Chapter 3

Reece had a decent night's sleep in the Slytherin common room. It may not have been the homiest of places but it was furnished with things that were expensive, and Reece was happy with that.

After donning his new uniform and robes he went to the hall for some food before his lessons. Reece sat with Pansy and Daphne as he wasn't in the mood for putting up with Crabbe and Goyle's open-mouthed eating. He really didn't mind the two girls, even though Pansy came across as one of those stereotypical bitches. In all honesty, Reece knew he was an arsehole so he and Parkinson got along swell. Daphne on the other hand was incredibly polite. She was a model pureblood in that sense and Reece was willing to learn how to be kinder by observing her ways.

"The food here is at quite a high standard." Pansy chided with a hint of satisfaction as she gracefully devoured her third slice of brown toast. Reece sat quietly, allowing them to speak to each other without his input as he sipped at the pumpkin juice in the silver goblet.

"I agree Pansy. Especially the start of term feast, it was so nice." Daphne agreed timidly. It seemed that she was a little shy and it would take her a while to come out of her shell.

He walked to transfiguration with Blaise due to the fact that they had crossed paths on their way to Professor McGonagall's classroom. The two sat together and were taking notes when the sound of footsteps hurtling down the corridor made Reece smirk. Potter and Weasel were late. Late for McGonagall. The two were on their way to the front when Ron chose to say one of the stupidest things he could have said.

"Could you imagine the look on McGonagall's face if we were late?" He seemed incredibly relieved at the fact that she wasn't standing at the front. As soon as he said this the Professor returned to her human form and swiftly waltzed over to the gawking boys. "That was bloody brilliant." Reece couldn't decide if it was him not thinking what he was saying, or sucking up, but either way it didn't help matters.

"Thank you for that assessment Mister Weasley, perhaps it would be more useful if I were to transfigure Mister Potter or yourself into a pocket watch? That way one of you might arrive on time." Reece had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from snickering at what was transpiring.

"We got lost." Potter stuttered, attempting to give some kind of excuse.

"Perhaps a map? I trust you don't need one to find your seats." Harry and Ron took a seat at the front without argument, and Reece and Draco shared a comical smirk.

Potions with their head of house, Severus Snape was soon after. Draco was excited and that mood had rubbed off on Crabbe and Goyle. Reece sat on one side of Draco and left the other two to sit on the other side – far away from Reece, and far away from the caldron. The two were as thick as a board and Reece didn't want them lowering his high marks. Yaxley had told him that he was expected to be in the top five for all of his classes, and Reece intended to deliver by getting into the top three. All of a sudden the door flew open with a brushed creak, and Snape strode in with his black cloak flowing in his wake.

"There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class." Snape drawled as he took his place at the front of the classroom. "As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science of the exact art that is potion making. However for those select few," Snape glanced at Draco and Reece. Reece kept his expression blank whereas Draco smirked. "Who possess the predisposition," He edged forward, pulling his clock over his front. "I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper in death." That caught interest.

Harry Potter seemed not to care about what was being said. Or he was taking notes but that was beside the point. Reece noticed that Snape was already taking a dislike to the chosen one. "Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of knowledge that is so formidable that you feel confident enough to not, pay, attention." The annoying girl from the train elbowed him and moved her head in Snape's direction. "Mister Potter." He said suddenly, changing the direction of his speech. "Our. New. Celebrity." Reece silently prayed that Snape didn't see him roll his eyes at the statement.

Snape fired a question at Harry that the writer couldn't be bothered to spell and Reece looked over his shoulder subtly. The annoying girl had her hand in the air and was waving it around in determination. He fired another two questions and the answer was the same 'I don't know sir'. "Clearly, fame isn't everything, is it Mister Potter?" Draco and Reece shared another smirk. It seemed Harry Potter was already making his own life hard, and the two hadn't even done anything yet.

"I swear to god…" Blaise Zabini grumbled as the mail arrived in the hall. He, Reece and Theodore were all sitting conversing casually in the hall when owl after owl began swooping and fluttering overhead.

"They're bloody everywhere." Nott complained as more and more entered. Reece's owl swooped down and sat on his shoulder. It was a beautiful creature and he could hear Tracy Davis cooing over it from a little further down the table. He gently took the letter from its leg and dismissed it before Tracy could leap across the table. The letter was a quick hello from Yaxley and Reece wrote a small reply, informing his guardian of his house and such.

"I can't believe McGonagall gave us homework already." Reece sighed in annoyance as he returned to the pile of transfiguration homework that had been set. Nott was working hard on his work as well, but Zabini just sat eating an apple and scanning the Prophet that had been delivered to him. Blaise was smart, but he hated putting in effort. He tossed the paper across the table to Theodore who glanced at it quickly.

"Father said that they were going to be broken into sooner or later." Nott said with a slight bored tone. "They're quite overestimated, wouldn't you say Lestrange?"

"It is a bank." Reece replied with a nod of agreement. "Imagine the galleons in all those vaults, just waiting to be stolen but anyone who could gain access."

"They said nothing was taken." Blaise added before taking a bite out of the apple. "Why infiltrate Gringots of all places, then fail to nick anything anyway? A wasted effort if you ask me." Both boys nodded. Who would break into Gringots then not steal a thing?

Reece stood next to Draco and Daphne. They were in two lines with school brooms beside them. Reece's features scrunched up disdainfully as he examined the quality and condition of the broom on the floor. They were awful, not like his broom at home. His broom was an American one that Yaxley had brought back for him, and it was at the same level as the Nimbus 2000. Madam Hooch appeared with a strut in her stride and walked through the middle of the lines.

"Good afternoon class."

"Good afternoon Madam Hooch." Everyone but Reece and Draco replied in a chant. She turned quickly, her abnormally yellow eyes gleaming with unnecessary excitement.

"Welcome to your first flying lesson. Well what're you waiting for? Everyone step up to the left side of their broom. Come on now hurry up." There was just something about the woman that was beginning to get under Reece's skin ever-so slightly. "Stick your right hand over the broom, and say up." There was a huge chorus of the word 'up' and Reece's broom shot into his hand without hesitation. As did Potter's and Draco's. It took the rest of the class a little longer and the know-it-all herself, Hermione Granger was struggling. Reece was stood across from her and couldn't help but smirk harshly at her failure. She looked up in frustration and locked eyes with Reece. Her frustrated glance met his dark-eyed grin and he shrugged quizzically at her before pointing the tip of his broom at her rolling one. She glared fiercely and began to try again when,

"Up." Ron Weasley shouted once more; only for it to fly up and smack him square in the face. Reece snickered as he was one of the only people to see it, and the group listened to their teacher once more.

"Now, once you've got hold of your broom I want you to mount it – and grip it tight." The students followed her instructions without hesitation. "When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground hard, keep your brooms steady, hover for a moment, then lean forwards slightly then touch back down." Once the whistle had been blown one boy began panicking as he floated higher and higher. "Mister Longbottom," So that was Longbottom. To Reece he didn't look like much, but then again, maybe he was bias. "Mister Longbottom!" Hooch yelled as Neville shot off into the air screaming for help. "Come back down this instant!" She bellowed as he flew around the school grounds. "Everyone out of the way!" Hooch commanded as she ran towards Neville once he had hit the ground. "Everyone is to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mister Longbottom to the hospital wing."

"See his face?" Draco asked the group of students arrogantly as he fiddled with the remembrall he had picked up. "Maybe if the fat lump would have given this a squeeze he'd have remembered to fall on his fat arse." Half of the group giggled at the comment and Reece couldn't help but snigger at Draco's antics.

"Give it here Malfoy." Harry said, taking a step forward.

"No." Draco replied vivaciously as he almost squared-up to Harry. "I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find – what do you say Lestrange?" Draco asked, turning to Reece with a look that said you better agree. "You beat and I seek?"

"It would be my pleasure to give it a good smack." Reece replied with a sadistic grin. He and Draco began swerving through the group on their brooms. "Perhaps you could leave it on a roof when we're done?" He and Malfoy jet off into the air. Draco lobbed the remembrall at Reece, who smacked it back with the palm of his hand.

"What's the matter Potter?" Draco yelled as he caught the possession and held it up. "Out of your reach?" By this time it seemed Harry had had enough and decided to mount his broom. He shot up into the sky after a lecture from that nosey girl and faced the duo that loved to cause trouble.

"Give it here Malfoy or I'll knock you off your broom!" Harry shouted over the wind.

"Is that so?" Draco asked with a mocking grin. "You probably don't know this but Lestrange here wants a spot as beater on the Quidditch team next year. Maybe you could show Potter here what beaters do on the pitch." Reece knew exactly what Draco was saying, and as soon as Harry went for the remembrall Malfoy rolled to the side. Reece caught Potter by the back of his robe and yanked him backwards causing the broom to almost tilt upwards.

"Care to try again Potter?" Reece asked smoothly as Draco waved the object, egging Harry on. Harry made another dive for Draco but Reece stuck out his arm. Just as he was about to fly head on into Draco, the arm around his neck soon stopped him in his tracks. The hit was equivalent to a wrestling clothesline and it soon knocked the air right out of him.

"Have it your way Potter!" Draco yelled as he lobbed the ball as far as he could. He and Reece shared a satisfactory nod and descended as Harry flew after it.

"Harry Potter!" The celebration of the catch was soon cut short by Professor McGonagall. "Follow me." Crabbe and Goyle had now joined them and the four were laughing at the hilarious event.

"Oh my God this is golden." Malfoy sniggered when McGonagall was out of view. This comment was supposed to be funny but Crabbe and Goyle were the only ones laughing. "Caught by McGonagall while he was catching the stupid thing as well."

"Shut your gob Malfoy." Ron Weasley piped up in defence of Harry.

"I suggest you don't get involved in other people's business, Weasel." Reece snidely replied automatically. "Leave Malfoy to his jokes and go and see if Potter needs a hug. Give his arse another kiss while you're at it." The two blundering oafs burst into a fit of static laughter and Draco also chuckled rather wildly. "That's what your family does, isn't it? Kiss the arses of halfbloods and muggles." Ron's face turned to a dark magenta shade and he looked as if he were about to explode at any moment.

"What are you going to do about it Weasley? Get that pushy prick Percy to report us?" Draco had now come up with good insults and had taken the attention away from Reece. The further insults directed at his family pushed Ron to a breaking point and the small boy whipped out his wand and pointed it at both Draco and Reece.

"Go on Weasel. Do it." Reece grinned in a way that was scarily intimidating and Ron's hand was shaking was a mix of fear and rage. After a few tense seconds, Ron lowered his wand and a lot of the surrounding first year pupils sighed in relief. "Scared of me Ronald?" He questioned in a mocking tone.

"No." Ron mumbled quietly in reply.

"Well you should be."