Before winter break
The last few months were chaotic, to say the least.
First of all, Dumbledore has been removed from the school and had to serve a month in Azkaban, in the highest security cellblock where the dememntors roam most frequently. Professor Flitwick was appointed as the new headmaster, a decision made by the Board. Otherwise McGonagall would have been the new headmaster, but the Board judged that she is too close to Dumbledore and might continue to execute his ideas.
Then there were the extensive renovations. The first being the staircases, and while they still move around now they only do so when no one is on them. The unused classrooms and laboratories have been cleaned, refurnished and now they are ready to be used on a moments notice.
The classrooms already in use have got an upgrade too. New, better furnitures, new teaching aids and other things. And the various creature infestations have been taken care of too. With Fluffy being the first to be removed, from the school that is.
The clean up of the Forbidden Forest is still ongoing. Something about the trolls making an alliance with the acromantulas and giants. There's also a new wardstone erected in the forest and now no one other than the professors and the groundskeeper can enter.
There have been changes in the faculty too. Binns being exorcised and Trelawney fired as the main news. No one really liked them, so nothing of value was lost. Other than them the muggle studies, the art, the music, the flying and magical theory professors were fired.
The muggle studies professor because he taught utter bullshit, the art and music professors because they spent half their allocated budget on themselves, and Hooch because of her incompetence. It seems like the injury rate of her class was way too high for what it should have been.
But the magical theory prof was the cherry on top of everything. The guy didn't have his Magical Theory Mastery, never apprenticed under someone who got theirs, and spent their entire bidget on themselves and made due with school supplies.
Well, that is for the faculty and teachers. But the students are an entirely different matter.
First of all, when Dumbledore was detained the puffs decided to go on a 'strike' and make trouble for the slytherins. Because obviously it was us who did something wrong and not the headmaster. Merlin, to say they have been brainwashed by Dumbledore's propaganda wouldn't be an understatement.
Not that we let them bully us. Although it did take five instance of releasing a few hellhounds into their common room, when they weren't there of course we didn't want to kill anyone, that destroyed their stuff to make them back down. And yes, it was me who summoned them, although family magic or not it was tiring as hell. They did apologise when the news reported the former headmaster's sins, so its water under the bridge now.
The ravenclaws were largely uninterested in everything that happened. The library was still open and classes continued as per normal, so they had everything they needed.
We, snakes, were very happy that the biased old coat was let go and with him went his unfair rules. Like we couldn't celebrate Samhain and instead it was mandatory to celebrate Halloween. Something, that's not only illegal, but also very much a slap in the face of wizarding traditions.
But the ones who were the most affected by all of this were the gryffindors. They were used to getting lighter or no detentions for the same things the other houses did too. But that is no more and they are being punished all the same. Which took away their penchant to cause trouble or bully others, mainly slytherins.
Why did they used to get lighter detentions? Well, by Hogwarts by-laws every detention have to be approved by the headmaster, who can decrease or increase the sentence as he deems fit. And Dumbledore obviously favoured the lions as they always got lighter sentences, while slytherins got heavier ones. He left the puffs and ravens alone.
Anyway. Harry became the new quidditch star of his house, and the school really. Hermione was now known as the smartest witch below third year, interesting event that was. Oh, and I am apparently Devil's Incarnate.
I don't know where that came from though. I mean, the hellhounds were not that bad, and Sprout handled them without trouble. Was it maybe the runespoors? The spiders? The direwolves? The polar bear? The dragon hatchling? Or that time when I had Caedes go around to scare people? Or when I had him bite the ankles of the guys badmouthing Hermione?
I guess we will never know.
Now, it is nearly winter break and here I am in the library waiting for the others to show up. I might as well do my homework. And just as I took out my stuff to do my potions essay, damn you Sevy and your need for a four page essays about ingredients, someone spoke to me.
"Um, can I sit here? The other tables are occupied." Longbottom said nervously.
"Sure." I told him and went back to my homework.
Now, I don't have anything against Longbottom, but I never spoke to him so far. I know Harry and Hermione are friends with him, and that he is a prodigy in herbology and very shy. But other than that? Nothing. Well, that's not stricly true. I also know that his wand is incompatible with him.
So we did our homework in silence.
"Um, Helia?" He started a few minutes later.
I just looked up and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Do you know Nicolas Flamel is?" He asked more than a little nervously.
"I do. Why?" I asked with interest. Flamel has nothing to do with our homework for this week.
"I am working on a side project with Mione and Harry and his name came up. But we just couldn't find books about him in the library." He finished and scratched his cheek.
He is lying. And not doing a good job at hiding it.
"Nicolas Flamel is a Master Alchemist, Potion Master among many other things. But those are the ones he is most famous for. Born in the first quarter of the fourteenth century and is married to Perenelle Flamel. His most famous invention is the one and only Philosopher's Stone, which can turn lead to gold and make the Elixir of Life. Which extends the lifespan of anyone who consumes it."
"And we searched for him in the modern history section." He mumbled and shook his head.
"I answered your question. Now, you will tell me exactly what is my two idiots up to." I asked him with a smile.
He visible shuddered and looked for a way out or someone to help him. Unfortunately for him no one was within hearing distance. For his credit though, he didn't talk for five minutes. Then he broke under my stare and spilled everything.
Apparently, in Fluffy's former room there is a trapdoor that leads to who knows where. Harry once brought it up when he visited Hagrid, to hear stories about his parents no doubt, and the half-giant let it slip that it's related to Dumbledore and Flamel.
And now those two dumbasses want to find out what is behind the trapdoor, and also take a look. And somehow they dragged him into this. I am a little insulted that they didn't come to me for help, but then again I would have stopped them.
I wanted to grill him for more information, but the others have showed up just before that. They then quickly sat down and after a round of greetings, and subtly warnings from Neville, I started my revenge.
"Draco, Neville here told me an interesting story." I started and I saw Harry tense up."Apparently, Harry wants to explore an abandoned part of the castle. One that is trapped too. Interesting, isn't it?"
"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow at that, although I could see the underlying anger in the gesture."That is indeed interesting."
"When will the christmas ball be this year?" Harry hurried to salvage the situation.
But if the stink eye Draco gave him is any indication, then this is far from over. And from the corner of my eye I saw Hermione shifting around uncomfortably too. Good, she should be scared. Not about me, but Bella because when she hears about this, well, Mione will be in trouble.
"The twenty-eighth, the theme is starry night. And like always appearance is mandatory." I sighed in the end. I enjoy Cissy's balls, but she is a menace on the day before.
"Who is invited?" Hermione asked as she took out her own homework.
"Everyone in the Dark and Grey factions, a few from the Light. Then many ministry officials, the Minister himself, foreign nobles. And celebrities." Draco answered absentmindedly.
"It must be fun. I hope you have a good time." Mione answered and we nearly fell of our chairs.
"You are invited too?!" I whisper shouted."Not only are you a noble and part of the family, but also Bella's paramour. Your appearance is just as mandatory as mine or Draco's."
"Oh." She just shrugged."I didn't want to assume things."
"And here I thought your new tutors taught you well." I quipped.
"They do. But we haven't really reached that part. I am still stuck at learning how to dance."
I just left it at that and went back to my homework.