By late November, Harry Potter had been chosen as the unassuming second champion along with Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts. Moreover, they had just finished the first task, rescuing a golden egg from the maws of dragons. Hogwarts was celebrating Cedric Diggory, currently in the lead with 47 points, all while bemoaning Harry Potter, who was still in second place. Everywhere you looked gold badges spun Support Cedric Diggory followed by the Slytherin green swirl of Potter Stinks .
I found myself walking through the courtyard to take my daily swim after a particularly brutal Defense Against the Dark Arts class where we witnessed the three unforgivable curses, when I saw Cedric in the marble courtyard, sitting surrounded by a large group of friends. A golden egg sat precariously on his lap.
"Come on Ced! Open it up!"
"Do it! Do it!"
Cedric grinned as he turned the metal claw at the narrow end of the egg. A horrible sound of screams mixed with nails on a chalkboard pierced the atmosphere. Quickly, the grin wiped off his face as he hastily closed the valve, ending the screaming cacophony of sound and horror. I felt my lip curl up. I knew that sound- and knew it well.
The sirens of the lake. They tolerated my presence well enough. One of them named Argos had taken a liking to swimming with me recently. The one time we tried to communicate above water resulted in a sound near identical to the one I heard from the egg.
I'd be willing to wager the next task was at the lake. Surely it wasn't against the rules to help him figure it out?
"What was that? That was awful!" A red-headed girl exclaimed.
"Do you reckon you have to fight a banshee or some type of demon?"
It was completely unlike me to talk with a stranger, yet I found myself tentatively approaching him. I'd tell Potter later if I could find him.
"Cedric, can I speak with you for a sec." I asked, approaching his large group of friends. Their Potter Stinks badges glittering in the sunlight of the courtyard,
"Uhhh…" He hesitated, "Sure I guess."
An understandable reaction considering I had never talked before with him in my life.
"Alone if you please." I said, turning and walking away towards a deserted corridor.
With a confused look, I heard his footsteps following me. We finally reached the corridor and I turned my head around to look for any possible bystanders.
"So, what did you need to talk with me about?" Cedric asked nervously.
"It's Mermish."
"What?"
I contained the reaction to heavily roll my eyes, "The egg. The screams. It's Mermish."
Suspicion clouded his eyes, "And how would you know that?"
"Doesn't matter how I know does it? What I do know is that Mermish sounds best in water if you catch my drift. Might I recommend bathing with-"
Suddenly, Cho Chang appeared around the corridor. Her face was contorted in unabated anger.
"Cedric, there you are sweetie!" Cho laced her arm with his, her voice unnaturally sweet. Cedric looked very uncomfortable.
"Well, I believe that's my cue to exit. " I replied coolly, ignoring the venomous glare Cho was now giving me. What was with her reaction? So much for trying to give him some advice.
I left, satisfied with my good deed of the day. It wasn't until the next day that I realized my mistake. Students brushing past me, nearly knocking me to the floor. Angry whispers and pointed stares following me to all of my classes.
"You think you're all that don't you?" One girl stopped me in the corridor on my way to potions. A girl I recognized as Cho's close friend, Marietta Edgecombe.
"Excuse me?"
"It's not enough that you've infatuated nearly every boy in Durmstrang and Hogwarts, now you're trying to steal other girl's men? Trying to take Cho's boyfriend away from her? What's the matter with you?"
"I'm sorry, what in Dumbledore's name are you talking about?"
She didn't answer me, rather, she rammed her shoulder into me, causing my books to crash into the ground before swaggering off, clearly pleased with herself.
I scratched my head as I bent down to pick up my books. What had I done to make everyone react this way? Was it something I said? Something I did?
I thought back to my brief tête-à-tête with Cedric. I felt all the color leech from my skin.
What I do know is that Mermish sounds best in water if you catch my drift. Might I recommend bathing with-
Oh god. No- that wasn't what I meant by that at all! I need to find Cho and make this right! I checked the library, the courtyard, the lake, everywhere before finally finding her studying in the common room. Her friends were glowering at me as I approached.
"Cho-look Cho we need to talk- I didn't mean-"
"Oh I think we both know exactly what you meant." She said coldly, looking up from her notes and books.
"No really I-"
"Everyone knows what a slut you are. This, this just proves it. Now get out of my face before I hex you!"
She held her wand threateningly, yellow sparks shooting out the end. This was a fight I wasn't going to win. Wand fighting was not my strong suit. And Cho sure as hell wasn't going to listen to me.
December swiftly turned into a living hell. Girls ignored me everywhere I went while creepy guys like Marcus from Slytherin began to follow me around, whistling and hollering obscenities. I took it all in stride, the best I could, praying it would mull over in light of Christmas approaching with the upcoming masquerade Yule Ball.
Then two weeks before Christmas, on the day of my last final in Potions, I went to put on my clothing from my trunk only to find they were all ruined. Red letters saying 'slut' and 'bitch' marched across my white shirts, blue skirts, and black robes. For the second time this semester I cried, hot tears spilling across my cheeks and onto the only safe clothing I had- my pajamas. I couldn't go to Potions in this! I must have been crying by myself for half an hour or so when I heard footsteps sounding from the glass spiral staircase leading to the common room. Hastily, I threw my ruined clothing back into my trunk, wiping my face off in my blue sleeve.
"Sylver?" A lackadaisical voice questioned, Luna's head appeared, on the lowest level of the steps, "What are you still doing here? Didn't you have finals at 9 in potions?"
"I did." I sniffed.
"Then why are you still here? It's nearly 9:40! I've just finished my last final early."
"I can't go. Look." I opened my trunk, the terrible smears rippling across the heaps of fabric.
"I can't believe anyone would do something so mean. How terrible! I wonder if I can help- let me try a couple of counter jinxes!' Luna said, " Textusimmobius !"
She waved her wand frantically, as if trying to extinguish a fire with it.
The words continued to dance to my added misery. She tried several more spells. Nothing worked.
"Well, I don't think I know any spells that can help this particular cruelty. I'm so sorry Sylver- I really am. I'm afraid the best I can do is lend you some clothes until you can get new ones, though they might be a bit small for you."
"That would be amazing." I choked, stunned at her uncommon kindness. Luna was odd in more than some ways, but she was always kind, kinder than anyone I had ever met. I was lucky to call her my friend.
Luna quickly pulled out a wrinkled shirt and skirt, both two sizes too small. The skirt in particular was the worst of the two, entirely too short for my lanky legs. I wrapped the tight cloak around my waist, concealing my lower half. It would have to do.
"Thank you so much Luna, you're a true lifesaver you know." I hugged her tightly.
"Anytime." She mused dreamily.
I rushed down the staircase, stopping briefly, before running back up.
"Hey Luna, are you going to the Masquerade ball?" I asked.
"No, I don't think so, 3rd years can't go without being asked. To be honest, I don't think anyone will ask me by this point."
"How about with me then? As friends?"
Luna beamed, "That sounds lovely then. But Sylver, you really should head to your final-"
"Right!" I groaned, The Final.
I ran until my face turned red, hair still tangled into a rough bun on the side of my head, eyes still waxy and swollen from crying, finally entering into the Potion's classroom. I bit my lip as I entered, walking to my seat, placing my cauldron on the table ready to brew. I felt Professor's Snape gaze searing into the back of my head, but I couldn't bring myself to look at him. I already knew the harrowing disappointment lurking there. He wouldn't interrupt the class now, not that they were more than half-way complete in the allotted time and working in complete silence. I doubted he would just let my extreme tardiness slide. No, he would wait till the end to tear me apart.
Blearily, I read the directions waiting on my desk for practical: Topic: Brewing Doxycide, along with an essay on the various properties and uses of the potion. This particular potion needed a full hour and a half to brew. I only had 50 minutes. Not to mention I had an essay to write. There was only one way to make this work. Mechanically, I sliced up all my ingredients into a thick puree, tossing them in all together at once, brushing the sticky bits and leftovers from the board with my sleeve into the cauldron. It was risky, but I had no alternative. I poured a generous measure of lake water into the mix, setting it into a bubbling simmer, stirring it psychically with my finger-for there was no time to shift though my bag for my stirrer.
With that settled, I grabbed ink well and quill from my side bag, nearly spilling the ink on Luna's skirt in the process. I was scrawling faster than I ever had, still twisting my spare hand in a continuous motion as the potion flowed in large circular ripples. I finished my essay with three minutes to spare. My potion had darkened to it's textbook green-black shade, smelling strongly of rotting flesh.
Perfect.
With a minute to spare, I waved my wand over the fluid, causing the green to ripple away, the final product black as night.
I bottled a portion of it, sealing it with wax and cork before placing it near my essay. The clock struck 11am.
"Leave your potions and essays on your desk. I will collect them myself. And please, be sure to write your names on them lest you forget. " Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Neville quickly write his name on the outside of his Phial, "Clean up and get out."
There were no 'Happy Holidays' or 'Merry Christmases' here for the Winter break. He was all business, all the time.
He started at the left side of the classroom, collecting the flasks and essays alike on his metal tray, grimacing at some bottled concoctions while sneering at others. I looked downwards as he approached me, afraid of what I would encounter. My paper was shuffled into the tray as was my vial, clinking next to the glass of the other.
"See me after you've cleaned up your mess. My office, Miss Bones. My office." He whispered slowly, elongating his syllables the way he always did. I nodded sadly, beginning the process of cleaning out my cauldron with all the intent of dragging it out as long as possible. I wiped down every single table, no crease left uncleaned. I even dusted the long forgotten shelves. When there was nothing left to clean, I turned, facing the heavy black door up the spiral stairs. I resigned myself to my fate, whatever it may be.
Knock-Knock.
"Enter." The grim voice sounded.
I let myself in, walking over to the empty wooden chair across his desk, sinking down in it. It was terribly uncomfortable, unsteady and wobbly at the smallest movement, as if Snape had chosen this chair with the intent to make any offender feel ill-at-ease.
I rocked numbly back and forth.
"Care to explain yourself?" He droned. I could almost imagine him sitting there, legs and arms crossed, fingers rapping exasperatedly on the outside of his arm. Daggers from his onyx eyes.
"It was my fault entirely sir...I...I…" I paused thinking of any possible solution, "I must have forgotten to set my alarm again. I didn't wake up in time."
He seemed to consider my explanation briefly, " You're lying Miss Bones. Let's try again shall we?"
"No I'm not." I squeaked.
"Look me in the eyes and tell me the truth. I'm not going to ask again."
Flinching, I tilted my head up till my silver met his black.
"Why were you late today?" He repeated.
Images flooded through my head: my trunk opening, "slut' waving across my clothing, the glaring girls at the beach, my missing clothing, all of the shoves-those awful whispers in the dark hallways, the abhorrent and untrue rumors- me talking to Cedric- and then to Cho- our private lessons, the brief happy moments, the intense burning as my hand touched his-
Fuck, I knew what this was. Uncle had told me of it: Legilimency. The ability to read minds, wordlessly in this case.
I staggered out of the chair.
"Get out of my mind!" I shrieked, tears pouring once more. Snape paled, shocked. He didn't know. How could he when I had made every effort to conceal my constant misery.
"How-how dare you! Read my mind without my consent! I don't need anyone's pity, least of all yours." I spat, taking in his pained look, "I don't care what anyone else thinks of me (secretly, we both knew that wasn't true), so take away however many points you want! I'm done here!"
I stomped out, fuming, forcefully rubbing my eyes until they were free of water. Then I was sprinting through the halls and familiar grass, striping off the strangling clothing, wearing nothing but my green bra and matching underwear.
"Glacius!" I snarled. The icy cracked and fell, several meters in length, revealing the darkness beneath. I dove through the broken ice in the freezing lake, letting the chill numb me completely from the world. I swam there for a long time, until my limbs became heavy from the cold and my skin turned blue. Only then, did I drag myself from the icy lake, back into the ill-fitting clothing and straight up to the Ravenclaw tower where I fell immediately asleep.
