Adventures of a Second Year:
Diara's eyes focused on the glint of gold in front of her. She ignored the sweat dribbling down her forehead. Seeing something coming toward her out of her peripheral vision, blurry past the edges of her glasses, Diara barrel rolled to get out of the way of the bludger. The small glinting ball flew toward the ground; Diara adjusted her trajectory and aimed her broom in a diagonal, trying to gain ground on the snitch. From the other direction, another flyer came toward her, also intent on the snitch. Diara leaned forward on her broom, trying to get an extra burst of speed. Carefully she pulled her right hand off of the broomstick and … her fingers closed around the Snitch!
Landing, Diara grinned. From nearby, she heard James and Sirius whoop. They were both on the Gryffindor House Quidditch Team. And Diara had gotten the Snitch first in the try outs! Holding the snitch proudly, Diara enjoyed the attention.
"Alright everyone, gather in," called Captain Leroy Riggers. He was a 7th Year, and one of the Beaters. The other Beater was Sirius. "We've had a lot of good applicants this year for the team. Nobody outflew our current chasers, but we did have an opening there. Siobhan Grey, you're in." A tall blonde 4th Year girl cheered and went to stand with James and the other chaser, 6th Year Ambrose Vulpin.
The Captain cleared his throat to get the attention back on him, away from the cheers or groans of disappointment. "Alright, now, none of our Chasers are 7th Years, so I'm not recruiting a substitute for any of them this year. But! Keep playing pick-up games, and if someone is sick, I'll know who to pull in!" That choice was popular, as it gave everyone encouragement to keep playing for fun and practice. Their skills today wouldn't determine who would cover if James, Ambrose or Siobhan were sick. At school level events, if a player was injured enough to be unable to play, the team was expected to continue a player down or forfeit. Substitutions could only be made prior to the event.
"I do, however, want a Reserve Beater! I'm a 7th Year, and I want to leave this team, the best damn team in the school, with a fighting chance next year! Arthur Price, you performed best. I want you with us at every training and I promise you'll fly one game, even if I have to sit out myself to give you the experience!" Everyone on the team knew that Leroy wasn't interested in going professional. He was hoping to work for the Ministry. He wasn't worried about missing out on scouts seeing him. However, showing good leadership skills was very important to him.
"Alright, our Keeper stays Jennie Cotton." Jennie was a 7th Year, of average height with brunette hair and blue eyes. "Reserve Keeper is Anders French." Anders was a pimply third year, gangly and looking like he was going to be very tall.
"Finally, our Seeker graduated last year. Now, I wasn't the captain then, if I was we'd already have someone picked out for the team! This is a crucial position and I'm going to expect a lot of practice time to make up for it. Potter, I hope you can work with your sister. Diara, you were the best. Welcome to the team everyone!"
This year, Gryffindor's team was Captain Leroy Riggers, 7th Year, and Sirius Black, 5th Year, as Beaters. Arthur Price, a 4th Year, was the reserve. James Potter, 5th Year, Siobhan Grey, 4th Year and new team member, and 6th Year Ambrose Vulpin were the Chasers. Jennie Cotton, 7th Year, was the Keeper, with a third year as reserve. Diara, the youngest member of the team, was the new Seeker. She couldn't help but want to rub it in the faces of Isadora and Barbie.
-DP-DP-DP
Over the next month, the team practiced religiously. Each morning, Diara woke up feeling tired. She would shower, gather her books, and head to breakfast with the other girls in her dorm. Diara loved having Charms with the Hufflepuffs; it was a great class to catch up with Sierra during. Her friend had not made the Quidditch team as a member, but had joined the Reserves. Hufflepuff liked to have a reserve for all positions, so they had 14 players on their team. Sierra and Diara figured that it was due to the emphasis on hard work.
Diara liked the Defense Against the Dark Arts material, but found that she didn't like the teacher's style. Professor Walt Scott looked like he was in his early twenties and was from the continent. He was skilled in Defense, but he couldn't teach at all! Diara found his explanations to be unhelpful. Particularly irksome, was listening to some of the other students, girls, titter over him. Courtney and Grimelda even agreed that having to listen to Terry and Nancy's gushing over how handsome Professor Scott was could get annoying: and they did the same thing over Sirius and Remus! Diara did have to admit the man was handsome: he had golden blonde hair, a square jaw and neatly trimmed facial hair, and green eyes. Many of the girls in Gryffindor tower had crushes on him.
It wasn't the long Quidditch hours, or hearing her roommates giggle over their crushes long into the night that left Diara tired, or even the snarking she received over a seer being on a Quidditch team, that left her tired, however. It was flashes of bright green in her dreams. The world was growing dark. The visions were insistent but not detailed: a letter carried by an owl, and the knowledge someone was dead or missing. Diara was waking up in the night, a couple times a week, with her gut twisted in fear.
Diara had subscribed to the Daily Prophet. Many others thought her strange: what 12-year-old reads a newspaper? But Diara had a compulsive need to know what was going on. For years, the headlines had been marred by disappearances and dark whispers. Lately, the whispers were growing louder and the headlines were making clear what Diara already knew: a reign of terror had begun.
Lord Voldemort Speaking to Allies on Pureblood Culture!
Opponents Reportedly Tortured After Accusing Him of Terrorist Acts!
Pro-Muggleborn Advocate Gerrymander Missing!
Family in Tears as Noted Solicitor Vanishes; Dark Mark Cast over Family Home!
Mayhem at Celestina Warbeck Concert
"Death Eaters" Attack Crowd: Muggleborn Couple Dead! Cruciatus Curse Cast!
The final headline to rock the world lately was the official acknowledgement of a dark lord terrorizing the country, on the morning of Diara's first Quidditch game:
Lord Voldemort called "The Dark Lord" by Death Eaters: The rise of a Dark Wizard; Unforgiveable Curses Used by Followers
Diara couldn't help but to feel that the day was right for this announcement. The early November wind blew harshly outside. It was a horrible day for a Quidditch match. Newspapers were being passed around the Great Hall, and dark glares were being directed at those who had verbally supported Voldemort previously.
Diara woodenly ate her breakfast, sitting together with the Quidditch team. A slice of toast with marmalade, a poached egg, two strips of sausage, and fruit: none of it had any flavor. Later, Diara wouldn't be sure if it was due to the headline she had long known would one day come, or if it were due to nerves.
She and Siobhan were the two new players today. Siobhan, older than Diara, put a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "Eh, if we don't play well, blame the weather, yeah?" The girl gave a half-hearted grin at Diara, as she got up and headed toward the pitch.
James threw an apple at his sister's head: her hand automatically reached out to catch it. "You'll be fine, sis." Staring at the apple in her hand, Diara began to feel that maybe she would be. Diara threw the apple at Sirius' head as the two Marauders chuckled as they walked off. Her throw missed.
Captain Leroy chuckled. "Alright, save your energy for the field."
Once Diara was on her broomstick, the anxiety of breakfast, already dimming, melted away. Why had she been anxious in the first place? Flying was wonderful!
The Captain of Ravenclaw shook Captain Leroy's hand. The whistle blew. The quaffle was off! But Diara had no eyes for the quaffle. Her focus was looking for a small golden ball and on the 7th year Seeker of Ravenclaw Dwayne Hubert. For a half hour, the wind blew, and Diara darted around the pitch, dodging the occasional bludger and searching for the snitch. She kept half an ear out for the announcer. Currently, Gryffindor was up by 20.
At forty-five minutes, the lead had fallen by 10. This was a close game. Diara still hadn't seen a flash of gold the whole game, barring a glint of gold off of an opposing Chaser's face: earrings, a good distraction tactic.
Suddenly, Dwayne stooped into a dive. Diara, not sure if he had seen the snitch, chased after him. Sure enough, a moment later, she saw a glint of gold. He had fifty feet on her. Diara leaned flat to her broom, accelerating as fast as her broom could go. A bludger flew by her, Diara refused to zig-zag around it to lose time, instead she angled down, creating a dive. Dwayne and the snitch were below her now, Dwayne twenty feet ahead. The snitch turned, headed toward Ravenclaw's goal post, where both teams were gathered as Gryffindor tried to make a goal.
Diara was over the crowd. With a single-minded focus, she dived down into a mild dive, angling her broom to bring her into the crowd, the dive helping to increase her speed. As she and Dwayne met in the midst of the other players, Chasers scattered and the beaters tried to blast bludgers toward her and Dwayne—it appeared Ravenclaw and Gryffindor both had control of a bludger. The bludgers missed, one hitting a chaser instead. The game was so fast, Diara couldn't even tell which team had been hit.
The snitch was only feet ahead now, Dwayne and Diara neck and neck. It dove toward the ground. Diara, the lighter player, quickly adjusted and swooped into a steep dive. "Almost, almost," she muttered to herself.
Dwayne was catching up, the most experienced flyer regaining the slight gap Diara had opened. But it was too late. Diara's fingers closed around the snitch, its fluttering wings sticking between her fingers, like her fist had grown wings. "I got it! I got it!"
-DP-DP-DP-
Arriving in the girls' changing room, Diara looked into the mirror and stared. At some point during the game, her hairband had come loose. The last six inches of her hair, everything below her shoulder's looked like it had been in a hurricane and was knotted badly.
As the other girls in the room got read to shower, Diara sighed and grabbed a brush. She'd need to remove at least some of the mess before showering. A moment later, she yelped and let go of the brush, as it was stuck in her hair.
Jennie and Siobhan came over. "Ouch, that's a right mess," Jennie muttered and put her fingers into Diara's hair.
Siobhan, her own beautiful hair straight and in control, winced. "And here I thought nothing could be worse than James' hair!"
Diara shook her head at her teammates. "Yeah, it's really out of control." Looking in the mirror again, Diara shook her head and reached for her wand.
"I know a charm that might help," Jennie offered.
"No thanks," Diara said. "It will just happen again." She grabbed her hair in her left hand, and held it away from her head, creating a ponytail where the end was like a knotted bush. In her other hand she held her wand. Pointing at the spot where the hair became crazy, she cast a spell. "Diffindo!" The knotted hair fell to the ground to her teammates gasps.
Diara's hair now was short, almost reaching her shoulders. A few knots remained in the hair, but most had been cast to the floor. "Mm, that's better."
-DP-DP-DP-DP
The clear flying talent Diara had shown in her first match, coming from behind to catch a very experienced Seeker and beat him to the snitch, stopped most of her detractors from bullying her about being on the Quidditch team. Diara thought it was nice to not have to deal with that anymore. However, the aftermath of that day had far more to do with the rising tide of violence, led by Lord Voldemort.
The school was polarized. On one side were the Slytherins, many of whom supported Pureblood ideology, which Voldemort and the Death Eaters used to support their agenda. On the other side were the Gryffindors, most of who were far more welcoming to Half-Bloods and Muggleborns and who stood staunchly in opposition to the tactics used by Death Eaters. The Marauders were, despite their horribly immature ways, role-models in Gryffindor, and all four of the boys were against the Death Eaters. They targeted Severus Snape in particular.
One weekend in early December, Diara was catching up a Potions essay, when James trudged into the Common Room with his friends at his side. Diara looked up at him and grinned. "Did you get the chocolate I asked for?"
"Hold on a moment," James grumbled as he unwound his scarf. Bare of his woolen cap, his ears poked out, a bright red from the cold, out of his messy black hair. They had just been at Hogsmeade for the last Hogsmeade trip prior to school letting out for the holiday. "Eh, Remus, weren't you carrying the chocolate we got for Diara?"
The sandy haired boy thought for a moment, then dug through a pocket. "Nope, I gave it to Peter to carry."
Sirius barked out a laugh. "Good thing too! Or else you'd have eaten it all!"
Peter held two bags of chocolate in his hands and looked confused for a moment. "Oh! It's this one! Here you go, Diara."
"Thanks guys," Diara said, already opening up a package. "Looks great! Honeydukes is the best." The boys ignored her, all unwinding scarves and coats from themselves and going through their own purchases. Diara noted that it looked like they had bought out Zonko's whole joke shop.
Diara loved dark chocolate, the rich flavor as it melted slowly in her mouth. Best though, were Honeydukes Mystery Truffles. Dark chocolate filled with a center of a mystery flavor. She'd had a cinnamon before, and one that tasted like pumpkin juice on the inside. The girl quickly popped the first truffle into her mouth.
"Ugh! What flavor did they put into this?" Diara swallowed the truffle. "James! Did you get the Mystery Truffles? It's always sweet inside! This wasn't."
"Don't blame me that you like them! At least Bertie's Botts are good for a laugh," James replied absently.
Diara looked up from the wrapper, which appeared normal, and caught sight of Sirius. He was desperately looking through his pockets. "Hey, Prongs! The Tricky Truffles are gone!"
A blush spread across Diara's cheeks as she watched the Marauders go through bags. She sighed. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her: she hadn't gotten Sirius a Christmas present!
Diara grabbed her Potions books and darted up the stairs to her dormitory. Courtney was in the room, painting her toenails. A line of pink smeared as the door slammed behind Diara.
Despondently, Diara threw herself onto the bed. "Oh Courtney! It's the worst thing ever!"
Courtney looked up from where she was scowling at the mess of her toe. "What's wrong?" It wasn't like Diara to be melodramatic.
"I've just realized. I didn't get Sirius something for Christmas! What if he thinks I don't like him?" Diara hugged her pillow to her chest.
"Am I missing something? Since when do you like Sirius? You're always complaining about him," Courtney started to recount instances.
"Of course I like Sirius," Diara burst out. Tears burst down her cheeks and she sniffled. "He's so much older than me though! I bet he thinks of me like a little sister! But, he's so dreamy. Please, Courtney, you're so much better with boys. Help me find something to give him for Christmas to win his heart!"
Courtney's face began to turn red with anger. "You've always denied liking him! I've told you I liked him for ages! Are you making fun of me, Diara?"
"I would never make fun of love," Diara denied. "Sirius will be mine! Just you wait! I won't let you have him: He's mine!"
That was the final straw for the two girls. Both stood, staring at each other angrily. "I've loved him for longer than you, you liar," screeched Courtney.
Diara smirked at Courtney. "He doesn't even know you exist! He brought me chocolates today," she said, conveniently forgetting it had been James who was entrusted with her money, and Peter who had carried the chocolates back safely. "I'm sure he loves me more."
Courtney tore out of the door, her toes still half-painted. "We'll see about that!"
Diara, realizing her intention, followed after her at a run. She charged right past Courtney and threw herself at Sirius. The Marauders stared at the two girls as they jumped onto the couch next to Sirius, each grabbing an arm and glaring at the boy.
Diara got her words out first, "Sirius, tell Courtney that you love me more!"
"No way! Tell Diara she's just a little sister to you and that you love me," Courtney interjected.
Sirius, completely confused, looked between the two girls, Courtney still glaring at Diara, and Diara batting her eyelashes at him—an odd look, behind her thick glasses. "Uhh," the boy stuttered, unused to having 12-year-olds throw themselves at him. "Well, I don't really know you Courtney…"
Courtney's face crumpled and she nodded, quickly drawing herself back from Sirius. Peter snickered and a blush suffused her face, as she seemed to realize that she'd thrown herself at Sirius in public. She darted a look around the room. James was staring shocked, focusing on his little sister. Peter was snickering and Remus frowning. There were a half dozen other people in the room, all staring as if they were watching a drama unfold. Her face turned even redder and she ran back to the dorm, stifling a sob.
Diara grinned. "Do you love me then, Sirius?" She wrapped her arms around him in a hug.
"Don't touch him, Diara!" James cried and tried to snatch her away. She just snuggled up against Sirius and kissed his cheek. James glared at his friend.
"Guys," Remus interrupted. "Would you say Diara is acting oddly?" Incredulous looks met his question. He held up the chocolate wrapper.
James paled. "No. The love potion meant for Snivelus?"
Remus nodded. "Yeah, the chocolate with that was given to Diara." Peter stopped snickering. He was the one who had given the chocolate over.
Sirius sighed and wrapped his arms around Diara. "How about we go on a little date down to the dungeons," he offered.
"What? Don't you dare take advantage…oh," James said, his head of steam quickly catching on that the Potions lab was in the dungeons, and thus an antidote. He did not want to see his sister act like a tramp for a whole day.
Diara smiled and bit her lip. "I'd love that!"
As the duo headed out, with the trio of Marauders behind them, Peter chuckled. "Just imagine if she saw you first, Prongs!"
"Wormtail," Remus hissed.
"Ouch!" came the rat's voice.
An hour later, a common antidote down her throat, Diara was glaring and yelling at the Marauder's. Love potions were never to be mentioned among them again. It took a lot longer than hour for Courtney to be willing to speak to Diara again, even knowing she was under the effects of a love potion. In fact, Courtney didn't speak to Diara for months.
-DP-DP-DP-
That spring, with Courtney still avoiding her and Grimelda awkwardly between the two friends, Diara spent more time than ever with Sierra. With the continuing violent news, the two decided to practice dueling on their own in an unused classroom. Diara was very good in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but did not feel very comfortable around Professor Scott.
There were rumors about the school that he spent too much time alone with some of the older years' girls. Diara didn't know the truth of the rumors, but she didn't find herself uncomfortable around the man. Between her experience with the love potion, and previous annoyance about hearing girls with crushes talk about them constantly, Diara wanted nothing to do with such rumors. She kept away.
The girl was rather glad to have done so, when Headmaster Dumbledore made an announcement at dinner one evening in early May. "It is with great sadness that I inform you that a teacher at this school has violated his oaths to guide and protect his students," Dumbledore began. His normally twinkling eyes were somber. "Professor Scott has been removed from the premises for having a relationship with an underage student." Gasps had been heard around the hall, though, Diara noted, Hufflepuff had seemed angrier than surprised. DADA classes were turned over to self-study for the remainder of the year, as it was time for revisions for finals. The gossip mill, quickly ran through the different classes, that 6th Year Hufflepuff Gladys Gudgeon and the professor had been caught together kissing, with his hand up her shirt. The girl was almost 17, but it was still the hottest gossip to hit the school since stories of Courtney, Diara, and Sirius had taken a turn about Gryffindor.
Meanwhile, the Marauders were knuckling down to study for their OWLS which were coming up soon. Diara's tests would be normal that year, no big examinations. Except for Defense, that is, where there was no test for any but the 5th and 7th Years. She, and her fellow year-mates, did have another stressful thing to determine, however: what classes to take in 3rd Year. While the 5th years were taking their OWLs, Diara was sitting at a table in the library, looking at what classes to take with Sierra.
"Obviously, you should take Divination, Diara. That just makes sense," the girl was saying.
"Probably a good idea. I think your future reading needs to improve," came a voice, growing unfamiliar, from behind. Diara whirled around and found Courtney there, speaking to her voluntarily for the first time in months. Grimelda was with her, and gave an encouraging smile.
"Court-," Diara started to say. "No, let me talk, Diara. I'm sorry. None of that was you and I shouldn't have been angry at you. I was just so humiliated," Courtney confessed.
Diara gave her friend a hug. "I'm sorry too though. All that time you wanted to talk to me about Sirius, I tried to ignore you. I wasn't a good friend where Sirius was concerned. I'll listen if you want now," Diara offered bravely. She still had no more joy in the conversations than she had ever had. Teachers and brother-figures as crushes made her feel a bit squeamish.
Courtney shook her head though. "I think that carpet flew."
Grimelda grinned. "Remus though, he's much more mature!" The group laughed, tension breaking up.
Sierra, not as close to the other Gryffindors as Diara was, but knowing that the three were very close friends, indicated to other seats at the table. "So, what electives are you thinking to take next year?"
-DP-DP-DP-
Diara had finished her last final, which was an amazing feeling. She knew some of the upper years still had more to go, and there was still a couple days left of OWL testing, which always took longer than the testing for other years. OWLs and NEWTs took so much time, that Diara and the other years always got a few days of rest and relaxation prior to term ending.
Going through her things, so that she could be done with tasks and able to spend her final days enjoying the summer weather with her friends, Diara found a library book. "No wonder Madame Pince has given me dirty looks," Diara realized. Diara had thought she'd turned the book in a few days previously, when it was due, but here it was. Sighing, she grabbed the book and decided to return it before it got any later.
Madame Pince had not been pleased to accept Diara's apology. The woman had scowled but accepted the book back. It never would have left the castle: a quick charm would have returned all checked out and overdue library books soon. Nevertheless, the business was done and Diara turned to head toward the Great Hall for lunch.
On her way, she heard voices ahead and paused at the snarling tone.
Diara wasn't familiar with the boy more than by name and face, but she knew enough to recognize him arguing with Sirius at wand point in the corridor. Diara ducked to the side. Those two were known to throw hexes at each other. Snape was rumored to be a follower of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, a recent moniker that people were using for Lord Voldemort. The fear around him and his followers was growing to the point that people were afraid to say his name for fear that he would be offended and come after your family.
Diara had obviously not caught the full exchange, but she heard enough to be very worried. "Not so brave without your Death Eater buddies to back you up, huh," Sirius snarled. His voice sounded angrier than Diara had ever heard it. "I bet you're a coward! Death Eaters only attack in packs. I'm surprised you haven't run yet!"
Severus snarled. Diara heard him send a curse at Sirius, one unfamiliar to her. Sirius laughed, clearly not worried about the spell. "You want to try dark? Try the Shrieking Shack! Or have you never been? All you have to do is touch the knot on the Weeping Willow and venture down the passage in the roots," Diara could hear the smirking in Sirius' voice and felt her stomach sink.
Severus shot another curse at Sirius, who responded. "Is that were you and Pothead's pack of sycophants goes all the time?"
Diara backed away from the hall. She had heard enough. Anxiety swirled in her stomach. Severus Snape knew how to get into the Shrieking Shack. Tonight was a full moon.
-DP-DP-DP-
At lunch, Diara stared at the Slytherin table. Severus Snape was sitting at the fringes of a group of older boys known for their support of the Dark Lord. Diara watched, bouncing her knee, her own barely touched lunch in front of her. She barely paid any attention to her friends or her food. Eventually Snape stood up from the table and walked toward the Great Hall doors.
Diara stood abruptly. Addressing Grimelda and Courtney, she hurriedly excused herself, off to the library. Escaping the room, she looked around and found that Snape, whom her brother and his friends called Snivellus, was about to turn to the corner. Pulling out her wand and carefully aiming at his feet, she cast a tripping jinx.
Unsuspecting any assault, Severus went down and his bag spilled open. Diara hurried up to him, as the older boy cursed.
He looked up at her footsteps and snarled to see her wand her in hand. "Potter junior taking up after her brother now? No mother to teach you better!"
Diara flinched but didn't let him provoke her. "Don't go to the Willow tonight."
The boy sniffed and drew to his feet, towering over her. "Aww, trying to protect your imbecile of a crush and brother? I'm not stupid enough to fall for that. I'll find out what they are up to and have them expelled!" Snape quickly withdrew his own wand.
Diara didn't wait for another chance, she dashed. Despite her attempt to stop him, she knew he was not safe to be around. He was on the fast track to joining the Death Eaters.
The rest of the day, Diara paced anxiously. Snape clearly had not listened to her. Perhaps he had even taken it as encouragement. What to do?
One option was to tell a teacher. But she wasn't supposed to know Remus was a werewolf. Nobody was. That would end up getting all of the Marauders in trouble, some of them maybe even expelled.
She could tell James…but, Diara wasn't sure that James would do the right thing. The Marauders' pranks had been getting increasingly vicious lately. Just a week before, they had hung Snape upside down and revealed his underwear, getting the school to laugh. They weren't funny anymore. The aftermath of that event had James upset that Lily was angry with him and him lashing out angrily with unkind pranks. If he were thinking straight, James would never let this happen…but Diara wasn't sure James would be rational where Snape was concerned. Ever since their mother had passed away, James had been volatile, and the Marauders seem to have taken the increase in Death Eater attacks as reason to harass any they deemed "Dark." Diara didn't think her brother was in on this, but she wasn't sure he would stop it, either.
Another option was to tell Remus to be wary…but what would that do? A werewolf doesn't keep his mind and there wasn't anywhere else for him to go.
She could cause a massive disturbance in the school that would stop Snape from going out or try to get him in detention. That's probably what James would do. Diara wasn't nearly the prankster her brother was though and would probably end up in detention too. Still…the only other option was to try to stop Snape herself…a second year going up against a 5th Year, who was widely reputed to be vicious in a duel.
Having made her decision, Diara approached Courtney and Grimelda. Her two friends were playing a game of gobstones in the Common Room.
"There you are Diara! You've been a ghost all day. What's going on?" Courtney asked. Grimelda, the quieter and more observant of the two, narrowed her eyes as she saw Diara's anxious face.
"I need your help," Diara said quietly. She quickly explained that she needed help getting something out of her brother's trunk without being caught. "I'm going to go up. Let me know if any boys go up the stairs, yeah?"
"No problem," giggled Courtney.
Grimelda winked. "Go play that 7 bloke Courtney told us about," she said, holding her hands to her chest in a poor reproduction of a pistol. "I'll whistle like a bird if boys try to go up."
"No way! That won't work," Courtney interjected. "Birds wouldn't be indoors, and an owl wouldn't be obvious enough. Don't worry: I'll throw a gobstone at anyone who tries to go up, and scream! That'll delay anyone!"
"Thanks! You're the best."
Fortunately, Courtney and Grimelda's talents weren't needed. Diara nicked the Invisibility Cloak, passed down the male line through the Potter side, a fizzing wizbee, and a dungbomb from her brother.
An hour later, Diara had her trap set up outside the Great Hall before dinner. She had attached the dungbomb to the fizzing wizbee and just had to throw it at Snape when he came by, thus assuring him of needing a lengthy shower and not leaving the castle, and maybe even both of them detention if he threw a curse.
Diara had found that wearing the cloak to throw a dungbomb would not work-as soon as she had to push her arm out, then the plan failed, so she had instead shoved it into her backpack. Instead she stood hidden in an alcove behind a suit of armor. In theory her plan should work well.
It wasn't until after Diara threw the trap at Snape, as he walked with a group of Slytherins into the Great Hall, that Diara realized the flaw in her plan. Fizzing wizbees weren't known for flying straight, and Diara didn't have great aim in the first place. "Shit," Diara cursed, as her plan failed, hitting a younger student in the back of the head with the dung bomb, and completely missing Snape.
"Indeed, Ms. Potter?" The voice came from her left. Diara turned her head and found Deputy Headmaster Slughorn, Slytherin's Head of House, raising an eyebrow at her. "I believe you should come with me, young lady," he directed her, not without a twinkle in his eye.
His voice rose. "Mr. Black, come with us as well please."
Only then did Diara realize that she had hit Second Year Regulus Black with the dungbomb, instead of her target. "Shit," she mumbled again.
Regulus Black gave her a scornful look and swelled in fury as he realized who had thrown the dungbomb at him. "Sorry. Wrong person," the girl muttered, as she was dragged down into Slughorn's office.
-DP-DP-DP-DP
The sun had already set when Diara was realized from Slughorn's office. Dinner was over as well; Slughorn had called for a try of corned beef sandwiches, which was all the girl was given for dinner.
Diara had seriously debated telling Professor Slughorn why she had thrown the Dungbomb, but had known that it would still get Remus, Sirius, and maybe even her brother and Wormtail expelled. Now though, there was only one thing to do.
Looking around to make sure she didn't have an audience, Diara dug through her backpack and pulled the Invisibility Cloak on over herself. She then proceeded to exit the castle and head toward the Whomping Willow.
Dark had fallen, but the moon not yet risen. Diara knew that her Prongs, Wormtail and Padfoot would still be inside. They didn't sneak out until bedtime. Moony would already be locked inside the Shack. For the next hour, Diara sat under a tree where she could watch the Willow and anyone who tried to approach it.
The girl had never been outside on the castle grounds after dark before, and certainly not alone. Even the crickets felt sinister to Diara tonight, especially knowing it was a full moon. Despite the warmth during the day, the nights were still cold. Diara shivered a bit, under the cloak, wishing she were dressed for the outdoors.
She must have dozed off, Diara reasoned later, because suddenly she heard a noise from near the Weeping Willow. "Bloody hell! How am I supposed to get to the knot to stop the tree from hitting me?"
Diara jumped to her feet, cloak falling at her feet, and reached for her wand. It was Snape! He had come. The boy was already at the tree and was trying to stop the branches. "Impedimenta," he cast. The branches slowed down.
Unthinkingly, Diara yelled out, "Stop!" Quickly, Diara cast a spell, another tripping jinx, trying to get Snape away from the tree. She wasn't sure what spell he cast, but he was ready to be attacked, probably expecting the Marauders. The red jet of light connected with her and Diara knew no more.
-SS-SS-SS-SS
Severus paused, wary. The Marauder's rarely attacked one-on-one. Despite Sirius' taunting, they were the ones who had started ganging up on him. Severus had just evened the playing field by allying himself with other Slytherins. Yet—no other hexes rang out.
Smirking, Severus walked toward the fallen figure, first seeing short dark hair. But a moment later he realized his mistake. A 12-year-old girl laid on the ground, stunned, a silver cloak and a wand next to her. Turning his back, feeling slightly guilty, Severus turned to ignore the girl. She'd wake up in a while, cold but fine. No need to help Potter's brat of a sister.
Severus was determined to find out what secret had the Marauders sneaking out every month. Returning to the tree, he had just cast the spell to immobilize it and was about to slip into the passage, when he heard a shout. Looking back, he saw a figure running toward him, then skid to a stop.
"Diara! What are you doing out here-Merlin!" It was James Potter, who quickly muttered an enervate. Snape didn't wait to stick around. He took off down the tunnel, leaving the Potters behind.
The subterranean tunnel appeared well-used. Cobwebs were kept at bay, though the ceiling was low. Snape held his wand in front of him. After a while, the light appeared to show a door ahead. Hearing footsteps behind him, running, Snape broke into a crouching run, trying not to hit his head.
"No! Stop! Snape, don't do this!" James Potter was behind him and sounded frantic. Snape ignored him. Suddenly, the footsteps behind him changed and Snape risked a look behind him. Potter was nowhere to be seen; instead a stag with two-prong antlers was charging him down. Snape paled and raced forward.
He was near enough the door and he reached for the handle. Something thudded onto it from the other side and howled.
Severus fell to the floor before the door, as it shook violently. Severus turned to look at the door, and then at the animal that was Potter behind him. He put the pieces together. "There's a werewolf! You tried to feed me to a werewolf!"
The stag turned back into James. "I would never do that! You cursed my sister when she tried to stop you! Now, let's go! Moony might break that door down if we spend too long here; he knows we're here!"
Snape didn't need telling twice.
When he got out of the tunnel, he found the Potter girl standing with Headmaster Dumbledore. Oh, he was going to get Black and Potter in so much trouble!