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Chapter Text

Chapter One: Introduction.

The Girl From Madam Malkin’s

The streets of the alley were filled with wonder. Harry couldn't believe it was all real. Hagrid had been guiding him through his Hogwarts list. They had already stopped at Gringotts to pick up his money, although he almost blasted the withdrawal on a gold cauldron. The cobblestone paths of the alley had brought them to a lovely robe shop, with gold trimmings lining the purple wooden structure. Mannequins of wizards and witches in fancy robes were displayed in the storefront window, right below the golden sign reading 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions'.

Hagrid had left Harry to purchase his own robes, as the massive man was unable to fit through the door and was feeling a bit queasy from the Gringotts cart ride earlier. Harry covered his scar and entered the store. He felt nervous but also excited; he'd never been able to buy anything for himself with the Dursleys. A short but friendly witch directed him to take a seat next to a sweet-looking young girl with black hair done in a short bob with large bangs curtaining down over her forehead. As he took his seat, a pale boy around Harry's age with a smug look on his face and blindingly blonde hair exited the shop.

'Are you headed to Hogwarts too?' The young girl had asked, with a nervous look on her face. Harry was surprised she had talked to him, considering he had hidden his scar so as not to draw too much attention.

'Yeah, I am,' Harry replied, becoming distracted by the small patches of freckles under the girl's eyes.

'My mothers finishing up my order for school robes now, she and Madam Malkin are good friends, the girl explained. Harry looked back at the counter, where a witch covered in sleek new robes and adorned in jewellery stood conversing with the witch who sent him to the seat.

'Mother always comes in for the new releases, I'll likely be older than Dumbledore by the time I get out of here,' she said, looking at Harry intently. Harry laughed, not knowing who exactly Dumbledore was, other than he was the headmaster of Hogwarts, but not wanting to embarrass the girl by not getting her joke. The girl smiled, right before asking what house he thought he would be sorted into.

'Houses?' Harry asked the girl.

'You must be Muggle-born, ' she giggled with a kind understanding smile on her face. 'There are four houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, she explained, 'It's Slytherin you want to be sorted into, though. All the great wizards were in Slytherin. Harry agreed with her as she told him that her family had been sorted into Slytherin for generations.

'I hope I'm in Slytherin, ' Harry stated, wanting to be in the same house as the girl. She had a calming presence that made Harry feel like he wouldn't be alone at Hogwarts.

'Pansy!' the fancy witch called out. It seemed like she was done chatting with Madam Malkin.

'I'll see you at Hogwarts, ' the girl said while waving back to Harry with a slight blush on her face. Harry couldn't help but feel a blush of his own begin to take shape.

'You're up next, dear,' Harry heard as Madam Malkin snuck up on him during his trance. Harry followed her to the footstool to get his measurements as the girl and her mother left with haste.

Hagrid was waiting for Harry outside, ice cream in hand. Together, they stopped at the apothecary, Harry admiring the many weird ingredients lined up in bins and on the walls.

'Hagrid?, Harry asked as they left the apothecary carrying bags of beetle eyes and snake fangs. 'How do I get put in Slytherin?'

Hagrid looked horrified, spitting out what remained of his ice cream. 'Slytherin? 'Why'd yer want to be put in there for Harry?'.

'I met a girl in Madam Malkin's who said Slytherin was the best one, where all the greatest wizards went'. Harry replied, eager to know more.

'I dunno where she heard that one from, but almost all yeh bad wizards end up in Slytherin. 'Nasty lot, most of 'em are'. Hagrid explained. 'You-Know-Who was in Slytherin'.

Harry looked worried now, hoping he and that girl didn't end up in Slytherin after all. 'You ought to be in Gryffindor anyway, yer mum and dad were both Gryffindors, it's in yer blood,' Hagrid explained further. 'Time to get a move on anyway, Harry, we got to stop at Flourish and Blotts for ye books'. Harry followed Hagrid into a large store filled with books for as far as the eye can see. The walls were lined with books on curses, transfiguration, and potions, as well as a section dedicated to a handsome-looking wizard named Lockhart. He asked Hagrid if he could buy a book named Curses and Counter Curses, wanting to try a few on Dudley, but Hagrid refused. In the corner, he noticed the young girl from Madam Malkin's talking to another girl who looked fascinated but lost.

The mother of the girl from earlier, the pompous-looking witch who was busy talking to Madam Malkin, noticed her daughter talking to the confused girl at the back of the bookshop. She stormed over in a huff before smacking her daughter right across the face. The girl looked terrified before being dragged out of the shop by the ear. Tears were forming on the girl's face, her mother muttering something about lowborns as they walked past Harry. Harry was worried for the poor girl. She had seemed so nice earlier, but it's clear she didn't get that from her mother. Hagrid urged Harry to get a move on looking for his books, as his schedule got tighter by the minute, and they had yet to get him a wand. Excited about the thought of getting his own wand, he started searching for the books he needed with haste.

Oh, how she hated her mother. She was always so harsh on her. The mark on her face still stung from where she was struck. Her mother had given her a lengthy lecture about speaking to Muggle-borns and how they were unworthy of her time or friendship. Pansy was to remain a caricature of a sophisticated pure blood witch at all times. She understood that her blood made her a superior witch, as she was told many times by her friends and parents, but she didn't understand why she had to refrain from making friends with those of lesser blood. The Muggle-born girl from Flourish and Blotts was nice, as was the cute boy from Madam Malkin's.

'Follow me, Pansy, ' her mother commanded, 'we're off to see the Malfoys at the Broom shop. ' Pansy groaned; she had very little interest in Quidditch, but she knew Draco would be over the moon about it. They entered the fancy shop, with the newest and greatest broom set up in the storefront window, with scores of kids and adults alike trying to get a glimpse of it.

'Ah, is that you, Pansy?'. The tall man dressed in black with white hair asked, whom she recognised as Mr Malfoy immediately.

'Yes, sir,' She replied nervously. Mr Malfoy always gave off an unsettling presence with the snake mounted on his cane.

'You look more and more like your mother every day, ' he said. The thought made Pansy shudder. 'You are exactly what wizard kind needs, pure and sophisticated'. 'You carry on the Parkinson name well', he added.

'And she will remain to do so', her mother chipped in. 'No more talking to Muggle-borns. '

'Yes, mother, ' Pansy agreed. Although she didn't like her mother, she didn't want to damage the reputation of her family name.

'Pansy!, Pansy!' Draco cried out, running from the shop window, 'Take a look at the new Nimbus 2000!'. Happy to get away from her mother, she followed her childhood friend. A massive grin stretched on Draco's face. 'It's the fastest broom yet. I've asked father for it all summer.' Pansy feigned interest, wanting to support Draco as the smile suddenly faded. 'Father won't buy it for me, you see,' Draco explained. 'He reckons that they're bringing out a faster model just next year, and first years aren't allowed to have their own brooms anyway.

A scrawny-looking boy approached Pansy and Draco, looking at the broom with fascination. 'What does the broom do?' he asked. 'Does it really fly?'

Draco directed his foul mood at the boy, with his signature smug smirk that he made when he was about to belittle someone, forming. 'Does it fly?' Draco said, laughing, 'Are you stupid?'. 'You must be a Muggle-born, you'd be lucky to sweep the floor with it. ' The boy looked embarrassed, quickly retreating back to his Muggle parents, who looked completely lost looking at the Cleansweeps. 'Father can't believe they still let these Muggle-borns into Hogwarts, they don't understand the first thing about our culture,' Draco sneered.

'Yeah, I guess so,' Pansy said somewhat reluctantly, 'They do seem pretty clueless. '

'Y'know, they've won the league cup 21 times!' Ron explained excitedly. 'Best team in the league by a mile!'. Ron had spent the past 10 minutes talking to Harry about his favourite Quidditch team, but Harry didn't mind, though. He found it fascinating. The train trip was long; Harry guessed it had only been an hour since they left King's Cross. The stunning views of the English countryside more than made up for it. He and Ron had become fast friends, managing to get a compartment together in the train after the Weasleys had helped him get onto the platform.

Just as Ron was about to give Harry a detailed explanation of the Cannons' last cup win, a familiar face had appeared at the door of their compartment. The young girl from Madam Malkin's had opened the door, eyes on Harry.

'Hey, you're the boy from Madam Malkin's, right? she asked Harry with the same kind smile on her face.

'Would you like to sit with us? Harry asked, hoping she'd join him.

'Sorry, but my friend Draco has a seat waiting for me, ' she replied. 'We have been friends since we were kids, so I don't want to keep him waiting. '

Ron scoffed. 'Draco?, Draco as in Draco Malfoy?' He asked her. 'Foul lot the Malfoys are, why'd you ever want to sit with him?

The girl lost the smile Harry found himself lost in. She looked like she was about to tear Ron apart. 'The Malfoy family is well respected in the wizarding community, unlike you Weasley folk. 'All your family is known for is red hair and poverty. '

Ron went red, but Harry was unsure whether it was with anger or embarrassment.

'You're wrong,' Harry stated defiantly. 'His family helped me get onto the platform. '

'I'm sure they only did it because they were expecting a tip,' The girl remarked. 'You needed help getting onto the platform?'. 'I was hoping I was wrong when I assumed you were a Muggle-born back at Malkin's. '

It was like Harry didn't even recognise the girl anymore. He was too stunned to say anything else. The girl had slammed the compartment door, her black bob waving as she left in a huff.

'Mental she is,' Ron commented, 'Completely out of line. '

'Why was she so angry when she thought my parents were muggles?' Harry asked Ron.

'She's probably from an old wizarding family, some of them think they are better than everyone else because they don't have muggles in their families, ' Ron explained to Harry. 'I'm from one too, but my family doesn't believe in that nonsense'. Harry smiled, happy Ron was so kind and accepting. 'Dads obsessed with muggles, it's given us a bad reputation with those wizarding families'. 'It's how she knew who my family was just by the colour of my hair. '

'If they all act like that, who cares what they think' Harry said, making Ron's face light up. 'She was so nice when I was shopping for robes. '

'She's headed straight for Slytherin', Ron remarked, 'She'll fit right in with those scumbags'. Harry laughed, telling Ron about how she was begging to get into Slytherin back at Madam Malkin's. Harry couldn't believe he wanted to be in Slytherin not long ago.

The compartment door suddenly opened, startling Harry, thinking the girl had returned. Instead, an old lady with a big cart full of confectionery peered through. 'Anything off the trolley, dears?' she asked.

Pansy stormed into Draco's compartment, taking her seat next to him. Vincent and Gregory sat on the opposite side of the compartment, devouring copious amounts of sweets.

'Where have you been?' Draco asked with a smirk. 'Got lost?'

'Had a run-in with a Weasley boy, and his new Muggle-born friend'. Pansy explained, heat rising to her head as she recalled how Ron had insulted her Draco. 'They were insulting your family name. '

Draco scowled. She knew he hated the Weasleys because his father had told him all about Mr Weasley's infatuation with Muggles, but directly insulting his family's name would undoubtedly make it worse. 'Those Weasleys don't have a knut to their name, disgrace really,' Draco said angrily, 'Just wait till I see him at Hogwarts. '

There was a knock on the compartment door, a girl with bushy brown hair and large front teeth entered.

'Have any of you seen a toad?' She asked politely, A boy named Neville Longbottom is looking for one.'

Draco scoffed when the girl mentioned Longbottom's name. 'That Longbottom is a poor excuse for a wizard, I saw him trip on his own bags earlier,' he said, grinning. Vincent and Gregory laughed violently at Neville's misfortune.

'That's a horrible thing to laugh at, ' the bushy-haired girl interjected in a bossy tone. 'I don't find it funny at all. '

'What are you?, his girlfriend?' Draco sniggered, 'Who are you anyway, what's your surname?'

Pansy knew what was coming. Draco has always had an obsession with family names.

'Granger, Hermione Granger, ' the girl replied.

'Granger? Never heard of it, must be a filthy muggle name. ' Draco said smugly. Hermione looked annoyed by his comments. 'There's no toad here, run along now, mudblood,' Draco added. Hermione left the compartment quickly.

Pansy couldn't believe what Draco had said. She had been told by her mother that using that term was strictly forbidden at Hogwarts. Even Vincent and Gregory had raised an eyebrow.

'Draco, you can't say that, you'll get into trouble before you even arrive,' Pansy said with concern.

'Don't worry, Parkinson, fathers on the board of governors. ' Draco replied with a devious smirk on his face. 'She deserved it anyway'. Pansy agreed with Draco. The girl had no right to come into their compartment and tell them what's funny and what's not, and her parents used mudblood all he time. It can't be that bad, right?.

'I heard Harry Potter is on this train,' Draco said, changing the subject. 'I say we pay him a visit, make sure he doesn't mix in with the wrong sort'. Draco got up, with Crabbe and Goyle following in his footsteps. 'Coming Parkinson?' he asked her.

'I think I'll stay here, I've had enough introductions for today,' Pansy said, exhausted.

The long train journey had come to an end. Pansy was beside herself with excitement. She had grown up hearing and reading about Hogwarts all her life, but now she was finally here. Draco, Gregory and Vincent shared the sentiment. They couldn't wait to get to the castle. A massive bearded man, whom Draco described as the Hogwarts servant, huddled the first years into a line. They turned a bend before everyone started gasping in awe. The castle was as brilliant in person as it appeared in the Daily Prophet. Pansy's face was filled with glee.

'No more'n four to a boat!' The big oaf had called. Pansy, Draco, Vincent, and Gregory made their way down the path to the lake, where many boats awaited them. Draco hopped in one first, with the other two boys following.

'Sorry Parkinson, ' Draco said with a disappointed look on his face, 'you won't be able to fit in here. ' Although the large man had said four a boat, Crabbe and Goyle were big enough to count for three people.

'Maybe you two should lay off the sweets,' Pansy remarked, slightly annoyed that she couldn't make her way over to the castle with her friends. 'See you at Hogwarts. '

Pansy left the three boys in the boat and went to search for another group to cross the lake. Most of the first-year students had found a group of four, but she found one with 3 girls in it by the far end of the bank. The first girl was as big as Goyle, with long, unkept black hair and a huge jaw. Pansy considered herself lucky that there was only one of her on the boat. The second girl was thin and mean-looking, with blonde wolf-cut hair and eyes so brown they almost seemed black. The other girl was short and pale, her brown hair rolled up into a bun. Pansy took her place on the remaining seat, still admiring the stunning view of the castle over the lake.

'Good evening,' the blonde girl had said to Pansy with a pretentious drawl. 'What might your name be?'. The boats had taken off now, sending them over he pitch black lake with a jolt.

'Parkinson, Pansy Parkinson.' Pansy replied, remembering to make sure to introduce her family name first, as her mother had instructed.

'Parkinson? Now that's a name I know, ' I'm Greengrass, Daphne Greengrass. The girl was clearly from another prestigious family. 'What about you two?' she asked expectedly to the other two girls on the boat.

'Millicent,' the large girl responded with, clearly not interested in the conversation, instead soaking up the castle's enormity.

'Tracey Davis, so nice to meet you all!' the girl had said cheerily with a huge smile running across her face. Pansy had the urging feeling that her pleasantry wasn't genuine.

'I don't recall seeing a Davis in the Pure-Blood directory,' Daphne said with concern growing on her face. 'You aren't Muggle-born, are you?'

'No, my mother was a witch, she taught me everything I knew,' Tracey replied nervously. 'I never even knew my father. ' Pansy could tell she was lying about something, perhaps trying to conceal her Muggle heritage.

'Well, if you were raised only by a witch, then I'm sure there's some hope for you yet,' Daphne proclaimed with a sickly smirk that reminded her all too much of Draco. 'What about you, Millicent?'

"What?' Millicent looked puzzled.

'Your parents, Millicent,' asked Daphne expectedly.

'What about them? ' Millicent replied.

'Their blood?' asked Daphne, growing more impatient.

'What?' Millicent replied yet again, infuriating Daphne.

'Are they pur- forget it, what's your surname?'

'Bulstrode', Millicent answered. Daphne looked satisfied.

'So, what houses were you all hoping to get into?', Tracey asked the group. Pansy, Daphne, and Millicent all replied "Slytherin" at the same time, almost as if it were rehearsed. 'Really?' Tracey expressed, looking puzzled. 'I've always wanted to be in Ravenclaw, it's the house with the highest amount of wizards who became minister for magic!' she said excitedly.

'It's also the house with the most know-it-alls, ' Daphne rebuked angrily. 'If you really wanted to run for minister, then Slytherin is the clear choice. '

'I guess,' Tracey said nervously, not wanting to offend Daphne any further.

Pansy had turned her attention to the boat beside them; she recognised its four occupants. The poor Weasley boy, the Muggle-born with the huge teeth, the clumsy buffoon who lost his toad, and finally the boy from Madam Malkin's. For some odd reason, she couldn't bring herself to stop staring at him. His glasses were no longer broken, she noticed, as well as his long fringe covering his forehead with his messy black hair. There was something about him that kept drawing her in; she just couldn't put her finger on it.

'That McGonagall woman seems like a joy. ' Pansy remarked to her new friends, recalling how strict and stiff the witch had seemed when she introduced herself. The first years were all following her up the steps, ready to enter the great hall. They were led into the massive room, the magnificent enchanted roof dropping many jaws.

Pansy felt a tap on her shoulder just as the hat started singing the worst song she had ever heard. She turned to meet the eyes of Draco.

'I didn't have time to tell you earlier, but I met Harry Potter on the train. ' Draco had whispered to her.

'What was he like? Did he have the scar?' Pansy asked with interest.

'Yeah, he had the scar, but he's a total dud of a wizard. ' Draco reported to her. 'Muggles must've rotted his brain, his friend's rat even attacked Goyle.

'His friends rat? Disgusting.' Pansy replied, after all, what kind of wizard owned a rat?, 'If that's who he hangs out with, then those muggles really did do a number on him'.

The hat had finally stopped its singing, cheers, and clapping, now thundering throughout the hall. Pansy and her friends were the only ones that didn't, other than Tracey, whose smile quickly faded after catching a glare from Draco and Daphne.

'When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted. ' McGonagall commanded the first years. First up was Hannah Abbott, becoming a Hufflepuff. Pansy started to get nervous. What if she didn't get into Slytherin?.

'Bulstrode, Millicent!' the hat called.

Millicent walked up to the stool. Pansy worried the stool might break.

'SLYTHERIN!,' the hat shouted fairly quickly. Millicent hopped off the stool and headed straight for the table adorned in green, a smile on her face.

'Well, we knew she wouldn't be in Ravenclaw, ' Daphne whispered to Pansy slyly. Pansy snickered.

A few more names went by, to the surprise of no one, Crabbe was sorted into Slytherin.

'Davis, Tracey!'

Tracey walked nervously up to the stool and took her seat. The hat was placed on her head. Unlike Millicent and Crabbe, however, the hat hesitated a bit.

'Mmmm, a thirst for knowledge, Ravenclaw would suit you well. Perhaps your career, too. But the ambition. So much ambition. Cunning too. Better be... SLYTHERIN!' the hat exclaimed. Tracey looked a bit surprised, but not disappointed. She took her seat at the table across from Crabbe.

A boy named Justin Finch-Fletchley was called and was sorted into Hufflepuff. 'Bit scrawny isn't he?, it's no mystery why nobody wants to be in Hufflepuff, ' Pansy said, scoffing at the little boy in the chair. Daphne and Malfoy cackled in unison.

Goyle became a Slytherin just as quickly as Crabbe, the two beefy boys reuniting at the Slytherin table.

'Granger, Hermione!'.

The girl who interrupted them in their compartment was sorted into Gryffindor. Draco rolled his eyes. Pansy had to stop him from muttering mudblood before he became the first person to lose points before being sorted.

'Greengrass, Daphne!'.

Daphne rushed to the stool, excited to be sorted. The hat barely took two seconds before yelling 'SLYTHERIN!'. A wide, unsettling smile formed on her face as she made her way to the table with pride.

Malfoy, Draco!.

Draco made his way up to the front of the room. It was the fastest sorting yet, even making Daphne's look slow. The hat didn't even have to be fully put on his head before it bellowed 'SLYTHERIN!". He took his place between Crabbe and Goyle.

Pansy was alone now. Her nerves were starting to get to her more. All her friends were gone, all sorted into Slytherin. What if she got sorted somewhere else? They'd all leave her; who'd want to be friends with Pansy the Hufflepuff? Even worse, she could end up in Gryffindor, having to share the same room as the Muggle-born. What would Mother and Father think? She'd be a disgrace to the Parkinson name. She needed to be in Slytherin.

'Parkinson, Pansy!'

She slowly made her way up to the front, legs shaking, mind racing. She kept muttering to herself to keep composed. The hat touched her head. It's old, leathery fabric, coarse and ripped. Her breath was short and sharp.

'Hmmm, maybe, possibly.., no, perhaps?, no,' the hat muttered, clearly assessing its options. Pansy's heart sunk. 'No, no, it's gotta be...'

'SLYTHERIN!'

The nightmare was over. She was elated. She was safe. She was where she wanted to be. Her friends wouldn't leave her, her mother wouldn't leave her. Her father wouldn't leave her. She was in Slytherin.

Pansy ran down to the Slytherin table among a chorus of cheers and clapping, taking a seat next to Daphne.

'That hat had me scared for a second there, Parkinson, ' Draco said, relieved, 'could you imagine if you got put in Hufflepuff?'

'I'd rather leave Hogwarts than end up in that sorry house,' replied Pansy, adrenaline still coursing through her after the scare with the hat.

'You're where you belong,' Daphne added, hugging her new housemate.

'Potter, Harry!'

The hall went silent before being filled with whispers. The black haired boy stepped forward to the stool.

'No,' Pansy muttered to herself, jaw dropping. She couldn't believe her eyes. It was him. The boy from Madam Malkin's. It seemed so obvious now, the boy's fringe no longer blocked the view of the infamous scar he was rumoured to have. She couldn't believe she had thought him Muggle-born; he was the legendary Harry Potter. She grew up hearing stories and rumours about him, but now he stood in front of her in the flesh.

She recounted her encounter in Madam Malkin's. A small blush had reached her face. He had been so pleasant to her, and she repaid him by insulting his friend and questioning his bloodline on the train. She had been foolish. If only she had a time turner.

A rush of thoughts and plans to make amends flooded her brain. A boy of his calibre could only ever be in Slytherin, right? Yes. If he were in Slytherin, she could apologise to him, become his friend. She didn't care what Malfoy thought; she knew what he really was like.

The hat was placed on Harry's head. The hat stalled. It looked like it was talking to Harry, who appeared to mutter something under his breath.

Pansy found herself muttering too.

'Slytherin'

'Slytherin'

'Slytherin'

'GRYFFINDOR!'

The hat had made its decision. Harry Potter would be in Gryffindor.

Pansy was distraught, how as she meant to make amends now? Gryffindor and Slytherin had the biggest house rivalry of them all. Harry would forever hate her. Draco's insults towards Harry only got more brazen and harsh. She started to agree with him, but she wasn't sure if it was because she was angry at Harry or herself.

Harry was filled with joy; he'd gotten into the house he wanted. The same house that his parents were sorted into. He got the loudest cheer out of everyone. The entire Weasley family was here, shaking his hand and congratulating him. He hoped Ron was next.

'Weasley, Ronald!'

Sure enough, Ron had joined his brothers at the Gryffindor table. Ron made his way to Harry with a huge grin on his face, before taking a seat right next to him.

'Take a look at the Slytherin table, Harry, they're fuming!' Ron exclaimed, laughing. 'Malfoy looks like a tomato!'

Harry turned to the Slytherin table, where he was getting stared down by almost everyone. Malfoy was red with rage, whispering what he could only guess could be insults to Crabbe and Goyle. The massive girl who reminded him of a hag stared at him blankly. A nasty thin girl next to her with short thick blonde hair did so with such malice in her black eyes that he shuddered. Next to her was the person he was looking for, Pansy Parkinson, if he remembered the name correctly. She was the only one who looked at Harry with neither contempt nor curiosity; instead, she almost looked disappointed.

Harry wanted to believe she was the same girl as she was in Madam Malkin's. However, the way she acted on the train made him think otherwise. Maybe she would've stayed kind if only she kept better company.

A/N:

To state the obvious, I own none of these characters or any of the intellectual property used. This is purely done for fun and is nothing but my imagination.

This is my first attempt at writing a fic. Please go easy on me :) . Comments, feedback, and constructive criticism are appreciated.

This chapter is just introducing characters, setting up backstory, and character motivations for the rest of the story. There will be a major time skip to Prisoner of Azkaban, where the main story will begin, and Pansy will be much more like her more recognisable self.

The goal of the story is to be a slow burn, romance, main-pairing-heavy, enemies to friends to lovers story that stays fairly grounded to canon, like an alternative version of canon if certain events (like who Harry met in the shop that day in Diagon Alley). Still, expect new events, characters and places.

Updates are likely to be inconsistent as I have a busy schedule, but I will do my best. I am enjoying it so far and have even been rushing through my workouts just to get back to writing.

This fic will remain T for now; however, it may be updated to M later on, depending on what I feel is right for the story and what I feel comfortable writing as I progress.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: A Pure-Bloods Fear.

Pansy looked out of the rain-battered window, the train rocking as she tried to get a glimpse of the countryside. She and her friends Daphne, Tracey and Millicent were cooped up in their compartment, eager to get to their third year of Hogwarts.

‘So, Pansy asked with a long pause, How did you think he did it?

‘Who did what? ‘ Millicent asked, looking confused.

Daphne let off a small giggle before getting her up to speed. ‘Black, of course. How did he escape?’

‘I think he bribed someone, one of the guards maybe. ’ Millicent explained to Pansy, who was unconvinced.

‘With what money? He’s been holed up in Azkaban for over a decade.’ Pansy had asked Millicent, who went back to eating her pumpkin pasties.

Daphne started explaining her theory: ‘I think he had help, another You-Know-Who supporter.’

‘That makes sense,’ Tracey added, seeking Daphne's approval ‘The Blacks were well known for being fanatical supporters of You-Know-Who.’

‘Yes, Tracey, you’re right, I still can't believe someone from a brilliant and pure family like the Blacks would kill twelve muggles.’ Daphne said, giving Tracey what she was after.

Pansy laughed, ‘You’re always looking down on Muggles and telling everyone how useless they are’, pointing out the irony of her suddenly caring about Muggles. ‘Is the limit eleven or something?’

“I merely mean that such an act is below someone so pure,’ Daphne explained, slightly frustrated.

Pansy sighed, slumping her head against the compartment window and watching the rain bucket down. She knew Muggles were pathetic and had weak blood, while her pure-blood made her special. However, she still found Daphne's obsession with blood to be a little tiring at times. The compartment was silent for a few minutes as the train continued travelling north, she couldn’t wait to get to the start-of-term feast.

‘I heard Black escaped to hunt down Harry Potter,’ Tracey said to break the awkward silence that had come over them.

Pansy immediately shot up at the mention of Potter’s name. She hated that boy.  ‘Good, I hope he succeeds.’ Pansy said with a tone of annoyance, although not entirely convinced she believed the words coming out of her mouth.

‘Why do you hate Potter so much?’  Tracey asked Pansy with a false look of curiosity.

Pansy was caught off guard by the question; she honestly didn’t have an answer. At least not an answer that wouldn’t make her seem overly obsessive and bring on even more questions. ‘Uhhh, the house cup! He’s robbed us of it twice now with his pointless heroics’ Pansy replied defensively. Hopefully, that answer would be sufficient for someone as nosy as Tracey.

‘Why do you suddenly care about the house cup so much?’ Daphne asked, confused. ‘We’ve lost so many points for Slytherin.’

‘Like when you told Millicent to use a slipping jinx on Granger's shoe’, Tracey reminded Pansy, before turning to Millicent, ‘how many points did Flitwick take for that one?’

‘Twenty-Five,’ Millicent replied, a massive devious smirk forming on her face. She was clearly proud of her deed. ‘Was worth it to see her books go flying.’  

‘I started caring about the cup since Dumbledore started rigging it for his precious little golden boy.’

‘Don’t forget his little Mudblood friend, Millicent added. ‘I hate that girl, she always makes me look stupid.’

Daphne was about to whisper something to Pansy, her signature sly smirk on her face, but paused when Millicent shot her a glare. Daphne wasn’t brave enough to poke fun at Millicent when she was in earshot. She would snap the thin girl like a twig.

Half an hour later, the train started to slow down. The sound of the engine could no longer be heard before it came to a complete stop. Only the sound of torrential rain and howling wind could be heard.

‘Are we at Hogwarts already?’ Millicent asked the group.

‘Can’t be, it hasn’t been that long since we left.’ Daphne replied, confused. Never had the train stopped midway through the journey.

There was a loud banging noise being emitted from the front of the train, then suddenly all the lights went out. A cackle of thunder made all the girls jump. Tracey bobbed her head outside the compartment door, finding many others doing the same. To her horror, she saw something dark floating towards them from the other end of the train.

‘There's something coming towards us!’ she yelled back, panicked. Her eyes were so enlarged that they looked like they could pop out of their sockets. Daphne and Pansy looked equally nervous. Millicent seemed unbothered.

A loud bang echoed through the train, making the girls jump again. Pansy started to shake. Tracey bobbed her head out again, only to return even more terrified than before.

‘It’s coming closer.’

They all huddled into the back corner of the train compartment. What was going on out there? What was coming for them?.

‘Why's it getting colder?’ Daphne asked, terrified.

A floating dark figure in a black cloak glided towards the compartment door. Pansy could only describe it as a dead body.  It made horrible droning noises before looking into the door's window. Its mouth had no teeth, its skin rotted and foul. Pansy felt sick. She was paralysed with fear even when the creature had glided off. Her signature sneers and confidence were nowhere to be seen.

A few moments later, the lights on the train were restored as the locomotive began to move again. Pansy was still breathing heavily in the corner even when the other girls had gotten over it.

‘What the fuck was that?’ Pansy asked the group, trying to catch her breath. She didn’t curse often, but in this moment, she felt like it was justified.

‘It was a dementor, from Azkaban, ’ she explained to everyone. ‘Father had told me all about them; I heard they suck out people's souls.’

This made Pansy even more unsettled about what she had seen. Daphne’s little comment only made her even more fearful of the dreaded creatures.

‘If Sirius Black escaped those things, I don’t want to cross him,’ Tracey added. It seemed she was a little shaken as well.

‘I never want to see them again, ’ Pansy said, still breathing heavy.

A few hours had passed; they would be reaching Hogwarts shortly. Pansy had gotten over the dementor’s visit, but still felt unsettled. A knock sounded from their compartment door, and in stepped Draco, Crabbe and Goyle.

‘You’ll never believe what happened to Potter! He fainted! He actually fainted!’ Draco yelled with glee, acting like he just won the Daily Prophet Galleon Draw.

Daphne and Millicent laughed hard; Tracey joined in soon after. Pansy, however, couldn’t bring herself to laugh at Potter's misfortune. For once, she honestly couldn’t blame the boy.

‘What's the matter, Parkinson? Draco asked Pansy, still smiling and showing no real concern for her. ‘No time to make fun of the “great” Harry Potter today?’.

Pansy shrugged in reply.

‘He should run back to his mummy, ’ Daphne joked, looking up at Draco expectantly. She knew precisely what Draco was going to say next.

‘What mummy?’ Draco replied, to nobody’s surprise, yet everyone but Pansy laughed as if it were the funniest thing in the world.

‘Did anything else happen to Potter?’ Pansy asked; she had finally worked up the courage to say something after the earlier scare.

‘There was a new professor with Potter, looks more like a homeless person to me though,’ Draco answered her, seeming to have finally calmed down.

‘Probably the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor,’ Tracey informed everyone. ‘Hopefully better than the last two idiots.’

‘Professor Snape should have gotten the job.’ Pansy said with a smile finally returning to her face. Snape had never failed her; he was easily her and many others in Slytherin’s favourite teacher. He didn’t put up with Potter’s hero complex or Granger’s know-it-all nonsense. Maybe if he were teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts, she wouldn’t barely be scraping by in the class.

The welcoming feast was incredible as always, yet Ron still claimed he was starving when it was time for breakfast the next morning. They came later than usual. Hermione was busy this morning sorting out her timetable with Professor McGonagall. As they entered the hall, Harry noticed a familiar group of Slytherins he was hoping would’ve moved on already.

Malfoy pointed him out, jumping out of his chair with Crabbe and Goyle. They started making ridiculous ‘woooooo’ noises and claiming the dementors were on their way. Strangely, the fourth member of their group stayed silent.

‘Ignore them, Harry, ’ Hermione warned him, rolling her eyes at Malfoy's juvenile behaviour.

Harry wasn’t listening to Hermione; he and Ron agreed they were done taking Malfoy’s rubbish this year. He marched up to the Slytherin table, ready to confront the person he hated most.

‘Nothing to say? Parkinson?’ Harry asked her angrily. He didn’t know why she wasn't joining in on Malfoy’s mockery. Harry hated Malfoy’s guts; however, it was Parkinson who so easily got under his skin. Almost all her behaviour had an ulterior motive behind it, usually to cause him or his friends more torment.

‘Why? Did you miss me? Pansy replied with the fakest smile he had ever seen. ‘Or perhaps you were just inquiring if I could conjure up a pillow in case you faint again?’.

Malfoy laughed hard, before continuing his dementor act. Ron had seemed to notice the confrontation and came rushing over to Harry's defence.

‘Oi, Malfoy!’ Ron yelled out to everyone. ‘Just got done talking to Fred and George, they said you looked ready to wet yourself when the dementors came round’. Harry could’ve sworn he saw Goyle let out a small chuckle.

‘Nonsense, I’m not scared of those things.’ Malfoy replied angrily, face red. ‘They weren’t even there!’. You didn’t have to be Dumbledore to realise that Malfoy was clearly saving face.

‘One of Parkinson's friends had a funny story too, said she was shaking,’ Ron added. Pansy erupted from the seat.

‘Who said that?’ She asked furiously. Harry noticed her cheeks went red, similar to the day they met.

‘Davis, she was telling everyone about how terrified you were. George and I got a good laugh at that one.’

‘Get your little half-blood friend under control, Parkinson,’ Malfoy scoffed. ‘Why didn’t you stay in Egypt, Weasley? You might’ve found more gold in that tomb.’

‘How was your summer then, Malfoy?’ Harry asked him, with a big smirk on his face. ‘Did you enjoy getting your own drinks?’. Harry recalled saving Dobby from the Malfoys last year. The thought of the spoiled brat having to do his own servant work made Harry smile. Malfoy also clearly remembered, as he went even redder and had nothing else to say.

‘I reckon him and his dad miss the princess treatment’, Ron said, laughing at Malfoy's misfortune.

Parkinson got up from her chair, immediately putting Harry on edge. She walked up with a slight smile on her face. She was planning something.

‘Why don’t you two run back to your stupid little mudblood friend?’ Pansy told them, just loud enough for the two of them to hear before stepping back to Malfoy.

Ron pulled out his wand immediately, Harry did the same. They weren’t going to let Parkinson get away with that one. Malfoy was reaching for his wand too before Pansy stopped him. Ron was ready to let off a Jelly-Legs Jinx before him, and Harry felt a firm hand on their backs. They both slowly turned around.

‘Wands away.’ Said the all too familiar voice of Professor Snape. ‘The great hall is for eating, not duelling.’

‘But she called Hermione a mu-‘ Ron explained before he was rudely interrupted.

‘Silence, Weasley. Snape said, his crooked nose contorting even more than usual. ’10 points from Gryffindor each, and I’ll see you both for a lunch detention.’

Harry and Ron walked away angrily. Of course, Snape had to be there. They returned to the Gryffindor table, where Hermione was getting quizzed by Ginny about her schedule. They could hear Parkinson and Malfoy's laughs from across the hall, infuriating them further.

‘I told you to ignore them, Harry,’ Hermione said matter-of-factly. Harry wasn’t in the mood to hear it, but he knew she was right.

‘She called you a mudblood, Hermione,’ Ron explained to her. ‘What were we supposed to do?’

‘Be smarter around her,’ Hermione replied, ‘She saw Snape come in and baited you into reacting.’

Ron let out a sigh.

After their odd introduction to Divination, Harry and Ron made their way down to the Dungeons for their lunch detention. The gloomy and dark corridors were Harry’s least favourite part of the castle, mainly because he associated them with potions class and its horrible professor. They arrived at the classroom door, knocking to be let in.  The door opened, and out stepped Snape, who scowled at the sight of them. He directed He and Ron to take a seat next to a bowl before leaving them to scald two older Hufflepuff girls chatting at the back of the room.

‘Now, you are here to prepare an ingredient for my upcoming lesson.’ He explained. An uncharacteristic smile appeared on the man's face as he revealed the next detail, ‘You’ll be dissecting the eyes off of the Irish Leaping Spider.’

Ron went white with worry. Snape took much joy in watching him squirm as he brought over a dark, ornate bowl full of spiders and placed it between the two boys. Snape also pulled out two dissection knives and explained that they weren’t to use magic during the task.

‘Oh, and Weasley,’ Snape added as he was about to bring over another bowl to the two girls at the back. ‘Do try not to shake too much, the fangs are still venomous, and I may have forgotten to brew the antidote this morning.’

Ron was even more panicked. The spiders were the size of his fist, covered in hair and with huge fangs out the front.

‘Don’t worry about it, Ron, we faced a spider a hundred times bigger than this.’ Harry told Ron, trying to calm him down. It did not work.

‘Yeah, but I didn’t have to cut out that one's eyeballs, did I?’ he replied, picking up one of the spiders by the leg.’

‘Does Snape even care what Parkinson said?’ Harry asked Ron with a degree of annoyance in his voice. ‘Surely a teacher can't just ignore a student calling someone a mudblood’.

‘Snape has it out for us, always has.’ Ron answered. ‘Especially you, is there anyone he hates more?’

‘I doubt it, other than maybe a shampoo salesman.’ Harry had joked. Ron chucked, which drew Snape from his book. He strided over to the table, Harry hoped he didn’t hear his comment.

‘I'd be getting a move on if I were you, else you’ll be spending your dinner here as well.’ Snape again uncharacteristically smiled. ‘You should thank Miss Parkinson for this task, she told me all about how fond Weasley is of spiders.’ Snape returned to his desk, while Harry and Ron fumed.

‘She told him about my fear of spiders?’ Ron whispered angrily, ‘How did she even find out?’

‘I have no idea, that girl always has something up her sleeve’. Harry replied, sharing Ron's sentiment. This wasn’t the first time Parkinson’s cunning had caused him grief. She so easily managed to cause him to lose his temper. He couldn’t believe that at one point, he felt sorry for her.

Thirty minutes earlier, the bowl was filled with spider eyes. Ron called Snape over, who inspected their work.

‘You missed one, Weasley.’ He said dryly. Snape levitated a spider from the bowl before flinging it right at Ron’s face.

Ron recoiled back out of his chair, falling over to the floor. Ron threw the spider as far as he could hurl it, letting out a barrage of curse words.

‘That will be another five points from Gryffindor Weasley,’ Snape proclaimed proudly, ‘Do try not to damage those spiders, they are expensive.’ Snape motioned for them to leave.

Harry and Ron packed up their books, leaving Snape's classroom in a state of annoyance and dissatisfaction. They may have broken the record for the fastest detention if they hadn’t broken it the year prior.

‘Care of magical creatures next, right, Harry?’ Ron asked him.

‘Yeah.’ Harry said, suddenly smiling. They couldn’t wait to see Hagrid. Hopefully, his class would be less eventful.

‘You should’ve seen Potter's face when he realised Professor Snape was behind him’, Pansy said, laughing as she explained to Daphne, Millicent and Tracey what had happened earlier.

‘Poor little Potter, ’ Daphne replied in a mocking tone. ‘Hope he enjoys his lunch in the dungeons’.  

Pansy, Millicent and Tracey all cackled as they made their way up to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom on the third floor. Nothing made Pansy happier than making Potter miserable. It was then that Pansy remembered another detail of her encounter with the boy.

‘Tracey?’ She asked her innocently. ‘Why is it that the Weasley boy thinks I was scared of the dementors on the train?’. Tracey stopped laughing immediately, looking up worriedly at Pansy.

‘I was telling some girls about how scary the dementors were and told them how you were shaking’, she explained to her nervously. ‘I was only told them because I was worried about you!’.

‘Well, those girls you talked to found it so concerning that they decided to tell the entire school about it.’ Pansy told her with an annoyed scrunched look on her face. ‘The last thing I need is people thinking I’m some spineless freak like that Longbottom boy.’

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.’ She replied, looking more pale than usual. Daphne shot her a nasty scowl.

‘If you started spreading rumours about me, I would’ve just cursed you’, Daphne replied, drawling as she did when she wanted to establish herself as superior. ‘You should consider yourself lucky Pansy is so gracious and forgiving.’

Pansy felt warm and fuzzy inside. Yes, a half blood like Davis should be grateful for being friends with her, and as long as she was grateful, the more she could use her. Daphne was too daft to see it, but Tracey would do anything to ensure she was embedded in pure-blood high society.

‘I can’t wait to get back into Defence Against the Dark Arts, ’ Millicent said with a huge smile on her face. ‘It's my favourite class by far.’

‘Is it because it’s the only class you are good at?’ Daphne remarked, giggling callously. Millicent didn’t find it funny at all and turned to face Daphne head-on. Pansy even heard an audible gulp emit from Daphne’s throat.

‘You wanna repeat that, Greengrass?’ Millicent asked her in a hoarse voice, her fists beginning to ball up. Daphne retreated immediately, assuring Millicent she was just joking.  Daphne wasn’t about to get into an argument with a girl three times her size. Pansy once witnessed Millicent throw a Hufflepuff girl who called her an oaf by the hair.

‘Can we all please calm down? We don’t need to argue. We are friends.’ Pansy told the others, trying to gain some control over the situation. Daphne and Millicent settled down, following Pansy's lead to the door of the classroom.

The classroom was filled; most of the Slytherins in her year were there, including Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. Draco was entertaining Zabini about how horrendous the new teacher's robes looked on the train.

‘What took you so long, Pansy?’ Draco asked with a big smirk on his face. ‘Decide to pay Potter and Weasley a visit?’

‘I wish, perhaps I'll take a trip to the dungeons at lunchtime, I want to see if Professor Snape uses my spider suggestion.’ Pansy replied, with a smile on her face to match Draco’s. ‘I really hope this teacher is better than the last two, I can’t even remember the snivelly one's name.’.

‘Neither, although I can definitely remember the garlic smell.’ Draco added. That teacher sure was useless, as was Lockhart. She barely scraped through Defence Against the Dark Arts twice, but she wasn’t sure if it was because of the awful staff or her own abilities. Millicent had done fine after all.

The new teacher walked into the room, his robes as battered as Draco had described them. The Slytherins were quick to judge the man, assuming he wouldn’t be fit to run a classroom.

‘Right,’ The man said, ‘Good Morning to you all.’  ‘You can all put your books back in your bags, you’ll only be needing your wands today.’

Pansy looked back at Draco, confused. They had practised spells in class before, but never as a fully practical lesson.

‘Follow me, we will be taking a short trip downstairs.’ The professor told them all, motioning them to the door.

Pansy was even more confused. Not only would they be doing spells all lesson, but they would also be going outside the classroom. Excitement and murmuring ensued as the unexpected change of pace was taken in by the Slytherin students.

The uneventful walk ended at a door that the students were unfamiliar with, but upon entering it became clear that it was the staff room. The room was long and filled with beautifully crafted antiques. It seemed to be unoccupied for the time being

‘Line up over in the corner for me, right next to that wardrobe.’ The Professor instructed. The Slytherins did as instructed, still unsure of how this lesson would play out.

‘My name is Professor Lupin’ The shabby-looking Professor introduced himself. So far, Pansy wasn’t impressed. ‘Please turn your attention to that wardrobe over to your left.’

The gold-adorned antique wardrobe had begun to shake.

‘Anyone want to take a guess what might be in there?’.  Professor Lupin asked. Nobody replied, while the banging seemed to intensify. ‘What we have inside this little wardrobe is called a boggart’.

Pansy’s face immediately dropped when she heard what was inside. She knew precisely what a boggart was, and evidently so did quite a few other students, as whispers began to fill the room.

‘Does anyone know what a boggart is?’ Lupin asked the room. Millicent gave a quick reply.

‘It’s a shape shifter, feeds on your fear by transforming into what you fear most, lives in dark spaces’, Millicent answered. Pansy knew Millicent wasn’t the smartest girl around, but she had an affinity for dark creatures and curses. Unfortunately, that knowledge didn’t transfer to teaching others about it, as Pansy still was on the verge of failing Defence Against the Dark Arts.

‘Well done, 5 points to Slytherin’, Lupin said with a smile. Millicent had saved him a lengthy explanation. ‘Today you will each take a turn facing the boggart, using the charm “riddikulus”.’ ‘Go on, give it a try.’

All the Slytherins drew their wands, each muttering the incantation.

‘Whilst you say the incantation, imagine what you fear most, replace it with something funny that will turn your fear into laughter.’ Lupin explained, ‘You’ll need to concentrate, push that fear to the back of your mind while it stares you in the face.’

Pansy was getting worried. Not only would she have to perform a spell in front of the entire class, but she would have her biggest fears exposed. Some of the other Slytherins seemed to realise this too, as there were a few nervous looks around the class.

‘Now, who wants to give it a shot first?’. Lupin asked the class. Nobody put their hand up. Usually, when they got to do spells in class, most of them would jump at the chance to try cursing their classmates. ‘How about you? What’s your name?’.

He had picked Tracey. She nervously shuffled her way up to the front of the class. Lupin appeared to whisper something in her ear as she drew her wand towards the still shaking wardrobe.

Lupin opened the wardrobe, a rush of air came flying out before a whirlwind of dust and shadow twisted around in front of her. A few seconds later, it had morphed into a pudgy balding man in a lime green bowler hat and a suit. Pansy recognised the man immediately as Cornelius Fudge.

‘And in second place in the polls for the position of Minister for Magic is Tracey Davis, who will not become the thirty-third Minister,’ Fudge had announced. Tracey had a worried look on her face, which was replaced by what seemed to be anger and determination.

‘Riddikulus!’ Tracey shouted, a loud crack emitted from her wand before Fudge’s large bowler hat had grown to an enormous size, engulfing his whole body. Tracey laughed, as did the rest of the class, except for Pansy, who just got even more nervous. What was her greatest fear?

‘Excellent job, Davis!’ Lupin said excitedly, ‘Who’s up next?’ To Pansy's surprise, there were a few volunteers this time, including Crabbe and Goyle.

Crabbe went up, already regretting his decision. He kept up his tough guy act well, but Pansy could see right through it. He was sweating bullets. The boggart transformed into a fat, muscular older man, one Pansy had seen before. It was Crabbe's father.

‘Riddikulus!’ Crabbe yelled, as his father's robes transformed from dark and sleek to pink with blue polka dots. Crabbe couldn’t stop laughing, explaining he remembered his mother’s diary.

Goyle was up next, and to Pansy’s surprise, the same scenario played out. The boggart had transformed into Goyle’s father.

Blaise Zabini had a similar situation, with the boggart taking the form of his mother, who was as beautiful but deadly looking as Witch Weekly had described. A few more of Pansy’s classmates had gone up, and she began noticing a pattern. Whenever a half-blood went up, their greatest fear was something superficial, such as losing their magic, a scary creature or failing classes. However, every time a pure-blood went up, the boggart had transformed into a family member.

Was Pansy’s worst fear her mother? It had to be; she hated the woman more than anyone, even Harry Potter, and that was saying something. Her father was barely present in her life anymore, always working on ministry business and never having time to pay attention to her. Her mother, on the other hand, paid too much attention to her, constantly correcting her, criticising her, and hitting her all in the name of “maintaining the Parkinson name”.

 Daphne went up, and as Pansy had expected, the boggart took the form of her mother, who had the same long blonde wolf cut hair as she did.

Only two more students were left—Pansy and Draco, who neither wanted to go up.

‘Hey Parkinson, you want to go up next?’ Draco asked her expectedly.

‘No, I don’t think I do’. Pansy replied. There was no way she was going up next; she was secretly hoping they would run out of time, but it seemed Draco had the same idea.

‘Why not? Are you scared?’ Draco asked, trying to bait out Pansy’s pride, but she could see right through it.

‘Why don’t you go, Draco. Aren’t you supposed to be fearless?’ She asked him back, trying the same trick on him. Just like Pansy however, Draco was too cunning to fall for it.

‘Go up and I’ll owe you one’, Draco bargained with her, ‘I'll buy you all the butter beer and Honeydukes sweets you want once we get to Hogsmeade’.

‘I can afford my own sweets, thanks’. Pansy told him, not falling for his bribe. ‘I’m not a Weasley’.

Draco sighed in defeat. He knew Pansy was too stubborn to volunteer. Both he and Pansy’s only hope was that Lupin picked the other.

‘Draco, why don’t you come to the front?’ Lupin asked. Draco huffed in anger as he walked towards the boggart, who was currently in the charmed form of Millicent’s cat. Pansy smirked as she pondered her luck.

Malfoy stood in front of the boggart, which transformed into Lucius Malfoy. Pansy didn’t blame him either; Draco’s father always made her feel uneasy. Lucius walked towards Draco, scalding him for being a failure and yelling that he was no pure-blood.

Draco reached for his wand, yelling, ‘Riddikulus’ with sweat dripping down his face. A snapping noise was heard before his father's long white hair took the form of an anvil, pulling Lucius to the ground. Pansy found it quite funny, but Draco’s laughter quickly faded.

‘What kind of lesson is this? I’m not afraid of my father!’ Draco remarked angrily at Lupin, who had a smirk on his face.

‘The boggart seemed to think so, lying isn’t in their nature.’ Lupin replied, disregarding the boy's anger.’

‘You’ll be the one who’s afraid of him once he hears about this!’ Draco yelled.

‘I’ve met your father many times, Mr Malfoy, unpleasant as he is, I don’t see much to be afraid of.’ Lupin said as Draco got more infuriated.

‘You’re the worst Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher yet, my father will have you sacked!’.

Pansy couldn’t believe that Draco was speaking to a teacher in this manner. Usually, he kept calm and bit his tongue around them, but he seemed to take more offence than expected at having his fear of his father exposed to the class. To Pansy’s surprise, however, Lupin maintained his cool when confronted by the raging boy. She fully expected him to be given a detention, have points deducted, or even receive a stern warning. Lupin did nothing of the sort, just gave a light chuckle. Pansy’s respect for the man grew.

‘Would you like to take a step forward?’ Lupin suddenly asked Pansy. She gulped; she wasn’t expecting her turn to actually come around, especially after Draco’s outburst.

Pansy took some shaky steps to the front of the class. She wouldn’t let her mother scare her. She began to imagine how to make a mockery of her, perhaps making her many rings and necklaces into snakes. She imagined how funny the look on her mother’s usually cold face was when she was freaking out. She was ready to face her mother.

The boggart took its time morphing, but eventually it settled on its form. To Pansy's horror, she came face to face with a dementor.

She physically recoiled; she wasn’t prepared for this. How does one make a dementor funny? She couldn’t think of anything.

‘Riddikulus!’ She cried out, but nothing happened.

‘Riddikulus!’. Silence

The dementor got closer and closer, and she began to feel a familiar cold envelop her.

‘Riddikulus!’ She yelled again for the final time, but once again the charm had failed. She fell to the floor as the dementor floated right above her.

Lupin jumped in front of the boggart, protecting Pansy from further harm. She was the only one who had failed to defeat the creature. She felt horrible and embarrassed. What would everyone else in the class think of her? Would she be made fun of like Potter was for being afraid of the Dementors? Or would they care more that she couldn’t get such an easy charm to work? Either way, Pansy felt miserable and sulked off back to the line of students.

‘That will do us for today. Feel free to grab your bags from the classroom and head off for some lunch. Lupin announced. Pansy and the other students started heading out the door, but as she was leaving, she heard someone call out to her.

‘Parkinson, one minute please’ Lupin called. Pansys heart sunk.

Pansy turned around, Lupin motioned towards one of the seats in the staff room before sitting in the one directly across from it.

‘Firstly, I don’t blame you for not being able to keep your nerve against a dementor. They are some of the foulest creatures known to wizard-kind’ he told her calmly, attempting to lift her spirits. ‘If anyone else’s boggart transforms into one, I’ll know to step in.’

‘Thanks for making me look like a fool in front of everyone’ she said, annoyed. Although, her anger was more directed towards herself rather than Lupin.

‘That wasn’t my intention, in fact, I’m very surprised no one else struggled’, Lupin explained, his face littered in concern. ‘I do doubt the Hufflepuffs will have the same luck this afternoon.’

‘You don’t understand, I’m going to be the next Harry Potter now’. Pansy told him, her mind dwelt on what her classmates would think of her fear of dementors.

‘Being Harry doesn’t sound that bad, he’s famous and I hear he’s pretty talented too. Lupin replied, relaxing back into his chair.

‘He’s arrogant, he’s impulsive, he’s always trying to be a hero. Pansy rebuked immediately, ‘Oh, and his hair is scruffy.’

Lupin let off a laugh, ‘Well, you aren’t wrong about that last one.’

Pansy smiled, making fun of Potter always put her in a good mood.  

‘I’ve been reviewing your grades the past two years, ’ Lupin informed her, his smile fading. Pansy's face drooped yet again; she didn’t like being reminded of her struggles in Defence Against the Dark Arts. ‘However, I can see you are doing great in your other classes, you have much potential’.

‘Well, I already knew that’, Pansy said with a grin.

‘I'd like to offer you some extra lessons outside of class, I want to make sure you aren’t falling behind. ’ Lupin explained. ‘In fact, I can help you with some spells we don’t cover in the curriculum, too, a charm that can repel dementors, for example. ‘

Pansy’s interest peaked; she didn’t want to freeze up against a dementor again, boggart or otherwise.

‘I was hoping to spend that time with my friends, but I’ll keep it in mind’. Pansy told him with a little smile.

‘That will be all, sorry for taking up your lunchtime’. Lupin replied, waving her off with a grin’.

Pansy left the room somewhat satisfied, all things considered. At least she knew she had a fallback if she was struggling in class this year. Her worries about being made fun of like Potter seemed to have softened slightly.  She felt a rumble in her stomach, which signalled her to get to the great hall. She had to eat quickly if she wanted to still have time to get that stupid biting book for her Care of Magical Creatures class.

A/N:

Thanks for all the support and comments on the first chapter. I’m glad it’s well-received so far and can't wait to continue.

This was definitely a longer chapter; I hope it didn’t go on for too long. Do you prefer this style of longer chapters around 4000-6000 words or would you prefer shorter ones?.

This chapter was more Pansy-focused, but I feel it's needed to build her up as a character. In addition, as the story is only just beginning, a lot of things are still happening very close to the original books, and I’m sure you don’t want to read the exact same story you’ve been reading for years or even decades now. Once events start to change, and Harry and Pansy start interacting more, Harry will be getting plenty of attention.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Parkinson’s Plot

‘Hurry, Harry!’ Ron called out to him as they both ran up the many stairs coming from the dungeons, ‘If we can make it to the Great Hall before 12.30, we can grab a sandwich before class, I'm bloody starving!’. Harry couldn’t agree more; his stomach was rumbling, making him think that it was Snape’s intention when giving them their lunch detention. Especially when considering that their breakfast was cut short by Malfoy and Pansy’s nonsense.

As if he summoned her with a thought, Pansy Parkinson appeared right in front of them, heading in the opposite direction, her deep hazel eyes locking onto Harry's own.

‘What are you doing here?’ Harry asked her in an accusatory tone. Harry had had enough of the girl for one day, and it appeared Ron had too, his disdain clear on his face.

‘I’m getting my books for my Care of Magical Creatures class,’ she replied haughtily ‘, What’s it to you?’

Harry sighed. It meant they would be sharing the class with the Slytherins. It seemed that they wouldn’t be rid of Parkinson just yet.

‘Whatever, just don’t make it difficult for Hagrid, or you’ll regret it,’ Harry warned her with a stern look on his face. He had been looking forward to this lesson all day, and he wanted Hagrid’s first class to go as smoothly as possible. Hagrid deserved it as such; he knew how passionate he was and how much it meant to him.

‘I’ll have you know I actually love magical creatures Potter’. She replied with a hint of annoyance. ‘That half-breed oaf better not ruin it for me’.

‘If anyone’s going to ruin it, it’ll be you and your little gang of Slytherins’. Ron responded angrily; he wasn’t about to let her talk down on Hagrid.

‘Oh please, you can barely understand that giant buffoon’. Pansy sneered, seeming pleased with Ron’s response. ‘How Dumbledore ever thought he was suitable to be a teacher is beyond me’.

‘You’re daft, simple and prejudiced, nobody cares what you have to say’, Harry replied, also getting heated. ‘Hagrid deserves the position more than anybody.’

‘Simple?’ Pansy shouted, clearly offended at Harry’s insult. ‘You don’t know the first thing about me Potter’.

‘You’re exactly like your mother,’ Harry stated, recalling seeing her mother slap her for speaking to a Muggle-born years ago. ‘Foul and Cruel’.

‘I am nothing like her!’ Pansy screeched, her face scrunched up at the comparison.

‘Why are you always going on about your family’s name when you hate your mother so much?’. Ron asked her, partially with venom but also somewhat curious.

‘My family has honour and respect, your family name is worth less than dirt, Weasley.’ Pansy replied, still fuming.

Ron and Harry had had enough of her, they both rolled their eyes at her predictability and decided she wasn’t worth arguing with. They still had to make lunch.

‘Enjoy your walk to the dungeons, Parkinson.’ Harry remarked as they started to make their way up to the stairs towards the Great Hall.

‘Did you enjoy the spiders, Weasley!?’ Pansy called out as Harry and Ron were leaving.

‘You’re a nasty little witch, you know that’. Ron replied, turning back around irritated. Pansy had successfully lured him back. ‘Who told you?’

‘Don’t remember, probably one of those brothers of yours talking too loud in the hallway again’. Pansy responded, infuriating Ron more. ‘Don’t get mad at them, though. Soon, the entire school will find out anyway.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Ron asked, looking back at Harry, confused, who only shrugged his shoulders in return.

‘You’ll find out soon enough’. Pansy replied with a smirk forming on her face.

‘What the hell are you on about?’ Ron asked her again, but Pansy just giggled. Ron kept asking her for a couple of minutes before giving up.

‘Ooohhh, hope you boys weren’t hungry’, Pansy suddenly said mockingly, rolling up the sleeves on her robe, revealing a silver diamond-encrusted wristwatch.  ‘Looks like it's 12.30, the food would’ve disappeared by now.’

Harry cursed under his breath. He should’ve known that’s what she was doing. Pansy always was up to something. She shot Harry one of her signature devious smiles that made the freckles under her eyes glow, the look that irritated him to no end for some reason he couldn’t explain.

Harry and Ron made their way up to the Gryffindor common room, annoyed and hungry. They had been played again.

‘Fortuna Major’ Harry told the Fat Lady in the portrait, who let them in without delay. She must have sensed they were in a rush to make their lesson. Harry waved over to Seamus Finnigan, who was exiting as they came in. His Monster Book of Monsters was covered in a red and gold scarf, preventing it from trying to take his hand off. They spotted Hermione on one of the central armchairs, with two plates of sandwiches on the table in front of her.

‘Thanks a ton, Hermione, you’re a lifesaver.’ Ron told her with a huge smile on his face.

‘Yeah, thanks for thinking of us’. Harry added, equally grateful that she was looking out for them.

‘Only because you complained so much,’ Hermione responded. Both Harry and Ron looked confused.

‘What do you mean? We just got here.’ Harry asked her, puzzled as Ron dug into the sandwich stuffed with strawberry jam.

‘Never mind that, get to eating, or we are going to be late.’ Hermione replied, brushing him off. Harry shrugged and started wolfing the sandwich down. Neither his mind nor his stomach was in the mood to argue any longer.

They went up to their dormitory, where they grabbed their books. Harry’s was belted while Ron's was just locked shut at the bottom of his bag, snapping and gnawing as he approached it.

‘How’d you suppose we get these things to stop biting?’. Ron asked, ‘Surprised the blasted thing hasn’t chewed right through my bag’.

‘Dunno, Hagrid will probably know though’. Harry assured him as they met Hermione back down in the centre of the room. They started walking down to Hagrid’s Hut, chatting along the way.

‘What took you two so long anyway? Hermione asked the two boys as they came down the stairs. ‘Did Snape keep you longer than he should’ve? He's supposed to let you go 15 minutes before lunch ends, you know.’

‘Wasn’t Snape that held us up, it was Parkinson.’ Harry replied, still annoyed at how the girl had again easily duped him.

‘That girl is honestly the worst’. Hermione exclaimed angrily. She had seen probably seen the worst bullying from Parkinson and her gang, Harry could only guess it was because they saw her as an easier target.

‘I agree, she’s worse than Malfoy’. Harry stated, agreeing with Hermione’s notion. ‘The whole lot of them are rotten though’.

‘She’s pretty miserable, but nobody’s worse than Malfoy, except maybe Snape,’ Ron interjected. ‘The bastard threw a venomous spider on my face’.

‘A venomous spider? Hermione exclaimed, shocked. ‘There's no way Dumbledore would let him do that’.

‘Yeah, Irish Leaping Spider or whatever, made us cut their eyeballs off for ingredients’ Ron explained angrily.

‘Those aren’t venomous, Ronald,’ Hermione told him, almost in a disappointed tone.

‘What? He told me they were!’ Ron remarked, annoyed. ‘How was I supposed to know that?’.

‘Because we studied them last year, they were in One Hundred Essential Potion Ingredients,’ Hermione answered with haste, much to the annoyance of Ron. ‘We had a whole essay on that book!’.

Ron rolled his eyes before asking Harry if he remembered anything from that potions book. Harry brushed it off. He was sick of them bickering, whether it be Grims or Hermione’s new cat. They were always butting heads as of late. He just wanted to get down to Care of Magical Creatures and see Hagrid. Luckily for Harry, they had just made it outside the castle, and Hagrid’s hut was only a short walk away.

As they got closer, they saw the class was just about to begin. The backs of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were visible from ages away. Harry again got a sinking feeling in his stomach that the Slytherins would make the lesson difficult for Hagrid.

‘I do hope they behave themselves’. Hermione said hopeful.

‘Fat chance of that, Malfoys probably already whining to his dad about Hagrid’.  Ron responded. ‘If Malfoy starts anything, I’ll make him pay.’

‘Maybe we should be more worried about her’, Harry said, pointing at a figure behind them. Her unmistakable black bob and judging eyes he could recognise anywhere. Harry wasn’t going to let her get away with ruining Hagrid’s lesson.

 Pansy was almost late for what was bound to be her new favourite class. She rushed down the hill until she saw the rest of the class, making her tighten her composure to look more sophisticated. Potter and his lackeys stared at her as she walked past, but it did little to bother her, she had gotten the upper hand on them twice today. She noticed Draco by a tree, sneering at his copy of the Monster Book of Monsters.

‘What did that dishevelled fool want from you, Parkinson?’ Draco asked as she approached him. He was still clearly annoyed about the Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson that had occurred prior.

‘Offered me some extra lessons’ Pansy replied quickly. She liked the idea even more as the day progressed.

‘Lessons in what?’, Malfoy remarked, scoffing, 'the man is a joke, worse than Lockhart even’.

‘He seemed pretty genuine to me, knows what he’s doing’. Pansy replied, unsure how Draco would react. He looked dumbfounded; he wasn’t used to her or any of his friends correcting or opposing his view.

‘Oh really, what do you see in him?’. Draco asked her with a hint of annoyance. ‘Are you thankful for him exposing how scared you are of dementors?’

‘About as thankful as you are, he showed everyone how terrified you are of your father.’ Pansy said with a smirk. Draco had no response. He wasn’t about to go and lose his only real friend. Crabbe and Goyle were nothing but simpletons following a ringleader, as was everyone else Draco met in Slytherin house. Pansy, however, had been friends with the boy since childhood as their parents met up frequently to network. While most people would’ve faced Draco’s wrath for teasing him, Pansy could get away with it.

‘What did Professor Lupin want to see you for?’ Daphne asked, and Millicent approached Pansy and Draco, while Hagrid started making his way down to start the class.

‘I’ll tell you later’. Pansy responded, she wasn’t about to repeat herself again. She would discuss it more with her circle later in the common room. ‘Where’s Tracey?’

‘She decided to take Muggle Studies instead’. Daphne drawled with a giggle. ‘Some nonsense about “advancing her career”’.

‘Pfft, Muggle Studies?’ Draco mocked, snickering as he spoke. ‘Only idiots who need an easy pass take that class, half surprised Crabbe and Goyle didn’t take it’.

Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other for a moment, but just went back to standing idly by. It seemed that to be their specialty these days, going along with whatever Draco said without question.

‘What's so interesting about Muggles, there’s nothing to study about them’. Pansy said, agreeing with Draco's sentiment. ‘All they do is sit on their behinds watching a glowing box all day’. 

Hagrid had begun the lesson, teaching them how to open their books. Pansy couldn’t believe he chose this stupid biting one over the many reputable books she had read over the years on magical creatures. The incompetent fool even thought it would be funny. It baffled her that they let a groundskeeper become a teacher. Malfoy agreed with her on this also; he found it about as funny as she did. When he voiced his opinion, however, Potter told him to shut up. What was wrong with that boy? It was almost like he enjoyed having his finger bitten off every time he wanted to get any work done, or maybe he was just taking pity on the brutish man who took him through Diagon Alley that day.

One annoying Gryffindor girl, whom she recognised as Lavender Brown, began squealing like a pig, pointing at the other end of the paddock Hagrid had led them to.

‘Hippogriffs,’ Pansy muttered under her breath. She started to get excited. She had always wanted to see a Hippogriff in person, almost as much as she wanted to see a unicorn. They looked as incredible as the books had described them.

‘Beau’iful aren’ they?’ Hagrid asked as he turned to the class excitedly, for once, Pansy agreed with the man. However, the rest of the class looked hesitant; the Hippogriffs could be intimidating for those who didn’t appreciate the beauty in magical creatures. She waited eagerly to answer the questions that followed; she had read all about Hippogriffs, perhaps even more than Potter’s big toothed walking dictionary.

To Pansy's surprise, however, the oaf didn’t ask any questions at all, only asking for people to come closer and bow. Did this idiot know how a classroom was supposed to work? He was supposed to test his students' knowledge, not just tell them what to do. Pansy's irritation with Hagrid grew; he was ruining everything for her.

Potter decided to be the brave one to come up to the hippogriff before Pansy could break out of her thoughts. Of course, it had to be him to volunteer; Potter always had a knack for trying to be a hero. His arrogance was unbearable.

After the bowing exercise, Hagrid instructed Potter to mount the Hippogriff, telling him to take it for a ride as if it were a simple broomstick. Pansy rolled her eyes in disgust at how Hagrid demeaned the creatures as if they were tools. He didn’t even ask the class if they already knew how to gain a Hippogriff's trust.

‘Watch out for dementors up there, Potter!’ Draco called out, sniggering while Crabbe and Goyle made whooshing noises, but it did little to deter Potter before Hagrid smacked the hippogriff's side, sending him shooting into the air.

‘Shut up, will you?’ Weasley retorted, walking over to Malfoy, looking for a fight. Pansy rushed over to Draco to back him up.

‘I’ve seen Potter on a broom before; if he flies as terribly as he does during Quidditch games, he’s a goner. ’ Draco responded, laughing.

‘How can you talk Malfoy?’ Ron responded angrily. ‘Whole squad of Nimbus 2001s and you still couldn’t beat Gryffindor’.

Malfoy was about to say something back, but Pansy stopped him before he had a chance.

‘Are you trying to get yourself a detention? Pansy whispered to him as she pulled him aside from Ron, Hagrid is still there, you know.’

‘Don’t worry, Parkinson, it's all part of my plan.’ Draco told her back. Pansy was confused. Draco would’ve told her about any plans he had.

‘What are you talking about? What plan?’ She asked him back.

‘The plan to get this stupid half breed fired,' he informed her, grinning. ‘Crabbe said if we started a fight with Weasley and told my father, he could say the fool can’t keep his class in order’.

‘And you listened to Crabbe?’ Pansy responded, disappointed. ‘That’s a terrible plan, you are just going to get yourselves detention.’

‘Do you want the oaf to stay, do you?’ Draco asked her, slightly irritated, he again was confused as to her resistance to him.

‘Absolutely not!’ Pansy replied, disgusted at the thought; she hated Hagrid. ‘He's ruining this class for me, I've been waiting for this day since I got my letter!’.

‘Then what do you suggest?’ Draco asked her, confused. ‘Do you have a better plan?’

Pansy thought to herself. This class meant so much to her, and she wasn’t about to let some incompetent groundskeeper ruin it. Perhaps if he were sacked, they would replace him with someone who actually knew what they were doing. How would she manage to get him fired, though, even though Draco’s father had influence, the oaf had Dumbledore's favour. She would need something bad to happen, something not even Dumbledore could defend. As Potter landed with a rush of undeserved fanfare, she stared at the stunning beak of the creature again. She smiled as the idea came rushing through her head; it was perfect.

‘Yeah, I think I do. ’ She told him.

‘So let me get this straight, Parkinson, you want me to insult the beast and let myself get mauled?’ Draco asked her with a twinge of fear.

‘Yes, it's simple really.’ Pansy explained ‘Hippogriffs are proud, insulting them is bound to get you attacked’.

‘What if it kills me!’ Draco protested, watching the beast's massive talons as more students rushed to be next for a ride, bowing to the handful of Hippogriffs Hagrid released for them.

‘Don’t be a baby, you were hit with a bludger when we were kids, this should be nothing for you’. Pansy told him, disappointed. ‘Madam Pomfrey will heal you in seconds’.

‘It’s different when it's cutting you open!’ Draco told her, increasingly worried as Theodore Nott had to back away after being rejected by a Hippogriff.

‘Why doesn’t he just fall off the Hippogriff?’ Goyle asked, trying to impress Malfoy with his planning skills.

‘Are you trying to actually get him hurt? He will break his bones or worse!’. Pansy retorted, baffled at Goyle’s dim-witted plan, which was even worse than Crabbe's.

‘Fine, I’ll do it Pansy.’ Draco told her, even more horrified at Goyle’s terrible plan. ‘I want this half breed gone!’.

Pansy grinned. She was elated. Everything was falling into place. Soon, Hagrid would be packing his bags, and she could finally enjoy Care of Magical Creatures with a real teacher.

‘Act like you are in pain, like you're dying’, Pansy explained to him, ‘I’ll do my part too, I’ll put on a show with some fake tears to really sell it.’

‘Alright, give me a minute’ Draco told her, still obviously nervous. Pansy supposed he needed a second to prepare himself.

Most of the other students had already gone on a quick flight by now, Hagrid called over one of the few remaining students, consisting of Hermione, and some Slytherins to take flight on the Hippogriff with the black feathers. Pansy took the opportunity, as much as she hated Hagrid’s poor teaching, flying on a Hippogriff was something she did not want to miss, plus she figured it would buy Malfoy some more time to gather himself.

It was as majestic and graceful as the books described; its black feathers were as dark as the midnight sky, and its piercing orange eyes stared right into her soul. She bowed excitedly; she never thought she’d actually get to ride one. It bowed back to her courteously and she made her way onto the back of the magnificent beast.

Hagrid came along and gave it a whack on its side, sending it flying as it had done with Potter. She gripped on tight but was careful not to hurt it by grasping its sensitive feathers. She usually hated flying, never enjoying broom flight as she was terrified of falling off. However, the Hippogriff offered her a far more stable ride, with its powerful wings beating and huge frame keeping her secure. The creature made her feel safe and comfortable.

She couldn’t help but let a huge smile cross her face, laughing and yelling like a madwoman. If her mother could see how undignified she looked right now, she would have cursed her. She didn’t care though, nobody could see or hear her. She was free to be herself, enjoying the stunning views of the lake and the castle, with its many towers and turrets making Pansy take in the enormity of the school. The feeling was exhilarating.

Maybe this lesson wasn’t too bad at all; she truly was enjoying herself up in the clouds. However, it was still too late; the plan was in motion, and Hagrid would be fired momentarily.

The Hippogriff had come to a halt as it landed in the paddock. Daphne stood there clapping and congratulating her as she hopped off the beast. She would miss the feeling of taking the beautiful creature up into the sky.

‘How was it?’ Daphne asked her, as if Pansy's response would decide if she went or not.

‘Really fun, you should give it a try’. She assured Daphne, hoping her friend would get to have the same experience before Malfoy executed the plan.

Daphne smiled at her before rushing to stand in front of the dark feathered Hippogriff. She looked like she was genuinely excited to give it a try. As the Hippogriff motioned to bow back, however, a harrowing scream rung out from the other end of the paddock. Pansy and Daphne paused, looked at each other and ran over to take a look at what had happened.

Blood rushed from Draco’s white shirt, a massive gash ran along his arm. Daphne looked shocked and rightfully so. The scene looked horrifying if you didn’t pay close attention to the injury. Draco started screaming that he was dying in a panicked, desperate voice. Pansy couldn’t allow herself to be distracted however, she had a role to play.

‘How could you have let this happen!’ she began to yell at Hagrid in an outraged tone. ‘Do you even know what you are doing!’

Hagrid went white and panicked. He lacked the teaching experience to know what to do in this situation, it was his first class after all. The other Slytherins backed Pansy up, hurling abuse at Hagrid for allowing the most popular boy in their year to be nearly killed by a dangerous creature.

‘You’re a joke!, What was Dumbledore thinking when he let you teach classes!’ Daphne yelled at Hagrid, who grew even more flustered. Daphne seemed to realise that Hagrid was in no position to be handing out detentions and point deductions at the moment.

Hagrid picked up the bleeding boy with little effort, walking him back up to the castle with the intention of dropping him off at the hospital wing. The rest of the class followed as did the insults from the Slytherins.

It was time for Pansy to put on her performance; her mother had enrolled her in acting and dance classes since she was a little girl, saying it was a dignified and respectable activity for a high-class young witch. For once, her mother’s expectations had served her well.

‘They should sack him straight away!’ Pansy called out distraught, feigned tears streaking down her face as if she hadn’t planned the whole ordeal.

‘It was Malfoy’s fault!’ Some stupid Gryffindor boy called out. There were murmurs of agreement among the Gryffindor students before they started openly defending Hagrid. Of course, the little heroes decided to take the side of the incompetent teacher, instead of the boy bleeding out.

‘I'm going to see if he’s okay!’ Pansy called out, teary-eyed, trying to fight back the smile as she reflected on how well the plan had worked out. There was no way the oaf could ever recover from this. She ran after Hagrid and Malfoy as they went up the steps towards the hospital wing, as the rest of her Slytherins headed back to the common room.

As she made her way to the top of the staircase with tears still falling down her cheek, she looked back and caught the eye of Potter. She stared down at him and couldn’t help but shoot him a massive grin. She watched his face go from worry for Hagrid to fury and hatred. He knew what Pansy’s game was, but who was going to believe him? The thought of him sounding crazy, telling everyone it was her fault, filled her with glee. She had played everything perfectly.

Pansy ran up the hospital wing, giggling as she waited for the steps to change to the right pattern to allow her to reach Malfoy. After a few minutes, she had reached her destination, hiding behind a corner as Hagrid walked out the hospital wing door looking pale and stressed. The sight made her laugh; he must be off to get his bags packed.

After about ten minutes, Malfoy emerged with a big white cast on his arm, groaning in pain. Madam Pomfrey called out to him, saying she couldn’t see anything wrong with him and it was just a cut. Malfoy made another audible groan in response as he pretended to limp off in pain, grasping his arm. As Malfoy emerges around the corner, she puts her arm around him, still pretending to be scared and worried.

‘Are you okay? Does it still hurt?’ she told him in a mockingly wispy, concerned tone.

‘Yeah, really bad’ Malfoy responded, clearly trying to fight back his laughter, ‘nearly killed me the stupid thing’.

They walked a few more corridors and turned a few more corners, before bursting into uncontrollable laughter when they were unmistakably alone.

‘Did you see his giant, ugly face?’ Malfoy asked, beaming at his friend. ‘I had to stare at the fool's disgusting beard all the way up to the hospital wing’

‘I nearly slipped up; it was too funny’. Pansy replied, finding it equally hilarious.

‘He looked like he was going to cry!’, Draco mocked, ‘if only he knew Madam Pomfrey healed me in less than a minute.’

Pansy started coughing on her own laughter; she couldn’t believe how well it had worked.

‘You really outdone yourself, Parkinson, ’ Malfoy told her in a rare, complimentary tone. ‘I should’ve never doubted you, you’re incredible’.

‘Well, I already knew that!’ Pansy replied with a blush, smiling at her friend’s comments.

‘I know how much Care of Magical Creatures means to you. I’ll make sure Father sees to it that fat clown never teaches a class again.’ Draco told her. ‘It’s the least I can do for you’.

‘Thanks so much, if he were my teacher for the rest of the year, I think I'd jump off the divination tower.’ Pansy told him, still chortling as she spoke. ‘You’ll have to keep the act up, though, if we want to make sure he gets the sack.’

‘I understand, don’t worry’. Draco replied, although with a bit of concern rising in his voice, ‘What about the Gryffindor vs Slytherin match, though?’

‘You’ll have to still pretend you are injured for that, it will show how serious it is if you must skip Quidditch for it,’ She informed him, hoping he still went through with it. ‘Talk to Flint and let him know early so he can prepare’.

‘I’ll talk to Professor Snape, Heads of houses can postpone the game in extreme circumstances.’ Draco explained as Pansy lacked knowledge on the ins and outs of the House Cup rules. ‘If we let him know early enough, he can change the schedule’.

‘Great idea, you won't have to miss a match and we can get that half breed fired!’. Pansy responded, laughing hysterically.

‘We’d better head back to the common room, I'm sure everyone is wondering if I'm okay’. Draco said laughing before motioning for Pansy to follow him. ‘Better get the fake tears back on’.

She followed him down the stairs as he made mockingly obnoxious groans, Pansy fighting hard not to burst out laughing again. Her plan had worked perfectly, and her friendship with Draco had never been stronger. He probably forgot all about her fear of dementors now.

Harry, Ron and Hermione all snuck out to check on Hagrid. Despite Hermione’s protests, no curfew or even Sirius Black was going to stop him from making sure Hagrid was okay. They knock on the door, before a tired, defeated voice tells them to come in. The unmistakable stench of heavy liquor made Harry even more worried.

Hagrid was sitting in a chair at his table, looking depressed and dishevelled. It was clear to Harry how badly of a toll Malfoy and Parkinson’s act had taken on the giant man. He started drunkenly recounting how he was going to be sacked in record time and that he wasn’t cut out to be a teacher.

‘That's nonsense, you’re a fantastic teacher, Hagrid’. Harry assured him. ‘That was the best lesson I’ve had in a long time!’.

‘Really?’ Hagrid said, still questioning himself, ‘Tha Malfoy boy look’d terrible when I dropped im’ off.’

‘Because he’s faking it, Madam Pomfrey can regrow bones!’. Harry told him, increasingly annoyed at Parkinson. ‘Malfoy’s playing it on so he can whinge to his dad’.

‘Is dad s’ one of the gov’nors ain’ he?’ Hagrid replied becoming even more distraught. ‘really stuffed it now aven I’

‘His dad’s a pig’ Hermione remarked, ‘He’s the one who caused the Chamber of Secrets to be opened last year’

‘Real nasty tha Lucious is’. Hagrid explained, tears starting to form on his face. ‘If it's his son I’ hurt, I’m bound ter get the sack, I am.’

‘You haven’t been sacked yet, Hagrid’. Hermione told him, trying to comfort him.

‘Jus’ wanted ter make a good first impression, give yeh a lesson ye won’ forget, an’ all tha’.’ Hagrid replied, starting to sob loudly. ‘s all my fault’.

‘It’s all Malfoy’s fault, Hermione stated confidently. ‘We won’t let him get away with it.

‘No!’, Harry corrected angrily, ‘It’s Parkinson’s fault!’.

Hermione and Ron looked dumbfounded. That was the last thing they expected to hear from Harry at this moment.

‘Harry, it was Malfoy who insulted the Hippogriff’. Hermione told him, trying to guess where Harry was coming from.

‘Yeah, but she told him to do it!. Harry responded, still remembering Pansy’s smile at the top of the stairs. ‘I can tell!’.

‘How do you know? Ron asked, hearing Harry out’.

‘She shot me a grin at the top of the stairs,’ Harry explained, calming down a bit, ‘Y’know, when she was supposed to be crying and upset.’

That’s not enough evidence to prove it was her, Harry,’ Hermione replied, unconvinced.

‘I know it, she’s sly, stuck up and rotten to the core.’ Harry told them, hoping they’d take his side. ‘Malfoy isn’t smart enough to come up with that ploy, but that disgusting girl is’.

‘Why do you hate her so much? You don’t speak this badly even about Malfoy.’

Harry had no good answer for that question; he always had a strange fixation on her.

‘I’m sure Malfoy was just not listening and got himself attacked. ’ Hermione explained, not believing Pansy was responsible. ‘Why would she even plan such a thing?’

‘I dunno Hermione, she told us earlier how much she hated “half breeds”. Harry objected. ‘She’s prejudiced and cunning, sounds like something she’d do.’

Hermione was about to make another argument, but Ron interrupted her as Hagrid started bawling his eyes out at the table.

‘It doesn’t matter whose idea it was, what matters is that we’re here to support Hagrid’ Ron exclaimed, determined to stop the arguing and stop Hagrid feeling sorry for himself.

‘We will back you up Hagrid, no matter what’. Harry told the devastated man, Hermione agreed, prompting the man to stand up with a smile and give them a big hug. Hagrid looked back up at them, before stopping dead in his tracks, staring at Harry.

‘WHAT D’YEH THINK YOU’RE DOIN, EH?’ Hagrid yelled, making the cabin shake. He lectured them about being out after dark with Sirius Black running around, telling them to follow him back to the castle and warning them not to see him outside curfew again.

Harry couldn’t concentrate on the way back, his mind was on one thing and one thing only. He would get payback on Pansy Parkinson, regardless of whether his friends believed him or not.

A/N:

Hopefully it hasn’t been too long since my last update, life’s been a bit crazy this week. Is this a normal amount of time to get a chapter out for fic writers? I haven’t kept up with an ongoing one in a while.

I forgot to mention it last time, but how are more students not scared of dementors. You’re telling me that only Harry is scared of them? I get they affected him worse than most but come on. There's no way in hell you can tell me that a soul sucking, vibe-annihilating, floating corpse dressed like the Grim Reaper isn’t scarier than a spider or failing an exam.

Most of the initial plot of POA is done, which means most of the basic setup with the story is complete. From now on there will be more new/unique content or changed events and less retelling from a different perspective. This should lead to more Harry in the story as we no longer are following situations where his thoughts and actions are known.

Another Pansy-heavy chapter. I tried to make her a bit of a bitch and unlikable, which is how she is portrayed in the books. I hope I succeeded. If only there were a certain boy with a scar that could make her rethink some aspects of her behaviour.

Writing Hagrid lines has got to be the most annoying thing on the planet, getting his Candence right in text is so hard. Luckily I found a Hagrid translator to make it easier for me.

For my FFN readers, sorry if you’ve noticed any mistakes. I try my best to use editing software and proofread but when something slips through, it’s such a pain in the ass to edit post publishing. It’s a piece of piss on AO3 to make a quick change but the way FFN publishing works makes it annoying. I might to a round of corrections after a few chapters and get it all done at once at some point.

Speaking of editing software, Grammarly and Word are in a constant battle on my computer between xyx ‘. and xyz’. I wish there was a way to ignore this type of error. I decided to side with word and do no space as that is how its presented in the Harry Potter books, sorry if Grammarly changed it to a space and I didn’t notice.

As always, comments and feedback are appreciated and I hope you are enjoying the story so far. I’m still enjoying writing so far and I can’t wait to see how this story turns out. It’s going to be a long ride.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4: A Long Day At Hogwarts

‘Anguis sanguis’ Pansy called out to the blank wall. A giant stone snake erupted from the floor, revealing the large wooden door to the common room.

‘Never gets old’ Malfoy states, smiling. Pansy couldn’t agree more. ‘Better than that stupid painting the Gryffindors have’.

They enter the common room, its large stone walls decorated with snakes and statues, making it feel grand and homely. The room emitted a beautiful green glow from enchanted fires, and the fading sunlight was engulfed by the enormity of the lake seen through the windows. Some called it eerie or even scary, but to Pansy it made it feel relaxing and mystical. In the corner by the windows, she spotted Millicent, Tracey and Daphne sitting around a dazzling green fireplace, seated on black luxurious leather couches and armchairs.

‘I need to talk to Flint about this arm, I’ll see you later’. Draco told her, smiling as he made his way down to the seventh-year dormitories.

She made her way over to her group of friends, sinking into the darkness of the cushioned armchair. It was so comfortable that she could fall asleep in it. She couldn’t help but have a massive grin on her face after the success of her plans earlier today.

‘Is Malfoy okay?’ Daphne asked Pansy, seeming confused at her lack of concern.

‘No, he’s not; his injuries are terrible. His arm is covered in a cast, and he will have to reschedule the Quidditch match against Gryffindor.’ Pansy replied, still unable to stop her gigantic smile.

‘Why are you so happy? Weren’t you crying earlier?’ Millicent asked her, sharing Daphne’s confusion.

‘I’m not too sure, probably because that gamekeeper is getting the sack soon’.  Pansy snickered. She couldn’t reveal the truth even to her friends, else the story would spread like wildfire.

‘Care of Magical Creatures seems like a crazy lesson,’ Tracey said excitedly, ‘You guys should switch to Muggle Studies, it's fascinating, actually.’

‘PFFFT!, MUGGLE STUDIES?, INTERESTING?’ Daphne cackled. ‘Muggle studies is a joke!’

‘Uhhh, I guess it was a bit boring’ Tracey replied nervously.

‘Switch before it's too late, Muggle studies is for people who can't pass anything better!’. Daphne told her, still laughing hard.

‘I still think it could be useful for my career, so I’ll stick to it’, Tracey states, hoping for some support from Pansy and Millicent.

‘What career? Do you really think you are going to take office?’ Daphne told her. ‘You would be better off applying for a job at Zonko’s if you take Muggle studies.

‘Daphne has a point, Tracey,’ Pansy chimed, ‘Muggle studies isn’t a very respectable choice, you should pick Care of Magical Creatures like us.’

‘I’ll think about it’ Tracey said nervously. She didn’t want to go against the pure blood girls she had worked so hard to befriend.  Daphne could still be heard laughing so hard that Pansy was sure that the whole common room could hear them.

‘Have you spoken to Astoria since she started?’ Pansy asked Daphne. Her laughter immediately ceased. Her cold near black eyes staring right back at Pansy.

‘She’s fine’. Daphne replied eerily.

‘Did you get an update from St Mungo’s?’ Pansy asked her inquisitively. It had been so long since she had an update on Daphne’s sister's condition. A cold, enduring silence followed Pansy’s question.

‘What update?’ Tracey asked, breaking the silence. ‘Who’s in St Mungo’s?’

‘Shut up’. Daphne told her fiercely. Tracey stopped asking questions immediately. Millicent, who was about to ask a question herself, did the same. ‘We’ll talk about this later, Pansy.’

‘So, do you think the clown is going to be fired?’ Pansy asks the group, trying to change the subject.

‘Hopefully’ Millicent responds enthusiastically. ‘Hagrid is an awful teacher’.

‘They ought to execute that beast’. Daphne says darkly.

‘Don’t be silly’, Pansy replied with nervous laughter, ‘They will only punish the oaf, not the Hippogriff, it was his fault’.

‘I don’t know, Pansy, the Ministry has a habit of executing the offending creatures in situations like this.’ Tracey said, knowing the ins and outs of the ministry’s rulings from books.

‘In what? The sixteenth century?’ Pansy replies, growing more nervous, and attempts to brush it off. They wouldn’t actually harm the Hippogriff, right?

‘Why don’t we head to the library? We could get some quick studying in.’  Tracey suggests enthusiastically.

‘I agree, we didn’t learn a thing about Hippogriffs today, thanks to that half breed’, Pansy replies pompously, ‘not that I don’t know everything about them already’.

‘Yeah, I wanna know more about the Boggarts from today’ Millicent adds. Pansy shivered at the thought of the Boggart. ‘I’ll study for an hour and then we can get to bed’.

All four girls got up from the comfortable chairs and made their way to the common room’s exit, and began their trip to the library. Pansy noticed how dreadfully downcast Daphne looked as she unusually moped behind the rest of the group.

Harry, Ron and Hermione both took their seats in the common room after being escorted back to the castle by Hagrid. The sun was well and truly down by this point, the common room illuminated by cozy fires and bright torches.

‘Do you think Hagrid will be okay?’ Hermione asks nervously

‘Yeah, we will be his witnesses if they try anything, we saw the whole thing’.  Ron responds, assuring her.

‘We need to get revenge on Parkinson; we can’t let her get away with it.’ Harry said angrily, still not forgetting what the girl had done.

‘Are you sure it was her?, I get it, Harry, she’s awful, she really is, but I doubt she would’ve gone that far’. Hermione replies, unconvinced with Harry's theory.

‘Just forget about it, Harry, she’s not worth your time. Ron says softly, trying to calm his friend down.

‘I know it was her!’ Harry shouted, he was growing frustrated at his friends not believing him. Ginny, Fred and George heard the commotion and took a seat around the trio.

‘What’s going on?’ Ginny asks, looking at Harry with much concern on her face.

‘Pansy Parkinson tried to get Hagrid fired!’ Harry explains angrily, ‘She told Malfoy to get himself attacked by the Hippogriff’.

‘I believe you, I heard about the attack, it’s all the Slytherins could talk about at dinner.’ Ginny replies, ‘I’ve heard stories of how Parkinson manipulates people’.

‘That doesn’t prove it was her, Ginny’. Hermione tells her, hoping to stop her from encouraging Harry.

‘She shot me a smile when she was supposed to be all upset, she did it on purpose to taunt me’. Harry explains to Ginny, glad for the support, ‘I want to get payback’.

‘Honestly, Harry, I don’t care if she did it or not, I’m happy to help play a trick on her guilty or not’.  George tells him, making Harry smile.

‘Count me in too, tell us what you want to do Harry and we’ll be there’ Fred replies, grinning at George and Harry.

‘I mean, they aren’t wrong, Hermione, she does deserve it anyway’. Ron adds, making Hermione scowl at him.

‘We shouldn’t go around breaking rules without a good reason!’, What if you all get into trouble over nothing?’ Hermione asks the group.

‘Wouldn’t be the first time’ Fred and George reply in unison. Harry and Ginny start giggling.

‘What do you think we should do to her?’ Harry asks them, hoping for some good ideas.

‘How about a Bat Bogey Hex?, I’ve been reading about them and always wanted to try one’. Ginny suggests, causing Ron to laugh at the thought.

‘What about a pimple jinx?, she will freak out if someone hits her oh so perfect face’. Hermione suggests mockingly.

‘I thought you were against us breaking the rules!’ Ron asks Hermione, confused at her change of heart.

‘Uhm, well, it's all hypothetical, of course!’. Hermione says, giggling.

‘I don’t want to play a prank on her, I want to get revenge, something that will make her regret it’. Harry interrupts, seemingly not amused at the suggestions.  Fred and George sneak off after hearing this, realising their plans weren’t what Harry needed right now.

A silence ensues before finally being broken by Hermione.

‘Please just make sure she did it before you do anything drastic’. Hermione tells Harry concerned.

‘Alright, I’ll find a way to confront her about it first’, Harry said, letting off a huge sigh’.

‘I need to go to the Library, anyone want to come with me?’ Hermione asks enthusiastically, ‘I have a lot to catch up on’.

Harry, Ron and Ginny all groan. The Library sounded like the worst place they could be tonight.

‘How do you have too much to catch up on? It’s only our first day back!’.

‘Are you coming or not, Ron?’ Hermione asks again, quickly ignoring his question.

‘Nope, I'm off to bed soon.’ Ron replies. Hermione rolls her eyes and goes up to the dorms to fetch her bookbag.

‘Another thing I heard from those Slytherins was how good the Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson was’. Ginny tells Harry and Ron who are still slumped lazily in the chairs.

‘If the Slytherins are praising it, then it must be good’, Harry responds excitedly.

‘Hopefully better than that Lockhart bloke’. Ron comments, Harry and Ginny laugh.

‘Y’know, once Lockhart sent a dwarf after me on Valentine’s Day, chased me all over the castle!’. Harry said, still chuckling. ‘Started reading me a poem about pickled toads.’

‘I'm off to bed!’ Ginny said quickly, face almost as red as her hair, as she scurried away back to the girls' dorms.

‘What's up with her?’ Harry asked Ron, confused at her sudden departure.

‘No idea’. Ron responded, yawning. ‘But I'm off to bed as well, coming?

‘Yeah, today's been exhausting.’ Harry replied. The two boys headed up the stairs to the third-year boys’ rooms.

It was only their first proper day back at Hogwarts, yet the two boys were exhausted. So much had happened in one day, they just wanted to unwind and get some rest. The rest of the room was empty and the torches around the room were still blazing, the other boys must still be hanging out in the common room or studying. Harry scours his bag for the boxes of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans that he purchased on the Hogwarts Express. His bag was as messy as his hair, but he managed to find them and toss one of the boxes to Ron, who almost failed to catch it, being so tired. They both climb into bed, sitting down under the blankets.

‘Strawberry’, Harry exclaims as he takes one of the jelly beans and shoves it in his mouth.

‘Roast Potato, I think.’,  Ron responds, unsure if he likes it or not. ‘We ought to get some more in Hogsmeade’.

Harry shoots up from his bed in a panic. He had forgotten all about the permission form, not that Uncle Vernon would sign it after what he did.

‘I never got a signature!’. Harry says, looking annoyed and disappointed.

‘Have you asked McGonagall?’ Surely, she’d understand.’ Ron responded with uncertainty in his voice.

‘Fat chance of that, I’d have better luck asking Voldemort to sign it’.  Harry replied, knowing how strict she was. Ron shuddered at the name being said out loud,

‘Maybe Dumbledore?’ Ron asked.

‘No, it’s the Head of House that decides, apparently, plus he’s probably too busy to worry about that anyway’, Harry responded grumpily. ‘You’ll just have to grab the sweets without me’.

‘I’ll buy you whatever you want, I still have some galleons left over from my spending money in Egypt, you see.’ Ron told Harry, hoping to cheer him up.

‘I’ll give you some of my money, I won't have you spending your own money on me’. Harry told him.

‘Really, I don’t mind, Harry,’ Ron said to him again, ‘Don’t worry about me.’

‘Ron, don’t spend a single knut on me, it’s not fair on you’. Harry said to him, ‘You need that money.’

‘Fine, but I'm still buying you a butterbeer on me, let me do something for you for once’.

‘You do plenty for me, but if you’re set on getting me something, then just get me one bottle, seriously,’ Harry told him, smiling. He admired his friend's determination to try to cheer him up.

‘One it is’. Ron replied, grinning.

‘Hopefully it's as good as it tastes fresh’, Harry replied, his smile fading.

‘Look, don’t worry about it, Fred and George told me Hogsmeade isn’t even that great after a while’. Ron told him, trying to make him feel better.

It didn’t work; Harry just rolled over in silence. It continues for a few minutes, before a horrible gagging and choking noise came from Ron's bed.

‘Are you alright?’ Harry asks, sitting up in his bed again.

‘Yeah, sunscreen flavour’. Ron replied weakly, coughing as he got the words out. Harry couldn’t help but chuckle a little.

Another period of silence ensues, before Ron clears his throat.

‘Harry?’. Ron asks softly.

‘Yeah?’ Harry replies.

‘What's really going on between you and Parkinson?’ Ron asks.

‘What do you mean?, she tried to get Hagrid fired'. Harry responds, a bit annoyed.

‘No, I mean, why do you hate her so much, you never gave me an answer back at Hagrid’s Ron explained.

Harry again was silent, he didn’t know what to say.

‘You hate her even more than Malfoy, even though Malfoy has given us way more trouble over the years’. Ron explained further, ‘But you seem to hate her even more, she gets to you easier than Malfoy could dream of’.

Harry stays silent, thinking of a response.

‘Why does she bother you so much, really?’.

‘It’s because of when I first met her back in Diagon Alley’. Harry said, finally having found the words.

‘I met her when I first learned about Magic, when I was buying my robes'. Harry explained, ‘She was the first wizard my age I had ever talked to, she seemed so nice and kind’. ‘I hoped that when I got to Hogwarts, we could be good friends’.

‘Go on’ Ron urged.

‘I guess I just felt betrayed when she turned out to be so horrible, it was like the girl from the shop had been replaced with someone else’ Harry told him, hoping his friend would understand.

‘But why not with Malfoy or Snape?’ Ron asked curiously.

‘They showed their true colours from the moment they spoke; there was no surprise with them.’ Harry explained further, ‘I suppose since I never wanted to be on good terms with such awful people, I didn’t really care what they said about me’. ‘They just remind me of my aunt and uncle, Dudley too’.

‘I get it now’ Ron assures him, his explanation made sense.

‘I can’t stop seeing that girl from two years ago when I look into her eyes, it always catches me off guard and makes me feel on edge’. Harry said tiredly.

‘Yeah, I get why that would bother you so much’. Ron told him, before asking the question Harry was dreading. ‘Still, you don’t think that this whole Hagrid thing is just your distaste for her getting in the way?’.

‘No, I don’t, that look she gave me at the top of the stairs, it was her and I’m sure of it’. Harry said with a heavy sigh. ‘She loves tormenting me, even more than Malfoy does’.

‘I believe you’. Ron said after a few seconds of deliberation.

‘Thanks’, Harry told him, smiling.

‘We'd better get to bed properly, I'm exhausted.’ Ron suggested, a massive yawn erupting from his mouth.

‘Yeah, good idea’, Harry said, yawning as well. ‘Night, Ron.’

‘Night, Harry’. He said before shutting the curtain around his bed.

Harry did the same; the torches in the dormitory didn’t turn off until 9.30 pm, but the curtains were enchanted to block out all noise and light for those who wanted an early night or some peace and quiet. Harry got himself comfortable and shut his eyes, hoping the next day would be less eventful as he drifted off to sleep.

Pansy shoved the book on Defence Against the Dark Arts on the table. No matter how hard she tried to understand the tickling charm, she couldn’t understand it. Millicent even tried instructing her on how to do it, but she was hopeless at explaining how to use offensive magic. Her frustration grew.

‘Are you alright, Daphne? You’ve been awfully quiet tonight’. Tracey asked nervously.

‘Fine’. Daphne replied coldly.

‘Are those people seriously washing dishes with a cloth?’ Pansy asked, laughing at the muggles depicted in Tracey’s book. They looked ridiculous. She turned over to Daphne, expecting her to join in making fun of muggles like they often did, but she just stared silently at the book she was reading.

‘Are you sure you’re alright?’ Pansy asked, now getting worried.

‘Yeah, I’m fine’. Daphne told her. Pansy couldn’t figure out why she was acting so strangely, perhaps she was just tired.

Ten minutes passed, and the girls had gotten truly bored with reading. How anyone could have done this for more than an hour was beyond them.

‘I’m going to the bathroom’ Daphne told the rest of the group, with the rest of the girls happy for the excuse to get away from the library. They all packed their bookbags and headed to the girls' bathroom right outside the library’s main entrance.

They entered the bathroom together despite Daphne’s protest. All the stalls were empty, except for one. Daphne entered the one at the very back. The rest of the girls waited by the sinks for her to return.

‘What’s the matter with her?’ Tracey asks curiously. Pansy and Millicent both shrug as they notice a massive bookbag on the floor.

‘Who the hell brings a whole bag of books to a Library? The place is full of them.’ Millicent states, laughing at the obnoxiously large brown bookbag. 

Millicent’s question answered itself, as the occupant of the taken stall emerged to collect their bag. Hermione Granger stood in front of them, with a shocked look on her face.

‘Is that bag heavy, Granger?’ Pansy sneers.

‘It’s none of your business’. Hermione responds fiercely. She wasn’t about to be pushed around.

‘Seriously, Granger, that bag looks soooo heavy’, Pansy mocked as she reached for her wand. ‘Maybe we ought to help’.

‘Wingardium Leviosa!’ shouted Millicent, as Hermione’s bookbag levitated from the ground.

‘What are you doing! Put it down!’ Hermione yelled angrily.

Millicent flings the bookbag against the wall, causing Hermione’s books to scatter all over the floor. Pansy, Millicent and Tracey all burst into a fit of laughter.

‘Oooh, shouldn’t be so clumsy next time!’. Pansy exclaimed, howling with laughter as the words left her mouth.

‘Why’d you even need so many books for Granger? Tracey asked mockingly, You can’t even take all these classes.’

‘Because I’m not daft and unaccomplished like you, Davis.’ Hermione responds angrily.

‘Unaccomplished! Excuse me?, Tracey replied, fuming, ‘I’m more accomplished than you’ll ever be’.

‘Oh please, that’s not what McGonagall said’, Hermione tells her smugly, ‘She told me you were so close to failing transfiguration last year that she considered holding you back!’

‘Shut your little mudblood mouth’ Tracey said with an uncharacteristic mean streak, pulling out her wand from her robe ‘Locomotor Wibbly!’

‘Protego!’ Hermione cried out quickly, not expecting Tracey to fire a jelly legs jinx at her. She managed to block it perfectly. ‘Furnunulus!’ she yelled as she directed a pimple jinx in retaliation. The jinx, however, drifted off course, instead barrelling straight towards Pansy.

‘Prot-Agh, ’ Pansy exclaimed as the jinx impacted her face. She had tried to protect herself, but her wand work was slow and clumsy. She crumpled to the ground as she felt swelling erupt on her face. On the floor, she took a look at her face in the mirror to her right, where a hideous sight awaited her. Her perfect face was covered in gigantic, disgusting zits. The sight made her squeal in horror.

‘You stupid, filthy mudblood!’ Pansy screeched, ‘Millicent, get her already!’.

‘Confringo!’ Millicent casts, jumping in front of Pansy to protect her.

‘Protego!’ Hermione yelled again, pleased at her perfect defence.

‘Tracey, help her!’. Pansy yells out, ‘Make her pay!’.

Noticing that Hermione’s block wasn’t going to be broken, Tracey rushed towards Hermione, grabbing her robe and attempting to wrestle her to the ground.  Millicent notices and starts rushing towards the two smaller girls.

‘Petrificus Totalus,’ Daphne whispers, sneering as Hermione’s body locked up instantaneously. Tracey fell to the floor as Hermione stopped moving.

‘Get up, Let’s go’ Daphne called to her friends, still cold as ice, before pushing Hermione’s motionless body onto the floor. ‘Pathetic mudblood’ she commented as Hermione fell to the ground with a thud.

Tracey got up and returned to Pansy, who was still covering her face as she walked over to Hermione.

‘This isn’t over!’ Pansy screeched furiously, ‘I should kick you right now! Knock those big ugly teeth out!’. Pansy couldn’t recall a time she was angrier. The mudblood had messed with her face; she had spent a great deal of time and used many expensive products on it. Thanks to Potter’s little girlfriend, it was covered in disgusting blisters.

‘Lets go, before someone sees us’. Daphne called out, motioning the girls to the door.

‘Fine, but you better watch your back, Granger, I’ll make you regret cursing me.’ Pansy yelled at her, hoping she would fear her empty threat. She lacked the duelling skills she needed to get the upper hand on her.

The four Slytherin girls hastily exited the bathroom and made their way to their common room. Pansy with a robe over her head, so as not to draw attention to the pimples currently oozing pus everywhere. She felt hideous. They entered the common room, out of breath after rushing to escape the scene in the bathroom.

‘I’m going to bed!’ Tracey exclaimed, huffing and puffing.

‘Same’. Millicent added as she followed Tracey down the girls dormitory hallway.

‘I… I’m going to see Astoria’. Daphne told Pansy softly, before walking off to the first-year dormitory.

Pansy sighed as she was left alone, robe still covering her like a dementor. She headed to the Slytherin girls' bathrooms, the green and black walls being much more to her liking than the one where they had fought Granger.

Pansy removed her robe from her head, inspecting her face. She was mortified. She indeed did look hideous. The pimples were slowly shrinking as the jinx’s effects wore off, but the sight of her imperfect face made her nearly tear up. Imagine if Draco had seen this, or knew who was responsible for it. She’d be a laughingstock. Draco was always gifted with duelling, but was too proud to ever offer her help.

Pansy had had enough; she wasn’t going to be weak and rely on her friends to protect her anymore. She was going to go to Lupin first thing tomorrow and accept his offer to teach her Defence Against the Dark Arts properly.

A/N:

A shorter chapter this time (still like 4k words, just short of my usual). I had another section of the chapter planned in my rough draft/script, but on writing it, it just felt like an appendix, and I made the decision not to include it. I’ll probably include a rewritten version of that section in the next chapter, making what I expect to be a larger chapter anyway even bigger.

How did I go with my first action scene? I’ve never written anything like it, so I hope you like the delivery and style. Don’t hesitate to make a suggestion if you think I can improve on anything in that regard.

In the next chapter, we will finally get to the long-awaited shared lesson with Lupin. Can’t wait to write it, should be fun.

Sorry if I’ve made Pansy too unlikeable, but I feel like exploring her mean side will make her redemption pay off so much more than just briefly touching on it.

Might be a bit longer for the next chapter based on how long I expect it to be and the fact I'm being bombarded with assignments as exams loom. Anyone got a self-writing quill?

Chapter Text

Chapter 5: Not So Private Lessons.

Harry awoke from his early night feeling well rested as the morning sun emitted a golden glow through Gryffindor Tower. A much prettier sight than the face of Pansy Parkinson haunting his dreams. He looked to his right; Ron’s bed was empty. His mind started to wander to breakfast and the Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson he had today, having heard so much about it. He excitedly ran down the stairs to find Ron and Hermione.

He made his way to the bottom of the stairs and scanned the common room for his friends. In one of the armchairs in the corner, he spotted unmistakable bushy hair long with Ron, who was perched over her, arm on her shoulder. Harry’s gut told him that something was wrong immediately as he rushed over to see what was going on.

Harry's intuition was correct, Hermione's eyes were puffed up, tears streaked down her face while Ron looked up to him with concern.

‘What happened?’ asked Harry, dreading the answer had something to do with the girl he had been envisioning all night.

‘Parkinson and her gang attacked me in the bathroom last night’, Hermione said softly, wiping her tears off her face, ‘there were four of them, I couldn’t do anything.’ Harry’s fist balled. First the stunt in the great hall, then trying to get Hagrid fired, and now she was ambushing his friends? Parkinson was unforgivable. 

‘Of course it was her, of course it was’. Harry muttered in anger, his desire for revenge reaching new heights.

‘We’ll get her back, we have to’ Ron adds, now on board with Harry’s plan from last night.

‘Please don’t, she’s been doing this for years to me, don’t do anything stupid’ Hermione pleads, now concerned about the boys getting into trouble.

‘That’s even more of a reason to make her pay!’ Harry exclaims angrily, he couldn’t believe they had been accepting Pansy’s crap for so long.

‘If it wasn’t for the Hufflepuff prefect that found me, I would’ve gotten in trouble for being out of bed’ Hermione explains miserably, almost agreeing with Harry.

‘Come on, let’s go grab some breakfast, might make you feel better’ Harry suggests, calming down slightly after realising how upset Hermione must be to not argue with him over breaking rules.

The trio make their way out of the common room and head downstairs for breakfast, Harry eying an opportunity to talk to Ron without Hermione overhearing.

‘Ron’ Harry whispered, pulling him aside quickly, ‘You see what I mean with her, we have to do something!’.

‘Yeah, we will, I hope she’s still in the great hall’, Ron responded quietly, ‘I don’t care how many points Snape deducts this time, we’ll teach her a lesson’.

Harry nodded in agreement as they arrived through the massive doors that lead them into the hall. He started scanning the room, looking for the black bobbed hair he had grown to loathe. However, to Harry and Ron’s disappointment, she was nowhere to be found with only Bulstrode and Davis sitting at her spot at the Slytherin table. They took their seats next to Hermione who had started buttering her toast, staring down Pansy’s minions with abhorrence.

‘Should we have a chat to the big one over there?’ Ron asked Harry, Hermione overhearing with concern.

‘Don’t waste your time with her, Ron, she’s just a follower, she’d swallow a vial of poison if Pansy told her to’, Hermione told them to Harry's surprise, he expected her to tell them off for plotting again.

‘Right’ Harry said sternly, ‘What about the other one, Davis?’

‘Not her either, she just licks the boot of whoever gets her ahead,’ Hermione explained gruffly, ‘If you are going to do something, at least wait for Parkinson’. Harry shrugged; his and Ron’s plan would have to wait. At least it gave them plenty of time to mull it over and wait for the perfect opportunity, rather than landing them another detention.

‘Why don’t you go talk to Wood about Quidditch, season starts soon, right Harry?’ Ron asked as Tracey sent a fake smile and wave to Hermione when she caught her staring.

‘Good idea’, Harry responded delightfully, eyes lighting up at the mention of Quidditch. He spied Oliver Wood eating at the far end of the table, looking surprisingly downcast as he talked to Angelina Johnson.

Harry got out of his seat and started walking to the end of the table. Quidditch was on his mind all summer; he was itching to get back to it especially after last season was cancelled. He hoped that this Sirius Black situation wouldn’t be as equally disruptive to his passion.

‘Hey Oliver, how was your summer?’ Harry asked with a smile, perplexed as to why Wood’s usual confident and outgoing demeanour had changed.

‘Hey Harry’, Wood replied nervously, seeming a bit stressed, ‘Honestly, I’ve been losing sleep over the Quidditch Cup, it’s my last chance to win it y’know’.

Harry understood; he knew full well what was at stake for his captain, his legacy at the school and even his future career may be on the line. He wanted to win just as badly as Wood did.

‘Look, Oliver, we probably would have won last year if the season hadn’t been cancelled!’ Angelina explained, offering a comforting arm on his shoulder, ‘We will just have to train as hard as we can’.

Wood just let out a big sigh, his hand wrapped around his forehead, the pressure mounting clear on his face.

‘We will win it, I know it’ Harry told him assuringly, trying to keep him together, ‘They’re calling us one of the best Gryffindor teams of the century out there’.

‘You’re right, we just need to practice more, harder than we’ve ever done before’ Wood exclaimed, regaining his confidence and determination. ‘I’ll make sure we send Slytherin packing right back to the dungeons’.

‘That’s the spirit!’ Angelina exclaimed grinning, wait, when even is our next practice?’.

‘Pitch is ours Friday afternoon, don’t be late or I’ll make you all run laps of the grounds till you collapse’, Oliver explained with spirit.

‘Don’t worry, I wouldn’t miss Quidditch for the world,’ Harry replied. He missed the thrill of flying badly.

‘That goes for you too, Angelina,’ Wood added authoritatively.

‘Hey, hey, I’ll be there, I promise’, Angelina replied nervously, ‘If I want to make captain next year, skipping out on practice will be a bad look anyway’.

‘That’s not the only reason surely, I know you want to beat Slytherin just as much as I do’, Wood said inquisitively, eyebrow slightly raised.

‘You aren’t wrong’. Angelina conceded.

‘That settles it then, I’ll see you both Friday afternoon, 5 o'clock sharp’, Wood announced, clapping his hands together for effect.

‘I’m off, got a potions class to get to’, Angelina sighed, making a finger gun gesture to her head as she walked away. Harry laughed, while Wood just looked confused, being unfamiliar with Muggle mannerisms.

‘What does that mean?’, Wood asked Harry, confounded.

‘Don’t worry about it’. Harry replied, still snickering under his breath. He felt the same way when he had classes with Professor Snape.

‘Well, I’m off to class too, Astronomy theory this morning, thank god we don’t have those midnight classes as often anymore’ Oliver explained, packing up his book bag and wiping off the crumbs from his robes.

‘Alright, see you Friday’, Harry replied as Wood walked away. He got up and made his way back to the other end of the table, where Hermione was still sending death stares over to Tracey Davis.

‘Any sign of her?’ Harry asked, with his earlier frustration somewhat eased now he had Quidditch on his mind.

‘Nope, just Bulstrode stuffing her face’. Ron told him as Millicent could be seen loading ten rashers of bacon onto her toast.

‘Good, I’m sure nobody wanted to see Parkinson’s pimples anyway’, Harry responded. Hermione chuckled with a proud grin on her face. ‘We'd better get to class, I don’t want to be late for this Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, everyone’s saying that Professor Lupin is the real deal.

Ron and Hermione agreed, slowly shuffling out of the Great Hall and making their way up the stairs to the third floor in a much better mood than the trio had entered with.

Pansy awoke to an empty dormitory, her face aching. The dark ambient glow of the Slytherin common made mornings easy on the eyes, but that didn’t help her from feeling like she was hit by a Bludger. She rolled out of bed, opening her perfectly organised dark oak dresser to find her wand tucked in next to her jewellery box.

‘Vestisa’ Pansy muttered with a wave of her wand, causing her Pyjamas to instantly transform into her school uniform. She had mastered the dressing charm before she even came to Hogwarts, one of the few useful things her mother did teach her. She hastily made her way to the third-year girls' bathroom to investigate the damage Granger had inflicted on her.

Most of the pimples had thankfully disappeared, with only red spots remaining visible. She was lucky Hermione wasn’t particularly vicious; she had heard that those pimple curses can require medical attention to get rid of. She got to work patching the red spots up with the beauty products she had in her bag, many shelves of organised rows unfolding with a tap of her wand. She applied some dragon scale pimple-removing ointment, which thankfully made the red marks instantly become almost invisible.

As she packed away her bag, she noticed a faint sobbing coming from one of the stalls. She wondered which one of her dormmates was in there, but her instinct told her that she already knew. As she exited the dorm and walked down the long stone hallway, eventually entering the common room. She took a seat on an armchair near the dormitory exit to test her theory.

She was right. About five minutes after she had taken a seat, Daphne emerged from the dormitory, her eyes red and the unmistakable glint of formed tears on her face.

‘Is everything alright?’ Pansy asked her, concerned for her friend’s well-being. Daphne just burst into tears once again, taking a seat next to Pansy. Pansy didn’t need an explanation on why she was crying; she already knew.

‘It’s Astoria, we got word from the healers, they say her blood curse is getting worse’, Daphne explained, sniffling and looking down at the floor.

‘Can the St Mungo’s healers do anything for her? Surely there’s a cure?’ Pansy responded empathetically; she knew Astoria had been badly sick ever since Daphne found the courage to tell her last year.

‘No, there’s not, they say they will keep looking, but they’ve been saying that for years now’, Daphne told her, becoming even more distraught.

‘There has to be something, don’t give up yet, she will be okay, I’m sure of it’, Pansy said worriedly. Pansy wasn’t entirely convinced what she was saying was true; she knew blood curses were nasty pieces of magic and that they were extremely hard to cure, but she was willing to say anything to give her friend a bit of comfort.

‘There's nothing they can do!, They said she might die young!’, Daphne called out, causing some nearby Slytherins to stare at them. Pansy shot them a nasty glare back, causing them to go about their business.

‘Just because there’s no cure now doesn’t mean they won't find one later. You’ve got to hang on to hope, she will be okay’, Pansy responded calmly, hoping to make Daphne feel supported.

‘They seemed so certain, it’s hard to keep hope when you’ve been getting the same news since you were a child’, Daphne replied, calming down slightly but still very upset.

‘I understand, I can only imagine, but the only thing you can do is make sure you are there for her and hope that one day they will find something’, Pansy told her assuringly, she really did hope there was something out there.

‘I don’t even know if they will even bother looking for a cure. Astoria is the only person in that hospital, and their research team has already been looking since she was born’, Daphne explained sadly, her tears stopped, but the pain on her face was still very evident.

‘I’ll have my mother send an owl, she is friends with one of the head healers at St Mungo’s, I’ll make sure they don’t stop looking’, Pansy offered it with a kind smile; surely her mother wouldn’t turn down helping Pansy’s pure-blood friend, right?

‘Really? Would you do that for her?’ Daphne asked, her face lighting up.

‘Without hesitation, if there's something out there, they’ll find it’, Pansy said encouragingly, putting her hand on Daphne’s.

‘Thank you, I mean it’, Daphne replied gratefully, her eyes no longer red from tears and her demeanour returning to normal as she slumped back in the chair.

‘How is Astoria anyway? Is she holding up well at Hogwarts so far?’ Pansy asked, still worried about her well-being while at school.

‘They gave her some strengthening potions, some days they work, but others she can barely get out of bed from the pain’, Daphne explained grimly.

‘Is she eating alright?’ Pansy asks worriedly.

‘If she can make it to the great hall, yeah’, Daphne explains further, ‘I think I’ll have to start sneaking out of class to bring her food when she’s feeling unwell’.

‘Don’t, you’ve got enough to worry about’, Pansy tells her sympathetically, ‘I’ll talk to Professor Snape, and he can organise food to be brought down to her’.

‘Please don’t, I don’t want anyone else to know, what if she gets picked on?’ Daphne responds fearfully, ‘She’s already got it bad enough being so thin and frail.’

‘Snape won’t tell anyone, I’m one of his favourite students, Snape doesn’t seem like the gossiping type anyway’, Pansy told her, hoping she’d let her help.

‘I guess it’s worth a try’, Daphne agrees reluctantly.

‘It will be alright, nobody else will know’, Pansy assures, hugging Daphne tightly. Daphne had been her closest friend since she came to Hogwarts, she hated seeing her upset. A smile returned to Daphne's face.

‘I’ve got to head off now, we can talk more at lunch if you like, I’ve got to tell Professor Lupin that I’m accepting his lessons before his class starts’, Pansy explained sadly. She didn’t want to leave, but she really needed those lessons.

‘It’s a good idea, Granger got you good with that curse’, Daphne added, giggling slightly.

‘Well, she won’t be getting close again, I’ll be ready next time’, Pansy said, determined as ever.

‘You better hurry, Lupin’s class starts soon, and he’s got the Gryffindors this morning, I'm sure you don’t want a run-in with Granger or Potter’, Daphne suggested.

‘I’m not afraid of them, although you are right, I cannot be bothered dealing with them this early’, Pansy replied haughtily, not wanting to give away the real reason she didn’t want to bump into them, she didn’t want them to make fun of her face. Pansy pulled her school robe over her uniform and stood up, while Daphne did the same.

‘Where are you off to?’ Pansy asked her curiously, wanting to make sure her friend was feeling better.

‘Great Hall for breakfast, hopefully Tracey and Millicent are still there, I should grab Astoria some food while I'm up there too’, Daphne explained meekly.

‘Well, grab her some extra pancakes and tell her they are from me’, Pansy told her, a kind smile that rarely showed lighting up Pansy’s face.

‘I’ll see you in class, hurry up before oh so perfect Potter gets there!’ Daphne called out as Pansy motioned towards the exit to the common room. She had better hurry to get to Lupin before the Gryffindors arrived.

Pansy reached the door to Lupin’s classroom, panting from rushing up the stairs. To her pleasure, there was not a single Gryffindor tie in sight. She gave herself a moment to regain her breath before giving the door a hearty knock.

‘Come in!’ said a familiar voice, welcoming whoever was on the other side into the classroom.

She opened the door slowly, feeling slightly nervous. Taking extra lessons was a new experience for her.

‘Ah, Pansy’, Lupin announced upon seeing who entered the classroom, ‘What can I do for you?’

‘I've thought it over, I want to take the lessons’, Pansy replied, taking a deep breath, finally accepting she needed extra help.

‘I’m glad, but I do wonder, why the change of mind?’ Lupin asked with a curious smile.

‘I, I want to get better grades in Defence Against the Dark Arts’, Pansy lied; she couldn’t let him know the real reason, or he’d never agree to teach her.

‘Does it have something to do with the pimples you are trying to cover?’ Lupin asked further. Pansy went bright red.

‘How did you know?’ She asked, wondering if she had done a bad job with the makeup or if Lupin was really that observant.

‘Well, I wouldn’t be a very good Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher if I couldn’t spot a pimple jinx, would I?’ Lupin laughed, a huge grin on his face.

‘I suppose’, Pansy replied, still embarrassed at how easily her ruse failed, ‘I want to learn how to fight’.

‘Why is that? Are you getting into fights?’ Lupin asked, ‘Is that why you were jinxed?’

‘No, that was just a trick another Slytherin girl played on me’, Pansy explained, again twisting the truth.

‘I see’, replied Lupin, although Pansy could tell he wasn’t convinced. ‘One thing the war with Voldemort taught me was the best way to win a fight is to outsmart an opponent and not get in one at all’.

‘Don’t say that!’ Pansy responded, shuddering at the name she had been told never to say out loud; however, if Lupin was brave enough to say it, then he really must know his stuff.

‘A wise man once told me that fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself’ Lupin stated.

‘You’re right, but still it’s… unnerving’, Pansy replied sheepishly. She saw the logic, but still refused to take the advice to heart.

‘Fair enough, but I trust you’ll take my advice about not starting fights, yes?’ Lupin asked, understanding Pansy’s reluctance.

‘I do, but I want to be prepared, you can try to avoid fights all you like, but you can’t avoid the unavoidable’. Pansy replied matter-of-factly, not every problem could be solved by words.

‘All too true, you are very sharp for your age, Pansy,’ Lupin stated that this was exactly why he decided she was a perfect candidate for his lessons.

‘How can I be sharp when I can barely pass Defence Against the Dark Arts when a girl like Hermione Granger, who hadn’t even heard of magic until she was eleven, passes everything with ease?’ Pansy choked; she’d never admitted her insecurities about Granger to anyone. However, the words somehow spilled out when talking to Lupin.

‘Sharpness comes in many forms, don’t judge yourself on a test score’, Lupin explained kindly, noting how difficult it seemed for her to get the words to come out. ‘You don’t strike me as the kind of person who wants to spend all day and night in the library anyway’.

‘You got that right’, Pansy laughed, ‘Thank you.’

‘You’re welcome, I’ll teach you how to fight properly, even spells that aren’t strictly in the curriculum’, Lupin offered encouragingly. Pansy couldn’t help but start to get excited, thinking of all the possibilities of what she could learn made her smile grow. ‘However, I urge you not to go using these spells for the wrong reasons, only if you really need to use them’ he warned.

‘I won’t use them without reason, I promise’, Pansy replied deceptively. She felt bad about lying about her true motivation for learning martial magic.

‘Would you like to meet me for a lesson this afternoon after last period?’ Lupin asked, ‘I say the faster we get started, the better.’

‘Sure, studying History of Magic was pretty low on my priorities anyway’, Pansy joked, Lupin joining in with a slight chuckle, remarking about how Binns must be as boring as ever.

‘I’ll see you this afternoon then, meet me back here at say, 6 o'clock?’ Lupin asked smiling.

‘Sounds great, I’ll see you then. Thank you again for the offer,’ Pansy replied graciously as she turned to leave, not wanting to be late to Herbology. She was incredibly excited; she wouldn’t be pushed around by the likes of Granger again.

She heard voices murmuring behind the doors of the entrance, which could only mean one thing. Gryffindor was here. She stopped before she opened the door, taking a deep breath, knowing who may be on the other side. She needed to play it smart; getting into a fight in front of Lupin’s classroom was bound to make him change his mind. She had to be prepared to ignore whatever Granger, Potter or any of his other friends had ready for her.

She opened the door, immediately scanning the hall for her enemies. Potter and Weasley had arrived early; luckily for her, Granger was nowhere to be seen. She began walking past them, shooting Harry a sneering glare before making her way past the two boys.

‘How are your pimples going?!’ Weasley called out to Pansy’s annoyance, but she maintained her composure, disregarding the thought of asking how Granger’s head was. Harry just stared angrily at her, not saying a word to Pansy’s surprise, wondering what was going through that boy’s head.

‘That lesson was brilliant! can’t believe the size of that spider!’ Ron recalled, laughing about how he managed to make its legs disappear.

‘Yes, it was quite brilliant, wasn’t it?’ Hermione added, she seemed to approve of their new teacher. ‘I still wish I got to have a go.’

‘Why didn’t he let me have a go?’ Harry asked, frustrated.

‘I didn’t get a go either Harry’, Hermione replied softly.

‘That was different, the Boggart didn’t get to you, Lupin deliberately stopped me from getting a crack at it’, Harry responded, he didn’t understand why Lupin thought he was unworthy.

‘Maybe he just wanted to cut you a break’, Ron suggested, knowing Harry had a lot on his mind these days.

‘You are on top of the class in Defence Against the Dark Arts anyway, Harry, you have nothing to worry about’, Hermione said, much to Harry’s frustration.

‘Does he think I’m weak or something, because I fainted on the train?’ Harry added moodily.

He’d be mental to think that, you managed to stop You-Know-Who and fought a Basilisk’, Ron told him assuringly.

‘No student here can match that, Harry, I’m sure he doesn’t think anything of the sort’, Hermione told him, helping Ron calm him down.

‘Yeah, you’ve got nothing to worry about’, Ron added, putting his hand on Harry’s shoulder. Harry was still grumpy, regardless of Ron and Hermione’s efforts, Harry had had a long few days.

‘Maybe you should go ask him, he’ll still be in his classroom in the afternoon, right?’ Hermione suggests, ‘If it sets your mind at ease, Harry, go have a chat with him, and I’m sure he will have an explanation.’

‘Right, I’ll just go talk to him, that will solve everything’, Harry mumbled under his breath, however, he knew the idea wasn’t half bad.

Harry’s bad mood only intensified once they reached the door of the History of Magic classroom. History of Magic was one of Harry’s least favourite subjects, only in front of Potions under Snape.

‘Binns ought to get the sack, say what you want about Snape, but at least he doesn't have half the class nodding off’, Ron commented. He hated Binns’ class even more than Harry did, having spent many hours trying to remember the content of his droning lectures for his homework last year.

‘You two wouldn’t find it so boring if you just paid attention, it’s actually quite fascinating’, Hermione responds defensively. Hermione was usually the only one without her head on the desk.

The trio took their seats, the ghost seemingly reading his notes, ready to deliver yet another monotone lecture. Seamus was already snoring, Neville was reading a book on transfiguration, and Megan Jones was making disgusting crunching noises while she ate a box of cockroach clusters. Binns, as per usual, was none the wiser, convincing Harry to slump down on the desk with his classmates as the lecture started.

Harry started to daydream, his mind drifting off to the events over the past few days. The face of that horrifying dementor came up on him, causing goosebumps to run up his skin. The way he felt in that moment, the cold, the emptiness, the despair, was unforgettable. He didn’t want to experience that again; perhaps he could ask Lupin to teach him that spell that he used on the train to repel it. That way, he could be ready if one ever got close.

Then it was her. The face Harry had been envisioning at night. Her black bob cut, the stupid little freckles under her eyes, the hazel eyes a shade less green than his own. That prissy, proud look she carried on her face everywhere she went. Everything about her drove him mad. He hated seeing her, no matter whether it was in his dreams, his thoughts or in the corridors. He had to get his revenge soon to put his mind at ease.

Harry’s mind started to drift on some plans, some were outlandish and stupid, others maybe worth a try. Perhaps he could try baiting a bludger right into the Slytherin stand, he could get Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle too if he was lucky. No, that was awful; he might crash and cost Gryffindor the game.  He could curse her, maybe. The pimple jinx from Hermione was a bit juvenile, but he could find something nastier. Harry scratched that idea off, too. He didn’t care about getting into trouble, but randomly attacking her just didn’t seem right. He wanted to humiliate her, not hurt her. Harry thought back to the cupcakes they had used on Crabbe and Goyle the year prior; perhaps he could brew the hair loss potion Snape had them make last year? No, that wouldn’t do either. Pansy was smart and cunning, unlike Crabbe and Goyle who would make a troll look like a genius in comparison.

Harry sighed; he had no good ideas, with each plan becoming increasingly ridiculous and flawed as time went on. Before Harry knew it, his eyes had shut, and he drifted off to sleep.

A few abrupt taps on his shoulder from Ron jolted him awake. Everyone knew that you could sleep as much as you liked in Binns’ class as long as you were awake when he shut his lecture book and turned to face the class. He woke up feeling less frustrated, even having realised that getting revenge on Pansy would be much harder than he thought. He could think clearly now. He had to do something that would hurt her pride. Maybe instead of running in on emotion and impulse, he could wait for the right opportunity to present itself? To beat a Slytherin, it couldn’t hurt to think like one, waiting for the right advantageous moment to strike. Perhaps the Sorting Hat was right, he would do well in Slytherin.

‘I think I will go talk to Lupin this afternoon, Hermione’, Harry told Ron and Hermione as they left the dreaded History of Magic classroom.

‘I knew you’d come around’, Hermione responded happily, ‘No harm in talking to him first, right?’

The sky glowed a warm orange by the time Pansy made her way to Lupin’s classroom. She felt unusually excited. Never had she looked forward to anything related to the Defence Against the Dark Arts. For some reason, her respect for Lupin’s teaching had made her hopeful that he could be the one who could finally got through to her.

She knocked on the door to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom for the second time today, again Lupin's voice welcomed her inside. She pushed the door open, the room was cleared with the desks and chairs neatly shoved to the sides of the classroom.

‘How was your Herbology lesson?’ Lupin asked, remembering her quick departure from earlier.

‘Boring, plants don’t interest me, but at least it's mostly just theory’, Pansy replied quickly. It wasn’t entirely true, Millicent getting sprayed with pink goo when her she fed her plant too much was quite funny.

‘Herbology wasn’t my favourite either’, Lupin chuckled, reminiscing to his Hogwarts days.

‘What will be learning today sir?’ Pansy asked eagerly, she had been wondering all day.

‘I think it’s best if you decide what we learn’, Lupin explained, a curious grin on his face which turned into laughter when Pansy looked baffled at his response.

‘Sorry?’ Pansy asked very confused, she expected him to have some sort of lesson ready, ‘You want me to choose?’

‘Indeed, think of anything you struggled with in your previous years, or anything else really’, Lupin told her encouragingly

Her mind immediately went back to last night and her encounter with Hermione. She attempted to protect herself but found herself unable to produce a potent shielding charm in time.

‘I’ve never been able to get shields right’, Pansy conceded, rubbing her face where the pimple jinx had hit her.

‘Ah, very wise’, Lupin commented, quite impressed with Pansy’s selection ‘A witch who looks to protect herself before looking to cause any harm has the right state of mind’.

‘I guess’, Pansy replied guiltily, she knew full well the real reason she wanted to learn the shielding charm. She couldn’t accept Lupin’s praise at all.

‘Even if you don’t believe me, the fact your mind went straight to it proves to me you are worthy of being taught’, Lupin added, noticing Pansy’s guilt but not picking up on the reason behind it.

‘You’re right’, Pansy said, a fake smile on her face. She couldn’t spend all afternoon pouting over if she deserved the compliments or not. She had to focus.

‘Do you know why you struggled in the past?’ Lupin asked curiously, wondering if there was something she wasn’t telling him.

‘Well, Professor Lockhart left a lot to be desired’, Pansy explained, Lockhart’s failures as a teacher were well known, ‘We spent more time writing essays on his adventures in his books than learning anything useful’. ‘Everyone kind of had to learn about it themselves, but my friends’ explanations never really made sense to me’.

‘That’s alright, some people just learn differently, your friends’ methods probably just didn’t click’, Lupin explained. ‘Now, take out your want and try your best to block my disarming charm’

‘Yes sir’, Pansy replied nervously, drawing her wand.

‘Expelliarmus’, Lupin announced slowly, giving Pansy plenty of time to show her block.

‘Protego!’ Pansy shouted, creating a shield in her mind where the spell was headed, however her block was weak and Lupin’s spell hit her want causing it go flying across the classroom.

‘What exactly did you envision’, Lupin asked her, wondering why her block broke so easily.

‘A shield sir, it’s a shielding charm, right?’ Pansy responded as she wandered over to pick up her discarded wand.

‘As in a literal shield? While unique its bound to be ineffective, try imagining a protective bubble forming around you’, Lupin explained, motioning to go again.

‘Alright, I’ll give it a try’, Pansy said, holding up her wand ready for Lupin’s spell.

‘Expelliarmus’, Lupin announced again, just as slow as last time.

‘Protego!’ Pansy yelled out, this time imagining a protective bubble forming around her body, instantly feeling more protected. Still however, the disarming charm broke through and her wand was flung from her hand.

‘You’ve got the right idea, but your wandwork is a bit off, try flicking your wrist backwards and keeping your wand close to your hip’, Lupin explained, imitating the wand movement he was describing.

‘Okay, let me try again’, Pansy told him excitedly, she felt she was making progress as she picked up her wand and readied herself.

‘Expelliarmus’, Lupin announced for the third time.

‘Protego’, Pansy said calmly, focusing as much as she could on flicking her wand back near her hip and maintaining the protective bubble around her. This time, the disarming charm failed to break her guard. She was ecstatic, it was the first time she had ever produced a successful shielding charm. She couldn’t stop smiling, and as a result neither could Lupin.

‘Well done Pansy!, Flipendo!’ Lupin said deceptively emitting another jinx at her, Pansy didn’t even have time to react before she was knocked back onto the floor.

‘What was that for?’ Pansy asked regaining her footing confused as to why Lupin randomly cursed her.

‘Performing a shielding charm in a controlled setting is one thing, but in a real fight you won’t have much time to react, we need to make it instinctual’, Lupin explained.

‘Well played Professor’, Pansy chuckled, she should’ve been mad or upset, but all she could feel in that moment was an unusual laughter. She knew exactly what he was trying to do and she appreciated being taught in a way that made sense to her, unusual or otherwise.

‘Stand still and draw your wand’, Lupin asked, Pansy obliging immediately. He began circling her, not saying a word or making any movements with his wand.

Pansy recognised what he was doing, he was trying to catch her off guard, but she wasn’t about to let him get her twice. She would be ready when the attack came.

‘Flipendo!’ Lupin yelled out, but Pansy was too quick for him this time.

‘Protego’, she called calmly, successfully protecting herself from his jinx. He continued to circle around her.

‘Flipendo’, Lupin announced again after a few seconds of circling

‘Protego’, muttered Pansy, managing to block Lupin’s jinx with ease yet again. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling. She could feel the confidence rising by the second. Even though she came here to learn curses for payback on Granger, she found herself enjoying learning defensive magic just as much.

‘Flipendo’, Lupin called for the final time, this time behind Pansy’s back.

‘Protego’, Pansy repeated, managing to swiftly turn and block his jinx flawlessly. Lupin put his wand back into his pocket and started clapping.

‘Well done, you’re a fast learner when you understand the underlying concepts, that Lockhart guy really must’ve not known what he was doing if he couldn’t teach you’, Lupin told her, offering his congratulations.

‘Thank you, Professor, it’s nice having a decent Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher for once’, Pansy laughed, still excited from her success with the shielding charm, ‘What will be learning next?’

Before Lupin could answer her, a loud knock sounded on the door. Pansy wondered who it was, perhaps another teacher? Or maybe it was Malfoy coming to complain about the Boggart lesson. She hoped whoever it was would go quickly and not disrupt her lesson.

‘Come in’, Lupin said invitingly, much like he did when Pansy entered the room. They both watched the door eagerly, wondering who was visiting.

Harry had come to Lupin’s classroom for answers, he figured that the classroom would be empty by now, hoping to catch up with Lupin while he was working. He knocked on the door and heard an invite to come in. He slowly opened the door, just in case he was intruding.

‘Welcome Harry, what brings you here?’ Lupin asked curiously. Pansy could not believe her eyes.

‘I was just hoping to chat abou…’, Harry was stunned. What the hell was she doing here. They blankly stared at each other for a few seconds before Lupin broke the silence.

‘Uhh, chat about what Harry? You’re acquainted with Miss Parkinson yes?’ Lupin asked confused.

‘Unfortunately’, Harry replied sharply, his anger reigniting thinking of Hagrid and Hermione, ‘I was here to ask you about todays lesson, but I see you are busy’.

‘Nonsense Harry, come join us’, Lupin offered, Harry’s scowl growing larger, ‘I’ve been wanting to speak to you anyway’.

‘Join what? What is she doing here?’ Harry asked agitated, she wasn’t supposed to be here.

‘None of your business’, Pansy sneered, equally annoyed with his presence as he was hers.

‘Ah, I see what’s going on here’, Lupin adds grinning, ‘Nothing like a good old Gryffindor versus Slytherin rivalry, takes me right back to my Hogwarts days’.

‘Why is she here’, Harry asked again angrily, now directing his bad mood towards Lupin.

‘Uhh, I’m giving her some extra lessons to Pansy here, teaching her a few things’, Lupin replied nervously, realising Harry was not finding any humour in the situation.

‘She doesn’t deserve to be taught anything’, Harry exclaimed grumpily, shooting daggers at Pansy who had her hands on her hips clearly offended by his comment.

‘And who are you to decide who deserves to be taught or not, I’ve been chosen because of my talent and potential thank you’, Pansy replied haughtily, she wasn’t about to be told she wasn’t worthy by someone like Potter.

‘Learning new curses to attack my friends, are you?’ Harry snarled back, ‘Four on one in a bathroom wasn’t unfair enough for you?’

Lupin looked nervous, he had no idea their dislike for each other ran this deep.

‘I’m not going to let you ruin this for me Potter!’ Pansy yelled defensively, ‘Go ask Granger for a head bump healing spell, she’ll be an expert after last night’.

‘Maybe you really do belong in remedial tutoring after all, you aren’t as bright as I thought’, Harry laughed mockingly.

‘Did you just say I was bright?’ Pansy asked confused, ‘Did I hear you right’.

Harry went red, what the hell was he thinking? Why was that the first thing that came to his head? Lupin remained lurking in the corner, watching the exchange curiously.

‘What are you talking about? That’s not really the point is it?’ Harry responded embarrassed.

‘Ugh, whatever, just hurry up and go, this is my lesson’, Pansy said angrily, wanting to get on with her lesson, ‘Why don’t you just disappear and snuggle up in Granger’s bed already’

‘I’m not going anywhere, I need to talk to Lupin’, Harry stated, glaring at Pansy

‘Perhaps you should both stay, Harry is excellent at Defence Against the Dark Arts, perhaps he can help teach you a thing or two Pansy’, Lupin suggested innocently, trying to get the two students to stop arguing

‘NO!’ They both yelled in unison; the first time they agreed on something before looking at each other furiously.

‘All you got to do is fire a few curses at her Harry’, it seems like you’ve been wanting to do that since you’ve walked in this room’, Lupin explains, appealing to Harry’s anger.

‘What? You want to let him curse me? Absolutely not!’ Pansy shrieked nervously, as much as she hated him, she had to admit he was a natural when it came to duelling. Few students their age could stand a chance against Draco who had been enrolled in duelling classes since he was eight, his father using his connections in the ministry to allow him to practice magic before Hogwarts. Yet Harry was able to overcome him without even knowing magic existed until he got his letter.

‘Wait, you’re giving me permission to curse her?’ Harry asked Lupin confused. He had wanted to do so for a while, but the idea of ruining her lesson, something she clearly cared about intrigued him more than anything.

‘That’s right, as I explained to Pansy before, producing shield charms in a controlled setting is one thing, in a real fight another’, Lupin explained, reading Harry as much as he could. He had a lot of James in him. ‘I have a feeling you won’t hold back like I would’.

‘Not against him! Get him out of here!’ Pansy pouted, unwavering even if she knew Lupins logic was sound. She wanted Potter gone.

‘I accept’, Harry said, now smiling smugly when he looked at Pansy’s horror filled face. It was the revenge he had been looking for, seeing Pansy so hysterical meant she really wanted these lessons to go smoothly. He was not about to let that happen.

‘Just try not to use anything particularly nasty’, Lupin warned, not wanting Pansy to get to worried.

Harry drew his wand, as did Pansy very reluctantly. They both took 10 paces from each other, as well as both refusing to bow despite Lupin’s recommendations. Harry and Pansy both readied themselves, Harry plotting a way to break her block and Pansy panicking that she couldn’t stop him.

‘Rictasempra!’ yelled Harry, firing a charm much more potent than the jinxes that Lupin used on her earlier.

‘Protego’, Pansy said meekly, managing to block his tickling charm, one of Malfoy’s favourites.

‘Rictasempra!’ Harry exclaimed again, wasting no time to break down her guard.

‘Protego!’ Pansy yelled desperately, she managed to block it again, but nearly lost her footing not expecting such a quick follow up.

‘Cadereo!’ Harry shouted, firing a tripping jinx at Pansy’s feet.

‘Protego!’ Pansy yelled back, again managing to successfully block Harry’s spells, she readied herself as she saw Harry waving his wand ready for a follow up attack.

‘Protego’, Pansy muttered calmly, now feeling in control. However, nothing ever came out of Harry’s wand, it was already too late when she realised why.

‘Facis Ruoi’, Harry exclaimed grinning, she had fallen for his fake out and her defence was down.

The face scrambling jinx hit pansy dead centre, causing her to fall to the ground with a thud. Harry was surprised that she had lasted that long against him considering Hermione’s assessment last night. Clearly these classes were working or her.

Pansy’s face was a mess. Her eyes were where her nose and mouth were supposed to go, her nose on her eyebrow and her mouth where her left eye was supposed to be. She was angry and embarrassed, but only with Potter. Lupin had been right, real combat was the best way to learn martial magic. She could picture Harry running off to his stupid little friends, recounting about how he made her look like a fool. The thought drove her mad.

‘Good job Harry, excellent thinking teaching her about fake outs’, Lupin congratulated, watching Pansy get up.

‘My pleasure sir’, Harry responded grinning. He didn’t care about teaching her anything, he just really wanted to curse her.

‘Happy now Potter?’ Pansy called out angrily, although it was hard to take her seriously when it was her eyeball doing the talking.

‘Let me fix that Pansy, Ruo Retroria’, Lupin said concerned, casting a counter curse that returned Pansy’s face back to normal.

‘Shame, I think she looked a lot better with her face jumbled’, Harry remarked, ‘A nice break from her usual hideousness’

‘Even with a jumbled face, I’d still be the best-looking witch in this castle’, Pansy responded proudly.

‘Maybe if all the witches were replaced with trolls’, Harry snapped, Pansy just rolled her eyes.

‘Look, maybe that’s enough training for today’, Lupin announced much to Pansy’s disappointment

‘No! We can’t stop now, I was just getting it down!’ Pansy pleaded, she was ready to learn more.

‘Pansy, it’s getting late, I don’t want you two here after dark, especially Harry considering Sirius Black is on the loose’ Lupin told them both.

‘He doesn’t have to stay, hell it would be a blessing if he didn’t stay’, Pansy begged, ignoring Harry’s presence.

‘We will have another lesson soon, does Friday afternoon sound good?’ Lupin asked her trying to calm her down by offering more lessons.

‘Fine, Friday it is, make sure this idiot isn’t here’, Pansy retorted, clearly frustrated.

‘I have Quidditch practice anyway, not that I wanted to spend my time anywhere near you’, Harry snapped.

‘Hope you fall off your broom, Thank you for today Professor’, Pansy said gratefully, reminding herself to get the last word on Harry before leaving.

‘See you Friday Pansy’, Lupin called out as she left the classroom, the door thudding shut as she walked out. ‘Harry, a word in my office please’.

Lupin invited Harry into his office, sealing the door with magic behind him ensuring Pansy didn’t come back to hear this conversation, knowing James, this conversation wasn’t going to be a good one.

‘Why are you training her!’ Harry asked him angrily; he wanted to know why.

‘Pansy is my student, it’s my responsibility to enable her to do well’, Lupin replied calmly.

‘She’s a Slytherin!’ Harry commented, although that wasn’t his main gripe with him tutoring her.

‘I’ve met many Slytherins and not all of them are awful, just because it’s the house that attracts the most bad personalities doesn’t make them all bad’, Lupin explained.

‘Fine, but she’s awful, she’s one of the worst and you know it too’, Harry snarled, ‘I know you never fell for her little facade’.

‘You’re right Harry, I’ve heard the rumours and that’s precisely the reason I picked her’, Lupin explained further, remaining calm with Harry.

‘You knew? You knew she was a bully and you still decided to tutor her?’ Harry said becoming even more furious.

‘I’ve been doing some… reflection on my time at Hogwarts’, Lupin conceded, ‘When I was your age I treated those in Slytherin like you do now, I treated them harshly as did my friends and they responded equally as nasty in return’.

‘So? Why should you treat bullies with anything less?’ Harry asked bewildered at Lupin’s response.

‘It’s just that’, Lupin sighed, ‘I have a feeling that if I gave certain people, a certain someone a chance and showed them a bit of kindness and respect, they could’ve turned out a lot different.

‘Who?’ Harry asked, wondering who Lupin felt guilty about.

‘It doesn’t matter, what matters is that I see a lot of potential in Pansy, I made up some rubbish about her grades, but it was really the way she carried herself in my class that impressed me’, Lupin explained, ‘Her boggart, it made me realise there was something deeper to her than the others’.

‘You can’t trust her, she puts on a show to impress everybody but only shows her true colours when she has nothing to lose’, Harry told him, calming down slightly after hearing Lupin’s explanations.

‘I’m no stranger to the concept of appearances, Harry’, Lupin commented, not wanting to explain why.

‘Look, if you want to tutor her then that’s on you if she starts using your spells to cause harm’, Harry warned, ‘Her and her gang attacked Hermione last night and she’s tried to get Hagrid fired, I still don’t know what you see in her’.

‘I’ll take full responsibility if she turns out badly, I just have a good feeling about this, I have to trust my gut’, Lupin told him.

An awkward silence ensued, before Harry remembered the entire purpose of his trip to Lupins office.

‘Why didn’t you let me fight the Boggart’, Harry asked bluntly.

‘Well, we couldn’t have Voldemort running around the classroom could we’, Lupin told him calmly.

‘I guess’, Harry said baffled, not used to hearing people say Voldemort’s name out loud other than himself, but gaining respect for the man for doing so, ‘But I don’t think it would have been Voldemort, those Dementors…’

‘Ah, I don’t blame you Harry’, Lupin assured him before chuckling, ‘You and Pansy have a lot more in common than you think you do’.

‘How so?’ Harry asked curiously.

‘A fear of Dementors indicates that what you fear the most is, well, fear’, Lupin explained, ‘It’s very wise from the two of you’.

‘You mean, Pansy’s boggart was a Dementor?’ Harry asked, picking up on Lupin’s meaning.

‘I see you’re sharp like Pansy too, not unlike your mother either’, Lupin said kindly.

‘You knew my mum sir?’ Harry asked curiously, forgetting about the comparison to Pansy.

‘Very well, your Dad too, he was one of my best friends at Hogwarts’, Lupin explained, eyes lighting up remembering the good times.

‘Tell me more, please sir’, Harry asked, almost as desperate as Pansy was to continue the lesson earlier.

‘Absolutely Harry’, Lupin said with a kind smile, ‘I’ll pour us some tea, I’ve got some stories to tell’.

A/N

It’s been a while, sorry! Exams were kicking my ass and then work dialled it up to 10. But Now I’ve got all summer to update this story I’ve been dying to get back to. We’re so back.

I had to go back and rewrite parts of this which made it even longer to write, I wrote my rough draft thinking Harry did fight the Boggart and Lupin stepped in like in the movie, which I kind of set up in Chapter 2, but upon re-reading the chapters I remembered that Harry doesn’t actually fight the Boggart in the book. I had to make a few adjustments and change a lot of the dialogue to remain book accurate, but overall, I’m a lot happier with the new version and it adds a lot more depth especially with the last scene in the office with Lupin and Harry. I had to cut out a bit where Harry accepts more lessons from Lupin to not disturb the rest of the flow, but I can probably work that into the next chapter.

God I wasn’t kidding when I said this chapter was long, I hope its not too long and I feel like I filled it with some good content. Hope it was worth the wait, especially the lesson scene.

How do you guys come up with the incantations for new spells? Personally, I have been using adjusted Latin translations. Is there any other methods people use?