Snape, Hermione and Dewei get to her and she wasn't ok with that. She hadn't built up a wall for years for it to fall apart because of a few eleven year olds and a slimy git for a teacher when she had suffered horrible taunts her entire life.
It was allowing her anger to rule her emotions, why they had almost been eaten by said dog.
"It doesn't matter whether you went looking for the dog. You went looking for trouble and almost got into it." Blasted Hermione.
"Finding the bloody dog was an accident, Granger! Get that into your thick head!" Said Ronnie. Her tone low and dangerous.
"Yes, well you better keep it that way too. Whatever's down that corridor isn't for us and you messing with it will only get Gryffindor and yourselves into more trouble." Said Hermione just as baleful as Ronnie.
"What are you talking about?" Said Halle noting that Hermione was implying something further than just the three headed dog.
"You don't use your eyes, do you? It was standing on a trap door, which means It's guarding something. That's why the corridor is out of bounds in the first place. We shouldn't even know the dog's there, but no, your need and stupidity to compete with the Malfoy's almost endangered our lives, which is why I won't be breaking any more rules with you." Said Hermione in a shrilly voice.
"Nobody asked you to." Said Ronnie dryly.
Hermione turned to Ronnie and looked her square in the eye.
"Next time you try to break another school rule, I'll be more than happy to inform your brother Percy. Just so the message is clear." Said Hermione aggravated.
"You've got some nerve you little…."
"Ronnie relax! Look Hermione…."
"I don't want to hear it Halle. Now, if you two don't mind I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed or worse expelled!" Said Hermione and with a flick of her extremely bushy hair she was up the spiral staircase and walking towards their dormitory.
Halle took a calming breath and dragged a red looking Ronnie to the comfy armchairs. She was pretty sure the redhead wanted to follow Hermione up the stairs and throttle her.
"I've never met such an interfering, annoying, little show off in my life!" Scoffed Ronnie.
"Me neither, but she did have some valid points." Said Halle flatly.
Ronnie looked affronted.
"She does Ronnie. We let the snakefoys get to us, which resulted in us almost getting eaten by a three headed dog. I'm not saying that the plan wasn't a great idea but it's clear that in the war against the snakes, we're going to have to take a different approach, one where they can't get the drop on us, but as for tonight we can't let that happen again. I don't want to get expelled and let them win and I certainly don't want to see that thing again." Said Halle tiredly.
"What do they think they're even doing keeping a thing like that in a school?" Cried Ronnie.
"Like Hermione said, it's guarding something." Said Halle.
"Yeah, like what?" Asked Ronnie.
"Remember when you told me about the break in at Gringotts on the train? And I mentioned it at Hagrid's last week?" Asked Halle.
"Yeah." Said Ronnie now leaning forward.
"Well Hagrid took out the package from the vault in question that was broken into. It was for Professor Dumbledore. I was there when he got it. This grubby little brown package. I didn't think much of it at the time but now I'm starting to think that it might be what that dog is guarding." Said Halle thoughtfully.
"It would have to be pretty valuable, dangerous or both for someone to be crazy enough to try and steal it from Gringotts as well as it to be moved from there to Hogwarts and be guarded by a three headed dog. Somewhat seems irresponsible but I guess whatever it is must be pretty important to risk having it here." Said Ronnie thoughtfully.
Halle had to agree that it did seem extremely irresponsible. They had only found the dog by accident but what if someone purposely went to the third floor corridor for whatever reason?
They had got lucky that Ronnie had a smoke potion available for Halle to throw at the dog but would anyone else be so lucky?
However, she also had to agree that the package had to be very important if it was worth stealing and worth such high and dangerous security measures.
Ronnie asked Halle to describe the package's size. Halle explained that it was small, probably not bigger than two inches.
For a while the two girls deliberated what the grubby little package could possibly be but they didn't have much to go on. They animatedly discussed the topic for a little while before they heard the portrait door swing open. They heard several voices speaking. It was the deputy head girl, Ashley Troggin and the fifth- and sixth-year prefects walking with Neville and Dewei in tow.
Their patrolling duties must've ended.
Ronnie quickly slumped herself in the chair and closed her eyes and Halle followed pursuit.
"Aww Percy look, your little sister and Potter are sleeping. Must've been waiting for you Longbottom." Said Ashley in a babyish voice that made Halle cringe but she was glad for her statement, it meant that Lu hadn't gone back on her word and hadn't ratted them out to anyone.
"Well, you better rouse them, so we can all head to bed." Said Ashley.
"I will." They heard Percy say.
"Actually Percy, do you mind if I? I have something that belongs to them, in my dorm. Might as well give it to them from now so I don't forget. I'm very forgetful sometimes." Said Neville, his voice more timid again.
"Go on then Longbottom but be quick. In Hogwarts you need a decent night's rest to function in these lessons and I don't just mean in general." Said Ashley with a playful grin.
The others murmured in agreement before filing up the stairs to their individual dorms.
Halle and Ronnie squinted their eyes open to see Percy, the last to walk out of sight from the balcony before they jumped up from the arm chairs.
"Neville are you alright?" Asked Ronnie immediately, embracing him into a hug.
He nodded his head but he still looked a little green from earlier. Halle noticed he was holding a pink potion in his hand. She turned her head to Dewei who for some reason was still there. His face was now normal. There were no signs of a busted lip or a black eye.
"And you Zabini?" Asked Halle carefully. She wasn't sure if he would answer but she would ask nevertheless. After all he had seen the dog too and rightfully looked frightened.
"I'm fine. I just wanted to tell you that Filch didn't see us but he's on the war path. He was in the hospital wing covered in green smoke. However, Phina and Draco apparently didn't say your names so they wouldn't get caught out in the fact they were planning to set you up. They just told him that they heard a bunch of Gryffindors planning to duel in the trophy room. Lu will keep to her promise to not rat us out but she's probably aware now that you weren't just walking Longbottom to the Hospital wing but if she knows she probably doesn't have the proof to specifically say so and my sister is all about proof so technically you're in the clear. As for the Cerberus situation, I don't believe anyone knows we came across it. So, I believe we're all in the clear for that one." Said Dewei in his usual deadpan voice.
Halle saw Neville mouth the word Cerberus very confusedly but he said nothing.
She knew for a fact, that was the fancy Greek word for a three headed dog in Greek Mythology. She had learnt that stuff in Primary school and those always were some of her favourite lessons in school.
"Thanks." Said Halle unsure of what else to say. It was the most Dewei had ever spoken to any of them.
He simply nodded his head and was about to head for the spiral staircase but Ronnie stopped him.
"Why did your brother cover for us? He doesn't even like us. Hell, you don't even like us. So why?" Blurted Ronnie before she could stop herself.
Dewei looked at them for a moment and for a second Halle thought he would just walk off but surprisingly he gave an answer.
"Believe it or not. My brother hates to see my God siblings win at anything unless it benefits him. And he finds it enjoyable that Phina and Draco are obsessed with your little gang. Not because he likes to see you being put down but because of how pathetic he finds it that they have to shoot down three barely above average Gryffindors just because one of them didn't accept their offer of friendship. It makes him feel superior even if it goes without saying." Said Dewei nonchalantly.
Trust him to still insult them whilst insulting his own god siblings.
"Right." Said Ronnie clearly unsure what to say to that.
"And you? Why didn't you say anything?" Asked Halle curiously.
"If I have to even be in this forsaken house, I'm sure as hell not going to have four of my housemates risk us losing the house cup. Take any win that you can get in life and make sure to rub it in plenty of faces. You never know when the next lose is around the corner. Any who, if question time is over, I would like to get some sleep. I suggest that the three of you don't go pulling another stunt like that again. If you really want to get at my god siblings, strive to be better than them academically and socially. That's what will really tick them off." Said Dewei and with that he walked away.
The three of them watched him walk toward the boy's dormitory and looked dumbfounded.
Of all the thoughts that had crossed her mind of Dewei Zabini she didn't think mutual understanding was a trait he could possess but he had just given them sound advice and hadn't come clean about their plan even if Lu now had some partial idea.
It was strange how both Zabini's banded together even with their clear animosity toward one another.
Halle with that thought was reminded of the excuse that Blaise had given to Lu but something else was bugging her.
The meeting part she could believe given the letter, and the fight was obvious but what was the excuse for being in the trophy room?
Blaise himself had said the snakes had planned to trick them but he had still forced Dewei to meet him in the trophy room even though he knew of the plan to get herself expelled. Dewei had said that Blaise for pure entertainment purposes liked to see the Malfoy's obsess over them but surely to have such an important conversation that had even gained Lu's understanding, he wouldn't want to disrupt with the possibility of Filch actually catching them and thus him and his brother too?
That didn't make sense.
They hadn't been caught because they had come earlier to the room than midnight and Blaise and Dewei had been hiding when they had got there and had their fight beforehand.
So, what was the truth?
There was definitely more to the story than either Zabini twin was telling but for now Halle would let it go. They had Information to tell Neville and sleep to catch up on.
Halle would figure out the mystery of the Zabini's later.
For now, the mystery of the three headed dog and the grubby little package was taking its precedence in her mind and when she finally went to bed and began to drift, she couldn't help but think that both mysteries were going to unravel themselves to her.
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