Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

All was well.

I stared at the last line of the novel in hand and let a smile fill my face. Carefully closing the book, I hugged it tightly to my chest.

I wasn’t sure how many times I had read the entire Harry Potter series before. It was at least twenty times if not thirty. Reading the books, listening to the Jim Dale audiobooks, and even reading the available Illustrated Collector’s Editions where it was essentially a massive and detailed picture book for the first three novels. Prisoner of Azkaban had been released a couple weeks ago and sat displayed on my bookshelf after I had read it twice.

Pulling my Marauder’s Map blanket tighter around myself, I sank deeper into my bed. I had to leave for work in less than an hour. Byrne Dairy, terrific ice cream—the Black Raspberry ice cream? With little bits of raspberry in it? To die for—but not great pay. Enough to let me buy whatever Harry Potter merch I wanted even if it took a month or so to save up.

I had planned out my reading schedule to let me finish Deathly Hallows on my birthday. After work, I had a few vanilla cupcakes hidden away in my mini fridge with bright pink frosting and green letters to spell out Happee Birthdae, Kyn!

As the clock ticked nearer to six, I quickly changed into my uniform. A black collared short-sleeve shirt with red stripes on the sleeves and the words Byrne Dairy in white letters on the left side beneath my collarbone, black jeans, and my black Converse. After pulling my wavy brown hair into a ponytail, I added a matching black hat that also said Byrne Dairy across the front to complete the outfit.

Throwing on a jacket, I eased out of my room and paused. Someone was talking in the living room. The familiar voice of the anchorman floated down the hall. If the news was on, he was home early. Mentally muttering a few curses, I tiptoed my way down the hall toward the living room and the front of the house.

A head of brown hair stuck out a bit over the top of stained and faded blue plaid armchair settled in front of the TV.

I eased up my steps even more to keep my steps light as I snuck past the living room. I luckily still had my keys when I forgot about them in my pocket instead of hanging them up by the door which meant I was less likely to make a noise. I reached the front door and mentally begged the door not to make the occasional squeak it usually did when it was pulled open.

I tugged on the handle.

Creak.

“Where are you going.”

I flinched at the deep male voice full of accusations. “Work,” I said, keeping my own voice level.

“When are you getting back.”

“Around ten.”

A grunt.

I opened the door even more.

“Bring me back some of the Chocoholic stuff.”

“Sure.” Before he could ask for anything else, I slipped outside and quickly closed the door behind me. I let out a sigh and waited for my heartbeat to calm down a bit before rushing to my car.

It’s going to be a long day.

“Kynslee! You can head home.”

I acknowledged my manager, Macey, with a wave and finished restocking the ice cream in the freezers. We had run low on Cookie Dough, a fact a very passive aggressive woman had nearly yelled at me about.

Most New Yorkers were either passive aggressive or just aggressive when they got pissed off. I had experienced enough aggressive behaviors at home to think I’d hate the aggressive New Yorkers more but was proven wrong every time a passive aggressive customer came in.

After buying a half gallon of Chocoholic, I left. My feet ached from standing on them for too long without a break. I only half paid attention on the drive back, very ready to crawl into bed and sleep until I had to get up for school tomorrow.

I hesitated outside the front door, listening intently. It sounded like the TV was still on. Bracing myself, I opened the door.

I had half a foot inside when he called out, “Did you get the Chocoholic?”

Biting my tongue, I held back my first retort. “Yes,” I said simply.

“Bring me a bowl.”

Gritting my teeth, I walked to the kitchen. I pulled out a bowl and scooped in some ice cream. I brought the bowl over to the living room and didn’t make eye contact with the man in the armchair. A thick odor radiated from him, likely hadn’t showered in a couple days.

His hand shot out and grasped my wrist. I sharply inhaled but didn’t move.

“What the hell is that?” he demanded, tightening his grip.

I said nothing.

“I asked for a bowl of ice cream not two scoops.”

“… Sorry. I’ll get you some more.”

He squeezed tighter before releasing me.

I forced myself to walk steadily back to the kitchen despite my legs threatening to give out beneath me. I got a bigger bowl, transferred the ice cream to this new bowl and added a few more large scoops on top.

He only gave a huff of approval when I came back. “Better. You work at a damn ice cream shop. You’d think you’d know how to scoop ice cream.”

I bit my tongue again. I took a couple steps away and paused. “Do you know if Mom came home yet?” I asked quietly.

“Do I look like I know if your mom came back?”

“… No.”

“Okay then.”

Biting down harder on my tongue, I left the room as fast as I could without running. I made it back to my room and twisted the lock the moment I closed my door. I let out a couple gasping breaths as I pressed my back to the door.

I hate it here.

Leaning against the door, I waited a few minutes as my deafening heartbeat slowed back to a normal enough pace and to let the tightness in my chest ease enough to breathe normally.

I shed my work clothes and set them in a pile on my desk, not bothering to put them away now. I changed into my favorite pajamas: a Gryffindor Quidditch jersey, a pair of white leggings with Golden Snitches across the surface, and a Slytherin hoodie thrown on top.

As someone who considers herself to be a Slythindor—a combo of a Gryffindor and a Slytherin—most of my merch was from those two houses. I had Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff things too of course but not nearly as much as Slytherin and Gryffindor. My room almost looked Christmasy because of all the red and green around my room. The blue, yellow, and gold helped to deviate from the Christmas vibes.

I rotated my wrist a couple times. There’d likely be some light bruising tomorrow where he had grabbed me.

Rescuing my cupcakes from the mini fridge and grabbing a couple candles and a lighter, I settled on top of my bed.

Humming to myself, I carefully stuck seventeen candles into my twelve cupcakes and lit them all. I had to hum the birthday song twice to give me enough time to light everything. I flicked off the lights and stared at my cupcakes for a long time. The light from the candles flickered against the walls, casting long shadows.

“Make a wish, Kyn,” I said quietly.

I blew out all the candles.

Almost involuntarily, I waited a few seconds.

No one started pounding on my door. No house-elves showed up to keep me from going to school. No owls came tapping at my window with letters and birthday cake. Nothing happened.

Not that I expected anything to happen.

I took the two cupcakes I had used to spell Kyn! and ate those, enjoying the buttercream frosting and the vanilla cupcake. In the book, Hagrid made Harry a chocolate cake for his birthday. I absolutely hated anything chocolate and only tolerated chocolate frogs on occasion because they were themed. Even then, I only ate one probably once a year.

I let my gaze wander to attempt to give me something to think about. My eyes inevitably were drawn to the calendar I had hanging up on the wall. The calendar was International Quidditch Teams themed, and October featured the Holyhead Harpies with the signature deep green color and golden talons along the edge of the calendar. I had my birthday circled in a glittery silver pen. The only other indicated date was one a week from today with a black star.

My eyes lingered on that black star for a long time.

When I finally tore my gaze away, I tossed the empty cupcake wrappers in my trash and covered up the rest of my cupcakes before sticking them back into my mini fridge. Turning off the lights and crawling into bed, I wrapped my blankets tightly around myself and squeezed my eyes shut.

Maybe this week will be better.

Chapter Text

“Miss Ara!” A high and squeaky voice filled my ears. “Miss Ara’s mother is asking where she is. The young miss has slept in until lunch, she has!”

Groaning, I twisted in bed and sunk deeper into the silky sheets. “Five more minutes,” I muttered. Besides, who’s Miss Ara? This is probably dream. No need to get up yet.

There was a shuffling noise before the click of a door.

I fell back into sleep.

A hand lightly shook my shoulder, bringing me back to reality.

“Ara?” This time, it was a cold but calming female voice with a British accent. “Are you feeling alright, darling? It’s ten past one.”

With a sigh, I slowly twisted toward the voice. Ara again. “Who—” I broke off as my gaze fell on a woman I had never seen before standing next to my bed.

Gentle blue eyes on a lovely pale face were locked on me. Long blonde hair fell over her shoulders. A black dress covered her body and accented her slight curves on her thin frame.

I opened and closed my mouth a few times. My eyes jumped around the room. Not only was a complete stranger in front of me, but I didn’t recognize the room. I laid in a large bed pressed up against a far wall. The room was sparsely decorated but had silver and green accents everywhere I looked. A desk stood nearby with books and pages neatly stacked. A sofa and armchair sat in front of an unlit fireplace across from me.

“Ara?” the woman asked. She reached out a cool hand to place it against my forehead. “You feel rather warm and look paler than usual. I’ll send for some tea.” The woman dropped her hand and perched on the edge of my bed. “Dobby!”

I whipped my head around fast enough to snap my neck.

A little creature appeared with a crack! Just appeared. Out of nowhere! This creature had tan, papery skin. Giant, pointy ears protruded high on its head and flapped against its head whenever it moved. Large green eyes stared out at us in a way that made it look constantly surprised. It wore what looked like a yellowing pillowcase. It came to the woman’s side and bowed deeply until its long pointy nose touched the floor. “Yes, Mistress?”

“Go fetch some tea.”

The creature only bowed deeper. “Of course, Mistress. Whatever Mistress Narcissa needs.” With another crack, the creature disappeared.

Huffing, the woman turned back to me. “Lie back down, dear. That house-elf should be back quick enough.” She gently pushed on my shoulder to have me sink back into the pillows.

My mind raced as those two names ran through my mind over and over again. Narcissa and Dobby. Harry Potter characters. My eyes searched the room again and refocused on the silver and green décor. I didn’t dare to even think what my mind was trying to tell me.

The house-elf came back into the room with a tray laden with teacups, a teapot, and little cookies. The woman poured out a cup and gently blew on it as steam rose from the surface. She brought the cup to my lips.

I cringed and nearly coughed up what I already drank as the bitter flavor hit my tongue. I wasn’t a big tea drinker and had maybe one cup of tea in my entire life. Leaning my head back, I offered the woman a small smile. “I’m alright, but thank you.” To my surprise, an unfamiliar voice came out of my own mouth. A lot higher than I was used to and also speaking with a British accent. I had faked a poor British accent before. This was different. It came entirely naturally and sounded genuine as if I had been living in England my entire life.

“Are you sure? You look ready to faint.”

“I… I am actually not feeling that great. I think I’ll try to sleep it off.”

“Would you like me to send for the healer?”

Healer? Really? I shook my head. “No, but I’ll let you know if I need it.”

The woman nodded. “If you insist. Rest well.” She set the tea tray on the nightstand before leaving the room. She almost looked like she glided out. The house-elf bowed to me and disappeared as well.

Okay, okay. Don’t freak out. This could still be a dream. A wonderfully fantastic dream where I have somehow ended up in a world where Harry Potter characters are real, and I’m in Malfoy Manor.

I’d rather be at the Burrow, but whatever.

Throwing off the blankets, I rushed to the wall where a large ornate mirror hung. My mouth fell open.

A girl with bright silver eyes and very sharp features stared back at me. Her very straight blonde hair fell to her shoulders. Silk pajamas descended and almost seemed to engulf her small body that was likely only eleven or twelve. I lifted a hand and found the girl in the mirror mimicked me.

I poked my pale cheek with my mouth still wide open.

Either Draco Malfoy has a little sister, or I’m a gender-bent Draco Malfoy.

A chime sounded in my ear. It sounded like the first two notes of Hedwig’s Theme.

A little screen about a foot wide appeared in the corner of my vision. I twisted my neck to the side to properly look.

The screen itself was partially transparent which let me see the room through the screen but not enough to make the screen difficult to see. The edges were covered in silver and green swirls with big silver words staring at me.

Welcome, sorcerer!

Your soul has taken the role of Ara Malfoy,

originally known as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series.

Your Objective is to complete quests and survive until the end of the

series either through the designated path of Draco Malfoy or by creating your

own path. However, if you die here, you will also die in the real world

and be unable to return. If you survive until the end, you can

stay in this world for the rest of your life or return

to the real world. Good luck!

I stared at the words floating in front of me with wide eyes. Questions ran through my mind as if each one was a train at King’s Cross. I fixated on one phrase near the end of the text. Stay in this world for the rest of your life.

Hell yeah.

Nothing in my old life was worth returning to. Not him or my job or anyone at school.

Being a witch for the rest of my life? Absolutely.

I scanned the screen with a frown. Can’t I have chosen who to be though? Why do I have to be a gender-bent Draco Malfoy?

A new window popped up.

For questions, open the Chat.

“Open chat?” I said.

I jumped as another window popped up to the left of my current screen. This screen was a little longer than the length from my fingertips to my elbow. It had a big icon in the middle with an image of a tattered sorcerer hat.

“Yes, sorcerer.” A gravelly male voice spoke in my mind.

“Wow. Um. Hi. Are you the Sorting Hat?”

“I am a Helpful Assistance Tool. Or H-A-T. I can also be referred to as the Sorting Hat. In addition to saying ‘open chat,’ saying ‘Sorting Hat’ will also summon me. How can I help?”

I took a moment to reorder my thinking. “Okay. So, my main goal is to survive until Harry’s seventh year at Hogwarts when Voldemort is defeated? And I can choose if I want to do the same things Draco did, or if I want to do something different?”

“Yes. The sorcerer needs to survive until Lord Voldemort is defeated.”

“What happens if I change things? Like if I become friends with the Golden Trio? Wouldn’t that mess up the entire story? Especially in Half-Blood Prince where I am the one causing the most mischief and nonsense?”

“There are certain events that are canon and cannot be changed no matter what the sorcerer does, so the overall story shall stay the same.”

I frowned. “What are the canon events that have to stay the same?”

“The main events of the novels especially the ends are canon. For example, the Chamber of Secrets will be opened, Peter Pettigrew will escape, Harry Potter will be entered into the Triwizard Tournament, Lord Voldemort will rise, Harry Potter will go to the Ministry of Magic, Death Eaters will invade Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore will die, Lord Voldemort will attack Hogwarts, and Harry Potter will eventually defeat Lord Voldemort. These and a few others are canon and cannot be changed.”

I paused. “Are… are character deaths canon events?”

“Some are.”

Some. “So… if I wanted to try to save Sirius or Dobby or Fred, I could?”

“Yes. However, your actions could cause the deaths of other characters.”

My frown deepened. “So, if I save Fred, I could end up killing George?”

“Yes.”

“But that isn’t a guarantee?”

“Correct.”

“Who is guaranteed to survive?”

“As the protagonist, Harry Potter is the only character guaranteed to survive. Lord Voldemort shall also survive until Harry Potter defeats him.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. Okay, okay. I need time to think this through. “When does school start?”

“Today is July 30th. Tomorrow night marks the first event when Dobby the house-elf shall visit Harry Potter at his home during the Dursleys’ dinner party.”

“Okay, tomorrow is Harry’s birthday, and…” I trailed off as I processed what the Sorting Hat had said. “Wait! That happens in Chamber of Secrets! Why am I not starting from the very beginning?! If it’s Harry’s birthday, shouldn’t Hagrid be coming to rescue him from the little shack on the island?”

“Since the sorcerer has a wide depth of knowledge of the Harry Potter series, the difficulty was increased. Instead of starting from the first year, the sorcerer shall start as a second-year. This is also an encouragement to follow the original timeline for Draco Malfoy.”

I scowled at the hat. “But I don’t actually know any magic! I know spells and what they do, but I have absolutely no idea how to brew potions or fly on a broom or how to take care of magical plants! How am I expected to start my second year when I haven’t had a first?!”

“The skills and abilities learned from the first year of Hogwarts shall be easier for the sorcerer to learn. However, once she learns everything she needs, the sorcerer shall be on the same level as the rest of the second years unless the sorcerer puts more effort in to study.”

A huff escaped my lips. “How am I supposed to learn magic? There’s a law prohibiting underage sorcery unless I’m at Hogwarts!”

“The sorcerer will need to figure that out for herself.”

I glared at the hat icon. I don’t think you and I are going to get along. I glanced at the door and back to my screens. “I’m assuming no one can see the screens except me?”

“Correct.”

“So, if I interact with the screens while others are around, it will look like I’m waving my arms around in the air at nothing?”

“Correct.”

“Can they hear me if I speak out loud?”

“Of course.”

So, I need to be careful. “Anything else I should know?”

“The sorcerer asked too broad of a question and will need to be more specific.”

I grumbled a curse. Yeah, you are going to be the most helpful and unhelpful creation. “Tell me more about the quests.”

“There are Main Quests, Side Quests, and End of Year Quests. Main Quests and End of Year Quests are required and will help to advance the plot. Depending on the sorcerer’s choices, the sorcerer may or may not participate in the End of Year Quest. Some quests are easier than others. Failure to complete a Main or End of Year Quest will result in the immediate return to the sorcerer’s original world.”

My mouth fell open. “That is something important to know, Sorting Hat!” I nearly shouted. “What happens if I don’t complete the Side Quests?”

“Nothing. Those are optional. However, the sorcerer will miss out on rewards.”

I slowly closed my mouth but frowned. “Rewards? What kind of rewards?”

“There are various awards for completing quests. The most common reward is learning a new spell or skill outside of the spells and skills the sorcerer shall learn in the classroom.”

“Do I get to pick which spell or skill?”

“The sorcerer may choose from a select set of spells and skills. As she increases her power level, more higher level spells and skills will be available to learn.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “What if I want to learn the same spell or skill from the set on my own?”

“The reward allows the sorcerer to gain what is a called a spell point. Spell points allow the sorcerer to choose a spell or skill to learn in less than a quarter of the time it would take the sorcerer to master a spell on her own. The reward also allows the sorcerer to use magic higher than her current ability. For example, the sorcerer could learn a fourth year spell as a second year.”

So, actually useful awards. Hm. I looked back at the Sorting Hat. “Do I have any quests right now?”

“There are two. Since they are the first quests, they are easier to complete compared to future quests. The sorcerer can view her quests and instructions by selecting the Shield Icon when the window is open or by saying ‘View Quests’ when the window is closed.”

I looked over the windows and found the little shield the Sorting Hat was talking about. I tapped on it. A new screen popped up as all the other screens closed.

This new screen looked the most like a video game. In the middle of the top was my name, Ara Malfoy, with the Slytherin crest on either side. Beneath my name read 200 SG. To either side there was a bar accompanied by an icon. To the left was a bar with 110 / 110 showing and just beyond the bar was a little potion icon. To the right was another bar with a 1 inside and a lightning bolt icon just beyond the box. Beneath this top row was a title sections reading “QUESTS.” Small boxes spread across the screen beneath the title. These boxes were outlined in emerald green and had words in silver font on the left side. Sending a Birthdaygram and Study, Study, Study were the two quests. On the right, there were the letters MQ above an hourglass and a countdown. The Birthdaygram quest had about a day left, and the Study quest had thirty-two days left. At the bottom right of the screen, there were four silver icons. A shield, a little bag, something that could have been a well or a booth, and a hat.

“Sorting Hat?” I called out.

The little hat icon turned brown. “Yes, sorcerer.”

“What are the two bars at the top of the screen?”

“The top left bar is the health bar. This is a compilation of the sorcerer’s overall health statistics including strength, speed, endurance, and agility. The sorcerer currently only has 110 health points. Whenever the sorcerer is injured, the health will deplete. The sorcerer will die if the health hits zero. The health bar will slowly fill back up after injuries or if the sorcerer is magically healed. The health bar will also deplete some if the sorcerer is overly exhausted or hungry. The health point total will increase as the sorcerer completes quests and learn more spells and skills which will make it harder to be killed.

“The top right bar is the power bar. The sorcerer is at Level 1. As the sorcerer learns new spells and skills, the bar will fill up, and once the bar is full, the sorcerer will move up to the next level. Any spells or skills learned will become more powerful as the sorcerer increases her level. For most spells, there are level markings to show how difficult a spell will be to cast. The quest rewards will allow the sorcerer to learn higher level spells before reaching that level. Also, for every spell or skill learned, the power bar will increase. For reference, most second years are at Level 5 when they start.”

Brilliant. I’m going to have to get those both up but focus on the power bar. “And the 200 SG at the top of the screen and the icons on the bottom right? What do those mean?”

“200 SG is for the System Gold or SG you have to spend in the store. This is a different value than the real gold the sorcerer possesses. System Gold cannot be exchanged for real money except for specific rewards. The sorcerer will receive System Gold as she levels up. Quests, Storage, Store, and HAT are the icons. Quests will bring you to the Quests page to see current available quests. Storage allows the sorcerer to store smaller items as needed. This can be increased through quests. In the Store, the sorcerer can buy helpful or hard to find items using System Gold. The HAT icon will turn brown whenever I am called upon.”

A store and storage would be reallyyyyyy useful. I’ll have to look at the store later. And figure out just how big this storage space is. But for now? I reached out to tap the Birthdaygram quest.

The box expanded to take over at least a third of the screen.

MAIN QUEST – Sending a Birthdaygram

Dobby the House-Elf has prevented all mail intended for Harry Potter from reaching him to prevent his return to Hogwarts after hearing his master, Lucius Malfoy, intends to open the Chamber of Secrets using Tom Riddle’s Diary. Dobby has heard from the sorcerer and the Malfoy family what a great wizard Harry Potter is and is determined to protect him.

YOUR QUEST – Subtly convince Dobby to visit Harry Potter in person to try to convince Harry Potter to stay away from Hogwarts this year.

Dobby must not know the sorcerer is the one who wants him to visit Harry Potter.

TIME LEFT: 1 Day 5 Hours 23 Minutes

MAIN REWARD – One Spell Point

I stared at the quest with a frown. So, I’d be the reason Dobby is sent to visit Harry? Huh. I reread the quest instructions. And Dobby can’t know. I can’t just send him to Harry and tell him to keep Harry away from Hogwarts. Besides, Dobby likely has a gag order, so he can’t talk specifically about anything Lucius is planning. I peered at the time left. “Sorting Hat, can I complete quests before the time limit is up?”

“Of course.”

That’s something at least. I straightened. Well, I need to think this over. I took a step toward the door.

The screens followed me.

I frowned. “Close screens?”

The screens all instantly closed.

A touchscreen and audible commands are very nice.

I spared another glance at myself in the mirror and smiled.

This is going to be awesome.

Sipping a glass of pumpkin juice, I slowly made my way around Malfoy Manor.

It had more rooms and floors than I expected it to. There seemed to be at least two of everything and multiple of many rooms. I found both dining rooms—one of which reminded me of the room Voldemort met with his Death Eaters in the seventh movie—a library, multiple studies, guest rooms, drawing rooms, living rooms, and even the kitchen. Dobby had been surprised to find me in the kitchen and kindly offered to make me a snack. I had to bite my tongue to keep from thanking him even though I desperately wanted to.

Later. I still need a little time to adjust to everything before I make any personality altering decisions.

My own room had been a suite with a massive bathroom and closet attached. I could fit my old room in the closet alone. The closet was also filled with robes and outfits that I spent a little too much time dressing up in. I ended up wearing a set of shimmery green robes on top of a simple black dress. A little much for wandering around the manor. My excitement convinced me it was fine.

Outside was even more exquisitely decorated and honestly over the top. Not a leaf or branch was out of place on any tree or bush. Even the rose bushes had the thorns removed. The white peacocks were so extra I could barely stand looking at them even if they were rather beautiful. None of them made a noise though. Likely some sort of silencing spell. I couldn’t imagine Lucius or Narcissa even tolerating the squawks they would make.

I should probably start thinking of them as Mother and Father. It’d irritate them to no end if I called them by their first names accidentally. I drank down the rest of my pumpkin juice and sighed. It wasn’t explicitly stated, but I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if Draco was abused. They’ll hit me too if I act too much out of line. Something else to consider as part of my personality flip.

I walked back down to the kitchen and only took a couple wrong turns.

A map of the manor would be soooo helpful right now.

A chime sounded in my ears. I glanced to my right as a small notification screen popped up.

Unlocked – Malfoy Manor Map

I frowned. I tapped on the screen. It grew until it showed me a map of the current floor of the manor with a little green snake which I assumed was my own location. A little map icon appeared in the bottom left of the screen.

“Sorting Hat!” I said. “Why didn’t you show me this earlier?”

A new screen popped up with the Sorting Hat icon. “The sorcerer didn’t ask.”

I scowled. “Will everywhere I go have a map?”

“Not everywhere. You shall gain new maps as you explore new places. However, you can only have a map of places you have visited. Until you explored new areas, you would have only had a map of your room.”

Muttering curses, I closed all the screens and entered the kitchen.

Dobby twisted around and bowed to me the moment I entered. “Hello, Miss Ara.”

“Hi.”

His head jerked up as his eyes widened.

Right. Draco would never greet Dobby. I stared at his wide eyes. Okay, I can’t do it. Maybe this will feel like whiplash to the poor elf, and I haven’t figured out my persona yet, but he needs more kindness in his life. I brought a smile to my face. “Thank you for the snack and the pumpkin juice, Dobby. They were both very tasty.”

I didn’t think it was possible. His eyes went even wider and looked ready to pop out of his head. “Y-yes, young mistress. Miss Ara doesn’t need to thank Dobby. It is no trouble, young mistress.”

“Well, thank you anyway.” Giving him another smile, I moved to the sink and started to wash my glass.

Dobby looked ready to faint. “Young mistress!” He rushed to my side. “Dobby will clean the glass, young mistress! Miss Ara need not bother herself with menial tasks that Dobby can do!”

Maybe you really can kill someone with kindness. For the sake of Dobby’s heart which seemed likely to give out, I handed over the glass. “Alright. Here. Thank you, Dobby.”

Dobby took the glass with a slight frown. “Is… is the young mistress still feeling ill?” he asked quietly. He then sharply inhaled. Setting down the glass, he dove toward the cupboards. I jumped as he started banging his head against the cupboard as hard as he could. “Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!”

“No no no!” I reached down and dragged Dobby away from the cupboard. “Dobby, stop! What are you doing?!”

Blinking his eyes blearily, Dobby stopped moving and frowned at me. “Apologies, young mistress. Dobby is punishing himself for offending Miss Ara. Dobby spoke most disrespectfully to her by mentioning her ill health, young mistress.”

I frowned. I almost forgot he has to punish himself at the drop of a hat. I am so glad that he gets freed at the end of this year. If Lucius… Father didn’t almost try to kill Harry for doing it, I would free him now. And… if Harry somehow doesn’t free him after I start changing things, I’ll do it myself. But for now… I made eye contact with Dobby again. “There’s no need to punish yourself for that, Dobby. I’m sure I am acting strangely, but I hope to stay like this even when I am feeling better.”

I left the room with Dobby staring after me.

I most certainly will NOT follow Draco’s path. Dobby only lives for five more years unless I can stop that, and I won’t let the last few years of his life be filled with more abuse if I can help it.

Feigning illness again when Narcissa… Mother came to check on me later, I stayed in my room for the rest of the night. Dobby brought me dinner and still had an odd look on his face whenever he stared at me.

Alone in my room, I sat at my desk and pulled a stack of paper—parchment—toward me. Using the quill was a learning curve but still didn’t slow me down too much as I drafted out ideas and plans of my new life here. Maybe I’ll invest in a bunch of pens if I can. I familiarized myself with the screens as well until I knew where everything was and had a better understanding of how everything worked before falling into bed around three in the morning, mentally exhausted.

I have a plan. And I’m going to change things. But I swear I am going to stay in this world for the rest of my life even if it kills me.

When Mother came into my room the next morning with Dobby bringing breakfast, she found me sitting up in bed with a relaxed expression on my face.

“Good morning, Mother.”

Mother paused in the doorway before coming in completely. “Ara dear, how are you feeling today?”

“Much better. The rest was exactly what I needed.”

She glided to my side and pressed a cool hand to my forehead. “You look better than yesterday. Take another day to rest to make sure you are fully recovered.”

“Of course. I will.”

With another glance at me, Mother left the room.

The moment she was gone, I smiled at Dobby with as much warmth as I could put in it. “Hi, Dobby. How are you today?”

Dobby hesitantly brought over a tray of porridge and toast with marmalade and set it across my lap. “Dobby… Dobby is well, young mistress.”

“Good.” I took a bite of the porridge. Its blandness coated my tongue, immediately reminding me of the trip I had taken to England with my friend and her family. I’ll have to get used to this. Despite the taste, I offered another smile to Dobby. “Thank you for breakfast, Dobby. It’s delicious.”

“It… it was no trouble, young mistress. Dobby is happy to prepare meals for his family.”

I reviewed my plan after Dobby left and scarfed down my breakfast as quickly as I could. When Dobby came back, I was at my desk and pretended to be deeply concentrating on what I was working on.

The door opened.

I slowly pulled my attention from the scribbles on the page in front of me. Dobby was already halfway to my bed when I turned around. “Dobby?”

He stopped and gazed over at me. “Yes, Miss Ara?”

“Thank you again for breakfast. When you get a moment, would you mind tidying up my room? It feels a little stuffy in here.”

Dobby nodded his little head, causing his ears to flap a bit. “Yes, Miss Ara! Right away, Miss Ara!” He took the tray and promptly left once again.

I refocused my attention on the scribbles and started muttering under my breath. I kept at it as I waited for Dobby to come back. I heard the door open again and waited a minute or two as I heard Dobby bustling about my room.

“Grr.” I harshly scratched out a line of fake text on the page in front of me. “… maybe if I severely injure him while he’s at Hogwarts, he’ll leave?”

There was a pause in the movement behind me. It quickly started up again.

I allowed myself a small smile and kept mumbling. “Or… no, getting him expelled is too much… maybe stopping him before he goes through the barrier at King’s Cross? I don’t really know how to do that… Hm. Maybe I could write him a letter?” I fell silent for a moment before dropping my head to the desk with a soft thump. “Ugh. No. He wouldn’t believe a letter. I’d have to talk to him in person and tell him it’s going to be dangerous at Hogwarts this year. He could stay home this year with his aunt and uncle and avoid the danger…” I sat back up again. “Even if I go in person, he might not believe me. I was such a prat last year. A summer apart won’t make him hate me less.” I scratched out another line of scribbled words. “Maybe… more subtle? Not tell him outright but at least hint at it…”

Letting out a grown, I pushed back my chair. I turned around to find Dobby dusting my room. He paused what he was doing to glance over at me.

“I need some air,” I announced. Making my way to the door, I kept up my muttering. “Stupid Harry Potter. Always making things more complicated. How am I supposed to convince a great wizard not to go to Hogwarts? In person will be best…”

I left the room and let the door close with a soft click behind me. I made it about five steps from my door when a tune played. This sounded like a couple lines from the Fireworks song from the fifth movie when Fred and George set off hundreds of fireworks during an O.W.L.S. exam. Very celebratory and bright.

My head whipped to the right as the notification screen popped up.

Sending a Birthdaygram – COMPLETE!

See quest details for rewards.

I pumped my fist into the air as a wide grin spread across my face. Yes! Thank you, Dobby! I’m glad you were listening and took my mutterings to heart.

I forced myself to wait until I was outside to look at the rewards.

The system had given me three awards. Twenty health points, two spell points, and something labeled ‘Gift.’ There was a short note underneath.

For completing the first quest and for exceeding expectations, the sorcerer’s rewards were doubled.

“Sorting Hat,” I called out, “what does it mean ‘exceeding expectations?’”

The Sorting Hat icon at the bottom of my screen turned brown. “The sorcerer completed the quest well within the time limit and also helped inspire Dobby the House-Elf on how to prevent Harry Potter from reaching or staying at Hogwarts in the future.”

“The bit about getting seriously injured or not getting onto the platform helped me to double my rewards?”

“Yes, sorcerer.”

I laughed to myself. Maybe this will be easier than I thought it would be. I turned back to the quest screen. There was still the ‘gift’ left. I tapped lightly on the word to accept. A fork and a small plate appeared in front of me. What looked like a pile of whipped cream and sugary flowers filled the plate to the brim. A little silvery label appeared above the dessert.

Aunt Petunia’s Flower Pudding

My mouth fell open. I carefully grabbed the plate and fork out of the air. “Wait, Sorting Hat, I get other things besides points, spells, and skills?”

“Yes, sorcerer! The rewards depend on the quest. The sorcerer can also receive items relating to the quest as rewards.”

I eyed the dessert and took a small bite. The whipped cream monstrosity practically melted in my mouth and filled the space with the taste of sugar. Not as sugary as I was used to but still delicious.

I scooped up another bite, smiling to myself. Wow, it’s a shame this is gonna end up on the floor!

Chapter Text

It was very difficult to keep a smile off my face for the rest of the day especially when I had dinner with my parents. Being too happy would have likely scared them as much as it scared Dobby.

Dinner was a quiet affair.

I came to the Voldemort dining room as I had started to call it in my head. Mother had already taken a seat in the chair to the left of the head of the table. She wore a simple set of elegant purple robes, and I knew I was right to put a fancier outfit instead of casual clothes. I wore sleek midnight blue robes that were a bit more form fitting than what the school uniform’s robes had felt like when I had tried them on yesterday.

Unsure of where to sit, I made to sit across from my mother.

“Ara? What are you doing?” Mother asked. She placed her hand on the table in front of the chair next to her. “Come sit in your normal seat.”

“Apologies, Mother,” I said quickly. “I’m a little absentminded as of late.” Moving around the table, I came to sit next to her.

An uneasy silence fell. Neither of us wanted to break it.

We only had to wait a few minutes before a man came strolling into the room. His straight blond hair fell down his back on top of pristine black robes. He had a very thin face and cold gray eyes that seemed to glare at anyone they landed upon. He tightly held a cane with a metal knob in the shape of a snake as the handle in one hand and swept toward his seat with a large flourish. If dinner had already been on the table, his sleeves would have gotten into the food.

Exactly what I pictured Lucius Malfoy to look and act like.

Mother gave a soft greeting, and I quickly followed suit. Father only acknowledged our words with a dip of his chin before shouting for Dobby. While the food was being brought out, Mother asked about Father’s day. He gave some perfunctory remarks and turned to me. Those cold gray eyes locked me in place as my body stiffened involuntarily. “Ara, I see you are finally feeling better?”

Chills ran up my spine. Not just my own reactions but reactions from this body. “Yes, Father. Much better.”

“Good. No daughter of mine needs to be ill longer than necessary. It shall bring shame to our family name if you show continuous signs of weakness.”

I bit my tongue, holding back my initial retort, and only said, “Yes, Father.”

After barely acknowledging my response, Father went off on a rant about his time at the Ministry and complaints about the “blood-traitors” and “muggle-lovers” who were giving him a headache.

Once Father finished his rant, none of us said a word for the rest of dinner. It was hard to enjoy the soup Dobby had made when tension was thick in the air.

How unfortunate that this feels so familiar.

Dinner still lasted an hour even in silence.

Father was the first to rise and left the room with a sweep of his robes.

Just get a dustpan, and you could be broom.

It took nearly an hour for the stiffness and tension in my body to disappear despite the soft couch that threatened to swallow me up as I sat on it.

I’m glad I only have to have one interaction with him a day. Then it will be none a day once I get to Hogwarts, and my father will not being hearing about this.

Leaning my head back, I rested it on the back of the couch. I closed my eyes.

The cold face of Lucius Malfoy filled my mind. Absolutely no love for me or my mother. One word from him would silence her faster than a silencing spell. Who knows how differently the family dynamic would be because the Malfoys had a daughter now instead of a son? Hopefully not by much. But it didn’t matter too much. Lucius Malfoy clearly showed he didn’t give a damn about the people in his family. Only the family name.

For a moment, the cold pale face in my mind was replaced with another one just as gaunt and hallow but with stubble on his chin and short brown hair instead of blond.

I bolted upright. My feet moved for me, leading me out of the room.

Running away from that face.

I found myself outside the kitchen. I forced down a few shallow breaths of air before gently pushing open the door. Don’t think about him. You never have to see that man or be hurt by him ever a—

I walked into the room as Dobby moved to slam the oven door on his head.

My heart clenched inside my chest as a phantom ache appeared at the side of my head. Not again. “No!” I screeched.

Blood rushed to my head. Something surged up beneath my skin.

BANG!

The oven exploded. Dobby’s little body flew through the air. I moved over a couple feet in time for him to slam into me. His momentum sent us both backwards until my back collided with the wall. The air whooshed out of my lungs. I slid to the ground with a trembling Dobby held tightly in my arms.

A chime sounded. The longer celebratory one from the Fireworks song.

I ignored the notification and focused on the little body in my arms.

Still trembling, those large green eyes slowly twisted to look up at me. “M-Miss Ara… is the young mistress alright?”

I forced a nod. Blood pounded in my ears as I stared across the kitchen at the remains of the oven that were now on fire.

Dobby quickly pulled himself out of my grip and rushed over. With a snap of his fingers, water appeared in the air and quickly doused the fire. There were a few cuts bleeding on his face and arms. Dobby ignored them entirely and went about cleaning up my mess.

I couldn’t stand. My legs shook too much to support me.

Hurried footsteps thundered down the hall.

I can’t let Dobby get in trouble for this. “Dobby,” I said quietly.

Dobby turned toward me. “Yes, Mis—”

“Let me explain what happened,” I interrupted. “Lie if you have to. Don’t tell them what really happened.”

He frowned. “But—”

I ignored him. Leaning heavily against the wall, I pushed myself to my feet and wiped all expression off my face as the kitchen door flung open.

My parents stood in the doorway with dressing gowns wrapped tightly around them. Their eyes immediately landed on me, and their mouths dropped open.

“Ara!” Mother cried out. She rushed to my side and gently placed her hands on my shoulders as she looked me up and down. Her hand brushed my cheek. I flinched as pain shot through my face. Her fingers came back red. “Are you alright? What happened?”

“Apologies for the noise,” I said. Even to my own ears, my voice sounded lifeless. “I dropped a pan, and it broke.”

“Why were you holding a pan?” Father demanded.

I held back a shudder at his voice and forced myself to meet his gaze. “Dobby made me a light snack, and I was too impatient. I grabbed the pan before he could get a plate and dropped it. It was heavier than I expected it to be.”

Both parents frowned almost at the same time. It might have been comical if I had been in the mood to laugh.

“And… the oven?” Mother asked, eyes on the empty place where it had been standing.

“It burnt my scones. I told Dobby to throw it out. We’ll need to get another one.”

Father’s eyes narrowed. “Dobby burnt your food?”

“No. The oven did. It cracked in a few different places and let smoke into the kitchen. You can probably still smell the scent. I had Dobby start cleaning it all up right away before you came in.”

Mother brushed her thumb against the cut on my face. “And this?”

“From the pan. One of the pieces cut me.”

“Why were you even in here in the first place?” Father demanded. “There was no need to come down here. Summon the elf to you.”

I forced myself to nod. “Right. Apologies, Father. I think I must be tired.”

Mother brought me upstairs to my room after a stern command to Dobby to clean the kitchen as soon as possible. She helped me into some pajamas and summoned the family healer to take a look at my face.

Healer Allard was a very competent witch with frizzy strawberry blonde hair and a loud persona. She apparently worked for a few different families in the area. I was honestly surprised she had been employed by Lucius Malfoy considering how opposite their personalities were.

“Stupid elf should be sacked for allowing you into the kitchen in the first place. That is not somewhere anyone of your status should be.” A deep frown filled Healer Allard’s face.

Ah. No wonder she gets along with pureblood families. But you don’t have to be a pureblood to treat house-elves terribly. If I’m friends with Hermione by our fourth year like I plan to be, I could join SPEW.

The healer fixed the cut on my face in moments and also healed a bruise on my collarbone where Dobby’s head had slammed into me. She seemed confused on how I had gotten that bruise but accepted my vague response.

The moment the healer left, Mother insisted I go to bed and rest. I let her help me into bed and even wished her goodnight.

I waited about ten minutes before throwing on a dressing gown and tiptoeing back down to the kitchen.

Dobby paused in the middle of what he was doing and rushed over to me. “Miss Ara! Master Lucius has instructed Dobby not to allow Miss Ara into the kitchen anymore!”

I scowled. “Of course he did. Can I overrule it and tell you to let me in?”

Dobby shook his head, his ears flopping against the sides of his face. “No, young mistress. If Miss Ara stays in the kitchen, Dobby must tell Master Lucius.”

I leapt back a few steps until I stood outside the kitchen. “How about this? Is this okay?”

“Yes, Miss Ara.”

“Good.” I peered around the kitchen. It was almost completely fixed with a hole in the space where the oven had stood. I glanced down at Dobby. “When you finish up in here, will you please come to my room? I’d like to speak with you.”

“Yes, Miss Ara. Dobby will come right away.”

“Whenever you have a moment is fine, Dobby. I don’t want to take you away from something if you are in the middle of it.”

“If Miss Ara insists.”

I quietly made my way back to my room. I lit a candle—a candle, which at first sounds cool, but come on, electricity would make life so much easier, how irritating that it apparently doesn’t work well with magic—to give the dark room some light and sat down on the couch to wait.

It only took about fifteen minutes before a loud crack announced Dobby’s presence. He came to my side and bowed deeply.

“Dobby must apologize, young mistress. Miss Ara caught Dobby and was injured because of Dobby.” He held up his hands to show his long fingers were clumsily wrapped in bandages. “Dobby had to iron his hands.”

My heart skipped a beat. “No, no, no! Dobby!” I gently reached out to rest Dobby’s hands on my palms. I cringed at how red they looked. “Will you please get me some more bandages and some…” Do they even have Neosporin in this universe? Um… what’s the word? What would they use? Salve? Maybe? “… and some salve?”

With a nod and another crack, Dobby disappeared. He came back with his arms laden with supplies. “Is the young mistress hurt elsewhere?” Dobby asked, setting the supplies on the coffee table in front of me. “Can Dobby assist in any way, Miss Ara?”

“No, this is for you.”

Dobby tilted his head. “For… Dobby, young mistress?”

“Yes. For you.” I gestured to his hands. “Your hands are injured, and you missed some spots with your bandages. I’d like to help you.”

Dobby didn’t move for a couple seconds. He then emphatically shook his head. “No, no, Miss Ara! Dobby could never ask the young mistress for help!” He moved his hands behind his back and even took a couple steps away.

I huffed out a breath. “I’m the one who made the oven explode, so you didn’t have to iron your hands. The least I can do is help you bandage your fingers properly.”

Accidental magic. And wandless accidental magic. At least when Harry had done it, he had only caused Aunt Marge to swell up like a helium balloon. Of course, when I did it, I caused an oven to actually explode.

Dobby gazed at me before slowly shaking his head. “Dobby could never ask Miss Ara for help to bandage his fingers. No, no, no.”

I bit my tongue. Free will. I won’t force him. “Okay. Please make sure to take care of your hands.” I placed my hands in my lap. “Thank you for helping me with my lie. I didn’t want you to get in trouble for the oven.” My eyes dropped to his hands. “There is something else I would like to talk to you about though. Can you come back over here?”

Dobby shuffled forward.

Reaching out, I very gently took his hands in mine and waited until he held my gaze to speak. “Dobby, please listen to me carefully. I would like for you to stop punishing yourself.”

His mouth fell open.

“You might not be able to avoid it if my parents ask you to punish yourself, but otherwise, please stop hurting yourself. You have hurt yourself enough, and most of the time, your punishments are completely unnecessary. Also, if my parents tell you to punish yourself, please don’t hurt yourself as badly as you normally do. You do a great job here and are very helpful in everything you do, so thank you.”

Dobby didn’t move for a moment. His eyes welled with tears. He brought a large smile to his face and quickly wiped away a few tears that had slid down his face. “Miss Ara is too kind! The young mistress is nothing like she used to be! Dobby is grateful to serve kind Miss Ara!”

It does help that I am an entirely different person than Draco Malfoy even if he gets a bit better when he’s older.

Shifting a bit, I settled on the ground next to Dobby and comforted him while he cried. He eventually calmed down enough where he was in a space to leave. With a deep bow to me, Dobby gave me a large smile and left.

I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the door for the longest time.

No one should have to endure being abused.

Remembering I had heard some sort of chime earlier, I opened my screens while lying in bed. On the quest page, there was a smaller box that wasn’t as shiny as a main quest box. It was titled Saving-People-Thing and was marked as complete.

With a frown, I selected the quest. It grew and gave me more details.

SIDE QUEST COMPLETE – Saving-People-Thing

Protect another from injury with no regard of personal safety and with no ulterior motives.

REWARD: 30 Health Points

Huh. I checked my HP. The Birthdaygram quest had given me twenty HP, and now, I was at 160 HP total. Without a frame of reference, I didn’t know how much of a difference almost fifty HP would be worth. Especially without knowing how high my HP could get.

No complaints here. I still completed a quest and got a reward. The old Ara might not have helped people, but I’m going to. Even if I didn’t get rewards for it.

Twisting onto my side, I pulled my blankets tighter around me.

Shame about the oven though. I didn’t mean to blow it up. But there’s some proof I can use magic now. Even if I’m not supposed to…

I sat up abruptly in bed.

I used magic outside of school! Shouldn’t the Ministry have sent me some kind of warning? I have the Trace on me. And I’m not allowed to use magic outside of Hogwarts. They sent Harry an owl within like ten minutes of him… well, Dobby using the hovering charm. Why…

Oh.

In the books, Rowling had said that magical families needed to police their kids’ use of magic since the Trace only tracked magic around an underage sorcerer. It couldn’t detect who casted the magic. Which was why Harry got in trouble for magic inside the Dursleys’ house even though he didn’t cast any spells. Which honestly was very unfair for any muggleborns. If a young sorcerer lived with an adult sorcerer and was sneaky, they could use magic while at home…

A lightbulb went off in my head.

I could barely sleep for the rest of the night. I maybe got around three hours. Maybe.

The moment the clock hit six o’clock, I rushed out of bed and raced down to the kitchens. Remembering Dobby’s warning about Father’s orders about me in the kitchen, I kept my feet firmly planted outside the door but peeked my head in.

The mess and disarray from last night had been completely cleaned up. There was a new oven standing where the previous had been and had a kettle boiling inside.

“Dobby?” I called.

A little head popped up behind the table. I could see wrinkly skin and the tops of ears. The little head moved until Dobby came out from behind the table. A glance at his hands told me the bandages were the same from last night.

“Miss Ara!” Dobby said. “Miss Ara is up very early today.”

I gave him a smile. “Yes, I am. I woke up and couldn’t fall back asleep.”

Dobby frowned. “Would Miss Ara like Dobby to make her something soothing, so Miss Ara can go back to sleep?”

“No, no. That’s not necessary. I have a question though.” I braced my hands on the sides of the door and leaned in farther into the room. “Have I gotten any mail?”

He tilted his head. “Mail, young mistress? Nothing has come for Miss Ara. Was Miss Ara expecting something?”

Ha! If I have an adult sorcerer around, I can do magic without getting in trouble! I paused. Hm. It is against the law though. I can’t get caught. I should receive a warning though first, so I should be able to gauge how far I can go in using magic while at home. I’ll be able to finish my first quest and be caught up before the new school year starts!

“Miss Ara?”

Blinking, I pulled myself out of my thoughts. I glanced over at Dobby. “Sorry. What did you say?”

“Dobby asked if Miss Ara is expecting something?”

I quickly shook my head. “No, but will you let me know as soon as possible if anything does come?”

“Of course, young mistress.”

I practically skipped back to my room. Today is going to be a good day.

After gathering all my books and supplies from my closet, I sat at my desk, open a window, and selected the Study, Study, Study quest.

MAIN QUEST – Study, Study, Study

The sorcerer is nearing the start of her second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and is far behind the other witches and wizards.

YOUR QUEST – Learn the required spells, skills, and magical knowledge learned during a sorcerer’s first year at Hogwarts.

Because of limited time, learning the needed spells, skills, and knowledge will only take a quarter of the original time needed to learn before gaining mastery.

The sorcerer must also take the same written and practical exams taken at the end of the first year of Hogwarts to ensure everything is learned.

TIME LEFT: 30 Days 10 Hours 44 Minutes

MAIN REWARD – Significant Increase of Stats at the time of completion

Beneath the Main Reward was a glowing book icon.

I tapped the icon which brought up a new screen. It showed a list of over a hundred different spells and skills I needed to learn as well as different facts I needed to remember. I recognized about half of the spells or had at least heard of them. Everything else only sounded vaguely familiar, or I had absolutely no idea what they were.

I have a month to learn everything that a normal witch learns in ten months!

“Sorting Hat!” I called out.

The Sorting Hat icon appeared.

“How am I supposed to learn all this in a month??”

“As mentioned in the quest instructions, it shall only take the sorcerer a quarter of the original time necessary to learn everything.”

I glared at the icon. “Maybe you don’t know how to do math since sorcerers don’t really seem to need to know math, but a quarter of ten is two and a half. All of this should take me two and a half months to learn! Not one month!”

“The knowledge from the sorcerer’s first year of Hogwarts has been condensed, and unnecessary information has been removed until there are one hundred seven things the sorcerer needs to know from her first year. There are eight different categories with requirements in each category. Seven of the categories are based on the classes the sorcerer needed to take her first year. Of the sorcerer’s seven classes, there is a minimum of ten requirements for each class the sorcerer needs to know. The last category consists of general information every young pureblood witch should know. As an avid reader, the sorcerer may already know some of the general knowledge.”

I scowled. “Even with taking stuff out, there isn’t enough time.”

“There may be ten months from the beginning of the year until the end, but there are only around one hundred eighty days of school if not counting weekends and holidays. A quarter of one eighty is forty-five. Cutting out any excess or redundancies means that it should take the sorcerer around twenty-five days to learn the necessary information if she spends around eight hours a day studying. This is also for the average witch or wizard. The sorcerer may find certain subjects are easier for her which would make her above average and means it will not take a long for her to learn everything she needs to. Additionally, as the sorcerer learns more, her level will increase which means it will be easier for her to learn the needed spells, skills, and knowledge.”

I tried to find an argument. I haven’t even started yet, a little voice in my head said. I should at least try before I give the Sorting Hat too much grief.

Not helpful, brain.

Still grumbling to myself, I took an hour to look over everything I needed to learn and made a plan. An outline would have been a better description. To get everything done in twenty-five days like the Sorting Hat said, I needed to learn four or five things a day. That seemed a little less stressful. I could do four or five things.

Except, once I started, I had a hard time stopping.

Everything was so fascinating. I loved every new spell I learned and was fascinated by all the magical plants and fungi. After some research, I found out there apparently were some greenhouses I could visit if the price was right. I planned to speak to my mother about visiting soon but kept getting distracted by everything else. Dobby helped me find a quiet room near the kitchens that neither of my parents ever visited, and I brewed potions. I loved watching the colors change and was very satisfied whenever my potions worked. Even history—my least favorite subject at school—was intriguing as I learned about goblin rebellions and famous witches and wizards from the United Kingdom and around the world. History of Magic and Astronomy had a lot of memorization involved which was something I had been at least somewhat good at in my old life and came even more naturally with the speed boost.

I wasn’t sure how things would change once I was actually at Hogwarts with actual professors but still looked forward to it.

One of my favorite things to learn as part of general knowledge? How to ride a broom. I zoomed around the yard of the manor, giggling to myself at how it felt to have the wind whip through my hair and to feel as free as a bird.

My other favorite thing? My wand.

The movies had portrayed the wand as pretty basic with a darker brown color as the main color with an even darker brown handle. Rather simple compared to the other wands.

The books’ description was a hawthorn wand, ten inches, and unicorn hair core. It was shorter than the fake wands I had bought but still longer than I expected ten inches to be. My wand had a shiny reddish-brown color with darker brown lines running through it like someone had straightened out the rings of a tree trunk. A thin black spiral climbed halfway up my wand before thinning out into the main body. The spiral was raised on top of the main body’s surface which was a pleasant texture beneath my hand. Clearly well taken care of.

I’d wake up early every day and wouldn’t go to bed until after midnight. I’d only take breaks for meals. Throughout dinner, I would think about the newest spell I had learned instead of focusing on the menacing presence next to me. After escaping from dinner, I’d study some more before ending my night by reading to calm down my mind to be ready for sleep. Which only sometimes worked since most nights I would get enthralled by the book and stay up later than I should have.

“Channeling my inner Hermione” was a common phrase I mentally chanted to myself. I had thought Hermione had been a little over the top at times, but now that I was copying her, I was a bit more sympathetic. Who wouldn’t be excited about jumping into a magical world? And who wouldn’t want to learn as much as possible?

I also had to order Dobby not to speak a word about my studies to my parents or anyone else for that matter. He’d have an excuse if I got in trouble later for using magic when I wasn’t supposed to. Whenever he wasn’t busy, Dobby would come and keep me company. He would clap and cheer whenever I learned something new and showed it off to him. He insisted on having me try out a couple of the jinxes I learned on him. I only agreed a couple times and only if I knew the counterjinx. Otherwise, he would always make sure I had a snack on hand and would help me clean up after my potions or grab books for me whenever I wanted to check something.

In the massive quiet manor, it was nice to have a friend.

Chapter Text

After almost a week, I was a little less than halfway done with everything I needed to learn. I also had already taken the History of Magic, Astronomy, and general knowledge exams and passed with flying colors. I could take any of the exams whenever I felt ready for them as long as I took them before the time limit ran out.

That thirty-day deadline was looking a lot more realistic and achievable now.

With everything I learned, I increased my level. If I performed even better than expected even with the speed boost, I leveled up faster. After my first week, I had reached Level 4. The average beginning second-year was Level 5, and Hermione was around Level 7. I had the Sorting Hat give me the average and the Hermione numbers as I went along to see how I’d match up to her.

Dobby brought me my morning snack and cup of tea as I carefully stirred my newest potion, a forgetfulness potion.

“Thank you,” I told him.

Dobby bowed his head but looked up at me with bright eyes. “Anything for Miss Ara.”

Finishing stirring, I paused for my snack. I munched on a few of the crackers and sipped the tea as I watched the vapors rise from my potion. Tea was growing on me to at least be somewhat enjoyable. The food was still rather bland but something I was slowly getting used to as well. Still, Dobby never minded adding a bit more seasoning or spices whenever I asked.

“Mistress Narcissa has also asked Dobby to remind Miss Ara that Miss Ara’s little brother is coming home today—”

I choked on my tea.

Dobby peered at me in alarm as I coughed a few times, a couple tears sliding down my cheeks. “Is Miss Ara alright?”

I took a couple deep breaths and then turned my full attention to Dobby. “My what is coming home today?”

More lines appeared on his forehead as he frowned. “Miss Ara’s little brother?”

I have a brother?? Since when!? I cleared my throat and forced a smile to my face. “Right. Him. Er… when is he supposed to be home?”

“A little before dinner, young mistress. Mistress Narcissa wishes to have dinner earlier to celebrate and wanted Dobby to remind Miss Ara to come to dinner an hour earlier. Master Lucius will also be home earlier.”

I bit my lip to keep myself from making a face. “Thanks for letting me know.” I took another sip of tea.

“Of course, Miss Ara! Dobby must go and prepare Master Draco’s—”

I choked again. Setting down my cup onto its saucer, I coughed to clear my throat.

Dobby’s concern only deepened. “Is the tea not to Miss Ara’s liking? Dobby can make a new pot for the young mistress!”

I shook my head. “No, no. It’s great. I… keep swallowing too fast.” I cleared my throat again and leaned back in my chair. “Please, go on.”

His eyes stayed on me for another moment. “Yes. Well, Dobby must prepare Master Draco’s room for his return and will not be able to be with Miss Ara until after lunch is cleaned up.” His eyes widened.

Recognizing his look of desperation, I grabbed the back of his tea cozy and pulled him toward me before he could hurt himself. “Dobby, no. Don’t hurt yourself.”

Dobby stayed still for a moment before straightening with a sigh. “Right, young mistress. Dobby thanks Miss Ara for her help. Dobby worried about offending Miss Ara with his words and forgot Miss Ara does not want Dobby to punish himself.” He bowed deeply. “Dobby must clean and prepare lunch, but Dobby is also happy to help Miss Ara with whatever she is studying if she needs Dobby!”

I patted him lightly on the shoulder. “That’s alright, Dobby. Get done whatever you need to. I’ll be alright.” I gave him another smile.

Straightening, Dobby’s mouth pulled up in a small smile. “Dobby thanks Miss Ara and wishes her luck with her studies!” With another bow, he left.

I quickly checked the screen above my forgetfulness potion. It had the instructions on how to make the potion since Professor Snape wrote out all instructions by hand. I found I could move the screens wherever I wanted them to be. Notifications always came up on my right while main screens would always open up where I was looking unless I specified otherwise. The screens would also stay in the same position around me as I moved unless I told the screen to stay where it was.

Nothing in the instructions mentioned about waiting a specific amount of time. I had one potion that was more finicky and exploded everywhere because I forgot about it for a few minutes. It had been such a mess to clean up too. Dobby had helped and tried to convince me to let him do it, but I refused.

With that worry gone, I peered off to the side. “Sorting Hat!”

The Sorting Hat appeared.

“Why didn’t you tell me I have a brother in this world? And his name is Draco?”

“The sorcerer did not ask about her family.”

I let out a low growl. “I’m pretty sure that is rather important information to know! Why do I have a brother when the original Draco didn’t?”

“Because the sorcerer is a daughter. When the sorcerer marries, the Malfoy name shall end with her unless a son was born. Lucius Malfoy would never allow the Malfoy name to end if he could do something about it, so he and Narcissa had another child after the sorcerer and named him Draco.”

“How old is this Draco? And where has he been?”

“This Draco Malfoy is five years old. He has spent the past two weeks with the Avery family in Italy. Draco was invited because he is the same age as their son, Ridge. Draco and Ridge have been close friends for the past few years.”

I quickly did the math in my head. “Draco is seven years younger than me? So… his first year of school will be after the battle of Hogwarts?”

“Yes.”

Tension disappeared in my shoulders almost immediately. That would have been a terrible year to start. My frown quickly came back. But wait! He is still going to have a terrible year even if he isn’t eleven! Voldemort will be here for a while! I’m going to try to be with the Golden Trio. I thought that would just affect my parents, but now, I have a little brother to worry about? I took a couple deep breaths. Okay. That’s not going to happen for a while. I have five years to figure that part out. Maybe I can have Hermione send him along with her parents or something.

I turned back to the Sorting Hat. “What kind of relationship do Draco and I have?”

“The sorcerer chooses the path she wishes to follow and can choose the relationship she wishes to have with her brother.”

I scowled. “Yes, but what did their relationship use to be like before I came here?”

“Cordial, distant. Toleration is closest word to describe the relationship. There is strain between the sorcerer and her brother because Lucius Malfoy puts pressure on young Draco as he shall be the Malfoy heir. The original Ara Malfoy harbored feelings of jealousy toward Draco because Lucius Malfoy loves Draco more than the original Ara. She was invited on a different trip with the Parkinson family to France, but her father refused to let her go because she did not perform as well as he wanted on her first-year exams.”

My frown deepened. Another reason not to like you, Father. “How am I doing in comparison to Ara’s scores?”

“The original Ara did not have a general information exam, but the sorcerer has so far tested higher than she did on the two exams the sorcerer has taken.”

Haha! In your face, OG Ara!

I blinked.

Really?? How childish was that? Maybe being in a twelve year old body means my maturity is going to decrease? It’s only five years younger! Come on! Besides! I have to be a mature older sister now! I can’t set a bad example for my brother! Even if we don’t get along.

Dismissing the Sorting Hat, I continued with my potion and kept thinking about this other Draco Malfoy.

By the time Dobby came to tell me Draco had arrived, my anxiety had significantly increased.

I’ve never had a sibling before! And I’m expected to know what to do?? I don’t know how to act around a sibling! Don’t siblings hate each other a little bit? But then tolerate each other? They could also be best friends, but it doesn’t sound like we are close! Why is this so stressful?? Do I want to be close? I don’t want him to become like Father! Maybe I can do something to change that? Or is he gonna be a mini Draco? I already can’t stand Father. I won’t be able to handle it if mini Draco is as awful as he is!

“Miss Ara?”

I blinked. Right. Hm. Maybe my forgetfulness potion worked a little too well. Standing up, I straightened my shirt and followed Dobby out of the room. He led me downstairs to the living room next to the Voldemort dining room on the first floor.

I heard voices before I came into the room. A soothing female voice. Mother. And a higher pitched voice of a child. Taking a deep breath, I knocked and walked into the room.

Mother sat eloquently on one of the couches while a little boy with short pale blond hair and a deep green cloak stood in front of her, animatedly describing everything he had seen using his hands. He couldn’t have been much taller than my waist. He paused in the middle of the sentence to look over at me. His bright blue eyes dimmed a bit when he saw me. He almost seemed to shrink into himself. “Hello, Sister,” he said softly.

My heart wanted to break at the sad tone his voice had taken. No! I don’t want my first brother to hate me! Second thing I’m changing. I spared at glance at our mother. But not with our parents around. It’ll only be more problematic for me with them if I have a personality switch too quickly. Maybe since Draco is young, he can handle it better. Restraining my smile, I offered him a little one. “Hi, Draco.”

His eyes widened. Even a hint of surprise crossed Mother’s face.

What! I only said hi! Do I not acknowledge him like Ara used to do to Dobby??

With a hesitant glance at me, Draco turned back to our mother and began talking again about the places he had visited with his friend, Ridge, and his family.

“The ice cream was so tasty, Mother!” he said. “It was also very hot! Mrs. Avery was worried I would burn under the sun and casted a spell to protect me from the sun, and look!” He spun in a short circle. “No sunburns! Ridge didn’t want the spell, so he got burned. He was very red all over.”

Mother smiled. “I’m glad Lorna took care of you.” She reached out and gently grasped his hands in hers. “I am also glad you are back home. I’d like to hear more about your vacation, but your father should be here soon. Wash up for dinner. Are you hungry?”

Draco nodded. “Sì! Ho fame!” His smile grew. “That was Italiano! Mrs. Avery taught me and Ridge a few phrases. Ho fame means I’m hungry! Which is very different than French which is j’ai faim like you taught me!”

The Fireworks chime sounded.

To my surprise, my mind automatically translated the French phrase. Do… the Malfoys speak French? Can… can I speak French too now? I concentrated. “Allons diner,” came out of my mouth.

Both Mother and Draco looked at me. Mother gave a slight nod. “Yes, let’s go.” She released one of Draco’s hands but continued to hold one as she led the way out of the room and across the hall.

I was grateful she was leading. I was too excited to concentrate.

French Language Fluency – UNLOCKED!

Practice and review to keep up the skills.

Wow! I get a new language just like that? I’m surprised the Sorting Hat didn’t tell me I had to learn that. Maybe adding a language on top of my studies would be too much? Practicing and reviewing doesn’t seem too bad for being fluent in a language without trying! Ara must have learned French, so it wouldn’t make sense for me not to know French now. I’m not complaining!

We came into the Voldemort dining room. I sat in my normal seat next to Mother while Draco sat across the table from us in the chair to the right of the head of the table. Usually a place of honor. Because of how traditional the Malfoys were, it wouldn’t surprise me if there was an emphasis on seating arrangements.

Father also seemed very invested in having a grand entrance. Draco started up a quiet conversation with Mother while we waited but immediately fell silent the moment the doors opened.

We all stood as Father flounced into the room. He likely had enough clothes to wear a different outfit every day of the year. His robes today were a dark green with silver accents sewn throughout. Some looked like snakes while others looked like tendrils of smoke. Both fully capable of choking you until you couldn’t breathe. Not unlike the man wearing them.

Father sat, and we followed suit.

Dobby quickly came in with the food. Draco didn’t bother even sparing Dobby a glance and focused all his attention on Father. There was a gleam of admiration in his eyes but also a hint of fear. Not unlike the original Draco.

If he’ll be around the house more, he might come across me in my studies. I’ll have to feel him out to see if he’ll rat me out to Father. I need to be more careful now until I know him better.

With Draco here, Father didn’t look at me once. His attention was on his son and on his food. He asked questions about his trip. Draco still gave excited answers but much more subdued than before. Father spoke to Mother a bit as well and ranted once again about irritating coworkers at the Ministry before the normal silence fell.

Mother seemed to ask Dobby to do something more special for Draco’s homecoming. The dishes were a bit more extravagant. Draco’s eyes lit up as each one was brought out. For dessert, I had to hold back laughter as Dobby brought out an apple pie. When I took a bite, it confirmed my suspicions. Yep, green apples. How fitting.

Once we all finished eating, Father dismissed us by getting up and leaving the room. Mother and Draco filed out after him. I hovered a bit longer like usual and gave Dobby a smile. “Thank you for dinner,” I said softly.

Dobby smiled back and bowed his head in acknowledgement before starting to clean up.

When I turned to face the door, I spotted Draco standing in the hallway staring at me. I stumbled a step but forced my feet to keep moving. He waited a couple seconds and fell into step beside me.

I started walking back toward my room and found he was walking in the same direction. Are our rooms close to each other? I shot a sideways glance at him. I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. I haven’t even really been around kids that much. Can I talk to him like I’d talk to one of my friends? … Might as well full-send and see what happens. “Did… you have fun with the Averys?”

Draco nodded.

“That’s good… Did… you have a favorite part?”

Draco didn’t say anything for a minute. Just when I was about to give up, he spoke. “The cities.”

I looked at him again. “Okay, cities can be cool. What about the cities?”

“Everything was very colorful. We had to take a boat places. Ridge almost fell in.”

I laughed. “Were you ever close to falling in?”

He shook his head. “No, Mrs. Avery held my hand the whole time we were in the boat. I had to stay in the middle.” A frown slid onto his face. “I didn’t want to hold her hand. Her hand is very sweaty.”

I let out a snort. “It is hotter in Italy, so that could be why her hands were sweaty.”

“But my hands are cold! I didn’t get sweaty!”

Leaning over, I took one of his hands in mine. Draco froze, staring wide-eyed at me. His hand felt around the same temperature as mine. “Hm,” I said. “You don’t feel very cold to me.”

He slowly looked at our joined hands. “Your hands are colder than mine.”

A shrug. “The manor is rather cold. That’s probably why. You’ll probably get colder hands again once you’ve been back for a couple days.”

We kept walking. Draco didn’t pull his hand away.

Draco came to a stop a door down from me. Likely his room.

Weird, this room looked like any other guest room. But then, to be fair, my room could also be a guest room. Nothing is really personalized here. I gestured down the hall toward my room. “Well, I need to get some studying done. What are you going to do?”

“Read.”

A smile pulled at my mouth. “Reading? I didn’t know you could read.” The words came out before I could stop them. Almost involuntary.

Draco shot a glare at me and yanked his hand out of my grip. “I know how to read!” With another glare, he rushed into his room and firmly shut the door behind himself.

I cringed. Sorry, bud! That’s my favorite Draco Malfoy quote from the movies, and you walked right into it. Sighing, I stepped up to the door and knocked. “Draco? I’m sorry. I was just teasing you and wasn’t trying to hurt your feelings!”

“You’re mean!” Draco called out through the door. “You told me to stay in Italy! I didn’t want to come back here.”

Damn. OG Ara, thanks for this mess. I cringed again at the thought of trying to repair the bridge to have a chance at a friendship with the Golden Trio. Maybe if I can get my own brother to be my friend, they’ll be more likely to be my friends too. I gently knocked on the door again. “I’m sorry, Draco. I didn’t mean what I said. I’m glad you’re home and that you didn’t stay in Italy. I… missed you.”

Hard to miss someone I didn’t know existed until this morning, but I missed my mom when she sometimes left for the weekend. I’m sure I’d miss a brother.

Silence.

I knocked gently on the door again.

It opened a crack. A sad blue eye stared out at me. “You really missed me?” he asked quietly.

Kneeling down, I was now a little bit shorter than the eye peeking through the crack. I nodded sincerely. “Yes. I missed you. I missed you a lot.”

He opened the door a bit more until I could see both his eyes. “Are you really my sister?”

My heart skipped a beat. That didn’t take long. Dobby seemed to know something was off too. I nodded to Draco. “Yes. I’m your sister. I’ve just been… doing some thinking lately, and I want to be nicer to you. I miss you when you’re not around. I’ll miss you even more when I’m back at Hogwarts in a few weeks. So, I don’t want to leave on a bad note.”

“Bad note?”

“I don’t want to leave with us being mean to each other. So, how about we be nice to each other from now on?” I extended my hand.

Draco stared at it like it was going to bite him. Very slowly, he eased out of the room. He reached out his little hand and grabbed mine.

I squeezed his fingers. I tugged on that hand until I pulled little Draco into my arms. He stiffened and squirmed a bit. I held on. My first hug in this world… First hug in a while. I… can’t remember the last time I had a hug.

Quicker than I expected, Draco wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly back.

We stayed like that for a while. I kept the Disneyland rule and waited for him to let go first before pulling away. He gave me a little smile before retreating into his room.

I stared at the closed door.

Maybe he hasn’t had a hug in a while either.

Draco became my new little companion. I avoided doing much magic around him but did let him watch as I brewed potions. I also had him get on the broom with me, and we flew around the yard. His giggle was music to my ears. He would also come read with me while I studied. I’d tell him all the interesting things I was learning, and he’d tell me about things he thought were brilliant. My productivity went down a bit. I didn’t mind. Spending time with a little brother was actually fun.

After a couple days without him saying a word to our parents, I let him see me act nicer around Dobby instead of the indifference I usually showed. He seemed confused once I started explaining a bit more. He sat in my lap as I was reading one of my textbooks to him and twisted to look up at me. “He’s just an elf! A servant! Why be nice to him?”

“Well, you feel sad, don’t you?” I poked him sharply in the arm. He gasped in pain and shot a glare at me. “You feel pain. Just because Dobby is an elf doesn’t mean he doesn’t get sad or feel pain. He might be a sla… servant here, but we should still be nice to him. He does a lot around the manor and works very hard. We should still give him our gratitude.”

“Father says we are better than everyone else and don’t have to be nice to anyone.”

I bit my lip to keep from making a face. “Father… has very traditional views. Meaning he thinks like people in the past thought. The wizarding world doesn’t change much since we think we are better than everyone else. However, the world we live in needs everyone in it. We have roles society gives us, and every role is needed to make a society function.” I paused. “Well, not all roles. We should get rid of some roles. But even if we have a different role in life, we should be kind to everyone else. We should treat everyone equally.” I tapped his nose. “Do you want to do all the chores that Dobby does?”

Draco emphatically shook his head.

“That’s what I thought. We should be grateful to Dobby for all he does. But this is the important part.” I set him on his feet and twisted him around to face me. “You and I? We’re kids right now. Our parents will get mad at us for doing things they don’t like. Father thinks he’s better than anyone who isn’t a pureblood wizard, so he will get mad if he sees you doing something he doesn’t like. For now, don’t do things that will make him mad. At least not until you’re older.”

Draco frowned. “So… I should be mean to Dobby when Father is around?”

I shook my head. “No. Don’t be mean. Just do nothing. Don’t say thank you to Dobby. Just don’t talk to him. Then, when Father is gone, you can say thank you and do what you want.”

“Why?”

“Father may punish you.”

Draco flinched.

My frown deepened. Does Lucius really hit us? I tightened my grip on Draco’s hands. Well, I won’t let him hurt Draco if I can help it. I tugged Draco back onto my lap. “Be careful and smart. He won’t do anything if he doesn’t know about it. So, be nice to Dobby, but don’t do anything when Father is around.”

“What about Mother?”

She’s not much better. At least she seems kind to us. “Not her either. Or Ridge. There are a lot of people who don’t understand, so you need to be careful. Wait until you’re older to behave how you want.”

“Like you?”

I hesitated. “I… need to be a bit older too before I can do more. But it’ll be easier for me when I’m back at Hogwarts and away from our parents.” I adjusted him on my lap. I remembered when Draco would be starting school and smiled. “When you go to Hogwarts, you’ll be able to do more too. So, keep your nose clean until then, alright?”

Draco nodded. “Alright!”

I ruffled his hair. “Good.” Leaning forward, I rested my chin on his shoulder. “Do you want to learn more about the Devil’s Snare? I even know a little rhyme to remember how to fight it.”

Chapter Text

I looked up sharply as a knock sounded on my door.

In order to learn and practice all the spells I needed to, I had asked Draco to give me time to study by myself in my room until lunchtime. After lunch, I could spend as much time with him as he wanted. Even if he seemed to be trustworthy enough still, I didn’t want to put him in a position where he had to lie.

A couple days passed like this. I finished all my Potions skills and took the written and practical exam in that time. The Sorting Hat even complimented my Forgetfulness potion. A knock on my door was rare.

Stowing my wand, I picked up a book at random and pretended to read it. “Come in!”

Dobby shuffled into the room with a silver platter. He came over to me and presented the platter to me. “A letter has arrived for Miss Ara!”

I stared at the envelope with wide eyes. It had a yellowish color and was made with thicker parchment. The address was written in bright green ink.

Miss A. Malfoy

Malfoy Manor

Wiltshire

I wasn’t sure I was breathing.

Every Potterhead’s dream come true. Receiving their Hogwarts letter.

I knew it wouldn’t be quite the same since I was starting my second year, but still.

Maybe I can get the Sorting Hat to give me a copy of my first letter as a reward or something. I do wish it had my own name on it, but this better than nothing.

“Is Miss Ara alright?” Dobby asked.

I gave him a big smile. “I’m fine. Great even! Thank you for bringing me my letter.” I took the letter off the platter.

Dobby bowed his head and left.

The letter was heavier than I expected it to be. I flipped it over to see the familiar Hogwarts Crest as a wax seal on the back. My hands shook with anticipation. I very carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the letter inside.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of  WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Malfoy,

Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King’s Cross Station, platform nine and three-quarters, at eleven o’clock.

A list of books for next year is enclosed.

Yours sincerely,

Professor M. McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

My grin grew even wider. I gently ran my fingers over the parchment. It was thicker like the parchment I used with my studies. I could feel the slight grooves in the page. Lifting it up to my nose, I deeply inhaled like I did with any new book. The scent of paper and ink filled my nose.

I was sure if anyone walked in, they’d think I was crazy… they’d think I’d gone mad.

Still smiling to myself at the use of a more British phrase, I moved to the second page that had my booklist. I took one glance at it and made a face.

SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS WILL REQUIRE:

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2

by Miranda Goshawk

Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart

Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart

Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart

Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart

Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart

Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart

Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart

Right. I have to survive a year with the faker Gilderoy Lockhart as a professor. Even if he looks more attractive than Kenneth Branagh did, I’m not going to like him. I peered at the list with a frown. And how ridiculous to require every Hogwarts student to get all your books. Clearly full of yourself.

I brought up the letter at dinner.

Mother began to offer to take me when Father cut across her. “I need to meet with Mr. Borgin at Borgin and Burkes and can take you to purchase your school supplies.” A gleam appeared in his eyes.

Why does he look almost excited to go to Diagon Alley… A light went off in my head. Right! The diary! He’s going to pawn off Tom Riddle’s Diary! I inclined my head and said, “Thank you, Father.”

The Fireworks chime sounded.

Keeping a neutral expression, I focused on the little screen that appeared to my right. I shifted my gaze to a spot in front of me. The screen repositioned itself until it moved to float in front of me instead.

MAIN QUEST – Buying onto the Quidditch Team

After learning to fly on a broom, the sorcerer is ready to join a Quidditch Team.

YOUR QUEST – Convince Lucius Malfoy to purchase brooms for the entire Slytherin Quidditch team to ensure the sorcerer is added to the team.

TIME LEFT: 2 Days 14 Hours 53 Minutes

MAIN REWARD – Quidditch Skills

I narrowed my eyes slightly at the screen. What’s the point playing the game when I know I won’t win! Quidditch could be a lot of fun, but I’d rather casually play. My gaze fixated on the words ‘Main Quest’ at the top.

I mentally sighed. Fine. I have to do Main Quests, or I’ll get sent home. Those Quidditch skills better be helpful. I just learned to ride a broom in the past couple of weeks!

There was a slight pause in the conversation.

Might as well start now. “Father?” I asked quietly.

Those cold gray eyes shifted to me.

“Can I have a racing broom?”

He waited.

“Since I’m a second year now, I want to join the Slytherin Quidditch team. H… Potter got special permission, and—” I mentally cursed the Sorting Hat and channeled my inner OG Draco. “—isn’t even that great of a player. He got a fancy broom which helps him out.”

A thoughtful expression appeared.

“We could even get nice brooms for the full team to guarantee a win for Slytherin. Especially when Dumbledore took the win of the House Cup away from us last year.”

Father peered over at me. “That is an interesting idea, Ara. I shall consider it.”

I nodded my head and turned back to my meal.

After a couple minutes of silence, Father spoke again. “Marcus Flint is the Slytherin Quidditch Captain, isn’t he?”

Another nod.

Father made a sound of acknowledgement.

The Fireworks chime sounded. I glanced up at open window in front of me as a new notification screen popped up.

Buying onto the Quidditch Team – COMPLETE!

See quest details for rewards.

I held in a smile even if I was a little annoyed about being forced to buy my way onto the Quidditch team. That was easy. I don’t think I’ll like these quests as much when they start getting harder.

A few days later, I found myself wearing a deep green traveling cloak, getting ready for my first experience with Side-Along-Apparition. Torn between excitement and dread, I had to keep a very neutral expression since “I” had already experienced it before. I had wanted to see if Draco could come since neither of us left the house very often. Father shot down that idea, saying Side-Along-Apparition was more complicated with more people.

Saying goodbye to Draco, I moved to stand in front of Father. He wrapped an arm across my chest and tightly gripped my shoulder in one hand and used the other to firmly grip his cane. I held back a shudder at his touch but forced myself to have a neutral expression. I then grabbed onto the arm across my chest as tightly as I could. Pressed up against him, I could feel something poking me slightly in the back. Almost like a book…

There’s a horcrux. Right. There. A piece of Voldemort’s soul. I tried to see if I could sense anything evil behind me but only noticed my father.

“Hold on tightly, Ara,” Father said, bringing my attention back to him.

I glanced down at the arm across my chest. It seemed a little excessive until I felt Father turn and disapparate.

Easily one of the worst experiences I have ever had. The world blurred into a sea of colors. A force tugged and yanked at every part of my body in every direction. I felt like it was being squished through a small jar even as I was tugged every which way. My body ached. My lungs constricted. I couldn’t breathe. Panic gripped my heart. I’m g—

The squeezing stopped almost as quickly as it had started. My lungs expanded, and I gasped a breath of air. Father held on to me for a couple seconds as my world righted itself. I pressed the back of my hand to my mouth.

Don’t puke, don’t puke. After another couple breaths, I managed to keep my breakfast down.

Father frowned at me. “Are you alright?”

I forced a nod.

Only then did I have enough strength to look around see where we had ended up. We were in a rather large room that was devoid of any furniture. Father led the way out.

This room was filled with people. It was rather dark but still light enough to see. The moment we walked in, all talking paused. It quickly resumed with a glare from my father. There were long tables with people enjoying a meal or a drink. All wore various cloaks or robes. Some with tall hats. One witch even had an owl perched on her shoulder. Tea kettles floated through the air, refilling cups.

I wished my eyes were bigger to see everything better. Even if this was just the Leaky Cauldron, it was still the Leaky Cauldron. And everyone here? Witches and wizards! Being at the manor was very isolating. I hadn’t interacted with anyone besides my parents, Draco, and Dobby. So, being around other magical people was incredible.

Father led the way through the crowd to a back room with a brick wall.

My heartbeat began to speed up. I had to remind myself to breathe.

Father tapped a brick on the wall in front of us.

Why even bother? It’s impressive, but everyone knows how to get into Diagon Alley. A muggle wouldn’t just walk into the pub. It’d make more sense to have an open door here or—

An archway appeared, showing off a cobblestone street.

Father briskly strolled out of the little room.

I took a couple steps after him but had to stop.

I wanted more eyes.

My head moved like it was on a swivel, twisting and turning to try to absorb everything I was seeing. So bright and colorful. The sun shined brightly down on the crowded street. Witches and wizards of all ages moved up and down the streets, stopping at shops and stands, peering into windows. So much noise and activity. Scents attacked my nose. I could smell sweets and parchment and flowers and owls and baked goods.

I wanted to explore. I wanted to stay there for hours and explore every inch of this street until I knew it like the back of my hand.

“Ara!”

I slowly pulled my attention away from the street in front of me to see my father standing a ways away with a frown on his face. I rushed to his side as he frowned at me.

“Quit dawdling. You’re acting as if you’ve never been here before.”

“Sorry,” I quickly said.

Father spared another strange look at me before leading the way with a swish of his cloak.

We quickly left the bright and colorful street to end up on an entirely different street which was much darker and had a sinister air. I stayed very close to Father’s side as we walked along the street. Not as much color here. The sun was still shining but felt almost dimmer on this street. The cloaks and robes here were all various shades of black and gray. I spotted shrunken heads in one window and a cage filled with large spiders a few doors down.

I suppressed a shiver and stepped even closer to Father.

I spotted a sign that read “Borgin and Burke” and was grateful we could escape inside instead of staying on the street.

Father pushed open the door.

A bell rang announcing our presence.

Similar to the Leaky Cauldron, this shop was rather dimly lit as well. Except this place matched the vibe from the street. Very ominous and chill-inducing.

I stood near the door, looking around the space, as Father crossed the room and rang the bell on the counter closer to the back of the store. “Touch nothing, Ara,” he said.

I clasped my hands behind my back to avoid the temptation. My eyes scanned the room and landed on a tall cabinet at the end of the row. I started.

I almost forgot! Unless there was some other mix up, Harry is in here right now! Hiding in the Vanishing Cabinet after getting lost in the Floo Network. He definitely won’t want to see me right now. Not that I was planning to start repairing our relationship yet. Which I guess I could pretend to find him and then not say a word to Father… No, he’s probably extra anxious.

“Ah, Mr. Borgin.”

Turning my head, I watched as a man with greasy hair stepped up to the counter where Father stood. He wore a set of dark gray robes that seemed to have a few extra pockets sewn in and stood a few inches shorter than my father. His shoulders curved in a bit which made him appear even shorter. He brought a smile to his face when he spotted my father. “Mr. Malfoy, how delighted I am to see you.” His gaze moved to land on me. I wanted to wash my eyes out at the look he gave me. “Young Miss Malfoy as well. A pleasure to meet you.” He inclined his head to me before turning back to my father. “How can I be of assistance? I must show you, just in today and very reasonably priced—”

“I’m not buying today, Mr. Borgin. Only selling.”

The smile on Borgin’s face faded. “Selling?”

“You have heard, of course, that the Ministry is conducting more raids.” Father took out a roll of parchment and set it on the counter. “I have a few… items at home that might embarrass me if the Ministry were to call.”

I tried to keep a frown off my face as I slowly made my way down one of the aisles of the shop, looking through the items instead of looking at them. I don’t think I saw anything dangerous when I was wandering around. Not that everything would be in sight if they are illegal or have something to do with dark magic. I thought for a moment. I vaguely remember reading that the Malfoys have a cellar or something where they can hide things if people come over. I’ll have to—

“The name Malfoy still commands a certain respect.” Father’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. A glance at him showed he had puffed his chest out slightly, almost like a peacock spreading its feathers, while Borgin looked over the piece of parchment. “Yet the Ministry grows ever more meddlesome. There are rumors about a new Muggle Protection Act. No doubt that flea-bitten Muggle-loving fool Arthur Weasley is behind it—”

I’m surprised he didn’t say Dumbledore.

“—and as you see, certain of these poisons might make it appear—”

I turned my head to look at my father. Poisons? I definitely didn’t see that in the manor.

“I understand, sir. Of course.”

Twisting, I looked back at the shelf and found myself in front of a wilting hand on a cushion. I let out a noise of surprise. “Oh! The Hand of Glory.”

I hadn’t spoken very loudly. Despite that, faster than I could blink, Borgin was at my side. “Yes, yes! Is the young miss interested?”

I avoided wrinkling my nose as the musty stench from Borgin drifted to my nose as he practically leaned over me to stare at the hand.

“It may not look like much but can be incredibly useful. Insert a candle, and it gives light only to the holder! Best friend of thieves and plunderers!” He threw a glance at my father. “Your daughter has fine taste, sir.”

Father’s eyes narrowed. “I hope my daughter will amount to more than a thief or plunderer, Borgin.”

Borgin’s eyes went wide. “No offense, sir! No offense meant.”

Father shifted his gaze to me, freezing me to the spot. “Though if her grades don’t pick up, that may indeed be all she is fit for. You should have easily gained the highest scores.”

Aware that Harry was listening, I choose my words carefully. “I have spent more time studying this summer and will continue to raise my grades throughout the school year. Though, it’s difficult to get the top scores with Hermione Granger in my year—”

“I would have thought you’d be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every exam,” Father interrupted.

No. I’m not. Hermione deserves every bit of praise she has earned for how hard she studies. I only frowned and said nothing.

“It’s the same all over,” Borgin said. He still stood next to me. I could almost feel his breathing on my skin. I managed a small sidestep to move farther away as he kept talking. “Wizard blood is counting for less everywhere—”

“Not with me,” Father interrupted.

Of course not.

Borgin took a step closer to my father and gave him a deep bow. “No, sir. Nor with me, sir.”

“In that case, perhaps we can return to my list.” Father gestured to the parchment on the counter. “I am in something of a hurry, Borgin. I have important business elsewhere today.”

Yeah, important business of planting a horcrux on someone to bring to Hogwarts.

They started to haggle.

I turned my attention back to the shop and the items for sale. The Sorting Hat said all the end of year events have to happen. Luckily, no one dies because of the basilisk this time, but if I could, I’d take the diary now to avoid the whole mess… except… would the diary then start taking me over? I let out a breath through my nose. Voldemort in my head, even a young Voldemort, is a terrible idea.

My attention snagged on a necklace on display. It was very ornate with shiny white stones attached to the main chain with delicate clasps. A closer look showed me the stones weren’t just white but had a few different bright pastel colors throughout that made it look shinier. A little card in front of the necklace gave a warning.

Caution: Do Not Touch. Cursed—Has Claimed the Lives of Nineteen Muggle Owners to Date

Right. This is the necklace Draco tried to use to kill Dumbledore. I leaned in a little closer. I don’t know what he was thinking though. If I got a necklace like this, especially as a man, I’d be rather suspicious of it. And being in a magical world? I wouldn’t touch it either. Especially if I’m as smart as Dumbledore is.

Twisting, I found myself face to face with the Vanishing Cabinet.

I can’t look away! I have to be at least somewhat interested in it after staring at everything else.

I peered at this tall cabinet. It wasn’t as triangular as it looked in the movies. It looked like a tall black closet that wasn’t attached to a wall.

A useful item to have if you expect bad company a lot. But yet another item that causes a lot of harm in the future.

“Done,” Father said. “Come, Ara.”

Forcing myself not to give the cabinet another look, I made my way back down the aisle to come to stand at my father’s side.

Father inclined his head. “Good day to you, Mr. Borgin. I’ll expect you at the manor tomorrow to pick up the goods.” He led the way out of the shop without another word.

I quickly moved to follow him and stayed as close to his side as I did earlier. After being in the shop for a while, the street didn’t seem as menacing as before even if I still wanted to get back to Diagon Alley as soon as possible.

“What did you need besides your new textbooks?” Father asked.

I pulled out a short list I had made which looked similar to the parchment Father had shown Borgin. Except my list was far less incriminating. I had gone through my trunk to check for anything I might need, not that I would truly know what I needed until I got to Hogwarts.

I can have my parents mail me anything I need if I run out.

Father allowed me to lead which was a good and bad idea. A good idea because I could wander around and look at whatever I wanted. And a bad idea because I didn’t know where I was going. I got distracted by the different shops and had to keep pulling my attention back to my list. I guessed I’d need more quills and parchment. My robes all still fit well from when I had played dress-up, but I still peered in through the window to take a look.

Father had also handed me a bag of coins and seemed to act as my shadow more than anything. He was rather distracted as we walked, seeming to look for something.

Or someone.

To my surprise, I didn’t spot the Golden Trio even though I knew they had to be here too. I spotted a couple redheads that could have been Weasleys, but I couldn’t be certain. There were other witches and wizards with red hair too, right?

I bought different sweets that looked tasty as we went and made sure to get an ice cream when we passed Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor. Father declined distractedly.

He only started paying more attention as we approached Quality Quidditch Supplies. He directed me inside and immediately went up to the counter. I lingered a bit in the main area, staring at the different brooms and Quidditch gear. I spotted a few helmets, pads, and broom polishing kits. In the window was a set of alarmingly orange robes that had two black Cs on the sleeves.

I made my way back to my father’s side as he finished up his order. With a glint in his eyes, Father smiled at me. “I sent an owl to Marcus Flint’s father and was able to speak with the boy. He’ll speak to you in person but is looking forward to welcoming you as the newest Seeker of the Slytherin Quidditch team.” Father nodded his head toward a display case near the counter.

My gaze shifted to it.

Inside the case was a broomstick. It was very polished and sleek and also very brown in color, unlike what the movies had shown. The words Nimbus Two Thousand and One were written in gold letters at the end of the handle.

“I have also purchased new brooms for everyone on the Slytherin Quidditch team which is another reason why Flint is very grateful.” His smirk widened.

He’s very pleased with himself.

I had to admit the broom looked spectacular. I can’t wait to ride it. Even if it’s part of a bribe to get me on the team.

“The Flint family will be coming over for dinner this Sunday. The brooms should arrive at the manor on Saturday which shall give us the chance to show Flint the new addition to the team.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “Don’t disappoint me, Ara.”

“I won’t, Father.” But the Sorting Hat will probably make me. And the Quidditch season won’t last the full year. I think there’s only the one match between Gryffindor and Slytherin before the rest of the games are canceled because of everything happening with the Chamber of Secrets.

With that, Father led me from the shop.

“I only need my new books,” I told him.

There was a large crowd outside Flourish and Blotts, mostly of witches, trying to force their way inside the shop. There was a large sign just outside the door.

GILDEROY LOCKHART

will be signing copies of his autobiography

MAGICAL ME

today 12:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.

Rolling my eyes, I turned to Father. “It’ll be rather difficult to get inside.”

Father raised an eyebrow. “All this fuss is for your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?”

I feigned surprise. “Oh, is that who will be teaching the class?”

He frowned at me. “I told you on Sunday. Weren’t you paying attention? From what I hear, he’s a bit flamboyant—”

More flamboyant than the peacock Lucius Malfoy?

“—and barely knows how to teach.” He shook his head. “Dumbledore seems to be willing to hire anyone with even the lowest of qualifications.” Eying the crowd, Father turned to me. “What books do you need?”

I handed him my list.

He glanced at it once before strolling toward the shop.

His menacing presence caused a pathway to appear through the crowd. Anyone took one look at him and quickly made room. We made it inside the shop rather easily where we hit a snag. The witches all waiting in line weren’t paying attention to anyone around them and were all fixated on a man at the very back of the shop. I had to lean a bit to see through arms and torsos to finally see him.

Gilderoy Lockhart was indeed more attractive than Kenneth Branagh had been when he taken the roll, but Lockhart likely would have been pleased with the portrayal. His smile could blind a person as Lockhart insisted on smiling with all his teeth. He wore a pair of light blue robes with a hint of purple. From the covers of his books where his face was grinning widely around the entire room, the robes were the same shade as his eyes. A pointy hat sat off-centered on top of a head of light, wavy hair.

I held in a snort as he flashed flirtatious glances at every woman that came up to him to sign their books.

Father was more frustrated by the crowd compared to the man causing the problems. His frustration turned up his murderous aura which caused heads to turn and get out of his way the moment they made eye contact. We were able to move around the shop and retrieved all my books.

“Ara, I shall purchase these and summon Dobby to take them for us. Why don’t you—”

“Ladies and gentlemen!” A male sultry voice shouted over the crowd. The women all instantly quieted down as every head turned toward the back of the room. Gilderoy Lockhart stood with his arm wrapped tightly around a young boy by his side.

I didn’t hear another word Lockhart spoke. My attention was entirely gripped by the boy.

A head of untruly dark hair sat atop his head, pieces pointing in every direction. Round rimmed glasses sat on his nose, and bright green eyes stared into the crowd. He wore clothes that were entirely too large for his skinny frame. There were a few spots of soot on his clothes including a faint mark on his cheek. As Lockhart jostled the boy around as he spoke to the crowd, the boy’s bangs shifted to reveal a thin scar upon his forehead in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Harry Potter.

The character I had grown up with. My favorite character of all time. The protagonist of the novel I had snuck out of the house and had to walk over seven miles to see the last two movies in theater as a little ten and then eleven-year-old. The main character of the series I stood in line for hours to finally get the limited special edition copies of the series.

The Harry Potter.

Who looked like he desperately wanted to leave. He had a grimace upon his face. His eyes darted around thoroughly uncomfortable as he looked for his escape route. No one seemed to care that he didn’t want to be there. They only stared at the Boy Who Lived.

The crowd burst into cheers as Lockhart shoved a stack of books into Harry’s arms.

A hand grabbed my arm. I turned to see my father with his face inches away from mine. The gleam from earlier had returned. His eyes kept darting around the room. To every redhead in the room. “I’ll purchase your books. Meet me outside.” Without waiting for my response, Father nearly shoved his way to the counter in his hurry.

I twisted back around to watch Harry as Lockhart finally released him. He pushed his way through the crowd to stand next to a little girl of to the side of the store with vivid red hair, tightly gripping a battered cauldron.

My brain reminded me of one of my plans for the day at the sight of that cauldron. I pushed it off to the side a bit, not wanting to forget it but wanting my focus elsewhere. I slipped through the crowd toward the pair.

“—buy my own,” Harry was saying as he set the Lockhart books into the cauldron the redhead carried.

“Harry Potter.” His name slipped out. Not even close to what I meant to start out with.

His back stiffened, and he slowly turned until his green eyes were on me. Looking directly at me. With hatred.

Yikes. Yeah, hate that. I brought a small grin to my face. Snarky but not really mean. Snarky not mean. He’ll definitely think I’m faking it if I switch my personality at the drop of a hat. “Rather easy to find you in a crowd, Potter.” I gestured with my head toward Lockhart. “You looked like you loved that.”

“Leave him alone!” the redhead at Harry’s side said. Soft brown eyes held a fire behind them as she glared at me. Ginny. “He didn’t want any of that!”

I almost let a frown onto my face. Not the right level of sarcasm? That wasn’t supposed to be too irritating. I relaxed my face a bit. “No. Clearly not.”

Ginny’s scowl deepened.

That wasn’t sarcastic! Ayayay. I have a ways to go here. I opened my mouth again.

“Malfoy.”

I turned my head.

Two people shoved their way through the crowd to reach us, arms full of Lockhart’s books. A boy and a girl. The girl had with bushy brown hair that reminded me of a lion’s mane. Her skin was an olive color that threw me off a bit. Much darker than Emma Watson’s skin tone. Her front two teeth stuck out a bit and were a little longer than the rest of her teeth. The one who had spoken was another boy with a head of red hair like Ginny. His pale face was covered in freckles that extended down his long nose. He was rather tall for a twelve year old and had the frame and gangly limbs to match.

Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.

If I’m lucky, I can be friends with them. Otherwise, I hope they at least don’t hate me.

Remembering one of my plans, I stuck my hand into my pocket and backed up a couple steps until I nearly bumped into Ginny. In her distraction, I brought out my hand and dropped a few galleons into her cauldron before straightening and backing up a step.

Hopefully she won’t notice until later. And then, her family can have a little something extra after buying all of Lockhart’s ridiculously expensive books.

“Bet you’re surprised to see Harry here,” Ron quipped.

The comment threw me off. I raised my eyebrows. “No, not really. Crowds usually follow him whether or not he wants to be the center of attention. Bet you wish it was you.”

Like earlier, that comment slipped out. I liked Book Ron well enough, but Movie Ron was more obnoxious which meant the combo of them was an okay character. One I didn’t love. Hence the insult.

Ron turned scarlet. He dropped his books into Ginny’s cauldron and took a step closer to me. Harry and Hermione both grabbed the back of his jacket to hold him back. Ron struggled against them. “Malfoy, if you weren’t a girl, I’d—”

“Ron!” A balding older man with red hair came to a stop next to our group. He wore a pair of glasses, a fact I had forgotten about, and a worn pair of robes. Two teenagers with identical faces followed closely behind him. They almost looked an older version of Ron but were more filled out. Some of the boyish features in their faces were changing a bit to be leaner. They also had the red hair of a Weasley, and their eyes were bright, ready to stir up some mischief.

Mr. Weasley. Fred and George.

“What are you doing?” Mr. Weasley asked. “It’s too crowded in here. Let’s go outside.”

A hand rested on my shoulder. “Well, well, well. Arthur Weasley.”

Oh, no.

The gleam in Father’s eyes had only darkened. His eyes swept over the scene and lingered on Ginny’s cauldron before focusing on the man in front of him.

Mr. Weasley nodded coldly. “Lucius.”

“Busy time at the Ministry I hear.” He moved to stand next to me. “All these raids… I hope they’re paying you overtime?” Reaching over, he plucked a book from Ginny’s cauldron. Unlike the brand new Lockhart books, this book was very old and looked nearly ready to fall apart if the wind blew too hard. Written on the cover in slanted letters said A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration. Father made a face. “Obviously not. Dear me, what’s the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don’t even pay you well for it?”

Mr. Weasley flushed even darker than Ron’s face.

I muttered a mental curse. Father! You’re making it very hard to become friends with them! This is going to take me a while. If I can even do it in the first place.

While no one was looking, I dropped a few more galleons into Ginny’s cauldron.

Standing up a bit straighter, Mr. Weasley didn’t take his eyes off my father. “We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy.”

“Clearly.” Father’s eyes shifted to a couple who had joined our small group at some point. Hermione had the same bushy brown hair as the man and had a similar face shape to the woman. Both looked a little overwhelmed, only a couple notches away from a deer in headlights look. Hermione’s parents.

I wanted to ask their names. Names that had eluded everyone except perhaps J. K. Rowling herself. Not the time, I chanted to myself. I took a slight side-step away from my father.

Don’t want you to take me down with you.

Father didn’t notice, focused on Mr. Weasley. “The company you keep, Weasley… and I thought your family could sink no lower—”

Mr. Weasley tackled Father. They slammed into a bookshelf, causing hundreds of heavy books to rain down on top of them. Fists flew. Father punched Mr. Weasley in mouth just as Mr. Weasley smacked a falling book into Father’s face. Both stunned only for a moment, they threw themselves at each other once more.

The other shoppers looked on in horrified fascination at the fight. A woman somewhere in the crowd cried out. “Arthur! No!” Fred and George cheered on their father. I spotted Lockhart near the back still who was trying to usher his photographer toward the fight. I took another chance in the chaos to put more galleons in Ginny’s cauldron and then told myself to stop.

They might think it’s weird or suspicious if there’s too much in there.

“Break it up there, gents. Break it up.”

I lifted my head to see the newcomer. My mouth fell open of its own accord.

A giant man pushed through the crowd toward the fight. A mess of dark thick hair and scraggly beard almost completely obscured the giant’s face. Small black eyes could somehow be seen through the hair. He wore a thick overcoat that could have hidden at least three people inside it.

The movies severely underplayed just how huge this man was. If Father and Mr. Weasley—two fully grown adult men—stacked on top of each other, they’d only be slightly taller. Father, Mr. Weasley, and Lockhart would have to stand shoulder to shoulder to be wider than him. I vaguely remembered his feet being described as the same size as baby dolphins and his hands being as big as trash can lids. Reading it and seeing it were two very different things.

Hagrid reached down into the feet and easily pulled Father and Mr. Weasley apart. There was a bruise forming around Father’s eyes, and Mr. Weasley had a split lip.

Straightening his robes as best he could, Father shoved off Hagrid’s hand. He was still holding Ginny’s Transfiguration book. Unseen by anyone not paying attention, Father slipped a little black book against the battered textbook. He stormed his way over to Ginny through the mess of books on the ground and dropped both books he held into her cauldron. “Here, girl. Take your book. It’s the best your father can give you.”

I mentally flinched. Father, you are truly going to make this much harder for me to be friends with them.

With a gesture to me, Father stalked out of the shop. I didn’t dare look back to see what kind of reaction the others had.

His fury calmed a bit the farther away we got from the shop. I spotted a smirk threatening to take over his face that he quickly hid.

And so it begins.

Chapter Text

“The plant houses were incredible!” Draco told Father at dinner. “There were so many different plants and fun guys, and they all did different things. Sister almost got grabbed by one. The snare of a devil! She used a torch one of the plant ladies had to make it go away.”

“They’re called fungi,” I corrected once Draco stopped to take a breath. “Also, the plant is called Devil’s Snare. Close on both, but it’s good to be precise.”

A few days after the Diagon Alley incident, I convinced Mother to take me and Draco to a few magical greenhouses in London. They normally wouldn’t admit guests but were very honored to have the Malfoys drop by for a few hours. I was able to finish all my Herbology requirements and had taken the exam. It left me with thirteen more requirements and six exams until I was completely done. With about two weeks until term started, I was very confident in my ability to finish.

It's mostly spells though. Maybe I’ll tell Draco I need to get some homework done to shorten our time together, and then, I can focus on that and have more time for him in a few days.

Then again, I do actually have homework. A fact the Sorting Hat seemed to forget to tell me.

The concept of summer homework was a new one to me. Or at least was a concept I had heard of but never really applied to myself. I did have to read a book or two for an advanced English class before but not to extent of writing multiple essays for different classes.

At the rate I was going now, I could finish my summer homework in day. It didn’t worry me too much.

“Why did you visit a greenhouse?” Father asked.

I peered over at the change in his tone. He had been very relaxed as he spoke to Mother and Draco. It had shifted to be a combination condescending and irritated.

“I was working on some homework, and it was e… helpful to interact with the plants myself instead of simply reading about them in a book.” I had almost said easier. From my experience being at the manor and of reading the novels, Lucius Malfoy wasn’t the type to approve of something easier.

We had also traveled there by Floo Powder since there were three of us, and Mother was concerned about accidentally splinching us. I had wanted to puke from all the spinning but not quite to the extent apparating caused. I was also sure I bruised both elbows by knocking them into the walls around me.

The Floo Network and apparating are nice to get places faster but more painful.

Father still seemed to disapprove but couldn’t say much because we had already gone and because I was working on homework.

We got through the pleasantries, Father’s complaints, and the silence a little earlier than usual. Father nursed a headache and went off to bed early. Draco stayed up with me until his eyes started closing, and I tucked him into bed before returning to my room.

A glance at my Study quest told me I had fifteen days, nineteen hours, and twenty-two minutes to finish everything.

The speedup boost has been really helpful. It’ll be a shame for that to disappear.

“Sorting Hat?” I called out.

The Sorting Hat screen pulled up to my left where I had adjusted it to pop up. “Yes, sorcerer.”

“Will I ever get the opportunity to have the speed boost thing again? Where I can learn spells and skills faster than my normal rate?”

“Yes! A learning bonus shall randomly appear as one of the options for the additional spell or skill reward.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Open SSK!” I said quickly.

A screen popped up in front of me. I had found it while looking through the screens. Spells, Skills, Knowledge. This page had a list of all the spells, skills, and facts I had acquired/learned. Each also had a short summary. The spells all reminded me what the spell did and the wand movement needed. The skills would give a short set of instructions to carry out the skill. The facts would tell me what fact I knew. The item on the list had a little symbol next to the name. The spells had a wand icon, the skills had a shovel icon, and the facts had a book icon.

At the top right, there was a little box that had a number. This number indicated how many spell points I had as a reward. Currently, I had two from the Birthdaygram quest. I had been saving them for later while I focused on finishing my Study quest. I tapped on the little number.

It expanded a bit. The number two grew to be at the center of the new page. Five long boxes appeared beneath the number. There was a gray button beneath the boxes that said “CONFIRM.” The boxes had the same icons as the SSK. Right now, there were four spells and one skill: Reductor Curse, Cheering Charm, Boggart-Banishing Spell, Hippogriff Friendship, and Full-Body Bind Curse.

I frowned. No speed up. “Sorting Hat, will the spells and skills stay the same if I pick one?”

“No. Unless the sorcerer selects more than one, all five spells and skills shall change every time the sorcerer hits confirm.”

“Will the spells come back?”

“It is randomized. Spells and skills can come back if shuffled enough times.”

I scanned the list. Maybe Reducto? Riddikulus is helpful, but Lupin is a great professor. No need to worry about that one right now. Same with Cheering Charms and Hippogriff Friendship. Hopefully, the hippogriff one will show up again closer to my third year. Petrificus Totalus would be useful except Hermione already learned that her first year which means I probably could too…

I frowned.

Wait. “Sorting Hat?”

“Yes, sorcerer.”

“Does the speed boost I currently have apply to any spells I learn right now?”

“Yes! As the sorcerer prepares for her second year at Hogwarts, the learning bonus shall apply to all spells and skills she learns. The boost shall end once the quest is complete.”

So… any spell I learn will be easier to learn right now. I have fifteen days to try to learn whatever spells or skills I want to with the speed boost before I have to finish the quest. Maybe I get everything done that I need to except for one, and then, I’ll do the last thing on the day before the last day!

A huge smile crossed my face. Imma milk this boost for all its worth.

Ugh. I need more sleep.

“Here, Miss Ara!” Dobby set down a tea tray next to where I had collapsed on the couch.

For the past twelve days, I had spent every minute I could practicing new spells. I had finished the last requirements for the Study quest including all the exams except for the Defense Against the Dark Arts practical exam in three days. The rest of my time was spent learning new spells that looked interesting or that I’d knew would be useful.

Even with the speed boost, most of the spells I wanted to learn were significantly higher than my current abilities which meant I probably only gained one or two spells a day even after spending most of the day practicing the spell. Most of them were hexes or jinxes I found useful—which were a bit harder to practice since I didn’t want to hex Dobby who was my only option if I wanted to practice on someone instead of a practice mannequin that Dobby had somehow found, and I got very good at the counterspell to fix whatever I had done too—but I also had a few new charms and transfiguration spells which would be very helpful for my time at Hogwarts.

When I wasn’t practicing, I spent time with Draco who was becoming more and more clingy as the summer faded away. He wanted to spend all day with me and would pop up in my room when I wasn’t expecting him which meant he accidentally found out I was practicing magic. He luckily agreed not to say a word to our parents if it meant he could stay with me longer. He also kept sleeping in my bed at night which was weird at first since I’d never had siblings before until I got used to it. It was honestly very comforting to have the warmth of another person nearby.

Father had also insisted I practice my Quidditch skills every day after Marcus Flint and his parents came over for dinner which was helpful and not since I wanted to focus on my spells instead. We had the Flints over to show Marcus the new brooms for the Slytherin team. Flint was even uglier than in the movies with very thick eyebrows and bowl cut on top of his head. He was very tall and seemed to have clubs for arms by how stiffly they moved. He also seemed to constantly have a slightly vacant expression. Before dinner, Father insisted I show off a bit on the new broom to show Flint I was actually a decent player and would be an asset on the team, not just a money bank. Flint gave an appreciative grunt once I landed, and he thanked Father for his generosity. He and his parents were full of praises throughout dinner. It got old very quickly.

After that, Father would ask at dinner how my practices were going.

At least Father is showing more interest in me. More than he ever showed.

Sighing, I poured myself a cup of ginger tea from the kettle Dobby had brought and slowly sipped it down.

Dobby said it was helpful for easing headaches. I’d been drinking different headache-killing teas for the past couple of days since wizards didn’t seem to believe in pain meds.

Imma have to go to a muggle store at some point and buy some pens and pain meds. Maybe some more normal clothes. I have some but not a lot. I’ll have to start a list.

My current headache was because I had been trying and failing to learn the Patronus charm for the past five days. I could maybe get a little light for a couple seconds before it dispersed. Maybe it’s too advanced? I’m at Level 9 for my power level, and I have the speed up, but maybe even that isn’t enough? I thought back over movie Lupin’s words to Harry.

Harry had failed the first few times because his happy memory wasn’t powerful enough.

“That’s not good enough, not nearly good enough!” Lupin had said.

Do I not have a happy enough memory? I’ve tried different memories of being here. I’m happy enough. Maybe not completely happy, but that could change once I’m at Hogwarts. I could try something from my past life, but I don’t think any of those would be good enough either. I can’t remember the last time I was truly happy—

My door slammed open.

I jumped. Bolting upright, I stared wide-eyed as Father stormed into my room. His eyes landed on me, and he stomped to my side. I stood and backed up a couple steps. “Hello, Father. You’re home early. What—”

“Have you been practicing underaged sorcery?” Father demanded.

My eyes widened. I tried to form words. Some sort of explanation. Nothing came out.

Father stalked closer. I retreated as he came closer until my back was pressed up against the wall. “A colleague from the Improper Use of Magic Office spoke with me today and mentioned there had been a suspicious increase of magic coming from my own home in the past few weeks. Magic that seemed out of place for me or your mother to be using or even something Dobby would use. I’ll ask you again, Ara. Have you been practicing underaged sorcery?”

My breathing came out in short pants. “Y-yes,” I said. “I—”

Father slapped me.

My head jerked to the side. I bit my tongue to keep from crying out. I stayed very still, keeping my head bowed, and resisted the urge to rub at my stinging cheek.

“You are very lucky that my colleague came to me instead of reporting this directly to Mafalda Hopkirk who would have sent a warning to our home. I was able to smooth things over and give a believable excuse, but if this continues, the situation can escalate which is completely unacceptable. You are a Malfoy and must uphold the family name which does not include being reckless enough to receive attention from the Ministry. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Father,” I said weakly, still keeping my head lowered.

Father let out a loud huff. He took a step back and straightened his cloak. “Now, show me what you’ve been practicing.”

I turned my head enough to look over at his face with a frown. “Father?”

“From what my colleague told me, you have been practicing a variety of different spells and hexes. Show me some of the best spells you have been practicing, and then, I shall decide how much to punish you.”

I flinched. His cold gray eyes didn’t move from me. Not having much of a choice, I slowly straightened and fished my wand out of my pocket. My mind ran through the spells I had been practicing. Something more advanced? To hopefully make him less angry?

Stepping sideways to put a bit of distance between me and my father, I pointed my wand at a heavy novel on the table next to the tea tray. “Accio!” The book soared through the air toward me. I easily caught it.

Father didn’t move.

Aiming at the book once more, I said, “Depulso!” The book lurched backward and landed with a thump on the table, sliding a bit before it stopped.

I then summoned an unlit candle I had on the table as well. I lifted my wand and lightly tossed the candle into the air. “Reducto!” The curse shot through the air and collided with the airborne candle which immediately exploded into ashes the moment it made contact. The ashes fluttered to the ground.

An uneasy silence fell over the room.

Father’s eyes shifted from the ashes back to me. He then looked over at the book on the table. “Those are rather advanced spells for your age.”

I gave a short nod.

“Hm.” Spinning on his heel, he walked toward the door. He stopped right in front of it. “I expect better grades this year. No more magic until you return to Hogwarts.”

“Y-yes, Father.”

Without another word, Father left the room.

I waited for a few seconds before sliding down the wall to the floor.

“Miss Ara!” Dobby cried out. He rushed to my side. “Is Miss Ara alright?”

I nodded stiffly. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

I stayed where I was for a long time. Dobby swept up the ashes of the candle and brew a fresh pot of tea since the last one had long since cooled. This one was a peppermint tea. Also helpful for headaches.

By the time I stood up again, the red on my cheek from the slap had faded, and I didn’t feel any pain anymore. I brushed my fingers against my cheek, frowning.

“Does Miss Ara need anything?” Dobby asked.

I shook my head.

Bowing low, Dobby excused himself to go finish preparing dinner.

At dinner, Father didn’t say a word about me using magic. He spoke about work and asked about Mother’s day. He asked Draco what he had been up to before asking me about my Quidditch practice like everything was normal. Like he hadn’t yelled at me less than an hour earlier. Our family fell into the familiar silence after that until we finished eating.

Draco followed me to my room and stayed with me until he fell asleep in my bed like he usually did. Unlike his usual smile, he had a frown on his face that stayed on his face as he slept. Draco hadn’t asked me about what had happened or why I wasn’t talking as much.

Only once he was asleep did I allow my face to unfreeze from the forced calm to the slightly panicked expression that stared back at me in the mirror. I forced down a couple deep breaths.

At least the Ministry didn’t send a warning or expel me. And Father seems like he isn’t going to punish me, but I’m not sure if I’ll believe that until I’m on the Hogwarts Express. Even so, I can’t practice magic anymore. At least not until I get back to Hogwarts. I don’t know what Father would do if we got an official warning from the Ministry about my underaged sorcery.

I do have to finish my last exam though. It’s also disappointing to stop now since the speed boost will be gone. I’ll have to learn spells and skills at a normal pace. I would have had three and a half more days to use it. I’ll hope I get a speed boost as a reward at some point.

Reaching out to the Sorting Hat, I took my last exam. The practical exam for Defense Against the Dark Arts. The exam was even easier with the extra defensive and offensive spells I had taught myself, and I passed that exam with 108%. Even higher than Hermione’s score of 102%.

The moment I received my score, the Fireworks chime sounded. I glanced to my right to see the notification.

Study, Study, Study – COMPLETE!

See quest details for rewards.

I clicked into it to see my rewards. To my surprise, I had been bumped up an entire power level to put me at Level 10, I gained an extra spell point, and my HP had increased to 370. There was also a reward labeled ‘Gift’ like the one I had received when I had completed the Birthdaygram quest. I accepted it.

A purple and red book appeared in the air in front of me. There was nothing printed on the cover or the spine. Despite that, I knew exactly what book it was even before the floating label appeared.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

This is a copy of the original first book in the Harry Potter series. No one else can open this book unless the sorcerer opens it for them.

I can get the original books as rewards? That’d be so useful! The system might be stingy though and not give me the book until after I finish the year. Well, this is my comfort series, so it’ll be nice to be able to read them all. Especially since I plan to stay here for the rest of my life.

I reached out and grabbed the book from the air.

The normal chime sounded as soon as I held the novel in hand, and a new notification popped up in front of me.

For completing the Study, Study, Study quest early, the sorcerer also gained an additional spell point. Please view the SSK page for more details about the spells and skills to be learned.

I hadn’t used any of my rewards to get a new spell or skill yet. I had just learned the ones I wanted to learn since I had the speed boost. I clicked into the SSK page and the number box in the top right to see if it had updated.

Will it still show the spells even if I learned them? Or will it show new ones?

It was a bit of both. The system had replaced the spells I had learned with new options. The boxes now said Lapifors Spell, Cheering Charm, Boggart-Banishing Spell, Hippogriff Friendship, and—

“Learning Bonus?” I almost shouted. My fingers shook as I tapped on the box to see the details. Text appeared beneath the option name.

This Learning Bonus allows the sorcerer to learn spells and skills 30% faster than her normal learning speed.

I couldn’t click the ‘CONFIRM’ button fast enough.

Learning Bonus – UNLOCKED

You can view Bonuses on the Quests Page.

I opened the quests page. Next to the power bar icon, there was now a little 30. My smile couldn’t be wider. It’s not as good as the 75% boost or whatever I had before, but it’s something! I’ll take it. Any speed boost is better than nothing at all.

Closing all my windows, I crawled into bed next to Draco in a considerably better mood and fell asleep with a smile on my face.

Draco’s bad mood instantly disappeared once he found me in such a good mood the next morning, and he was even happier when I told him I wanted to spend the next few days with him and not study.

We played many rounds of Exploding Snap—where I had to trick Draco into telling me how to play by pretending not to know—and Wizard’s Chess. Both seemed a little complicated for a five year old, but Draco enjoyed watching the chess pieces move and was wildly entertained by the exploding cards more than actually playing the games. I took him up on my broom with me again before actually practicing my broom skills a little simply not to get on Father’s bad side. We read a few books from the library. Draco loved the funny voices I did while reading Tales of Beedle the Bard and asked me to read each story twice. I was very tempted to start reading the original Harry Potter novel to him but resisted.

The last few days of summer passed quickly.

On the last night of summer vacation, I found myself inside my closet trying to figure out how I was going to get everything I wanted into my trunk.

It’s comforting to know that my procrastination and overpacking habits haven’t changed.

Packing was even harder since I didn’t fully know what to expect. I kept chanting to myself that I could be mailed anything I needed. I ended up consulting with Dobby to ease some of my worries. He had offered to pack for me, but I insisted I could do it.

I double and triple checked that I had everything before I began to pack everything into my trunk. Almost done, I had started to pack my toiletries when I paused. A new thought popped into my head.

After checking that Dobby was out of earshot, I called out quietly, “Sorting Hat?”

The Sorting Hat screen popped up. “Yes, sorcerer.”

“Have… have I started my period yet?”

“No, you haven’t.”

I frowned. As someone who had started menstruating at eleven and had a period for the past six years, suddenly not having one was very weird. “Do… do you know when I’ll start?”

“This HAT knows but is unable to inform the sorcerer.”

I shot a glare at the icon. “Why not?”

“A menstrual cycle is a part of the life and experience of the sorcerer. The sorcerer has foreknowledge of many events but must not know everything in order to increase the difficulty and enhance the experience.”

I scowled. “Having a period or not has nothing to do with the plot!”

No matter how much I argued with it, the Sorting Hat refused to budge and didn’t answer my question.

I spent the rest of the time it took to finish packing muttering curses about the hat.

Once my trunk was closed, I moved it to stand by my door. Ready to go for tomorrow.

Dobby, who had endured my newly irritated mood, was about to excuse himself for the night when I called him over. “Here.” I held out a sealed letter to him. I had folded it to be about the size of my palm.

Dobby took the letter with a frown. “Would Miss Ara like Dobby to mail this out?”

“No. It’s for you.”

His eyes widened. “For Dobby?”

I nodded. “Yep. I want you to keep it, and I don’t want you to read it until the end of the school year. Just before I come home for the summer holiday. Will you promise not to read it until then?”

Dobby nodded, ears flapping. “Of course, Miss Ara! Dobby swears not to read it until the young mistress returns home.”

“Don’t let anyone see it either. Especially not my parents.” I shot a glance at the letter. “They won’t be happy about what it says.”

He tilted his head. “Why would Master Lucius and Mistress Narcissa be unhappy?”

I only smiled. “You’ll understand when you read it.” I considered this house-elf in front of me. My first friend in this new world. “Dobby… can I give you a hug?”

His eyes widened, ready to pop out of his head. “Miss Ara wishes… to hug Dobby?”

I gave him a small nod. Heat rose to my cheeks. I hurriedly spoke. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to! I just thought… it’d be nice to give my friend a hug before I leave for the year and won’t see you again until the summertime.”

Dobby stared at me for a long time. “Dobby…” He hesitated. “… Dobby would very much like to hug Miss Ara.”

Opening my arms, I gently pulled Dobby to me and wrapped my arms tightly around him. He stayed still for a moment before hugging me back. This was very different than hugging Draco. I could feel his ribs pressed up against me and his thin arms around me. A very breakable body but a powerful strength I hadn’t expected.

I held on as long as I dared before releasing him. I gave him a broad smile. “Thank you for everything, Dobby.”

Dobby bowed until his nose brushed the floor. “Dobby is grateful for his kind young mistress, Miss Ara.” He gave me a small smile and left.

I crawled into bed soon after even if I doubted I’d get much sleep.

To my surprise, Draco was still awake. His eyes immediately found mine as I pulled up the blankets. “What?” I asked.

“You hugged him.”

I nodded. “I did.”

Draco frowned. I could see him trying to form a question and waited. “Does…” he started. “Does he give good hugs?”

I let out a soft laugh. “Yes, he does.”

“Can… can I hug Dobby too?”

I scooted closer in the bed to Draco. “You can. Just make sure to ask him first and don’t do it in front of our parents. They’d freak.”

Draco nodded once. He then turned around and faced away from me.

I didn’t think anything of it until his little shoulders began to shake. I gently tugged on his shoulder to turn him to face me again. My heart broke as I spotted tears streaming down his face. “Oh, Draco. What’s wrong?”

His bottom lip trembled. “I-I don’t want you to go.”

Giving him a sad smile, I wrapped my arms tightly around my little brother and tugged him closer to me until his back was pressed up against my front. “I know. I don’t want to leave you, but I do have to go to school.” I kissed away a tear sliding down his face. “I’ll write to you every week, and I expect to get letters back.”

“Mkay,” Draco said softly.

“And when the summer holiday starts, we’ll do something fun. I’ll convince our parents to take us on a trip somewhere like you did with the Averys, but our trip will be even more fun.”

“That’s still far away.”

I nodded. “It is, but time will pass quickly, and I’ll be home before you know it. In the meantime, why don’t you give Dobby a big hug whenever you miss me?”

“Mkay.”

I snuggled closer to Draco. “Alright. Time for sleep, or you’re going to be too sleepy to travel tomorrow.”

“I love you, Ara.”

I froze.

Never. Never in my entire life could I remember those three little words being spoken to me. Especially not by someone who genuinely meant it. Nor had I ever said them to anyone. Nor had I even wanted to say those words.

A tingly warmth filled my chest. I tightened my grip on my brother to hug him closer to me. “I… love you too, Draco.”

Chapter Text

It was a good thing I had to push my trunk, or I might have skipped to the platform which would have ruined the calm and collected look us four Malfoys put off as we walked through King’s Cross Station.

Father insisted upon arriving extra early to ensure we had plenty of time to settle me in. I didn’t mind in the least. Even if we were there nearly an hour before the train would leave.

For the occasion, I had thrown on a black blouse on top of gray slacks, paired with black flats. It felt like a little much compared to everyone else but was fine while standing next to my parents who wore similar muggle attire. Compared to my wavy hair in my old life, my hair now would be ready to go if I ran a brush through it. Although, all it did was lay flat and straight. I was curious to see what curling it would do but hadn’t had the opportunity to try.

Draco stuck to my side and wouldn’t let go of the corner of my blouse. I would have held Draco’s hand if I had a hand to spare. Trying to maneuver my trunk even on a little trolley was very difficult. Our parents led the way, and I was very careful not to hit the back of their legs.

We reached platforms nine and ten. My heartbeat began to speed up once more. A month. I’ve been in this world for a month, and now, I’m actually going to Hogwarts!! I had to keep repressing my grin to be very subdued and not like a first-year riding the train for the first time.

Draco stayed by my side while our parents walked casually through the barrier and promptly vanished.

I let myself grin before quickly smothering it. My turn. “Ready?” I asked Draco.

He tightened his grip on my blouse and nodded.

I started jogging, making sure not to go too fast for Draco. We rushed through the barrier. There was a moment of darkness before becoming light once more.

A scarlet steam engine greeted me with the words Hogwarts Express along the front. A sign overhead said Hogwarts 11 A.M. I’m sure my face looked like it was spasming as I attempted to keep a large grin off my face. The platform only had a few people milling out. Some students had already changed into their robes while most still wore muggle attire.

I spotted owls and cats in their cages on top of trunks. I had subtly asked Dobby the other day, and I confirmed I didn’t have my own personal owl. We had a family owl, Volare, that would bring me treats and sweets from home but would always return to the manor. I was sure if I asked my parents for my own owl, they would have immediately bought one for me. For now, it didn’t seem as needed as long as I had access to the family owl.

I chose a compartment close to the door, and Father used a spell to levitate my trunk into place before leading me back off the train. We waited in the crowd and had a few families approach us to say hello. Likely the only reason my parents had stayed this long. With free hands now, I held on tightly to Draco but didn’t dare show much more affection that this with our parents standing there.

“Ara!”

Twisting, I spotted a girl quickly walking toward us. She had long dark hair that hung down her back and sun-kissed skin. A green coat that went to her knees hugged her small frame. Everything was very meticulous, not a hair out of place. She looked rather delicate but also seemed ready to scratch someone’s eye out if they irritated her.

Having a guess but still not entirely sure who this was, I shifted my gaze a bit to see the name on her trunk.

P. Parkinson

Pansy Parkinson, the main love interest for OG Draco Malfoy while he was at school.

I wonder what our dynamic is like now.

With a bright smile, Pansy came to a stop next to me. “You look as lovely as ever. How was your summer holiday?”

I offered a small smile. Literally the most life-changing summer of my life. “Uneventful. Yours?”

“Very relaxing. France was spectacular! We—” She broke off, eyes wide. With a glance at my parents, she quickly changed the subject. “Have you already chosen a compartment? I believe I saw Millicent and Daphne on my way in. A few of the boys as well. We’ll have to find compartments next to each other since we all can’t fit in one.”

I let her drag me off as her parents stopped to chat with mine. Draco came with us as he still had a tight hold on my hand.

Pansy quickly spotted my tail and turned to him with a glare. “Go back with your parents. You—”

“He’s fine,” I interrupted.

Her eyes widened at me. She didn’t dare say anything else but gave me a few odd looks.

We managed to get her trunk to the compartment but couldn’t get it into the overhead until someone new showed up and helped get the last push. This newcomer was a boy around our age. The sight of which cause my heart to flutter a bit. His dark brown skin contrasted with the silver jacket he wore that shimmered in the light. His dark hair had been trimmed very short to hug his head, and his hazel eyes seemed to track my every movement in almost a predatory way. His cheekbones were rather sharp and likely could rival Benedict Cumberbatch’s once he aged up a bit. He was more put together than Pansy and seemed more likely than her to flip out if someone dirtied his jacket.

“Thank you, Blaise!” Pansy said, flashing him a coy smile.

“Not at all.” Blaise Zabini turned his full attention to me. “Have a good holiday, Ara?”

My body seemed torn. My initial reaction had me shifting away from him while the other part of me wanted to lean into him and hold his hand. The two parts collided until my body twitched while staying in the same spot.

Blaise frowned a bit, clearly confused by my reaction.

I settled for another small smile as I met his gaze. “Very much so. You?”

Eying me for a moment longer, Blaise shook off his frown to bring his smile back. “Boring. Better now to be back at school even with the filth.” He gestured with his head toward my left. “I saved the compartment next door.”

With a nod of acknowledgement, I excused myself and led Draco back off the train toward where our parents stood.

The platform had become much more crowded now. A glance at the large clock said there were less than fifteen minutes now. Our parents had found a new family to strike up a conversation with. Or I suppose, more likely, this couple likely came up to our parents. I didn’t recognize them and turned my attention to Draco.

His grip on my hand had only tightened. He looked ready to become permanently attached to me. His distress only grew as the clock ticked closer to eleven.

A glance at my parents told me they were too focused in their conversation to pay attention to us. I squeezed Draco’s hand and gave him a smile. “Remember what I said to do if you miss me?” I asked quietly.

Draco gave a small nod. “Ask Dobby for a hug.”

I tugged my little brother to stand in front of me and bent my knees to be around his height. “That’s right. I’ll write to you every week and tell you about school.”

“Will you come home for Christmas?”

I opened my mouth to confirm that I would when I paused. The Golden Trio used Polyjuice Potion over Christmas break because Draco hadn’t gone home. If I go home, they can’t use Polyjuice to interrogate me. Is the Sorting Hat going to make me stay at Hogwarts? For the plot? I tried to give him a reassuring smile. “I’ll do my best to come home for the break, but I might have to stay at Hogwarts. I promise that when I’m home for the summer, I’ll spend at least two whole weeks with you and won’t do any studying or homework, okay?”

Draco gave a stiff nod.

Leaning forward, I wrapped my arms tightly around Draco. “I love you.”

He tugged me tightly back. “I love you too.”

I held on as long as I could until I could feel a cold stare on my back. Pulling away, I straightened and found Father frowning at me. I inclined my head. “Goodbye, Father.”

Father only blinked. “I expect better grades this year.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Not to my surprise, Mother didn’t move to hug me either but promised to send Volare with sweets. I gave her a smile and got back onto the train. I settled back into my compartment and peered out the window to where Draco and my parents stood as a whistle blew.

After a minute, the train started to pull away from the station. I waved at Draco whose bottom lip seemed to be trembling. He’d glance at our parents though and kept himself from crying. He quickly disappeared out of sight. I couldn’t help the sad frown that crossed my face.

I brought a neutral expression to my face as the compartment door slid open. Three girls entered, chatting away. I recognized Pansy again. The other two were girls I had never seen before. One was very tall for twelve year old and had clearly started puberty. Her chest was filling out, and her curves were starting to show. Her light brown hair almost had a grayish tinge and brushed against her back just beneath her shoulders. The other girl stood a bit shorter than me but had a very small frame that made her the smallest of our group. Her wavy caramel brown hair fell to the middle of her back. She had softer features and big blue eyes.

I guessed the taller one was Millicent Bulstrode but had absolutely no idea who the other girl was. There’s another Slytherin girl? I thought it was just Pansy and Millicent. Who is this??

Pansy sat down across from me with the smaller girl in the middle and Millicent closest to the door. The bench next to me remained empty. Pansy was gushing about her trip to France. “—wonderful shopping. I bought some new dress robes that suit me perfectly. I had so many sweets as well that I was worried I wouldn’t fit into my new clothes!” She focused her attention on me and frowned. “I’m sorry your father forbade you from coming, Ara. It would have been more fun with you there.”

“Why wouldn’t your father let you go?” the smaller girl asked me.

At her words, all three girls turned to me to wait for my response as if it would give them the answer to the universe.

I blinked and threw a glance out the window. “He said my grades were too low.”

Pansy let out a scoff. “If it wasn’t for that ridiculous muggleborn, I’m sure you would have had the highest scores!”

The other two girls quickly agreed.

I gave them all a small smile without responding.

“Oh!” Pansy exclaimed. “I almost forgot.” She stood on the bench to reach her trunk and pulled out a wrapped gift. It looked like a thin box only a couple inches wide covered in silver wrapping paper with a green ribbon wrapped in a bow around it. She sat back down and held it out to me. “Here! This is for you.”

Taking the gift, I tugged off the ribbon and unwrapped the shiny paper. Nestled inside the thin box was a gorgeous necklace. It had a silver chain. At the base of the necklace was a sparkling emerald cut into the shape of a star which made it almost look like a green sun. “It’s beautiful, Pansy,” I told her. “Thank you.”

I let Pansy help me put it on and felt the cool metal against my skin. It fell a few inches beneath my collar bone.

The compartment door slid open. “It suits you, Ara.”

I looked up to watch as Blaise strolled into the room. Pansy retreated to her seat as Blaise sat down next to me. So, that’s why they didn’t sit by me. I gave him a bland smile. “Thank you. Pansy has great taste.”

“You make it even lovelier.”

Is… is he flirting with me?

To my surprise, Blaise kept finding excuses to touch me. Something my body kept warring over. His hand would rest on my leg whenever he spoke to me. He’d lean in closer to hear what the smaller girl—apparently, her name was Daphne, and Pansy used her name a couple times which was helpful and not since I couldn’t remember anyone named Daphne in the books—was saying and would brush his leg up against mine. At one point, a piece of my hair had fallen into my face. Before I could move, Blaise had already reached out to tuck it behind my ear.

Are we together in this world?? Why is he being so touchy??

I had to remind myself to not flinch at his touch but would try to shift a bit to stop touching him whenever the discomfort grew too overwhelming. Blaise seemed a little confused but didn’t say anything.

When the trolley witch came by, he bought enough sweets for the entire compartment and offered me a cauldron cake. He brought it directly to my mouth and had me take a bite from his hand.

Color rushed to my cheeks. I quickly excused myself to use the bathroom.

“Sorting Hat,” I hissed quietly as I made my way down the hall.

The screen popped up. “Yes, sorcerer.”

“Am I… are… are Blaise and I dating?”

“No. The sorcerer’s parents would not approve.”

I waited. The Sorting didn’t continue. “And??” I demanded. “Did Ara like him? Does he like me? Why is he being so… touchy?”

“The original Ara did like him and would not let the other Slytherin girls pursue him even if she could not be with him. Blaise Zabini has expressed his wish to be with the sorcerer despite what the original Ara has said about her parents disapproving.”

“Does he actually like me, or does he have other motives?”

“This HAT cannot answer that question.”

I shot a glare at the screen. “Why not?”

“This HAT can only answer clarifying questions about knowledge Ara Malfoy should already know. The original Ara did not know the answer to that question.”

I frowned.

When I came back to the compartment, I paid more attention to Blaise. He still had a more predatory gaze whenever he looked at me. It did seem to be filled with sincerity though, and he reserved all his smiles for me. I couldn’t tell if he genuinely liked me. And I still wasn’t sure how I felt about all the touching even if my body both wanted to lean in to every touch and flinch away.

The compartment door slid open.

A taller weedy boy with mousy brown hair came into the compartment followed closely by two very large boys with thick arms like a gorilla, one with a terrible bowl cut and one with short bristly brown hair. I wasn’t sure about the weedy boy but was certain about the other two.

Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. Henchmen of the OG Draco Malfoy. Not very bright and essentially large bodyguards. Nothing like their actors but still recognizable from the books’ descriptions.

“What is it, Nott?” Blaise asked. He had moved closer to me at some point. His arm now brushed up against mine with every move he made.

Theodore Nott. Friends with Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle since all their fathers were Death Eaters. And now seemed to answer to Blaise even though he had been much more in the background before.

Nott took a step into the compartment. “Potter and Weasley aren’t on the train.”

That caught the attention of everyone in the compartment who all turned to stare at Nott. Blaise traded his easy smile for a frown. “What? Where are they?”

“No one knows. Not even Granger or Weasley’s little first-year sister. They came to the station but never went through the barrier.”

Blaise’s frown deepened. “It’s too much to hope for that they decided not to come to Hogwarts this year. I imagine we’ll see from them sooner or later.” He twisted to look at me. “What do you think?”

I kept my face carefully neutral. “It is rather odd. I agree though. We’ll still see them at Hogwarts.” I resisted the urge to look out the window to see if I could spot a flying car following the train. “No one will be pleased if famous Harry Potter isn’t at school this year.”

“Granger and the Weasley girl are near the back of the train.” Nott’s eyes lit up. “We could pay them a visit.”

Blaise looked to me again and waited.

“Don’t bother,” I said breezily, channeling my inner Draco. “It’s not as fun if it’s only H… Granger. Why bother with a muggleborn?”

Blaise agreed with me and dismissed Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle with a nod.

If he had to choose, would Nott be loyal to me or Blaise? I still had a hard time getting a read on Blaise. He seemed to be willing to do anything to please me. Pansy was similar except she fell more into a devotee role compared to Blaise who was trying to fill the boyfriend role. Daphne was rather quiet but went along with whatever Pansy wanted. Same with Millicent, except she was a little more outspoken and aggressive.

I want to be friends with the Golden Trio, but my parents would despise me if they knew. Which means I won’t be able to be openly friends with them for now. If I can even get them to be friends with me. When I have a bit more freedom, then, I can be closer friends with them without worrying about what anyone else thinks. But for now, I shouldn’t burn any bridges with my fellow Slytherins since I will be spending a lot of time with them for the next five years.

Blaise stayed with us for a while before excusing himself to the other compartment for a few minutes.

Pansy immediately turned to me as soon as the compartment door closed. “I’ve been wanting to ask you about something. I didn’t want to bring it up around Blaise if you hadn’t mentioned it to him already.”

I frowned. “What is it?”

“Since when have you and that little brat been friends?”

“Who?”

“Your brother?” Pansy demanded. “The same kid who is going to take everything at the Malfoy manor away from you? Take away everything that has been yours? And you’re hugging him and willingly letting him tag along with you? That brat—”

“He’s not a brat.” I narrowed my eyes at her surprised face. “I’ll only tell you once never to refer to him like that ever again.”

Pansy blanched. Even Millicent and Daphne looked surprised.

I slowly twisted to gaze out the window. “I’ve done a lot of thinking this summer. There is no point wasting time blaming and hating a child who had nothing to do with my father’s choice. He is my brother after all. I’d rather have him as a friend than an enemy.”

Through a reflection in the glass, I spotted as the three of them exchanged a glance.

I let my gaze linger on the countryside. We had long since passed the last of the houses and most of the empty fields. We traveled through thicker forests and rolling hills.

At some point, Daphne hesitantly started up a conversation with Millicent. It was rather subdued as if they were worried about disturbing me. Daphne talked about spending a few weeks with her aunt in America. “I enjoyed myself, but Astoria—”

I whipped my head around. “Who?”

Daphne stared at me wide eyed. “Astoria? My sister?”

Oh! That’s who she is! With Daphne still staring, I fixed my expression and gave a polite nod. “Apologies. I misheard you and thought you were speaking about someone else.” I fixated my gaze out the window once more as Daphne started speaking again.

Astoria. A.K.A. the future OG Mrs. Malfoy. Unless there happened to be another one running around which wasn’t as likely.

I didn’t realize Astoria’s sister was in the same year as Draco and the Golden Trio. I didn’t realize Astoria even had a sister. She seemed to pop up out of nowhere. I spared a quick glance at Daphne. I wonder why he married Astoria and not Daphne, especially if Daphne was in his same year. Maybe he liked Astoria more? If Astoria is anything like Daphne, she’d be nice enough to marry. My pureblood parents most certainly wouldn’t approve of me getting together with anyone not a pureblood male. But it wouldn’t work out between us anyway. I’d like someone with a stronger personality to match mine. Someone who is too quiet would likely drive me crazy.

I was lost in thought for a long time before Pansy pulled my attention back by saying we should all put on our school robes. No one made a move though, all looking at me.

Do I really have such a stranglehold on all of them? I offered a small smile. “Great. Let’s do it.”

When the train finally pulled into Hogsmeade Station, my excitement from earlier had come back in full force. I tried to contain it and somewhat failed.

The other girls picked up on my mood, and the joy seemed to spread until we were a couple steps away from giddy.

Blaise met us in the hallway with a deep frown. At the large grin on my face, Blaise brought his own smile and came to stand next to me. “You look almost as chuffed as a first-year. Did you miss this place?”

I quickly subdued my smile. “There are some things that I certainly didn’t miss, but there are a lot of things I did.”

We got off the train rather quickly and stood on the platform.

“Firs’ years! Firs’ years this way!”

I turned my head to see Hagrid walking toward the group of students holding a lamp that bobbed over everyone’s heads.

Something warm gripped my hand.

I flinched at first and looked over in surprise to see Blaise holding tightly to my hand which startled me more than anything. I resisted the urge to pull away. He gestured with his head away from Hagrid. “C’mon, this way. We can follow the rest of the school to the carriages.” Tugging lightly on my hand, Blaise led the way in the same direction everyone else was moving still holding onto my hand. The rest of the second-year Slytherins followed behind us.

A long line of carriages waited for us, all appearing to pull themselves. I fixated my gaze on the empty space in front of one of the carriages.

As cool as it would be to see a thestral, I hope I never do.

I let Blaise help me into one of the carriages. The other girls quickly followed us inside while the guys got into the carriage behind us.

I couldn’t focus on the conversation. My attempts to pay attention only lasted about a minute before I was distracted.

The carriage itself wasn’t exciting. It smelled like hay and mold and swayed as it moved along the path. My eyes were fixed on the view outside through the tiny window.

We passed through a pair of wrought iron gates. On each side were pillars topped with bronze winged boars.

Soon, turrets and towers came into view that soon grew into a massive castle on top of the hill. Even knowing how many people and classrooms it had to house, the size surprised me as it stretched out across the grounds and up into the sky. The stone walls showed age likely from the weather and the passage of time, giving an ancient eminence to the place. Light poured from its many windows, illuminating the area around the castle. It looked rather like a beacon or a lighthouse on a hill.

The carriage eventually came to a stop. We exited and made our way up a flight of stone steps toward open oak doors.

I stopped just outside.

This is it.

I took a step forward.

It was barely a foot of difference, but an indescribable happiness flooded through me. I let my grin grow as wide as my face as I quickly caught up to where Blaise stood waiting with a slight frown.

The front door opened into an immense entrance hall lit up with many torches along the walls. A marble staircase stood directly in front of us, almost beaconing me to explore and discover every secret nook and cranny Hogwarts had to offer.

Instead of going up the stairs, we turned to the right where the door to the Great Hall stood open for us.

I sharply inhaled as we walked inside.

The Great Hall was even more beautiful than I imagined. Thousands of floating candles lit up the room and were second only to the ceiling. The ceiling seemed nonexistent by how it perfectly reflected the night sky. I felt like I was staring up into the open air, entranced by the stars and clouds above me. Four long tables took over most of the space, and golden plates and goblets adorned every table and practically sparkled in the light. Ghosts swept through and over the tables, cooling the air a bit and bringing a slight haze to the room. Another table stood at the front of the room where a line of teachers sat staring at the group of students walking in.

I only recognized five teachers. I spotted Lockhart who was very ostentatious in his turquoise robes. His grin was shinier than the plates and goblets. Tiny Professor Flitwick’s head could barely be seen over the table with tufts of white hair. Professor Sprout was very similar to her actress but a bit dirtier. She had patches of dirt over her pale green robes and wore a slightly skewed hat on top of her frizzy hair. There were a few empty seats at the head table. I was certain I’d recognize Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape, but neither of them was here yet. Hagrid had sidled in at some point. A very large presence which made me grateful I wasn’t trying to ignore him.

Only after I had looked at all the other professors did I allow my attention to be drawn where it naturally wanted to look. My gaze fell on the center of the table to a tall, golden chair where an older wizard in deep purple robes sat. His bright silver hair and beard fell beneath the surface of the table. Half-moon glasses sat on a crooked nose, and his blue eyes seemed to twinkle as he looked out at the students.

Albus Dumbledore.

With very mixed feelings about this man because of his treatment of different characters, especially Harry himself, I didn’t want to stare at him long. Even if my mind was freaking out a bit at seeing one of the most powerful wizards of all time, sitting only a room away from me.

Blaise clearly noticed I was distracted and only tugged me along with him over to the Slytherin table. We found seats halfway along the table and settled down as the rest of the students made their way inside.

“Are you alright?” Blaise asked quietly.

I quickly yanked my attention to him and gave him an easy smile. “Yes. Just a little tired.”

Despite my reassurance, Blaise’s eyes didn’t leave my face.

The students all settled, and we turned to wait for the first-years.

Sooner than I expected, a rather stern-looking witch wearing emerald green robes swept into the room. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun with not a hair out of place. Square spectacles sat on her face as she strolled with purpose toward the teacher’s table. Nothing like Maggie Smith but still as impressive and commanding.

Minerva McGonagall.

A trail of little eleven year olds followed behind her as they made their way down the middle of the tables toward the front of the room.

Professor McGonagall set down a stool I hadn’t noticed her holding and placed an old hat on top.

The hat was frayed and filthy with numerous patches. It looked ready to fall apart at the slightest breeze. The famous Hogwarts Sorting Hat. I thought about my own Sorting Hat. The icon didn’t look nearly as shabby as this hat did. Despite its appearance, silence fell across the hall with all eyes on the hat. A rip appeared near the wide brim of the hat, opening like a mouth. A song soon filled the room as the sorting hat began to sing:

“Before my fabric was sewn and worn,

There were powerful sorcerers four

Who desired to create a place of learning

Never seen or heard of before.

This school would be for all magic-born

To wise them up and help them grow.

So, the founders created me to sort them

And determine where they should go.

The brave of heart and firm of mind

Belong in the house of Godric Gryffindor.

You may fall and fail from time to time

But will always get up and try once more.

The quick-witted and innovated thinkers

Learn with clever Rowena Ravenclaw.

Your endless ideas and meticulous plans

Shall leave others gasping in awe.

The artfully ambitious and the astute

Shall stay with Salazar Slytherin.

They are those who look inside themselves

And develop their talents therein.

Finally, the loyal souls and kindest hearts

Shall be at home with Helga Hufflepuff.

Though some believe them to be lacking,

They are more than enough.

Many lifetimes have now since passed.

Yet shall I look deeply within your mind

To find portions of those four founders

And sort you to where you are inclined.”

Thunderous applause filled the room. Cheers and shouts were added to the mix. Careful of the persona I needed to craft, I clapped politely with the rest before stopping. The other second-years followed my lead. The Sorting Hat bowed to each table and then stopped moving, appearing once again to be a lifeless hat.

Professor McGonagall unfurled a scroll and addressed the first-years. “When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted.”

I lightly tapped my fingers on the table and stopped listening. I’d only recognize a few names anyway. Harry didn’t seem to pay much attention to other students not in his year besides important side characters which meant the readers didn’t get many names of other characters. Which makes sense of course since too many names would be rather obnoxious to try to keep track of. I did hear Creevey, Colin and Lovegood, Luna who were sorted into Gryffindor and Ravenclaw respectively. I watched Luna glide over to the Ravenclaw table with her long dirty blonde hair hanging down to her waist. I spotted her earrings from here because of their bright orange color and smiled. Luna is a truly unique girl. Maybe I can be friends with her earlier too. She could use some friends since the other Ravenclaws don’t treat her very nicely.

Ginny stood as the last one in the group as the girl in front of her went over to the cheering Hufflepuff table. Her red hair easily stood out among the crowd of black robes. She climbed the couple steps and sat uneasily on the stool. Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head, and the brim went down over her eyes.

The Sorting Hat didn’t move for about four seconds before the rip opened wide to shout, “GRYFFINDOR!”

Cheers sounded from the other side of the hall. I could hear Fred and George cheering, the loudest of the group.

Face nearly as red as her hair, Ginny slipped off the stool and moved to sit at the Gryffindor table with her brothers. I followed her with my eyes and spotted Hermione’s worried face.

No wonder she was so mad at Harry and Ron, I thought. She’s probably been worried about them all day. She’ll see them soon. And I bet the rumors should start soon too. As soon as McGonagall leaves the feast to divvy out their punishment. Which, to be fair, was a very light punishment. Just a detention? I might have given them at least three. But then, their brains are underdeveloped, so stealing a car and flying it to school probably seemed like a spectacular idea at the time.

Dumbledore said a few words that I ignored. The moment he stopped talking, the long tables all filled with platters upon platters of food.

With a silent thanks to the house-elves, I dug in. I mindlessly added to the conversation of the other Slytherins around me but kept at least half of my attention on the head table. About five minutes after the feast officially started, the door admitted a man with a hooked nose and sallow skin. His black robes flowed around him, giving him the appearance of a bat. His dark greasy hair fell to his shoulders His lips were curled into a large smirk as he made his way through the tables to the head table.

Severus Snape.

It’ll be weird to have him be nice to me when he isn’t nice to any other house.

Professor Snape spoke quietly to Professor McGonagall who frowned deeply, mouth pressing into a thin line. She quickly stood and followed him out of the room. After a few minutes, Dumbledore also stood and followed them out.

The whispers started. From mild concerns like everyone’s trunks had been misplaced to frantic worries about something escaping from the Forbidden Forest to attack the school. Only once Professor Snape came back into the Great Hall looking ready to blow a fuse and curse anyone who spoke to him with a very serene Dumbledore by his side did the rumors subside, and the truth came out.

Harry Potter and his friend had flown a flying car to school and were seen by a bunch of muggles along the way. When they finally got to the school, they crashed into the Whomping Willow and severely damaged it. The icing on the cake? Potter and Weasley had gotten off with nothing more than a detention.

“Famous Harry Potter,” Blaise muttered. “He and Weasley likely did this for the attention.”

Knowing better, I made a noise of agreement and went back to my chicken. Again, very rich food but not as flavorful as I wished. I picked at my food, already missing Dobby who had started specifically preparing food for me with more flavor.

When I find the kitchens once I’ve explored Hogwarts more, I could talk to the house-elves there too and see if they could add a little something for me. Which could be annoying since they have to feed over three hundred people three meals and dessert every day. But I’m sure people have allergies to account for. It’s not like allergies didn’t exist in the nineties.

Desserts later replaced the dinner course. I took a bit of treacle tart and decided I was done.

“Are you feeling alright, Ara?” Pansy asked. Her eyes were on my plate. She seemed ready to latch onto my arm by how close she leaned toward me. I felt no aversion to her presence like I did to Blaise on my other side. “You aren’t eating much.”

I forced a smile. “I’m fine, thanks.”

She tried pestering me to eat more for the rest of the feast. I declined every time until the point where I had to use a more forceful tone to get her to stop.

By the time Dumbledore stood up to give his closing remarks and reminders about not going into the Forbidden Forest and not using magic in the corridors, I was very ready for bed.

Pansy wrapped her arm around mine as we followed the crowd out of the hall after Dumbledore’s dismissal.

I had to focus as our group of Slytherins made our way down to the dungeons. Knowing how to get to the Slytherin Common Room and how to get to my classes would be the most important thing I’d need to know this week. We walked down a few staircases and down cold corridors and came to a stop as a group, outside a stretch of bare, damp, stone wall.

Someone near the front confidently said, “Snakewood!”

A stone door concealed in the wall slid out of the way.

Our group shuffled inside.

A long round room greeted us. Green lamps that threw a green tinge across the room lit up the very lavish space. Everything was decorated in greens, blacks, and silvers with many symbols of serpents to match the Slytherin vibes. Low-back leather sofas were strewn around the room as well as dark wood cabinets against the walls and wooden tables close to the sofas. The sounds of crackling wood came from the lit fireplace to the side. The fireplace had an elaborately carved mantle with an intricately painted portrait of a snake hanging above it. There were more snakes around the room as decorations as well as a variety of different skulls hung on the walls. Portraits of different Slytherin sorcerers who looked like they were from Medieval times also hung on the walls. Three tall windows took over one side of the room, peering out into the murky depths of the Black Lake which only added to the green lighting of the room. Fish could be seen swimming just outside the windows.

Bidding goodnight to the guys, Pansy tugged me toward a staircase on the right side of the common room while they went to the left. We walked up the stairs and found ourselves on a long hallway. There were seven different doors with numbers on each of the doors. Pansy led the way to the door with the words SECOND YEARS on a small plaque.

This room was much more circular than the common room but sparsely decorated. This room also had windows that looked out into the lake but were much narrower than the common room windows. There were four beds with iron canopy frames—called a four-poster bed frame in the books—ornately carved with snakes that took over most of the room. Dark green curtains with silver accents surrounded the bed and were currently tied back to show off silky black sheets. The bed was at least a double mattress which was honestly bigger than I expected. I was expecting a little twin mattress which is what it looked like the Gryffindors had in the movies.

Either the beds were smaller in the movies, or the Slytherin dormitories are nicer than the other house dormitories.

Honestly, both answers would make sense.

I found my trunk at the foot of the bed farthest away from the door.

Pansy wanted to chat. I only waved her off with the excuse of being tired. I changed into pajamas and pulled the curtains around my bed closed. This proved to be entirely too dark since the moment the lights were put out, I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. I tugged open the curtain to my left a couple inches.

Shouldn’t I be excited? I demanded of myself. I’m at Hogwarts! Finally!!

No matter how much I tried to convince myself to be excited, I couldn’t muster up the energy and only felt rather depressed.

I wonder what Draco did today. Hopefully, Dobby didn’t hurt himself too badly for stopping Harry and Ron from going through the barrier.

Pulling my blankets tighter around myself, I closed my eyes and tried to relax enough to fall asleep.

Chapter Text

The excitement gradually came back the next morning especially as I dressed in my uniform and Hogwarts robes and readied my bag for the day.

Pansy acted more animatedly and seemed pleased to find I was more responsive than I was last night. She chatted about classes and was already bemoaning the homework we’d need to do.

The only exciting thing about breakfast was the howler Ron received. The screeching of Molly Weasley could be heard throughout the entire hall as everyone quietly listened to her wrath with the volume turned up as loud as it could go. Even from across the hall, I could see Ron’s face was redder than his hair. Harry didn’t look much better. I brought a smirk to my face as the other Slytherins laughed as Ron and Harry’s expense but quickly changed the subject once the other students started talking again.

Near the end of breakfast, Professor Snape came around and passed out class schedules to everyone. It wasn’t nearly as overwhelming as the schedule I had given myself for the past month. Only six hours a day of classes, and those six hours also had a passing period of about fifteen minutes which meant it was closer to five hours than six. And we had Thursday afternoons off.

Today we had Transfiguration first and two sessions of History of Magic or double History of Magic as everyone else called it before lunch.

Pansy made navigating the castle very easy. All I had to do was follow her, and she would lead me where I needed to go. Getting back to the Great Hall for breakfast was easy enough and something I could probably figure out on my own. Getting to classes was harder since I had never been to any of them before.

Before breakfast, I had received the Hogwarts map notification and kept that screen open to my left as I made my way through the school with the other second-year Slytherins. It was rather satisfying to see the blank spaces of the map gain outlines. Plenty of the map was still blank, something I planned to change as soon as possible.

Professor McGonagall as a teacher was wonderful. With her instruction, I caught on to the spell very quickly and was able to transfigure a beetle into a button on my fourth try.

She came over to my desk and gave my button a pleasantly surprised look. “Well done, Miss Malfoy,” she said. “Ten points to Slytherin.”

“How did you do that,” Pansy moaned as soon as she walked out of earshot.

I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying I practiced over the summer which was my automatic response. I gave her a vague excuse of reading the textbooks over the summer holiday.

The other Slytherins struggled with this spell. I transfigured a few different beetles into different coat buttons before calling it good, not wanting to stand out too much on my first day of school.

I almost fell asleep in History of Magic. Professor Binns had such a low and monotone voice which made paying attention very difficult. I took a few notes but focused on looking through the textbook itself while he spoke to keep from sleeping. Millicent unashamedly fell asleep right away and had to be prodded awake to go to lunch.

We ate in the Great Hall, and I was very pleased that I almost would have been able to make it there on my own. I almost took a wrong turn on a random corridor and would have gotten lost if Pansy hadn’t led the way.

After I finished eating, Blaise took Pansy’s place at my side as we made our way outside. Crabbe and Goyle came with us while Millicent and Daphne stayed behind to finish eating.

“Would you like to study together by the fire tonight?” Blaise asked, brushing his arm against mine. “I’d love for you to show me the new Transfiguration spell again.”

Really? Is that your best line? I gave a noncommittal noise.

Blaise seemed to take that as permission to move in even closer to me. The back of his hand touched mine.

Again, my mind wanted to recoil while my body wanted to grasp his hand. My mind won this time, and I slowly moved my hand away. I even tried to speed up to put a bit of distance between us. Blaise easily kept pace with me and seemed to think nothing of my increased speed.

I walked through the open door to the courtyard, contemplating the hexes and jinxes I knew to try to get Blaise to back off.

My attention was immediately drawn to the little mousy-haired first-year I recognized as Colin Creevey from the Sorting Ceremony last night standing at the base of the stairs with a camera in hand. He chatted away to a boy with messy black hair…

Harry!

I kept my excitement off my face. Not the time yet. I have my plan. I surveyed the scene. My irritation immediately came back. The ever-polite Harry Potter clearly didn’t want to be rude but also didn’t want the attention Colin was giving him. Can Colin really not tell he’s being annoying? Why can’t people get the hint when they’re unwanted?

Blaise smirked next to me with his eyes on Harry and Colin. “Oh, look. Potter’s being accosted by a first-year,” he said quietly to me. “Wonder what the kid wants?”

“—your friend could take it, and I could stand next to you?” Colin was asking. His eyes were wide and pleading. From this angle, I couldn’t see Harry’s face but knew he was likely rather annoyed with this unwanted attention. “And then, could you sign it?”

I rolled my eyes. “Signed photos,” I told Blaise.

The words were louder than I expected them to be and echoed in the empty courtyard.

Harry’s back stiffened as he twisted around to see our group.

Blaise’s eyebrows shot up. “Signed photos? Potter’s giving out signed photos?”

Harry shot a glare at us, clenching his fists. “No, I’m not. Shut up, Malfoy.”

Damn it. I was just answering the question! And hey! Why snap at me? Blaise is the one who made the comment. Come on, Harry!

“You’re just jealous,” Colin said.

I narrowed my eyes at the kid. “Jealous of what? The attention? Harry… Potter wants as much attention as I do from my father. Can’t you tell?”

The Slytherins around me laughed.

My frown only deepened. Really? That wasn’t funny!

“Eat slugs, Malfoy,” Ron snapped.

I blinked and turned my attention to him. He and Hermione were sitting a couple steps higher than Harry. A fact I had completely missed while being focused on Harry and Colin.

Blaise immediately stopped laughing and took a step forward to place himself between me and Ron. “Careful, Weasley,” Blaise sneered. “You best not start any trouble, or your mummy’ll have to take you away from school.” He adopted a shrill high-pitched voice. “‘If you put another toe out of line…’”

Pansy joined him as he trailed off into laughter. Crabbe and Goyle also began to laugh, albeit a bit delayed.

The laughter drew in a small group of students, curious to see what was going on.

I took a sidestep to get out from behind Blaise without taking my eyes off Colin. “Potter may be famous, but signed photos are completely unnecessary.”

“Unless you’re poor like Weasley,” Blaise added. “He and his could use the money if he sold one of those photos. Maybe his family could finally buy a new house that isn’t a dump—”

“Blaise,” I snapped.

At the same time, Ron lurched to his feet and whipped out his wand. I spotted a thick line of tape wrapped around it, holding the wand together.

My heart clenched.

Soon, I wasn’t standing in the courtyard but sitting on the floor of the living room with him standing above me. He held a fistful of my brand new colored pencils in hand. “You don’t need these damn things if you keep leaving them on the floor!” he shouted, spit hitting my face. “I could have tripped and snapped my neck! So, maybe you did it on purpose! Were you trying to kill me??”

I flinched. “N-no.”

“Really?”

“N-no!”

He sighed. “Fine. Then, we’ll snap these instead!” Ignoring my cries, he snapped all the pencils he held into pieces and dropped the fragments on the floor. They bounced and rolled in every direction. “Clean that up,” he demanded. “And don’t let it happen again. Or I’ll break something else instead.”

Sniffing, I gathered all the pieces of my never-used pencils and retreated to my room where I spent the next hour taping the colored pencils back together. I—

“What’s this, what’s this?”

That obnoxious voice yanked me out of the memory until I found myself standing back in the courtyard.

Lockhart had joined our little group. He was wearing another pair of turquoise robes except these were a darker shade than his robes yesterday. He laughed as he spotted Harry. He threw an arm around Harry’s shoulders and tugged him to his side. “Should’ve known! We meet again, Harry!”

For once, Harry was redder than Ron. He looked like he wanted to disapparate on the spot.

“Come on then, Mr. Creevey,” Lockhart said, flashing a large smile. “A double portrait! You can’t do better than that, and once it’s developed, we’ll both sign it for you.”

Scoffing at this ridiculous man’s utter obliviousness, I twisted and stormed back into the castle. The other Slytherins followed but didn’t dare to talk to me when they noticed my irritation.

Pansy had to gently remind me we needed to go Charms and that I was taking the longer way to get there. A polite way of saying I was going the wrong way. I gave her a stiff nod and let her lead the way once more to class.

I had cooled down enough by dinnertime to be civil. Pansy had clearly filled in Millicent and Daphne when I wasn’t paying attention. They all danced around me on eggshells but seemed more confused than anything.

During dinner, I outright declined Blaise’s offer to study by the fire when he brought it up again. I told everyone I needed a moment by myself and left before dessert.

After grabbing my bag from the common room, I intended to go to the library. I remembered seeing it on the way to Charms and thought I could find it again.

Instead, I ended up lost.

I tried using my map of Hogwarts but only got more frustrated when I noticed I was in a new area I had never been in before. The map was either blank or didn’t show paths back to where I wanted to go despite somehow getting to where I was.

Muttering curses, I closed out the map and tried retracing my steps which only landed me in an entirely new place which looked as unfamiliar as everywhere else.

I let out a growl of frustration. Maybe I should have dragged Pansy along with me. She would have been willing to go. And likely would be able to help me find my way back. And if I had the right excuse, she wouldn’t know I had gotten myself lost.

I stormed down the corridor and muttered more curses. I cursed the suits of armor I passed. I cursed the crooked torches. I cursed the random hidden door that opened into a classroom. I cursed the tapestry of a wizard trying to teach trolls to dance…

I paused.

Peering at the tapestry, I turned my head to look at a bare stretch of wall across from the tapestry.

No way.

Eyeing the blank wall, I moved over to the other side of the corridor. What do I really need?

After a moment of thought, I started pacing back and forth in front of the wall. Right now? I need a place to relax and study. I need somewhere to cool off and be sad. I need somewhere comforting and warm.

I walked past the stretch of wall three times. On my third turn, a door appeared out of nowhere as if it had always existed there.

My heart leapt in my chest. I was right! This is the Room of Requirement!!

I approached the door. I grasped the handle and pushed it open.

A cozy little reading nook greeted me. The room was square and only a bit bigger than my bedroom in my past life. Two of the walls on the sides were filled with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that were completely filled with books. The wall across from the door was taken over by a fireplace that already had a fire crackling inside, warming up the entire space. The ground was covered with a soft carpet with at least fifty pillows on top of it to make a sea of pillows. Soft lighting from floating candles covered by thin pink paper to look like lanterns from festivals hanging from the ceiling threw a pink light across the room.

I fully stepped inside the room and closed the door behind me. I dropped my bag on the floor and practically threw myself onto the sea of pillows.

Now, I just need a blanket…

I looked around me and found a folded purple blanket at the base of the bookshelves. I wrapped it tightly around myself and sighed deeply into one of the pillows.

Thank you, Room.

I stayed in the room for as long as I could, basking in the warmth of the fire, and legit felt the anger draining from my body.

Knowing it was getting late and that I had a curfew, I made to leave and paused at the door. “You wouldn’t be able to let me out near the Slytherin Common Room or even the Great Hall, would you?” I asked aloud. “I’d prefer not to have to find my way back and spoil my good mood.”

After a couple seconds of nothing—not that I expected a reply—I opened the door and stepped out. To my surprise and absolute relief, I found myself down the hallway from the Slytherin Common Room. I muttered my thanks to the Room and closed the door. It disappeared a couple seconds later.

I slipped into the common room and found Pansy and Blaise anxiously waiting for me. Well, Pansy was the anxious one by the way she looked ready to wear a hole in the floor through her pacing. Blaise sat on a sofa nearby watching her with a deep frown. They both looked up as the door opened.

“Ara!” Pansy exclaimed. She rushed to my side and threw her arms around me. “We were worried about you! Where have you been? It’s after curfew!”

“Sorry,” I said. “I lost track of time.”

Pansy clearly wasn’t satisfied with that answer but didn’t ask again at the look I gave her. She changed the subject and asked about homework. She hadn’t been able to get any work done while waiting for me to come back. Since I hadn’t done any homework in the Room of Requirement, I took her up on her offer to get some done before bed.

Blaise joined us and kept his gaze on me. I blatantly ignored him, honestly wishing he’d leave and stop spoiling my good mood.

When I can find my way back, I can spend more time in the Room and study in there.

I tried to find my way back to that seventh floor corridor the next two days but utterly failed. I got lost but not as badly as I had when I had first found the Room. One of those searches ended up helping me find the library which was something at least but not what I wanted. Getting to my classes became easier with my explorations as well. I led the way to Charms without leading us a wrong direction.

One thing not really mentioned much in the books? Just how many stairs there are. I only remembered grievances about the route to the Divination Classroom, but to get anywhere, you usually had to climb at least three flights of stairs. If I don’t have calves of steel by the end of the year, I’m going to sue.

Despite my learned navigation skills, I was determined to spend Saturday trying to find the Room again but was then informed on Friday night of Quidditch practice the next morning.

“We need to test our new brooms as a team and let you practice with an actual Snitch,” Flint told me in the common room. “You can meet the rest of the team then. It’ll start at eight in the morning, so don’t be late.”

Only after he left did I let a little panic show on my face. How am I going to get to the Quidditch Pitch?

The next morning, I woke up especially early. I snagged some breakfast from the Great Hall and kept my eyes peeled for someone else with a broom from my house. I spotted a pair heading outside and quickly followed them. From their build, I guessed they were Beaters but could be wrong. McLaggan apparently looked like a Beater and tried out for Keeper, so their appearance didn’t mean much. They led me to the dressing room where most of the team was waiting.

Flint spotted me. He introduced me to the team. The two I had been following were the Beaters as I suspected. Peregrine Derek and Lucian Bole, both fifth-years. They both had light brown hair and muscularly built with broad shoulders. Derek had a thick spread of freckles across his cheeks while Bole seemed to be constantly fighting to keeps his bangs out of his eyes. Graham Montague was a Chaser with Flint. He was a fourth-year and seemed to still be growing even if he was rather tall and muscular. He wasn’t nearly as thick as Derek and Bole. We were waiting on Miles Bletchley and Adrian Pucey, both fourth years and Keeper and Chaser respectively.

Flint showed me to my locker and gave me a set of Quidditch robes he ordered in my size since I was easily one of the smallest players they had in years.

And the first girl in years too.

Misogyny at its finest. Girls can be good at sports too. And size doesn’t matter.

As the smallest and youngest player, I was determined to have a good practice today even if I had been forced to buy my way onto the team.

Stupid Sorting Hat.

Bletchley and Pucey came in a few minutes later. Bletchley seemed to have a permanent slouch which made him look a lot shorter, and his dark bowl cut that sat flatly on his head didn’t help. Pucey was rather weedy with dark blond hair down to his shoulder that he tied back into a low ponytail before getting dressed.

“Alright, team,” Flint said. “We have Ara Malfoy’s father to thank for the brooms and will no doubt outfly everyone else.” He gestured toward one of the many doors in the room. “The Gryffindor team is on the field now, and we’re stealing it from them.” He smirked at me. “An excuse we can also thank Ara for. Let’s go.”

Crap. We’re doing the eat slugs thing now?

Grabbing my broom, I quickly followed Flint and the other Slytherins out of the room.

The door opened up onto a large grassy field of a circular stadium. Scarlet blurs dotted the sky, whizzing about. They seemed to pause as we came out onto the field. In moments, the blurs all streaked toward us and landed on the ground across from us.

“Flint!” a young man in front shouted. He was rather attractive with darker wavy hair and had a larger build as well. Is it a requirement for guys on Quidditch teams to be really large? His blue eyes were full of fire. If I remembered right from the books, this was their first practice of the year too. His irritation was warranted. Oliver Wood then, Gryffindor Quidditch Captain and Keeper. “This is our practice time! And we got up specially! You can clear off!”

I spotted Harry as he and the Weasley twins came to stand next to Oliver.

Flint only smirked. “Plenty of room for all of us, Wood.”

Three Gryffindor girls joined their group. One had her entire head of black hair braided into tiny braids that she had then braided into one massive braid, one had bronze ringlet curls framing her face, and the last girl had stick straight light brown hair that clearly didn’t want to stay pulled back in a ponytail. None of them looked like they did in the movies, and only Angelina Johnson had a description in the book. I guessed the girl with the braids was Angelina Johnson and assumed the other two girls were Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet but didn’t know who was who. The Gryffindor Chasers.

“But I booked the field!” Wood looked ready to spit in Flint’s face. “I booked it!”

“Ah,” Flint said, smirking a bit. “But I’ve got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape.” He pulled out a roll of parchment from his pocket. “‘I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker.’”

Wood blinked and frowned. “You’ve got a new Seeker? Who?”

It’s always two steps forward and one step back. Holding back a sigh, I strolled through the parted team and came to stop next to Flint with an easy smile on my face.

Glares from all seven of the Gryffindor Quidditch players landed on me. Not a pleasant feeling.

“Aren’t you Lucius Malfoy’s daughter?” one of the Weasley twins demanded.

“Funny you should mention Ara’s father,” Flint said, smirk widening. A glance out of the corner of my eyes showed that the other Slytherins were smirking as well. “Let me show you the generous gift he’s made to the Slytherin team.”

The others held out their brooms to show off. My smile deflated a bit at the wide eyes now staring at the shiny new brooms.

“Very latest model,” Flint said. “Only came out last month.” He flicked a speck of dust off the end of his broom. “I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series by a considerable amount. As for the old Cleansweeps—” He threw a nasty grin at the Weasley twins. A glance at their brooms told me they were using Cleansweep Fives. “—it sweeps the board with them.”

None of the Gryffindors had words.

“Oh, look,” Flint said, glancing behind the Gryffindor team. “A field invasion.”

I followed his gaze and felt my heart sinking even more. Ron and Hermione were quickly making their way across the grass to our group. How am I going to salvage this? Not calling Hermione a mudblood is at the top of my list right now.

“What’s happening?” Ron demanded, coming to a stop next to Harry and his brothers. “Why aren’t you playing? And what’s she doing here?” He shot a glare at me.

“I’m the new Slytherin Seeker,” I told him. Ayayay. How am I going to get out of this?

Flint eyed Ron. “You must be a Weasley too. Well, you can admire the brooms Ara’s father bought for the team with the rest of the Gryffindors. It’s likely the only time you’ll get to see them since we’ll outfly this entire team.”

Ron gaped at the brooms. “Your father bought those?” he demanded of me.

I mentally sighed but kept my easy smile. “Yes. A very generous gift. To support all the Slytherin players. Why use outdated equipment if we don’t have to?”

The Gryffindor team scowled.

My heart dropped. Really?? That wasn’t a dis! Come ON. That was a statement, not an insult!!

Hermione stepped forward. “At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in. They got in on pure talent.”

Don’t say mudblood, don’t say mudblood. I frowned at her. What to say… it’s not like I disagree with her. I was forced to be on the team! Arrogance and snark without being too insulting. “There are some things a muggleborn like yourself wouldn’t understand.”

She scowled.

Flint’s eyebrows shot up. “Muggleborn? No one asked your opinion, filthy little mudblood.”

No!

Gasps and growls filled the air. I whipped around to glare at Flint just in time to see Fred and George throw themselves at him. Derek and Bole stood closest to Flint and helped pull the twins off.

I stepped in closer to Flint, opening my mouth to tell him off, consequences be damned.

“You’ll pay for that!”

I turned my head in time to see Ron brandished his wand in my face.

Bang!

A jet of green light burst out of the wrong end of Ron’s wand and slammed into his stomach. He fell backward onto the grass, clutching at his stomach.

Everyone seemed to freeze.

“Ron! Ron!” Hermione yelled. “Are you all right?”

Ron opened his mouth as if to speak and let out a large belch instead. Several slugs fell from his open mouth into his lap.

My heart dropped to my stomach. Damn it. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

The other Slytherins burst out into roaring laughter. Literal tears slid down Pucey’s face. Flint was doubled over laughing and only didn’t fall over because he was using his broom to support himself. I was the only one who didn’t move or say a word as the Gryffindors surrounded Ron as he continued to burp up slugs.

“We’d better get him to Hagrid’s. It’s nearest,” I heard Harry say. He and Hermione pulled Ron to his feet and escorted him off the field.

With more glares at us, the Gryffindors left.

Flint eventually stopped laughing and directed the team to start practice. The guys seemed to be impressed by my skills, but my heart wasn’t in it.

I didn’t say it, but I might as well have.

After practice, I raced back up to the school and stowed my broom. I snagged some lunch before rushing up to the library. Maybe if I apologize to Hermione now, it’ll ease some of the blow. Not that she really knew what it meant in the moment. Everyone else was mad for her.

I lingered near the entrance to the library but just out of sight. I had an excuse ready if the librarian, Madam Pince, came over to see what I was doing. At some point, I settled at a nearby table instead and finished up some homework while glancing at the door every time anyone came in or left.

Finally, Hermione came into the library.

I kept my head down and hoped she wouldn’t notice me. Luckily, she didn’t. She went deeper into the library. I waited about fifteen minutes before I left my little table to go find her.

She had settled near the back and had a few textbooks spread out around her. Another lucky thing was that no one else was nearby.

Taking a deep breath, I approached her table. “Granger.”

She looked up sharply. Her eyes narrowed as they landed on me. “What do you want, Malfoy? Come to throw more insults at me?”

I shook my head. “No. I came to apologize.”

Her eyebrows shot up.

I wanted to take a step closer but refrained, knowing it’d look more threatening if I kept getting closer to her. I quickly reviewed my apology before speaking. “I’m sorry for what Flint said. It was very rude and uncalled for. My own words to you were also rude, so I’m sorry for that as well. I only meant that since you don’t have magical parents, you might not understand the pressures some magical parents put on their children.”

Hermione’s eyebrows only went higher. “Did you hit your head in that fight? Since when would you ever apologize?”

I shrugged. “No. I… had a very eye-opening summer. Which means I am much more willing to apologize to anyone whether or not they are muggleborns. That’s all I came to say though. So, again, I’m sorry for what was said. Good luck with your studying.” I turned around and paused. “Is Ron… Weasley alright?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the incredulous look she gave me. “Yeah,” she said eventually. “He’s fine.”

I nodded. “That’s good to hear.” I left, still feeling Hermione’s stare on my back.

For the next week, the Golden Trio all gave me weird looks whenever they saw me.

Hermione had no doubt told Harry and Ron about my apology. Ron still seemed upset about the slugs. Which, to be fair, wasn’t my fault. None of them seemed to believe what I had said was genuine.

I didn’t blame them. The first year would have been rough, and our misunderstandings didn’t help anything. During Potions, I kept the other Slytherins focused on the class instead of the Gryffindors to keep them from adding fuel to the fire. It was easier than I expected it to be since they were all impressed by my skills. I received a genuine compliment from Professor Snape which surprised me, mostly because I couldn’t imagine this man ever giving anyone a compliment even if I was a Slytherin.

During meals, I could feel the Golden Trio’s eyes on me occasionally, and I kept the others from noticing to keep from causing problems.

I went to the library every day. The homework was rather easy to stay on top of but was my excuse to keep visiting the library every day. Pansy and Blaise always wanted to spend time with me. I gave them the excuse that I needed to focus to get my work done but promised Pansy we could relax in the common room. As for Blaise, my mind and body still had a hard time deciding how to feel about him touching me. My body’s reactions were likely due to how the OG Ara used to react to him while I didn’t like being touched. I usually ended up stiffening a bit but would let him touch me for a bit before shifting away. Blaise seemed a little confused whenever I moved away but never asked me about it.

The library was quiet with lots of books I could look through and study. It still surprised me how much I enjoyed reading textbook type books, but then, they were books about magic which made a bit more sense. Whenever I finished my homework, I’d look through different books to learn more spells. I still had three spell points from the Sorting Hat that I could use. Hard to practice in the library, so I wanted to find the Room of Requirement again. Also rather hard to do when I was focusing more on my friendship plan.

Hermione came into the library most days. If I came in before her, I’d move to sit closer to her. If I came in after her, I’d find a spot nearby. She’d give me a look each time but didn’t say much more than that.

After a week, I made a move. I came over to her table and stood a couple feet away from her. “Can I sit down?”

Hermione looked up from her Transfiguration homework with a frown. “What for?”

“I have a question.”

She fell silent, saying nothing.

I took that as tacit permission. I sat down across from her to give her some space since we weren’t on good terms. “I’m having trouble with a spell. Would you help me?”

Her frown deepened. “First an apology, and now, you’re asking me for help?”

A nod. “You’re the best witch of our year. Who else would I ask?”

“Not a pureblood? You’ve made your feelings on muggleborns very clear.”

“And if I said I changed my mind?”

Hermione raised her eyebrows. “I’d ask again if you hit your head.”

I offered her a smirk. “Nope. No brain damage. I just had a rough summer and want to change a couple things.” I tilted my head a bit. “So, about that spell?”

She hesitated, staring silently at me. “What spell?” she said eventually.

I brightened. “The freezing charm Professor Flitwick taught. I’m having a bit of trouble with it.” I gave her a new smile, knowing full well I had mastered the spell over the summer. With a quick glance around, I took out my wand and a piece of parchment I had crumpled into a ball. I tossed the ball into the air and quickly took aim. “Immobulus,” I said quietly.

Nothing happened.

The paper ball hit the table.

I turned to her. “What am I doing wrong?”

Hermione hesitated. “Your wand movement,” she said eventually. “You’re going straight across at the end. You need to go up a little and then back down.” She mimed the motion in the air with her finger.

I copied the motion with my own hand a couple times. “Hm. Okay.” With another quick glance around for the librarian, I tossed the paper ball into the air again. “Immobulus.”

A blue light shot out of my wand and hit the paper ball. It froze, suspended in midair.

I grinned and turned to Hermione. “Brilliant. Thank you.”

She gave me a noise of acknowledgement before turning back to her books.

I spent the next week and a half sitting at her table and asking her questions. Some were genuine questions about things our professors had said, but most were questions I knew the answers too. Her limit was three questions, or she’d get too annoyed by my presence and ignore me completely. She also couldn’t seem to help herself. I’d ask, and she’d reluctantly tell me. She corrected my wand movement and once even offered an extra pointer before catching herself and falling silent. I also said good night to her every time before I left. Instead of ignoring me like she usually did, she had started to acknowledge my words with a small nod.

I’m growing on her.

One evening, I had gotten a head start on our Potions homework and turned to ask her my first of three questions.

“Ara?”

Damn it. I looked up.

Blaise was making his way toward our table where I sat across from Hermione. His eyebrows were scrunched together as his gaze shifted between me and Hermione. “Pansy said I could find you in here.” His eyes turned back to Hermione.

I saw Hermione stiffen out of the corner of my eyes. Ah hell. Blaise, you’re going to ruin this. Or make this sooo much more complicated. “Well, you found me,” I said. “Did you need something?”

His gaze hadn’t left Hermione. “I spotted plenty of open tables on my way in. Why are you sitting next to this mudblood—”

“Don’t call her that,” I snapped.

Two pairs of wide eyes landed on me. I wasn’t sure who was more surprised.

Damn it. That one slipped out. But even if it was accidental and messes a bit with my plans, I’m not going to let anyone call her that while I’m around. I leaned back in my chair, plowing ahead. “Granger was answering a question of mine,” I told him. “Do you need something?”

Blaise stared at me for a long time before slowly shaking his head.

“Okay then. I’ll meet you back in the common room later.” A clear dismissal.

Blaise frowned. He backed up a couple steps before turning and leaving.

Still feeling Hermione’s surprised gaze on me, I turned back to the Potions homework.

For a few minutes, all that I could hear was the scratching of my quill on the page and random coughs around the library. Hermione hadn’t moved.

“Why…”

I looked up.

The question was clear on her face but couldn’t seem to make it to her tongue to ask. Like she was surprised she even had the question in the first place. She tried again. “Why… did you defend me? Out of all the people to tell someone off for calling me that, you’re the last person I’d expect. I’d honestly expect you to be the one calling me that.”

A shrug. “True. Last year, I would have, but I’ve realized a few things over the summer. Those things give me plenty of reasons to tell Blaise off for acting like a child for calling you names.” I turned back to my Potions homework.

Hermione didn’t move for another couple minutes before working on her own homework once again.

Knowing Blaise was likely causing more problems for me back in the common room, I only asked two questions and lingered for another hour before deciding to head back. I gathered up my books and stood. I gave her a warm smile. “Gnight, Granger.” I took a couple steps away.

“Good night, Malfoy,” came a soft and hesitant reply.

I paused. I had to force myself to keep from smiling too largely. Giving her a little wave over my shoulder, I made my way out of the library.

When I was finally out of sight, I let a large smile cross my face. Yes! Progress!

I braced myself when I reached the Slytherin Common Room.

Not to my surprise, Pansy and Blaise were waiting for me inside on the sofa closest to the entrance. They both looked highly concerned but also a little wary. They leapt to their feet the moment they spotted me.

Before either of them could say a word, I held up a hand. “Hold on. Let’s chat somewhere more private.”

We ended up in the boys’ dormitory. I would have preferred to go to ours, but the stairs would have turned into a slide if we had tried to bring Blaise up.

Considering it was a boys’ room, it was cleaner than I expected. More likely due to the house-elves cleaning up. The setup was identical to our own rooms with the four-posters pointed toward the center of the circular room. I searched for Blaise’s trunk which was closest to the door and perched on top of it.

Blaise leaned against the frame of Goyle’s bed next to his with his arms crossed.

Pansy immediately came to sit down next to me. “Blaise told me what happened in the library.” She reached up a hand to touch my forehead. “Are you feeling ill? Did that mudblood—”

“Don’t,” I interrupted.

Surprised eyes all fell on me. Pansy hesitated. “Did that… muggleborn hex you?”

I shook my head. “No hexes. First off, I have a plan, and it is essential for me to befriend Granger. Second, even if I didn’t have a plan, using that term is unnecessary.” I sat up a little straighter and brought a cold expression to my face, channeling my inner original Draco. “We look bad if we use it around others. We as Slytherins have an image to uphold even toward muggleborns.” I put a little sneer on the word. “If we get used to calling her a mudblood in private, we might accidentally call her that in public which will only tarnish our own image. So, none of us will be calling her or any other muggleborns mudbloods. Understood?”

I made eye contact with both of them and waited for their agreement. Their wariness hadn’t disappeared as they hesitantly agreed.

“What’s your plan?” Blaise asked.

I looked over at him. Well, I truly want to befriend the Golden Trio but don’t want to cut ties with you because that would make a miserable few years here at Hogwarts. I need to give you all a reason I’m friends with them because I don’t want my parents to know for now about that part. Maybe I’ll tell you the truth eventually but not now. “My plan has a couple different parts. The purpose of this plan is to give my father no choice to give me the title of Malfoy heir back and make him regret ever taking it away from me.”

Pansy’s eyes widened. “Wait, you do still want to be the Malfoy heir? Why be nice to m… muggleborns and your brother?”

“I’m nice to my brother, so he’ll feel bad and want me to be the Malfoy heir when I express the want to him. If I convince Draco to not want to be the heir, my father will have to give it to me. That’s a last resort though.” I leaned back against the foot of Blaise’s bed. “The main plan is to become one of the top students of our year or at least as close to Granger as I can get. The teachers are biased toward her, so I doubt I’ll get the top spot. I can at least get close to Granger. However, that will be easier if I befriend her. I can learn her tricks and use them against her.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “She is also a link to Potter.”

Blaise raised his eyebrows. “You want to be friends with Potter too?”

I let out a deep sigh. “Unfortunately, the entire wizarding world is completely enamored by him for somehow defeating the Dark Lord by simply existing. Befriending him is in my best interests to allow me more connections in the future. I can gain more connections through him if I become friends with him.” I made a face. “There are many connections through the Malfoy name, but I can gain more by being his friend because everyone adores him.”

“How will that help you to become the Malfoy heir again?” Pansy asked.

“With my grades and connections, I will give my father no reason to deny my birthright by the time I leave Hogwarts.” I let a small smirk cross my face. “It will also irritate him to no end for him to realize I am friends with Harry Potter. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” I made purposeful eye contact with Pansy and then Blaise. “I will need your help though.”

Pansy leaned closer and latched onto my arm. “Anything, Ara. What do you need?”

“This is going to take time.” I glanced at Blaise. “I want my father to learn of my friendship with Potter and the muggleborn only after they truly consider me their friend. It’s counterproductive to call them my friends if they don’t consider me their friend. This means, this friendship needs to be kept a secret for now. I need both of you to help me rein back the others. It’s not helpful to me if others are pestering them too much or calling them names that they consider to be unforgiveable. It makes me look back to them if my friends are pestering them.”

Pansy’s grip on my arm tightened. “We’re… your friends?”

I frowned at her. “Of course you are. What else would you be?”

Her eyes brightened. “It’s just… you’ve never called us your friends before.”

“Well, you are.” I reached out and squeezed her hand. “I wouldn’t be able to do this without you.”

“Do you expect us to be friends with Potter and them too?” Blaise asked. He hadn’t moved from his leaning position against the bedframe, considering me.

I turned to him and shook my head. “No. You might come off as a bit dodgy if you were trying to be friends too. I want to win over Granger first, so I can then gain Potter’s friendship. I’ll likely have to be friends with Weasley too to secure my place. I don’t expect you to be friends with them especially since they are Gryffindors. It’s already hard enough for me to stomach it.” I made a face. “All I’m asking for is help getting the others to back off the Gryffindors a bit. The rivalry is fine, but harassment is out.”

Blaise tilted his head. Some of the hesitation had disappeared from his face. “What should we tell the others?”

“I don’t want to reveal too much yet. The more people who know, the more likely that my father will find out. Or Granger or Potter. If they know I’m only faking their friendship, they’ll abandon me, and I’ll need Potter’s connections. So, tell them the bare minimum.” I looked between Pansy and Blaise. “If I have your support, the others will fall in line. So, will you help me?”

Pansy tightened her grip on my arm. “Yes. Of course, I’ll help!”

I nodded to her and turned to Blaise. I could see the gears turning in his head. I’m surprised he hasn’t asked what’s in it for him. Remembering what the Sorting Hat had said about his wants, I gave him a soft smile. “Blaise?”

His eyes shifted to my mouth and lingered there. Slowly, he dragged up his gaze to my eyes once more. He gave me a wide smile. “Let’s do it.”

Back in my own dormitory that night, I couldn’t help the wide smile across my face. Everything is on track! I’m going to have to be really good at lying, but I can do this. I pulled my blankets tighter around myself. My magical life is going to be amazing.

Chapter Text

September faded into October, and October seemed to pass in the blink of an eye until I had been at Hogwarts for nearly two months and had been in this world for three. Autumn leaves covered all the trees, creating a sea of reds, yellows and oranges. The air cooled to brisk temperatures. I had to have my parents send me a thick blanket as the dungeons became colder and colder.

I spent most of my time befriending Hermione in the library or practicing spells in the Room of Requirement. Hermione had warmed up to me ever since I had told Blaise off for calling her a mudblood. She was willing to answer up to five questions now and would even engage in a short discussion about the homework assignments we had to do. She had also started coming to sit by me in the library when I arrived before she did. We were very cordial outside of the library. I held myself back and only gave her brief nods whenever we saw each other out of class to avoid too many people noticing.

Harry and Ron mostly regarded me with suspicion. Hermione had clearly told them something about our time in the library. I would have been surprised otherwise. As time passed, they were still suspicious but seemed less so. Especially as the other second-year Slytherins acted much milder toward the Gryffindors. Potions was less tense than it usually was even with Professor Snape being partial to us Slytherins. I wasn’t sure how that’d change once the Quidditch season officially started up.

I had finally found the Room of Requirement again and could get there without getting lost. I spent an hour in there before breakfast and at least an hour after the library closed. Which meant I left around when curfew started. Luckily, the Room continued to drop me off wherever I needed.

The Room had expanded on the cozy nook I had first found to give me more practice room. It still had the nook but had grown to have a large open area similar to what I had seen in the movie portrayal of the Room. A training dummy also stood in the middle of that space for me to practice on. I practiced all the second-year spells I could until I was close to mastering all the spells in our Standard Book of Spells Grade 2 book. My speed boost made things much easier. I was almost at Level 12 now whereas Hermione was around Level 10. I still had three extra spell points to use but didn’t want to waste them when I found I could still practice and eventually get higher level spells. Third year spells were easier and easier to do but still took some time to master. I had a couple fourth year ones I was learning but were proving trickier than I expected.

But I had finally mastered the Patronus Charm. A fact I had cheered at when a silvery hawk had burst from my wand. It flew around the room a few times before bursting into silvery mist. I wasn’t sure how it’d hold up against a dementor, but I was able to make a corporeal Patronus instead of a silver shield.

Other than befriending Hermione and practicing spells, I was very busy with classes, homework, and Quidditch practice. I made time to write letters to Draco who was very invested in my life. I also wrote Mother on occasion since the family owl brought me sweets every week which I shared with the other second-year Slytherins and Hermione.

Everything kept me busy. Busy enough that I had completely forgotten that I still needed to complete quests. My Study quest had been the last one I completed nearly two months ago. So, the Hedwig’s Theme chime startled me when it sounded in my ear the day before Halloween as I was leaving dinner with Pansy.

She had noticed me flinch and was by my side in moments. “Ara? Are you alright?”

I calmed my racing heart and reassured her I was fine. I waited until I was on my way to meet up with Hermione in the library to open the quest menu.

MAIN QUEST – Suspicions for the Heir

Tomorrow, on Halloween, a note will be left by Ginny Weasley while being possessed by Tom Riddle’s Diary declaring that the Chamber of Secrets has been opened. At this time, the petrified body of Mrs. Norris will be found which will be the start of the attacks. Once they learn more about the attacks, the Golden Trio will start to investigate the most suspicious suspect.

YOUR QUEST – Help subtly convince the Golden Trio to interrogate the sorcerer about the identity the Heir of Slytherin.

TIME LEFT: 7 Days 2 Hours 11 Minutes

MAIN REWARD – One Spell Point

I let out a curse. After quickly checking to make sure no one else was around to hear me essentially talking to myself, I called up the Sorting Hat.

“Yes, sorcerer.”

“I’m trying to be friends with Hermione! Pretending to be the Heir of Slytherin is not going to help that! It’s the exact opposite of helpful!” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I thought I could choose the life I wanted to live!”

“The sorcerer can of course choose her own actions.”

“Then, why do I have to convince them to investigate me as the Heir?”

“The Golden Trio needs investigate the most suspicious person and need to learn to brew the Polyjuice Potion. Even with the sorcerer making changes, the sorcerer is still the most suspicious and the most likely to be the Heir of Slytherin.”

I shot a glare at the icon. “If I’m already the most suspicious, why do I have to help convince them to investigate me?”

“The sorcerer’s actions shall cause some doubt to arise in Hermione Granger who is the one who suggests Polyjuice Potion. The sorcerer needs to help convince Hermione Granger to investigate the sorcerer.”

I flicked the Sorting Hat icon. “That’s the opposite of letting me choose how to live my life! How am I supposed to be suspicious and keep my friendship with Hermione?”

“It is possible. The sorcerer will need to find a way.”

“Then, can’t you give me a hint how to do it because you’re forcing me?”

“The sorcerer will need to find a way.”

Cursing the Sorting Hat, I closed the screens and stomped my way to the library.

I was very distracted and didn’t end up asking any questions or even doing much homework while thinking over how to complete my quest while staying friends with Hermione. She noticed my bad mood but didn’t comment. I only hoped she knew my bad mood wasn’t directed at her.

What are some suspicious things without being mean? The school finds the note after dinner. So, leave dinner early? Leave and come back? Oh wait. The Golden Trio aren’t even going to be there! They’re at the Death Day party for Nearly Headless Nick which is why they are found at the scene first when everyone else shows up.

A vague idea started to form. An idea I needed to start today since I likely wouldn’t see her again before the note was left.

“Oh, I won’t be here tomorrow,” I told Hermione as casually as I could.

She looked up from her Astronomy homework.

“I have… something to do during dinner. I’m not sure how long it’ll take, but I likely won’t be able to make it in here before the library closes for the night. Just so you know.”

Hermione gave a small nod of acknowledgement but didn’t seem to think anything of it.

Ayayay. I’m going to be up all night thinking about this. I—

“I likely won’t be here either,” Hermione said.

I focused my attention on her.

“Harry was invited to a Death Day Party for our House Ghost. Ron and I are going with him, and I don’t know how long we’ll be there. So, it’s good timing.”

“A Death Day Party? How interesting.” A new idea came to mind as I remembered the disastrous event that was the Death Day Party in the book. “It’ll be a shame to miss the feast. Make sure to get something to eat beforehand,” I told her. “Or you’ll be hungry the entire time you’re at the party.”

Hermione glanced at me. “Really? Why?”

“Well, it’s a party, but they aren’t going to have food for the living since most of the guests are likely going to be dead. Ghosts can’t eat, right? So, they get very rotten food to make a potent stench to almost taste it.” I sat up a little straighter. “I’d also make sure you wear something warm. Lots of ghosts will make any room frigidly cold.

“Good to know.” She tilted her head. “How do you know so much about Death Day Parties? Have you been to one before?”

I shook my head and offered a small smirk as I glanced back down at the essay in front of me. “You aren’t the only one who reads, Granger.”

“I didn’t know you could read.”

If I had a drink, I would have choked on it. I whipped my head up to look at Hermione’s expression. The line! She used the line on me!

The tiniest of smiles pulled at her mouth.

Not an insult. Teasing a friend. Eyes bright, I grinned broadly. “You caught me. That’s why I have to ask you all those questions all the time. Can’t read to save my life.”

Her smile grew a bit.

I wanted to outright cheer and couldn’t suppress my large smile for the rest of our time in the library. Only when I left to get my hour in the Room did I remember what I needed to figure out by tomorrow. I did have a week to complete the quest, but if I wasn’t suspicious on the night of the act, it would make things much harder later.

As I practiced the Jelly-Legs Charm—harder to see if it actually worked since the practice dummy I used didn’t have legs—I thought through some sort of plan. Don’t show up. Act sus. Probably use the Draco line but in a less aggressive way? But is that going to ruin my friendship with Hermione?

I paused my practice to pull up the quest menu again to look at the quest. Just in case something had changed or for some hint.

The words were the same as before. No changes and no hints from the Sorting Hat.

If they think I’m the Heir of Slytherin, I won’t be able to be friends with them. If I’m too mean, I can’t be friends with them. Stupid Sorting Hat making things complicated. If only I could be suspicious, and they think someone else is the Heir…

I stopped. My gaze fixated on the end of the actual quest instructions instead of the quest description. “‘Interrogate the sorcerer about the identity the Heir of Slytherin,’” I muttered.

It doesn’t say I have to be the one they think is the Heir! They just have to ask me about it. Which means if I make it seem like I know who the Heir is…

I practically fled from the Room and was eternally grateful I only had a few steps before I could reach the common room. I found Pansy and Blaise in their normal spot, waiting for me. They looked up in surprise as I came running toward them. “I need your help again.”

It’s going to work. It’s going to work. It has to work.

Pansy and I sat at the very end of the Slytherin table in the Great Hall as close to the entrance as we could get, waiting for the Halloween Feast to start.

The Great Hall had been extravagantly decorated for the occasion. Live bats flew throughout the room near the floating candles. Massive pumpkins stood around the room with some being carved with candles flickering inside. Despite how they’d add to the aesthetic, there were only one or two ghosts floating around. Likely going to the Death Day Party for Nearly Headless Nick or doing whatever they wanted. Even exciting feasts could be boring if they happened every year.

Students and teachers slowly filed into the room, chatting animatedly about the feast. I pretended to stare at the golden plates in front of me while I kept all my attention on watching everyone who came in through my peripheral vision.

Even if the Golden Trio didn’t come to get something to eat like I suggested, they’d have to pass by the door. Blaise had stationed Crabbe and Goyle nearby to watch for the Golden Trio’s entrance and to give us warning before they came. He assured me they wouldn’t be too obvious and that they’d be able to alert us that the Golden Trio were coming without being suspicious. I was a bit doubtful and kept my attention fixed on the entrance.

Only a few minutes after the feast started did Blaise come inside the Great Hall. He made eye contact with me and nodded toward the hallway.

I immediately stood and followed him out until we stood in the Entrance Hall near the large doors. “Thank you,” I said quietly.

Blaise smiled. “Of course, Ara. You can always ask me for help even if it’s to be friends with them.” His eyebrows scrunched together a bit. “This part seems a little complicated. Are you sure it’ll work how you’d like it to?”

I don’t really have any other options here. I nodded. “As sure as I can be.”

His eyes darted over my shoulder, and he quickly turned back to me to give me the slightest of nods.

“It’s a bad idea,” I said a little louder than necessary, falling back on the script Blaise and I had prepared together. “I don’t think you understand the consequences—”

“I know what I’m doing, Ara,” Blaise interrupted. His hazel eyes locked onto my face. “It’ll be better this way. Hogwarts is filthy, and we’d only be cleaning up a bit.”

I shook my head. “No, Blaise. Your idea—”

“We have company,” he cut across me.

Turning my mouth into a frown, I threw a glance over my shoulder.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood near the bottom of the grand staircase with their eyes on us. It warmed my heart to see Hermione had gloves sticking out of her pocket and seemed to be wearing more layers than usual.

I turned back to Blaise. “We’ll talk about this later.”

Blaise scowled. He peered at the Golden Trio and walked off away from the Great Hall without another word. But not without lightly brushing his fingers lightly against my arm. I suppressed a shiver and fully twisted around. The trio were all either staring at me or after Blaise.

Sighing out a deep breath, I brought a forced smile to my face that I directed at Hermione. “There are quite a few delicious things inside. Some would be easy enough to keep in your pockets if you needed a snack for later. Enjoy the party.” I made eye contact with Harry and Ron who had wary expressions on their faces. I gave them a small nod of acknowledgement before strolling back into the Great Hall.

Part One, complete.

Hermione and the boys did stop to get some food before hurrying off to their party. By the glances they kept throwing my way for the little time they were in the Great Hall, they were clearly talking about my interaction with Blaise. Exactly how I wanted.

About two minutes after they left, Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle finally joined us at the feast. Blaise had a question on his face as he sat down next to me. I gave him a nod with a large smile. He smiled back and turned to focus on the feast.

About halfway through, as the dancing skeleton troupe Dumbledore had booked for the night took a break, Blaise and I left the room again. We didn’t have to be gone for long but long enough to be noticed. A few of the Gryffindor second-years, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, and Parvati Patil, all noticed we left.

“Where did you want to go?” Blaise asked me.

Going to the scene of the crime would be too much. I led the way up the stairs to the first floor where we just wandered.

“What do you expect them to assume by disappearing now when they aren’t even here?” Blaise asked.

“The other Gryffindors noticed, and word will get back to them. The hope is that we are off doing something nefarious.” I clasped my hands in front of me. “Other students have been coming in and out of course, so that’s not too out of place. But we look dodgy after they saw us ‘arguing’ about something.”

Blaise nodded. “Clever.”

I felt his gaze on me, running up and down my body. I pretended not to notice. “We should be good by now and can head back—”

We rounded a corner.

A familiar redhead walked down the hall toward us. Ginny! She looked rather dazed as she stumbled forward.

My heart skipped a beat. Is Tom Riddle currently possessing her?? Are they about to attack Mrs. Norris? Isn’t Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom on the second floor?? They should be up there! My eyes caught on a little red on her sleeves. Wait! Is that blood? Or paint? She’s already done it! This must be the aftermath. Poor girl. She looks awful. Unable to help it, I came to a stop in front of her. “Ginny Weasley, right? You look sick. Are you alright?”

Her gaze shifted to mine. Scarlet eyes met mine.

I stopped breathing.

A blink. The scarlet turned back to brown.

Holy hell. She was absolutely just possessed by Riddle’s diary.

Ginny gave herself a little shake and frowned at me. “You’re that Malfoy girl.”

Still reeling, I slowly nodded. “Yes, and you look ready to faint. Are you alright?”

Ginny slowly peered around her, her frown deepening. “I… I think I’m fine.”

“Okay then. We’ll be off.” Not wanting Blaise to notice anything too off, I grabbed his arm and tugged him forward at a quicker pace.

Blaise frowned at Ginny but didn’t comment as we walked faster. We found the Grand Staircase once more and made our way back to the Halloween Feast.

It was only once we had settled did I relax the tight posture I had adopted from Ginny looking at me. From Blaise’s expression, he hadn’t noticed anything off in the corridor and hadn’t given Ginny another thought. My heart continued to race in my chest. Those scarlet eyes had lasted only a moment but had seemed to stare deeply into my soul. I would have been trapped in their gaze if Ginny hadn’t returned to her own body.

I found it very difficult to concentrate throughout the rest of the feast. My appetite had abandoned me. I only ate some dessert at Pansy’s insistence.

Eventually, Dumbledore dismissed everyone for bed. The sounds of benches being pushed back and shuffling feet filled the air.

This is it.

I ambled along with the crowd with Pansy and Blaise by my side. We were about to turn to walk down to the common room when the throng of students stopped moving. An eerie silence fell despite the large groups.

“What’s going on?” Pansy demanded.

“Let’s go see,” I said immediately.

We quickly climbed the stairs to the second floor where the large crowd of students stood stiffly. Blaise helped me push our way to the front.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood alone in the middle of the corridor. All three were wearing their gloves which brought a small smile to my face. I quickly smothered it and focused on what the other students were staring at.

Words about a foot tall had been smeared onto the wall in between two windows. The words had been written in a red paint—I only knew it was paint from the books—that looked like blood. It shimmered in the light of the torches which only brought more attention to the large words.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.

ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

To the right of the words, there was a dark shadow beneath the torch. A closer look showed that it was a stiff dust-colored cat, hanging by its tail. Its yellow eyes were open wide in clear surprise. Mrs. Norris. I had seen the cat around the castle enough to recognize her even if I didn’t know who we would find. The entire floor shined in in the torch light, rather wet, though no one other than myself was likely paying too much attention to the floor right now.

No one said a word.

My turn. I raised my voice to just below a shout and spoke throughout the quiet. “Enemies of the Heir, beware. The Muggleborns will be next.” Instead of the smirk I knew the original Draco would have had, I brought a deep frown to my face which was far from being faked.

The wide eyes of everyone landed on me. I was only focused on the pair of large brown eyes peering at me from the middle of the corridor. Hermione. As our eyes met, I let more of my concern show through.

She’s going to get petrified just as she figures out what’s happening. I’m sure that was mostly for the plot, but maybe I can help her avoid that.

“What’s going on here? Move out of the way. What’s going on?” A wheezing voice floated through the silence.

A hobbling older man with long gray hair and a large bald spot on top of his head shuffled forward, forcing his way through the crowd. Argus Filch. Everyone seemed to hold their breath as Filch froze at the front of the group.

“My cat! My cat! What’s happened to Mrs. Norris?” he near shouted, clutching at his face. His eyes looked ready to pop out of his head as his gaze landed on Harry. “You!” he screeched. “You! You murdered my cat! You’ve killed her! I’ll kill you! I’ll—”

“Argus!”

A shiver ran up my spine.

Dumbledore had arrived. The throng parted like the red sea to allow him and the other teachers through. He barely glanced at the Golden Trio before moving to the wall. He carefully detached Mrs. Norris from the torch.

“Come with me, Argus,” he said. “You too. Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger.”

Lockhart stepped forward, wearing a flashy purple robe. “My office is nearest, Headmaster. Just upstairs. Please feel free.”

“Thank you, Gilderoy,” Dumbledore said.

The crowd parted once again to let Dumbledore and the others through. Lockhart quickly followed with a large grin of self-importance. Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape also followed only after ushering the Golden Trio forward.

The other teachers corralled the students, and the prefects directed everyone back to their common rooms.

“Chamber of Secrets,” Pansy said once we had retreated to our dormitory. She looked to me. “I haven’t heard of it before. Have you?”

I held back a snort. I definitely have heard of it. “I have. I read about it in a book… and my father has mentioned it before.” He’s Draco’s source in the novel. I’ll likely have to reach out to him about the Chamber of Secrets to keep up appearances. “I don’t know a lot though.”

“What do you know?” Daphne asked.

I glanced over to see her and Millicent watching me. I hadn’t noticed them in here. “All I know is that Salazar Slytherin didn’t approve of muggleborns being taught at Hogwarts but couldn’t do much about it because of the other founders. He created a space for a b… monster to dwell in the hopes that in the future, his heir would ‘purify’ the school.”

“So,” Millicent started, “this monster and the heir are going to kill all the mud—”

I shot a glare at her.

She quickly corrected herself. “—the muggleborns in the entire school?” She frowned. “Isn’t that a good thing…” She cut herself off at the look on my face.

“I… unfortunately need to be friends with Granger,” I said. Nothing unfortunate about it though. “If she dies, then, my connection to Potter is gone. I know I haven’t told you why yet, but I need Granger to not die. So, if the Heir of Slytherin targets her, that is very bad for me which makes it very much a not good thing.”

The other girls didn’t know what to say.

Pansy tried to adjust the focus a bit, seemingly to ease some of the tension in the room. “Did your father mention anything else, Ara?”

I shook my head. “I’ll write him a letter and ask.” We’ll see how much he’ll tell me.

I sent my letter to Father early the next morning and didn’t expect a response for a few days at least if he deigned to respond in the first place.

I can worry about that later. My priority to finish this quest and not get booted back to my original world.

The attack was the only thing the entire school could talk about for the next week. Mr. Filch patrolled the spot Mrs. Norris had been petrified and was very quick to give detention to anyone who looked ‘suspicious’ which meant anyone who looked happy whenever they passed him. As someone who owned a cat, Millicent was a little on edge and only seemed to calm down when Daphne reminded her that muggleborns would be next. No other cats should be attacked. To my surprise, she seemed a little sad at the idea of the attacks even as a Slytherin. Hope for the future for her.

Hermione was a bit more frazzled than usual. She came to the library at every break and searched everywhere in the library for traces of information on the Chamber of Secrets. She was rather frustrated when nothing could be found. I came to find her every break. Where I had also upgraded to sitting next to her instead of sitting across from her. She seemed a bit calmer with me around but was still a bit snippy with me when I asked her any questions. Our library study sessions became silent reading sessions.

Which only cause me more stress because my time was running out. I had asked about the Death Day Party when she took a moment to pause. She told me a bit about it and thanked me for the suggestion to bring snacks and gloves before refocusing. Nothing about my “argument” with Blaise. I tried to get her to notice something was off but had no idea if she did. In Potions, I purposely sat as far away from Blaise as I could get. I even had Blaise come to the library and for me to coldly dismiss him again. If Hermione noticed, she didn’t show it.

With less than ten hours before the quest ended, I worked on homework and pretended to only casually pick up books on different creatures. I was researching more about basilisks since my father had yet to respond to my letter. I had an excuse if Hermione asked what I was reading about. She was too preoccupied with her speed-reads to ask me anything though. I would have offered to help her read through the books but didn’t think we were quite in a place where she’d trust me enough if I told her the book had nothing on the Chamber. All I could do was put the books back once she finished them and ward off any loud talkers with pointed glares.

Slamming her newest read shut, Hermione angrily pushed it away from her and scowled at the table. “Nothing. Again.”

“That’s frustrating,” I said. With her current irritation level, anything more than that would be abruptly cut off or completely ignored.

Hermione made a noise of acknowledgement and scowled at the pile of books in front of her. She had been reading a variety of history books and books on the founders of Hogwarts. I had yet to see her read the obvious. Hogwarts: A History had a short section on the Chamber of Secrets that gave a description of the Chamber but not a lot of info since there wasn’t a lot to tell. It didn’t have the account of what had happened fifty years ago when it first opened, but it at least told you something about the Chamber.

Maybe she’s looking for more info since the history book didn’t have much.

She rested her head on the table. “I wish I hadn’t left my copy at home,” she muttered.

I frowned. “Your copy? Copy of what?”

“Hogwarts: A History!” Hermione said into the table. “I couldn’t fit it in my trunk with all the Lockhart books, and all the library copies have been taken out. And there’s a two-week waiting list.”

My frown deepened. “Wait, you haven’t read the Hogwarts: A History section on the Chamber yet? I thought you already had and were looking for more information.”

Hermione mutely shook her head. “No. I have no information about this Chamber.”

“I have my copy if you want to borrow it,” I told her. “There’s—”

Her head shot off the table to look at me, wide-eyed. “You have your copy of Hogwarts: A History?”

“Um, yeah. Not on me, but I can get it from my trunk and bring it to you this evening.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really?”

I nodded. “Sure. There’s not a lot of info on the Chamber in it.” I tapped my fingers on the desk in front of me. “It gives the basic information—”

Hermione leaned in closer. “Like what? I know absolutely nothing about this Chamber.”

“Er…” I hadn’t received this much attention from her all week. It was a bit unnerving. “Well, it’s all based on Salazar Slytherin—”

“Wait!” She placed her hand on my arm. “Do you mind if I get Harry and Ron and have you tell the story to all of us?”

“Um… sure—”

Hermione leapt to her feet. “I’ll be right back. Don’t move!” She rushed off, leaving all her stuff behind.

I almost wanted to laugh. So eager. This must be really frustrating her. Well, I’d be frustrated too if I couldn’t find an answer to my questions.

I had spotted Ron working on an essay for Professor Binns on my way in and guessed Harry was likely nearby as well. It wouldn’t take long for Hermione to drag the boys over here…

Wait! This will be my first friendly conversation with Harry and Ron! And I probably have to still act suspicious enough for them to want to investigate me, or there’s no point in this conversation. The Sorting Hat will just send me back…

Maybe I should come up with a contingency plan. I’m going to die in this world one way or another. If I fail the quest, then, I’d rather die here than go back to that life. It’d be even easier to do it here since I have magic. Not that I want magic to be the way I end, but I’d rather that—

The arrival of the Golden Trio pulled me from my thoughts. Harry looked as though he had just arrived and still had his bag slung neatly over his shoulder. Ron had clearly been working on homework by the scrolls of parchment and books in his arms, open bag, and irritated expression. He dumped everything onto the table and flung himself down in one of the chairs.

Hermione came to sit next to me again while Harry sat on my other side in between me and Ron. She moved her chair closer to me and stared attentively at my face. “Alright. We’re ready—”

“How do we know she’s going to tell the truth?” Ron demanded.

Valid. I don’t really have a reason to lie to you though. I eyed Ron. “You don’t have to believe me or even listen if you don’t want to, Weasley. I told Granger I’d let her borrow my book, so you could read it for yourself.”

Ron’s frown deepened. He fell silent though.

Harry didn’t say anything all. Just waiting.

I focused my attention on Hermione, the easiest to talk to right now. Alright. Not too much. Remember what the book said and explain that. “I don’t know a lot about the Chamber of Secrets, but here’s what I do know. Some people don’t believe it actually exists. It’s said Salazar Slytherin—” I threw a glance at Harry and Ron. Do they know who that is? I’d hope so. “—one of the founders of Hogwarts created it. He helped create the school but thought magic should only be taught to those of the purest blood, the ones with an all-magical family.”

Harry and Ron narrowed their eyes at that. They seemed to be waiting for an insult about Hermione and muggleborns to leave my mouth.

I rolled my eyes at them and Slytherin’s ideals. “A terrible idea. Many talented witches and wizards we have today wouldn’t have been able to learn magic. Anyway, Slytherin argued with the other founders about it and fought the most with Godric Gryffindor.” I shot another glance at Harry and Ron. “Another reason Slytherins and Gryffindors don’t get along. Salazar Slytherin eventually left the school because of these arguments. However, before he left, he created a secret chamber inside the castle and sealed it shut. In the future, his true Heir would be able to unseal it and release the… monster within upon all who Slytherin deemed unworthy to study magic.”

“The Chamber has a monster?” Hermione asked the moment I fell silent. “What kind of monster?”

Well, it seems to take everyone an entire year to use critical thinking skills to realize that the Parselmouth founder, the one who can speak to and control snakes, is using a snake to attack people. I shrugged. “No one really knows. They say it’s something only Slytherin and his heirs can control.”

“Does anyone know where it is?” Hermione asked. “Or where it’s supposed to be?”

In a girls’ bathroom of all places. Not that it was originally a bathroom. Rowling said it used to be a secret room with a trap door that was eventually updated to be a girls’ bathroom. That explanation was rather needed since plumbing didn’t exist in Slytherin’s time. Not that most fans even know that since it’s rather obscurely hidden on Pottermore. I shook my head. “No. Students and even past Headmasters have tried to find it but couldn’t find even a trace of it.” Who would look in the girls’ bathroom?

“You might need dark magic to get in,” Ron said. “Someone messing around or even someone decent wouldn’t be able to get in.” He gave me a pointed look, clearly telling me he didn’t think I was someone decent.

“Decent people can still use dark magic if needed,” I retorted. “That doesn’t make them evil.”

Ron scowled. “Says you.”

“Is there anything else?” Hermione asked quickly, killing the argument before it could truly start.

Well, yeah. There’s a lot more. Not that I really am supposed to know more until Father’s letter gets back. If he even writes me. I shook my head again. “No. Most people consider the Chamber of Secrets to be a legend, so there isn’t much about it in any history books. If you want to know more, you’d be better off asking someone with a history knowledge or someone who was there when it opened.”

“When it opened?” Hermione leaned in closer. “So, it’s been opened before.”

Damn. I don’t think you were supposed to know that until later when you interrogate me. I shifted my gaze to the bookshelf behind Hermione’s head. “I… don’t know. Just more rumors.”

A peek at Hermione’s expression told me she didn’t believe me. If she didn’t believe me, I doubted the boys would either.

Abort, abort, abort. I quickly stood. “That’s all I know. I need to head out to get to class.” I made eye contact with Hermione. “I’ll bring my book tonight for you to borrow if you still want to read it.”

Hermione nodded. “Yes. That would be great.”

“See you later then, Granger.” I glanced and Harry and Ron. I gave them the smallest of nods and quickly fled the library.

Damn it all. It’s too early for them to know everything. I sighed deeply. I didn’t mean to let that slip this earlier, but at least they should have more reasons to interrogate me. I didn’t hear the chime though. Have I still not completed this quest?? I don’t know what else I could possibly do!

I was distracted for the rest of the day. Distracted enough that I accidentally made the wrong wand movement and hardened the box we were supposed to be transfiguring to be soft and bouncy. Only after a few corrections and mild swearing was I finally able to complete the assignment and make a bouncy box.

My appetite was completely gone, and I couldn’t eat anything at dinner. Even with Pansy and Blaise trying to coax me. They didn’t know what was wrong but definitely seemed concerned about me. After dinner, I stopped in the common room to grab my copy of Hogwarts: A History and rushed upstairs to the library.

Two hours. I only have two hours left!!

My mind raced, running through different ideas and plans. Is there anything else I can do? I don’t know! I don’t know what the Golden Trio is thinking! And I can’t know unless I’m with them in their common room! What—

“Malfoy?”

I jumped.

I looked up to see Hermione standing next to me. She had a deep frown on her face. “Are you alright?” she asked.

Sighing out a breath, I forced a smile. “I’m fine.” I gestured to my book which I had set on the table in front of me. “Here.”

Hermione reached over and picked it up. She didn’t sit down though. “I can’t stay tonight,” she told me.

My heart dropped to my stomach. What! No!

“I have something to do, but I’ll be back here tomorrow night.”

Will I even be alive then? I shoved down my panic and focused on my forced smile. “Alright. Good luck with whatever you’re doing.”

Hermione gave me a small smile. She turned to leave.

I lurched to my feet. “Granger!” One last push. Come on, Hermione!

She paused.

“I… I’m sorry about earlier today. At lunch.” I took a step closer and dropped my voice to below a whisper. “There… there are some things that can only be said to people you trust. Things I’d like to be open about but can’t. So, I hope you can find the answers you need.”

Hermione met my gaze. “Thanks, Malfoy.”

I bit my lip and nodded. “Not at all. Have a good night.”

“You too.”

She left, holding my book tightly to her chest.

I waited. Waited for the chime to sound.

Waited.

Waited.

Waited.

Nothing.

I let out a loud curse. Loud enough to startle the other students nearby.

That’s it. There’s nothing else I can do. I’ve failed this quest.

Chapter Text

I wasn’t sure where I was going. I hadn’t realized I had left the library until I was moving down a long corridor. I walked and walked, letting my feet move how they wanted while I didn’t pay attention.

At some point, I ended up on the second floor, staring at the words Ginny had left. It looked exactly the same as before except there was a wooden chair stationed nearby. Likely where Mr. Filch had been guarding the hall. My eyes fell on a line of spiders crawling up the wall toward a small crack. Unlike when they normally scuttled about, these spiders almost seemed frantic. They pushed over each other and fought to get out of the corridor.

“Spiders flee before it,” I muttered. I walked down the hall a bit to the bathroom. There was an OUT OF ORDER sign on the door that I ignored.

The bathroom matched my mood. Meaning it looked absolutely miserable. A cracked and spotted mirror hung over a line of sinks that were all chipped. The bathroom was dimly lit up by candle stubs on their last leg. The floor was damp with rather large puddles everywhere as if something was leaking. Numerous scratches adorned the wooden doors of the stalls, and the paint was peeling off in places. One of the doors dangled off its hinges.

Maybe if I die in here too, that’ll cause people to start looking in here and find people faster, so not as many muggleborns are attacked.

The sound of loud sobs filled the room, echoing in the small space.

Assuming it was Moaning Myrtle herself, I found a dry spot and slid down the wall to sit on the floor.

I hadn’t been very loud but still attracted Myrtle’s attention.

A ghost girl came swooping out of one of the stalls. She couldn’t have been older than fourteen and looked ready to cry at the drop of a hat. Her limp, straight hair hung down her back and seemed ready to fall into her face at any moment. A pair of pearly glasses sat on her nose which didn’t draw much attention away from the pimples across her face.

Imagine dying and still having to deal with acne. How terrible.

Myrtle eyed me with a frown. “So many visitors today. Are you going to insult me too?”

I shook my head. “No. Just sharing in your misery.”

Her frown deepened. “Are you trying to make fun of me?”

Another shake of the head. “I’m having a hard day and thought you’d be a nice person spend some time with.”

Myrtle paused. “Me? Nice?”

“Yeah. Others don’t understand you, so they’re mean.” I pulled my knees up to my chest. “I know how that feels. Especially since the actions of others are out of your control.” I can’t go back to that life. I absolutely refuse. I twisted to look at her. “I’ll leave if you don’t want me in here, but I won’t bother you if you’ll let me stay.”

Myrtle didn’t move. After a few minutes, she turned her back on me. “Do what you want.” She flew off without another word and disappeared into a wall.

I stayed still.

After some time, I pulled up my quest log.

Twenty-two minutes.

What a terrible feeling. To know you only have twenty minutes left.

Part of me was tempted to try to leave the school and to let the night sky and the Hogwarts castle be the last thing I saw. With the prefects and teachers wandering around since it was now after curfew, I doubted I’d be able to make it to the front doors without getting caught.

Around fourteen minutes left, I got up and moved to the sinks. It only took me a couple minutes to find the sink with a small snake engraved on the side of the copper faucet. I ran my fingers over it.

I would have found a way to go with Harry and Ron to the Chamber. Just to see it for myself and help out where I could. I planned to be friends or at least close to it by then. At least Hermione doesn’t hate me anymore. That’s something considering I’ve only been here about three months, and I’ve only tried being her friend for the past month and a half. I would have befriended them all soon enough. The readers wouldn’t have been able to call them the Golden Trio anymore. Maybe the Golden Quad?

I sat back down in the mostly dry spot I had found before and stared at the wall.

Six minutes.

Waiting for death is terrible. I’d rather it be quick. I could end it early…

My eyes fixated on the timer counting down.

No. I’ll wait.

I did pull out my wand. I waved it in front of my face and created sparkles in the air. Bright and colorful. Magic. Magic that I could use.

Four minutes.

Slit wrists? Pass out from blood loss before bleeding out. I don’t think it’ll take that long. It hopefully won’t be too unpleasant either. I don’t really know any better spells to do this.

Three minutes.

Well, I should do it soon. I pointed my wand at my left wrist. I still need some time to bleed out. I don’t know how long that takes.

Stealing myself, I braced myself and said, “Diff—"

A chime sounded.

I flinched at the loud noise in my ear.

My hand slipped. Pain flared through my arm. Pain I completely ignored as my mind processed the loud noise.

The Fireworks chime.

My heart stopped. I stiffly turned my head to see a notification pop up next to me.

Suspicions for the Heir – COMPLETE!

See quest details for rewards.

My wand fell out of my hand and clattered as it hit the floor. My breathing came out in short pants. My vision blurred in and out of focus as I tried to calm down.

I did it. The quest is complete. I don’t have to go back. I don’t have to go back.

“Hey, are you alright?”

I can stay here. I don’t have to go back.

“Hello?”

I finished the quest. I don’t have to leave this world.

“You’re bleeding!”

I can stay.

I can stay.

I can stay.

Pressure appeared on my arm. Very different than the tightness in my chest.

A face appeared in my vision. A very stern face of a woman who now had wide, concerned eyes. Professor McGonagall. “Miss Malfoy! Are you alright? Were you attacked?”

I tried to speak. My breathing still came out in wheezing pants. My voice wouldn’t work. I very slowly shook my head once.

“Let’s get you to the Hospital Wing.” Professor McGonagall conjured a stretcher beneath me and had me lay down on top of it. I could still that pressure on my arm. She turned to someone behind her. A silvery person. Myrtle. “Miss Warren, can you please find Professor Snape and tell him to come to the Hospital Wing?”

“Yes, professor.” Myrtle floated off.

I still had a hard time concentrating on anything other than the tightness in my chest and the difficulty breathing. And… pain. There was pain? On my arm.

Sooner than I expected, we stopped moving. My body was levitated onto a much softer bed. An unfamiliar face appeared above me. Another woman wearing a funny white cap on top of graying hair. She wore a set of dark robes with a white apron on top and tied in the back. A nurse? “Minerva, what happened?” the woman demanded.

“I don’t know. I was patrolling the hallway of the second floor when the ghost, Miss Myrtle Warren, came to find me. I found Miss Malfoy in the lavatory like this.”

I hissed as some stinging liquid hit my arm. Something then tapped at my arm. Pain eased from that area. Pain I had forgotten about for a moment. Something smooth tightened around my arm. Fabric? A bandage? Something cold pressed against my lips, and a cool liquid poured into my mouth. I choked and immediately began to cough as the bitter liquid touched my tongue.

“Drink. This will help you breathe.” An arm supported my head, propping me up a bit. That same cold surface touched my lips.

I latched onto the last word. Breathe. I need to breathe. Bracing myself, I resisted the urge to gag and swallowed the bitter liquid.

My lungs expanded. I sharply inhaled as I was finally able to take deep breaths. The tightness in my chest eased the more I breathed. The arm behind my head lowered me back to the bed. I felt my body relax into the pillows. Focusing on the ceiling, I concentrated on inhaling and exhaling slowly. My thoughts began to clear, shifting from panicked chaos to jittery stillness. I could finally fully process the words around me enough to think of a response.

“Miss Malfoy?” the woman with the cap asked. “How are you feeling? What happened?”

I opened my mouth and tried again to speak. This time, breathy words came out. “I’m… fine.” Fine enough. I spared a glance to my right where my notifications screen was still open. The Quest Complete notification stared back at me. I settled in deeper into the bed. A lot better now.

I bolted upright. A wave of dizziness flooded through me. My vision blurred and darkened around the edges.

“Careful!” the woman with the cap said. She pressed a gentle hand to my shoulder to push me back down into the bad.

I barely paid her much attention, letting her help me lay back down. Thoughts raced through my mind. Bloody hell! They found me in the bathroom after curfew having a panic attack! How am I going to explain this? It’s not like I can tell them I didn’t want to go back to my old life. They’d send me off to St. Mungo’s to try to cure my insanity! But they found me in a bad state with…

My gaze drifted down. A thick bandage was wrapped around my forearm. There was only a slight pain whenever I moved my arm too much. I vaguely remembered the more intense pain but had been completely distracted by the Quest Complete notification.

Right. I have a gash on my arm and was having a hard time breathing. They’re not going to just let this go. I wouldn’t if I was them. I need a good explanation—

“Miss Malfoy?” the woman with the cap asked. “Are you alright? What happened?”

Give them something, or they’ll freak out even more. I nodded once, wary of the vague headache starting to form. “Sorry,” I said. “I sat up too fast. I’m a little lightheaded. Can… can I get some water?”

“Of course.” The woman swept off while Professor McGonagall stayed by my side.

Okay, think think think. This looks really bad… and I guess it is pretty bad. I didn’t know I could even have panic attacks in this body. And not like that. But they’re going to need some sort of explanation for everything. Preferably something milder than the truth since they can’t really understand the full truth in the first place. And I don’t want them to be too worried about me. That’s not going to happen again.

A little voice spoke up at the back of my mind. Unless you almost fail again—

I shoved off that thought. No. I won’t get that close again. It’s not going to happen.

The woman came back with a glass of water and a pitcher in hand.

With a clearer head, I finally noticed where I was. I spotted beds next to and across from me, all with short tables next to the beds. There were stands in the corner of the room that looked like simple versions of those dressing screens from older times. The Hospital Wing. Which meant the woman with the funny hat was likely Madam Poppy Pomfrey. Matron of the Hogwarts Hospital Wing.

“Small sips,” she admonished, handing over the glass.

I did as she asked and sipped on my water. Think think think.

“Can you tell us what happened, Miss Malfoy?” Madam Pomfrey asked, eyes on my face.

I couldn’t meet the gaze of either Madam Pomfrey or Professor McGonagall who hadn’t looked away from me since I had first noticed her staring. “I… I had a panic attack. A really bad one.”

“A what?”

Blinking, I turned to Madam Pomfrey with a frown. “A panic—”

The doors flew open, cutting me off.

Professor Snape stood in the doorway in his usual black robes and swept to my side the moment he spotted me. “Ara.” He addressed Madam Pomfrey who was currently refilling my cup. “Madam Pomfrey, what happened?”

“We were asking her that same question.” She set the water pitcher down on the bedside table next to me. “What were you saying?”

“A panic attack,” I said again. “I had a panic attack.”

“My dear girl, what is that?”

Do wizards not have panic attacks? Wait. This is the nineties. And the Wizarding World. I’m sure something similar has happened before, and they call it something else. Or only acknowledge the symptoms. I let out a sigh. The vague headache got worse as a wave of exhaustion flooded through me. My body felt like it was coming down from a high. And I still need to explain things. “I… sometimes get really anxious. And stressed. My body will react. Like it’s really scared. My chest gets tight. I can’t breathe. My heart beats really fast. It’s hard to think. A panic attack. That’s what I call them at least.”

Understanding lit up in Madam Pomfrey’s eyes. “I’ve never heard that term before. It sounds like your nerves are overwrought.”

Sure. Whatever works for you.

She gestured to my arm. “What about the cut on your arm? It was bleeding quite profusely when you arrived.”

I opened my mouth but almost immediately paused as my gaze landed on Professor Snape whose intense black eyes were fixated on my face. My heart dropped to my stomach. Damn it! He knows Occlumency and Legilimency! He’ll be able to tell if I’m lying! This just got more complicated. Truths and half-truths! I lowered my gaze to my bandaged arm. “Sometimes… when the panic attack is that bad… it helps to have a distraction. Something else to focus on.” I tightened my hands into fists, still not looking at any of them. “Sometimes… pain helps. Helps bring the panic and anxiety down. It… must have been deeper than I thought. To bleed a lot.”

Silence.

I didn’t dare raise my head to look at any of them.

“Let’s have you rest here tonight, Miss Malfoy,” Madam Pomfrey said eventually. “You are likely exhausted. When you are more rested in the morning, you can speak with Professor Snape.”

I kept a carefully neutral face. “Alright.” Good and bad. A little more time to solidify my explanation. And I am exhausted. Maybe from blood loss. Since I was apparently bleeding a lot. I don’t remember that at all. Granted, I’m not surprised. This night is such a mess.

Professor Snape agreed with Madam Pomfrey, promising to visit tomorrow. He and Professor McGonagall then left the Hospital Wing. They were a little hesitant but seemed more relaxed that I hadn’t been attacked by anyone physically like Mrs. Norris. Clearly still worried though.

After giving me some privacy to change into a set of pajamas she provided, Madam Pomfrey helped me back into bed. “I can prepare a Calming Draught for you to help your body relax enough to sleep. I’ve never heard of your… condition referred to as a panic attack before, but I have had other students come to me with similar symptoms especially around the end-of-year exams. Not many come in with symptoms as intense as yours. And most don’t come in with wounds.” Her gentle gaze met mine. “Are you certain… there wasn’t a more specific intent behind this wound?”

Slowly lifting my gaze, my eyes met hers. “I’m sure,” I lied. “I don’t usually…” The words genuinely got caught in my throat. “My panic attacks aren’t usually that bad,” I said softly.

I could feel her gaze on me.

I didn’t move.

“Alright. But please know you may always speak with me if you need to. I am certain Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall would also be willing to speak with you if you are feeling overly distressed.”

I nodded once. Not trusting myself to speak much more.

“I’ll prepare the Calming Draught.” Madam Pomfrey took a step away and paused. “Oh.” I glanced over at her in time to see her pull out a familiar reddish-brown wand from her pocket. “Professor McGonagall found this in the lavatory with a black bag and gave it to me before she left. I imagine they’re yours?”

I nodded again. “Yes. Thank you.”

“Not at all. Your bag is on the floor next to you. Please let me know if you need anything else.” She set my wand down on the bedside table before walking toward the back of the Hospital Wing. I spotted a door just before she walked inside. Likely her office.

I dropped my head back and let myself sink back into the bed. That went better than I expected. We’ll see how chatting with Professor Snape goes in the morning. I’m hurt and was out of bed after curfew. Not great. And I’m sure Pansy and Blaise will be worried about me when I’m not there. Maybe I’ll ask Madam Pomfrey to let them know. If they don’t know already. And the whole school will probably hear about it since I was found so close to the crime scene. That’ll be just great. But I can worry about that tomorrow. I’m so tired…

“Here.”

I twisted a bit to see Madam Pomfrey was back with two glasses. One with a blue liquid and one with a red liquid. She patiently explained the blue one was a Calming Draught and that the red one would help more quickly replenish the blood I had lost. She waited with me to make sure I drank it all. The red one was rather salty and honestly made me think I was drinking blood by the vague iron taste. The blue one was much more pleasant, tasting like lavender and peppermint, and went down a lot easier than the red one and whatever I had swallowed earlier.

A wave of ease flooded through me, causing me to release most of the tension in my body. Madam Pomfrey lingered to help adjust my pillows and pull my blankets up to my chin before retreating to her office once again.

I closed my eyes.

At least I completed the quest. That was too close for comfort.

My heart clenched.

No. Nope. Not going to worry about that right now. I just need some sleep. I’ll figure everything out tomorrow.

Forcing those thoughts away, I allowed my mind to drift to milder topics and quickly fell asleep.

I woke up to a bright light on my face. Blinking a few times, I squinted and tilted my head to the left to get the light out of my eyes. It came from a crack in the curtains across the room. Very different than the Slytherin dormitories that only brightened if the torches and candles were lit and not to this extent.

Frowning, I peered around. I bolted upright as I remembered where I was. The Hospital Wing! After… after I almost failed a quest.

“Wonderful. You’re awake.” I glanced over to see Madam Pomfrey come to my side with a tray of food. I spotted a brothy soup and a glass of pumpkin juice. She set the tray across my lap.

“What time is it?” I asked, taking a mouthful of soup.

“Quarter to eleven.”

I choked.

Madam Pomfrey immediately pulled out her wand as I started coughing. My airway cleared almost immediately. I sucked down a few breaths and downed the glass of the pumpkin juice to ease any lingering pain in my throat. Eyes watering a bit, I moved the tray to the side of me. “I have to get to class!”

I tried to get out of bed. Madam Pomfrey only put a firm hand on my shoulder and gently pushed me back against the pillows. “No. I want you to rest for the day. You can leave at dinnertime.”

“But—”

“No, Miss Malfoy.”

Madam Pomfrey ignored all my protests. She stayed by my side to make sure I ate everything on the tray before checking the bandage on my arm. The cut was still an angry red color but was decently thin and healing. It started at my wrist and moved a couple inches down my arm. Having no idea what it looked like before, I wasn’t sure how bad it was compared to now. Madam Pomfrey performed a nonverbal spell that closed the wound even more until it looked almost like a long scratch. She rewrapped it to keep it clean before leaving with a pointed look at me.

Deciding that wasn’t a fight I wanted to have, I laid back in bed and stared up at the vaulted ceiling.

It didn’t take long for boredom to hit. The Calming Draught and extra sleep helped me to completely recover from my headache and any aftereffects from the panic attack. Which meant I didn’t have any distractions. As someone who usually had a very busy day from dawn till well after dusk, doing nothing was rather torturous.

After some time, I got out my wand and created small sparks in a variety of colors but was quickly told off by Madam Pomfrey who didn’t want me to be practicing magic in the Hospital Wing. She politely reminded me I still had my school bag and could read if I needed something to do. She still wanted me to rest and wouldn’t let me do any homework.

“Your friends came to visit you this morning,” she said as she set my bag back down on the ground.

“They did?” I asked quickly.

Madam Pomfrey nodded once. “You were asleep still, and Professor Snape asked me to wait for him to speak with you before allowing any visitors inside. He said he should be here around the in the middle of lunch.”

I sat up a little straighter. “Does that mean I can leave once I speak with him?”

She threw me a stern look. “No. You will still stay in here until dinner. I would like for you to take the day to rest. There is no need to upset your nerves again so quickly after your experience last night. So, you will rest for now, or I will keep you here until tomorrow morning. Do you understand?”

Cringing a bit, I agreed.

I read through my Transfiguration textbook to pass the time. I was nearly three-quarters of the way through it for the second read-through and was hoping to get a new insight about turning a porcupine into a pin cushion.

At some point nearly an hour later, the doors opened, and Professor Snape swept into the room.

At the sight of him, Madam Pomfrey inclined her head and retreated to her office.

Professor Snape moved to my side and settled on one of the chairs. “Good afternoon, Ara. How are you feeling today?”

I closed the Transfiguration book and shifted a bit in bed.

Even after two months at Hogwarts, I hadn’t fully gotten used to this man being nice to me. Especially since I wasn’t sure if I fully hated him or not. He often praised my potions much to the irritation of Hermione who usually brewed a better potion that I did. Even so, he was an excellent professor when he liked you. Neville likely would have had a much easier time in Potions if Professor Snape hadn’t been teaching.

“Fine, sir,” I said easily.

Sitting up straighter in his seat, Professor Snape considered me. “You appear to be in better health than yesterday. I was not aware of your… condition. This is something important for me as your Head of House to know especially if they can occur with such… severity.” He tilted his head a bit as his gaze shifted to my bandaged arm. I resisted the urge to cover it up. “Is your father not aware you suffer from these… what did you call them? Panicking attacks?”

“Panic attacks, sir,” I said quietly, “and… no. He doesn’t know about them.” I dropped my gaze to my lap. I didn’t even know I could have a bad panic attack like that in this body. Most people don’t have panic attacks in the first place. “It’s not usually this bad.” I lifted my eyes. “There are certain ways a Malfoy must act. Having panic attacks isn’t something a Malfoy should have.” Which is why I will never tell Father about them.

Professor Snape frowned. “I must then inform you that I will be writing to your parents later today.”

I bolted upright. “You what!”

He raised his eyebrows.

Right. I wouldn’t talk to him like this. Cringing, I carefully relaxed my posture again to lean against the propped-up pillows. “Apologies, sir.” I shifted uncomfortably on the bed. “What will you be telling my parents if I might ask?”

“I wished to speak with you first before relaying anything to your parents.”

I gathered the blankets in my fists and focused on the bed across from me. “What did you want to speak to me about, sir?”

“Last night, you were out of your common room after curfew and were found in considerable distress down the hall from where an attack occurred only a week previous.” I felt his dark eyes on me. “I would like to know why you were in that bathroom and what caused this severe panic attack.”

It’s not like I can tell you I thought I had failed a quest and wouldn’t let myself go back to my old world. I’m sure the panic attack was the aftermath of the stress of the whole thing that could only be released once the original problem had ended. How frustrating not being able to lie.

Reviewing the explanation I had thought of earlier, I said, “I have been very overwhelmed and stressed lately. Moreso than usual. There is more pressure on me to do better in my classes, and I also have my first Quidditch Match on Saturday. I think my body responded with a panic attack. But it hasn’t been this bad in a long time.” I carefully met his eyes. “I needed somewhere to be by myself, so I went that bathroom since no one goes there. But I lost track of time. Alone with my thoughts, the anxiety grew until… everything happened.”

Professor Snape didn’t speak.

I shifted my gaze to an unlit candle to his right and kept speaking. “My parents… wouldn’t understand. Well, more specifically, they will be angry with me for my actions. For seeming weak. I haven’t told them about the panic attacks.” I met those black eyes again. “Nor do I wish to if it’s at all possible.”

Professor Snape didn’t move for a long time. “Ara,” he said eventually, “it is very concerning for you to be in such a state that you resorted to harming yourself. Your parents—”

“Please, sir,” I cut in, leaning toward him. “I apologize for interrupting, but telling my parents will only make it worse.” Much, much worse. And I know that with every bone in my body even after only meeting Father in person a few months ago. “Please.”

His gaze drifted to my cheek.

Frowning, I raised my hand. I felt a trail of wetness there. Something I hadn’t noticed. Tears. Quickly looking away, I frantically wiped at my cheeks to dry the tears. Warmth rose in my face. I couldn’t meet his gaze.

“Pathetic.”

His voice.

I found myself staring at a dirty tiled floor of an equally filthy kitchen. I spotted graying socks at the top of my vision.

“Are you a damn child? You’re wasting your tears. Crying won’t help you. I’ll—”

“Alright.”

Blinking, I found myself back in the Hospital Wing. Back on the bed. I glanced at Professor Snape out of the corner of my eye.

“I will write to your parents to inform them you were admitted into the Hospital Wing after a spell backfired.”

I snapped my head up to look at him as my mouth fell open.

Professor Snape retained his usual cold and aloof expression. But it had warmed a bit. I recognized the emotion barely restrained behind that expression. Sympathy.

I wasn’t sure if that made it worse.

“Madam Pomfrey explained that what you call panic attacks are common enough.” His gaze shifted to my bandaged arm again. “However, the wound is not. If an incident where you are physically injured occurs again beyond what a usual panic attack entails, I will inform your parents. Do you understand, Ara?”

I quickly nodded. “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

Standing, Professor Snape straightened his robes. “I expect that you will inform me how you are recovering and adjusting over the next couple of weeks to reduce the chances of another panic attack. For now, rest. I believe Madam Pomfrey said you will be able to attend the feast tonight. If your fellow Slytherins do not visit you before then, I am certain they will wish to see you at the feast.” He made toward the door.

I stared after him for a moment. A question slid past my lips before I could stop it. “Aren’t I in trouble, sir?”

He paused. “For what?”

“I was out past curfew!”

Those dark eyes slid to mine. “Do you want detention?”

I hesitated but slowly shook my head.

“Then, no. You were ill. I see no reason to give you detention. Beyond informing me about your health and ensuring nothing of this severity occurs again, all I ask is that you go to the Hospital Wing if you have one of these panic attacks again instead of retreating to a lavatory.”

I stared at him. “Y-yes, sir.”

“Good.” He turned back toward the door. “Rest well.”

He left. The large doors closed with a click behind him.

I couldn’t stop staring after him. If I was Harry, Snape would have given me detention for a week. At least. Checking in with him will be fine. I’ll make sure I won’t fail another Main Quest. This won’t happen again. I slowly released my tight grip on the blankets. And if Professor Snape tells my parents what he said he would, it’ll be much better for me. Even if Father’s response still won’t be great. Going to the Hospital Wing for messing up a spell?

I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d rather have detention.

To my surprise, the Hospital Wing doors weren’t closed for more than ten minutes before they were thrown open again.

I looked up in time to see two figures before one of them let out a loud cry and pounced on me. Arms tightly wrapped around me as the person blubbered and cried in my ear.

I recognized her voice enough to relax and hug Pansy back.

“—thought something horrible had happened to you when you weren’t back in the common room!” Pansy cried, tears streaming down her face. “Maybe some mud… muggleborn who didn’t like what you said on Halloween! One of the prefects told us where you were late last night which was the only reason I could sleep, but I was still so worried about you! The whole school is going on about how a pureblood was attacked—”

I frowned. “I wasn’t attacked. And I’m fine now.” I tugged Pansy far enough away to see her face. “I… was very anxious and had a hard time breathing. I would have come back to the common room last night, but Madam Pomfrey insisted I stay here.”

“We came early this morning but were told we couldn’t see you until Professor Snape had a chance to speak with you.” I peered over at Blaise who had come with Pansy. He set his bag down and came to stand closer to Pansy who was still hanging onto me. “We ran into him as he was returning to his office, and he told us we could visit you.”

I gave him and Pansy a smile. “Thanks for coming. I wouldn’t have been much fun this morning anyway. I took a potion to help me sleep, and I didn’t wake up until close to eleven.”

“When are you leaving here?” Pansy asked, releasing me to straighten up.

I felt my face twitch as I held back a small scowl. “Madam Pomfrey is insisting I stay for the rest of the day and said I could leave around dinnertime.”

“Good. It’s important to rest.” Blaise took my newly freed hand and squeezed it lightly. “We have your homework for our classes this morning and shall have the rest of it by the afternoon.”

“We tried to ask them to not give you any homework,” Pansy said. “Professor Snape is the only one who didn’t. I took more notes than I usually do for you, and I’ll let you look at them once we’re back in the common room later.”

I offered her another smile. “Thank you.”

They stayed with me a few more minutes before running off to the afternoon classes.

As both Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey suggested—demanded might have been a better word for Madam Pomfrey—I rested for the rest of the day without complaint. I finished rereading my Transfiguration book and took a midafternoon nap. I was very well-behaved, wanting to be released for dinner.

As the afternoon light faded into the beginnings of sunset, I started getting antsy like I had that morning.

Maybe Madam Pomfrey will let me go early? It’d be nice to escape…

A glance around told me she was likely tucked away in her office again.

Hopefully, she’ll come out soon—

The opening doors pulled my attention to the opposite side of the wing. A bushy brown head poked her head inside. Her eyes fell on me, and after only a moment of hesitation, she walked fully into the room. “Hey, Malfoy.”

I offered Hermione a bright smile. “Hi, Granger. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Hermione came and sat down in the seat closest to my bed. “I’m rather surprised myself. I heard you were in the hospital and wanted to come check on you.”

My smile grew. “That’s very kind of you. Especially since we’re only library acquaintances. But I’m fine. Madam Pomfrey should be releasing me soon.”

Hermione placed her hands in her lap. “I’m… glad you’re alright. No one seems to have the right answer on why you’re in here though. The only thing people can agree on is that you were found in a lavatory and had to be brought to the hospital.”

I grimaced a bit. Great. That can still be explained but isn’t great still. There’s going to be too much attention on me. “Yes. That did happen. I’ll tell you the rest of what happened, but I only ask you to not spread it around. It’s not the best look for a Malfoy.” After Hermione’s quick nod, I kept going. “I sometimes get what’s called a panic attack. It happens after I get really overwhelmed and anxious, and I have a hard time breathing. Last night, I had a really bad panic attack, and I had to be brought in here.”

Her frown deepened. “But… you’re fine now?”

A nod. “Yes. It doesn’t usually last too long. Madam Pomfrey had me stay in here and rest for the day.” I leaned back against my pillows. “Hopefully that clears up the rumors for you. People were probably saying I got attacked, right?”

She nodded.

“Figures. Well, hopefully those rumors will go away soon.”

“They should once everyone sees you’re fine.”

I agreed with her.

We made small talk for a little long before Hermione got to her feet. “I need to go. I have a few things I need to do before dinner.” She hesitated. “Will… will you be at the library tonight?”

“I plan to if I can leave when Madam Pomfrey said I could.”

Hermione offered me a smile. “Then, I’ll see you there.” She left without another word.

To my relief, Madam Pomfrey came soon after that. She performed the spell on my arm again, and finally, the cut was completely healed without leaving a scar. With an admonishment to go to bed early, she finally released me.

Stares and whispers followed me the moment I left the Hospital Wing. It was more attention than I ever received before in my entire life. I bristled a bit at each look. I attended the feast to show everyone I was alive but retreated as soon as I could.

Hermione was a bit awkward during our study session in the library but let me ask six questions instead of five and patiently explained what we had done in Potions even if Professor Snape excused me from the homework.

To not worry my friends, I skipped my session in the Room of Requirement and returned early to the common room. I didn’t last long there either with all the stares before retreating to the dormitory to sleep.

Father’s letter came the next morning during breakfast.

The other Slytherins had been happy to see me the night before and were rather enthusiastic as they greeted and doted on me. They kept filling up my plate until I told them I was full. By the morning, they were back to their normal selves.

A light weight appeared on my shoulder as owls swooped down through the crowd. I twisted enough to see Volare perched there. He had a rather thick envelope tied to his leg along with a small parcel. The thicker envelope wasn’t a comforting sight.

Biting my lip, I untied the envelope and parcel from Volare’s leg. I fed him a couple sausages and stroked his feathers a few times. Normally, he would fly off with the other owls once he had gotten something to eat. This time, he stayed on my shoulder.

Very not comforting.

The parcel was less scary. I opened it first and found sweets as usual. There were a few more packed in which caused a few to fall out the moment the parcel was opened. I’d be unsurprised if Mother had added in extra sweets after hearing what had happened.

With no other excuses, I took a deep breath and opened the envelope. I spotted a letter from Draco per usual. Mother and Father had both written to me this time. With a sigh, I unfolded Father’s letter to read first.

Ara,

Severus informed me of your visit to the Hospital Wing. I expect a letter back with Volare, explaining in detail what happened and where you went wrong. This kind of mistake should not happen, especially not at the level of severity to send you to the Hospital Wing. I expect you have recovered by now.

As a response to your previous letter, I cannot tell you much about the Chamber of Secrets. I am of course aware of the attack at the school. The Chamber has been opened before, but the circumstances are very secretive. I will tell you what I can. It last opened fifty years ago. There were attacks on muggleborns all year. Near the end of the year, one was found dead, and the governors considered closing the school before the culprit was apprehended and expelled.

If the Chamber of Secrets has truly opened once more, I would stay out of the Heir’s way. The school shall be rid of some of the filth, and you don’t have to get involved. Keep your nose clean, and focus on your studies.

I expect your letter with Volare soon about your backfired spell.

Father

I sighed out a deep breath. Not as bad as I expected, and he had given me more information on the Chamber of Secrets. I now had an excuse for knowing some of what I did.

“Is that from your father?” Pansy asked, peering at me. “Your face… you look stressed which is very different than when you read a letter from your brother or mother.”

I nodded but gave her a look that told her I’d talk to her more about it later.

Pansy quickly backed off. She dove into the conversation Millicent and Daphne had started.

Pulling out a role of parchment and a quill from my bag, I penned a quick response to Father and gave him more details without mentioning the panic attacks. As far as I could tell, Professor Snape hadn’t mentioned being found in a bathroom after curfew, so I didn’t mention it either. The excuse I gave Father was I hadn’t eaten all day to focus on studying which made me rather faint. When I practiced a spell later in the day, I wasn’t paying as close attention, and the spell backfired. Not great to mention almost fainting but better than the alternative of telling him the truth. This would hopefully satisfy him. I muttered thanks to Merlin that I could send a letter instead of being confronted. It would have been harder to lie in person.

Maybe I should start learning Occlumency. Not that Father is very skilled in it, but it would help me with lying to anyone I wanted to in the future including Professor Snape and Dumbledore if I ever speak with him. Especially since I don’t want to mention anything about the quests or my previous life to anyone without them noticing something is off. It’d be better to get a teacher, but learning on my own isn’t a terrible option either.

On my own. Story of my life.

Chapter Text

I woke up early the next morning.

Saturday. The first Quidditch match of the season. Slytherin vs. Gryffindor. My first Quidditch match ever, and we were going to lose. A hard pill to swallow. And even worse to wake up to a new quest notification.

I hadn’t mentally recovered from the last quest yet and wasn’t ready to complete another one with the panic I had felt still at the forefront of my mind. I hadn’t even looked at the rewards for the quest yet. I was very tempted to ignore the new quest until later.

It’s probably about the Quidditch match.

Groaning, I opened the quest log and glanced over my newest quest.

MAIN QUEST – A Bludgeoning Quidditch Match

Today is the first match of the Quidditch season where the Gryffindor team will face off against their greatest rivals, the Slytherin team. During this match, Dobby the House-Elf enchanted a Bludger to attack Harry Potter in an attempt to get him to leave Hogwarts.

YOUR QUEST – Ensure that Gryffindor wins the match.

TIME LEFT: 8 Hours 16 Minutes

MAIN REWARD – Upgraded Quidditch Skills

I scowled at the quest screen. Well, it’s a good thing I checked this before I went to the match. It’s not a very hard quest to complete, so that’s something at least. All I have to do is not catch the Snitch. But then make it look like I tried since I am on a team. I sighed, throwing an arm over my face. What’s the point of making me play these games or even giving me upgraded skills if Gryffindor is guaranteed to win? Maybe I could help Harry with the rogue Bludger which could be a start of him not hating me?

I laid in bed for a while before admitting I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep. I made my way down to breakfast.

The Great Hall was mostly empty. It was a weekend, so most people liked to sleep in. I was usually one of those people. I scanned the room to look for any familiar faces and was surprised to see the entire Gryffindor Quidditch Team sitting together, barely eating.

Don’t worry. You’ll be in a much better mood later.

Too late for me to leave without someone noticing, I quickly found a seat at the Slytherin table. I munched on some toast and enjoyed bacon and eggs. One of these days, I’ll go thank the house-elves for making meals and cleaning up every day. I had explored enough to be able to get around to my classes, to the library, to the Slytherin Common Room, and the Room of Requirement. Much more than that, and I’d utterly fail and easily get lost. The kitchen was one of the places on my bucket list to visit but somewhere I hadn’t had time to look for yet.

The tables began to fill up with more people. The other Slytherin Quidditch players came to sit near me and jeered at the Gryffindor players who only shot silent glares at our group. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff weren’t much better. They’d rather side with Gryffindor than Slytherin which meant there was a lot of hate towards us in the Great Hall.

I could only stand it for so long before leaving. I grabbed my broom and strolled down to the Quidditch Pitch. The weather was very foggy and dim with clouds that threatened to rain on us. Likely not helpful to the bad mood the Gryffindor players were in. I made my way to the locker rooms where I quickly changed into my green robes before slipping out again.

I spotted the Gryffindor team trudging their way toward the locker rooms. Luckily, Harry lagged behind the group a bit. Ignoring the glares from the rest of the team, especially Wood who looked at me like I was the Devil incarnate, I came up to Harry and stopped a few feet away.

His green eyes fell on me. They were rather wary and distrusting but nothing like the hatred I had seen over the summer. Progress.

“Good luck, Potter,” I said.

He frowned. “Is that a taunt? So sure in your victory?”

I shook my head. “Not at all. You’re on a great team, and I’m excited to play against you.” I gave him a small smile. “So good luck.” Without another word, I spun on my heel and walked back toward the Slytherin locker room.

“What was that about?” I heard Wood ask. “She didn’t mess with you, did she?”

After a slight pause, Harry said, “No. I think… I think she was being genuine.”

My smile grew a bit. Progress.

I quickly made it back to the Slytherin locker room. Flint was already inside and ready to go while Montague was dressing. I didn’t have to wait much longer until the rest of the team came in and dressed.

A few minutes before the match started, Flint got up to give a pep talk. “We’ve got this in the bag.” He smirked. “We’ve got superior brooms and skills. Play how we practiced, and we’ll win.”

Not today, we won’t.

We left the locker rooms and walked out onto the pitch. Loud cheering greeted us from the Slytherin section which was nearly overtaken by the boos and hisses from the other houses. Not surprising. The cheers for the Gryffindor team were nearly deafening as they walked out. The Slytherins did a well enough job booing that they could still be heard over the applause.

Wood and Flint walked up to where Madam Hooch waited. I had seen her a couple times in the Great Hall at the teacher’s table. She had short spiky gray hair which almost made her look like a hedgehog and wore goggles that mostly obscured her yellow eyes. She wore a white button down and a black necktie with the Hogwarts crest and a black cloak thrown on top.

Madam Hooch had Wood and Flint shake hands. Shake being a relative term. They looked like they were doing their best to break the other’s hand by how hard they were squeezing and flexing their arms. They quickly stepped back to stand with their teams.

“On my whistle,” Madam Hooch said. “Three. Two. One.”

The whistle blew.

Fourteen players shot into the air, cheered on by the crowd.

Keeping an eye on Harry who had flown higher than everyone else, I searched for the Snitch.

The cheering and booing were very distracting. I jumped a couple times when thunderous applause filled the air since I could only partially pay attention to the game since my job was to find a tiny flying ball which almost guaranteed winning the game. I’m kinda starting to agree with everyone who gets annoyed with Quidditch. Like imagine playing a soccer game with the teams neck in neck, and then all of a sudden, the game is over because someone was chasing a ball in the parking lot. Maybe if the Snitch wasn’t as many points? Like fifty instead of one hundred fifty.

I spared a glance at Harry in time to see him drop in the air to avoid a Bludger pelting directly at his face.

Dobby, you’re gonna kill the guy.

One of the Weasley twins—I really need to figure out who’s who—swung his bat to hit the Bludger toward me. I didn’t even bother moving. The Bludger curved around well before it could have hit me and shot back toward Harry who was starting to look annoyed. He leaned forward to zoom to the other side of the field.

Is there anything I can do? Hermione destroyed it in the movie, but I think the twins wrestled it back into the box in the book. Pretty sure it’d be some sort of foul if I used magic while playing the match…

I zoomed after Harry, still keeping an eye out for the Snitch.

Maybe if I find it and direct Harry toward it, this match can be over faster.

Rain had started to fall. Very grateful I didn’t have glasses, I searched for a glint of gold even as the rain hit my robes which sent shivers up my spine.

A roar of applause filled my ears once more.

“Slytherin lead, sixty points to zero—” the announcer said.

I spun in the air to take a quick look. Lee Jordan, a fourth year with Fred and George. I was too far away to see his face, but I could make out his dark hair in dreadlocks, his Gryffindor robes, and the microphone in front of him.

Too bad he isn’t in a better mood. We’d get a lot funner commentary.

I spared another glance at Harry. He was now shoulder to shoulder with Fred and George who were doing their best to knock the Bludger away. It kept coming back though.

He definitely can’t find the Snitch like that.

A glint of gold appeared out of the corner of my eye. I whipped around so fast I heard my neck pop.

There! I spotted the Snitch hovering halfway down a goalpost. Now to get Harry—

Madam Hooch’s whistle sounded, signaling a time out.

Damn.

The Weasleys and Harry practically dove toward the ground, still avoiding the Bludger.

I flew to the ground with the other Slytherins but kept my eyes trained on Snitch. The other Gryffindors huddled together on the ground looking rather grave. My team jeered and high-fived as we waited. By the expressions, they were very pleased with themselves. I couldn’t blame them. Sixty to zero was pretty good. It’d be even better to get up closer to one fifty to make it a close game at least.

“Looks like Potter’s out of commission,” Flint commented. He moved to stand next to me. “That Bludger is doing a great job keeping him distracted. Another lucky thing about today.” His eyes shifted to mine. “Find the Snitch while he’s distracted. It’s fun to score on them like this, but it’ll be better to get even farther ahead.”

I nodded, keeping a neutral expression. You’re going to be pissed when we lose. I muttered curses to the Sorting Hat.

Madam Hooch signaled to both teams to get ready before blowing her whistle.

Both teams launched back into the air. Harry was without his Weasley escort this time. Right, this dumbass is such a self-sacrificer he’ll brave a Bludger on his own to help the team win. I hadn’t lost track of the Snitch and carefully made my way over to it while appearing to be randomly searching. Positioning myself in the air with the Snitch to my right, I turned enough to see Harry rushing in my direction.

Slytherin scored again.

I couldn’t care less at this point. I made sure the Snitch was still where it needed to be.

Now, I just need Harry’s attention. He’s a great player, so he should notice the Snitch next to me.

Harry did a weird twirl in the air to avoid the Bludger.

“Training for the ballet, Potter?” The words slipped out before I could stop them. The words didn’t have the sneer Tom Felton had added, but I couldn’t help the small smile that appeared on my face.

Harry shot me a glare as he dodged the Bludger again.

I saw the moment he noticed the Snitch. His eyes locked on a point near my elbow with slightly widened eyes. Great. Now, go—

The Bludger pelted toward Harry again who was still locked onto the Snitch.

He’s not paying attention!

“Watch out!” I shouted. I shot forward on my broom and slammed into him, knocking him out of the way.

The Bludger collided with me.

Agonizing pain shot through my shoulder. A gasp that wasn’t my own sounded in my ear. A short two note chime dinged as a screen popped up to my left. The screen had my health bar up and showed a quarter of it had emptied out. I could only spare at glance at the screen before pain blinded me, distracting me from everything else. I only had enough sense to keep a tight hold on my broom with my left hand as I spun off course. Clenching my jaw, I forced my broom to come to a stop and glanced back at Harry.

His right arm hung limply at his side as he sped forward.

Did the Bludger still hit him?

A glint caught my eye.

I shifted my attention to the Snitch in time to see Harry’s fingers close around the Snitch and tighten his grip on the fluttering ball.

The Fireworks chime sounded in my ear.

Hallelujah. It’s over.

The loudest cheer yet erupted from the crowd.

I only had eyes for Harry who could no longer hold on to his broom with anything other than his legs. His broom dipped and aimed toward the ground in a steep dive.

Harry! Ignoring the stabbing pain in my shoulder, I tightly gripped my broom with my left hand and shot forward. I flew alongside Harry and let go of my own broom to grab his broom. I tilted his broom up and leaned back far enough to level us both out in time to avoid crashing. Our toes brushed the ground. Harry promptly keeled over off his broom. He hit the mud and rolled once before staring up at the sky.

I stumbled off my broom. I tried to take a step toward Harry. My legs collapsed beneath me, and I dropped to the muddy ground.

Another glance at Harry showed me he had passed out.

That honestly sounds nice right now.

Now that I had stopped moving, my mind alerted me once more to the immense pain in my shoulder. I took a few deep breaths through my nose and tried to focus on anything else other than the pain. I had felt worse, but that didn’t take away from how much my shoulder was screaming at me.

“Harry!”

“Ara!”

I looked up to see people in scarlet and green robes running toward us. The Gryffindors surrounded Harry while the Slytherins came to me.

“What were you thinking!” Flint yelled at me. “Why did you fly toward the Bludger!”

I hesitated. Right. That was a dumb move in front of the whole school. I definitely wasn’t thinking. Grimacing, I got to my feet and barely held back a groan of pain as I moved my shoulder. “I… thought I saw the Snitch.”

Flint raised his eyebrows. “The Snitch? It was behind you! And you let Potter grab it before you!” He brandished a finger in my face. “This loss is your fault!” He shoved me.

I gasped as his hands touched my shoulder.

Pain shot through me. My vision darkened for a couple seconds.

I found myself on the ground with Pansy’s and Blaise’s faces above me. Did I faint too?

“Ara?” Pansy asked quietly. “Are you alright? What happened? You—”

“Stand back!”

Turning my head, I glanced over in time to see Lockhart through many legs with his wand out and pointed at Harry’s arm.

It looked like it deflated. Harry’s already limp arm dipped even more toward the ground. It lost all texture and sharpness until it looked like a floppy pool noodle attached to Harry’s shoulder.

People outright gasped.

Dumbass, I thought. Why did you even sign up to be a teacher?

Since my shoulder was injured, I came to the Hospital Wing with Harry. His friends and mine all came with us.

Madam Pomfrey was absolutely furious. She first of all wasn’t happy to see me back so soon, but Harry stole most of her attention off me. She kept muttering to herself about how ridiculous it was to have to regrow bones for an injury that could have been mended in moments. She was careful not to mention Lockhart by name in her curses. If Lockhart wasn’t a professor and a part of the staff with her, I’m sure she would have been cursing him too.

My shoulder was an example of that. While Harry changed into some pajamas across the room with some help from Ron, Madam Pomfrey fixed my shoulder. Not only had my shoulder been dislocated, but my collarbone had also broken in the process. Both were fixed in less than ten seconds which only left some soreness and the memory of the pain. Which was honestly very convenient considering when I had broken my arm as a kid, it had taken more than three months to heal.

I pulled up my health bar while no one noticed and was pleased to see my health had completely refilled except for a couple points. I guessed it would completely refill after the soreness left.

With everything in my body back to how it was supposed to be, Madam Pomfrey let me leave the Hospital Wing and focused all her attention on Harry. She disappeared into her office for what I assumed was the Skele-Gro stuff for Harry’s arm.

Hermione stood outside the curtain, biting her lip.

I came to a stop next to her even with Pansy and Blaise at my side. “He’ll be alright,” I said softly. “Madam Pomfrey knows what she’s doing.”

Hermione nodded. Her gaze slowly shifted to me. “Are you alright?” she asked.

A nod. “I’m sore but should hopefully be able to sleep it off.” With a glance at my escort, I didn’t want to say much more. I inclined my head and gestured to my friends. They nodded and followed me out of the Hospital Wing.

The moment we were out of sight of the door, Pansy latched onto my left arm. She leaned in closer to me. “Are you sure you’re alright? Madam Pomfrey barely paid any attention to you to focus on Potter.” She scowled as she said his name. “That Bludger was after him, and it hit you on its way to him!”

To be fair, I kinda dove in the way. I patted her hand on my arm and winced a bit as I moved my sore arm. “It’s fine,” I told her. “He has to regrow a bunch of bones. Mine are already mended. I’ll sleep it off.”

A finger-light touch brushed against my cheek.

I stiffened and peered out of the corner of my eye to see Blaise staring intently at me. “Ara, please be more careful at your next match. You might be attempting to befriend Potter and his friends, but you shouldn’t let yourself get hurt in the process.”

I leaned my head away and gave him a one-second smile. “I’ll be careful.”

“Flint might also give you trouble for the loss today,” he added. “And the rest of the Slytherins too, so you might want to lay low.”

He’s got a point. I spared a glance back toward the Hospital Wing. They likely won’t be talking much about me once they hear what’s going to happen to Colin. He’ll be the first muggleborn to be attacked. Luckily, he’ll only be petrified. I could try to help Hermione not be petrified, but I can’t remember exactly when she gets petrified except it’s next year. She’d get annoyed with me if I insisted on being with her all of the time to keep her safe. But I doubt Riddle Ginny would attack if I’m there…

Pansy tightened her grip on my arm, pulling my attention back to her. “We’ll support you and make sure no one bothers you too much.”

I offered her a smile. “Thanks. It’ll be okay though. It won’t be too bad.”

Despite what I had said, the rest of the day and most of Sunday was rather awful. Most of the Slytherins blamed me for the loss. They either glared at me silently or made snide comments. Blaise, Pansy, and the other second-years kept telling them off which eventually got most of them to unhappily back off. It was nice to have friends defend me. I had never experienced that before. The other Slytherins’ comments didn’t affect me as much when my friends were quick to jump in.

When word on Sunday afternoon that a muggleborn Gryffindor first-year had been attacked, everyone stopped focusing on me and couldn’t stop talking about the attack. It was honestly a relief to no longer be the center of attention.

We’ll win the next match if it kills me, I thought during breakfast the next day. We might not finish the Quidditch Cup this year because of the attacks, and we won’t ever win against Gryffindor again, but I’m going to make sure we’re at least in second place and win every other match.

I had accepted the awards for the Quidditch quest. I looked forward to trying out the upgraded Quidditch skills. As an additional award, I had also been given a broom-servicing kit and increased health.

It was only as I checked these rewards when I realized I hadn’t accepted the awards from my Suspicions for the Heir quest. Which made sense since I was still avoiding thinking about that quest and the aftermaths as much as I could.

The new spell point had been added which left me with four, and I had also been given a health point boost. I had already reached Level 12 and was at 390 HP. I also had 750 SG, a currency I kept forgetting about.

In the store, SG could get me more spell points and other useful items. The store mostly had random rewards to buy like rarer potion ingredients or clothing items like a Slytherin hat. There were a few more expensive items I could purchase though including an invisibility cloak or a Firebolt broom. Both were 1000 SG. I could buy the cloak once I had the money, but the broom had a restriction. I could only purchase it after my third year ended. Which made sense. If I had a Firebolt before Harry did, the novelty of his broom wouldn’t be as strong. I planned to buy the invisibility cloak as soon as I had enough which would be around Level 17 if I kept getting the same amount of SG for leveling up.

I closed the screens and sighed. Well, I can finally put that quest behind me.

November faded into December. The attack on Colin was still at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Most first years traveled in packs and were very jumpy whenever they were spoken to. Tension could be felt in the other houses. Everyone in Slytherin was rather relaxed though which meant my life was much less stressful than the Golden Trio’s life.

People kept spreading rumors that Harry was the Heir of Slytherin and were rather jumpy around him. A fact that Hermione had complained to me a couple times about and that I had seen for myself. Most people would see him and clear the way for him to pass or immediately turn around and speed off in the opposite direction.

I focused on learning and befriending Hermione. I learned more third year level spells. I did end up using two spell points to learn Protego and the Disillusionment Charm which had both popped up in my options. Those two were spells I would have originally learn closer to my fifth year and were spells I couldn’t quite get on my own without taking an excessive amount of time practicing. With the spell points, I had them both learned in three days. The Disillusionment Charm made my life so much easier. It wasn’t as effective as an invisibility cloak but was still rather helpful when I was moving around the school to get to the Room of Requirement undetected. It also let me stay out past curfew later. Which was something Pansy and Blaise were a bit unhappy about since I wasn’t spending as much time with them, but they relaxed a bit when I told them I needed a quiet place to study on my own.

Befriending Hermione was easier and not. I asked less questions about school and had more conversations about life. They were rather surface level but still better than our solely homework-related conversations before. She was also much warmer to me after the Quidditch match. Clearly, it’s helpful to break bones while protecting someone’s friend to get them to be friends with you too. Or to hopefully think of you as more than just a school acquaintance. I considered Hermione my friend but wasn’t sure if she felt the same way. She was still brewing Polyjuice Potion—a fact I had checked for myself out of curiosity, and I had found the cauldron in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom—to interrogate me about the Heir of Slytherin.

Hopefully, we can be closer friends once I give you more info and tell you that Blaise isn’t the Heir. Which is what I think you think.

To help out the Golden Trio as much as I subtly could, I orchestrated a plan with a couple different parts.

For the first part, I had consulted with the Sorting Hat. It was rather stingy but didn’t seem to protest my plan. I vaguely remembered that in the book, OG Draco and co had stayed the entire Christmas break at Hogwarts which is when the Golden Trio used Polyjuice Potion to interrogate OG Draco. I didn’t want to spend my entire break at Hogwarts especially since my little brother frequently told me how much he missed me. So, I came up with a compromise which seemed to satisfy the Sorting Hat. I’d leave for the break but come back five days early. Those five days should give the Golden Trio enough time to find a time to take the potion and interrogate me. Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle were all staying for the entire break which would give the boys people to change into. Pansy asked me if I wanted her to come back early too, and I had declined with the excuse to let her spend lots of time with her family.

I had told Hermione I was leaving for the break but would be back early because I wanted to get more studying in. I could see a plan forming in her mind, and she told me she and the boys planned to stay at Hogwarts for the winter break.

The second part was a bit trickier but still easily accomplished.

I sat with Hermione one evening in the library. We chatted about our holiday plans as we worked on homework.

The long hair I had planted itched at my neck. It wasn’t fake when I tugged at the collar of my shirt uncomfortably.

“What’s wrong?” Hermione asked, spotting my expression.

I made a face. “I think I have something in my collar. It’s tickling my throat.” I leaned over a bit with my neck extended. “Do you see something there?”

Hermione scanned my neck. She then reached out and tugged a long black hair from my collar. She held it up for me to see. “It’s a hair.”

“Oh, that must be Pansy’s. She’s been shedding lately, and I keep getting her hair on me from her hugs. Weird for it to get into my collar though.” I gave Hermione a smile. “Thanks for getting that out.”

Hermione nodded.

I quickly turned my attention back to my Potions essay, watching Hermione out of the corner of my eye.

She held the hair for a couple seconds before lowering her hand and sneakily stuffing the hair into her pocket. She kept her hand by her side for a couple minutes before moving it back to the table and focusing once more on her own essay.

I had to subtly bite my lip to keep from smiling. You’re welcome, Hermione. Not only do you now have someone to transform into, but you also won’t be turning into a half-cat person which wouldn’t go away for weeks. And I’d rather talk with you than just the boys anyway.

The third part of my plan came during Potions. From my memory of the book, the Golden Trio needed ingredients from Professor Snape’s personal stores to finish the potion. They’d create a distraction to get what they needed.

All I had to do was help during the distraction and take more attention off them.

The second week of December, it happened.

The Golden Trio were all a little on edge when they came into class for our Double Potions lesson. We were working on a Swelling solution. My potion wasn’t as great as it usually was since I was a little distracted, but it was still easily the second best in the class after Hermione’s.

I spotted Harry leap to his feet just after Professor Snape passed him. He held a lit firework in hand which he threw in my direction.

I watched as it flew through the air and landed in Goyle’s cauldron.

The cauldron exploded.

Swelling Solution shot out and covered nearly half the class. Screeches filled the air as the potion hit different students, and chaos descended. I had had enough time to cover my face which only meant my hands took the brunt of the damage. They swelled up to the size of grapefruits. The other Slytherins hadn’t gotten out much better. Goyle’s eyes had grown and hung out of the eye sockets. Blaise had also been hit in the face and now had a heavy nose the size of a small melon that pulled his head down. Pansy was very teary eyed at her very swollen lips which looked like they had been stung by hundreds of bees. There were massive arms and necks, enough that people looked rather lopsided.

I cried out and wailed a bit which only caused the other Slytherins to follow my lead and loudly shout about their faces and limbs. The hit Gryffindors didn’t dare to complain too loudly in Professor Snape’s class but still make their grievances known.

“Silence! SILENCE!” Professor Snape roared over the class.

Everyone stopped talking. A few whimpers could still be heard.

“Anyone who has been splashed, come here for a Deflating Draught,” Professor Snape continued. His eyes darkened. “When I find out who did this…”

Nearly half the class came to his desk. All the Slytherins and a couple Gryffindors. The Slytherins insisted that I go first and even shot death glares at Seamus and Parvati before they could protest. Pansy helped me since my swollen hands couldn’t hold the vial well enough to drink.

I stepped out of the way to let the others have their turn and looked up in time to see Hermione slip back into the room with the front of her robes bulging a bit. Her eyes slid to mine and widened a bit when she saw me staring. I broke eye contact first and focused on my hands as they deflated.

Soon, the swollen limbs and faces of everyone returned back to normal. Professor Snape cleaned up the spilled potion on the floor and chairs before sweeping to Goyle’s cauldron. He fished out blackened fragments of what remained of a firework.

A hush fell over the class.

“If I ever find out who threw this,” Professor Snape whispered, “I shall make sure that person is expelled.” His gaze fell upon Harry and lingered there.

A shiver ran up my spine at that look. And it wasn’t even directed at me.

I watched as Professor Snape continued to stare at Harry, clearly certain that Harry was the one to blame. That’s probably Occlumency in play. Something I really need to take some time to research and try to teach myself.

The tense atmosphere retained its tight grip on the room until the bell finally rang about ten minutes later.

“That was just awful,” Pansy complained as we left the dungeons. “Some idiotic Gryffindor must have wanted us to suffer.”

“They might be upset and blame us for the attack on that first-year,” Daphne piped up behind me. She usually didn’t contribute to the main conversation unless she had something to say. “Us Slytherins are the most suspect. Unless you believe those rumors about Potter being the Heir.” She rolled her eyes. “Which you must be mad if you believe that.”

Blaise nodded. “It’s rather ridiculous. There’s no reason for Potter to be the Heir.”

Chapter Text

The reason arrived nearly a week later.

A notice had been put up in the Entrance Hall, attracting a small group of students at dinner time.

“A Dueling Club?” Pansy asked, reading over the notice.

I kept from making a face. It’s not dueling if Lockhart is teaching.

Pansy still noticed my off expression. “Do you not want to go?”

I opened my mouth to respond when I heard a chime. A quick glance to my right told me I had a new quest. Figures. I didn’t bother looking at it before responding. “I’m only worried our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor will be charge, but we might be able to learn something.” Not likely. I forced a smile onto my face. “Let’s check it out.”

During dinner, I took the time to open the quest and confirm my suspicions.

MAIN QUEST – Dueling Snakes

To help Hogwarts students feel safe while at school, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart is starting a Dueling Club. During this Dueling Club while dueling the sorcerer, Harry Potter must show he can speak to snakes which convinces more students that he is the Heir of Slytherin.

YOUR QUEST – While dueling Harry Potter, summon a snake to attack him.

TIME LEFT: 3 Hours 14 Minutes

MAIN REWARD – Beginner Level Parseltongue Lessons

Why me? I want to help Harry, but… I refocused my attention on the reward. I… can learn Parseltongue? Really?? I couldn’t help the smile that crossed my face. It didn’t matter if it was only a beginner level skill or that I’d have to learn it. It was still cool! Cool enough to not be as mad at the Sorting Hat even if the quest was rather manipulative.

My good mood lasted for the rest of the day. After dinner, Hermione and I cut our study session short and met with our separate friend groups in the Great Hall at eight o’clock for the dueling lesson for the second-years.

The long tables had disappeared and had been replaced by an ostentatious golden stage along one wall. Most of the students had packed into the hall with their wands out and ready to go.

I had reviewed my spells during dinner to make sure I didn’t accidentally use spells I wasn’t supposed to use. Meaning spells I shouldn’t know as a second-year. It’d raise too many questions and cause unnecessary problems. I made a mental list of spells I could use and kept reviewing them over and over again, praying I wouldn’t use the wrong spell. And to make sure I actually knew the right wand movement to conjure a snake in the first place.

Our group moved closer to the stage and also ended up closer to the Golden Trio. With Blaise’s and Pansy’s help, the tensions between the Gryffindor and Slytherin second-years had eased a bit. Standing near the other Gryffindors wasn’t the sneering and jeering contest it used to be. Instead, we mostly ignored each other.

Silence fell over the group as Lockhart in plum-colored robes strolled onto the stage. Professor Snape in his usual black followed quietly along behind him. “Gather round, gather round!” Lockhart called. “Can everyone see and hear me? Excellent!” He clapped his hands together and gave a radiant smile to the group. “Now, I thought it prudent to train you all if you ever find yourselves in need of defending yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions.” He flashed another smile. I almost expected him to pull out one of his books to show off his autobiography. “Therefore, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club.”

Lips brushed up against my ear. I flinched away as warm breath sent shivers up my spine. “This is looking to be a waste of time,” Blaise muttered. “Do we want to leave?”

I can’t. I shrugged, shifting even further away from Blaise. “Professor Snape is here,” I whispered. “We could still learn something from him even though Lockart is an idiot.”

“Let me introduce my assistant—” Lockart was saying.

Assistant? He’ll be doing most of the work.

“—Professor Snape. He tells me he knows a little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin.”

This man is ridiculously full of himself. Professor Snape would wipe the floor with you without breaking a sweat. This will be a pathetic “duel.”

“I don’t want any of you to worry. You’ll still have your Potions master when I’m through with him, never fear!”

Professor Snape’s lip curled.

I laughed quietly to myself. You’d be so dead if Professor Snape was trying, Lockhart.

The pair stepped apart a few feet before turning to face each other and bowing. Lockhart’s bow was over the top, and he twirled his hands excessively and seemed ready to kiss the floor as part of this bow. Professor Snape barely inclined his head. They then brandished their wands at each other.

My heartbeat sped up a bit. This will be a pathetic duel. But still! Adult wizards fighting!

“As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position,” Lockhart said. “One the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course.”

What a shame.

“One… two… three!”

They both swung their wands up high and casted their spells.

“Expelliarmus!” Professor Snape shouted.

Scarlet light flashed through the room and collided with Lockhart. He was blasted off his feet. He flew backwards off the stage until he slammed into the wall and slid to the ground.

The Slytherins around me cheered. With a large grin on my own face, I cheered with them.

Many of the girls in the room let out gasps or quiet screeches at the state of the professor.

Lockhart unsteadily got to his feet. His hat had fallen off, and his wavy hair was askew atop his head. He climbed back onto the stage. “Well, there you have it! That was a Disarming Charm—”

Harry’s new favorite spell.

“—and as you see, I’ve lost my wand…”

An overeager Lavender Brown quickly leaned forward and held out his wand to him.

Lockhart quickly took his wand back and brought an easy smile back to his face. “Thank you, Miss Brown.” He took a few steps closer to Professor Snape. “Yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don’t mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy. However, I felt it would be instructive to let them see.”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Despite the comment earlier about not aiming to kill, Professor Snape look murderous.

The color drained from Lockhart’s face at the look. He quickly turned to face the crowd. “E-enough demonstrating! It’s time you all get to practice. I’m going to come around and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you’d like to help me…”

They moved throughout the crowd, pairing people up.

Professor Snape was in an especially foul mood and seemed to want to take it out on the Gryffindors. He split up Harry and Ron and called me over to duel Harry and for Millicent to duel Hermione. Millicent glared at Hermione the moment she came over. A brief look from me calmed her expression from hatred to irritation.

I came to stand across from Harry. After a quick glance around to make sure no one was paying too close attention, I offered him a small smile. Not as warm as ones I had given Hermione but still a smile. I doubted he’d trust a bright smile from me right now. “Granger told me a while ago that your arm healed,” I said quietly. “No lingering effects, right?”

Harry eyed me. He and Ron had both warmed up to me a bit more after the Quidditch match as well. We were kinda in a rival acquaintances stage. Which meant they didn’t really like me, but they didn’t hate me.

Once I win Hermione over, it’ll be easier to befriend Harry and Ron too.

“Yeah,” Harry said. “I’ve been using it with no problems.” He hesitated a moment. “And… your shoulder?”

Aw. That’s sweet of him. I shook my head. “All healed up with no issues. I was a little sore for a couple days afterward, but then, I honestly forgot about it.”

A nod.

We both fell silent and waited.

Lockhart leapt back onto the stage as soon as he and Professor Snape finished pairing everyone off. He spread his arms out wide. A small part of me was very tempted to use him for target practice. “Face your partners!” he called. “And bow.”

I stepped back a few feet from Harry and bowed. He didn’t take his eyes off me and matched my bow before straightening.

“Wands at the ready!” Lockhart shouted.

I lifted my wand to point it at Harry as he did the same.

“When I count to three,” Lockhart continued, “cast your charms to disarm your opponents. Only to disarm them! We don’t want any accidents. One… two… three!”

“Tarantallegra!” I shouted.

“Rictumsempra!” Harry yelled.

We had called out our spells at the same time. A red spell shot out of my wand while a silver one left Harry’s. They passed each other in the air and slammed into their intended target. I only had enough time to watch Harry start an awkward dance before what felt like fingers moved across my body, tickling me. I had never really been tickled before and hadn’t liked the sensation when it had happened. This was much worse. I dropped my knees, clutching at my stomach. Uncontrollable laughter escaped my lips despite the feeling being rather torturous than humorous.

“Stop! Stop!” Lockhart screamed over the crowd.

No one listened to him.

“Finite Incantatem!” Professor Snape shouted.

The invisible fingers left me, and I sighed out a deep breath as I could finally stop laughing. I glanced up to see Harry had stopped dancing as well.

The room was a mess. A haze of green smoke hung over the scene. Half of the students were either on the ground or kneeling. Hermione and Millicent had apparently abandoned their wands and had somehow gotten into a fist fight where Millicent held Hermione in a headlock. Harry and I quickly intervened. He helped me pull Millicent off Hermione and looked after his friend while I shot a glare at Millicent who gave me a murmured response about being irritated by Hermione’s spell. Blaise was on all fours, wheezing as he tried to breathe easier with a very concerned and apologetic Pansy above him. Nott was sporting a bloody nose and kept reassuring Daphne he was fine. Ron was apologizing to a very pale Seamus for whatever his broken wand had done—I had completely forgotten he had broken his wand. Neville and Dean were lying on the ground, panting.

The rest of the students weren’t much better. There were many cuts and bruises and even a few unconscious students that Professor Snape revived.

“Dear, dear,” Lockhart said. He moved through the crowd and assessed the injuries after the duels. “Up you go, Macmillan… Careful there, Miss Patil… Pinch it hard, and it’ll stop bleeding in a second, Boot…” He placed his hands on his hips and frowned as he surveyed the room. “I think I’d better teach you how to block unfriendly spells.” He spared a glance at Professor Snape who was giving him a you’re-a-dumbass look. Lockhart quickly turned away, still rather pale. “Let’s have a volunteer pair. Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you—”

“A bad idea, Professor Lockhart,” Professor Snape interrupted.

I’m sure he’s wanted to say that the entire time.

Professor Snape glided to Lockhart’s side like a massive bat and sneered at Neville. “Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells unless he’s getting whispered instructions. We’ll be sending what’s left of Finch-Fletchley up to the Hospital Wing in a matchbox.”

Neville flushed pink.

Professor Snape’s gaze shifted to me. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “How about Miss Malfoy and Potter?”

“Excellent idea!”

Not really.

Lockhart quickly ushered me and Harry into the middle of the room. Everyone backed up enough to create an open space for us. Lockhart stood next to Harry while Professor Snape came to stand at my side.

“Now, Harry,” Lockhart said, “when Miss Malfoy points her wand at you, you do this.” He wiggled his wand dramatically through the air before dropping it.

Professor Snape chuckled. I couldn’t help the massive eye roll.

Ears a little pink, Lockhart scooped up his wand. “Whoops. My wand is a little overexcited.”

I stopped paying attention as I felt a presence step up beside me. I couldn’t help the little jerk back as Professor Snape leaned in closer to whisper in my ear. He luckily didn’t seem to notice or ignored my movement. “Summon a snake to attack Potter, Ara. Serpensortia. Potter won’t be able to do much against it, if anything, and I’ll have to step in.”

A cheap trick but a required one. I gave the professor a stiff nod.

An uneasy expression appeared on Harry’s face.

I’m sorry, Harry. I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t have to.

Lockhart hit Harry’s shoulder enthusiastically. “Just do what I did, Harry!”

Harry’s eyebrows shot up. “What, drop my wand?”

I held back a laugh. Sassy Harry for the win.

Lockhart had stopped listening and had backed up to give us room. Behind me, Professor Snape had also moved to the side. “Ready?” Lockhart called. “Three… two… one… go!”

I brandished my wand before he had finished saying “go” and shouted, “Serpensortia!”

A long black snake shot from my wand and fell heavily to the floor. Harry froze as the snake rose up, ready to strike. Some students screamed and rushed back to give the snake plenty of room.

The Fireworks chime sounded.

I ignored it and focused on the scene in front of me.

Harry stood very still, holding eye contact with the snake which hissed at him.

Sorry, sorry, sorry! I had to, and you need a reason to realize you’re a Parselmouth!

“Don’t move, Potter,” Professor Snape said lazily. He had a wide smirk on his face as he watched Harry. “I’ll get rid of it—”

“Allow me!” Lockhart interrupted. He brandished his wand.

The snake shot ten feet into the air before falling back to the ground with a smack. I flinched at the sound. It became enraged at the treatment. Rising back up, it turned toward the nearest student who happened to be a Hufflepuff boy my age with curly brown hair who had to be Justin Finch-Fletchley. The snake barred its fangs at him.

Harry moved with a slightly unfocused look as if he was being tugged forward. He opened his mouth. Instead of a shout, loud hissing noises left his mouth. Nothing like actual words the movies had used for Parseltongue. Just hissing and spitting noises.

Silence fell as shock flooded through the crowd.

Despite the rather menacing sounds, the snake stopped moving as if its anger had dissipated. It lowered itself to the ground in a coil and peered over at Harry.

Tension filled the air as tight as bow string. No one other than myself and Harry seemed to realize that the snake had backed off. Horror filled their faces as if Harry had been the one to nearly attack Finch-Fletchley.

Somehow not noticing the mood of the crowd, Harry looked up from the snake with a grin and immediately took a step back in surprise at the infuriated and terrified look on Finch-Fletchley’s face.

“What do you think you’re playing at?” Finch-Fletchley shouted. Without letting Harry speak, he fled the room.

No one moved for a moment.

Professor Snape then stepped forward and waved his wand. The snake disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Professor Snape peered at Harry with a calculating look and a deep frown across his face.

Harry broke eye contact but looked absolutely bewildered.

Poor kid, I thought. It’s hard to grow up in a nonmagical world and then get in trouble for accidents and not really knowing better.

Ron grabbed Harry’s robes and all but dragged him out of the hall. Hermione followed closely behind him. The crowd parted for them like the Red Sea. No one said a word until a few minutes had passed.

Lockhart broke the silence, loudly clearing his throat. “I believe that’s all we have time for today. Ponder on what I have taught you tonight. You may need to follow my example in the future! For now, head on back to your common rooms before curfew.”

Only then did murmurs break out through the crowd as the students shuffled out of the hall.

“Wow,” Pansy muttered as we made our way back to the Slytherin Common Room. “Potter can speak Parseltongue?”

“The rumors about him being the Heir of Slytherin will be worse now,” Blaise said. He frowned at the ground. “I’ve never heard of a Parselmouth who wasn’t related to Salazar Slytherin. Do… do you think Potter is actually related to Slytherin?”

I scoffed. “He’d probably be in Slytherin if he was. And even if he somehow is related to Slytherin, he’s not the one attacking people.” I brought a slight sneer to my face. “He’s a muggleborn-lover, especially since Granger is his close friend. He wouldn’t hurt any of them. Potter wouldn’t hurt anyone period.”

“True,” Pansy said. Her frown matched Blaise’s. “But still…” She trailed off without finishing.

I didn’t say anything. Even Pansy is somewhat considering Harry to be the Heir now. Poor Harry. Life is going to suck for you for a while because of this. I’m sorry.

It got so much worse.

The next day, Finch-Fletchley and Nearly Headless Nick had been attacked as well, and Harry Potter had been found at the scene of the crime. The news of the attacks and Harry’s status as a Parselmouth spread through the school like a wildfire and had reached everyone by dinnertime which caused tension to hover over the school like a dark cloud.

I had been very surprised to hear at lunch that Flinch-Fletchley and Nearly Headless Nick had been attacked. I thought that happened later than this. I wish I could get the rest of the series and not just the first book. Figuring out the timing of everything would make my life much easier. I did finish reading the series before I came to this world, but that doesn’t mean I know the exact dates when everything happens! Most things are very general estimations!

The panic didn’t die down for the rest of term. More students scrambled to sign up to leave for the holidays. The looks on some of their faces said that they didn’t want to come back to school after the break either. I couldn’t blame them. The idea of a terrifying monster attacking students and even ghosts wasn’t a comforting thought.

To my great dismay, Hermione was a little frosty with me in our library sessions. I had been the one to “maliciously” conjure a snake which had revealed that Harry was a Parselmouth and caused more problems for him. We still talked, but Hermione was rather short with me and only spent about half an hour with me before heading back to her common room.

Even Parseltongue lessons for myself as a reward weren’t as exciting as they seemed before if my friendship with Hermione backtracked a few steps.

Just wait until they finish the Polyjuice Potion and interrogate me! Then, my archnemesis type role can be over since Draco didn’t give you more information. I can fix our friendship and hopefully have you consider me to be your friend!

Despite those self-reassurances, the trip back to London was a dismal one. Pansy tried to cheer me up but gave up after a little while. She joined the conversation with Millicent and Daphne and chatted the entire way back.

Father waited for me on the platform. He seemed to be trying to hold back a smirk. The reason why became apparent as I caught him glancing at the other students and worried parents. His smile cropped up before quickly being smothered. He had me grab onto his arm with one hand while he tightly held onto my other hand. Once he had a grip on my trunk, he apparated us back to the manor.

“Ara!”

I had less than a second to even attempt to recover from the crushing and suffocating darkness before a warm body had been thrown into my arms. Little arms wrapped around me and held on tightly like a monkey clinging to a tree. A pale blond hair pressed up against my chest. With a small chuckle, I wrapped my arms tightly around my little brother. “Hi, Draco.”

Father lightly coughed, a rather harsh, pointed sound.

I felt Draco tense. He quickly released me to standing properly in front of me with his hands clasped behind his back. He couldn’t seem to stop rocking back and forth on his heels as his bright blue eyes met mine. “I missed you.”

With a glance at Father, I only offered Draco a smile. “I missed you too.”

I gave Mother a quick greeting. She was rather startled at Draco’s display of affection and only asked me a few questions before I was excused.

Draco came with me. He only waited long enough to be out of sight of our parents before reaching out and grabbing my hand, his expression instantly brightening. “Come on, come on!”

Dragging me down the hallways, he brought me to his room where he started out sitting on the sofa but kept getting up to gesture and act out what he was saying that he ended up standing. He gushed to me about everything he hadn’t put into his letters and added to what he had written. He asked me so many questions about Hogwarts and how my second year was going. I could barely get a word in before he’d jump in and change the conversation.

My bad mood dissipated in minutes until I was laughing along with him. We chatted for a couple hours until my throat was starting to hurt from how much I was talking. We only paused in the middle for the tea and snacks Dobby brought along with my trunk.

I offered the house-elf a warm smile. “Thank you, Dobby.”

To my surprise, Draco also spoke. “Yes! Thank you!”

Dobby bowed deeply to the both of us and even gave his own little smile. “Dobby is happy to serve Miss Ara and Master Draco.”

I turned to my brother as soon as he left. “So, you’ve been kinder to Dobby?”

Draco nodded emphatically. “Yeah! He gave me lots of hugs whenever I missed you, and he talks to me when Mother and Father aren’t home.” He reached out and grabbed my hands. “But you’re home, so I can talk to you!”

I matched his grin. “Absolutely.”

We had to stop chatting to go to dinner. It threw me off a bit how quiet it was. I had gotten used to meals with hundreds of people which meant the noise levels hovered around a loud roar with the chaos to match. With only four people, you could hear a pin drop. The excitement that both Draco and I shared livened dinner up a little and brought energy into the room that even surpassed the quiet poise of our parents. Even if Draco and I did hold back most of our excitement.

Near the end of the speaking portion of dinner, Father turned to me. “I’ve heard your grades have improved.”

I sat up a little straighter. “Yes. I have put more effort into my studies. I can’t say for certain, but I believe I am second in my year.”

His cold gray eyes fixated on my face. “No progress surpassing that mud—”

I knocked over my glass. Mother cried out as pumpkin juice splattered across the table and puddled near her plate. We both quickly stood up as the puddle expanded and threatened to drip off the table.

“Dobby!” Father snapped.

With a crack, Dobby appeared. He didn’t need to be told before rushing over to our plates and mopping up the mess with a rag. He took away our plates and replaced them with new ones before disappearing once more.

Mother stiffly sat back down. I hesitated only a moment before following her lead. “Apologies, Mother. My hand slipped.” I faced my father. “No, Father. I have yet to get grades higher than the muggleborn. That is proving to be rather difficult, but I believe I am very close to receiving grades like hers.”

Father frowned. “It is unacceptable for someone from a nonmagical family to perform better than us. Do better.”

I bowed my head and murmured my assent.

I am already at a higher level than she is, but I refuse to take her spot. I’m practically cheating with my speed boost, so I won’t take the top spot away from her.

After Father ended dinner, Draco pulled me back to his room to talk more. The subdued attitude from dinner disappeared the moment we reached the hallway. He started up our conversation about Quidditch as if we hadn’t been interrupted and made me promise to show him some of my learned skills before I returned to Hogwarts.

We kept talking well into the night, enough that I was surprised we still had things to discuss and that my little brother hadn’t fallen asleep yet. Feeling a bit more tired than usual after a day of travel, I told Draco I was off to bed.

Draco hesitated. He rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet.

I frowned. “What’s wrong?”

He hesitated. “Can… can I stay with you tonight?” His mouth turned into a deep pout, and his eyes almost seemed to shake like an anime character.

How could I say no to that face? I smiled. “Of course.”

I went to my room to get ready for bed and waited for Draco’s quiet knock before letting him in. We crawled into my bed, and I pulled the blankets up tightly around us.

Draco turned on his side to look at me. “I really missed you, Ara.”

I ruffled his hair. “I missed you too. I’m so glad I get to spend Christmas with you.”

He gave a little nod. His eyes drifted closed a few minutes later until he was fast asleep.

I stared at his little face for a long time. It’s nice to be home.

Most of break was rather relaxing. I did spend most mornings studying for a few hours. I didn’t dare to practice any magic, certain Father would go ballistic again, but I did study the pronunciation of new spells and their wand movements. When I got back to Hogwarts, I’d actually be able to cast them and practice that way. I also looked ahead for my classes to stay on top of things.

The rest of the time was spent with Draco. I took him on my broom with me multiple times, much to his delight. We didn’t last long outside because of the cold but still had fun. We also spent time with Dobby who enjoyed the company. He taught us how to make tarts and biscuits—cookies. Father hadn’t told Dobby I could be in the kitchen, so I had to be in the next room or in the doorway unless I wanted Father to yell at me again.

Christmas felt nearly like any normal day but with a bit more extravagance. We exchanged gifts in the morning. Mother liked the new silver cloak I had bought her, and Father only eyed the new dragonhide gloves I gave him with a hint of approval in his eyes. Draco had to hold in a cheer at the children’s broom I had gotten him. It wouldn’t go much more than a few feet off the ground, but he spent the next few days on it and refused to properly walk anywhere unless our parents were watching.

Draco, with Mother’s help, had gotten me a black leather-bound journal after I had mentioned I had wanted a journal. My name had been engraved in silver letters on the front, and apparently, a spell had been placed on the journal that meant no one could read it except for the first person to write in it which would be very convenient. My parents had gotten me a few new sets of robes, an elegant silky white scarf and a Slytherin scarf, study books to improve casting skills—clearly Father’s idea—and lots of sweets.

When Mother had first started sending me sweets, most of it was chocolate. I had eventually subtly told her I recently began to dislike chocolate—saying I absolutely despised it would raise questions I didn’t have good answers for—and the chocolate shifted to other sweets. I had found I adored the toffees, coconut ice, and sugar quills the most which meant I usually always had a small supply of all three. Those preferences were shown in the small mountain of sweets I received. There were a few chocolates mixed in which I slipped to Draco later. He insisted on giving me some of his toffees to compensate.

I had later been able to visit Dobby to give him the gift Draco had helped me pick out. I had wanted to give him socks to start his collection but knew that would count as freeing him. I wasn’t ready for that fight with my parents yet. I had gotten him a thick but very soft blanket with a variety of colors in swirls. Dobby had cried when he received the gift from a grinning Draco.

Dobby put even more effort into dinner that night and spent most of the day cooking even if I wanted him to take a break and relax a bit for the holiday. We had a full fat turkey, roasted potatoes, honey roasted carrots, buttered peas, thick gravy, and cranberry sauce. Not to mention the mince pies, apple pies, treacle tart, and Christmas pudding. Draco and I had helped with the desserts which turned out quite tasty and had our parents’ approval from the looks on their faces as they ate. Not that we told them we had helped. We crawled into bed pleasantly full.

Draco had also stayed in my bed every night of the holidays. He was a wiggler and seemed to find any source of warmth and snuggle in closer. Meaning, I usually woke up with him curled up against my side, hogging all the blankets.

I had told Draco and my parents I needed to return a little early to Hogwarts the second day I was home to prepare them. Draco was very put out to lose me five days earlier than he expected and slowly seemed to retreat into himself as the date came closer. Only the reminder of my promise to spend a full two weeks with him once summer started kept his mood up.

Father will be a pissy mood after his plan with the diary fails and after Dobby is freed, so it’ll be best if we can get out of the manor as much as possible. But there’s not many places a thirteen year old and her younger brother can go. Maybe I can convince Pansy to invite us both over for a couple weeks.

Two nights before I was to return to Hogwarts, I laid in bed wide awake, unable to sleep, with Draco already snuggled up next to me. After nearly an hour of lying there with no sign of fatigue, I decided to get up and walk around for a little bit.

After wrapping my favorite silky black dressing gown around myself, I left my room and started wandering around in the dark. While at school, I was usually mentally exhausted enough to fall asleep right now. Being back at the manor without anything strenuous was rather boring and meant sleep evaded me more.

I let my feet guide me with no destination in mind. I admired random art pieces I had forgotten about and meandered through the hallways.

Turning the corner, I spotted light streaming into the hall through a cracked door. A quick review of my map of Malfoy Manor reminded me that the room was Father’s office.

It’s one in the morning. He’s still awake?

Creeping silently down the hallway, I paused next to the door and peered inside.

I had been in the room once or twice before when Father wasn’t home. In typical Malfoy fashion, the color palette of the room had greens, silvers, and blacks. It had an ornate desk in front of tall windows. There were two shelves on either side of the desk up against the wall that held books and a few items. From the way they moved on their own, they were clearly magical. But for what purpose, I had absolutely no idea. Closer to the door, there were two leather armchairs that faced the desk and had a large green rug thrown in front of them.

Father sat at his desk with parchment and quill in hand and a deep frown. He tapped his quill on the desk a couple times before sitting up straighter. “Dobby.”

With a crack, Dobby appeared at Father’s elbow. He bowed deeply. “Yes, Master Lucius.”

“Bring me the report about the mudbloods attacked at Hogwarts so far.”

Dobby nodded and disappeared. Less than twenty seconds later, Dobby appeared again with a few pages in hand. He offered them to Father and backed up to the corner. He only left once Father dismissed him.

Father glanced through the pages. Despite his attitude on the platform, he still had a deep frown. His expression only darkened as he looked at each page. There were only four pages. Once he looked through them all, he tossed them onto his desk and made a noise of disgust. “Not enough. Only two mudbloods in four months? The cat and ghost were also attacked, but they don’t matter. How am I going to get that girl to attack more people? This isn’t nearly enough to clear the school of its filth. There are still plenty of impure students. At this rate, only four or five students will be gotten rid of by the end of the year.” He tapped his quill again. “The least that girl can do is get rid of that mudblood Granger. Then, Ara can receive the top scores.”

Really? Do my scores really matter that much to you? I couldn’t help the scowl that crossed my face. If I can help it, Hermione won’t be petrified. She and Penelope Clearwater are the only other ones who get attacked. Riddle loses interest in anyone other than Harry. Hermione was pretty much only attacked for the plot since she figured everything out. It brings suspense. Irritating to have to actually live through that trope if I can’t avoid it. “The murderer is…” Aaaaand he’s dead. “Slytherin’s monster is…” Aaaand she’s petrified.

“There’s no way for me to contact her without arousing suspicion. I doubt she’s aware of her actions either.” Father scowled. “Blood traitors wouldn’t hurt mudbloods without a reason.”

Well, if I didn’t know who he was talking about, I certainly do now. I rolled my eyes. But this is rather ridiculous. Talking to yourself gives others the chance to overhear you. Not that he thinks anyone in this house would do anything if they did know what he’d done.

I turned to leave.

The floorboard creaked beneath my feet.

My heart skipped a beat. Ah hell.

I bolted away from the door. Maybe—

A blast collided with my back.

My body flew through the air and slammed into a table against the wall, knocking the air out of me. The table broke on impact, and I fell to the floor with a thump. I laid there, gasping for breath. Pain shuddered through my back and side. Stars filled my vision and took a few moments to slowly clear. Once I could see normally, I found Father standing over me with his wand out.

His eyes narrowed into slits as he surveyed me. “What are you doing.”

Still dazed, it took me a bit to focus and respond. “I c-couldn’t sleep. I thought… thought taking a walk would help.”

“Why were you listening at my door.”

I pushed myself up on shaking limbs into a seated position. “I… wasn’t listening. I was just… just passing by.”

“Then, why did you run?”

Damn. “I—”

Father’s hands shot out. He grabbed the front of my dressing gown and hauled me to my feet. I gasped as my back loudly protested at the movement. He yanked me forward until our faces were inches away. The tip of his wand dug into the side of my face from how he grabbed me since he still held it in his hand.

All the blood rushed to my head. I couldn’t concentrate. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe—

His eyes bored into mine. “What did you overhear.”

“J-just something about blood traitors!” I said quickly.

“Anything else?”

I hesitated.

Father shook me. “What. Else.”

My breathing came out in short gasps. “Not much else! Something about not being able to contact someone! That’s it! I wasn’t at the door for long! I was curious—”

Smack.

Completely unprepared, I fell to the ground. I caught myself at the last moment and avoided face-planting but still landed harshly on my hands. The impact sent shudders up my arms. He must have let go of me before he hit me. Reaching up, I brushed my fingers over my stinging cheek and flinched even at the brief touch.

Dress shoes appeared in the corner of my vision. I braced myself to feel a shoe in my side.

Nothing happened. “I told you to keep your nose clean,” Father hissed. “Snooping around the manor is not staying out of the way. Listening at my door is unacceptable. You are a child. There are things you cannot understand. So, forget whatever you think you’ve heard.” Reaching down, Father grabbed my face and tugged it upward to force me to look at him. “Ara, you’re grounded. Go to your room, and don’t leave there today except for supper together. Dobby shall inform me if you do otherwise. Do you understand me.”

I focused on a spot on his shoulder to avoid meeting his gaze. I fought to keep my voice steady. “Y-yes, Father.”

He released my face. “Good. Now, go.”

He couldn’t tell me fast enough. I forced myself not to run until I was out of sight. Once I slipped around a corner, I broke into a sprint and ran all the way back to my room. I slipped into my room and firmly closed the door behind me.

Leaning against the wall, I tried to breathe deeply but found only shallow breaths escaped my lips in short gasping pants. My vision slipped in and out of focus. My heart pounded in my ears. I slid down the wall to the floor as my legs could no longer support me.

Breathe, Ara. You need to breathe.

I fixed my gaze on a spot on my couch and pushed all other thoughts from my mind, doing my best to think of nothing at all. But I couldn’t. The pain and soreness distracted me. I tried to focus on that instead. The feeling. Not the events that caused the pain. Just the pain itself. The stiffness in my shoulders. The soreness in my back that caused winces to take over my face at every small movement. My aching cheek that would mostly certainly brilliantly bruise by the morning. Even the tightness in my chest that had nothing to do with being thrown.

That focus slowly did its job, helping my heartrate to slow and my breathing to ease a bit. That’s it. Keep breathing. Keep—

“Ara?”

I jumped, hitting the back of my head I hadn’t realized was sore against the wall. I let out a soft hiss.

Draco was slowly making his way toward me, rubbing at his half-open eyes. I could just barely make out his form in the semi-darkness. He swayed a bit as he walked and yawned, rubbing at his eyes. “Ara? Where did you go?”

“I-I…” My voice trembled. Focus! Focus, Ara! You can’t scare him! He’s a child! And doesn’t need to know the darker side of Father if he hasn’t already. So, breathe, and focus! I wiped all expression off my face and fought to keep a casual tone. “For a walk. But I’m back now, so you can go back to sleep. Sorry to wake you.”

Draco tilted his head a bit. It honestly looked more like his head flopped over. “You sure?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Imma sit here for a few minutes. Then, I’ll go back to bed too. So, go back to sleep. I’ll be there soon.”

With a very sleepy nod, Draco wandered back into bed.

I didn’t move from my spot on the floor for a long time. I waited until his breathing evened out and until I was sure he was back asleep. My heartrate had slowed considerably, and I could almost breathe normally now. Grimacing a bit, I slid down the wall a bit further. “Dobby,” I whispered.

Crack!

A small form appeared in front of me. “Miss—”

“Shh,” I quickly said.

Dobby fell silent. He blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. “Why is Miss Ara not in bed? It is rather late, it is.”

Completely ignoring the question, I whispered, “Can you get me a couple ice packs?”

Dobby matched my quiet tone as he said, “A what, Miss Ara?”

Do wizards have ice packs? “Um… like some ice in bags. And dry cloths.”

Frowning, Dobby nodded.

“And!” I said quickly before he could leave. “Will you disapparate in the hallway? I don’t want the loud noise to wake up Draco.”

“Yes, Miss Ara.”

Dobby opened the door and hurried out of the room.

I closed my eyes to rest for a moment.

Something gently poked at my shoulder.

Despite the soft touch, my eyes flashed open, and my body shot up from where I had slumped over. I held my hands up to block my face and jerked away from the touch. Only after I actually looked did I see a startled Dobby who held ice bags and cloth in one hand with his other hand extended toward me.

Calm down. Breathe. It’s just Dobby. Just Dobby. Calm down. Tension eased from my body. I leaned up against the wall once more and let out a sigh.

“Miss Ara?” Dobby asked quietly.

I gestured for him to hand me what he had brought. Three ice bags ended up in my lap with three clean towels on top. I wrapped a towel around one and gingerly pressed it to my cheek. The towel was thin enough to let the cold through without being too frigid for my face. I let out a sigh as the stinging slowly eased.

Leaning away from the wall, I directed Dobby to the spots that ached the most and had him gently pressed towel-wrapped ice bags to my back. I sat there for a while as the pain and soreness slowly eased. At some point, the ice melted. Dobby left and quickly came back with more ice and also brought a warm cup of tea. Its warmth helped to chase away the chills from the ice bags.

Sighing deeply, I slowly removed the newest halfway melted ice bag from my cheek. “Okay. I think that’s fine for now. Thank you, Dobby.”

“Dobby is happy to help Miss Ara. Does Miss Ara need anything else?”

I shook my head. “No. I’ll just go to bed. I should hopefully be able to sleep now.” I paused. “Did Father already give you orders about me?”

He hesitated. “Yes, Miss Ara. The young mistress is not allowed to leave her room until she leaves to return to Hogwarts except for supper.”

Even more than what Father said. Not by much, but still. I’ll sleep and wake up and go.

“Sounds about right.” I sat up a little straighter. “Will you bring me some ice in the morning with breakfast?”

“Yes, Miss Ara.”

Dobby helped me up. I did most of the work since I was worried about his little arms, but he was surprisingly strong and could still help me up despite my attempts to wave him off. I laid back in bed, and Dobby pulled the blankets tightly around me.

My gaze fell on my brother next to me, still fast asleep. “Dobby?”

He paused with his hands on the blankets. “Yes, Miss Ara?”

“Does he… does he hit Draco when I’m at school? Or Mother?”

Dobby hesitated. “No. Master Lucius does not hit them.”

He didn’t put any emphasis on the last word. My mind still caught onto it. He doesn’t hit them. But he does hit… “You. He hits you, doesn’t he?”

Silence.

My chest tightened painfully. Oh, Dobby.

From the movie, that was clear. But being at the manor, I hadn’t seen Father ever hit Dobby. I had seen Dobby punish himself but not for Father to give the punishment.

I sat up abruptly in bed. “Dobby, will you get me a pair of socks?”

Dobby shuffled over to my closet and came back to my side. “Are Miss Ara’s feet cold? Would the young mistress like Dobby to help her put her socks on?”

“No, I’m going to free you.”

Silence. A soft thump hit the floor. Even in the darkness, I could see Dobby’s eyes widen. “The young mistress… is doing what?”

“I’m going to free you.”

Dobby quickly backed away from the bed. “F-free Dobby?”

“Yes.”

“B-but… Miss Ara will get in more trouble with her father she will!”

“I don’t care. No one should be hit.” Leaning over, I squinted in the darkness and scanned the floor. Like I thought, Dobby had dropped the socks in shock. I reached for the socks.

Dobby rushed forward and grabbed my hand, stopping me. “Miss Ara must not! She must not!”

I frowned. “Why not?”

His little hand tightened on mine. “Dobby does not wish for anyone else to be hurt. Dobby does not wish for Master Draco to get hurt. Dobby wished Miss Ara did not get hurt either. So, Dobby will stay and be hit, so Master Draco is not hit. And Miss Ara too if Dobby can.”

I stared at this elf and desperately wished I could see him clearly. “You don’t deserve to get hit either, Dobby.”

“Miss Ara and Master Draco have been kind to Dobby. Dobby wants to protect the young mistress and young master. Freeing Dobby will only cause trouble for Miss Ara. Dobby asks Miss Ara not to free him.”

His small hands firmly clutched my own. My hands started to shake. “Are… are you sure? I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Dobby nodded, ears flopping. “Yes, Miss Ara. Dobby is certain he is. Dobby wishes to protect Miss Ara. She should not get in trouble for Dobby. Dobby also wishes to look after Master Draco while Miss Ara is at school.”

Leaning forward, I pressed my forehead against his wrinkly one. “If that’s what you want.”

“Yes, Miss Ara.”

I sighed. “Fine. But I’m going to find a way to fix this. For both of us. But if you change your mind before then, please let me know.”

I gently pulled my hands from Dobby’s and laid down.

Dobby picked up the socks and returned them to the closet. He looked at me once more before leaving the room. A crack sounded in the hallway.

I settled deeper into my blankets and stared at the ceiling. Draco sensed my warmth and snuggled in closer. I flinched a bit as he bumped into my bruises. I didn’t push him away though. I never would.

I thought I could get away from this here. I need to find a way to stop it.

Chapter Text

I didn’t sleep the entire night.

I wanted to call Dobby back and free him anyway. But I knew how it felt to have my choices taken away and wouldn’t take this choice away from Dobby.

I got up when Draco did. His eyes had widened to the size of saucers when he saw my face. I had yet to see my own face but quickly reassured him I was fine. I told him that I had gone for a short walk last night and had tripped and fallen onto a table in the hallway. He accepted this explanation but was still very concerned.

Only when Draco left to get dressed did I take a look at my face and winced at my reflection.

I sported a brilliant black eye. The purpling skin of my cheek had traveled up to my left eye which meant the side of my face was rather swollen and colored with deep purples and pinks. Not to mention how sore my body felt. The bruises I could see when I twisted around in front of a mirror to see my back weren’t much better than my face and were rather sensitive when touched. Maybe I can see if Madam Pomfrey has a way to make the bruises go away before term starts. Which she should. This world has magic. The bruises would raise too many questions I don’t want to answer.

Dobby brought us both breakfast at some point and was in a bright mood. He and Draco both helped me hold ice to my bruises for a while which helped the swelling go down even more.

I convinced Draco there were fun things to do in my room and was able to stay in my room without arousing his suspicion. He was rather put out when I had to pack up my trunk again but still wanted to help. Which was only because I know he noticed me wincing as I moved.

Dinner was an almost silent affair. Father didn’t say a word to me. Mother had sharply inhaled when she spotted me. No hint of surprise showed on her face though. Just concern. Clearly, Father had informed her of what happened. Father spoke to her briefly at the start of dinner before not saying another word. The rest of us followed his lead and didn’t speak.

After dinner, Draco stayed rather silent and seemed to want to be glued to my side. I read a couple short stories while he curled up next to me.

Since I hadn’t slept last night, I was dragging and only lasted a couple hours after dinner before I decided to go to bed. Draco joined me. Not bothering to start on his own side, Draco snuggled up next to me right away but was a bit gentler about it. Likely thinking of the ice we had just finished using on my bruises again.

I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed him tightly to my chest. “I’ll keep writing you every week. And then, I’ll be back before you know it, and we’ll go on an adventure. Even more fun than the trip you went on with the Avery family.”

Draco twisted his head enough to look at me. “Promise?”

“Promise.” I pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Now, let’s sleep. I’m getting up early to leave. Don’t you want to see me off?”

A nod.

“Okay then.” I rested my head against his and felt him slowly relax and fall asleep.

I closed my own eyes. When I get back in the summer, I’ll have a solution. I won’t let Father ever hit you, and if Harry doesn’t end up freeing Dobby, I’ll free him too.

Draco was even more depressed than when I went to school after the summer. He held tightly to me and only let go when I was gripping Father’s arm to disapparate.

Since we were going back early, we ended up in Hogsmeade. I only had a few moments to look around before Father tightened his grip on my arm. He leaned in close until his mouth was right next to my ear. “Do not speak of what you overheard to anyone. You are only to get good grades and keep your nose clean. Do you understand.”

“Yes, Father,” I said.

Father released me and took a step back. He straightened his cloak. “Severus ensured the castle gates shall be open. Stop by his office to inform him you have reached the school. You are old enough to walk yourself the rest of the way to the castle, so this is where I leave you.” His gaze drifted to the black eye that hadn’t faded much. “As for your eye…”

“I tripped,” I said quickly. “Hit my face.”

Father gave a curt nod. “Good.” Without another word, he took a couple steps away and disapparated.

I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding and felt some of the tension leave my body.

At least I’m back at school. And I have like six months to figure out what to do about my father. Dobby can hopefully look after Draco until then. I’ll have a plan by then. I have to have a plan. But for now…

With a brief glance around, I muttered a soft curse at my father.

I don’t know how to get to Hogwarts from here.

I wasn’t too mad about it. I ended up wandering around the village. It still held a bright energy of Christmastime. Snow dusted over the roofs of the shops and cottages and piled on the ground, crunching with my every step. Fairy lights hung in the trees and near doorways that held wreaths in the centers of doors. Not too many people were out and about. I did get a few weird looks from the people who were out for having my trunk. I ignored them and kept wandering, fascinated by all the shops. I was very tempted to go inside a few especially when I spotted The Three Broomsticks, but I knew if I went inside one, I’d want to go inside all of them.

I eventually found the right street and gave a wistful look back at the village before heading up toward the school.

This is obnoxious.

It took me a while to get to the Hogwarts gates. By then, I was rather cold, and my arms were tired from dragging my trunk. The moment I passed through the open gates, I let my trunk drop to the ground which instantly gave relief to my arms and conjured a small bright blue fire before dumping it into a jar I had tucked in my trunk. The flame had been something I had worked to perfect to match the flames Hermione made in the books. I held the jar close to my body and warmed my hands. I then levitated my trunk next to me. Without the weight of my trunk and with the warmth from the little flame, the rest of my walk to the school was much easier.

The castle doors were wide open. I lowered my trunk back to the ground and dispersed my flame. I dragged my trunk down to the Slytherin Common Room and dropped it off in my dormitory. It was weird not to see any other trunks in the room. The room would feel empty for a few days until the holidays ended. After changing into my school robes, I left to find Professor Snape.

Luckily, when I knocked on the door of his office, his cold voice bid me enter.

His cold eyes slid to mine. “Ah, Ara.”

“Hi, sir. I’m back.”

A nod. “Yes.” His gaze lingered on my face. On the bruise.

I openly met his gaze. Professor Snape wasn’t dumb enough to believe a “I tripped” excuse. So, I didn’t bother saying anything to explain the bruise. “I was told to inform you when I arrived, likely to know when to close the gates. I would like to get some studying in before the rest of the school returns from holiday. Do you need anything else, or may I be excused, sir?”

Professor Snape didn’t say anything, still staring. “You may go.”

Inclining my head, I turned to the door.

When my hand was on the handle, Professor Snape spoke, “If you are in pain, you could visit Madam Pomfrey.”

I only nodded and quietly left the office.

That was the plan.

I left the dungeons and made my way toward the first floor. I had to pass the Great Hall since breakfast was close to ending and sped up my pace a bit, not wanting anyone to see me.

I got up four steps.

“Malfoy?”

Grimacing, I paused. I turned my face a little to the right to confirm.

Hermione stood in the doorway of the Great Hall, slightly out of breath likely from running to catch me.

“Hey, Granger.”

“You’re back.”

I turned my head a bit more, still hiding my face as much as I could. “Yep. Just got back a few minutes ago.”

“Have a good holiday?”

“Good enough. Yours?”

Hermione took a few steps closer. “Very quiet. Most students went home for the holiday.”

“Can’t blame them.” I clasped my hands behind my back. “Want to meet up in the library later?”

“Sure…” She frowned. “… but… is everything alright?”

Too smart for your own good, Hermione. “Everything’s fine.”

“Are… are you going to the library now?”

Not a bad excuse. “Yep.”

Hermione reached the bottom of the stairs. “Without your books or bag?”

I sighed. “I have to make a quick stop first, and then, I’ll get my bag. I’ll see you later though.” I walked up a couple more steps.

Footsteps echoed behind me. A hand grabbed the back of my robes, tugging me to a stop. “Malfoy. Are you sure you’re alright?”

I didn’t have enough time to turn my face away as Hermione came up on the same step.

“You…” She sharply inhaled. “Ara.”

Not having time to celebrate that Hermione called me by my first name, I sighed out a breath and fully faced her. “Hi.”

She reached toward my face and paused. “What happened?”

I fought to keep a casual expression on my face. “I tripped. Fell into a table at the manor.” I gestured up the stairs. “I was heading to the Hospital Wing to see if Madam Pomfrey can help.”

“Then, let’s go.” She tugged on my sleeve. “C’mon, c’mon.”

I let her pull me up the stairs toward the Hospital Wing. “I didn’t think you cared this much.”

“I care when your face looks like that.” She eyed me. “You tripped? It looks more like someone hit you.”

I stumbled.

Hermione frowned.

I quickly straightened. “Nah. It was… a really mean table.”

Her frown deepened.

We reached the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey was wandering around, checking on the petrified students. She paused when we walked in. Her eyes found my face, and she quickly came to my side. She gently took my face in her hands to examine it from different angles. “Rather impressive bruise, dear. Let’s see if we can ease that.” She had me sit on one of the beds and disappeared to her office.

Hermione pulled over one of the chairs and sat down next to me.

“I’m fine,” I told her. “Really. You don’t have to stay.”

She ignored me. “You said this happened at the manor? What manor?”

I braced my hands behind me. “I live at a manor. I tripped while I was there.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You got the bruise at home?”

I made a noise of assent.

She looked like she wanted to say something else but fell silent as Madam Pomfrey came back with a small jar.

Hermione abruptly got to her feet. “I’ll meet you in the library tonight. After dinner?”

I gave her a smile. “See you then.”

She all but stormed out of the room.

Madam Pomfrey didn’t comment. She dabbed a yellow paste on my face.

I glanced at the door Hermione had just left out of before turning back to Madam Pomfrey. “I have a few bruises on my back and side as well,” I said quietly. “Do you think you could help heal those too? Or at least ease the discoloration and pain?”

Her gaze shifted to mine. “Yes, of course.” She seemed to want to ask a question but held back.

Her expression only darkened when I showed her the bruises on my back and side. I watched as the swelling went down, and the bruises faded until they were mostly gone. There was a little discoloration left that Madam Pomfrey assured me would be gone by the end of the day. It was still much better than what I walked into the Hospital Wing with.

The whole time she helped me, my mind latched onto something I had forgotten about.

I still want to learn Occlumency. Maybe it’ll help me be a better liar, but even then, I need to protect my mind. Snape doesn’t have ill intentions. Someone else might.

I made my way down to the dungeons to grab my bag before going back upstairs. I considered looking in the library first but doubted I would find books on learning Occlumency anywhere but the Restricted Section if anywhere. Asking Madam Pince or Professor Snape for that matter would raise some eyebrows and bring more unwanted attention.

I do have a handy dandy Room that will cater to my every need. So, maybe the Room will have helpful options. I’ll have to just chill in the library all day tomorrow. Hermione saw I’m back, so they’ll likely prep today and then take the potion tomorrow. If I’m at an easy to find place, that’ll give them more time with me.

The Room of Requirement appeared like it normally did. Except this time, there were a few books stacked in front of the pile of pillows in the reading nook area.

I picked up the top book and grinned.

Into the Mind. An entire book about learning Occlumency according to the little blurb on the back. The other two books were about the same thing with one going more into the Legilimency side of things.

“Thank you!” I called out to the Room.

Dropping my bag, I threw myself onto the pile of pillows with the first book in hand and winced a bit, still a little sore. I opened to the title page.

Ding.

Frowning, I glanced to my right. A new notification popped up. Probably telling me about the Polyjuice Potion event tomorrow. I could look at it later… The image of me in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom filled my mind. Doesn’t hurt to check. I opened the notification in front of me.

MAIN QUEST – Polyjuiced Friends

With the Polyjuice Potion finally ready, the Golden Trio have successfully taken the potion to interrogate the sorcerer for information about the Chamber of Secrets and the Heir of Slytherin.

YOUR QUEST – Find the Golden Trio, and give them the needed information about the Heir of Slytherin within the time limit.

TIME LEFT: 59 Minutes

MAIN REWARD – Polyjuice Potion Skill

Okay, not unexpected. I—

My eyes read the time left again.

One hour.

I snapped upright. WHAT! They already took the potion?? I have to find them NOW!

I lurched to my feet, shoving the Occlumency book into my bag, and bolted toward the door. I paused with my hand on the knob.

“Sorting Hat!” I quickly shouted.

The icon popped up. “Yes, sorcerer.”

“Can you tell me what info the Golden Trio need to know from me?”

“The sorcerer can tell the Golden Trio whatever she desires—”

“But what specifically do they need to know?”

“The sorcerer already revealed the Chamber of Secrets has been opened before. The Golden Trio need to know neither the sorcerer nor Blaise Zabini are the Heir of Slytherin. They must also know the Chamber opened fifty years ago and that the supposed culprit was expelled after a girl died. Beyond that, it is up to the sorcerer’s discretion—”

“Close all!”

The screens all closed.

I rushed from the Room of Requirement, only pausing to make sure the door properly closed.

Less than an hour, less than hour. Where are they? Where do they think I am?

I ran down the stairs and almost tripped a few times. The only thing that kept me upright was the stairway railing.

I reached the first floor, huffing and puffing. I only paused for a couple breaths before sprinting down the hallway, my shoes slapping on the ground. I nearly passed the library doors but grabbed the doorway at the last moment to slow myself down.

At a dark look from Madam Pince sitting near the doors, I slowed to a speedwalk and searched the library.

Nothing. No sign of any second-year Slytherins.

Despite her bad attitude, I asked Madam Pince if Pansy Parkinson, Gregory Goyle, or Vincent Crabbe had stopped by. I had almost asked if Hermione Granger had come in but changed my answer at the last minute. The answer had been no. They hadn’t come in.

With a shout of thanks, I bolted from the library.

Where else would they go?? They don’t know where the Slytherin Common Room is! Hermione should know where I usually am!!

Just in case, I ran back up a floor and checked Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. I found Gryffindor robes on the floor and a cauldron filled with a mud-colored liquid slowly bubbling. And all of the stalls were empty. No sign of a fur-covered Hermione.

Well, that part went right at least!

My only option is the dungeons. If Hermione is with them, they might have a better guess of where it is.

Still, I made another stop at the library, and Madam Pince exasperatedly confirmed that no other second-year Slytherins had come to the library.

Taking the stairs two at a time, I rushed down the stairs to the dungeons.

“Sorting Hat!” I whispered shouted. “How much time do I have left?”

The icon popped up. “Forty-one minutes.”

Bloody hell.

I raced past the common room and rushed down the corridors of the dungeons.

Come on, come on! I have stuff to tell you! Why couldn’t you have just gone to the library??

My heart threatened to beat out of my chest.

I hadn’t closed the Sorting Hat screen. It had left a countdown up which my eyes kept being drawn to.

Please! PLEASE! Where are you??

I turned a corner.

Near the end, I spotted three students hurrying along with their backs to me. Three very familiar backs. A small girl with long silky black hair and two massive boys with very thick arms.

Three people who normally wouldn’t be seen together without me or Blaise.

People who were about to turn a corner.

“Pansy!” I shouted.

The girl turned her head. Pure relief appeared on her face. The face of Pansy Parkinson but the expression of Hermione Granger. “M… Ara! There you are.”

I slowed my pace to a stroll, and the three of them quickly moved to meet me in the middle of the corridor. I was still breathing rather heavily and tried to take deeper breaths to start breathing normally. However, I couldn’t hold myself back. Once Hermione got close enough, I threw myself into her arms and hugged her tightly.

Completely thrown off, Hermione hesitated before hugging me back.

Alright. I found them. I can complete the quest.

“Why are you out of breath?” Hermione asked.

Right. I sucked down a few deeper breaths to control my breathing. I pulled back and gave her a smile, falling back into my role for this quest. “I… er… smelled something bad and had to hold my breath.” Absolutely terrible excuse. I wouldn’t believe me. But we are all on a time limit, so she’ll likely let me get away with it. I linked my arm with hers. “I’m surprised to see you! I told you that you didn’t need to come back early.”

“I… wanted to surprise you.” Hermione offered me a smile. It was rather weird to see a kind smile instead of the coy or adoring smile that accompanied this face.

“Well, consider me surprised.” I shifted my gaze to Harry and Ron, disguised as Crabbe and Goyle. If it was still like the books, Harry was disguised as Goyle, and Ron was Crabbe. Don’t make it too hard for them, but I also need to act like myself. “I don’t usually see the three of you together like this. Where’s Blaise?”

“Er… not sure,” Hermione said. She spared a glance at them before quickly looking back at me. “And we… just met up in the hallway on the way to the common room after breakfast.”

“Let’s get back to the common room then. I don’t want to be just wandering the halls. Especially since you three were taking the scenic route. Come on.” With my arm still linked with Hermione’s, I led the way back. Harry and Ron trailed quietly behind us.

Weird to have Hermione here. But it makes more sense for me to talk to Pansy than Crabbe and Goyle in this world.

We ended up outside the long stretch of wall just outside the common room. Cringing a bit on the inside, I clearly said, “Pureblood.”

The door appeared.

I couldn’t help my smile at the slightly surprised faces around me. I led Hermione inside with the boys trailing behind us.

The common room was empty. Even without the threat to Slytherins, most of them had decided to go home.

Even better for me.

I led Hermione to a couch near the fireplace while the three of them tried to subtly look around without looking like they’d never seen the common room before. “You two can come sit with us until Blaise arrives,” I told Harry and Ron. “I don’t know where he is either.”

Harry nodded for the both of them, and they sat down.

I spared a glance at the still-open countdown. Thirty-five minutes. Okay! We all want to talk about the Heir of Slytherin, so if we all work together, we’ll get there sooner rather than later.

Concentrating a bit, I fell back into my persona with Pansy if not a bit warmer than I usually was toward her. “Pansy, did you have a good holiday?”

Hermione hesitated before nodding. “I did.” She leaned in closer to me and tightened her grip on my arm. In a true Pansy way, Hermione brightened her gaze and filled it with adoration for me. “I’m glad to be back here with you though. My holiday would have been better with you.”

I held back a laugh. Laying it on a little thick there, Granger. “My holiday would have been better with you as well.”

“How was your holiday?”

“Very quiet. I spent a lot of time with Draco.”

A brief look of confusion crossed her face.

Oh, really? Have we really never talked about him? I leaned back against the couch and glanced off at one of the skulls on the wall. “My little brother missed me a lot, so we spent most of the holiday together.”

“That’s good.” Hermione hesitated. “And… this?”

I turned back to her just as she lifted her hand to my cheek. The last time I had looked the bruise had faded to be mostly yellow with some purple left. I fell silent and dropped my gaze to my knees. She’s not going to like the tripping excuse again—

“Did your father hit you?”

I flinched. Straight for the kill. I could lie again… or I could use this to transition to talking about the Chamber of Secrets. I forced a smile to my face. “Rather bold assumption there, H… Pansy.” Damn it. Don’t call them by the wrong names! I let out a sigh. “But yes. He did.”

The boys shifted on the couch. I looked over in time to see a pitying glance from Harry.

You’ve been hit too. I guess I can’t fault you for the look. Even if I hate it.

“Why would he do that?” Hermione asked quietly.

At least there’s an opening. Even if I really don’t want to talk about it. I twisted to look into the fireplace. “I overheard him talking about the Chamber of Secrets, and he caught me listening.” At my words, all three of them shifted a bit. I kept talking as if I hadn’t noticed. “He… got mad because he thought I was snooping around and hit me.” No need to mention throwing me into a table with magic. There’s too much to unpack there when we don’t have a lot of time.

“He was going on about the Chamber of Secrets?” Hermione asked. “What was he saying?”

Finally. “He—”

“Ara? You’re back.”

The four of us looked up.

Blaise stood beneath the archway leading to the boys’ dormitories.

Damn. You’re going to make this more complicated than it needs to be. I gave him a small smile. “Hi, Blaise. Just got back this morning.”

Blaise came over to our group. His gaze then fell on Pansy. He offered her a smile not as big as the one he had given me. “Pansy. You’re back too? I knew Ara was coming back early, but I didn’t know you were coming too.”

Daaaaaaaamn it. I don’t want Blaise to know it’s not them! AND I need to still talk about the Chamber of Secrets stuff!

Hermione began to talk. I cut over her. “She came back early to surprise me! Isn’t that sweet?”

Blaise chuckled. “Very devoted, that’s for sure.” He turned his attention to Harry and Ron. “Speaking of, I thought I told you two to come back to our room after breakfast.”

Harry and Ron shared a glance. “Er…” Ron started. “We forgot?”

Blaise didn’t seem to notice the questioning tone at the end of his statement. He only rolled his eyes. “Typical. Well, c’mon. We—”

“Wait!” I called out.

Everyone turned to me.

Separating them is a bad idea. Harry and Ron might get stuck with Blaise before they turn back to themselves. And they need to hear this too. The quest might not complete if they don’t hear all this. I focused my attention on Blaise. “I heard more information about the Chamber of Secrets from my father over the holiday. I was just about to tell Pansy, so you have good timing.”

Blaise raised his eyebrows a bit. “Oh? Do tell.” He came to sit on my other side.

I flinched away from his touch. Should have sat closer to the end of the couch.

A hurt expression crossed his face for a second.

Damn it. I haven’t reacted that badly in a while. Mentally grimacing a bit, I adjusted and leaned back until I was closer to Blaise but still not leaning into him. I sat facing forward but spoke mostly to Hermione. Similar to the first time I had talked to the Golden Trio about the Chamber of Secrets. Okay, okay. Fifty years ago, culprit expelled, girl died. “Remember what I told you about Father’s letter?”

Hermione gave a hesitant nod.

Saying no would have been fine too. I remembered the letter too and remembered I had only later told Pansy and Blaise that the Chamber had been opened fifty years ago. I hadn’t wanted to talk more about it since it was after my major panic attack and didn’t want to relive that stress. “While I was home for the holiday, I overheard that when the Chamber opened fifty years ago, a girl died.”

Wide eyes and frowns stared back at me.

“Not just petrified?” Hermione asked.

I shook my head.

“Good riddance,” Blaise put in. “We don’t need more mudbloods—”

I shot a glare at him.

Blaise grimaced. “Sorry. My mother uses that term and spoke a lot about m… muggleborns over the break.”

Here it is! I gave him a disapproving look. “There’s no need to use that term. The other houses have gotten much more suspicious of our house. If you start using that term more frequently, attention will turn to you until the school thinks you are the Heir of Slytherin.”

The Golden Trio started paying more attention.

“Especially once they realize Potter isn’t the Heir.” I rolled my eyes. “Both are ridiculous ideas.”

Blaise leaned back and stretched his arm out behind me. “The title would be an intriguing one to have, but I’m glad I’m not the Heir—”

Ha! Yes! Right from his own mouth!

“—It’d be too much of a hassle. Just because I hate muggleborns doesn’t mean I’ll take the time to petrify or kill them. I’ll let someone else do it. So, if the Heir gets rid of a bunch of muggleborns, all the better for me.” He leaned in closer to me. “There are things I’d much rather be doing. Friends I’d rather spend time with.” He moved his hand from the back of the couch to rest on my shoulder. Which now meant the length of his arm stretched along my shoulders.

I had to physically hold myself back from flinching again. I focused on my breathing to avoid thinking about his arm. When that didn’t work, I searched for something else to distract me.

Harry and Ron both had their eyes on me with looks of concern. Ron looked a bit more confused as he stared at my face. Harry’s eyes were on the arm around me and seemed almost ready to knock off Blaise’s hand.

“Good friends are hard to find,” I muttered.

Blaise peered over at me with a frown. “Aren’t you still trying to be friends with Granger?”

Hermione stiffened next to me.

Abort! Abort! Blaise! Stop! Talking! I tried not to look at her. “Yes, I am. So, I hope the b… Slytherin’s monster doesn’t petrify or kill her. The school governors nearly closed the school last time before the culprit was caught.”

“Someone was caught?” Harry asked.

Blaise frowned at him.

Yeah, Goyle doesn’t usually interject, but thanks for helping move the convo along. I quickly pulled the attention back to me. “That was another thing I overheard. They caught the culprit, a student, and they were expelled from Hogwarts. I didn’t hear much more than that before my father caught me listening.” I resisted the urge to touch my cheek. Even though I felt the attention of the Golden Trio on it.

If Blaise had noticed the fading bruise, he hadn’t said anything.

The Fireworks chime sounded in my ear.

Relief filled me to the bone. I shot a quick glance at the countdown. It had stopped at fourteen minutes and seventeen seconds.

Halle-friggin-lujah.

Now, I just need to get them out of here in about fifteen minutes or so without Blaise being too sus.

“And you don’t know what the monster is?” Hermione asked, pulling my attention back to her. “Your father didn’t mention anything about it?”

I shook my head. “No. I’m not sure if they ever figured out what the monster was. Only who did it.”

“And they were only expelled?” Ron asked quickly. “Not sent to Azkaban?”

“Rather chatty today, you two,” Blaise said, narrowing his eyes.

Redirect, redirect!

Holding back a cringe, I patted Blaise’s leg twice. His eyes widened in utter disbelief, and all his attention immediately locked onto my hand.

“No worries, Blaise,” I said. “We don’t talk about the Chamber or the Heir a lot. They can be curious.” Carefully moving my hand from his thigh back to my side, I turned to Ron. “As far as I’m aware, the student was only expelled. Father told me that everything is very secretive, so not many people know a lot of information about what happened.” I glanced over at Hermione. “Like I said earlier, I didn’t learn much from my father but learned at least a little something more than what he would have told me on his own.”

Alright. Now time to get them all out of here.

I offered a smile to the group, focusing on Hermione and Blaise. “I’m glad I was able to catch you both when I got back. I wanted to talk to someone about what I had overheard for the past two days. My father might change his mind and tell me more, but I doubt it. For now, I did want to get some more studying in.”

Leaning forward, I finally got Blaise to move his arm off my shoulders. He even moved it back to his side which was even better.

I looked into my bag and let a frown cross my face. “Huh. My Standard Book of Spells isn’t in here. I must have left it in the library.” Sighing deeply, I back against the couch. “I didn’t want to go back to the library yet, but I need my book now.” I peered over at Blaise. “You needed to chat with Crabbe and Goyle right? Would you mind if I stole them to go grab my book for me and delay your chat?”

Blaise offered me a bright smile. “Of course. They can go get your book.” He threw a look at the pair of them and gestured toward the door. “Off you go. Hurry back.”

Slowly getting to their feet, Harry and Ron casted not subtle looks at Hermione who still sat at my side.

I’ll send her out once you two leave! I mentally shouted at them. Just go!

Hermione gave them a tiny nod.

“Are you waiting for something?” Blaise asked, frowning.

Harry quickly shook his head. “No. We’re going.” He grabbed Ron’s arm and tugged him from the common room.

Two down. Now, I just need Hermione out of here. I kept my gaze on Blaise. “Do you mind if I chat with Pansy a bit alone? Just some girl talk.” I nodded toward the boys’ dormitories. “I’ll send Crabbe and Goyle to you once they get back.”

For a moment, suspicion flashed across his face. It quickly disappeared and was replaced with one of his smiles. “Of course. You and I can catch up later.” He brushed his hand against my arm and also left.

I waited a few seconds after he moved out of sight before letting out a sigh and releasing the tension in my shoulders.

Hermione gazed at me slightly alarmed. “Are you alright?”

“Better now that he’s gone.” The words surprised me, having slipped out before I could stop them. Huh. I never would have said that around the real Pansy. Now, that it was just me and Hermione, I found that I was much more relaxed. The tension in my body had mostly faded. I released the shudder I had been holding in. “I guess… I don’t really like being touched? Especially not by guys. It doesn’t usually bother me this much though." I dropped my gaze to my lap. "I usually let him get closer though since we’re friends, and I don’t want to hurt his feelings. And it’d cause problems for all us second-years if we weren’t friends. Or if we didn’t at least tolerate each other.”

Her mouth dipped into a frown. “You seem to be friends with people that you don’t want to be friends with.”

I shrugged. “I think that comes with being a Malfoy.”

Her frown deepened. She didn’t say much more on the subject though and glanced after Blaise. “He’s really not the Heir, right? He’s not lying?”

I shook my head. Time to resolve the question mark I created. “He’s not the Heir. He’s petty but wouldn’t actually hurt any muggleborns. Remember when he and I were arguing after the Chamber opened?”

She twisted to me.

“He wanted to take Granger’s homework and quizzes and change some of the answers, so I’d be the top student to show that purebloods are better than muggleborns.” I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “Like I said. Very petty. And overly concerned about the little things. Someone like that wouldn’t be the Heir. He’d be more concerned if someone stole his hair products. Another reason not to be friends with him. But here I am.”

Hermione’s gaze lingered on my face. “Do… do you really want to be friends with Granger?”

Wasn’t expecting that one. I peered sideways at her. My answer to Pansy would be very different than an answer I’d give you. “Yes, I do,” I said quietly.

Her frown only deepened. “Even though she’s a muggleborn?”

“Her blood status has nothing to do with who she is. She’s clever and nice to spend time with.” Quickly sitting up straighter, I brought an exaggerated forced frown to my face and hoped she’d notice something off. “But Malfoys cannot be friends with just anyone. Even if I want otherwise.” I gave a wide smile. “Besides, why would I need anyone other than you, Pansy? You are a great friend. A lot better than Blaise.”

She brought a smile to her face that couldn’t quite replace the frown. “Right. You’re a great friend too.”

I don’t want to end this like that. I can’t be as open with you since we aren’t really friends yet. I opened my mouth to speak again when I spotted the ends of her hair lightening and gaining frizz as it seemed to slowly shrink back toward her head. Ah hell. Time’s up. She needs to leave. I scanned her face. “Are you feeling alright, Pansy? Your face looks flushed.”

Hermione frowned. “What?”

“Yes. Maybe it’s the lighting, but your face is pinker that it usually is.”

I saw the understanding of what was happening light up in her eyes. With panic soon following.

“Do you need to go to the Hospital Wing?” I asked, giving her an out.

Hermione lurched to her feet. “Yes. I… I feel rather ill. Madam Pomfrey should be able to help. I… I’ll be back later. See you.” She all but fled from the common room.

I sighed out a deep breath, sinking deeper into the sofa. And we’re finally done.

I helped clean up the mess the Golden Trio had left behind.

I left my Standard Book of Spells in the library and then went off to find where Crabbe and Goyle had been stashed which took longer than I expected. There were a few closets in the Entrance Hall. I found them both fast asleep inside. With a quick glance around, I levitated them both and brought them to a side hall where it took a couple minutes to rouse them.

Nice sleeping draught, Hermione.

The pair were rather confused but didn’t linger on it for long. They agreed to go grab my book from the library. I met them in the common room where they gave me my book and went to their dormitory. I heard Blaise raise his voice at them, demanding to know why they had taken so long, before their door clicked shut.

It’d be a bit of a pain to cover for Pansy until she actually came back. I did have a plan for that though which mostly involved avoiding Blaise. Which was a win for me.

You three are so lucky I’m on your side and know what you did and am willing to be helpful. Or lots of things would have blown up in your face and caused problems.

Rolling my eyes, I pulled up the Polyjuiced Friends quest information to see my rewards.

Like it had said, the main reward was the skill to properly brew Polyjuice Potion easier. I had also gotten an HP boost. To my surprise though, the boost was double what it had originally said and gave me twenty HP instead of ten. I had also received another spell point, and there were two more rewards. Something labeled “Gift” like with the Birthdaygram quest and something labeled “Novel Reward.” There was also a note beneath.

For exceeding expectations, the sorcerer’s rewards were doubled and additional rewards given.

“Sorting Hat,” I called out.

“Yes, sorcerer.”

I stared at that last line with a frown. “How did I exceed expectations this time?”

“Not only did the sorcerer fulfill the quest requirements, but the sorcerer also helped to make the quest easier for the Golden Trio by giving a strand of hair for Hermione Granger to use and to not become covered in fur. The sorcerer also ensured there will not be future problems by assisting Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, and no one will question what happened or any odd behavior. Because of this, the sorcerer has exceeded expectations.”

Huh. A smile crossed my face. Awesome. Glad to see my efforts were worth it. I clicked on the “Gift” reward to accept it.

Two vials appeared in the air and floated in front of me. I recognized the mud-like substance inside just as the label popped up.

Two vials of Polyjuice Potion

Effects will last an hour

My eyebrows shot up. Really? The Sorting Hat is being very generous.

I grabbed vials out of the air and set them on the table in front of me. I then clicked on the “Novel Reward.” Instead of simply receiving the gift, a screen popped up first with more information. It had text and an accept button on the bottom.

Novel Reward

The sorcerer will receive a randomly chosen copy of one of the novels in the Harry Potter series.

My eyebrows rose even higher. I quickly hit the accept button.

A black and purple novel appeared in the air. Like when I received the first novel, there was nothing printed on the cover or the spine. The label popped up over the book.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

This is a copy of the original sixth book in the Harry Potter series. No one else can open this book unless the sorcerer opens it for them.

Grinning, I plucked the novel from the air and held it closely to my chest. Like the first novel I had received, this one was also brand new and rather stiff when I flipped through the pages, very unlike my own copies of the series which were no longer stiff and had covers ready to fall off.

How nice to have a brand-new copy. And how helpful to get the novel before I experience the year.

Mentally patting myself on the back, I put the novel and the vials of Polyjuice potion in my storage. The only other thing in there right one was the other Harry Potter novel.

I should probably start putting stuff in there, or I’m just wasting the space.

I was about to close all the screens when I noticed a new quest. Unlike the previous quests, this quest box was outlined in black.

SIDE QUEST – Common Room Tour

See what another common room is like.

YOUR QUEST – Brew Polyjuice Potion, and sneak into one of the other House Common Rooms without getting caught. Once the sorcerer enters the House Common Room, new instructions will be given to be completed with a certain time limit.

More rewards will be given for successfully sneaking into the Gryffindor Common Room.

TIME LEFT: 38 Days 13 Hours 29 Minutes

MAIN REWARD – Dependent on Common Room

My first side quest. I read through the instructions again before summoning the Sorting Hat. “There’s no penalty for not completing side quests, right?”

“Correct.”

“Even if I start the quest and don’t complete it?”

“Correct.”

“And no penalty if I fail the quest?”

“Correct.”

I focused on the Main Reward. “Can you tell me what the main reward options are?”

“The Hufflepuff reward is 500 SG and a small expansion of the storage space. The Ravenclaw reward is two spell points, and for both of those two points, the sorcerer is guaranteed two fifth-year or sixth-year level spells or skills. The Gryffindor reward is 100 HP and a limited version of the Marauder’s Map.”

Those are actually all great choices. “What does the limited Marauder’s Map do?”

“The sorcerer can access the location of the Golden Trio at any time and can see the location of another individual of the sorcerer’s choice for a minute every twelve hours.”

Huh. “And the extra rewards?”

“Those will come once the quest is completed.”

Figures. I reviewed the quest again. “Do I have to learn to brew Polyjuice Potion? Or can I use the reward I just gained?”

“The sorcerer must brew the Polyjuice Potion herself.”

Also figures. I let out a long sigh. Well, it doesn’t hurt to try since I don’t get a penalty from not completing the quest, and I get great rewards for it. And it’ll give me more Polyjuice Potion. From the books, it doesn’t go bad. At least as far as I know. It’ll just eventually run out. So, I can keep it if I need it in the future.

I wracked my brain for any main quests I could think of coming up soon. I think I have some time before the next Main Quest comes. I think the next thing that happens is Harry getting Tom Riddle’s diary, but I think that happens closer to Valentine’s Day? And he keeps it for a while before Ginny steals it back. So, likely no Main Quests until closer to the end of the year. Even if it’s not that far away, I should have a month to brew the potion. So, I might as well prep for this and get the great rewards.

I let a smile cross my face.

Side Quests might not be too bad.