Chapter 8: Trouble in Hogwarts
Meissa was thinking - trying to find something to distract herself - as she waited for Hermione to leave the stall.
Patience has never been quite her virtue and as she listened to Hermione blowing her nose there was something else. Something low and barely audible. Curious she gets to her feet, reaching for her wand out of paranoia.
Quiet and listening out for the strange noise she stops in front of the stall Hermione's in. She raps on it, something bothering her. "Hermione, I'll be right back. I want to -," she stops when the doors jiggle. She watches it suspiciously for a moment.
"Meissa?"
"Shh, one second." She grips her wand tightly as she eyes the doors. She was raising her wand when the doors gave in, the spell locking the door snapping with the doors.
"Oh god," she breathes when she could see what had forced the doors open. The stall behind her open and the Gryffindor gasped.
It was a Mountain Troll. Twelve feet tall, its' skin was an ugly dull granite gray, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. And in its' hand was a huge wooden club.
A high petrified scream escaped Hermione just as Meissa snapped into action. "PROTEGO DUO!" Meissa screamed. (1)
Just as the club swung down a bright transparent blue shield sprung up.
The Slytherin cries out as the club made contact with the shield, falling to her knees while the troll stumbled back. Drained from the effort Meissa could barely stand and Hermione had to lift her up - half dragging her.
"Down!" Meissa hisses, seeing the troll move out of the corner of her eye.
They dropped down and the club shattered the stalls, raining wooden shards all around them. Gasping and trying to breathe Meissa shoves Hermione into moving.
"Hermione!" They hear someone holler. They look towards the doors to see that Harry and Ron were there.
"Help!" Hermione screams as she pulls at the dazed and exhausted Black heiress.
"Oi, Pea-brain!" Ron yells as he threw things at it. Hermione tries to drag Meissa from the stalls.
"Hermione, go," Meissa mutters weakly, shoving at her to run.
"Not without you!"
Meissa groans and barely manage to force herself to her knees. Hermione wraps her arms around her and with a great haul she helps Meissa over to the sinks.
"Hermione!"
Meissa pushes Hermione under a sink, covering her body with her own just as a club smashed into a sink nearby. She aims her wand over her shoulder, "EXPULSO!"
Hermione wraps her arms around Meissa as the heiress tries to turn and see what's happening.
She watched Harry get out his wand and held her breath to see what spell he would use. So when he runs forward and grabs the troll's club her eyes went big. "Whoa! Whoa, whoa!" he lands on the troll's head, and is hurled forward, then back, and his wand goes up the troll's nose.
She cringes, "Ew."
Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Harry clinging on for dear life. All too soon the troll gets Harry off its head and was holding him by one leg, upside down. It gears up its club and swipes at Harry. He pulls himself up, then down. The troll swipes again.
Meissa tries to aim her wand but she could barely hold her hand up let alone muster the magic for a spell.
"Do something!" Harry cries out as he pulled himself up to avoid another swipe of the troll's club.
"What?!" Ron cries hopelessly.
"Anything! Hurry up!"
Hermione's arm appears by Meissa's head as she fought to stay awake. "Swish and flick!" she did the gesture for the levitation charm.
And as if he heard her through the chaos of the room Ron cries, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over - and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.
Harry got to his feet. He was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done.
Hermione, supporting Meissa's nearly unconscious form, was the first to speak. "Is it… dead?"
"I don't think so," said Harry, "I think it's just been knocked out." He bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy gray glue. "Urgh - troll boogers."
"Next time use your wand for magic," Meissa slurs, her head drooping as her knees threatens to give out on her.
A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made them look up. They hadn't realized what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll's roars. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.
"Miss Black!" Snape recognized his student hanging half-awake on Hermione's shoulder, ignoring the troll in favor of checking over the girl. He was quick to take her from the Gryffindor and lay her against the wall, his wand casting a spell.
While Professor McGonagall was staring down her Gryffindors.
"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"
Snape gave Harry a swift, piercing look in between checking Meissa's health and deducing that she had drained her magical reserves.
Then a small voice came out of the shadows.
"Please, Professor McGonagall - they were looking for me."
Meissa looks past Snape to try and look for Hermione.
"Miss Granger!"
"I went looking for the troll because I - I thought I could deal with it on my own - you know, because I've read all about them. If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."
Harry and Ron tried to look as though this story wasn't new to them.
"I would like to know why Miss Black was here," Snape interrupts before anything else could be said.
"She was here when I came into the loo looking for the troll. And well, it found us when we weren't expecting it," Hermione answers quickly.
"And why is she like this?"
"She used a shielding charm that protected us."
"A shield in response to a physical attack?" Professor McGonagall gasp, amazed and more than a little bit worried.
"Well - in that case..." said Professor McGonagall, staring at the three of them, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"
"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."
Hermione left, glancing at Meissa worriedly as she was leaving.
Professor McGonagall turned to Harry and Ron.
"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."
Meissa, with nothing to focus on, looks at her Head of House. Her exhaustion finally caught her up with her and before she could resist she was out.
~MJB~
Meissa was back on her feet after a two day visit to the hospital wing - a visit that would have ended in murder had Madam Pomfrey had not been persuaded by Snape. As it was she was saved from Meissa's ire and Meissa's energy was back to normal.
Now in November it has been nearly three weeks since the fight between her and Daphne. Meissa's mood has become so bad no one was safe from her. Draco was constantly walking on eggshells around her. Pansy, whenever Meissa catches her cornering Daphne, was mostly left alone. But late at night, when no one is awake, Meissa would cast a spell that would give her nightmare - nothing so severe that she'd die in her sleep. But enough that it would keep her from sleeping comfortably.
In addition to the night terrors Meissa also added minor charms that would affect her appearances. Some are triggered by simple actions, such as sneezing or other bodily functions, while others are triggered by words or phrases. Once, Pansy's appearance took on stripes that made her seem like a candy cane. That one had amused Meissa the most.
Though her actions were small and spiteful it still did not improve relations between Daphne and Meissa.
It had gotten so bad, the silence between them, that Draco actually had enough and arranged for both to meet him in an abandoned classroom near the middle courtyard.
Meissa was first to arrive and she was testing the weight of one of the desks - the professor's from the look and shape of it - when the door opened again. "Draco, what was it you wanted?" she asks as she continues to test her weight against the ancient desk. It wobbled for a moment but remained firm despite her efforts.
"Um…"
Meissa looks up at the voice - it wasn't Draco.
"Why are you here?" Meissa questions as she puts her weight against the desk.
"Your cousin sent me here…"
Meissa eyes the blonde, frowning when she sees small blemishes of half healed bruises and the likes. "What could he be planning," she mumbles quietly to herself, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her shirt.
"Meissa…" The Black heiress barely glance at her but didn't respond. "Meissa, I'm sorry."
"What for," the girl mutters, "You were right. It's your life, who am I to butt in."
"That isn't what I meant!"
Meissa jumps up from her spot on the desk, startling the blonde. "YOU WANTED ME TO LEAVE YOU ALONE!" she screams, "GUESS WHAT, THAT'S WHAT I BLOODY DID!"
"Meissa!" They suddenly heard someone snap. Meissa, beyond pissed, turns towards the person who interrupted her - a curse on the tip of her tongue. "This isn't what I had in mind when I called this meeting."
"Draco," Meissa growls, "Just what were you thinking?!"
"Whoa, whoa," Draco backs away from his intimidating cousin - maybe he miscalculated this. "Meissa, calm down!"
"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" The outburst was accompanied by a wave of magic that shoved everything away from her. "YOU'RE NOTHING! NOTHING YOU HEAR ME! NOTHING!" With every word she screamed there was a pulse of magic that shoved things away from her even further.
"Daphne, get down!"
Meissa grabs the nearest chair and hurls it at a wall, the thing shattering at impact. She screamed and threw things until she reached the professor's desk and - instead of attempting to throw it or do some kind of damage to it - she drops to her knees. Her breath short and hard, eyes tightly squeezed shut as she presses her face against the desk, her bleeding knuckles against the fabric of her trousers.
She was exhausted.
Shuddering she pulls herself into a corner and wraps her arms around her drawn legs - her eyes dark and studying her surroundings.
"Is it over?" Daphne whispers quietly when she doesn't hear anything.
"I don't know," Draco confesses quietly. "Sometimes the silence means she wore herself out. But it could mean that she will start again once she has her strength back."
"This happens a lot?" Daphne was shocked and more than a little bit worried.
"It's gotten worse actually."
"I can hear you," Meissa mutters, pressing a hand to her throat. Her pulse was pounding so quickly as she tried to even out her breathing.
"Welcome back," she hears Draco remark.
"Sorry," she whispers as she rests her head against the wall behind her, shuddering. "You've…" she doesn't continue, her exhaustion tugging at her.
"Why is she like this?" Daphne asks quietly as she peered around a desk they had used as shelter.
"She did just exhaust herself magically and physically," Draco remarks as he stood, eying his cousin he notes that she was close to falling asleep. "Not many would be able to do all that and still stay awake."
Daphne looks worriedly at the Black heiress before she rubs her face tiredly. "Why did you arrange for this?"
"To speak frankly, this -," he gestures between the two girls, "wall between the two of you. It's driving everyone bonkers." He gestures at Meissa, "Everyone has been walking on eggshells around her because the slightest thing causes her to lash out." He gestures to Daphne who raises an eyebrow at him. "And I'm sure you've noticed that everyone has been giving you a wide berth - everyone except for Parkinson."
Daphne nods her head - she had noticed that. "What about it?"
Draco gives her a look that indicated that he thought his point was fairly obvious.
"Wait, you think that everyone was avoiding me to keep from pissing off Meissa?"
The blonde boy crosses his arms. "You clearly have no idea what you mean to my cousin."
"Malfoy…"
"Draco, you need to learn how to keep your trap shut," Meissa was awake, sleepy but awake. Her hand was rubbing her face, trying to rub the sleep out of her face.
"That was a short nap," Daphne remarks, noting not for the first time that the other girl rarely ever sleep for long. Other that one time when Meissa had fallen asleep without casting a silencing charm around her bed there were times when Daphne woke up in the middle of night to find the other girl sitting at the window, staring out into the depths of the lake.
"Can't sleep," Was Meissa's short answer - an answer Daphne was familiar with. She eyes the two of them before shaking her head and made for the door.
"Wait, we still need to sort out the two of you"Draco says, looking sternly at his cousin or as sternly as he could.
"I'm not interested in sorting anything out, Draco."
"But you have to!"
She looks at him with her dark eyes. "I don't have to do anything," she huffs. "Greengrass made her decision. You should try abiding by them."
Meissa makes an attempt to shove past her cousin but before her hand could touch the doorknob she heard her name. "I'm sorry!"
"What?" she turns partially to look at the blonde girl.
"I'm sorry."
Meissa eyes the girl for a moment, unsure of what to make of the apology. "But-."
"You were only looking out for me," Daphne interrupts. "I just… I got worried. I didn't want you in trouble because of me. I couldn't bare it if your family told you that we couldn't be friends."
Meissa frowns in confusion at the blonde before she looks at her cousin. He shrugs his shoulders, unsure of what the other girl was saying.
"Daphne, my family is," she pause to try and find a word that best fit the situation. "It's fractured," she finally concludes." I answer to no one except a few," she adds in before she threw open the door.
She didn't want to talk about her family - not now or ever.
~MJB~
Meissa was in the courtyard - supervised by a random professor - casting spells after spells at the practice dummies at the other end of the courtyard. As she cast her spells she alternated the pace of her casting.
Dressed in a white tunic and black trousers, she was dressed for a spar that will never come. The fact her hair was braided back from her face meant that anyone could see the sweat on her face as she cast her spells. The afternoon sun was scorching her and sometimes she couldn't breathe because she was so focused on the spells that she forgets to relax.
With her anger fueling her she fires off several spells at once that destroyed two of the dummies and sliced another into halves.
Panting she studies the damage she had inflicted before she glances at the professor watching her. It was the DADA professor and he looked like he was positively melting under the sun. And it was clear to her to her that he had no intention of repairing the damaged dummies.
"Reparo," she intones forcefully, the dummies mending with a flick of her wand. There was some resistance with the third dummy - the one that had been sliced in two - but with a second Reparo it was back in prime condition. (2)
"Meissa," she hears someone call and when she looks over her shoulder she sees that it's Daphne.
"What you want?"
"I thought we could talk."
"What is there to talk about?"
Daphne got close enough to grab Meissa's wrist just as she was about to cast a spell, interrupting her as well as getting her attention.
"Please, Meissa, I made a mistake - I should've talked to you instead of trying to hide it," the blonde pleas.
Meissa forces her wrist free, narrowing her eyes at the other girl. "Duel with me."
"What?"
"Duel with me."
"But why?" Meissa doesn't answer except moving to a respectable distance from Daphne. "I don't want to do this, Meissa."
The Black heiress stood there, silent, before she adopts a battle stance. Daphne, scared for their wellbeing was reluctant to put her wand up but there was something in Meissa's eyes that told her that the Black heiress wouldn't hurt her intentionally.
She was scared that they were going to do something that would get them both hurt but there was something about what she was doing that told her to trust her.
So she raise her wand as she slides into a stance.
Neither of them made a move for a moment - until there was a strong gust of wind.
"Expelliarmus!" (3)
"Protego!" (4)
Meissa dances out of the way of the rebounded spell. "Incarcerous!" she intones, thick ropes flying from the tip of her wand and wrapped themselves securely around the blonde before she could even say anything. (5)
Meissa walks up close to the girl, her brow arched in amusement at the annoyed blonde. "You're not very good at dueling, are you?" she inquires as she picks up the dropped wand. "What wood is this?" she asks out of curiosity, running her thumb along the 11¾ inch wand.
"Rowan," Daphne answers before she squirmed a bit - the movement reminds the Black heiress that she needed to release the blonde from the binds.
"Finite Incantatem," she intones, waving her wand over Daphne's body. (6)
Once freed Daphne rubs her wrists, her eyes narrowed at the girl - just what was the point of the short lived duel? So she asks.
"I needed to see your skills," Meissa mutters as she helps the blonde up, returning the wand to her. "So we need to try again."
"Until when?"
"Until I have a better understanding of your skills."
Daphne grimaces as the other girl returned to her previous spot. She didn't see this ending well for her.
"This is going to be painful," she mutters to herself before she assumes a dueling stance.
"Rule one," Meissa starts, her stance unwavering, "disarm."
"I know that."
Meissa smirks and moved so quickly Daphne barely caught saw it. She didn't have enough time to react as her wand flew out of her hand and into the other girl's.
"Hey!" She didn't even hear the incantation.
"Rule two, never let your guard down."
Daphne glowers at her before catching her wand when it was tossed back at her.
"Meissa…"
"Just go along with me, Daphne, then I'll consider us even."
The blonde frowns as she takes up a stance again, her hand tightly holding her wand. She couldn't see the point of them doing this - she's been tied up, disarmed, and somehow she suspect that things was only going to get worse.
And she was fairly right.
Meissa was absolutely brutal - she disarmed her, flipped her three times in a row using flipendo tria, and used some sort of jinx that made her dance an Irish jig. Daphne tried and tried to beat Meissa in the duels but the closest she got to disarming Meissa was when she fired off two stinging hexes - one after another. (7)
But all that did was irritate the Black heiress - mostly because the second hex had hit her in the bum. Funny at the time, yes, but all it did was provoke the girl into chaining her spells even faster than Daphne could put up a shield.
So it went on and on and on until the bell rang for supper.
Both girls were sweaty and they both had grass stains on their clothes - Daphne more than Meissa - but when the blonde looked at her friend she saw that the other girl was smiling. She wasn't sure how but the dueling had seemed to have healed the rift between them.
"Are we good now?" she asks, feeling more than a little bit cautious.
"Mm… In a way yes."
"In a way?"
Meissa glances at her as they head towards the Great Hall. "I know now that if I leave you alone anyone could best you in a duel."
"That's hardly fair - you seem like you had advanced training!"
"I practice, all the time, hardly an advantage you seem to think I have."
Daphne rolls her eyes, "The Incarcerous spell you used on me is a N.E.W.T. level spell."
Meissa pauses at the reveal and a sheepish look crossed her face. Daphne could only reason that the other girl didn't realize or know that the spell was advanced for her age. Which made her question just how did she come to know of the spell in the first place?
I think I've changed my mind about the scheduling I plan to do. I might update twice a month and, in times when things are busy, revert back to once a month updates if I don't have enough buffer zones.
Translations:
1) Protego Duo - Shielding charm double the strength
2) Reparo - Repairing charm
3) Expelliarmus - Disarming Spell
4) Protego - Shielding Charm
5) Incarcerous - conjures ropes to bind the target
6) Finite Incantatem - General Counter-Spell
7) Flipendo Tria - knockback curse times three