December 19, 1994
Hogwarts
Hermione was starting to worry about Hariel. After she and Ron returned from Hogsmeade, the day before, Hermione went to find her. She found her, in the dorm, pouring over books that Hermione didn't recognise. Occasionally, she would turn to a small black book, scribbling a note and turning back to whatever book she was reading.
Hermione stared for a moment, simply shocked that Hariel was studying now, when normally, she was waiting for her and Ron to get back. And she looked as if she hadn't moved for at least an hour.
When Hermione got up the next morning, Hariel was down in the Common Room, still studying those books with her little black book beside her. Hariel ignored her presence, muttering to herself. Hermione was actually getting scared.
"Hariel?"
No response. Hermione was about to try again when she was stopped the sight of Hariel waving a hand and the book she had in front of her launching to the other side of the room. Another wave brought another book before her, and Hariel continued reading.
"H-Hariel?"
This time, Hariel blinked, looked up and noticed Hermione and promptly ignored her and returned to her book.
Abandoning all propriety, Hermione reached for the book that Hariel had cast aside, only to drop it when she read the title: Curses and Law; How to curse your enemies and get away with it.
Hermione looked at her friend in shock, before using the newfound skills she learned from Hariel to force the girl's current book shut.
"Hariel Lily Potter!"
Hariel jerked up and Hermione saw something she thought she'd ever see on her friend's face. Pure hatred. And for a moment, the air in the room grew colder and the shadows grew longer. The light inside the Common Room, even that of the sun, dimmed and Hermione began to feel something more than fear.
Terror.
All because Hariel's eyes were a very bright green that seemed to glow with power.
And then it stopped, and everything looked normal, though Hariel still looked a little miffed.
"What?"
"Why are you studying curses?" Somehing very dark passed over Hariel's face, before the younger witch looked back up to Hermione. Then something broke, and the tears started to fall.
Hermione moved to comfort her, but Hariel effortlessly pushed her away with her magic. The girl gathered her books and left the room, leaving Hermione to gape from where she had fallen – a lounge chair.
Hariel let out a scream of frustration in the abandoned classroom she'd found.
How dare she interrupt her! Hermione clearly had no business looking at her things.
And to top it all off, she lost control and burst into tears.
"Damn it!" she screamed, letting her magic loose again. It was very cathartic, letting her carefully restrained power free. It helped release her pent-up anger and frustration.
"Potter?" The new voice drew Hariel's attention and she clamped down her magic and spun around to see Draco Malfoy standing there with a look of pure awe. The expression gave Hariel immense satisfaction and if it were a different situation, she'd have preened a little.
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" she hissed, only to gape wide-eyed when a Slytherin girl, Pansy Parkinson, if Hariel remembered correctly, entered as well.
"Draco, let's find somewhere else." The implication immediately hit Hariel and suddenly, she couldn't look at Malfoy without turning red.
"No no," she said, "the room's all yours." With a wave, the upturned furniture righted itself and her books collected themselves before trailing after her.
Once she left, the awkwardness immediately fell away, leaving her wondering why she felt awkward in the first place.
It was certainly funny, now that she thought about it. Malfoy had come to the abandoned classroom with the intention of snogging Parkinson at the least and shagging her at most. But instead he found her, Hariel Potter, throwing a tantrum and tearing the place to pieces. She was sure that took the excitement away from his intentions.
There was also the way he was looking at her. Hariel decided she liked it when he looked at her like that, even though he was spending his time with a floozy like Parkinson. The female Slytherin had tried teasing her a few times, for various reason, but after she had taught the tramp a lesson, there was none of that.
Honestly, Hariel thought that Malfoy was smarter than that.
But then again, all boys were stupid.
Except for Riddle. He seemed remarkably intelligent.
Though, all of this meant she would have to find a new place to practice.
December 25, 1994
Hogwarts
Hariel hated Christmas. Mainly because it was the one time she couldn't escape the Excited Mood Hermione, who degenerated into a child in the festive season. The fact that she didn't get any presents up until recently was relatively minor.
Thus, it was a grumpy Hariel Potter that descended the stairs. When she got down, Hermione was bouncing up and down like a puppy and Ron was already devouring the chocolates she'd gotten him. Of course, this prompted a rebuke from Hermione.
"Ronald, you were supposed to wait for Hariel and me," she said. Ron mumbled something in his full mouth and Hermione just sighed and sat down.
Slowly and methodically, Hariel opened her presents, resulting in a new sweater from Mrs Weasley (which was good, her last one was getting too small), a book on passive spells from Hermione (that must've been a last minute addition), a box of chocolates from Ron (great minds think alike, and lesser minds can't help but imitate them), a packet of assorted prank supplies from the Twins (she had mentioned she was running low) and a brand new Bluebottle 65 from Oliver Wood (likely at the behest of the Chaser Trio) with a note attached saying sorry.
Oddly enough, it seemed that Professor Snape had sent her something as well; a Potions Kit for Advanced Brewers. To be honest, Hariel was flattered he had such a high opinion of her. She was browsing the book that Hermione had given her (after all, even passive spells had their uses) when Ron shouted, "how lucky, Harry! Two brooms for Christmas!" Hariel, despite being leagues more intelligent than Ron, had no clue what he was referring to (at least, until she looked).
Sitting just under the tree, just out of sight, was a wrapped broom. A quick inspection told her that it did not possess a note of any kind (aside from the one addressing it to her). This immediately sounded the warning bells in her head.
She carefully opened it, making sure to not touch it with her bare hands. When she finished revealing the broomstick, she dropped it out of shock.
A Firebolt. An honest to god Firebolt. And it was hers. Now, she wasn't a Quidditch buff like Ron, or a broom geek like Ginevra, but Hariel couldn't help but admire the beauty of such a broomstick.
It was brand new, with a nice layer of varnish that gave it a shiny quality. It was topped with a stirrup on either side of it, for her legs to rest (likely so she didn't slide off the end) and the bristles were finely trimmed and ended in a nice brush shape.
"Who do you think sent it?" asked Ron.
A loud scoff was heard from Hermione, even as the other Gryffindors admired it. "It's obvious isn't it?" she said, causing the entire house to stare at her, "well, I mean, who could it be other than Sirius Black." Hariel nearly laughed when some of her classmates flinched at the name, as if Hermione had said Voldemort.
"Why would Sirius Black give Harry a broom?" asked Ron. Hariel almost groaned at the redhead's stupidity.
She adored Ron, she really did. He was one of the few who stood by her in Second Year, when all the school thought her as the Heir of Slytherin. But sometimes, his single-mindedness was grating. He considered three things to be important: Quidditch, and subsequently, the Chudley Cannons, food and chess.
"Much the same reason Quirrel jinxed my broom in first year," Hariel said, "to kill me." She waved her wand over the broom, muttering a few words that Tom had taught her.
"There aren't any obvious curses," she said softly, "but I think Professor Snape should have a look." She was speaking to Hermione, but Ron overheard and started. Loudly.
"Why would you give a Firebolt to Snape? ("Professor Snape," said Hermione,)" he demanded, "he's just going to throw it away." Hariel regarded her friend with an incredulous stare.
"Does my life mean so little to you," she said, "that you'd be willing to throw it away for a bloody broomstick?!" Her voice rose at the end, causing Ron to flinch. "I am taking this broom to Professor Snape because he is an expert in the Dark Arts and could easily detect any curses that may be on this broom." Without another word, Hariel stormed out the door, leaving Ron gaping and Hermione following her. Fred stood next to his younger brother and smacked him upside the head.
"Well done, Ickle Ronnikens," he said, before George continued.
"You just made darling Hariel,"
"The future queen of the universe,"
"Second scariest lady in existence,"
"And wielder of one hell of a temper,"
"Angry,"
"At you,"
"When she has a Firebolt." The Twins finished together, staring at their brother, wondering how he could be so stupid.
Hariel marched to Professor Snape's office, intent on sorting this matter out. After all, what good was a broom like this, if it threw her off at neck-breaking speeds. Despite not being a broom-nerd, Hariel was simply itching to at least try the broom out. Maybe even keep it and join the Junior Racing Circuit in the summer.
But she wouldn't do anything with it until it was cleared for her safety. She stopped short of the door to her favourite teacher's office, wondering how to word her request. After all, Professor Snape hated liars (which Hariel found ironic) and Quidditch (which was completely understandable; James Potter was an amazing Chaser and had tormented Professor Snape when they were in school together.)
Shortly before she knocked on the door, Hermione caught up to her. Hariel knew the girl had been following her, but had no idea how close she was. She didn't stop, because she didn't want to delay.
The girls shared a glance, Hariel, a curious one and Hermione, a tentative one. The two friends hadn't exactly reconciled after the incident of Hermione learning what Hariel was studying after all.
"You could just be upfront," said Hermione, "doesn't Professor Snape hate Sirius Black?" Hariel thought for a moment. Every time the dark Potions Master mentioned Black or heard him mentioned, something evil passed over his face. It seemed that Hariel's father was not the only one that Professor Snape hated.
"And he would relish at the chance to prove himself better than anyone," she said. She nodded at Hermione, "very well, I shall."
Before she could knock, however, Professor Snape opened the door.
"What do you want, Potter?" he asked, causing a small smile to cross Hariel's face, even as a frown crossed Hermione's. Hariel had always enjoyed the abrasive personality of the so-called 'Slytherin Vampire'.
"I was hoping you could cleanse this broom of any nasty surprises," she said, holding out the Firebolt, using the wrapping to protect herself.
"And how, pray tell," drawled the Potion Master, "did you acquire a Firebolt, Potter?" At this, Hariel grinned, before 'carefully' wording her answer.
"Oh, I thought Sirius Black might've sent it with a number of curses," she said, "and I was hoping you would be able to find and remove any on there, but if you can't..." She trailed of as Professor Snape snarled and snatched the broom, wrapping and all, from her hands.
"Come in, you impertinent girl," he said, before striding to an empty table and placing the Firebolt there. He quietly muttered while waving his wand over the broomstick. After a moment, he stepped away, with a slightly confused expression – though, it only lasted for a second – before he turned to Hariel.
"Are you trying to be funny, Miss Potter?" he asked, his voice dropping dangerously, "there are no curses on this broom." His eyes narrowed, but Hariel's wide-eyed expression of shock quickly calmed him.
"You were unaware," he said. He hummed, before giving Hariel the broom.
"I suppose it is a good thing that you have quit that infernal game," he said, "else Slytherin would have absolutely no chance to succeed now." Without another word, he left.
Hariel blinked, staring at the Firebolt, while Hermione gaped at the spot where Professor Snape had stood. She couldn't believe that a Hogwarts Professor acted so casually with his students.
Hariel's thoughts, however, were vastly different.
She still suspected that Sirius Black had sent the broom. But it was not cursed. Instead, it was in pristine condition. Hariel had a feeling there was something she was missing.