September 1992, 2nd year
The first day of classes was marked by very tired Slytherins and a distracted Harry. They were lucky to have History of Magic first thing in the morning, because Professor Binns didn't even notice them all falling asleep in their seats and they were at least somewhat more awake when they headed down to Herbology.
"You all look dreadful," Hermione greeted them. "What have you been up to last night that could have been more important than getting enough sleep for the first day of school?"
"Very important matters," Lynea said. "But it is not my place to tell."
She glanced at Harry, but the boy was barely paying attention to what they were saying.
"I see," Hermione said. "Well, I hope it won't impact your work in class today."
Professor Sprout brought them to Greenhouse Three that day, where they were continuing what the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs had already started before them: Repotting Mandrakes. The Slytherins were still too tired, so all of Professor Sprout's questions were answered by either Hermione or one of the other Ravenclaws that day. If their Herbology teacher noticed, she didn't comment on it.
Repotting Mandrakes sounded easier – and looked easier, when Sprout demonstrated – than it was done. When the lunch bell rang, they were all covered in sweat and dirt and indefinitely more exhausted than they had been before. They had to wash up before heading to lunch and had to hurry through it, because Pansy and Daphne had taken so long in the bathroom. In hindsight, they should have just gone ahead without them.
The rest of the day wasn't any better and they all decided unanimously to turn in early for the night.
They had Defence Against the Dark Arts the next day and it was terribly disappointing. There had been rumours circulating during breakfast about the Gryffindor's first lesson – something about Cornish Pixies being set loose and wreaking havoc.
Lockhart started with a quiz that was all about himself (narcissistic much, no?), which apparently a third of the Slytherins got mostly right – and that, a beaming Lockhart told them, was quite a bit more than the Gryffindors had managed. The rest of the lesson he spent telling wild stories about himself and that was about it. He didn't show them any spells, nor teach them any valuable theory. He was, possibly, even worse than Quirrel – if one ignored the fact that Quirrel had hidden the Dark Lord under his hideous turban and a lot of garlic. Quirrel had at least told them somewhat valuable information about dangerous creatures and the like.
The next day, the Slytherins had a run-in with a group of older students, who thought it would be funny to charm their shoelaces together while they were still on the stairs. Those students had, however, reckoned without the Slytherins expecting it and dodging their spells and were all the more surprised when Pansy used Tarantallegra on them to make their legs dance uncontrollably. The idiots didn't even know the counter spell to a charm that was taught in second year. (The Slytherins had, of course, already taught themselves both at the beginning of their first year.)
It was rather amusing to watch until a tiny Gryffindor, who introduced himself as Colin Creevey, excitedly asked Harry for a photograph.
"I know all about you!" he said excitedly and blabbered on about Harry defeating 'you-know-who' (Lynea tried hard not to snort at that) and how awesome it was that magical pictures moved and so on.
Draco, Pansy and Theodore scowled at him, while Harry grew increasingly embarrassed with each word Creevey spoke. The boy even asked Harry to sign the photo. Draco barked out a short laugh at that.
"Signed photos!" Draco said, highly amused. "We should tell the whole school – Harry Potter is giving out signed photos."
"Shut up!" Harry whispered furiously, his face red. "What if someone hears you?"
"Lockhart would have a field day with this." Lynea grinned. "He would probably love to take you under his wing, Harry. Just imagine the possibilities! Your fame paired with his."
"I do not want anything to do with Lockhart, thank you very much," Harry said. "I didn't choose to be famous."
"We know, Harry. But you can't deny this is funny."
Harry grumbled under his breath then turned to the tiny Gryffindor, who was still waiting with wide eyes and a huge smile on his face. "Sorry, Colin. But I really don't want a picture taken of me."
Creevey instantly deflated.
"Let's go," Lynea said, already seeing the guilt creep onto Harry's face. "We have places to be."
But Colin Creevey wouldn't let such a simple thing deter him. Wherever Harry went, he mysteriously appeared, too. He usually just wanted to say 'Hello', but that alone was enough to get on Lynea's nerves. She wasn't the only one. Harry quickly got over his guilt at disappointing the little menace and Draco came very close to hexing Creevey several times.
There were no news from Professor Snape and they all knew it would take time to resolve the issue with Harry's homelife, but they couldn't help but wait with bated breath for something to happen. The issue only went temporarily to the back of their minds on Thursday afternoon, when the time for the Slytherin Quidditch Trials had come. Because both Harry and Draco wanted to try out, Lynea reluctantly agreed to come to the pitch with the others and cheer them on.
Marcus Flint, their captain, had the hopeful candidates play a friendly game against each other with everyone switching positions after each round, regardless of the position they were trying out for, while he and his two remaining team mates (chaser Adrian Pucey and keeper Miles Bletchley, Theodore supplied) supervised.
The seeker trial was a bit different, though. Here Flint released a practice Snitch and watched them all chase after it. Harry caught it after about fifteen minutes the first time, then in under five and for the third round it took him fifteen again. Draco managed to come close on that third round, but ultimately, there was no doubt about who would take the seeker position after that.
Draco managed to snatch the open chaser position and two bulky boys from the upper years – Peregrine Derrick and Lucian Bole, according to Theodore – secured the beater positions and then they were done.
"I shall write to my father immediately," Draco said on the way back to the castle. "He has promised to provide the whole team with a model of the new Nimbus 2001, should I make it onto the team."
"Excellent," Flint said. "How fast can your father get those brooms to us?"
Draco smirked. "Why, sometime tomorrow if I send the owl now. Father has certain contacts that can make that possible."
"Then I will go to Professor Snape and ask him for permission to use the Quidditch Pitch on Saturday," Flint said. "We have four new players to train and new brooms to test out."
The two of them continued to chat about Lucius Malfoy's generosity, so Lynea tuned them out and turned to Harry, who had a serene smile on his lips.
"You look happy, Harry," she remarked.
Harry nodded. "I have never had so much fun! Flying is the best thing in the world."
Lynea hummed. "I can agree with you on the point that flying is amazing, but I personally don't really like Quidditch very much."
"Yeah, I already gathered that last year."
Lynea laughed. "I wasn't very subtle about that, was I? But as long as you have fun, my opinion on the sport doesn't really matter."
"Will you come and watch the practice on Saturday, then?"
"Oh, no. I have a date with the library."
Harry gave her an odd look. "A date with the library?"
Lynea nodded. "Oh, yes. And I believe so do Theodore and Blaise. Knowing Hermione, she will most likely be in the library as well. That reminds me – I need to find Neville and arrange some time for his tutoring lessons, assuming he still wants to take them."
"If we continue the study group from last year, I'm in." Harry said.
"Count me in as well," Daphne interjected.
"It hasn't even been one week, yet, and you are already talking about a study group?" Draco said, wrinkling his nose.
"Oh, come off your high horse," Pansy said loudly. "We all know how much time you invest in revising to get top marks, Mister second-best-of-the-year."
Draco scowled at her, but didn't say anything. They all knew Pansy was right.
"Ah, that reminds me," Lynea said and looked around to make sure the upper year students weren't within hearing distance. "We still need to find a way to talk to Hermione."
"About what?" Pansy asked.
"The parent problem," Lynea said.
"Right," Pansy said. "That. Do we all need to attend? Because I am not friends with Granger."
"Yes," Lynea said. "I wanted to have a discussion about this among our year, anyway, and I don't see why Hermione shouldn't be present as well. But if you want, we can have our part of the discussion first and then talk to her."
"No, that's fine," Draco said. "I think we can do it with her present right from the start. Is everyone okay with that?"
There were no protests and so Lynea was tasked with arranging a time and place with Hermione, should she find the girl in the library on Saturday.
o
They were just finishing their individual studies so they could head to lunch, when Draco entered the library, still in his Quidditch robes. He was lucky the librarian wasn't around or he would have gotten thrown out immediately.
"Where's Harry?" Lynea asked the moment she noticed he was alone.
"With Lockhart."
Lynea blinked. "What? Why?"
"We had a run-in with the Gryffindor team," Draco said. "Seems like their captain had already booked the pitch – can't imagine why, they don't even have any new players. The little mu–ggleborn was there, too, taking pictures like the creep he is."
Lynea ignored his near slip-up. "And what does this have to do with Lockhart?"
"The peacock suddenly appeared out of nowhere and tried to make us play nice. When that didn't work, he snatched Harry and swept him off to the castle. We haven't seen him since."
"I see," Lynea said, gathering her stuff and standing up. "I will go and look for him, then. Theodore? Blaise? You coming with me?"
The two boys nodded and started packing their things as well.
"Don't you want to know what happened after Harry got whisked away?" Draco asked.
"Not really," Lynea said, hiding her grin from him by turning away. "You should go and change, Draco," she added casually and then left the library with Theodore and Blaise.
They found Harry halfway to Lockhart's office, looking rather irritated.
"You alright, darling?" Blaise asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No," Harry grumbled. "Lockhart gave me a whole lecture about 'not letting my popularity go to my head' and then launched into some lengthy story about Merlin knows what – I zoned out after the first few words, but it just wouldn't end!"
"Poor you," Lynea said.
"Can we go to Hagrid, please?" Harry asked. "I haven't visited him, yet, and after Lockhart I need some fresh air."
"Maybe we can eat lunch first?" Lynea suggested, not really wanting to go to Hagrid.
Harry sighed. "Fine. Yeah."
They headed down to the Great Hall where they found most of their housemates already sitting at the Slytherin table, chatting about the morning's Quidditch practice incidence. Lynea waited until Millicent and Tracey appeared, before informing everyone that they would meet with Hermione right after dinner.
After lunch, Lynea accompanied Harry down to Hagrid's hut, like the good friend that she was, and played nice while Harry had a friendly chat with the groundskeeper about school and Lockhart and other inane topics. She only perked up when Harry mentioned the Thestrals and was pleasantly surprised to hear that Hagrid thought of them as gentle and misunderstood creatures as well, but that was about it. She knew Harry wanted his friends to like Hagrid, but she honestly could not find a lot of likeable things about him – and it wasn't like Hagrid tried to get on friendly terms with her, either. He mostly ignored her. Sometimes people just weren't meant to get along.
The Slytherins had an early dinner that evening and then went down to the dungeons to the abandoned classroom they had used for spell practice last year. Hermione arrived a few minutes later.
"I will begin today's discussion," Lynea said and ignored the way Hermione's brows went up. "But I think Draco should be the one to lead. Unless anyone else would like to?" She looked at Theodore, who shook his head. "Alright then. Hermione, could you please tell us to what extent your blood status has impacted your life so far?"
Hermione took a moment to think about that, then shrugged. "Assuming you are referring to how others treat me and not how my life, itself, has been affected – not much, to be honest. I had a few unpleasant encounters with some older Slytherins at the beginning of first year, but they stopped their physical assaults after I befriended you guys."
They should probably have a serious talk with the upper years as well to prevent any complications in the future. Especially, since it had probably been one of them that had informed the pureblood families of their friendship with a muggleborn.
"The verbal attacks don't really bother me all that much. It's not like I grew up knowing 'mudblood' was an insult I should be offended at." Hermione paused. "It hurts to know that they view me as worthless, nothing more than dirt beneath their feet, but I know that I am better than most of them and …" She trailed of.
"Yes, you are, Hermione," Lynea said gently.
Hermione sighed. "It's just yet another insult I have to endure. Nothing new there." She sighed again. "I thought the magical world would be different."
"It is," Blaise said. "No one will treat you any differently for the colour of your skin here."
"And at the same time, it is exactly the same," Lynea said. "Pureblood elitism is just our version of discrimination. But – and I'm sorry, Hermione – this isn't why I have called in this meeting. This discussion isn't about why pureblood elitism exists, even though that is a rather important matter, too."
"I know," Hermione said evenly. "Please, do continue."
Lynea nodded to Draco.
The blonde cleared his throat. "Maybe I should tell you about my summer, so you can get a better idea of the situation we are in. When the rumours about us befriending a … muggleborn reached my father's ears, he immediately made sure they weren't true. I had to listen to him berate 'mudbloods' for being lesser beings, not worthy of their magic all summer. He even berated me for only being the second best after you, even though my marks are impeccable. Father made sure to remind me exactly why it was necessary to keep our bloodlines pure."
Draco stared intently at Hermione. "I am not stupid. I have seen for myself that you are in no way a lesser witch. I know that most of my father's arguments – not all of them, but certainly most – are utter nonsense. But those beliefs have been carried among the pureblood families for generations. My father certainly will never change his mind about this and neither will most of my housemate's parents."
"I have read about the issue," Hermione said, "and I have asked some of my housemates about it. So I understand where you are coming from."
Lynea smiled. Hermione truly was a clever witch. She knew in what kind of situation Draco and the others found themselves in.
"We all have different opinions and beliefs regarding this issue," Lynea said. "What we need to establish is how we are going to deal with the fact that some of us might face rather unpleasant consequences should word get out that they are truly friends with a muggleborn. Neither Harry or I have to fear anything in that regard. The same goes for Tracey and Millicent."
Tracey shrugged. "We're not friends, Granger, but I have nothing against you and my parents don't, either."
Millicent grunted in agreement.
Lynea looked at Draco, who crossed his arms in front of him. "I admit that your presence hasn't been unpleasant so far, although I only tolerated you for Harry's and Lynea's sake at first. However, I am not willing to strain the relationship with my father for a person I have barely known for a year."
"I agree," Theodore said. "Unlike Draco's father, mine won't be convinced a second time. It was hard enough persuading him I wasn't a blood traitor during this summer. I don't know whether I can talk my way out of it again." He sighed heavily. "If only I had realized the possible conqequences last year, before someone told him I was seen on several occasions fraternizing with a … muggleborn."
"My mother doesn't care," Blaise said. "She is all for pureblood supremacy, don't get me wrong, but for us Zabinis the profit we can gain is more important than the means to achieve that end." He smirked. "And I have profited plenty from Granger's bottomless well of knowledge last year."
Hermione raised an eyebrow at that, but remained silent.
"Well, I am still not friends with Granger," Pansy said matter-of-factly.
"I am," Daphne said and huffed at Lynea's raised eyebrows. "Yes, I know. I admit it. In any case, my family is actually neutral, so I'm off the list, anyway. Greg? Vince?"
"We're not friends with her," Gregory said.
"We don't want to be," Vincent added.
Lynea nodded. "So we need to make it clear to the rest who among us is friends – or at least on friendly terms – with Hermione and who 'only tolerates her' because of the others."
"And you think that will be enough?" Hermione asked. "Won't they still regard you as blood traitors for being friends with me? The other Slytherins, I mean."
"They will," Lynea said. "But that doesn't matter. Slytherins do not fight among themselves." At least not in public. "It is really only our families we need to take into consideration."
Hermione tilted her head. "That is why the older Slytherins stopped their physical assaults, isn't it? Because their actions might have resulted in a fight with you and Slytherins don't fight."
Lynea nodded. "Precicely."
Draco shot her a warning look and Lynea glared back at him. She was perfectly aware that they shouldn't reveal the Slytherin rules to an outsider, but this was need-to-know information for Hermione for this specific situation.
"Are you alright with all of this so far, Hermione?" Lynea asked.
"I do not like that we had to discuss this in the first place, at all," Hermione said. "And I am sad about the decisions some of you made. I am sad they had to be made in the first place. But … You included me in your decision, made me a part of this discussion and I appreciate that. Besides, I can keep the friends I already have and I am now sure I won't have to fear any attacks on my person, because of your no-fighting rule."
"Unless someone decides to act against it," Lynea said carefully.
Hermione nodded. "Of course."
Tracey looked at her watch. "We have forty minutes until curfew."
"Alright," Lynea said. "You can all go ahead, Harry and I will escort Hermione to her common room."
"I'll come with you," Daphne said. "We shouldn't be out in small groups this late."
"I'll come as well," Tracey said.
The way from the dungeons up to Ravenclaw Tower was a rather long one, but they still managed to return with some time to spare before curfew. They had nearly reached their own common room, when Harry suddenly stopped.
"What was that?" he asked.
"What was what?" Tracey shot back.
"That voice," Harry said. "Didn't you hear it? It was talking about killing someone …"
"Harry?" Lynea asked concerned. "Are you alright?"
"You really didn't hear anything?"
The three girls all shook their heads and Harry frowned.
"It's late," Lynea said. "We are nearly there, let's go."
They didn't mention the mysterious voice Harry had heard to their fellow Slytherins and Harry didn't bring it up again, but Lynea couldn't help but wonder what that had been about.