#loading my Slytherin mc save

[traceyc-uk]

I think you can guess which quest this follows

Edit: a consolidatory hug post

[fellulahh]

Can you sort the boys into houses and say what lessons they would like least and best please? Do as many or little as you want. 🙂

His Hogwarts House and favourite/least favourite lesson (all characters!)

Lucifer:

Better be...Gryffindor!

Reason for this house: I bet you thought i was going to say Slytherin, didn’t you? The reason I chose this one is because of Lucifer’s downfall. His bravery protecting his sister was the reason for his descent. He’s also arrogant as fuck.

Favourite lesson: Potions, you have to be incredibly meticulous when it comes to brewing potions, and Lucifer loved the satisfaction of successfully creating them

Least favourite: Care of Magical Creatures, Lucifer assumes that because he had Cerberus, he could easily control any animal. He was wrong. And he found out the hard way.

Mammon:

Better be...Gryffindor!

Reason for this house: when Belphie killed MC, he was the only brother to have the courage to step forward and cling to the very little life the human still held. He’s a bit of a show off too and I can see him bragging over every single quidditch match win.

Favourite lesson: Flying lessons! Mammon loves to play Quidditch and this is the only lesson that comes close to the game

Least favourite lesson: Potions, Mammon has absolutely no patience and is always blowing up the classroom

Levi:

Better be...Slytherin!

Reason for this house: Levi can be really chirpy but he is also the Avatar of Envy. And if he’s feeling particularly envious of somebody, I can see him turning really dark. Also...he’s a snaaaaaake

Favourite lesson: Care of Magical Creatures, being a serpent himself, Levi is absolutely fascinated to the various creatures Hogwarts has to offer; particularly the giant squid in the lake

Least favourite lesson: Muggle Studies, he doesn’t want to learn about normies!

Satan:

Better be...Ravenclaw!

Reason for this house: Satan is incredibly smart - he’d be one of the most intelligent wizards in all of Hogwarts history. There’s no way he’d be in any other house with his intellect

Favourite lesson: History of Magic, he’s absolutely fascinated by everything in the Wizarding world and wants to know all there is to it

Least favourite lesson: Potions, Satan excels in everything and is the top of every class...apart from this one because Lucifer is better than him

Asmo:

Better be...Slytherin!

Reason for this house: this demon is sweet 90% of the time but I bet if he needed to be, he could be incredibly cunning and merciless. I can see Asmo being that bitch

Favourite lesson: Transfiguration, he loves the thought of being able to transform himself into anything he wishes!

Least favourite lesson: History of Magic, boring! Asmo doesn’t care about the history, all he cares about is the ability of being able to perform magic

Beel:

Better be...Hufflepuff!

Reason for this house: Beel is neutral, he wouldn’t want to be conflicting with anybody - he’s just happy to be there. Plus there’s no way he’d be in any other house considering the Hufflepuff common room is beside the kitchen

Favourite lesson: Charms, he studies extra hard in this class because he can learn spells that turn objects into food

Least favourite lesson: Herbology...what do you mean he can’t eat the plants?!

Belphie:

Better be...Slytherin!

Reason for this house: to be honest, Belphie is not that different to Voldemort when you think about it. Both wanted to rid the world of a particular species (muggles v human). His similarities with the Dark Lord is my reason for this choice!

Favourite lesson: Defence Against the Dark Arts. He wants to be able to kill humans...need I say more?

Least favourite lesson: Muggle Studies, why would he want to learn about them?

Diavolo:

He’s Dumbledore

Better be...Gryffindor!

Reason for this house: it was a toss up between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Based on the Diavolo we know so far, he’s incredibly friendly, brave, has BDE energy and as the Prince of Devildom, is daring. (However if he ends up being shady in the later chapters, he can move to Slytherin for being cunning and deceiving us all!)

Favourite lesson: ALL OF THEM Muggle studies, Diavolo is really intrigued by humans and how they go about their life without any kind of magic

Least favourite lesson: I honestly don’t think there’s anything Diavolo wouldn’t like...sorry!

Barbatos:

Better be...Slytherin!

Reason for this house: If Barbatos needed to, I can easily see him manipulating whoever if it meant he benefited from it. There’s a lot more to this demon than he lets on I bet - I doubt he’s a demon you’d want to get on the wrong side of.

Favourite lesson: Herbology, Belphie loves growing magical plants and watching them bloom under his care.

Least favourite lesson: Divination, Belphie thinks it’s a load of shite and is always challenging the professor (he probably knows more than Tralawney does!)

Solomon:

Better be...Hufflepuff!

Reason for this house: he’s the most chilled wizard going. He’s not quite book smart but he still does well and is practically friends with everybody; he never gets on the wrong side of anyone

Favourite lesson: Solomon also loves flying lessons. He’s always trying to show off in them and embarrass Mammon

Least favourite lesson: Herbology, if he wanted to hear a plant screeching at him, he would have just gone and annoyed Levi instead

Simeon:

Better be...Ravenclaw!

Reason for this house: he’s pretty reserved and will spend most of his free time studying. He’s practically perfect in every single lesson and more often than not, he saves Mammon and Solomon when they get themselves into shit

Favourite lesson: Astronomy, Simeon finds it so relaxing to spend his nights in the astronomy tower gazing up at the stars. He finds peace in doing so.

Least favourite lesson: Flying, Simeon would much rather stay on the ground a practice spells

Luke:

He’s too young, he hasn’t got his acceptance letter yet

[cursed-ice-spirits]

Dearest Crow

The aftermath of Ollie’s ( @ryollie ) death was... something. 

(The Mc I decided to try my hand at writing today is Lian Jardine @murkyike) 

...To be honest, I don’t think I’m taking Ollie’s well. I don’t think ANY of us are taking it well. This year was already terrible enough, and now... I feel bad for the Potters. They lost their second son. Gods, my hand is shaking now - I thought I got rid of this by preparing myself beforehand but I guess not. 

Okay I’m getting this out as quickly as I can. My name is Rebecca Vivian Lord, Lady of House Lord, 6th year, age 17, cursed to die from ice, and I never thought any of my friends would die before I would. At all, actually, but fate has other plans. Naomi was right, that’s for sure. 

Losing someone you know and love will never hurt less each time it happens. I should know. I lost quite a few of my loved ones and the pain only gets worse each time. And so has Talbott. He’s been shut up in the Owlery since it happened, or so I’ve heard, although it’s likely he IS there. It’s Talbott after all. I don’t blame him. Nobody has been doing okay, and Ollie’s death after everything that’s been going on was the last straw on the camel’s back.

However… Hogwarts morale is extremely low and vulnerable. I’m ashamed it took me focusing on R to get rid of my grief to realize this. This can’t happen any longer. I can’t allow the school to be targeted so R can get to the final Vault. So, I came up with an idea. Something I should have done in the first place. 

I’m going through the same procedure for every death I’ve cried and grieved over. 

I hope this will work or at least make the grieving process easier. It worked for me but everyone grieves differently. 

Getting the materials required will be easy. I have done this before and getting green petals is not difficult. I just need the right shade of green, which shouldn’t be hard, seeing as I am an artist and I’ve drawn him a few times. Getting my memories is not difficult. Getting the others? Easier said than done, especially since Ollie seems to have friends all over the place and only a few of them are my friends as well. And that’s just excluding Talbott. 

Really a testament on how social I truly am.

Regardless, a challenge is a challenge. I’m going to see if I can find them all. Wish me luck and pray I get this done in time. 

R.V.L

--

Rebecca sat in an empty classroom, twirling the stem of a flower idly in her hand, not minding the way the tiny thorns poke at her fingertips. Green - the color of Ollie’s eyes - petals filled the basket sat in front of her, some spilling over the floor, and some drifting into the casket as she carefully plucked them one by one. When the last petal had been plucked, she slowly lifted her other hand, watching the petals slowly regrew. 

“That should be enough,” she murmured, reaching for the petals on the floor and dropping them back into the basket, setting down the flower. Her eyes flickered to the other basket, filled with empty vials, sat to her left and, sighing, carefully reached for one. “Time for the hard part.”

She had just put her wand to her temple when a paper, claw-like material suddenly landed on her shoulder, talons curling around it. A glance showed a paper dragon perched on her right shoulder, stretching its tiny body. She raised her eyebrows, recognizing the creator immediately just from the sight of the origami alone and turned around. 

“Thought you’d be here,” Lian Jardine stepped into the classroom, Lucifer at her heels. Even from where she was sitting, Rebecca can see the heaviness set under her eyes and immediately felt sympathy, knowing the girl rarely showed emotion since the day.

“Hey, Lian,” Rebecca greeted softly, setting her wand down and patting the space next to her, smiling. “Hey Lucifer,” she laughed seconds later as the large black dog came running over, sticking his nose in her face. 

Lian smiled back, although hollow, and walked over, hand set on her waist, which had her usual green scarf tied around it. Her eyes flickered to the wall as she lowered herself to the ground, likely searching for her art supplies. “You’re not painting?”

Rebecca’s lips twitched into a brief smile, remembering how they first met. She reached over with her free hand and scratched behind Lucifer’s ears, chuckling when his tail started wagging. “No, I’m starting on a new project.” She glanced at the Slytherin to watch her reaction and got an idea. Lian knows quite a few of Ollie’s friends and while she hates asking this of her, she really wants to honor Ollie’s memory. “Can you do me a favor?” After a moment of hesitation, she added, “It’s for Ollie.”

Lian’s face shifted into one of pain, looking ready to cry, the heaviness under her eyes growing obvious.  Lucifer let out a soft whine, climbing over Rebecca’s lap and stretching so the upper half of his body laid across Lian’s lap in an attempt to comfort her. Rebecca waited patiently, feeling the origami dragon settle across her shoulders, head tucked into the crook of her neck, and watched as Lian idly scratched Lucifer’s head, taking a deep breath, and looking over to her. 

“What is it?” 

Rebecca leaned a bit closer. “Well…”

--

Most of the preparations are done, thanks to Lian gathering memories and spreading word. I didn’t know what I was expecting knowing Ollie had several friends but most of the vials were already used up by the time Lian got through her friends and some. I bought more but it really is a huge testament on how much I socialize.

I am exhausted though. I don’t think I’ve slept in a week and god knows how many wideye potions I’ve drank. I know Jason and Lucia will murder me if they found out but I need to improve the spell since I’ve never worked with several memories from different people at once so this will totally be worth it. 

Now, for the person I saved for last and the person I told Lian I would be talking to.Talbott. 

It’s going to be a tad difficult. This is not the first time Talbott had to witness a loved one’s death and I know he’ll go back to not letting anyone in. I… know that this will work without him, but he is Ollie’s boyfriend, and I know he’ll want to honor Ollie’s memory. 

Okay, tonight's the night. I’m going to try to convince him to give me some of his memories and come with me to see everything. If he refuses, then it’ll start without him. I’m not forcing him to come.

Last entry of this project.

R.V.L

--

Rebecca winced as the door creaked loudly upon opening it, glancing behind her briefly and instinctively before carefully stepping inside the Owlery, the basket dangling on her arm. Darkness seemed to swallow the room up. Moonlight shined through the windows, giving her some light to see. Brushing her hair out of her face, she took a few steps forward, bones of mice and vole crunching under her feet, eyes moving over the various owls perched above her head (she can see her own black owl among them, head tucked under her wing) until they landed on a lone eagle sitting on the window sill of one of the windows.

For a moment, she hesitated then sighed, knowing that the bones would have alerted him to her presence if she stayed silent, and even if it hadn’t, this needed to be done. She spoke up.

“Talbott.”

The eagle went still for several seconds, then slowly and before her eyes transformed into a hunched figure curled against the wall. He raised his head, looking straight at her, the dark bags under his red eyes made more obvious with the moonlight shining on his face. 

“You’re awake,” he murmured, his voice rough. She didn’t comment on how it sounded like he had been crying recently. “At this hour? Why?”

“Should be asking you, bud.” Rebecca rolled her eyes. She saw him flinch and sighed. “Can I fly up?”

He blinked slowly at her. “Yeah sure,” he said, looking away. “Go ahead.”

Shifting into her animagus form, she flew up, circling around the school owls and ducking under perches, until she finally landed beside her friend. “You look like shit by the way,” Rebecca said immediately when she shifted back. “When did you last sleep?

Talbott eyed her reproachfully. “Hypocrite.”

Rebecca narrowed her eyes, sending the message clear that she already knows how much of a hypocrite she is but wanting him to answer anyway. “Talbott.” 

Huffing, he folded his arms, looking out at the night sky. “I don’t know,” he admitted softly. “It’s all been a blur. I… I keep thinking he’s there by my side every morning and every time I get disappointed he’s not. It...” He gripped at his hair. “It hurts.”

She clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You’re not alone in this, bud - it never gets easier when it comes to losing the people you love.”

He let out a bitter laugh. “No kidding. What are you doing here anyway? I know you’re not just here to check up on me.” She didn’t have to answer, however, because his eyes landed on her basket and widened. “Is that-?”

She tapped a finger against the strap of the basket, remembering how she told him about this ritual to mourn the deaths of her loved ones. “Yeah.”

“How are you already moving on?”

“I’m not,” Rebecca said, shaking her head. “Believe me. I’m not. Never was in the first place. Just… wanted to do something to honor him. That’s all.”

Talbott started at her long and hard. “You want my memories,” He said simply. It wasn’t a question but Rebecca nodded anyway.

“You don’t have to, of course, but maybe it’ll make the grieving process easier.” She scooted over and poked his shoulder. “Sitting here all alone and bottling everything up isn’t going to work.”

Talbott slapped her hand away. “It worked for me,” He said, scowling. “I thought you said I didn’t have to.”

“I said you didn’t have to give me your memories,” Rebecca retorted. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to leave you here to brood. You’re not alone in this. I know it’s been hard but… come on, please don’t shut yourself away. At least go to everyone else to mourn.”

Clenching his jaw, Talbott averted his eyes away. “A load of good that did me.”

“Talb- oh,” Rebecca sighed, realizing what he was talking about. His mother. Losing his mother is one thing, losing his boyfriend is another and if her assumations are correct, being afraid he’ll lose another is understandable. “Bud, I was in your place before and it didn’t do any favors for my mental health. I’m not going to force you to go to everyone but this isn’t healthy. Just-” Her eyes move to the basket, her eyes starting to stung. “-fuck’s sake Talbott. I-I miss him too. Don’t do this alone.”

No answer from the boy sitting next to her. Sighing, Rebecca rolled up her sleeve and checked the time on her watch, noting it’s very late, and pushed herself to her feet, the gold shining in the moonlight. 

“I have to go. Get everything ready. Think about it, okay? And… please don’t do anything stupid.”

She was just about to turn into her Animagus form and take flight when a hand snagged against her wrist. 

Talbott stood beside her, his gaze pointed at his feet, dark fingers curled around her wrist. In his other hand, he held a vial filled with white wispy material. 

Memories, she realized. Pursuing her lips, Rebecca reached out, gently plucking the vial out of his loose grip and placing it inside her basket, her eyes never leaving his face as she tried picking her words before leaving. But what is there to be said that he hasn’t already heard? That he wouldn’t be sick of hearing again?

So instead, she clapped a hand over his shoulder and intoned softly, “Don’t do anything stupid,” even though she knew it’ll be useless, before stepping back and shifting into her animagus form, flying into the night. 

The last thing she saw of him was Talbott looking at the feather necklace around his neck.

If she closes her eyes, she can pretend she’s just waiting for class to start, trading jokes with her friends and slapping Ollie’s arm off her shoulder when he tried using her as an armrest due to how much shorter she is compared to him. 

But the illusion is shattered once she opens her eyes and finds herself on top of the Astronomy Tower with no friends in sight and certainly no Ollie teasing her height. 

Rebecca set the basket on the ground, eyes scanning the vials set over the green petals before plucking out one with her name on it. Closing her eyes to compose herself for a moment, she popped the vial open and flicked her wand, watching the wispy material float into the air. 

“Test run,” she murmured, directing the material to the petals, fusing the memories into them. Another flick of her wand sent the petals drifting into the air, twisting and spinning in the air, some of the memories starting to peel away and form shapes. A relieved smile flashed over her face, the wispy material forming two figures. One of the figures formed Ollie while other formed herself, sitting down and drawing something in a sketchbook.

“What are you drawing there?”  Memory Ollie gripped Memory Rebecca’s shoulders, looking at the sketchbook curiously, then snorted. “Diego again? So what were you saying about him before, Miss I-Don’t-Fancy-Caplan.”

“Don’t look!” Memory Rebecca protested, slamming the sketchbook closed. “I… look, just because I draw him doesn’t mean I like him!”

“Why do you keep drawing him if you don’t like him, then?” Memory Ollie asked, laughing, folding his arms over her head.

“He’s a good muse!” Memory Rebecca defended herself. “The point is I don’t like him like that just because I like drawing him. Come on, I draw all of my friends!”

“Mmmmhmmm,” He hummed. “Well, if you don’t like him…” He reached over and placed a hand on the sketchbook, flashing her a smirk that screamed ‘I got an idea and I’m up to no good’.  “Then you won’t mind if I show him!” With that, he curled his fingers around the edge of the sketchbook and pulled it out of her grip and ran off, cackling.

“Ollie!” She roared and tore off after him. 

“Fuck,” Rebecca said, feeling something wet roll down her cheek. She turned away from the scene, placing down her wand, and started rubbing furiously at her eyes until they turn red and puffy, not caring if the petals floated back to the ground and the memory faded. And yet the tears just keep on coming. “I-fuck.”

She didn’t realize how much she missed him until she remembered exactly how much of a shithead he is when it comes to teasing. Gods allmighty - the amount of times she told him to knock it off and now she misses his teasing, this isn’t fair. Why did he had to be killed, why did he had to go-

Suck it up, she told herself, trying to rub the last of her tears away. Suck it up. Just continue and you’ll be fine. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her wand again and took another vial. 

Ollie will be remembered. She’ll make sure of it. 

[missjosie27]

Year 2 Part 6- Bill Weasley

Hey, guys! Sorry about the late chapter. Being in self quarantine has actually caused a degree of 'apathy' so to speak and it's tough trying not to let that infest your creativity.

But in any case I am back with a new installment and I'd like to say a few words beforehand.

For the first three years of this series, Slytherin isn't going to look good. But there's a reason for that (not the least of which includes shipping my MC with Merula xD) and it will reveal itself in good time. To all my Slytherin readers, portraying your house as the 'bad guy' is not my endgame. Not even close.

Anyway on the with the story!

The party following the triumphant victory over Slytherin could only be described as pandemonium. In one fell swoop the Gryffindors had opened up a huge lead in the standings and were already being favored to win the entirety of the Quidditch season. Hufflepuff was no serious obstacle and only the Ravenclaws stood as the last major threat to their title chances. It was also the first time in three years the lions had beaten the snakes in a major match such as this and dancing on their misery tasted almost as sweet as the butterbeer.

David and company could hardly keep track of anything during the celebration, but they didn’t care. He had never seen such a spectacle and though listening to Quidditch was always a popular pastime, to actually witness it in person in addition to crushing your biggest rival went far beyond expectations. Though he didn’t say it openly, he privately imagined Merula and the rest of the Slytherins sulking in their cold, black dungeon.

Let them. It’s no less than they deserve

He made his way through the crowd in search of Charlie, seeing as he was the hero of the day (seekers usually were) and also a roommate in need of basic congratulations. Along the way he passed Adolphus Blishwick and Henry McLaggen who were engaged in a chugging contest of sorts though the substance did not look like butterbeer. In addition, he encountered the fearless chaser herself, Skye Parkin.

“Great game, Skye!” he yelled out to her.

Looking around, she spotted her admirer and gave a cool thumbs up before resuming conversation with a crowd of Gryffindor boys and girls who sought her attention.

She’s going to be the talk of the whole school for a week after this. Let her have the moment.

Resuming his search, it didn’t take long to spot Charlie. The second eldest Weasley brother was being hoisted up in the air by several older Gryffindors, broom still in hand, chanting his name repeatedly.

“CHARLIE! CHARLIE! CHARLIE!”

“Come on, mates! I’m going to get bloody sick!” he laughed, clutching his stomach.

David could only watch in amusement as the crowd finally let him down onto his feet, breathing heavily from the day’s excitement.

“Butterbeer for the rookie of the day?” he offered.

“Ha, no thanks, Dave. If I have another one of those things, I think I might actually vomit.”

“Mate, you didn’t just win today. You crushed Slytherin into the dirt. No one will let you buy another drink again.”

Charlie laughed good naturedly.

“Wasn’t just me, Dave. Team effort won the day. In case you haven’t noticed, we have a pretty good chaser over there,” he said, indicating Skye.

“She’s as confident as they come,” David observed. “Didn’t seem to know who I was, though or anyone else besides her Quidditch mates.”

“She has to be,” Charlie shrugged. “With the family she hails from nothing less than winning is acceptable. As for the second part, don’t take it personally, she keeps to her own crowd. Likes the attention but not really a people’s person if you catch my drift.”

A glance back and David saw Skye flick the blue colored braid back almost as if it were an act of God himself. Several of her ogling fans ate it up, whilst the Parkin girl gave a small smirk but no audible reply.

“Yeah, you don’t say.”

The second born Weasley chuckled before turning serious for a split second.

“Listen,” he said in a low voice which was just audible above the noise of the ongoing party. “I heard about what happened on Halloween.”

David’s eyebrows became sharp.

“What did you hear?”

“Relax, Dave,” Charlie reassured him. “No one told me anything, just rumors. But from what I gathered you and Rowan are still searching for that cursed vault? The one with the cursed ice that’s been entrapping people.”

“And if I were to say ‘yes’?”

“Mate, it’s not exactly a well-kept secret. There was no sign of you or Rowan at the feast. Many people around here still remember when your brother was chasing the vaults, they expect the same from you.”

Memories and headlines flooded David’s brain, ones he did not want to think about at the moment.

‘Aw, but Jacob why won’t you tell me?’

The older boy shuffled a vast assortment of papers into his drawer, his appearance slightly disheveled.

‘Pip, what I’m working on is top secret and cannot be revealed to anyone. You have to trust me on that.’

‘But-’

‘You’ll understand someday when you’re older.’

“I’m not my brother,” David responded quietly. He did not want to discuss the matter further as he pushed the guilt ridden feelings into the darkest recesses of his mind.

“I know you’re not, that’s why I want to help. Or make a suggestion rather,” Charlie responded, no malice or ulterior motive in his hazel eyes. It was then that David realized he may have spoken too harshly.

“Fire away,” he said, the light, jovial tone returning. “Better be good or I’ll have those blokes lift you up and down in the air again.”

“If you want some assistance in your search, talk to my brother.”

That gave David some pause.

“Bill? Why would he want anything to do with this?”

“Are you kidding? He’s almost as obsessed with breaking curses as I am with dragons…well maybe not quite that obsessed but it’s a goal of his and make no mistake,” Charlie explained.

“You’re sure? I can’t exactly go around telling everyone what I’m doing, lest I get expelled,” David spoke candidly.

“He’d never rat on you, that’s one thing I am certain of. I’ve known him my whole life. He’s caught me doing loads of things I shouldn’t have, and he’s always had my back. Believe me, there’s no one better.”

“Well I’ll consider it. Thanks, Charlie.”

“Anytime.”

The new star Gryffindor seeker was led back over to the center of the party leaving David to ponder in the middle of the celebration. He did not want to risk trying to bust down that door again at least not without help. Two second years weren’t strong enough but adding Bill to the team might prove to be the deciding factor.

He would have to ask Rowan what he thought of the idea.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“Are you kidding? That’s a great idea!” Rowan exclaimed at lunch the following Monday. “Why didn’t I think of it?”

“A good question considering you talk about him more than you do about your tree farm.”

Rowan lightly swiped at him with his book (and missed) before continuing.

“In all seriousness, think of the possibilities. He’s older, he knows more spells than we do, not to mention he has an interest in what we’re doing according to Charlie. What’s there to lose?”

In truth, not much. But that didn’t mean it was a sure thing.

“I plan on asking him today,” David shrugged. “Just don’t get your hopes up, okay?”

“Why not? He likes you, already. He taught you a few spells last year.”

The twelve year old Gryffindor took a massive bite of shepherd’s pie.

“Dat was ifferent,” he said before swallowing. “Merula was terrorizing the entire first year class. This is ten times as risky.”

“Since when has that ever stopped, you?”

“It never does, and it never will,” David proclaimed. “That also doesn’t mean I go looking for trouble. It just happens to find me most of the time.”

“Well we could save a lot of trouble if we could get him on board. I can read an entire book about potential curses in this school but if we don’t have the know how or power, then this ice could spread even further by year’s end.”

Rowan was never short on logic and he couldn’t fault him this particular time either. The worst Bill could do was say ‘no’ and that would be the end of it. As if to confirm his own intentions, Charlie suddenly came up behind him.

“Hey, David. Bill is waiting for you at the training grounds. Says he has an hour before his next class if you want to talk.”

“Wait, he’s already waiting for me?”

“I put in a good word for you,” Charlie said with a sly grin. “I think you’ll find he’ll be very interested in what you have to say.”

Rowan gave him a look as if to shout ‘what are you waiting for?’ before returning to his grilled cheese sandwich.

“Suppose now is as good a time as any,” he muttered getting up from the table. “Make sure Charlie doesn’t steal my pie, Rowan.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” the red head called back, digging his fork into the pie and shoving it into his mouth.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The route to the training grounds was simple enough, one simply had to traverse two stories and past the dungeons to reach the outside door that led to the cold, autumn outdoors. David was hardly giving much attention to his surroundings as he adjusted his hat and scarf, very eager to see what Bill had to say.

Suddenly, he stopped in the middle of the dungeon corridor, instincts going haywire. Though this part of Hogwarts was always dark and gloomy, he couldn’t shake the feeling he was being watched.

“Hello?” he called out into the empty nothingness.

His natural reflexes kicked in as he just barely ducked a sickly-looking purple jet of light that created sparks on the stone walls.

“Goddamn it, what the hell?!”

Out of the shadows stepped a pale, black haired girl, one eye shrouded by the perpetual greasy mass of mop that never seemed to move. David immediately recognized her as Ismelda Murk, the same girl who had given him that creepy smile the previous week.

“So, you are going to see that blood traitor, Bill Weasley,” she said in a quiet, but deadly tone. “No doubt to discuss the cursed vaults.”

Her wand was trained on him, but David did not reach for his. At least, not yet. Any sudden movement would likely trigger another curse being sent his way.

“And how did you know that?” he stalled.

Ismelda rolled her visible eye.

“Please, your voice is loud enough. It’s not hard to overhear you.”

She took a step forward wand still pointed directly at his chest.

“But it makes no difference. You Gryffindors are all the same- cocky, arrogant, always hogging the spotlight for yourself.”

“Hey, Izzy, if this is about kicking your ass in Quidditch don’t take it out on me. I’m sure there’s a small, defenseless animal somewhere around here you can torture.”

Another jet of purple light barely missed his head.

“I didn’t have to miss,” Ismelda spoke with quiet fury. “Now here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to tell me everything you know about the vaults and I won’t have to hurt you…much.”

At this point, David had had enough. It was already irritating to constantly deal with one crazy Slytherin girl, two went beyond his patience.

“Yeah, okay let me tell you what’s actually going to happen. I’m going to hex you and I’m going to walk out that door.”

Without another second’s hesitation he whipped out his wand and fired the same spell Merula had used on him last year.

‘ Petrificus Totalus! ’

He caught her square in the chest, sending her toppling over like a four by four to the ground. However, she managed to fire off one more curse before it did, and this time he wasn’t quick enough to avoid it.

“GAH!” he winced as he felt his shoulder catch part of the blast. Still, he didn’t waste any more time waiting for Ismelda to regain use of her limbs and ran as fast he could out into the nippy, November air.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

So fast did he run that he barely noticed that after a minute or so, Bill Weasley was right in front of him. When he finally did, the older boy was already looking down on him with an eyebrow raised.

“Whoa, there David Grant. You look out of breath. What happened?”

Still panting from his recent escapade, it took a moment for the 12 year old Gryffindor to form sentences.

“Slytherin girl attacked me. Threatened me over the vaults. Managed to get away though.”

Bill leaned and took a glance at David’s shoulder.

“Not completely. Let me take a look at that wound.”

David saw for the first time the extent of the damage Ismelda had wrought. The top of his robes were cut open to reveal a nasty looking purple and black bruise which had the look of something that had festered for days.

“Ew,” he remarked dryly.

“Let me see if this helps,” Bill said as he pointed his wand at the injury. “ Episkey. ”

Much of the swelling went down and the size was reduced though there remained a remnant of the blackish/blue color in the center.

“Madam Pomfrey probably could have gotten rid of that in an instant. But I’m pretty rubbish when it comes to medicine, that’s the only healing spell I know.”

“It’s fine,” David shrugged. “No lasting damage. What was that curse anyway?”

“Only seen it a few times but it’s a nasty one, especially if a powerful dark wizard uses it. Bone bruise curse. Can cause severe internal bleeding in the hands of a real psycho. Sometimes kids at Hogwarts will use them in duels, but it’s generally taboo.”

“That explains a lot,” he muttered.

“It sounds like you were waylaid on your way down here,” Bill surmised. “Who was it?”

“Ismelda Murk. She’s my year. Makes Merula Snyde look like a flower girl by comparison.”

“I’ve heard of her,” Bill said darkly. “She apparently attacked Charlie on the train this year simply for bumping into her by accident. You were there for that if I recall correctly.”

“Indeed, I was.”

“Well in any case this might be the perfect opening into what you really came down here for. Charlie told me you needed some help with these cursed vaults.”

David nodded in the affirmative.

“I do. Rowan and I actually found the entrance, but there was some sort of enchantment on it. I don’t think we can break it, just the two of us. Charlie said you might be interested.”

“Interested? Hell, David I wish you had come to me sooner. I’m in.”

David didn’t know what to expect, but the fact that Bill accepted his request so readily was a tad surprising.

“Huh, well that didn’t take much persuasion.”

“You didn’t need to,” Bill said seriously. “This ice is becoming more and more dangerous by the week and doesn’t appear to be dissipating any time soon. If we can get through that door you spoke of earlier there’s a strong chance we can break this curse.”

His face broke into a reluctant smile.

“I’d also be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit excited too. This is my first curse breaking adventure and I’m honored to be a part of it.”

“The honor is all mine,” David grinned. “Seriously, I can’t thank you enough.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” the eldest Weasley warned. “It’s going to take a lot of preparation and even a little pain to break into a cursed vault. We’ll need to do a lot of research and spellwork if this is going to be successful. It’ll also give us the opportunity to learn a few more jinxes for dueling, especially considering you were just attacked.”

“Rowan will eagerly take care of the research. He’ll also be pretty happy to know you’re in on this little quest of ours.”

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me,” Bill laughed. “Come on, let’s get started.”

And so they did. For the next few weeks, the trio met once a week to either study in the library or go to the training grounds to learn new spells and practice them on the wooden target dummies. This became steadily more difficult as time went on as the weather became colder the first snowfall hit but it was still good practice and it also provided an opportunity for Rowan to progress in his own dueling prowess, which steadily improved over time. Now and then they were also joined by Penny and Ben, who were eager to help in any way they could. For Penny that meant assistance in brewing certain potions that they would need in a tight spot- fire breathing and pepperup potions came to mind. For Ben, it meant assistance in some of the research and moral support…and the occasional training session.

“Remind me why I have to learn the fire making spell again?” he asked one cold December morning between the crunch of white powder on the ground.

The snow was also a good outlet to begin practicing a spell that would be quite useful in keeping warm and potentially knocking down the giant snowflake that fired concentrated freezing spells at those who tried to enter its domain (Bill did a double take when he was told that story). Incendio would create large blasts of red and blue fire, though it was still somewhat difficult to control, especially for second years, and so Bill supervised their progress.

“A freezing day in December is almost as bad as the sensation you’ll feel inside the vault,” David told him as he shifted his scarf to reveal his pink, rosy nose, clearly whipped by the slight wind. “What better way to practice?”

“No offense, David, but I’m not sure I’m the right person to go inside the vault with you,” Ben said glumly.

“We will cross that bridge when we get to it,” Bill interjected. “For now, being prepared to break the protective enchantments is the best way to go. We’ll need a full arsenal to do so.”

Penny beamed underneath her hat, coat, and mittens.

“I’m just glad we’re finally learning something that could be considered proper defense. This year’s Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is complete rubbish.”

“Yeah, well I’d be lying if that also didn’t factor into it,” the red head muttered. “I also figured the fire making spell would be a top priority based off what Dave and Rowan told me about this vault.”

“Speaking of curse breaking, I actually brought you something,” David said, remembering suddenly his gift. “I bought this through mail order a week ago.”

He stuck his mittens into the bag and presented it to his friend.

“ Patricia Rakepick: A Guide to Cursebreaking,” Bill read aloud his eyes lighting up. “Wow, David this is amazing. You didn’t have to get me this. Madam Rakepick is one of the best in the world.”

“Good practice for when you become a cursebreaker yourself,” he replied with a wink. “Not to mention it’ll be good for all of us when we enter the vault. Rakepick has been around the globe and back again. Seen and done it all.”

“We’ll pour through it once we get back inside. In the meantime, let me see your fire one more time.”

David point his wand in the air.

“ Incendio! ”

A large stream of flames issued forth, crackling the air before ceasing altogether.

“You really have a talent for this stuff, don’t you?” Bill chuckled. “Took me a lot longer to learn that spell. Penny, you next.”

The blonde obliged, sending a lesser but still decent amount of flames into the frigid December day.

“Not bad. You need a little bit more power but otherwise you’re coming along fine,” Bill encouraged.

“I know,” Penny said a bit sheepishly. “I’m just afraid I’ll burn one of you guys.”

“You can burn me any time you want. Feels like my ass is about to freeze off,” David quipped.

“Well we certainly wouldn’t want that,” Bill responded dryly but with a cheeky grin. “One more from Ben and then we’ll grab some hot cocoa.”

Shaking heavily from the cold, Ben nevertheless loudly proclaimed the incantation.

“ I-Incendio !”

The amount of fire that issued from his wand was so vast that David actually had to grab Penny and duck to avoid minor injury. Even Bill took a step back, a look of shock plastered on his face.

“Well that’s one way to do it,” he offered in his gentlest tone. “Maybe say it a little less loudly next time.”

David began laughing as he picked himself up from the frost bitten ground, putting an arm around his friend.

“That could have melted the entire door down. And you say you’re not worthy of going into the vault,” he ribbed him.

Ben only offered a weak grin.

“Heh.”

The rest of the month continued like this, with spell learning sessions occurring inside rather than the increasingly frigid outdoors of Scotland. As they continued to meet together outside of class, at lunch, and in the library the group also took extra pains to ensure the Slytherins were not following or attempting to sabotage them. After the embarrassing loss to their rival, Merula and her ilk were becoming more vocal again and more than a few times, David caught her messing with his potions again. She constantly whispered about how she was closing in on key information on the vaults to distract him, which he did his best to ignore. Merula loved to exaggerate her own achievements so it wasn’t particularly concerning. Nevertheless, he made a point to keep an eye on her and her prime lacky, Ismelda Murk.

As December wore on and the holidays grew closer, David grew more anxious to revisit the vault, especially with all the planning and preparation they were doing. Bill, however, aired on the side of caution. He too was eager to visit the first cursed vault but opined it would be more prudent to wait until after they returned from Christmas break. It gave them all time to practice their spellwork and would throw off the scent of anyone on their trail, namely Filch, who was always scouring the 13th corridor at night with Mrs. Norris. In the end, the group largely concurred with such thinking.

It wasn’t until the last day before the holidays that the pressure to enter the vault ramped up a notch. The three boys were on their way back from their final class of the day, a potions extravaganza that featured pre-Christmas goodwill from the Gryffindors and Slytherins tossing acid pops into each other’s cauldrons, until they noticed a crowd stood outside the 9th corridor. Though no one was panicking as of yet the murmuring became louder as David, Rowan, and Ben approached.

“What’s going on?” David asked aloud. “It’s not supposed to be this busy. Not until the train leaves Hogsmeade station anyway.”

“No idea,” Rowan shrugged.

“Can we find out what this is later?” Ben said nervously. “Ismelda threw an acid pop in my cauldron and I think some of it burned through my robes.”

But curiosity overrode the other two Gryffindor boys as they slowly weaved their way through the crowd and towards the front.

“You guys! It happened again!” Tonks said to them. But there was no need to expound further. Reaching the front, they witnessed a fourth year Ravenclaw covered nearly head to toe in the cursed ice, face dangerously blue, eyes barely open. It was quite a revelation and also quite disturbing. No student, not even Ben had been entrapped so thoroughly. The only part of his body that remained free was his head and neck, everything else remained submerged.

It didn’t take long for the whispering to turn to proclamations.

“The ice won’t stop until it gets us all!” a random girl shouted.

Thankfully, any mass hysteria was quelled by the sudden arrival of Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Snape.

“Students, remain calm!” the deputy Headmistress shouted over the low hum of gossip. “Please be on your way to prepare for the train. Those who are staying at Hogwarts over Christmas break, return to your dormitories until further notice. Prefects, see that everyone is accounted for.”

“You heard her!” Snape barked. “Away with you!”

The intimidating leer of Severus Snape was more than enough to disperse the crowd, but not before David overheard the professors commenting on the situation.

“The ice has never spread this far before,” Flitwick said with a note of anxiety in his voice. “Should we not alert the Headmaster to return?”

“Dumbledore has enough on his plate,” Snape replied. “He will not come back to Hogwarts until after Christmas. We can handle things until then. If the ice is getting stronger, we should not allow that information to spread beyond these walls.”

“I will letter Albus. But for now, let us focus on unfreezing Mr. Isaacs. Madam Pomfrey will need to attend to him for quite a while,” Professor McGonagall spoke, taking out her wand.

David, Rowan, and Ben looked at each other as Tonks and the Hufflepuffs headed towards the kitchen. All of a sudden, containing the ice was looking more and more impossible. If all of Hogwarts was threatened to be consumed by it, they had less time than originally thought.

“Happy Christmas, everyone,” David said ironically as they approached the Fat Lady to pack.

Though most holidays were spent opening presents, eating pie, and retelling school stories, this was once incident he planned to keep away from the ears of his mother and father, knowing both of them would panic if they found out he was attempting to break into the vaults himself.

Rubbing the back of his neck, David couldn’t help but wish for a quick end to December.

There was much more work to be done, yet.