A/N: I've made a slight change to last chapter about class scheduling.


Wednesday September 6th, 1989

Hey Houdini,

Well, I'm glad you asked. See, dealing with hatred and prejudice is much like the arguments between Charles Xavier and Magneto (or, Martin Luther King Jr. vs. Malcolm X, if you want a real life example.) On one hand, there's the idea of reaping what you sow. Wait, that probably doesn't make much sense to you. I mean there's an idea that if you act with kindness, you'll eventually get kindness in return. Then there's the Magneto argument, that the only way to tackle violence is through violence. For a lot of people it's a difficult question to answer. It probably depends on each situation. I know you wanted my opinion, compared to what the others told you, but it probably does you more favours to hear that answer first. Though, personally speaking, if you were to ask me something like "is it okay to punch a Nazi?"

*POW!*

"YEOW! Merlin's balls!"

-I'm gonna have to go with "absolutely yes."

"What happened?" Amy looked up with concern at the sound of the yelp. The group of first years looked up from their books and letters to find Cassius Warrington gripping his face in pain, and a box lying at his feet.

"Something tells me that that gift he got earlier was more of the German variety."

The others blinked at Melissa, confused. "You mean he's been poisoned?" Domonkos asked.

"What?" Amy asked in alarm.

"Gift." He repeated. "In German the word means poison."

Huh. That's actually really clever. ...too bad I didn't think of that.

"Hmm, I don't think he's been poisoned, after all." Melissa craned her head, noting Warrington's face as it darkened into a future black eye. "Looks like it hurt, though."

"Most likely a light wizard overheard him at breakfast yesterday and decided to take action against him." Garrick hypothesized.

"It's possible." Jacqueline nodded. The others also nodded. They were learning fast that a word in the wrong ear could have consequences here at Hogwarts. Especially if you're in Slytherin.

"Well, here's hoping that that hit recovers before Astronomy tonight." Melissa offered. A couple of the other kids winced at that, likely imagining class in his shoes when he'll have to put a telescope against that tenderized face.

"Yes." Domonkos agreed. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I must prepare my supplies."

"You're not coming to supper?" Garrick asked.

"Yes, but the Art Club begins tonight and I wish to be prepared."

Melissa gave him a curious look. "So… you're not going to take a nap like the rest of us before Astronomy?"

The Hungarian boy shook his head. "No. I do not need to sleep so early."

"Okay." Melissa huffed an unbelieving smile, shaking her head before returning to her letter. "It's your funeral."


Thursday September 7th, 1989

Mum. Dad.

I'm convinced that whoever decided to put History the morning after Astronomy is a sadist. Also, Domonkos snores REALLY loud! I would have passed out myself if it wasn't for all of the nose buzzing. Good thing ghosts don't care about that, or else he would have gotten detention. That said, I'm not sure how I'll be able to stay awake in this class. It's not a very exciting subject. I guess learning wizarding history isn't all that different from normal history, is it?

You'll be happy to know that I joined a music club at school. We had our first meeting on Tuesday. I asked Professor Flitwick about the orchestra he teaches on Saturdays. He says there's an opening for a viola player so I'll be doing that. I see what Dad means now with how important it is to know a bunch of instruments. There isn't a piano, but one girl plays the harpsichord. I might ask her for lessons some time in the evenings, but she seems kind of snobby. Is it weird that I feel like that perfectly matches someone that would play a harpsichord? I know, I know, don't judge a musician by their instrument; but, come on, it's a harpsichord!

To make things funnier, there's also a fifth year boy who plays the lute. At this rate I'm surprised there isn't anyone who plays the fife. Oh, who am I kidding? There's probably a few somewhere in the wizarding world! One girl in my year plays the flute, so there's always a chance she'll go for it. There's a cellist boy in my year, too! Neither are in my dorm, sadly, but at least I can jam out with them when the club meets up.

Slight problem. The orchestra doesn't have accordions, either. Which should have been fine since I have mine, but they don't have sheet music for it so it's not exactly useful. I think I should take on some other instrument while I'm here. What kind do you think would help?

Love you both,

Melissa


"Do you think we should be worried that the first potion we learn is a cure for boils?" Melissa mused as the cauldron continued to simmer the half-made concoction.

"I don't see an issue with it." Jacqueline answered simply as she organized the next phase of ingredients. "Boils are a common reaction to hexes and badly made potions."

"Huh, that so?"

"Yes. Is that so surprising?"

"Well, I suppose it's a witch thing. Boils aren't something muggles deal with on a regular basis. Pimples, maybe, when you're a teenager; but that's about it."

Jacqueline hummed at that. "What sort of maladies to muggles usually learn cures for?"

Melissa pondered at that. "I've never thought about it. I mean, there's home remedies for colds and fevers, but usually we just buy medicine from a chemist. Kids don't usually learn those things unless they go to medical school when they grow up.

A small giggle came out of Jacqueline. "What do you learn about, then, if not potions?"

"There's plenty to learn. Science, math, reading-"

"Reading?"

Melissa rolled her eyes. "I don't mean how to read. I mean subtleties of language. Essays, metaphors, poetry styles, and learning unique ideas depending on the books we're reading. Well, now that you mention it, learning how to read, too; but that starts when we're young."

"Oh, yes, because you start school when you turn five." Jacqueline recalled.

"That's right."

The cauldrons before them changed form, distracting the girls from their stewing with need to continue the lesson.

"We add horned slugs, next."

"Right." Melissa nodded, tossing her own supplies for the liquid pit. "Then the quills."

"Yes, but after we take them off of- BENNETT, LOOK OUT!"

Melissa barely had time to react as Jacqueline's hand shot out, knocking a small object away from the cauldron while another fell half inside of it. The girl recognized it instantly as one of the porcupine quills that had been on her desk.

"Shit!" Without thinking, she grabbed the partially-submerged quill and flung it out of the cauldron as it began to smoke. "Oww!" She clutched her hand, a sudden pain going through her.

"Two points from Slytherin, Miss Bennett, for foul language." Snape snapped from his prowling between rows of students.

Suddenly the man was upon them. He snatched the painful hand and looked it over with a glare as if it were the culprit of some vile crime. "It appears that you failed to follow instructions that porcupine quills are to be added after the cauldron is removed from the fire. Fortunately for you, Miss Pierce was able to catch your mistake before the potion could turn catastrophic."

Pain and outrage muddling her thoughts, Melissa answered without filter. "I haven't even gotten to that step yet!"

"I will tolerate neither excuses nor backtalk, Miss Bennett."

"Pardon me, professor, but she's telling the truth." Jacqueline offered a demure interjection. "I saw the quills falling in while Bennett was stoppering the vial of horned slugs."

The professor glared them over one at a time, then turned to the flung quills and the nearby students.

"Should that be the case, I shall withdraw any further punishments; however, the points taken for foul language will stand, Bennett. As for the consequences of this potion," he turned over Melissa's hand, the palm and fingers now laced with boils, "I will use a properly completed potion to give a demonstration of the potion's curative abilities.

"As your potion is nigh-unusable, I would advise that you merely observe for the remainder of the class. Should you wish to be graded beyond failure, you can provide a completed potion to me this evening. Is that understood, Miss Bennett?"

Melissa swallowed painfully, accepting the offer. "Yes, sir. Thank you, Professor Snape."

The professor harrumphed and turned away from the Slytherin witches. Melissa glanced at Jacqueline, mouthing a 'thank you' before the other girl took her own cauldron out of the flames and continued with the lesson. Melissa watched with half a mind, her focus wandering to the blistered hand and the mysteriously moved porcupine quills that caused the trouble in the first place. Well, them and whoever had put them in her cauldron.


*The Next Day*

"Prick! Prick! Goes the porcupine quill,

Sting! Goes nettle at the window sill,

Broom crashes on a grassy bed,

Trouble brews, and its name is Red."

"What are you going on about, Bennett?" Jacinth asked with a sneer, annoyed at the interruption from the transfiguration book he was studying from.

Garrick looked up from his own textbook, barely taking a moment to answer. "The Gryffindors. I suppose it should have been obvious."

"You calling me stupid?"

"SHH!" Madam Pince chastised from her desk. The Librarian pierced them with a threatening stare, a sure sign that the woman was not to be trifled with.

The children ducked closer to their table shyly before Garrick felt it safe to answer. "No, I mean the accidents. First Warrington, then Pucey, Bennett, and Flinton. Every class we've attended with Gryffindor has led to someone in our house being injured. It can't be a coincidence."

The implication dawned on Jacinth and Jacqueline's faces. Melissa held her peace. It didn't take much to guess who in Gryffindor was causing most of these 'accidents', but wasn't sure if it was worth the trouble to narrow down her classmates' ire to the select set of red-headed boys.

"If it's the Gryffindors then we oughta do something about it!" Jacinth threatened in a harsh whisper.

Garrick's eyes moved downward, considering the opportunities and potential consequences. "We could inform Professor Snape."

"That won't work." Jacqueline argued. "Professors can remove house points, and maybe give detentions if they find the culprit, but that usually isn't enough to deter attacks from other houses. When targeted attacks occur, students usually have to fend for themselves. Much as I don't want to cause trouble, Wystan has a point."

Garrick tapped a finger on the edge of his book, considering the argument. His eyes moved to Melissa's, opening the floor to her. "What do you think, Bennett?"

"Hmm… well, I've had plenty of detentions back at my old school, and it never exactly stopped me. My parents have craftier ways to keep me in line. That said…" That said, a Slytherin vs. Gryffindor prank war does her no favours, especially since each group is known for having a vicious streak. "...we will have to be smart about it. No need to attack at random. Find the instigators and move discreetly against them."

"What good is being discreet against Gryffindors?" Jacinth argued. "Better to be loud. Sends a message to the other lions."

Melissa made a hum of disagreement. "Subterfuge works better than brute strength."

"Says who?"

"Salazar Slytherin, for one." Garrick pointed out.

"Scar beat Mufasa that way." Melissa added.

"Who are Scar and Mufasa?" Jacqueline asked.

Melissa blinked at that. "Oh. It's a muggle story about two kings. " One that hasn't been written yet, but no one has to know that. "Point being that if-"

*Zzzzhhiiimmmm!*

*Zzzhhjoooooommmm!*

*Zhhiiiiiiimmm!*

*Zhhhhjooooommmm!*

*Zzhhhiiiiiiiimmm!*

"What on earth is that?" Jacqueline asked, the children all turned and craned their heads towards the entrance of the library.

There was a reddish object… hopping through the library. The thing was small, about the size of a briefcase, but with each bounce it's middle seemed to stretch and expand, then contract as it's feet, for it had feet, reconnected in preparation for the next leap.

*Zzzzhhiiimmmm!*

*Zzzhhjoooooommmm!*

*Zhhiiiiiiimmm!*

"Hey, guys," A Ravenclaw boy from another table blinked, waking from his studies to the distracting sound. "Why is there an accordion jumping towards Pince's desk?"

A WHAT?

Melissa gave the object a deeper inspection as it hopped closer to their table. It was hard to tell at first, with its legs and floppy ears, but part of it did, indeed, have a block of white and black keys. The rest of it was a marbled red; though, as it came closer still, Melissa also noticed a scribble of black sharpie on one end and a gold-painted pair of quavers with a dip in the beams, almost in the shape of two M's, on the other.

"Better question..." Melissa asked with annoyance as she pushed out of her chair. "Why is my accordion hopping to Pince's desk?"

At once she ran to the wayward instrument, grabbing it in mid-leap. It writhed and wheezed as a living accordion was wont to do, and Melissa cursed it's reluctance to keep still.

"Come on you bloody thing, how did you-"

"What is the meaning of this?" Pince demanded.

Melissa pouted. "A bad joke." She explained.

"Stand aside, I'll dispose of the thing."

"Wait, what? No! You can't! It's mine!"

Pince offered her little mercy. With a wave of her wand, the jumpy accordion died in her arms, sagging in death as it ripped in two.

"But… that was…"

"That's five points for backtalk, and another ten for disruption in the library." Pince proclaimed. "You are also banned from the library for the next week. I'll have no more noise disrupting my library. Understood?"

Melissa was at a loss for words. Left with only an ability to nod her head and mourn for her dead, mutated instrument.

"Good. Now leave at once."

The girl nodded again, leaving without so much as a look to her classmates, all study notes left abandoned. She left with only the accordion in her arms. It's strange, red marbled ears and innards hung lifelessly past her elbow. Almost as if in mocking, she found gold letters added between the folds.

S

In a strange, twisted humour, only one thought went through her mind as the message came clear.

Long live the king.


A/N: Points to anyone who caught the obscure musical reference.