Chapter 1: Proper History
Draco was drooping off. He didn't realize he was drooling until a dollop tickled his chin. He hastily wiped it away and glanced up at the board.
More Goblin Wars, he thought, great.
Binns kept droning without stop. Of all things he could do, he could at least teach something that's actually noteworthy, Draco thought. He snorted.
"Mr. Miller," Binns said, "Does something amuse you?"
"That's Malfoy, and no sir," Draco said.
Binns gave him a nasty look, but went on droning. Draco rolled his eyes at the ceiling and leaned back in his chair.
I hate this class. Draco looked around secretively. Vincent and Gregory were snoring at their desk. Pansy was close to falling asleep, but kept awake solely by will power. Blaise snorted in his sleep beside Draco. Other students were fairing best they could, but sure enough, Draco was just as bored as the others.
Deciding to risk getting points off—they were close enough to the top to be alright if he lost a couple of points. And if he got detention, fine. It was worth it. After seven years, he was tired of this.
Draco raised his hand. This was as Gryffendor like a Slytherin could get. Binns stopped talking and blinked. "Yes, Mr. Malloy."
"Malfoy," Draco spat. "Sir, don't you think that there are other parts of history that really should be taught?"
Binns blinked. "Go on."
"What about the history of the school? And Merlin? Have we ever had a lesson about him and Morgan le Fay? And there are other wars that were fought in history besides the Goblin Wars, as important as they are. What about the previous dark lords and the ones who defeated them? And legends, as fabricated as they are, are important pieces to history whether fabricated or not. Surely, there must be something else you could teach other than Goblin Wars."
The look on Binns' face would make any student quiver in their seat. Draco tried to control himself under the furious gaze. "Detention, Mallory. Class dismissed."
Binns vanished into the wall. Draco blinked, and smirked. Not one point taken.
"Bloody hell," Blaise said, smiling. "That was brilliant, Drake. I've never seen Binns so pissed off."
"Me neither," Draco said. "I wish Potter would have seen that."
Potter, Granger, and Weasley dropped out that year. Draco was unsure why…especially in Granger's case. It would have been more fun this year if they didn't. Of all the teachers still around, Binns and Snape were the only ones that neither quit nor died. In fact, Professor Snape was now Headmaster Snape.
Draco and the others left the classroom and headed back to the Slytherin common room. As they lounged, laughing and congratulating Draco, an owl tapped one of the windows and someone opened it for the fowl.
It dropped the note on the table.
Detention tonight is in my classroom, Mr. Mellon, after dinner. You want a "proper" lesson? Fine. Bring parchment and a writing utensil.
Draco blinked and pocketed the note. He grabbed his things again and they headed to Dark Arts class.
That evening, he entered Binns classroom. It felt eerie. Binns was there at the desk.
"Take a seat, Mr. Marshall."
"It's Malfoy," Draco muttered, taking a seat.
Binns opened a book. "Here's one of the legends you so claim is important," he said. "Pay attention. Tell me afterwards what is really so important about it. What is the meaning behind the legend?"
Draco took out his parchment, quill, and inkwell. Once ready, Binns began to read aloud and Draco waited for something important to come up.
"At the beginning of Hogwarts first years, a student named Octavia, a muggle-born peasant girl whisked away from her family by Godric Gryffendor himself, became one of the first students ever to set foot in the castle walls. When she was taken by Gryffendor, she was disowned by her parents and adopted by Gryffendor. Hence, she is said to be his daughter, Octavia Gryffendor.
"Octavia lived with him since the year of Hogwarts founding. However," Binns glanced at Draco, who finished the note he was taking and looked back up.
"However, sir?"
"She met a man in the Town of Hogsmeade. This man was named Augustan Mello," Binns stopped reading again. "Perhaps you have heard of this man, Mr. Maine?"
"Malfoy. And yes. He was a vampire lord."
Binns continued. "Augustan took a liking to Octavia. He said he would not kiss her until she had graduated from Hogwarts. Agreeing to his terms, Octavia graduated with flying colors. Her adopted father was very proud of her. But the night after she graduated, she left the school to seek out Augustan and receive her promised kiss. She found him waiting for her by a Willow Tree that once resided near the lake. She demanded her kiss from him as he promised her the year they met. Augustan embraced her and gave her the kiss he promised her, and turned her into a vampire.
"Octavia, when she realized what had happened to her, ran back to the school, wailing for her father. She did not meet with Gryffendor first, but found Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin who had heard her screams. When they found her, Slytherin sent Ravenclaw for Gryffendor. He took her to their meeting room, presumed to now be the Hospital Wing. Helga Hufflepuff helped restrain her and wash the blood off. When Gryffendor arrived with Ravenclaw, he demanded Octavia to tell him who bit her. Frightened and ashamed, Octavia told her father everything.
"Gryffendor was furious at Octavia for carrying out a secret courtship with Augustan. Yet he did not have the heart to punish her justly or mercifully kill her. Instead, out of love for her, he had her bound and locked in a stone coffin, enchanted to remain closed so long as the locks were left alone.
"Gryffendor then sought for Augustan, intent on slaying him. Leading those who would follow him, they hunted Augustan for many months, leaving the school in the hands of Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Raven-claw. Three years passed before Gryffendor returned, with no success. Since the night of Octavia's conversion, Augustan had not been seen and every hint of a vampire was not Augustan. To this day, it is said that Octavia sleeps deeply in her stone coffin, waiting for her father—or someone of choice blood—to set her free." Binns snapped the book close. "So, tell me, Mr. Magyar, what is the importance of that?"
Draco set the quill down and thought about it. "Well, what if it's an actual event that people think is just a piece of good literature? Maybe it means nothing. Maybe it's a warning not to release Octavia or to beware of strange men. It sounds like something that would be told to your daughter to keep her away from strange men. That's the meaning: stay away from strangers. And that's Malfoy, sir."
"It isn't an actual event. If it were so, where is the coffin? Why hasn't Augustan been seen since then?"
"What about that magician Muggles are so fascinated by? Jesus Christ, I believe it was they called him. The Muggles, from what I've heard, worship him and claim that he's a god who never dies. How do we know that that's not fabricated?"
"Mr. Mathura," Binns said, exasperated. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "That concludes your detention. Go to bed."
"Will do, sir. And my name is Malfoy."
Draco left the classroom and headed back to his house. As he walked, he thought about the legend. Augustan Mello…Godric Gryffendor…Octavia…Hic iacio Octavia numquam futurus privatus…
Draco stopped. Where the heck did that come from? He thought. "Hic iacio Octavia numquam futurus privatus…Here lay Octavia never to be released…"
Draco entered the room and walked up the stairs to the boys' dorm, thinking of all the possible places he might have heard it from. He studied Latin over the summers after his first year, certainly, but only because it miffed him that Longbottom knew something that he didn't.
But still, he thought, what does that mean?
Draco lay in bed, getting a headache from all the brooding he was doing. Finally, he closed his eyes and went to sleep.
And now, we begin.
Presenting, OCTAVIA ~authoress bows~