After the whole troll thing, Hermione and Revati became friends with Ron and Harry. Hermione had covered for the others and had lied to McGonagall so the boys didn't get in trouble. She'd gotten five points taken off and a verbal admonishment, which for Hermione was akin to two weeks detention, but she seemed much happier for it thanks to their newfound friendship with the boys.
Harry and Ron filled them in on what they'd discovered about the three-headed dog and what it was guarding. Apparently, Harry had visited Gringotts with Hagrid over the summer, and the groundskeeper had picked up a tiny package, apparently of utmost importance—and apparently also just in time, because later that day someone had broken into Gringotts.
Speaking of Hagrid, Reva had finally met the giant man in the middle of November, when he invited Harry and Ron to his hut for tea. The boys brought her and Hermione along, and Hagrid, immediately recognizing her as Anjali Kumar's daughter, beamed and asked her about her mother. Reva knew that while Professor Kettleburn had been her mum's Care of Magical Creatures instructor, she'd shared with Hagrid a fascination for more dangerous creatures, due in part to the Lethifold attack that had killed her family and sent her to live with her aunt's family in England when she was eight.
But despite the information Revati now had, she and the others got no closer to solving the mystery of the little package. So they agreed to drop it for the time being and begin focusing on classes again.
Snape, of course, was still perfectly beastly. Reva had tried her hardest to keep her mouth shut, but there was something about Snape's twisting expression that set her off, especially now that she was friends with Harry. She refused to accept Snape's cruel treatment of the boy, especially when it was clear that most of what Snape said was just an excuse to pick on him. She kept trying to convince the other first years to boycott with her. Ron was willing, but none of the others would do it, so she sat sullenly in class, making her potion until she made a comment that either lost Gryffindor points, or got her kicked out of class, which had happened three times now since school started. They always began with the phrase, "Sir, I'm protesting—" and they always ended with Reva being told off by Professor McGonagall, and either her or Snape writing to her mum.
Suffice it to say, Anjali was not happy.
I don't know what's gotten into you, Revati, she'd written in her most recent letter, but this has got to stop. I don't care if Professor Snape is favoring Slytherin House. I'm sorry that he's picking on Harry—trust me, I find that just as unfair as you—but you cannot allow your emotions to rule over you like this. I love that you're sticking up for your friend, but if you get one more detention you are grounded when you come home.
(Anjali had never had to be stern with Reva before, so this was a first for them both. Reva never imagined that she'd get into trouble at least once a week for misbehaving in class, but there she was. She hated disappointing her mum, but Anjali didn't have to see Snape bullying Harry and Neville every single class. She was sure that if her mum was in her position, she'd do the same).
Besides, Anjali didn't know what they did, which was that Snape had tried to get past the three headed dog on Halloween. The four of them wouldn't know it either, except Snape had confiscated Harry's book and when Harry went to ask for it back, he'd seen Snape's mangled leg. As far as Reva was concerned, he was clearly guilty of something, and she wouldn't be shocked to learn that he was after the package from Gringotts.
At any rate, it was the end of November now, and Gryffindor had their first match of the year against Slytherin. It was also the first game for three Gryffindors, including Harry—Alicia Spinnet had been one of the reserves the year before, and Katie Bell was only a second year. Reva made her way to the stands with Ron and Hermione, ready to cheer on her friend.
"Oh, Dean, do you have the banner?" Hermione asked, nudging the other boy. Grinning, he presented it to her. It said 'Potter for President,' and he'd drawn a wonderful lion roaring underneath. Hermione beamed back at him and performed the color-changing charm on it.
Just then, the teams walked out on the field—green facing off against red, Slytherin versus Gryffindor. Madame Hooch said a few words, too quiet for anyone in the stands to hear, then blew loudly on her whistle. At once the teams were off, and Reva noticed Harry shooting straight overhead above everyone else.
Reva grinned to herself as she watched the game, cheering with her friends (and, occasionally, helping Ron and Seamus explain things to Dean and Hermione, who'd never watched a match of Quidditch before). About halfway through the game, Hagrid came and joined them in the stands, and Ron, Hermione, and Reva scooted over to make room for him.
Almost as entertaining as the match itself was the stunning commentary provided by Lee Jordan, a third year Gryffindor who was friends with half the team and especially close with the Weasley twins. He was quite obviously biased in favor of Gryffindor, and shouted in outrage whenever Slytherin pulled off any dirty (though admittedly effective, and therefore brilliant) move, almost always inciting McGonagall's irritation.
To be fair to Lee, Gryffindor had a great team, with the Chasers working together so cohesively they hardly needed to communicate verbally, and a Keeper who hardly ever let the Quaffle in. Fred and George Weasley, of course, were truly fantastic Beaters—Reva imagined, with some longing, that hitting the Bludgers with a giant wooden club was a particularly satisfying way of relieving aggression.
As for Harry… Reva frowned, seeing him jerking around on his broom in an odd manner. "What's he playing at?" She asked, nudging Ron.
Ron's brows furrowed. "Dunno… is he doing it on purpose?"
"If I didn' know better, I'd say he'd lost control of his broom," Hagrid said slowly, furrowing his brow.
"He can't have!" Hermione gasped.
But it certainly appeared that way. Harry was rising higher and higher, his Nimbus Two Thousand doing its very best to shake him off. Suddenly, every eye was on the Gryffindor Seeker.
"Could it have happened when Flint blocked him?" Seamus asked worriedly.
Hagrid shook his head, and Reva noticed with dawning horror that he looked genuinely scared. "That's Dark magic," he murmured. "Not one of yeh kids can do that."
Worry churned in Reva's stomach. "Why isn't Dumbledore doing anything?" She demanded furiously. "He's supposed to be the most powerful wizard of the age, why is he just sitting there?"
Hermione looked towards the teachers stands and gasped. "There!" She whispered to Ron and Reva. "Look at Snape!"
Reva squinted, and a new wave of fury surged through her as she noticed what Hermione had—Snape's gaze was fixed on Harry, and he was muttering something under his breath over and over again.
"He's jinxing Harry's broom!" Ron said, outraged.
"Why isn't Dumbledore doing anything?" Reva snapped.
"Quick, Reva, what was it you said about protesting?" Hermione asked suddenly.
"Er, what?"
Reva squinted, and a new wave of fury surged through her as she noticed what Hermione had—Snape's gaze was fixed on Harry, and he was muttering something under his breath over and over again.
"He's jinxing Harry's broom!" Ron said, outraged.
"Why isn't Dumbledore doing anything?" Reva snapped.
"Quick, Reva, what was it you said about protesting?" Hermione asked suddenly.
"Er, what?"
"In the bathroom the night of the troll, you said something about protesting!" Hermione said desperately. "What did you say?"
"Er, I dunno, 'start setting things on fire and soon enough someone will pay attention,' or something like that." Reva paused, realization dawning on her. "Oh."
"But what should I set on fire?" Hermione whispered, panicked. "What will stop him?"
"His robes," Reva murmured quickly. "That's the only thing that will distract him for sure. Just keep the fire there long enough for him to see it, then put it out! When I said set things on fire, I didn't mean people!"
Hermione raced off, and Reva looked back at Harry worriedly. He was going higher and higher in the sky, the Weasley twins racing after him. But soon enough, even they fell back and started circling underneath him, presumably to catch him if he fell.
"Hang in there, Harry," Ron moaned next to her. His eyes were fixed on their friend, freckles standing out sharply against his paled skin.
And then, all of a sudden it stopped.
Reva didn't dare look over at the teachers' section, instead keeping her attention on Harry. As she watched, he managed to rush towards the ground, and for a moment, Reva thought he was going to be sick. But when he gagged, he pulled the Snitch out of his mouth. He stared at it for a moment, seemingly shocked, then he raised his fist in the air, yelling, "I caught the Snitch!"
Victory had never tasted so sweet.
"Snape was the one jinxing your broom," Ron said half an hour later, as the four first years sat in Hagrid's hut. "We saw him."
"Nonsense," Hagrid protested, "Why woul' he do that?"
The four of them exchanged significant looks.
"Well—" Harry said hesitantly, "He tried to get past that three headed dog on Halloween—"
"How do you know about Fluffy?" Hagrid demanded, accidentally dropping the plate of rock cakes he'd just pulled from the oven.
"Fluffy?" Reva cut in. "The Cerberus puppy's name is Fluffy?"
"He's mine," Hagrid explained, "Got him from a Greek wizard I met las' year—I lent him to Dumbledore to—" But he cut himself off, seeming to realize he was giving away information.
"To what?" Harry asked.
"I'm not supposed to be tellin' yeh," Hagrid said sternly.
"But Snape's trying to steal it!" Ron protested.
"He's a professor," Hagrid said, "Why would he be stealin'—"
"Well, why was he trying to kill Harry?" Hermione asked shrilly. "I know what curses are like, I've read about them, and Snape was definitely focusing just on Harry and doing some sort of magic!"
"Yeh're wrong!" Hagrid said. "I dunno what was up with Harry's broom, but I'm tellin' yeh it wasn't Snape! As for Fluffy, the four of yeh best be forgettin' about him, and what he's guardin'— that's top secret, that is, between Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel—"
"Nicholas Flamel?" Harry said. Hagrid looked ready to kick himself.
"Hagrid," Reva said, before the man blew a gasket, "Doesn't Fluffy need constant exercise? He's still growing, isn't he?"
Hagrid, seemingly relieved that they were on a safer topic (though not out of the danger zone), beamed at Reva and said, "Ah, jus' like yer mother. Dumbledore's promised me he's expanded the room, so poor Fluffy can run around and have fun, jus' as he used to."
"Speaking of Dumbledore…" Reva frowned, turning to her friends. "Why didn't he do something today?"
"What do you mean?" Asked Ron.
"Well, he was right there with the rest of the school when Harry's broom went berserk," Reva pointed out, "But he didn't do anything. It's not even like it was particularly difficult, yeah? I mean, Hermione saved Harry."
"What are yeh sayin'?" Hagrid bristled. "That Dumbledore had somethin' ter do with this?"
"No!" Reva said immediately. "I don't think he cursed Harry. I'm with Hermione, I think it was Snape. I'm just wondering why he didn't save him."
"Well, clearly he trusts Snape," Hermione offered. "He probably wasn't expecting the attack to be from a staff member."
"Yeah," Reva said hesitantly. "Maybe."
She didn't quite know what to make of it. Hermione could be right—perhaps Dumbledore trusted Snape so much he didn't consider the other man as a potential culprit. Still, it was odd that when first year magic was enough to break Snape's concentration, the Headmaster just sat there, watching with everyone, instead of doing something to distract the school (and therefore the person jinxing Harry's broom). She sighed. Every instinct was telling her that something was wrong, that it was too easy, that a first year, even one as precocious as Hermione, shouldn't have been quicker to figure it out than the great Albus Dumbledore.
But he was one of the biggest heroes of the Wizarding World, so she put it behind her.
"Today," sneered Professor Snape the next Tuesday, "You will be brewing the universal Antidote to Common Poisons by yourselves. I expect you all to follow the instructions in your textbooks—unless, of course, you find yourselves incompetent of even the most basic of tasks." He let his gaze fall over Neville, who cowered even as he burned red with embarrassment.
Malfoy snickered.
Reva's jaw worked and she opened her mouth, but Ron delivered a solid kick to her stool from where he sat with Harry behind her and hissed, "Don't be stupid, Reva, he's not worth it."
Ron was right. Besides, she'd had four letters sent home to her mum already and she wasn't even done with her first semester. She would do her very best to be good.
It didn't help Reva's case that she wasn't great at brewing potions. She was better than Neville, certainly, and even perhaps than Ron and Harry, but Hermione, Daphne Greengrass, Blaise Zabini, and unfortunately Malfoy, were all far better than she was at it. She frowned down at her instructions as she tried to crush her Bezoar. She wasn't doing so well with it, and Snape noticed.
"Well, well, well," he said, towering over her with cold amusement, "It would appear, Miss Kumar, that despite your constant need to advise me how to teach, you do not actually know what you are talking about."
Reva bristled, but bit her tongue, ignoring him.
"How unfortunate," Snape continued, "That your mother's talent for school skipped you. I expect, then, that you got your father's genes—whoever he is."
Whoever he is… was he saying that her mother didn't know who her father was? Anger burned through Reva at that and she snapped her head up. The rest of the class gave up any pretense of focusing on their potions (except Hermione, who actually was), and turned their attention to the professor and his worst student. "What exactly are you implying about my mother, sir?" She demanded.
A triumphant gleam entered Snape's eyes, though he said smoothly, "I did not imply anything. It is merely fact that you do not take after your mother in academic pursuits. Pity—perhaps you will outperform her in relationships."
The class held their breath.
Reva's eyes flashed angrily. "Professor, I'm terribly sorry that my mother's personal life is such a distraction to you. I imagine it must be very difficult for you to teach properly when you're so busy wondering about the parentage of the students in your class—I can't imagine what goes through your head when you see Zabini, seeing how many marriages his poor mother has suffered. Unfortunately, sir, I'm afraid that my mother's personal life mightn't be the most rewarding subject for gossip. If I may, Witch Weekly subscriptions are only twelve sickles a month. I'd be more than happy to sign you up for owl delivery."
Snape's eyes glittered. "Fifteen points from Gryffindor, Kumar," he said silkily. "And—"
"Detention." Said Reva, going back to crushing her Bezoar with her pestle. "I know the drill, one hour on Saturday, sorting Potions supplies."
Snape raised an eyebrow. "For that, you can take another five points from Gryffindor, and add two more hours to Saturday."
"Sir, yes sir." Reva muttered under her breath.
But something was different this time. Snape seemed to have realized something that Reva hadn't. He was satisfied, this time, when Reva rose to his bait—before, he'd been furious at the sign of disrespect. Now, he kept his cool and remained in control.
And Reva didn't like that one bit.
wrote this last week before life got wild. hope everyone's doing well.
hope you enjoy! lmk what you thought.
stay safe! love all of you. hoping for everyone's health and safety.
-alidfi