After a two week Holiday, it was once more time for Megumin and Yunyun to return to Hogwarts. They bid Vernon and Petunia farewell on the platform (Tonks' mother Andy had insisted on healing Vernon's leg when she learned Moody had broken it).
"Bye! I-I'll write lots!" Yunyun promised. "A-and make Megumin do it too!"
"Good luck, Uncle Vernon! You show Mad Eye the true power of the Crimson Demon Clan!" Megumin shouted, waving farewell excitedly.
Vernon waved back, looking a bit sheepish, while Petunia dabbed at her eyes.
"Well, I hope your holidays were pleasant," Hermione said, smiling at the others once the train had pulled away. "My parents took me to the continent to go skiing in the Alps. What did you all do?"
"Ron and I actually spent Fortune's Eve together," Darkness explained. "He and his brothers came over with Chris, and we had a pleasant evening together."
"I got to train every day with Chris at Quidditch too!" Ron said excitedly. "It was brilliant! I'll catch the snitch in my next match for sure!"
"Yunyun and I studied under a master wizard who educated us on the art of CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Megumin proclaimed.
Hermione took this in stride, but Darkness sucked in a breath, while Ron blurted, "You met Mad-Eye? Oh bloody hell…"
"H-he's my dad's rival!" Yunyun added brightly.
"Isn't your dad a muggle though?" Ron asked.
Darkness just groaned and put her head in her hands. "Please tell me you're not going to start setting all sorts of traps all over our dorm…"
"I have drawn up several plans to prevent our foes from attacking us while we sleep!" Megumin said gleefully.
"T-they're very practical," Yunyun offered. "W-we have to keep our friends safe!"
"Mental. Absolutely, positively mental," Ron swore.
"Well, there are Death Eaters on campus, and that villain did attack Megumin and Yunyun," Darkness said slowly.
Hermione made a face. "Are you serious? Who's going to attack us in our dorm?"
"Part of being an auror is always being prepared...perhaps just some simple alarms?" Darkness suggested.
"I was thinking of a claymore!" Megumin added eagerly.
"A sword might be practical," Darkness agreed.
Hermione groaned. "She doesn't mean a sword. She means a landmine."
"What's a landmine?" Ron asked. "Wait, don't tell me. It explodes somehow, doesn't it?"
"We are not setting up a claymore in our bedroom," Darkness said firmly.
"Hmph. Well, we can talk about it later." Megumin stood up with Yunyun, and they retrieved several very poorly wrapped packages. "I have an errand to attend to."
"Are you going to give those awful muggle things to those boys?" Darkness asked.
"Y-yes, all our friends get presents!" Yunyun said happily, which made Darkness scowl.
It wasn't hard to find the compartment where the Three Stooges had taken up residence, as it was the one where sounds of dice were coming from.
"Again?!" Draco groaned, clutching his head as the door slid open. "How!? How do you roll Morgan's Favor three times in a row!?"
"I told you, I'm lucky. Now hand over the goods," Kazuma ordered. He looked up to see Megumin and Yunyun, but still made the chocolate frog cards Draco grudgingly gave him disappear. "Oh, it's you. What, here to offer dire predictions of our death?"
"M-Merry Christmas!" Yunyun said brightly, proffering a present.
"You have all been developing well as rivals. To reward you, I have come with suitable gifts," Megumin sniffed.
"Awesome!" Dust said eagerly, taking a present from Megumin.
"Er, why don't you go open that outside," Kazuma said as Draco and he both scooted away.
"Huh, why?" Dust asked, pausing before he could rip the paper off.
"Just...just to be sure," Draco said. "Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise."
"Oh, OK." Dust shoved past the girls, and despite the fact that Megumin had glued the wrapping on, soon had his gift open. "It's...a leg? Oh wow, did you blow someone up and turn their leg into a lamp?"
"No, but that is a good idea," Megumin mused. "I would like a Voldemort leg lamp."
"Wait, what?" Kazuma and Draco seized their own gifts, and soon had them open.
Draco held his lamp up, perplexed. "Why does mine have on heels?"
"I-it's Black Widow," Yunyun explained. "S-she's a super hero."
Kazuma, however, was holding his in trembling hands, having gone pale. He slowly stood, dropping the lamp to the ground as his hands balled into fists. He met Megumin's eyes, clearly incensed. "I don't know how you found out. But if this is a threat...You'll rue this day Potter, I swear it! No one trheatens me and gets away with it! Or bismirches the good name of Superman!"
"Ha! Batman is clearly the superior superhero," Megumin laughed. "Superman is a chump, for dumb children."
With a snarl, Kazuma launched himself at Megumin, forgetting about his wand in his sheer rage. He tackled Megumin to the ground, where the two of them rolled around, biting, hitting, and kicking at one another.
"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU EDGY LITTLE DEMON!"
"I SHALL VANQUISH YOU, YOU STUPID BOY SCOUT!"
"W-wait!" Yunyun wailed. "I-if you don't like the gift, we can get you another one!"
Before things could get to the point where one of them really did manage to murder the other, Darkness arrived. She roughly hauled the two of them apart, picking both of them up by the collar of their shirts. "I knew you couldn't be trusted!" she snarled at Kazuma.
"She said Batman was better! She's a moron, and she threatened me!" Kazuma raged.
"Ha! Batman could beat Superman, just like I can beat you!" Megumin said, despite sporting a black eye.
Darkness roughly shook Kazuma. "I ought to-"
"TALLY-HO!" Dust cackled, and did a flying kick into Darkness. Unfortunately for him, he mostly just bounced off of her, as she was bigger than he was by a not insubstantial margin. However, she did drop both Kazuma and Megumin.
Megumin flopped to the floor, but Kazuma dropped down into a crouch, then sprang up with a cry of, "Shoryuken!"
His fist connected with Darkness's chin, which did stagger her slightly. She took half a step back, but then came forward, fists flying and eyes blazing.
Her blows were all clumsy haymakers though, which Kazuma dodged around, before ducking and snapping his leg out to catch Darkness in the knee. She let out a squeak and fell down on the ground, unable to maintain her balance.
Posing, Kazuma proclaimed, "Ha! Victory is-"
Darkness let out a snarl and flung herself forward, headbutting Kazuma in the shin and sending him toppling to the ground. Megumin tried to get up, but Dust was back on his feet and did another flying kick, catching her in the head and sending her cartwheeling down the passage.
It was at this point that Yunyun decided she had very much had enough. "Brachiabindo!"
Ropes sprang out of her wand, and wrapped all four combatants up tightly. Even Megumin found herself cocooned and unable to move. Somehow, Kazuma and Darkness ended up bound back to back, struggling against one another.
"This is not what I wanted!" Darkness raged as she attempted to roll over and crush Kazuma. "I hate you!"
"Back at you, you great big troll!" Kazuma snarled.
"Will the two of you just stop?" Draco demanded. When the argument continued, he sighed and raised his wand. "Silencio."
Despite the spell, Kazuma and Darkness continued to twist, their mouths forming silent shouts. "Really, you're both acting like animals," Draco said in disgust.
Yunyun beamed at him. "Y-yes! They should be f-friends!"
Draco wilted slightly, as though Yunyun's approval filled him with shame, but he gave her a weak smile since he also figured that being her friend was the healthiest option for himself.
"Good fight, good fight," Dust panted. "Always love a good scrap!'
"I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL!" Megumin spat, finally having turned herself over. "YUNYUN! UNHAND ME! I WILL VANQUISH THESE VARLETS, AND-"
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING!?" Percy bellowed, running up with a concerned looking Ron and Hermione. "BY MY AUTHORITY AS A PREFECT, YOU MUST ALL-"
"SOD OFF!" Kazuma and Darkness shouted at the same time, Draco's spell having picked that particular moment to fail.
"Silencio," Draco muttered, and they fell quiet before they could make further idiots of themselves. He glared at Ron and Hermione. "You two would go tattle on us."
"Stuff it, Malfoy, I'm trying to keep you from getting blown up or beaten to a pulp," Ron snapped.
"Swear to Merlin...Ron, Yunyun, take those two away and keep them in your compartment," Percy ordered. "Malfoy, can you keep Crabbe and Goyle in line?"
"I'm perfectly capable of managing my minions," Draco sniffed.
Kazuma stiffened, then gave Draco a look that should have caused him to wither to ash and blow away.
"Right. Well, I guess I'm sitting with you lot until you all calm down," Percy growled. "Come on, then."
Despite voluble promises from both Megumin and Kazuma of dark and terrible vengeance, they were dragged back to their respective compartments to lick their wounds. Whereupon Megumin forgot about the entire thing because Yunyun got out their DnD books and new minis. Which meant Megumin had to explain their new campaign. Ron and Hermione seemed interested, but Darkness sat by the window and stewed.
"D-do you not like your paladin figure?" Yunyun asked, holding up the figure of a blond Amazonian warrior with a large sword and shield.
"It's fine," Darkness sighed, looking over and managing a tight smile. "I just...nevermind. I need some time to think."
Once they returned to Hogwarts, they all began to process of settling into their dorms. However, Megumin and Darkness hadn't done much more than put their suitcases on their beds before McGonagall arrived, looking rather put out.
"Miss Potter. Miss Longbottom. Come with me," she ordered.
They were taken to McGonagall's office, where the head of house glared at both of them. "Is it possible for the two of you to spend even five minutes at this school without causing an incident?"
"Yes, though that's typically because we have to sleep sometime," Megumin responded.
Darkness let out a whimper and closed her eyes.
McGonagall took a deep breath, then paused, as if counting. "Twenty points from Gryffindor. Each. And a week's worth of detentions. I will coordinate with Professor Snape to ensure that you spend them with Misters Crabbe and Goyle so that the four of you learn to get along."
"What?!" Darkness cried. "You're going to make us work with those...those...Death Eaters?!"
McGonagall slowly stood up, though even then she was a hair shorter than Darkness. "They are your classmates, and innocent of any crimes their parents might have been accused of. Would you judge an innocent so recklessly, Miss Longbottom? That is hardly just, or fair."
"But they...they...Kazuma-!" Darkness cut herself off, clenching her jaw to keep herself from saying anything further.
"Our rivalry will only grow as we strive to prove our superiority to Kazu-trash and Dust!" Megumin declared.
Miss Potter!" McGonagall snapped, slapping her dest with her palm and making both girls jump. "Do I need to further increase the punishments for you both?"
Both girls shook their heads, though Darkness looked sullen. "Then return to your room. You have done quite enough for one day."
They trudged back up to Gryffindor tower, Darkness looking stormy and upset.
"Do not worry, we shall have our revenge!" Megumin assured her. "You clearly bested Kazuma and Dust, and I shall speak with Yunyun about betraying her allies."
"It's not that. I just...I don't know. I thought I would feel better after hitting Kazuma, but instead…"
While the rest of the girls unpacked and chatted, Darkness went to the pull up bar she had installed and began a heavy workout routine that lasted for several hours. Lavender and Pavarti wanted to know if Darkness had really beaten up both Kazuma and Dust, but Darkness let Megumin tell the tale of her "heroic exploits."
The next day after class, Darkness and Megumin headed down to the dungeons, where Dust and Kazuma were already up to their elbows in filthy cauldrons. The entire room reeked of garlic, as they had been making a Vampire Bane potion in the fifth year class.
"I believe you know the routine by now," Snape said, glancing up from his parchments.
"I got you a present for Christmas," Megumin said, coming up to the desk as Darkness made a face at Kazuma.
Snape glowered at her. "If it is the pleasure of your company, Miss Potter, then I-"
Megumin reached into her robe, and pulled out a picture that had been set in a simple wooden frame. It depicted three young children, sitting on a back porch, dressed in swim clothes. All three were smiling at the camera, and were holding half eaten fudge bars. Chocolate coated their faces and hands, and they all seemed to be having a wonderful time.
"Aunt Petunia says she remembers you," Megumin said. "She says she didn't like you very much as a boy, but she now remembers those as better days when my mum was still alive."
Snape had frozen when he saw the picture, his entire body locking up. After a moment, he took a shuddering breath, slowly reaching out a trembling hand. He took the picture, and his eyes became misty for a moment.
"She says she's joined the Crimson Demon Clan now, and asks that as a member you look after Yunyun and I," Megumin continued. "When did you join the clan?"
"I…" Snape swallowed, then gently took the picture and tucked it away in his desk. "This is not the time to chat, Miss Potter. Get to work."
Megumin shrugged and rolled up her sleeves, setting to work cleaning the cauldrons.
"Hi!" Dust said brightly, passing Megumin a sponge. "Sorry about your face."
There was a large purple bruise on Megumin's cheek, which Madam Pomfrey had flatly refused to heal on the grounds that it might teach her a lesson.
"I shall wear it as a badge of honor, won on the field of battle," Megumin huffed as she began to scrub.
"Yeah, that was fun, wasn't it?" Dust sighed. He grinned at Darkness. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"
"You are to work in silent penance, Mr. Goyle," Snape growled from the front of the room.
"Yessir," Dust sighed, and got back to work.
"This is not the kind of hard work I enjoy," Darkness muttered as she scoured her own set of cauldrons.
"Well it ain't exactly peaches and cream for me either," Kazuma whispered. He glared at Megumin. "Well?"
"Well what?" Megumin asked.
"What do you want?! You tried to blackmail me, so what are you going to do?!" Kazuma demanded.
"Beat you to the treasure in the dungeon, obviously," Megumin said smugly. "My party's tank is clearly superior to yours."
"How'd you get a tank?" Kazuma asked suspiciously. "Or learn to drive one?"
"Not that kind of tank, our warrior! Darkness is a peerless-"
"If you cannot work silently on your own, I shall assist you," Snape sighed. He raised his wand. "Silencio."
After that, the four miscreants were forced to work in silence, though they all made a great show of making rude faces at one another at various points. Dust seemed to think the goal was to be silly as possible, and when Snape caught him pulling his eyelids down and sticking his tongue out the girls, Snape sent a stinging hex into Dust's rear that would have produced a yelp of pain if not for the silencing charm.
After two hours of hard labor, they were dismissed. At the door, Snape caught Megumin and held her back. Once the others were long gone, he took a knee so that he was at eye level with her.
"Thank you," he said, putting a hand on Megumin's shoulder and squeezing. "Tell your aunt...I miss Lily as well. She was a good friend."
"How do you know about the Crimson Demon Clan?" Megumin asked. "Was it…" she shifted nervously, fidgeting with her stained blouse. "Was it something of my mum's?"
"Yes. She inducted your aunt and myself. Or, well, tried to induct Petunia. Once she realized she was never getting a Hogwarts letter she quit and had a rather strong dislike for the whole thing." Snape pondered his next words carefully. "I, too, left the Crimson Demon Clan when I...made some bad choices. The wrong friends. I wish I had stayed in. Then, perhaps, I would have been the one to earn your mother's affections."
"Well, then you'd be dead so I think maybe I'm glad you're alive to teach me potions," Megumin said, unusually sober.
"Perhaps," Snape admitted. He sighed. "I did not like your father. We were...well, to use your term, rivals."
Megumin gasped in delight. "I knew it! You were my father's rival for my mother's love!"
"Not...as such. When I was younger, I was...very fond...of your mother. But, well, I grew out of her...fancies...but she never did. James Potter seemed to revel in them, however." Snape looked disgusted. "That made me like him even less. Until...well. Until it was too late. A mistake I swore I would not repeat."
Megumin suddenly reached out and hugged Snape. "You're still a member of the Crimson Demon Clan," she sniffled.
Slowly, Snape reached up and gingerly patted Megumin's back. "Thank you."
"Would she...would she be proud of me?" Megumin sniffled. "Or...or mad that I'm always in trouble…"
"Considering that I do not recall a week where Lily Evans was not in some kind of trouble, I imagine she would be furious that you have followed so neatly in her footsteps," Snape said dryly.
That made Megumin cry, and Snape reluctantly held her for another minute.
Once she composed herself, Megumin wiped at her face and eyes. "Thanks. Aunt Petunia doesn't like to talk about my mum. She cried for hours after she gave me a copy of that picture with you in it. But I wanted you to have it."
"Thank you," Snape said. He stood then, nodding down at Megumin. "You may consider me an honorary member of the Crimson Demon Clan. Or at least, its protector. Now get to bed. And try not to cause any more mischief. I have enough work to do as it is keeping you from killing yourself in Potions."
"Ha! None of my recipes have exploded lately! Except the ones I meant to!" With that, Megumin seemed back in good cheer, and trotted off down the hallway.
Snape sighed, then went back inside. He took the picture out, staring down at it. "She's just like you, Lily. Heaven help us all."
Of course, the whole thing was really heaven's fault anyway.