10/10/2023

Hey guys! Guess who's back from the dead? Me! After a long and horrible writers block(and distractedness), I have returned better than ever. I rewrote the first few chapters and am starting Chapter 3! I and hopefully my writing has grown over the long pause and I am excited to show the new and improved Daughter of the Crow! I tried republishing the chapters on the old one but it didn't work!

Disclamer: Don't own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson Franchises(I'll only say this once because it gets tiring)

October 2006

Kiara P. Hope wandered through the tables, wincing as the Great Hall multiplied the chattering voices by thousands. She sat down in front of an empty plate and pulled out her potions book. A headache grew as the Great Hall filled with loud students. She touched one of the charms on her bracelet. She, Will, and Kayla had made the matching silver snake chain bracelets before she left for Hogwarts. The small charms on her wrist contained music that they all added to each year. It blocked out noises with a sound shield and played music they recorded. Kiara finished her breakfast and took some last minute notes for Potions. The autumn chill prompted her to pull her yellow scarf tighter and rush to class.

– o – ️ – o –

Quinn Cordova, one of her dorm mates, dropped ten lionfish spines at once into her potion. Kiara knew that Quinn should've added them in batches, and that the potion would, within moments, go awry. She had just enough time to duck under her desk, pulling along her potions partner with her, when she noticed the potion turn a bright green. With a fizz and a pop, the explosion threw hot liquid and smoke everywhere. Pained groans could be heard near the epicenter of the disaster. Kiara peeked out from under her desk with an annoyed Severus Snape pulling free of her grip. When the smoke cleared, she saw Quinn and her partner splattered with the remains of what should have been a Wiggenweld Potion.

"Are you alright?" Kiara asked, carefully making her way to her fellow Hufflepuffs.

"I think so," Haley answered shakily.

"I got some on my arm," Quinn whimpered, holding it out.

Kiara took the injured arm with care and inspected it. On her forearm was a bright red burn from the potion. She should have called Professor Slughorn to help, but knowing him he would cause a bigger fuss and Quinn's arm could get worse. Kiara took out her Cypress wand and cast a healing charm. Evan Rosier sneered down his nose at the witches and then looked back at Snape seated across the aisle from the rest of Slytherin, "Watch out Snape. I wouldn't want to be seen with those duffers. They can't even make a beginner potion. How pathetic." Kiara turned away from him and the Slytherins laughing behind the table. She and Haley started casting Scourgify.

Rosier tried again for a reaction, "Don't stoop to their level. You are a talented wizard, for being half Mudblood, and I think your skills would be useful."

He flicked off some of the hardened potion off his desk onto Kiara. She had had enough. Since school began, Rosier had been hounding her housemates after every little mistake. And on top of that he kept using that horrible slur.

Kiara helped Haley vanish a particularly stubborn patch of potion off her book before turning to Rosier.

"Oh and I bet you can do better!" She mocked. "I've never seen you complete a potion without help from Smith. We all know she only helps you because she likes your looks."

"What do you know, halfblood?" Rosier seethed. "Oh sorry, you're worse than a halfblood, your own father left you and your mother."

Kiara glared at him, hands clenched into fists. Even in the previous years, Rosier had never been this harsh. Whispers of Slytherins turning to Voldemort echoed through her mind.

"Let's just clean up this mess so we can move along," Snape suggested, putting his books back into his bag.

Kiara glared at Rosier and his snickering gang before joining Snape in cleaning up. Professor Slughorn stumbled back from the supplies room in which he disappeared after giving the instructions at the beginning of class.

"My goodness, what is going on here?" He sputtered, watching the class packing up and cleaning up the potions incident on their desks.

Raising her healed arm, Quinn piped up, "Sorry Professor. I did something wrong with the potion and it made a mess."

"It's quite alright my dear, but next time have someone call for me. What would I do if your potion turned out corrosive and injured one of you? Oh the paperwork would be dreadful!" Professor Slughorn exclaimed.

Kiara rolled her eyes, of course that would be what he worried about. The paper work.

"Sir, we have to go now," a Hufflepuff muttered from behind them.

"Yes, yes. Please write the Wiggenweld Potion's uses and history by Tuesday."

Kiara waited outside the room for Snape whilst the rest of the class left, rushing to get out of the dungeon. She closed her eyes and envisioned camp. She missed it, even though it had barely been a month since she left. She couldn't believe it. She missed the smell of the strawberry field and the bright sun above. It was nothing like the cold, gray sky she was stuck with now.

"Thank you, Sir," Kiara vaguely heard from the doorway.

"If you have any more questions I am always free. Now hurry along or you will be late for your next class," Professor Slughorn replied.

Kiara stopped Snape just past the door.

"Thank you for stopping Rosier."

"It was for my own good. I wasn't doing it for you. Try not to provoke Rosier," Snape muttered, looking up and down the halls as if he was worried someone might see.

"Fine," she looked around, wondering what he might be searching for, "but pairing up in potions wasn't too bad, and we are both good at it. Could we partner up for the next lesson as well? You could tell the other Slytherins that Professor Slughorn forced you to help me," Kiara proposed, as they started walking down the corridor.

"If it will keep me from being stuck with a bumbling Hufflepuff," Kiara had to act upset at that one, even though she admitted it was partially true. "or anyone in my own house then yes."

"Thank you. You can call me Kiara if you want or if it's too much, Hope is fine too."

Boisterous laughter halted their conversation. They heard the footsteps getting louder and louder by the second. Kiara glanced back at Snape, who looked around desperately for someplace to go. Kiara grabbed his hand and tried to pull him into one of the many alcoves littered throughout the dungeons, but they were too late. Professor Slughorn's next class turned the corner with the so-called Marauders leading the pack. As soon as the group saw them, the joking stopped and whispers started. A tall boy stepped out of the crowd and towards Kiara and Snape.

"Are you okay darling?" Sirius Black said with a smirk, "Is Snivellus bothering you?"

Snape swiftly pulled his hand away from Kiara's and looked down at the floor as if he was wishing it would swallow him whole. Kiara straightened up, glaring at the boy in red and gold.

"The only one who's bothering me is you. If you would be so kind as to move, Severus and I need to go to our next class," Kiara said, taking a step forward.

Severus looked back at her in astonishment.

"You don't have to do this," He whispered, only loud enough for her to hear.

"Please, Severus, let me. You help-"

"Hope, you shouldn't be interacting with those of his sort. They are all waiting to turn on you. Slytherins are evil and bullies, you know," Black butted in.

"Oh just like what you are doing right now. Acting like you're king of the castle and thinking what you say is law. Punishing those who don't bow at your feet. That sounds awfully just like how you described Slytherins."

Sirius tensed and stepped closer.

"Just because you're in the house of Brave doesn't mean you are right," Kiara announced.

His friends inched forward, ready to pull the increasingly angry boy away.

"Kiara, we should go. They will just make us late," Severus said, tugging on her sleeve.

Black walked past them, shoving Severus' shoulder. The rest of the Griffindors and Ravenclaws followed behind him.

"I can't believe I just did that," she squeaked, shaking with nerves as the potions door slammed shut.

"I can't either," Severus replied.

"Oh gods, we have to hurry! There are only five minutes left!" Kiara exclaimed, rushing away from a stunned Severus.

– o – ️ – o –

Kiara was immediately engulfed in whispers as she entered her last class of the day. She sighed and sat down at an empty table near the front of the classroom, trying to ignore the snippets of her name in her classmates' gossip. She forgot that standing up to one of the Marauders would be something people would be interested in. Once Professor Wilson began the class, the fifth years were forced to quiet down. Kiara had never been so glad for the blundering professor in her life. The class faded into the background as she was absorbed into the teachings of spells and counter curses.

After the class ended, Lilac Gonick stood next to Kiara's desk, watching her pack away. Kiara had seen her and her friends out of the corner of her eye, whispering about something. Gonick's friends pushed her forward and huddled behind her, eagerly waiting for confirmation of the circling rumors. Kiara tried to brush aside the Gryffindor, but her loitering was too hard to ignore.

When Gonick saw Kiara acknowledge her, she asked, "Did you really curse Sirius Black into speaking in rhyming couplets?"

Kiara mentally shook her head at the rumor mill of Hogwarts. The least they could do is get their facts right. Her brother Lee was more likely to curse someone that way. He was more hot headed too.

"No. I didn't," Kiara answered with a sigh, "Please let me through. I have to talk to Professor Wilson about today's lesson."

Kiara approached Gonick and her hovering friends, trying to subtly push past them.

"I knew Robert was lying," she muttered. "Well, then what did you do? Everyone has been talking about it. They said you did something to Black for no reason. That he was just trying to help you get away from a Slytherin and you attacked him."

"It's no one's business. That was not how it happened. Please just move. I need to talk with the professor before he leaves."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Professor Wilson slip into his office. He would be of no help now.

"You're trying to run away! I knew there was something wrong with you," one of the girls accused as they started to surround her.

"Yeah! What did you do?" another added.

"Black is the most chivalrous boy in Hogwarts! What could he have done to you?"

Kiara looked at them in shock. Then it hit her. They were part of his fan group. They wouldn't listen to her, no matter what she said, so there was no point in trying. She frantically tried to remember a spell or a jinx that would distract them enough for her to escape. Kiara reached into her bag with shaking fingers and grasped a warm glass filled with captured sparks. She had collected them during Herbology and was planning to study its uses, but she regrettably had to use them now. The sparks wouldn't cause any damage, but would create just the distraction she needed to get away. She loosened the cork and dropped it by her feet. The impact caused the round vial to shatter and the sparks to shoot out everywhere, producing shrieks from the girls around her. Kiara swiftly weaved her way through the chaos and flinched as a spark exploded near her feet. Forced to keep moving, she left the classroom and ran as fast as she could away from the scene. Kiara headed to the library, where hopefully no one would bother her.

Thanks for reading! Please review. It can be a comment, criticism, question, etc, but please review! It helps so much when you do! I also have a Wattpad account under the same name so you can find me there. All my chapters are edited by the lovey Comma Queen and judged by my sister, Dotalot345.

I will try to update every week on Sundays

- Natalie