Chapter 8

Nightshade didn't find Mag's 2nd year of school at Hogwarts any more exciting than her first. In other words it was boring and he hated having to wake up and go to stupid classes with her. He hated being surrounded by other owls of lower intelligence that he personally referred to as Tard Babies. They had no formulated thoughts, only instincts and reflexive basic needs which drove them. The idea made his very soul want to shudder...so he tried not to think on it for long.

Sure he wondered why he was different, but not too much because he refused to risk being put into a fuckin' lab in case that's what it took to find out. Wizards could be just as stupid as those other owls, after all. Mag kept her word and told no one else that he was different, though so that was alright. He wanted to scratch the tender skin of the little first year brats when they got loud but Mag insisted that would cause problems that wouldn't allow him to remain with her in classes or the great hall. He'd have to stay in the owlery all the time with the other tard babies and he wasn't having that...So he found another way to get at the little brats. He'd just insert fun thoughts into their minds when he found a kid particularly obnoxious.

Well they were fun thoughts for him, and that was all that counted. He suggested to them that they were insane due to the fact they were right now hearing voices in their heads. They got scared and that was Nightshade's entertainment. Usually they kept it to themselves, not wanting to be put away in St. Mungos likely as not. This allowed him to torment them longer, though, so that was cool. He also discovered that if he insinuated his own mental focus into their head very hard he could give them a headache. Very impressive, at least he was impressed with himself and his self-discovered ability.

Otherwise nothing exciting happened and the year dragged on until it was over. He looked forward to the summer as while it wasn't much more interesting, it was less structured and at WestCraven manor there wasn't anyone to annoy him feathered or otherwise. Mag was cool and let him chill out and her parents didn't bother him either. As the summer drew to a close he wasn't looking forward to Mag's 3rd year at Hogwarts, but there was literally nothing to be done about it so the large white owl was resigned. The worst part was going to be the train and he hated that so so so very much! If he could just sit on the back of Mag's seat like at school it would be far better, but no. He had to go in the stupid cage that made him feel all squeezed and trapped and it was hard to breathe or think. He didn't like the cage and as the train meant the cage he hated the train so so so very much!

For Mag's part, when her 3rd year rolled around, only a few things changed to mark it as particularly different than her 2nd year. The first was that another childhood friend of hers began at Hogwarts. Millicent Bulstrode was 2 years younger than Mag, but their parents were friends, having gone to school together and all working at the Ministry of Magic. As was the case with Kereston's, they worked in different departments. Millicent was a little taller than Mag and Mag was rather tall for a girl. Where Mag's long hair was red, Millicent's equally long hair was black. Where Mag's large deep set eyes were green, Millicent's were a thoughtful chocolate brown. Though both girls were slender, Millicent had wider shoulders, one of which she used to push another kid out of her way as she, Mag and Kereston boarded the train together.

The other thing to mark the 3rd year as special was that Mag was allowed to take 2 new classes that she was very much looking forward to. Arithmancy and ancient runes were things she'd studied privately at home with rare books from her family's library, but she knew she'd get more hands on exposure with those brands of magic at Hogwarts. At least she hoped such would be the case. She felt a bit more grown up this year and that was exciting. On the train she and Kereston told Millicent about what to expect at Hogwarts and Mag tried to ignore Nightshade's panic attack as he sat wide eyed and unblinking on the bottom of his cage. She wished he'd taken the sedative her mum had offered him but he'd objected to that as well which was annoying. Last year and the year before she'd tried to speak to him soothingly but he'd either hissed profanities into her mind or ignored her so she assumed he wanted to be left alone. She could relate to that. She wasn't surprised when Millicent was sorted into Slytherin and clapped just as she had for Kereston last year. Millicent went to sit with the first years and Mag couldn't help but notice her friend was acting strangely around Draco Malfoy and that lot of goons with whom he was hanging. She didn't know him, but the Malfoy name was admittedly prominent if not particularly always savory in the wizarding world.

As the sorting continued, Mag returned her attention to the book she was reading, for books were always far more interesting than whatever people happened to be doing. Still she couldn't help but look up eventually when everyone began making a fuss about someone named Harry Potter, though. He was an odd looking kid with glasses, and had just gotten sorted into Gryffindor. Mag's opinion of Gryffindors was a low one. She felt they often confused bravery for stupidity, so she didn't see why this Potter was so impressive. Talk around her soon told the story though. Apparently he was a big deal because Voldemort hadn't been able to kill him. She was sure, like most things that were made much of, that some part of that story had to be missing. A part that would likely detract from the glory of the situation. Besides, Voldemort was dead. With an annoyed sigh she returned her attention to the book she was reading.

Mag didn't think about Harry Potter again until the troll got into the school on Halloween. She rather liked the idea of trolls and found them fascinating. Especially bridge trolls, but this one wasn't a bridge troll. It was a mountain troll if she was correct and not at all friendly, approachable, or interested in making friends. Mag tended to find creatures more interesting than humans and less trying as well, but not if they would try to kill her if she got in their way. It was disturbing that a troll had gotten into the school, because, as her parents and so many others claimed, Hogwarts was supposed to be the safest place on earth. She was beginning to doubt that and her doubt only grew on the last day of term when Professor Snape called her into his office just after breakfast. His face was so grave she found herself wondering just what she'd done, because she couldn't remember doing anything amiss.

"Sit down, Miss Westcraven," he said, the door to his dungeon office shutting with a resounding slam. Mag moved to do so at once, unable to keep from speaking as she did. "Did I do something, Professor?"

She breathed a sigh of relief when he gave a brief shake of his head. "Not at all. I merely wished you to be aware of something...and for your parents to be aware of something. I am asking that you tell no one else other than your parents and that you ask them to keep it to themselves unless they feel there is someone they can trust who may benefit from being made aware."

What on Earth could this be about, Mag thought, curiosity rising as she nodded quickly. "Of course, Sir."

Professor Snape drew up a chair across from her and sat before speaking his shocking words. "It appears that lord Voldemort is not precisely dead. Have a care. Take no unnecessary risks and be careful who you trust. If you tell the wrong person any of this, I could very well end up dead. Do you understand?"

Stunned, she nodded, wondering why he was telling HER this in particular...and her parents. "But what does not precisely dead mean? He is or he isn't?"

"Were that only the case, but when enough Dark magics are used the lines are blurry. Unfortunately I know no more than this, so I am not being intentionally vague," he explained. "I'm only telling you because you remind me very much of myself at your age and at that time your parents were kind to me. This is my way of doing the same. Tell them we're even."

She nodded dumbly again, mind still reeling with shock and the implications of this revelation. "Thank you, Professor," she said, managing to feel grateful through her rising shock.

"He could be anyone new, anyone not so new for all we know, so just have a care," Professor Snape warned. "His methods of disguise are numerous and he's far more talented at Dark arts, disguise and transfigurations than he's given credit for which says a great deal." If he was trying to frighten her it was working. "I am sorry this is so vague, but it's all I have." She nodded again and that seemed to end the conversation. He rose and opened the door to his office, wishing her a safe summer. She wished him the same, still not sure how to think or feel. With such vague terms the situation felt too uncertain, so...

/Tread carefully I guess,/ Nightshade said into her mind from the right shoulder of her Slytherin school robe.

/Yes I suppose that's all we can do/ she thought back, hoping her parents may be able to shed a bit more light onto the situation. Unfortunately they could not, and their concern only made hers worse.