The day started off slower than usual, and once again people were staring at Harry, like they did on the train.
"I swear, he was talking about Voldemort!" Harry snapped at Hermione again, explaining why he was in Malfoy's compartment when he broke his nose.
"We all know he was doing it to impress Pansy." said Ron reasonably.
"That's a big lie to tell, even for him." said Hermione.
They were heading for the portrait hole for breakfast. When everybody was queuing for the door, Harry decided to carry on later.
"It's rude to point!" Ron snapped at a particularly small first year that was looking at Harry. He climbed out the portrait hole so fast he almost fell over his robes.
"This is going to be a really good year, free periods and all." said Ron smiling while going down the white marble staircase to breakfast.
"You must use that time to study." said Hermione with a cold look.
Ron just rolled his eyes and sat down at the table, scooping scrambled eggs onto his plate. Amera and Tashia strolled past, and Tashia smiled at Harry, but Amera had a very straight face.
"Morning." He said as they walked past, but only Tashia said morning back.
"Did you and Amera fight last night?" Hermione asked when Harry turned back.
"Yeah…but she'll come around soon."
"So you didn't break up? Hermione asked again.
Harry almost choked on a mouthful of eggs, and swallowed hard.
"Did you just say break up?"
"I was just wondering…" Hermione added hastily.
"She one of my closest friends Hermione! She talks to me about everything. We basically grew up together. We fight every now again, but she'll forgive me in about a day, or I'll forgive her in a day…whatever."
"I was just thinking Harry…I didn't mean in it the wrong way. Really." Hermione added with a sorry voice.
Harry nodded and carried on eating. McGonagall came down the table, handing out timetables, sitting down with the sixth years, compiling their timetables.
"Well I'll tell your grandmother just because she failed her Charms OWL, doesn't make it a worthless subject." with that Professor McGonagall handed Neville a timetable.
She went up to Hermione, who only had to confirm her subjects and then went to her first period of Ancient Runes. Next were Harry and Ron, who both chose the same subjects. They took Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Transfiguration and Potions.
"We've got off right now, after break and lunch!" Ron pointed out at his timetable.
Harry nodded and listened to Amera and Professor McGonagall's conversation.
"Very well. Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Herbology, Arithmancy, Potions and Demonology. Are you sure about Demonology? There will only be a few students taking it."
"I'm sure Professor." Amera smiled, and Professor McGonagall handed her a timetable.
"Tashia?"
"Same as Amera Professor."
Professor McGonagall tapped another timetable and handed it to Tashia, and then they headed off to their first period.
"Think Hermione's got competition; they both got seven subjects like her." said Harry watching them walk out the hall.
"Tell me about it, they don't even need to take that much." Ron answered.
From there Ron and Harry went back to the Gryffindor common room, where a few other seventh and sixth years were sitting. But after an hour, they were off to their first lesson of the day, Defence Against the Dark Arts. Hermione, Amera and Tashia were already standing outside the classroom waiting to enter.
"We have got so much homework already!" Hermione complained.
"Tell me about it! We got a three foot essay for Demonology!" Harry overheard Amera saying.
"Oh you poor souls…" yawned Ron.
"You wait…bet Snape gives us loads." Hermione bit back.
The door flew open and the ever-familiar Snape told them all to enter. The classroom was dark and lit by a few candles, from which they could see a few posters stuck on the wall of bleeding or tortured people. After an hour, they left the classroom, to which many people had something to say.
"That was brilliant Harry!" said Ron.
Harry smiled and carried on walking. He had just jinxed Snape, even though he had got detention for it, he thought it was worth it. He shouted out the spell, even though he was supposed to be doing it without incantations. The only ones who mastered it were Amera, Hermione and Tashia.
"I've had enough of him, had enough of it last year."
They were walking to the courtyard for break, for a few minutes before they went to the common room for another free period. They spoke for a while when they heard shouting from inside the hall, they only heard a few words of what were said.
"Worthless… fake … pretences …"
Hermione looked at the doors, and thought for a while.
"That sounds like a girl."
Harry and Ron looked at each other and ran for the doors, followed by Hermione. They could still hear some shouting, but it was farther than they thought. Many other people were heading for the same spot, hoping to find a fight. They carried on until they found a corridor with five people standing in it. One was screaming, one was sitting against the wall, and the other three were receiving the thorough scolding at wand point. The last person looked really small, and could've easily been a first-year.
"You think you're so tough don't you? Picking on a first year that doesn't even know their way around the school yet!"
Harry immediately recognised the three people receiving the scolding; Draco, Crabbe and Goyle.
"He's a filthy little mudblood! Even you should despise him…" Draco tried fast, in a desperate voice.
"Ancestry doesn't matter! Some of the best witches and wizards are muggle-born."
"Say what you mean, they're mudbloods." said Draco with a smirk.
The person shouting held their wand higher, then said again calmly.
"Don't use such language around me Draco; maybe you should receive a lesson without your brutes…"
Harry knew who the wand holder was, it was Amera. But Tashia was nowhere to be seen, and then she appeared at Harry's side.
"She's very good, watch this…" said Tashia, pointing.
Amera flicked her wand, and then Crabbe and Goyle fell, frozen stiff. She was already practising her wordless magic, and wasn't that bad either. Draco hastened for his wand, then Amera said again.
"You really don't know what's coming…" Amera flicked her wand again, then there was a flash of yellow light and Draco was against the opposite wall.
"Not that nice is it?" said Amera before walking away.
Everyone stood with their mouths open, watching Amera trying to get through the crowd. Amera smiled at Harry as she walked past him, with a small cut on her cheek. Pansy ran out the crowd and to Draco sitting against the wall, after the first year ran off, and spoke to him. She whipped out her wand and aimed it Amera, before it flew out of her hand and slid down the hallway.
"Rules of engagement, never attack an enemy when their backs are turned. It shows cowardice and weakness." said Tashia, with her wand suddenly at her side.
Tashia put her wand away and followed the path that Amera took. Everyone was still awestruck including Draco.
"Blood traitor!" Draco shouted before he noticed that Amera was gone.