"Ah, Miss Lestrange." Moody appraised her as she walked into class with her friends. "Glad to see you managed to arrive on time today."
"I'll have you know I'm usually on time." She rebuked. "Unless I have reason not to be."
"And what exactly was your reason the other day?" He leered at her from his desk, over the large glass bowl sitting on the surface.
"I found a bug that needed squashing." She said, taking a seat near the back, the others following with a nervous gaze.
"I'll take that as not literal?" Said Moody.
"You may take it as you wish."
Moody just grunted at that and stood as more students flooded into the room.
Valentine still really wasn't sure what to make of him. She certainly didn't like him. He was rather uncouth and unsettling in a general sense but Valentine could look past that. There was something about him. Something that made her watch him in a crowd...but was he worse than Lockhart? That was the real question she was concerned with. He didn't seem incompetent when it came to teaching actual lessons but even Quirrell had managed that while having Voldemort slowly sucking out his soul day after day. The bar for this position really wasn't set all that high.
"Val, please try not to start anything." Draco whispered lowly from the spot beside her. "You don't have to like him but this doesn't have to become a big thing either."
"I'll do what I want." She shot him a glare that immediately shut him up.
"You got in trouble." Leah giggled under her breath from the other side of Valentine, beside Millicent Bulstrode.
Draco sent her a glare that almost rivaled Valentine's.
Moody was scraping words onto the blackboard as the rest of the students sat, chattering among themselves softly.
"I'll only ask for silence once!" Said Moody and they all became so. He turned to them, revealing the words written on the board. "Today we'll be covering the Water-Making Spell. It's simple but useful in many different circumstances."
This was a spell that Valentine had mastered years ago. Moody was right to say that it was simple and as he was listing off several examples of its uses, Valentine was tuning out and preparing to do so for the whole lesson.
She let her eyes drift to the back of Harry's head as they so naturally did. His hair was getting long, she thought. She looked at Ron and thought the same. Then she thought about the shaggy locks the twins had been parading around as well.
Did they all collectively decide not to get a haircut or over the summer or...?
Valentine glanced at Draco beside her, he was parting his bangs in the middle with a practiced brush of his fingers and in the desk right beside him across the aisle, Liam had a literal comb in his hands.
Weirdos.
Blaze caught her eye from Liam's side. He battered his lashes at her, one hand poised as if holding a mirror, the other combing over his head. Then he pretended to lick the underside of his palm and slick back his close-cropped hair.
Valentine made a face and looked away. Blaze had always seemed to think they had some kind of secret running gag together exchanged through glances alone. They didn't and Valentine had no idea where Blaze got said idea but she wasn't about to tell him to stop out loud, that would mean acknowledging these looks at all.
And, to tell truth, she thought it was rather funny.
"Lestrange." Moody was suddenly standing right by her desk, leering down at her. Every eye in the room was on them. "You don't seem to be paying much attention. Is my class boring you?"
"I'd be wholly impressed if it wasn't, sir." Valentine returned smoothly. "Do or don't take this personally but I gain nothing from this particular lesson."
"Odd that you say that seeing how you didn't listen to the extensive list of uses for the spell."
"Useful or not, it serves me poorly to study a spell I can already perform without issue."
Moody frowned deeper than usual.
"I don't believe the Water-Making spell has been taught in the curriculum as of yet."
"What is or isn't in the curriculum means very little to me, sir. As it stands, what is taught at this mockery of a school doesn't exactly reach my interests. Interest which I believe you spent a very long time fighting against."
Moody shifted on his wooden leg stiffly.
"We're not here to talk about me."
"No. We're here so you can teach mediocre lessons on mediocre subjects."
Moody's lips twisted into a sneer.
"I won't take any of your attitude, girl."
"Hmm." Valentine hummed thoughtfully. "I seem to remember all of my Professors saying such at one point or another. I'm afraid you won't have much luck with that, sir."
Moody slapped a hand on the edge of her desk, Draco flinching at the noise while Valentine didn't even blink. The man leaned down to glare at her. Valentine could smell his sour breath and wrinkled her nose. There was something familiar about it but she didn't have time to linger when Moody practically sneered at her.
"And I'm afraid, Miss Lestrange, that those who can't back up their boasting end up looking quite the fool."
Valentine choked out a bitter laugh.
"Is that your problem? You don't think I can back up my own words?"
Valentine stood from her chair and moved around Draco to walk up to the front of the class. The students watched her cautiously, sharing knowing glances. Valentine never lied about her abilities. She didn't have to.
She pulled out her wand pointed it towards the large, round bowl on the teacher's desk.
"Aguamenti." A stream of clear water shot from Valentine's wand, quickly starting to fill the bowl.
By the time it was almost halfway full, Moody cleared his voice gruffly and limped towards her.
"Yes, yes, very impressive! Are you done showing off?"
"Not quite." Valentine smiled all too pleasantly.
She waited a few more seconds until the bowl was near ready to spill over and then flicked her wrist.
"Glacius." A burst of cool air encased the bowl, almost instantly freezing it.
A loud crack sounded throughout the room as spider-webbed fractures spread across the glass. Another second and the bowl broke into several pieces and with another loud crack, fell apart on the desk.
In the front row, Seamus and Neville both looked ghostly white.
"Oops." Valentine dropped her wand and looked over at Moody again. "Would you like me to mend it? Or reverse the spell perhaps?"
"I would like you to sit down." Moody gritted his teeth.
"Suit yourself." Valentine just shrugged and started back towards her desk.
As she passed Liam and Blaze's desk, Blaze stuck his hand out excitedly for her to high five it. She pretended as though she hadn't even seen it.
--Pretending To Live--
Valentine had never been one to enjoy the sound of a person crying, especially someone who was innocent of any dastardly crimes. She supposed it was just another thing that set her apart from her ancestors. A general lack for wishing to see people suffering unnecessarily. All of that coupled with the fact that this was Leah, was what made this all the more painful.
It had been the same every night since they returned to Hogwarts. Once Leah caught sight of the empty spot where Olivia's bed had once been, she practically fell apart.
Truth be told, Draco had always been better at cheering Leah up than she had ever been herself. Valentine thought that it was something about his frantic need to stop her from crying, the panic and guilt on his face, that made Leah feel like someone cared. Valentine's ever calm demeanor had never quite cut it. It was a rather juvenile and manipulative way to look at things but that was Leah for you. She may have driven them all crazy but she had all three of the boys wrapped around her finger.
Valentine's shoulder was starting to ache from how she was laying on it but she didn't want to move and let Leah on to the fact that she was awake. She would probably want to talk and even if Valentine was able to say something compassionate and understanding, she wouldn't know where to start. Leah didn't respond to things like logic and facts. Telling her that crying over Olivia for hours every night wouldn't bring her back was not going to make things easier for her.
So, Valentine laid there, arm starting to go numb as Leah's sobbing turned to whimpers. It was heartbreaking to listen to, but of course, even looking at Leah too long these days could be heartbreaking.
She still laughed and talked, but not with that loud, overzealous tone that she used to. She still ate meals and went to classes even though sometimes it seemed like she wasn't even there. She was getting on with her life but it wasn't that simple. Leah was the kind of person who woke up every day ready to find new amusement. Usually, she found that with Blaze, or at the very least, by arguing with him, but they weren't even doing that anymore.
Valentine had heard Draco and Liam already talking about it once. They noticed. Everyone noticed. Blaze hadn't even called her a spaz or a nutball. Valentine felt like they ought to have checked to see if the Earth had stopped spinning.
During the day, Leah had distractions. She had food, conversation, classes, the presence of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons and the Tri-Wizard Tournament. But at night, when everything got quiet and there was no Olivia to brush her hair, she couldn't escape her own mind and if there was ever a person who understood what that was like, it was Valentine.
Twenty minutes passed and Leah's whimpers turned to sniffles. Another ten minutes and her breathing evened out to a steady pace. Valentine waited another ten before she peeled back her blanket, revealing her casual day clothes underneath. She glanced over at Leah's sleeping form.
The girl had pulled her own blanket up to her forehead and her feet were sticking out the end. Valentine padded over carefully and tugged the sheet down over Leah's toes before grabbing her boots and leaving.
--Pretending To Live--
The room was brightly lit, the ceiling high and arched above her. Valentine frowned at her reflection in the large mirrored wall to the back, dotted with age. Her hair was doing that thing again. The one where it stuck up in such a gravity-defying way that she knew she must have been cursed. She had never been more glad that she didn't have the time to linger on her appearance. She just brushed her hair away and got to work.
There was a wooden table and a chair against the wall to the left of her. On it was the book she had brought with her from the library. The Room of Requirement could do many things, but borrowing out books for her was not one of them.
She'd selected a heavy one. Draco would know because he was the one who she'd made carry to the common room for her. It was practically ancient and the librarian had given her a ten-minute lecture when she saw Valentine checking it out. It contained very difficult and potentially dangerous spells. Mild enough to not be on the restricted section, but still bad enough that the librarian almost didn't let her have it.
Valentine had been craving to try something really difficult for a while now. She knew that was somewhat illogical as she very much didn't enjoy failure, but mastering simple spell after simple spell was nothing to tackle and taming something really substantial. The problem with that was that such things weren't typically taught in a classroom, let alone to fourteen-year-olds. Valentine had to seek them out herself and then, because she wasn't a completely reckless idiot, find somewhere safe to perform these things. And the Room of Requirements was just that. It would block out all sound from within, so if she spent her night, blowing up the table or shattering those mirrors then no one but her would ever have to know.
She sat at the table and flicked through chapter after chapter. Some things she had seen mentioned before elsewhere, while others were totally new for her. Her friends almost had an aneurysm every time they came across something she didn't already know like the back of her hand. It was like they forgot that she needed to get this information from somewhere first, she didn't just wake up with it in her head one morning. She thought that maybe Blaze liked to think that so learning all the things she did would seem otherworldly and completely unattainable. That way he had the excuse of her genius to explain the massive difference in their grades. But if he really thought about it for a second, he would know that Valentine would be nothing without her memory. He could read as many books as she wanted but if he could recall facts and details the way she did then things would have been very different. But of course, for Blaze, realising that did take some kind of effort and that was a major con for him as a person.
Valentine turned the page and her eyes locked onto a moving illustration of a raging fire, the flames morphing into the figures of varying beasts; dragons, lions and giant serpents. In large elegant font, the top of the yellowing page read: Fiendfyre. Valentine felt a smirk winding its way onto her face.
"Hello..."
Her eyes leapt down to devour the words. It's origin; a famed Norwegian witch from the twelfth century. Its purpose; utter destruction.
This spell is not to be attempted by the faint of heart. It is often considered to be cursed, garnered from its volatile nature and very real wish to harm anything in its vicinity. The flames themselves seem to possess near sentience and coupled with that of its horrific destructive capabilities and the extreme skill needed to conjure and control such a mercurial force, it is a spell often better left unpractised.
Well. Often doesn't mean always.
Valentine finishing reading over the rest of the section. She knew better than to gloss over anything, especially with a spell like this. That was how Leah had accidentally made Crabbe's head sit on backwards in the second year. Valentine rolled her eyes just thinking about how much he had cried. It hadn't even hurt or done him any real harm and Madam Pomfrey had him the right way around by dinner.
Valentine covered the paragraph on instances where it had been performed in the past, the paragraph detailing how to actually perform the spell and, of course, the paragraph on how to stop it. It seemed that no one had ever managed to create a truly effective counter curse and so other methods had been used.
"Spatium Exanimarentur." Valentine tried out the words aloud.
They were a bit of a mouthful but so long as her pronunciation was congruent with the general Latin that many incantations were derived from, she wasn't having a problem.
Standing from the table, Valentine pulled out her wand and moved to the centre of the room.
"Fera Ignis." She tried out the words of the spell itself as well. "Fera Ignis."
She flexed the fingers on her right hand, stretching out her wrist before taking her wand in hand. She sucked in a deep breath and let go. This wasn't like in class with a teacher perched on your shoulder ready to take over should things get out of control. This was all on her, a sensation she didn't find foreign.
"Fera Ignis!" Flames erupted from her wand, much larger than she had ever created with the Fire-Making Spell alone.
She could feel the power behind it pushing her back and she had to bear down on her heels. The flames twisted and contorted, swirling around her. The sound was deafening, the heat had her sweating in an instant.
A large bird-like creature leapt from the fire, long talons scraping against the mirrored wall, shattering it into thousands of pieces that rained down across the room.
Valentine shielded her face with an arm and backed up away from it just as the bird let out a squawk and turned its attention on her.
It dipped low to attack and she quickly sidestepped it and the flames hitting the wall behind her, where the door had appeared and disappeared.
Bloody hell.
Valentine flicked her wrist, trying to rein the fire in but felt it resist her completely. She felt no fear but her brow furrowed in annoyance. She put both hands on her wand and tried to pull back with all her strength.
A large bear formed in the flames, easily twice her size. It growled and charged forwards.
Valentine jumped to the side again, feeling the heat burning against her face. She tucked herself into a corner between the wall and the now destroyed mirror, pointing her wand towards herself.
"Aguamenti!" Water shot from her wand and she quickly drenched herself from head to toe, brewing in her own discontent.
Stupid freaking spell. Talk about volatile!
She wasn't one to back down from a challenge but feeling her own magic fighting against her irked her to no end and it was quickly becoming anger hotter than the flames itself.
For she second just watched the torrent of fiery waves thrashing about the room. It seemed to notice the table and dove for it. Valentine's chest clenched.
"Accio book!" She flicked her wrist but the book didn't even budge from the table.
The entire thing was incinerated on impact. The table, the chair and the book.
"What the hell?" Valentine gritted her teeth.
That spell had never been a problem for her before.
It's because you're being emotional, her rationale told her. You need to calm down and focus.
Logically, she knew all of that but now she was too mad. She wanted to hit something but the fire had destroyed the only thing in the room. That damn fire.
The hell did I think this was a good idea? When the hell did I get so stupid?
Her anger welled up inside her like a rumbling volcano, she could feel the curses rising in her throat like molten lava. When had she ever been this angry without Snape or her uncle present?
A dragon formed in the roaring flames, lifting up to the highest peak in the room and letting out a horrifying screech. That just made irked Valentine further. If she was seeing red she wouldn't have even noticed.
I'm shutting this thing up!
Valentine's grip tightened on her wand.
"Spati-"
Valentine suddenly stopped herself.
Crap. No.
The spell was one that would create a vacuum in an enclosed space. It would suck out all the oxygen in the room. Something both the fire and herself needed.
Before she could form another plan, the dragon was swooping down towards her on a wall of fiery, screeching death. In her anger, she had a singular moment of blessed, calm thought untainted by her own rage.
"Incendio!" These new flames rose and created a counter wall, the two crashing into one another.
Valentine didn't even have time to see if it managed to slow the torrent at all. She threw herself flat against the corner, mirrored glass breaking under her boots and cast again.
"Sinum Caeli!"
She waved her wand over her face and an air bubble formed, hastily covering her nose and mouth.
She saw the cursed fire swallowing the second wall, the dragon was now gone and replaced with a giant snake, it's mouth hitched open wide to devour her whole.
"Spatium Exanimarentur!" Valentine all but screamed through the air bubble.
The effects were instant. The fire immediately started to die away, snake fading away to nothing. It was like someone was playing the scene in reverse. The raging flames shrank and curled in on themselves. It wasn't like a candle covered by a cup. The cup would still have oxygen in it for the fire to burn off before dying, but the spell Valentine had used removed the oxygen in the room as a whole. The fire had nothing to feed it and so like all life, it would die.
She watched it grow smaller and smaller until it was just a tiny flicker of light in the air, fighting futilely to stay alive. And then it was gone.
Valentine scrambled to her feet and ran for the entry wall. Quickly a large door began to form and once it had, the doors swung open. As the room filled with oxygen and cool night air, Valentine felt the air bubble on her face steadily shrinking until she could just bat it off the tip of her nose.
She sucked in a deep breath and could smell the remnants of the fire. The soot on her clothes and skin, the pile of ashes that had once been the table.
She let herself lean back against the newly formed doorway with a sigh. All that anger that had burned her from the inside was gone. She had barely noticed it's arrival and now she felt totally and utterly calm again.
Valentine ventured back into the room, staring at the glimmer of mirrored glass coating the stone floor.
"Well. That was almost a disaster."
She glanced over at where the table and book had been.
Crap. How the hell am I going to explain this?
--Pretending To Live--
"Ten on Krum?" Said Blaze.
"You're on." Said Draco. "That'd make things too interesting. As if we'd ever get to see what we want."
"We only need one on Krum." Liam said quietly, his attention further up the table.
"Oh, my, God." Blaze groaned. "We get it okay? Take a tall glass of water and shut the hell up."
"Huh?" Leah blinked from the other side of Valentine. "Is Liam thirsty or something?"
Draco snorted out a loud laugh before he could hide it, slapping a hand over his mouth. Liam was biting his bottom lip, trying to hide a smile and Blaze's jaw had dropped several inches, brain scrambling for a reply.
"Oh, yeah." Draco damn near had tears in his eyes. "He's practically dehydrated."
A laugh escaped Liam and quickly muffled it with his sleeve. Blaze looked ready to pass on to his next life.
"You guys are being so weird lately." Leah huffed at them over Valentine's shoulder, slumping in her seat.
Today, they would find out which three poor souls would be the Tri-Wizard Tournament's Champions. The house tables had been moved closer to each corner of the room, making way for The Goblet at the centre.
Valentine and the others had gotten there early and so there were still many students finding their seats. A group of Durmstrang boys sat a little to the left of Leah. Draco, Liam and Blaze stared with no small measure of subtlety.
"Hello." One boy smiled and waved at Leah, voice heavily accented with what Valentine felt was likely Russian.
"Hi." She waved back. "If someone was to tell you to take a tall glass of water and shut the hell up, what would that mean?"
Oh, dear God.
The boy stared at her for a moment, clueless. He looked to the rest of them for some kind of explanation.
"Ignore her!" Draco stood up and squeezed himself between Leah and the boys. "She has brain damage. You really can't take a word she says seriously. I'm Malfoy, by the way. Draco Malfoy."
"Georgi Lukanov."
An even taller boy beside Georgi thumped on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear. Georgi grinned sheepishly and turned to Draco again.
"Will you introduce me to your friends?"
"Well, the one with the brain damage is Leah Lovat." Said Draco.
"You never answered my question." She frowned.
"And this is my cousin, Valentine Lestrange." Draco quickly cut Leah off.
"Ah. Lestrange." Georgi nodded. "Famous name."
"Hmm." Valentine hummed, largely ignoring him.
"And this is-"
"Daniel!" Georgi called out across the hall to another school mate, effectively leaving the conversation.
"Ouch." Liam cringed. "We just got rejected without even being considered first. Blaze, how do you put up with this every day?"
"You're hilarious." Blaze barked at him and punched his shoulder. "Besides, I guess that's just what happens when you hang out with attractive girls."
They all looked at him, Valentine and Leah in particular. Blaze balked.
"Was that offensive? That didn't feel offensive."
"What about Liam and Draco?" Asked Leah, seemingly genuinely concerned.
"Huh?" Blaze gaped at her.
"Aren't they attractive too?"
"Please, Leah." Draco just scoffed. "How is that even a question?"
"Just look at his hair!" Both Liam and Draco exclaimed at the same time, each pointing to the other boy's head.
"Well..." Blaze grumbled. "I hope you'll live a long happy life together."
"Sit down, please." Dumbledore's voice echoed throughout the hall and their conversation was forgotten. He stood beside the Goblet, looking out at them all. "And now the moment you've all been waiting for, the Champions selection!"
Dumbledore raised a hand and moved it in a slow sweeping motion across the silent hall. The flames lighting the room dimmed down until they were nothing but pinpricks of light. He then approached the large ornate goblet, his aged hands flickering about its edges almost contemplatively before stepping back from it.
The brilliant blue flame turned to a startling red, bathing the hall in its crimson light. A spark shot up from it, a scrap of parchment floating through the air into Dumbledore's grasp. The fire faded back to blue as Dumbledore read over the parchment.
"The Durmstrang champion is...Viktor Krum!"
The Durmstrang students instantly erupted into an uproar of pride. The boy's beside them howled as Viktor emerged from a storm of firm back claps and cheering.
Draco, Liam and Blaze were on their feet as well, fists in the air.
"Oh, look, Draco." Blaze grinned. "Things just got interesting."
"Shut up." Draco hissed.
Viktor shook Dumbledore's hand, shoulders squared and proud. Then he was led out the side door near where the staff table usually was.
For once maybe Harry will actually be relatively safe this year. Besides from this whole inconvenience with the parasite, things might actually be manageable. A deadly game is rehashed all for the purpose of politics and Harry Potter is too young to get involved. This might just be the first time I've ever gotten lucky.
As the applause died down and the boys sat, the flame flickered back to crimson and another name was sent into the air. Dumbledore reached up and it drifted into his palm. This piece of parchment was folded into pleats and even across the hall, Valentine's keen eyes could see the golden lining around the edges.
"The champion from Beauxbatons...Fleur Delacour."
The hall erupted again, not a single Beauxbatons girl wasn't smiling. Fleur followed in Viktor's footsteps, shaking Dumbledore's hand and leaving everyone to await the reveal of the final Champion.
I'm sure this year will find a way to try my patience eventually, though. It always does. But death by medieval game will not be my problem this year. Thank you very much. Small blessings and all that.
For the third time, The Goblet sparkled red and a scrap of parchment fluttered through the air. Dumbledore reached up and pinched it between two wrinkled fingers.
"The Hogwarts champion...Cedric Diggory!"
More screaming and applause and Valentine was well on her way to getting a headache.
Hmm...a whole year of relative peace? Seems suspicious. I mean, there has to be some kind of catch.
Valentine could feel the students around her vibrating with excitement. Everyone seemed to be looking forward to this besides her.
"Excellent!" Dumbledore continued. "We now have our three champions! But in the end, only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions, this vessel of victory. The Tri-Wizard Cup!"
Dumbledore turned quickly and with a pointed finger, ripped away a grey sheet and revealed a large ornate silver trophy, a pure white light glowing from within. Valentine took one glance at it and lost interest.
That's what the fuss is about? A shiny cup that glows in the dark?
Being the only one not gawking in that direction, Valentine was the first to see the flames in The Goblet shift and flicker. Her stomach filled with dread.
What was that?
Valentine stood slowly from her seat and when she still couldn't see, climbed up onto the bench.
"Val, what's wrong?" She felt Draco tug on her robes.
Something's wrong here.
By now Snape had noticed as well and in turn Dumbledore. The blue flame twisted and danced and once again turned a damning red.
No.
Confused chatter sounded in the air.
Another singular piece of parchment was spat out into the air, floating for a moment amongst the amber sparks before Dumbledore marched forward and caught it like he had the others. He looked down at the parchment in his hands.
Dumbledore was too far away and speaking too softly for Valentine to hear at first but she knew all too well how a certain name looked on his lips.
No.
"Harry Potter?" Dumbledore glanced around the room. "Harry Potter!"
His voice bounced off the high ceiling, rattling in Valentine's ears. Her eyes went straight to Harry as she always knew where he was in a room. Hermione was shoving him to his feet.
Harry stumbled up between the tables, looking lost and confused, far more so than anybody else.
What the hell is going on? Why was his name in that cup?
When Harry reached Dumbledore, the man handed him the piece of parchment, face cold and unreadable in a way that sat like a bad taste in Valentine's mouth.
Everything was so silent that she almost jumped when Blaze cried out from below her.
"He's a cheat!"
"He's not even seventeen yet!" Liam chimed in.
How? Harry would never do that. So, how?
With the hall's rapt attention glued on Harry, no one saw her standing on the bench at first.
She watched Harry Potter disappear through the side door, taking with him any chance of a peaceful year.
Her eyes locked with Snape's. He looked as happy as she felt.
Why am I always right?
--Pretending To Live--
"This is insane!" Valentine slammed her hands down on the desktop, ignoring the several objects that rolled off it onto the floor. Dumbledore didn't seem to mind either. "Completely ridiculous! Harry can't compete! They should just cancel this stupidity all together!"
"Calm down, you're acting like a child." Snape clicked his tongue at her.
"I will not!" Valentine twisted on him, finger pointed. "Haven't you been paying attention? Harry is going to take part in a centuries-old death match and there's nothing we can do to stop it! We don't even know how his name got in there in the first place!"
"While I don't put in past him to have done it himself," Valentine sent him a dark glare that he swiftly matched. "it's impossible for him to have gotten past the age line. Someone must have entered his name for him."
"Harry would never do that! He has nothing to gain!"
"He has the same motivations as every other student who put their name in The Goblet!"
"What?" Valentine laughed bitterly. "He already has more fame than he wants! Didn't you see his freaking face? He was terrified!"
"He's perfectly capable of lying!"
"Can't you hear yourself? This is madness! Complete and utter madness!" Valentine paced back and forth, hands screwed into tight balls at her side. She could feel her nails biting into the flesh of her palms and only squeezed tighter. "How does he always manage to get into these situations? When I find out who did this they're going to wish they hadn't!"
"If you are quite done with your dramatics-"
"No, I'm not quite done! If you've somehow failed to notice, I'm actually pretty damn mad!"
"That's enough." Dumbledore's command was simple yet firm and was enough to halt Snape's next quip and force Valentine to clamp her mouth shut, nails biting deeper into her palms.
She glared mercilessly at the floor beneath her feet. Her mouth had been quelled, but her anger had not been.
Dumbledore wandered past her, touching her shoulder gently.
"What's done is done. Harry will compete." There wasn't the slightest indication in his voice that he was even remotely happy with the words he spoke.
"I knew there had to be a damn catch." Valentine grumbled and caught her Professor's questioning glances. She ignored them, heaved out a breath and forced herself to speak calmly. "Each of the three tasks takes place in front of hundreds. If Harry's in danger, there won't be anything we can do. I know he's strong. Stronger than what he thinks, but he's up against kids with three years on him in an ancient tournament. A tournament with a literal body count."
"I'm afraid, there's nothing to be done." Dumbledore sighed and slowly lowered himself into his chair. "I have already spoken with Barty. When his name came out of that cup, a magical contract was put into effect. He has no choice but to compete. And if Harry does manage to succeed through the first task, then I believe he can survive them all."
"And the first task is?" Asked Valentine, holding her breath.
Dumbledore hesitated for a moment before leaning forwards on his elbow and peering at her over his glasses.
"Dragons."
"Dragons." Valentine stared at him in disbelief. "Bloody dragons!"
"Yes." Dumbledore nodded gravely. "Each Champion will be tasked with procuring a golden egg from the clutches of a dragon. This golden egg will hold a crucial clue pertaining to the second task."
"Oh, okay. Sounds simple enough." Valentine words were laced thickly with sarcasm.
"You're being quite the brat as of late." Snape shot her a look.
"Do you want to be the one who becomes dragon chow, oh dearest Professor? If so, keep talking."
"I believe said dearest Professor also has news concerning a certain potion." Dumbledore gave Valentine a pointed look over his glasses. It was missing his usual glee and amusement at their antics. He was tired.
"Out with it then." Valentine crossed her arms and turned to face Snape expectantly.
"I should let you die." He snarled.
"Probably. But then you'd have to do this job all by your lonesome self. Now spill, sunshine."
If looks could kill Valentine would have been dead on the spot.
"I believe I have a working potion with everything in place except a certain ingredient. Once I have that, I am certain I can wash my hands of this."
"A single ingredient? And why, pray tell, don't you have it already?" Valentine cast him a suspicious glance.
"It can only be brought from certain procurers. A teacher can hardly be seen buying wares from a black marketer." He practically turned his nose up at her.
"You're a well known right old git and an ex-Death Eater to boot and you're worried about what people think about you?" She stared at him incredulously.
"Would you like that parasite to force you into an early and painful grave?" He sneered. "If so, keep talking."
Valentine just rolled her eyes and waved him off.
"Yes, yes. I'll handle this then since you are so concerned for your public image. I'll have someone collect it for me. It'll save me the hassle of sneaking off school grounds."
"You'd trust another person with something as sensitive as this?" Dumbledore asked her.
"Trust me. Who I have in mind would never do anything to knowingly bring on my wrath." Valentine tossed a curl over her shoulder.
"You're going to use one of your little servants." Snape stared at her dubiously.
"Not just any servant. She'll do anything I'll tell her too."
"That's disturbing."
Despite herself, Valentine grinned.
"That's the point, Professor."
"Well, are we all settled then?" Dumbledore from his chair.
"Wait." Valentine stopped him. "One last thing, Head Master. Moody."
"Yes?" Dumbledore irked a white brow.
"Are you...sure about him? As a teacher I mean."
"Alastor has been a faithful friend of mine for many years."
"I know, sir, but with a real-life demonstration of the Unforgivable Curses as his first lesson..."
"Ah, yes. I do not worry. I have already spoken to him about that particular subject. He doesn't believe in, how shall I say, sugar coating?"
"Yes, well, there are better ways of covering the curses without traumatizing poor Neville. He hasn't recovered from the pixies let alone his parents!" Valentine's bright gaze snapped over to Snape. "And do not say a thing about mine. I am already aware that they were and likely still are, raving mad lunatics."
"I wasn't going to say anything." Snape blinked, attempting to look as unassuming as possible and failing.
"Oh, how nice! Maybe we can keep that up then?"
Snape's face immediately fell back into a glare.
"Hmm. Yes, I didn't think so."