Chapter 12
Soon the Christmas season had come to an end. Students had started to come back to school and were excitedly chatting about the previous holidays. Florence had come back two days before the end of break.
“Did you hear about the next quidditch match?” Florence had said as soon as she entered the great hall.
“Was it canceled?” Wood had been having practice all week to prepare the team. Harry would probably be devastated.
“No!” Florence said with a look that displayed partial disbelief, “Apparently according to Sebastian’s brother Julian they are having Snape referee the next quidditch match.”
“Even after Snape tried to manipulate the last match?” Delilah asked.
“Well no one knew he was trying to throw Harry off his-”
“Who is murdering Harry Potter?” Sebastian said as he walked beside Florence.
“No one is murdering HARRY!” Florence said, “Why is that your first thought?”
“I’m twenty-five percent Russian.”
“I don’t usually believe in stereotypes.” Florence crossed her arms.
“Tell my father that.”
“We were just talking about the next quidditch match.” Delilah interrupted.
“It doesn’t really matter to me.” Sebastian stated, “It’s just one of the winning houses against a losing house.” It was true Gryffindor and Slytherin always won or had the best or worse students, the ones that go down in history. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were just the houses where the extras were placed.
“Well I have to go study with Romilda.” Florence said as she got up and made way to exit the great hall.
Sebastian started to follow her, “Ooo can I come too!” He said as he followed Florence out. Delilah watched as Florence’s pace started to pick up.
An amused snort came out of Delilah as she collected her stuff and made her way towards the library.
She was almost to the library when she bumped into something.
“Oh sorry.” A Gryffindor fourth year, said, “Johnson Dolohov.”
“Delilah Black.”
“Pleasure” Johnson said, “Sorry I have just been dealing with stupid Slytherins all day.”
“I get the feeling.”
“Hey, we have to stick together to deal with those awful Slytherins.” Johnson said as Delilah nodded in agreement , “Well I’ll see you around.”
Johnson walked away as Delilah continued towards the library.
“I have been looking for someone to practice on.” Delilah heard someone sneer. She made her way towards the library and saw Draco and his gang standing in front of Neville.
Draco was standing in the center while on his left was Crabe and behind him was Goyle.On his right was Korban and behind him was Jason Carver and Blaise Zabine.
“I-I was just trying to get to the l-library.” Nevile said.
“Ok you Gryffin-wimp!” Crabbe said viciously.
“Who dressed you this morning? A house elf?” Goyle sneered. All the boys laughed as Korbin pulled out his wand and cast some sort of spell that bounded Neviile’s legs together. Neville then fell over straight onto his face as the boys’ laughter increased.
“Hey,” Delilah said, “Get off of Neville!”
“My dear cousin, defending the Gryffin-wimp.” Draco said as he got close to Delilah’s face.
“So what if I am Draco? Huh?”
“Well-um” Korban interrupted.
“I thought I told you not to talk to me,” She held a finger up to his face, “Korban Kaldor.”
“Go cry to your grandmother longbottom.” Jason shouted.
Delilah turned, “Why don’t you go cry to yours, Carver.”
“Oh Delilah,” Draco taunted, “I wonder what your criminal father would have to say about your grandmother.”
“Don’t bring my father into this”
“Why shouldn’t I?” He said, “He was in fact a-” Delilah’s hand soon met Draco’s face as she slapped him as hard as she could.
“MY FATHER WILL HEAR ABOUT THIS!” Draco shouted.
“I’m quaking. “ She replied. “Come on Neville.” She helped Neville stand up as she walked; he hopped back to the Gryffindor common room.
A few people started laughing as they made their way over to Hermione. According to Neville Hermione knew multiple spells above what was learned in first year.
“What happened?” Hermione asked after freeing Neville.
“My stupid cousin.” Delilah replied.
“Who’s your cousin?” Hermione asked.
“You’ll never believe it, mione!” Ron said, “She’s cousin’s with Malfoy.”
“Second cousins Ron.” She replied, “And don’t forget it there’s a difference. Just like me and Harry aren’t siblings. No offense Harry. We are just god siblings. We both don’t have any siblings.”
Hermione didn’t seem to notice that she had said anything though “And you wanted to trust her with the information! You boys are idiots.”
“We aren’t idiots!” Ron replied, “She stood up to Malfoy on the train and she isn’t even in Slytherin.”
“Whatever Ronald.” Hermione said before turning to Neville, “Go to professor McGonagal. Report him!”
“I don’t want to cause any problems.” Neville mumbled.
“You’ve got to stand up to him Neville!” said Ron, “He’s used to walking all over people, but that’s no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier.”
“You don’t need to tell me that I’m not supposed to be in Gryffindor, the slytherins and my gran have already told me.”
“Don’t say that. You are supposed to be in Gryffindor. The sorting hat is never wrong. Why do you think Draco, Jason, and Korban are in the evil house?” Delilah said.
“You are worth twelve of Malfoy.” Harry continued as he handed Neville a chocolate frog. He flashed Harry and Delilah a weak smile as he unwrapped the frog.
“Thanks… I think I’ll go to bed… Harry? D’you want the card, you collect them don’t you?”
Harry then glanced at the card.
“Dumbledore again?” Harry said, “I’ve found him!”
“Who did you find?” Delilah said.
“I’ve found Flamel!”
“Who’s Flamel?” Delilah said exasperated, “I swear Harry I haven’t even known you for a year and you are terrible at filling people in. Even worse than Steve”
“I told you I’d read the name somewhere before, I read it on the train coming here- ‘Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon’s blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner Nicholas Flamel!”
Hermione then ran up the stairs to the girls dormitories.
“Now can someone please explain what is going on!” Delilah said to Ron and Harry.
“Well you see-” Harry answered, “We-uh-have been looking… well trying to…”
“We have been trying to find someone called Flamel.” Ron interrupted.
“Thank you Ronald Billius Weasley,” Delilah said, “See that’s all you had to say Harry James.”
“How do you know my full name?” Ron said in an almost scared voice.
“I have my ways, Ronald Billius Weasley, Harry James Potter, and Hermione Jean Granger.”
“What’s your middle name then?”
“That is the question Ronald, that is the question.” Just then Hermione came back down from the dormitories.
“I checked this out earlier for a bit of light reading.”
“Light?” Delilah said, staring down at the book. It was larger than her torso and about as thick as the length of her thumb, “Man you could compete with Florence.”
“Quiet all of you!” She said as Delilah held up her hands in surrender.
After a few moments of searching Hermione shouted, “I knew it! I knew it!”
“Are we allowed to speak yet?” said Ron grumpily. Hermione ignored him.
“Nicholas Flamel.” She said, “The only known maker of the Sorcerer’s Stone!”
This didn’t have the intended effect she thought it would.
“The what?” Harry and Ron said simultaneously.
“Honestly! Do you three even read?”
“Isn’t the stone the thing that creates the life elixir stuff?” Asked Delilah.
“At Least one of you reads.” She replied.
“First of all I definitely don’t read for enjoyment of any sort. I just heard about it once from my godfather, not Harry’s dad. And second of all, don't group me with them!” Delilah defensively argued as Harry and Ron read a page that Hermione directed them.
“Well anyways,” said Hermione when Harry and Ron had finished. “The dog must be guarding Flamel’s sorcerer’s stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they’re friends and he knew someone was after it, that’s why he wanted the stone moved out of gringotts.”
“A stone that makes you immortal and can make gold.” said Harry, “No wonder Snape wants it, anyone would want it.”
“And no wonder we couldn’t find Flamel in that Study of recent Developments in wizardry,” said Ron.
“Well he’s not exactly recent if he’s six hundred and sixty five is he?” Delilah stated matter of factly.
A few weeks later it was the Hufflepuff vs Gryffindor quidditch match.
“So how much do you want to bet that Snape is going to do something to mess up Harry.” said Sebastian as him, Delilah, and Florence sat down in the stands.
“Please don’t throw that kind of energy out in the world,” said Deliliah, “I want to have my godbrother after this.”
“Well I’ll bet you two galleons and a sickle.” A voice said behind them.
“Who are you?” Delilah said as a boy that looked similar to Sebastian but instead of wearing Ravenclaw robes he was wearing gryffindor ones.
“Julian Windsor,” He interrupted, “At your service m’lady.”
“Oh a definite gryffindor.” said Delilah in response.
“I hope you don’t mind. I invited them to sit with us.” Florence said nervously.
“Of course not, I don't mind.”
“Oh yeah I invited someone to sit with us too,” Sebastian said, “Here he comes.” Just then Korban Kaldor came into the row behind them beside Julian.
“Now I do mind that.” Delilah said as she turned to Sebastian, “Why?”
“He looked lonely. I was lonely.” He responded, “And I saw you talking to him outside the library a little while back.”
“Did it look like we were having a pleasant conversation?” Sebastain just shrugged his shoulders.
“Well he can’t be that bad.” Sebastian said, “Besides, people always seem to fawn over those with dark pasts like Aladdin in the new Disney movie.”
But his efforts were both ignored by Delilah.
“Hey Delilah!” Johnson said as he came over, “I saw this Slytherin come over to sit with you and figured you needed some help to deal with how they act.”
“Blah blah blah.” Korban imitated.
“You know I never met the human version of a headache before.” said Delilah, “But there is a first time for everything you slytherin.”
“Alright I’m a slytherin. Who cares-”
“About you?” interrupted Delilah, “No one.”
“Why are you so rude to me for being a slytherin all the times you slytherinist.”
“Oh I’m not rude you are a HORRIBLE slytherin bully you are the rude one. I’m just the only one around here apparently who has the guts to say what everyone is thinking about… your lot!”
“Delilah!” Florence said, “Don’t let him or Johnson rile you up.”
“Oh it is all Korban Kaldor.” said Delilah , “Johnson is completely innocent. He understands how this lot acts.”
“Ok well I doubt your god-brother would be too happy to see you completely ignoring his match to argue with someone that you are worth much more than.”
“Yeah.” said Delilah. She then turned her full attention to the match. Harry was getting awfully close to the snitch for it just being three and a half minutes into the match. Her watching of the match only lasted for a while when she saw Nevile sitting in the stands. It boggled her mind to think about how someone could even think about hurting Neville Longbottom. An innocent kind boy who has been through so much and is never given even a hint of sympathy or a single apology or condolence.
“How dare you hurt Neville,” Delilah said as she turned back to Korban, “You have no idea what he has been through or what any of the people you have hurt have been through!”
“I think you could use the same advice Delilah Black!”
“Me! You absolutely disgust me Korban Kaldor!”
“The feeling is mutual!” He retorted.
“You know what Kaldor you may think you are this important thing that you and your evil group your a part of think of yourselves to be but all you really are are a bunch of self-centered, idiotic!-”
Suddenly she was interrupted by cheers that erupted from the stands.
“Potter has caught the snitch! Gryffindor wins!” Delilah joined the applause along with the group she was with except for Sebastian and Korban.
Soon everyone was leaving the stands.