Chapter 11
ALDER EVANS
The prank from the Marauders set off a sort of war. House Slytherin was not one to back down after they had been humiliated twice over, so within the Halls and corridors of Hogwarts, a war started between House Slytherin and House Gryffindor.
The Snakes chose to strike with spells rather than pranks, and the Lions struck back. The Prefects had long lost their patience, and even Alder's efforts became useless, for each side refused to back down.
Detentions were handed out, points were deducted, but Hogwarts had become a place of conflict, and amidst this row, he was summoned by their Head of House into her office.
He was no stranger to McGonagall's office, and the Transfiguration Professor still had the spry youth that would be lost in the years ahead as she sat there grading assignments.
"You called for me, Professor," he asked from the door as the woman looked up and smiled.
"Alder, come and sit," she spoke with glee, and why wouldn't she? He was amongst her favourite pupils, and unlike the Marauders, he was not prone to causing her trouble.
"And he did," and she offered him tea and biscuits, which he declined softly, as she put away the assignments.
"So, what is it about?" he asked, and the woman's face had a stiff smile.
"The Headmaster is worried about the escalating tensions between House Gryffindor and House Slytherin," and while the students all tried to keep this away from prying eyes, it was not always possible.
"Everyone is," he agreed, as her lips thinned.
"He wants you to calm things down," and that was strange.
"I am just a Prefect," he countered, for the man was underestimating his prowess.
"You are not. The other students, the Half-Bloods and the Muggle-borns they all look up to you. They will listen to you," and he shook his head.
"I can assure you I have tried. But if the Slytherins continue to attack students from our House, I can do very little," and her eyes sharpened.
"That will stop as well," she answered sharply.
"Slughorn will be talking to his students as well. This will end, and I for one would not like to see it end through suspensions and detentions," and if the Slytherins were to calm down, he might be able to keep his own Housemates.
"I will try," he assured her, and that was all she could ask of him.
"I know that you must be angry with how things were settled with Malfoy and his gang, but this is a school," and there was some guilt in that tone, and as he remembered the pain from that spell, he wanted to lash out.
But he did not.
"And I for one will not let it turn into a battlefield," and Alder nodded.
"I can assure you I am not the one inciting these confrontations. The Slytherins are the ones who started it, because they couldn't handle a single prank," and her face twisted.
"Ahh, and here I had begun to think that Potter and his friends had learned their lesson. Those four will be the death of me," and in this shadow war between the two Houses, the Marauders were at the forefront of it, despite his repeated warnings.
"I am afraid that will remain just a dream," and they both chuckled at that.
"Still, perhaps you could guide their focus elsewhere. Involve them a bit more in your club to make it so that they won't have time for this," and that could be done.
It was wrong and cruel of them to ask this of him, when he had been wronged by those damned snakes. But Alder was not petty, and nodded softly.
"I will take care of them, and do what I can to calm things down. But you have to understand nothing will happen if the Slytherins continue to engage us," and she nodded.
"That will not be a problem," she assured him, he sighed.
"This is why I didn't want to become a Prefect," he retorted as the aged woman chuckled.
"And this is exactly why I made you one," and he shook his head.
"That and because I am your favourite student," he teased as the woman picked up the assignments again and sipped her tea.
"Don't flatter yourself, Mr. Evans, a teacher doesn't have favourite students," she answered as he clicked his tongue as he rose from the chair.
"Now you have broken my heart," he whispered.
"But if I did have one, it would have been you," and he smiled.
"And I would get used to the badge and the responsibilities because if I have my way, you will be the Headboy in but a few years," and his eyes widened.
"That is an honor I can live without," but her mind seemed made.
"I think I should start taking after Potter and his group," and her eyes narrowed.
"Do you want me to give you detention for a year?" she warned, and he shook his head.
"Take the weekend to talk with the students. I will also come to the dorm tonight myself. But this needs to be handled," and he nodded, and straightened up.
"Of course, Professor," and with that, he walked out of the room, and as he did, he found the Marauders standing outside trying to listen in.
"What are the four of you up to now?"
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NARCISSA BLACK
Hogwarts was filled with tension, and finally, embers of the war from the outside had seeped into these Halls, as clashes between students became a rather common occurrence.
Narcissa watched it all happen with disinterest. She had written to her grandfather on Andromeda's advice, and had received a single line answer from him, inviting her and her entire family for a Christmas.
It was not much, but it was hope still. Hope had begun to reappear in her life.
The emptiness that had once filled her life still lingered, but now, for six days of the week, she had something to look forward to. Someone to look forward to.
She had continued to practise the magic and the skills he had taught him. In the Great Hall, she eyed him often, laughing and japing with his friends, and despite the entire House Slytherin after him, he sat there more free than anyone she had ever seen.
He laughed and joked. And when those eyes would turn towards her, for but a moment she would see in them a light, a glimmer that soothed her.
"You ready?" her sister asked her, as the week passed and Sunday came again, and she nodded more enthusiastically than she had hoped, as Andromeda led her out of their dorms as they again made their way to the second-floor bathrooms.
She eyed her sister, and wanted to ask her about that boy who had spent the last entire session with her. Narcissa was no fool and had eyed Ted and that Carina girl the entire week.
The two seemed completely unaware of each other, yet during the last session, he had spent his entire time with her, which meant only one thing.
He was not really spending time with Carina. No, he was spending time with Andromeda Black.
Him. Ted Tonks. Headboy. Badger. Mud-blood.
It was a betrayal that she would never have expected out of her sister. Her entire life, Narcissa had been taught to fear and hate the Muggle-borns. She had been taught to revile them. Andromeda had been taught those very lessons as well.
Yet, now her sister was in love with a Muggle-born, and Narcissa herself was no better.
"What are you waiting for?" Andy called out, now in the shape and form of that Hufflepuff brunette, as she put the Polyjuice flask to her mouth and downed the repulsive potion, as her body began to change again.
This time, she did not scream or wince, and a second later, as she gazed in the mirror. Pandora stared back with those hollow blue eyes of hers.
"Let's go," and so they ran out again, and in that very classroom, he stood again, speaking to the newcomers.
"Carina!" and she perked up, glanced to the side, and saw the brown-haired boy walk towards her sister, whose face brightened in an instant, confirming her earlier suspicions about her.
"Ted," she smiled, as she left with him, while Narcissa simply stood against the wall, and began listening to him.
"Now, this week, your teachers and professors would have told you a little about magic. Some of you may even have read about the laws and principles that I asked you to read," he began, softly, teasing and joking with those young minds.
The older members had already grouped up and were already practising, laughing, and reading, and Narcissa felt a pang of sadness and regret hit her as she felt alone in that room.
Perhaps, he sensed that as those blue eyes glanced towards her, as he gave her a smile before continuing.
"And while you will need to memorise them for the exams, the truth is that magic itself is the name of miracles and miracles have no laws," he vanished.
"Know them, but try to defy them. Do not think of them as nothing but guidelines, and as wizards and witches make it your life's purpose to defy those laws," and they cheered as he moved.
"And now for today, I have a very simple spell for you to master. But let me warn you, simple it may be, but in the right," and he gazed around animatedly as he whispered, and pointed towards himself.
"My, hands, it can be very deadly if you know what I mean," and he raised his wand, and she saw him use a full wand movement...
"Hi," but her focus was interrupted by a new voice, and she looked to the side and saw Marlene standing there beside her.
She was Narcissa Black. Daughter of the Black family, while she was a McKinnon, and a lion of Gryffindor, and perhaps it was that surprise which forced her to still, as she answered after a second prompt.
"Hi," she asked again as Narcissa nodded.
"Hi," and she shook the offered hand.
"I am Marlene McKinnon," and she knew that even before she had spoken up.
"I know, and I am Nar...Pandora. Pandora Lovegood," she corrected herself as the brown haired girl chuckled.
"If you say so," and Narcissa was stunned by those words, as Lily Evans joined her brother on the stage and began to demonstrate different variants of a simple Lumos spell to the newcomers.
"What do you mean by that?" she asked softly, as those blue eyes looked into her own.
"You are not Pandora," the girl answered flatly, and before she could say anything in rebuttal, she continued.
"Don't lie. I have known Pandora for years, and she has no interest in this club. Whoever you are, it does not matter to me as long as you promise to do this club no harm," and suddenly her wand was in her hand, as Marlene McKinnon was spinning it in her hands.
"Because if you do, I will find out exactly who you are and make you pay a steep..."
"McKinnon, Pandora," Alder's sweet voice interrupted the Gryffindor girl, and her expression shifted in a second, as the girl smiled sweetly for the boy.
"I was just introducing myself to Pandora and telling her about the club," the girl lied easily, and it was obvious that he did not believe her.
"Well, then let me take over. Lily could use a hand with the newcomers," and McKinnon smiled teasingly, and walked past him as she licked her lips.
"As you say, captain," and joined the red-haired girl on the stage as he turned towards her.
"I do hope that she did not scare you. McKinnon has become rather protective of the club after that attack," and she nodded.
"So, you know..." she asked hesitantly, as he smiled.
"I do," he did not let her finish, as her heart sank.
"But your secret is safe with me, Narcissa," and she had her suspicion the last time, but this just confirmed it.
"Only I know who you are. One other person has some suspicion, but none of us will ever break your trust, I give you my word," and she nodded, for if it ever got out that she was fraternising with a Muggle-born.
The Scandal it would cause.
She could still turn away. She could leave. She had half a mind to do just that.
Yet for some reason, she did not wish to. She wanted to stay. Wanted to talk and train with the boy in front of her, as she had last Sunday.
"So, how about we check your progress with the disarming charm...."
And, her feet moved on their own and her head bobbed as well she chased after him, as they walked to another corner of the room, and began their own practise, and minutes turned into hours and those seeds of doubt and question never blossomed, as she found herself laughing and joking beside him, as her sister eyed him from the other corner of the room.
.
.
.
And as Narcissa laughed together with Alder, Malfoy and the rest of the Pure-Bloods all stood in front of the Dark Lord.
"From this moment onwards, you are to leave that boy alone," the Dark Lord commanded, and those words felt like poison to Malfoy's ears.
"But, my lord. He is a mudblood. He is an affront to us all. He insults y..."
"Silence!" and the mere whisper from the Dark Lord was enough to make everyone around him turn quiet as those red orbs focused on Malfoy.
"Muggleborn you call him, yet he was able to defeat six of you all by himself. You should be ashamed of yourself then!" and the pain came in the blink of an eye.
"Crucio!" and all five of them writhed on the ground and screamed as the Dark Lord's spell burned through their bodies.
It ended quickly, though, as Malfoy gasped for breath.
"Thank you, my lord. Thank you," he whispered.
"I believe there is more to that boy. So, I wish to meet him, and until then, you are to keep yourself away from him," and he nodded.
"Of course, my lord," and then the mark on their arms burned as the Dark Lord smiled.
"Then let us proceed with the cleansing..." and they all vanished in a black blur, as the Prophet reported on the deaths of a dozen muggles, marking the twentieth incident of its kind in but half a year.
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