When the sun came up, the guys hurried back to get ready for classes. Hermione found them there.
"You look just awful," she commented, flipping through the Transfiguration tutorial.
"Harry was having a nightmare again," Ron told the girl quickly. Like the Weasleys, Granger hurried to assure her friend that everything would be okay and hugged him tightly.
After Hermione finished repeating her homework. The trio headed for the main hall. Many students have already been there. Including Colin, who liked to ask Harry questions about everything he heard.
"Harry! Hi Harry!" The boy greeted excitedly.
"Hi Colin," Potter replied much more calmly, sitting down at the table with the rest of the Weasleys and Oliver Wood. To be honest, he didn't want to deal with a hyperactive boy right now.
"Tell us, what does "The Curse of Serpents and Lions" mean?" Creevey asked with genuine curiosity. A thirst for knowledge burned in his eyes. All those who heard this phrase chuckled softly.
"Where did you hear that?" Percy asked as he spread butter on his bread.
"I heard from the Slytherins."
"I knew it," the Weasley elder sighed.
"This is a joke that has been circulating between the faculties for a very long time and over time has grown into something more," Ginny cut in on the conversation. She became terribly interested in what her friends were discussing.
"So, what is this curse?"
"The eternal rivalry between snakes and lions from the first year at Hogwarts. Every Gryffindor has his own Slytherin and vice versa," Percy explained as he finished breakfast.
"It's like looking in a mirror and seeing your opposite in the reflection," Hermione drew an analogy; even at the table she could not tear herself away from the new book.
"Do you have your own Slytherin?" Creevey asked. At the table, everyone began to giggle softly again.
"We said that this is just a legend supported by the students themselves. But if you think so, then I have it Marcus, the captain of the team," Oliver also decided to join the conversation. All the others nodded in agreement. They had already finished their breakfast except for the golden trio and were waiting to continue.
"Then I have this Savile, Head boy," Percy said. "I have to go, see you later. Come on, Oliver, our lesson will begin soon," everyone nodded and the young people disappeared behind the door of the large hall.
"The Paige twins," Fred and George, nodded towards the two girls sitting at the next table. The Weasley twins were constantly competing with the girls.
"Who do you have?" Colin turned to the golden trio.
"The Silver Trio," Fred replied, with a slight sneer. He loved to tease Ron and his friends about this. The freshman, not understanding, looked at the twins and they continued.
"The Silver Princes of Slytherin, Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini, and the Golden Princes of Gryffindor, Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley," George announced in an absurdly pretentious voice. This caused Harry much embarrassment. And Ron growled softly at his brother.
"Hate you."
"And also the main students of the faculties. Silver Princess Pansy Parkinson and Golden Princess Hermione Granger," imitating his brother, continued Fred. The girl blushed deeply and looked down.
"Instead of teasing us, they would hurry to class. It will start very soon," having thrown a glance at the clock, the twins nevertheless decided to follow the advice and go to the lesson. The freshmen, too, left, continue to talk to the Weasleys about the curse.
"Come on, there's no first lesson, so we can rest," Ron suggested when the plates of food were completely empty. Harry and Hermione nodded. The boys really wanted to get some sleep, but the girl still couldn't wait to finish reading her new book. They did not want to return to the tower at all, so they chose one of the abandoned offices that no one had used for years. In the far corner, they spread a blanket and all three fell on it. Harry and Ron fell asleep almost immediately on either side of Hermione. Their heads rested on the girl's shoulders, but she didn't mind. She got too carried away with reading.
When, Granger, looked up from the book and looked at her watch, she almost screamed. They were late for their transfiguration class.
"Hey, boys, get up," the girl shook her friends with such force that Potter's glasses almost flew off his nose.
"What's happened?" Weasley asked indistinctly, yawning widely.
"Lesson will begin soon, we are late," she told her friends. They wasted no more time. Quickly tossing their bags over their shoulders, they hurried to the Transfiguration room.
The trinity never liked to run through the school corridors because there was a high chance they would run into someone. And this did not pass the guys.
"Ouch!" a loud echo of six children's voices swept through the empty corridor of Hogwarts. Ron, Harry and Hermione collided with someone and fell very painfully on their backs. And their things scattered across the floor like a festive fireworks.
"You?!" The six asked with division, looking at each other. Draco, Blaise, and Pansy also sprawled painfully on the stone floor.
"No time to argue, the lesson will begin soon," Hermione quickly got up and gathered, as she thought her things. The Slytherins nodded; there was no time to sort things out.
"Then we will have a duel as moral damage. We'll discuss this later." Malfoy disappeared around the bend with his friends as quickly as he had appeared. A duel was the easiest way to sort out relations between faculties. Gryffindor and Slytherin even kept their own accounts on this matter. But there was no time to think about the future.
"You three just in time," McGonagall replied calmly as the teenagers rushed into the office like a mad whirlwind. "Sit down."
The guys quickly nodded and sat down at an empty table in the third row.
"And so, before we start, I want to ask you to hand over your homework," all the students rustled with parchment, the three did the same.
"You must be kidding," Ron moaned when he saw the neatly printed letters "Potions Homework, Blaise Zabini" instead of "Transfiguration Homework, Ron Weasley" on his sheet. He said it loudly enough to get the professor's attention.
"What's wrong, Mr. Weasley?" She asked, coming closer to the table of the trinity.
"Can we turn in the assignment after the lesson?" interrupted the conversation Hermione. She had the same problem.
"What's wrong, Miss Granger?" The woman asked, puzzled. She was very surprised that her best student did not do her homework.
"On the way here, we ran into Slytherins and our things got messed up. Apparently our tasks remained with them," for persuasiveness, Harry showed the professor a parchment, where the name of Draco Malfoy flaunted in large letters.
"Okay, give the assignment after the lesson," Minerva sighed; adjusting her glasses, "God, these students can never avoid trouble," and continued the lesson as usual.
They met Draco and the company only in the third lesson. Professor Flitwick's.
"Are you sure Potter is the only one who needs glasses here?" Blaise asked mockingly, taking his work from Ron's hands.
"Shut up, Zabini."
"Because of you, Snape lectured for almost half an hour, because we can't keep track of our own things."
"Weasley, I want a game of chess, so I'm waiting for you in an abandoned office."
"Dream, I have detentions with Filch until the end of next week, so forget. I won't be able to play anytime soon."
"Ugh. You are the only rival that matches my talent even a little. And what will you order me to do? Play with yourself?" Like many Slytherins, Zabini liked to turn his nose up. He never told anyone that the only one he was really interested in playing chess with was Ron. This very annoyed the teenager, because only this plebeian and blood traitor could beat him.
A similar situation was with all snakes, lions hurt their pride. The fact that they were in no way inferior to them. This made the Slytherins look for every opportunity to prove they were better. As a result, everything turned into an eternal rivalry between faculties.
"Potter, in a week. At midnight we meet by the lake. I want to try a new trick. See you." The Slytherins left before anyone could say anything.
Then everything was as usual. The school day was slowly coming to an end, and it was time for training. The team entered the field, where they found the Slytherins with new brooms.
"You're kidding," Oliver went to the captain of the Slytherin team, "What the hell are you doing here? I have booked the site earlier."
"What a shame look at this," the teen showed his rival permission from Snape, "And look at the new broomsticks Draco's father gave us."
"Make sure I don't put those brooms down your throat, Flint," Wood said irritably, clutching a piece of paper with permission.
"Rude. Since you are such a redneck and uncompromising. Then how about a bet? I will win, the site is ours, if you win, we will leave without any problems," Marcus held out his hand to Oliver in confirmation of the duel. He thought for a few seconds before agreeing.
"Good. There are witnesses on both sides, so everything is fair" as always, the handshake of the two captains was more like a game, break the other's fingers.
"And so, our referee will be ... Cassie!" A fifth-year student from the Ravenclaw national team passed by and was the only one who could become an independent person. Usually students from other faculties acted as judges in duels.
"What is it this time?" The girl asked slightly irritated, walking up to the crowd.
"Will you be our judge?"
"Okay, what are the conditions and the rate?"
"The bet is the playing field, and the condition is ..." Flint thought for a second, "Parallel peak. Two evaluation criteria. Speed and correctness of execution."
"Great, but whoever gets off the broom will lose automatically." Cassie nodded in agreement and took her own broom. The Parallel Peak was a competition in speed and skill. Two participants must fly vertically to the ground; the one who rolls earlier loses.
"Let's see how proud lions turn into cowardly kittens," Marcus scoffed as he climbed to the highest point. Both teams watched them enthusiastically and supported their captains. Hermione and Ron also joined them.
"Be careful not to choke on your own poison, Flint."
"Ready?" Ravenclaw raised her hand to the top, warning of the beginning. Oliver and Flint got ready to take off. "Go" a loud whistle echoed across the field and two sixth-year students in the same second fell down. The earth was getting closer and closer, but none of them was going to fold. And the observers were completely quiet, too agitated to speak. When the team captains were a millimeter from the ground, Wood turned a little earlier. The Slytherins were about to burst into taunts, but Flint relaxed too much. He thought that victory was in his pocket, but he could not stay on the broomstick and collapsed on the grass. And the broom fell from above, hitting him directly on the forehead. Everyone on the set burst out into loud laughter and applause, even the snakes.
"Are you alive there, Flint? Your brand new broom, hit you well on the head," Oliver chuckled as he descended to the ground.
"Shut up, Wood. The field is yours, but do not forget, I will definitely come for revenge." They again shook hands, trying to break their fingers.
"It was just amazing." Ron and Harry discussed the bet after the practice was over. They sat in the great room enjoying their dinner.
"It was very dangerous; one of them could not enter the turn and get crippled."
"Don't be a bore, Hermione. It was really cool."
"Of course, I don't argue, but…" The trio fell silent as soon as they felt someone standing behind them. Turning around, they gave a barely noticeable start.
"I want you, Mr. Potter, to come to my office after you finish dinner." The boy shivered. He did not want to go to the Potions Master at all.
"Okay sir," Harry nodded, not knowing what else to say. After this conversation, Potter began to eat even more slowly.
"Harry, Snape is waiting for you. So if I were you, I would not have lingered."
"I don't want to go to him. After that nightmare, he worries me even more," the teenager complained, picking at the plate.
"He probably wants to talk about custody," Hermione suggested.
"That's what worries me," Harry sighed heavily as he finished his dinner.
Ron and Hermione walked Harry all the way to Snape's office. Like last time, they stayed on the windowsill to wait for their friend. Again Potter knocked on the office door, and again there were two people. Dumbledore and Snape.
"Congratulations, dear boy, Snape's guardianship is officially approved," the headmaster smiled benevolently at the student, - Professor Snape wants to talk to you about this. Have a nice day.
Professor Dumbledore disappeared again, leaving a dazed Potter and a damn annoyed Snape alone.
"Come on, Potter, I have to show you something."
"Hopefully Snape doesn't turn me into a potion ingredient." With such a not happy thought Harry followed Severus to his private rooms.
