Three thousand three hundred subs! Thank you all for your subscription, I really appreciate it. Starting off the year with 3.3 gives me hope to end the year with 5.3… if possible. But numbers aside, I’m really grateful for your support and readership. I hate repeating those cliché words, but I have to because I still mean them 🙂 So never forget, your presence means a lot to me!
Anyway, since I just gave an update on New Year’s day, I thought I should do something else in this post. Because I love Harry Potter, I’ve decided to do the Harry Potter tag! Don’t worry, I’ll keep my answers short and sweet.
#1 Would you rather go to the Yule Ball with Harry, Draco or Ron?
Oliver Wood.
#2Would you rather be sorted into Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Hufflepuff or Gryffindor?
Slytherin.
#3 Would you rather explore the Forbidden Forest or the halls of Hogwarts?
Halls of Hogwarts.
#4 Would you rather enroll in Divination, Defense against the Dark Arts, Potions or Charms?
Defense Against the Dark Arts.
#5Would you rather buy a Cat, Rat, Owl or Toad?
Owl.
#6 Would you rather have the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone or the Cloak of Invisibility?
Elder Wand.
#7 Would you rather be tutored by Hermione Granger or Luna Lovegood?
Hermione Granger.
#8 Would you rather, in the final battle, fight Nagini or Bellatrix?
Bellatrix.
#9 Would you rather fight a Basilisk or a Dragon?
Basilisk.
#10Would you rather be part of the Malfoy or Weasley family?
Malfoy.
#11 Would you rather have Butterbeer or Pumpkin juice?
I have no idea how Pumpkin juice tastes like. Can’t pick.
#12Would you rather fly on a broomstick, Hagrid’s motorbike or Buckbeak?
Ford Anglia.
#13 Would you rather meet J.K. Rowling or Daniel Radcliffe?
J.K. Rowling.
#14 Who would you cast to play Harry Potter in the movies?
The real Harry! Wait, he’s not real?
If you want me to elaborate on any of my answers, leave me a comment! I definitely have something to add, I just don’t want to bore those who aren’t in the Harry Potter fandom.
Well, that’s it for this post. Thank you again and continue to stay awesome! (Now that is a word I haven’t used in a while.)
*Current blog post schedule: A post every Thursday alternating between an original short story and a Harry Potter fan fic novel.
Lucius got out of bed the next morning so close to forgetting about Severus’ little problem. It was only until he witnessed the bullying himself did he act on it.
It was right after breakfast. Students were heading to their classes and Lucius was heading to his. As he walked past a small garden within the school compound, he spotted three boys standing by a tree.
Curiosity struck him as he walked towards them.
“Shouldn’t you be in class?” Lucius asked.
The boys spun around immediately, and behind them was Severus sitting against the bark of the tree.
“Oh yes, we should get going,” the boy with messy black hair said as he signalled his friends to follow after him.
Though they took big strides, they did not manage to escape. Oddly, it was not Lucius who stopped them but Ms Evans.
Ms Evans walked up to them and demanded, “Apologize.”
“For what?” the boy replied.
“Apologize, Potter,” Ms Evans repeated.
The Potter boy chuckled and said, “I did nothing wrong, Lily. Why should I apologize?”
Ms Evans seemed to be struggling in holding in her anger, and when she gave up, she swung her hand right across the boy’s cheek.
Severus scrambled to his feet at the sound of the slap. The Potter boy said nothing while his friend turned to Lucius and said, “She hit him! She should be punished!”
Lucius had no problem punishing them both, after all, it was Gryffindor losing points.
“Fifteen points from all four of you,” Lucius said, and before the boys could question why, he continued, “Fifteen points for bullying a fellow student and fifteen points for physical violence.”
“That’s sixty points from Gryffindor!” the Potter boy finally spoke.
“You count well, Potter. Next time, think before you act,” Lucius merely said before ushering Severus away from the scene.
When Severus tried to protest, Lucius held on to his shoulder and led him away.
Lucius brought Severus to class before heading to his, but the day was not over. During lunch, Lucius invited Severus for a walk and he intended to give a pretty good lecture.
“Do you know why those boys keep bullying you?” Lucius asked.
“Because I’m weird?” Severus replied.
“Well, partly. I think they bully you because you need a girl to stand up for you,” Lucius pointed out.
“Lily was just helping me. She’s a good friend-”
“She’s not worthy to be your friend. In fact, you don’t need a friend like her. She’s a mudblood after all,” Lucius interrupted.
“What’s wrong with mudbloods? They are just like us,” Severus asked innocently.
“They’re not. They are outsiders hoping to take what is rightfully ours. They don’t deserve it. Your friend, Lily, doesn’t deserve it.”
“But I can’t leave her,” Severus almost whispered his words.
“Make new friends Lucius, then you can leave her,” Lucius advised.
As Lucius left Severus pondering, he began to wonder. Why did Severus need Ms Evans? What kind of a friendship did they have? Was it something so inseparable that the thought of parting ways sounded impossible?
Lucius never had a friend that meant that much to him. He didn’t like being tied down. He was the lone ranger who preferred working by himself, and that worked well for him all these years.
Friend, who invented that word anyway? Lucius silently asked himself.
As Quidditch season started drawing in, Lucius noticed Severus taking his advice. Severus stopped hanging out with Ms Evans as much as he used to, and started hanging out with other Slytherin boys. He also started using the word ‘mudblood’ when Ms Evans wasn’t around.
Lucius had a feeling that one day, a slip of a tongue would end Severus’ ties with Ms Evans altogether. Now wouldn’t that be something to celebrate? Lucius smiled at the idea.
But that was one celebration he would reconsider in due time.
One sunny morning, the match between Slytherin and Ravenclaw began at the blow of a whistle. Lucius enjoyed watching a Quidditch match, but he never liked the idea of playing it. Let’s just say he wasn’t a big fan of heights.
As the quaffle changed hands and the bludgers shot at unsuspecting players, something unexpected happened.
Lucius was climbing up to the professors’ watchtower when a wild bludger crashed into the wooden structure. It rammed against the stairs and the inner pillars like a loose cannon, and it cut through Lucius’ path. Immediately, Lucius scrambled for his wand but before a spell could be cast, the bludger hit him in the stomach and forced him through the supposedly thick wooden panels.
The bludger free itself from him and swerve back into the Quidditch field while Lucius madly waved his arms and grabbed onto the Ravenclaw banner around the tower.
When he finally had a firm grip, Lucius braved himself and took a look down. He was dangling high above the dark waters of the lake, and his heartbeat rose almost instantly. When Lucius tried calling for help, the loud cheering students had their back against him and he was completely out sight.
Nobody knew he was there, not even his ‘friends’.
He thought of climbing back up to the platform or lowering himself to the lake, but while he tried to rationalize both options he saw a Ravenclaw player swerving around a nearby watchtower. Without having to squint much, he knew who it was.
What should he do? Lucius would rather save himself, but a broom ride to solid ground was much more safer. If only that player wasn’t Tanya, he wouldn’t have to contemplate so much.
To Be Continued…
(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should save himself or ask for help!)
“Regarding?” Lucius replied, as he watched Tanya say her goodbyes and leave.
“I want you to leave Severus alone,” she said.
“Who?” Lucius responded. His honest question for being temporarily distracted came off sarcastically.
“Severus, my friend?”
Lucius gave her a long look before asking, “Why?”
“You’re bad for him,” Ms Evans answered boldly.
Lucius gave a false chuckle. “I think you are mistaken. The poor boy has no other friend but you, and one day you’ll leave him too. When that happens, I’ll be the only one he has left.”
“I won’t leave him.”
Lucius smirked. “We’ll see.”
He didn’t bother to stick around and argue with the girl any longer, as he walked off and politely excused himself from Professor Slughorn’s dinner party.
Lucius thought he had managed to leave Ms Evans behind, but when she left the office after him, he knew she was not done.
“Malfoy!”
Did she just call me by my family name? Lucius asked himself silently. She was not going to get away with it.
“I’ll have points deducted from your house for your lack of manners,” Lucius immediately replied.
“I don’t care. I don’t know who you are or why you act like you own this school, but I’m not letting you bully me,” Ms Evans shot back.
“You don’t know who I am?” Lucius asked, curious as to why.
“Why should I?”
“Don’t your parents teach you?”
“They taught me well enough,” Ms Evans paused before she continued, “just not about this world.”
“Oh, so you’re a mudblood too.”
What’s wrong with Dumbledore? All these mudbloods are ruining our prestigious institute. Father must hear about this, Lucius told himself.
“What’s a-”
“Dirty blood. You don’t belong here. You’re not a real witch, you’re filth to our society,” Lucius answered her unfinished question.
“That’s discrimination! I’m just like you, I-”
“Don’t ever compare yourself to me, Ms. Evans. You are nothing like me. I’m of noble birth and my bloodline is pure. Yours however, won’t account for anything if it’s spilled,” Lucius spat.
Ms Evans innocent looking face flared up. She looked like she was about to throw a punch.
“Touch me, Ms Evans, and you will be expelled,” Lucius warned.
“How low can you go to threaten a child?” a familiar voice asked from behind him.
When Lucius turned his head to look, he saw Tanya standing a few feet away. Almost instantly, his anger turned towards her.
“You lied to me! You almost made me a fool!”
“You are, for thinking yourself better than everyone else,” Tanya replied.
Lucius shook his head to calm himself down. After weighing out the different replies he had in his head, Lucius said, “You see, that’s the problem with you mudbloods. You are all ignorant fools, thinking you are special being here. Go on and live in your fantasy world, but be careful, you don’t want death bursting your little bubble.”
Lucius did not stick around to explain further and he stormed off. When he finally returned to the common room, he swung his hand at a lamp on the nearby table and with a crash the room fell silent.
“What, what happened?” one of his so-called friends asked.
“Severus!” Lucius called out instead. When nobody responded, Lucius demanded, “Where’s that boy?”
“He’s not back yet, I think,” another so-called friend replied.
Just then, the common room door swung open and Severus entered. His eyes were locked on the ground and he only looked up when Lucius blocked his way.
“What’s with you?” Lucius asked.
Severus looked as though someone had called him a mudblood. It was the kind of reaction Lucius was hoping from the little brat just now.
Severus gave no reply as he looked at everyone in the room. All eyes were on him, and his mind was visibly blank.
Noticing the problem, Lucius turned and asked, “What are you guys doing standing around? Shouldn’t you all be in bed?”
An older prefect immediately started ordering the crowd to their warm beds, and soon Lucius and Severus were the only ones left.
“So, what’s with you?” Lucius asked again.
“Nothing,” Severus replied softly.
“What do you mean nothing?” Lucius gave Severus’ shoulder a squeeze in hopes to lead him to the sofa by the fireplace, but as he did Severus quickly pulled away and yelped in pain.
“What happened? Did you forget to jump on the enchanted stairs?”
Severus shook his head, but his lips were still sealed.
“Stop being a coward and tell me what happened,” Lucius demanded.
“I- I- the other boys were rough,” Severus managed a reply.
“What other boys? Boys from our house?”
“Gryffindor,” Severus said softly, as though saying the house name might do more damage.
“Name,” Lucius merely said. It sounded like a statement more than a question and Severus took a while to get it. When he finally did, he muttered, “Potter.”
So the rough little boy went by the name of Potter, eh? Lucius thought as Severus stood awkwardly with a hand rubbing his shoulder.
“I’ll handle this, Severus. But tomorrow, tomorrow you’ll be hanging out with Avery and Mulciber. They are very funny boys,” Lucius simply said.
Severus nodded and headed straight to bed. Lucius however, stayed a while longer. What should he do? Should he leave it to the professors or should he handle it himself?
“You see Ms Evans, Severus needs me,” Lucius whispered just as the flames in the fireplace puffed out.
To Be Continued…
(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should leave it to the professors or handle it himself!)
Jeyna Grace 