The Devilish Demigoddess in the Dungeons

3rd Year

James peered around the corner of Scrivenshaft's hoping to find Dominique. She was the only other Slytherin Weasley, and the two had always been close. A few minutes back, she'd seen Dom's friend, Lieselotte Wang, round the corner, so he'd thought to ask her where Dom was. He completely missed the fact that the turn at the corner only led to a secluded back alley. James Sirius Potter was not the most perceptive of people.

"Hi mum, yeah, I'm alright. I'm having fun," James heard the girl say as she tried to hide her sniffling. Immediately alarm bells started ringing. This girl was clearly crazy, talking to her "mum" by herself in some shady back alley.

"No, no, I miss you too. I miss you too, mum. How are you?" Lies continued. "That's good."

James wondered what he ought to do. If he stayed, he'd be risking life and limb, probably, but his curiosity was burning, and perhaps he might finally have something over this girl's head.

Ever since her first year, she'd been finding every opportunity to embarrass him in front of everyone, and James could not stand having his image tarnished. Never mind that he'd usually be the one provoking her. He'd only wanted to befriend her with some light, chummy teasing. Still, he had to admit, he'd been itching for a sparring partner anyway. Fred and Dom, the traitors, always laughed along, saying it was a taste of his own medicine.

"James, there you are!" the aforementioned traitors were waving at him, gesturing to the sweet shop across the street. He waved at them, fully intending to follow, but as the pair turned away, he felt a strong tug at the back of his collar.

"Spying on me, Potter? That's low, even for you," he'd been pulled behind the corner and now faced a very angry Lieselotte.

"Don't flatter yourself," he said, dusting himself off and barely glancing at the avenging fury in front of him. "What's that?" In the process of looking up from his clothes, he'd spotted a small shiny object clasped inside Lies' left hand.

"What did you hear?" Lies demanded. Realization flashed across the older boy's features, and his hands flew to his shock of dark hair.

"Is that a cellular phone?!" he whispered harshly. Sometimes, James Potter was smart.

"If you tell anyone-"

"You were calling your mum!"

"-I will cut you. My friends will cut you-"

"You were calling your mum on a cellular phone!"

"You will be unrecognizable to your-"

"You brought a cellular phone into Hogwarts because you knew you could use it to call your mum during trips to Hogsmeade! That's ingenious!"

"Yes, Potter, it's a mobile, and no, it's not ingenious. All the muggle-borns do it," Lies gave up threatening the oblivious boy, and rolled her eyes.

"D'you have games?" he asked her, all contempt for the girl lost.

"Er, yeah, I've got a few," she watched him in confusion, her button nose screwing up.

"Have you got the flippy bird?"

"The wha-? I thought your father was raised by muggles?" she stuffed the phone inside one of her pockets and crossed her arms.

"Yeah, but we don't need phones, we've got…tons of other magical stuff," James shrugged absently.

"Yes, I have Flappy Bird. No, you can't play it," she spun around to leave, then hesitated and turned back, "If you knew, you'd thank me. That bird is the curse of the devil." James stared in awe at the short girl, realizing newfound respect.

Fifth Year

"We're in need of your assistance," began the older student as he and James took the seats across from Lies. He was a Gryffindor, but due to one particular similar hobby, Fred Weasley II and James Sirius Potter were especially close. That particular hobby happened to be general mischief, which Lieselotte Wang knew was what they needed her help for.

"You'll have to be more specific," she said, looking up from her Transfigurations textbook. She levelled a cool gaze at the pair, leaning back into the dark leather sofa that she loved because it made her feel like a mafia boss. The flickering green glow of the torches lighting the Slytherin common room cast menacing shadows across her face. Freddie gulped, despite himself, but held his ground. James Potter remained unfazed.

"Lieselotte," he began in a placating tone, charming grin always at the ready. "What we need, only a select few can get their hands on, and of these exclusive few, only you could achieve the best results."

"Save it for your adoring public, Potter," Lies sighed. When James'd stopped provoking her wrath in public, she thought she'd finally have some peace and quiet to conduct her...affairs and focus on her academics, but oh was she so wrong. Potter had only graduated from annoying bickering to sickening, infuriating...attentions. He'd found the best way to annoy her was to try, and try blatantly, to ingratiate himself to her.

"We need you to get the key to the cupboard where Slughorn keeps his...special ingredients. You're in the Slugclub," Fred finally said. He'd been growing impatient, not one for careful tactics.

"I'm not the only one," she raised a carefully shaped eyebrow at the redhead.

"It'd be too obvious if one of his...er, more volatile ingredients went missing right after James borrows his key. We do have a reputation," Fred puffed out his chest.

"You're in the Slugclub, you're particularly...ah, persuasive, and quite good at escaping suspicion, am I right?" It was James' turn to raise an eyebrow, though he accompanied this with a knowing smile. At this, Lies closed her textbook, placed her hands on them, and crossed her legs. She would not be getting any studying done.

"A reliable source says you're behind the whole Quidditch betting ring," said James, eyes flashing in excitement.

"You need to study up on the word 'reliable', Potter. I'm afraid you're mistaken," she didn't even flinch. Fred watched the exchange carefully, thinking this was why he hated visiting James in the dungeons.

"Well, it is part of my civic duty as a good student to report any leads to the Headmistress, now, isn't it?"

"Even the whole idea of a Quidditch betting ring is just rumours, Potter," she had to remain calm, but inside, Lies was seething. There was a Hogsmeade trip coming up, and she had a particular dress in mind to spend her share of earnings on. The betting pool had to be protected.

"Why don't I give you a very generous deal, yes?" he knew he had her. Just one more push. "Freddie and I keep this information to ourselves, and we tell you just who the little tattletale was, and you get us those keys. We'll only need them for a little while, ten minutes tops," Lies sighed.

"Throw in some old notes and test papers for the classes I'm taking-", she lifted a finger to silence James as he opened his mouth to speak again, "Good notes, neat ones, not your chicken scratch."

"Deal," said James, sticking a hand out. He'd have to find a way to ask for his friends' notes without looking suspicious. Not an easy task. Lies shook his hand and lightning ran up his arm.

"It was Lorenzo," said James, as he and Fred stood up to leave.

Lorenzo, Lies mulled this over. She liked the younger boy, though he did seem too eager to please. Oh well, he'd have to be dealt with, preferably in a manner that would send a message to other would-be tattlers. She'd have to make an example of him.

"Lies," James said, turning back to her, "I'm quite good at Transfigurations. If you need help-"

"I've got Emily," she interjected harshly, which made her feel bad, though she didn't know why. The boy had just blackmailed her...and yet he offered so nicely. "Thank you, though...for the offer," she added as an afterthought.

James walked away, but turned back again to watch her from across the room. She was going through her book again, and didn't notice him looking. He wondered if he should tell her about Matty. Mathieu Calasanz was technically James' superior, being the seventh year captain of the Slytherin quidditch team, where James played as Keeper. But this presented a unique opportunity for James to run reconnaissance on Lieselotte's boyfriend. He reasoned that he wasn't really spying. He couldn't help it if he was privy to the pig's disgusting locker room talk. James loved to joke around, everyone knew, and if joking made you king, the locker room would be his kingdom, but Matty Calasanz just didn't know when to stop. It's not that Lies' dignity was at stake. No one in their right mind would cross her, except perhaps her childhood friends, though he wouldn't be surprised if the two were crazy. You'd have to be to survive Lieselotte Wang. It was just the principle of it all, he decided. It wasn't just Lies, after all, it was a few other girls too, and James couldn't stand how Matty would talk about them, bragging and telling obscene jokes. Still, he'd suppress the urge to hex the brawny beater, but he was wondering now if he should tell Lies.

"Lieselotte!" James called out, striding closer to where she sat.

"What!" she shouted back, adamantly, not one to be outdone.

"I need to tell you something...in private," he said to her in a low voice, once he was by her side. She could sense his unusual seriousness. Immediately, she left her book and followed him out. They walked a ways, and then entered an empty potions classroom.

"What is it?" asked Lieselotte.

"Mathieu is my friend, but you deserve better," he began, then scolded himself for not thinking that sentence through. Lies only scoffed.

"Okay, no, time out," said James. He planted a hand on the wall beside him and stared into the middle distance, gathering his thoughts. Meanwhile, Lies gathered all her patience.

"Mathieu Calasanz is not a good person. I'm sorry, Lies," he studied her face, but she only stared back coldly. James forged on. "I know him. He talks about you and...and his other girls. He's an absolute prick."

"Matty is a seventh year," Lies said, "Next year, he will be nothing to the student body but an ex- captain who was popular at school. There will be a new captain, and there will be other popular boys, but this year, he is team captain, and he is a popular boy who is not only interested in me, but also very fit. I don't need to love him, Potter." James flushed. He thought he'd been doing her a favour, but she only seemed insulted.

"Thank you for thinking of my well-being," she said, finally softening, "but I know what I'm doing. I don't need your pity." James started. He wanted to tell her it wasn't out of pity, but she'd already gone.

Lies slipped into the nearest girl's lavatory and locked herself into the furthest cubicle. She took a coin out of her pocket and pointed her wand at it. It started heating up, alerting her friends that she needed them. Then, Lies allowed herself to sob quietly.

A while later, Lies heard someone enter the lavatory. She held her breath to still her sobs, rubbing madly at her eyes and cheeks, and running a handkerchief under her nose.

"Lies?" it was Emily who arrived first. "Lies, it's me."

"Em," Lies called out, surprised at how thick and hoarse her voice was. She unlocked the cubicle to let Emily in.

"Oh no, Lies, what happened?" Emily asked, pulling out her wand and clearing up Lies' face. She awkwardly held her arms out and was relieved when Lies accepted the invitation for a consoling hug.

"Matty's a prick, but I'm not breaking up with him," Lies confessed.

"Why not?" asked Emily, and Lies appreciated the complete lack of judgement.

"He's...he's part of the full package, you know?" said Lies, searching for the right words to explain. "And he's just using me, but who's to say I'm not using him? It's a status symbol thing, you understand?"

"What do you me-?" Emily was cut off by Jo's arrival. After another round of questions and consoling hugs, the two girls were finally up to speed.

"He's a git," agreed Jo. "Has he hurt you, done anything...you know...?"

"No! No, he's never forced himself on me, and maybe that's why...he has those other girls," said Lies, a little calmer then. "I mean, if he asked, I think I could do it, but he's never asked for anything...more. He will though, I know he will..," Lies trailed off, considering possibilities analytically.

"Lies, are you happy?" asked Jo.

"Yes," Lies answered, but she was lost in thought then, planning her next move. "Alright, fine, I will dump him, just as soon as he's of no use to me," Lies decided.

"When's that?" asked Emily.

"Right before we leave for summer break, I think. That's only a few months away," Lies' brain was working now, putting emotions aside and coming up with strategies. "Yes, too soon and Potter's massive head will grow to the size of the moon, and I'll never hear the end of it..."

"Wait, which Potter?" Emily asked.

"Lies' Potter, not yours," replied Jo nonchalantly, letting Lies use her as a backrest as they sat balanced on the toilet seat cover.

"Oh, of course," Emily nodded. "Wait, what's James Potter got to do with this?"