Regrets

"Think that it's funny to sneak out at night, do you? What were you thinking, Potter, Weasley!" Xing yelled from her spot across the two frighten first years in the Gryffindor table. "Seriously, why would you do such a reckless thing just because someone taunt you? Nevertheless dragging Granger and Longbottom with you?"

"No, you don't get to talk before I finish! You've been at school for less than a month so what can you do but throw simple spells at each other? There's not even a guaranteed that they're effective."

"That hurts, Xing!"

"Shut, Weasley. That's reality so face it. Besides, even with all his talk, Draco has experience with magic, you can't just throw yourself in there and expect a miracle to happen. Seriously, what were you guys thinking?" Xing frustratedly rumbled out, hands combing her hair, accidentally untangling the hairpin from her hair. Irritated, Xing muttered some incoherent words as she slammed the hairpin on to the wooden table resulting it in sticking out of the table vertically.

Harry and Ron gasp at how easy the hairpin penetrated the wooden table. The duo remain shell-shock as they continue to listen to Xing's rant, too distress at the sight they have just witness, eyes not daring to move away from the hair pin thats too straight in front of them acting as a reminder of Xing's wrath. After twirling her hair into a bun, Xing pull the hairpin out with ease, continuing to shock the duo.

"Now that you have heard me, I expect some work to be done from the both of you. Apologies are in order to those who need them. Now, have a good day." Xing then stood up to stomp towards the Slytherin table, eyes burning holes at her new target.

"Merlins beard, what have I just witness?" one of the first years muttered out, looking at their friends for an answer who were just as flustered as they were.

The Weasleys Twin who were having the time of their life watching the lecture play out from the corner laugh their heads off as they approach the two. "Blimey, that was one of the best lectures I've heard this year!"

George at each of them on the shoulders, "Besides the Slytherin Lady, she is notably known as One-You-Should-Not-Anger."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry whips his head back, and cried out.

The twins look at each other, letting out a wide grin and shrugged, "You didn't ask."

Ron groans at he slumped against his arms, "That was scarier then last time!"

"Why didn't you tell me, Ron?"

"I told you when we were on the train, Harry!" Following Ron, Harry drop his head on to his arms.

"That might even be scarier than mum's."

"Might be? She's being lenient with you, the real thing's much scarier. Even worse than the boggart!"

"Definitely."

"How do you know that?" The twins let out a knowing smile, refusing to say anything.

The dining hall continue to remain a disciplined silence with the added pressure of irrational coming from the Slytherin table. Xing sat there as she stared at Draco's nervous form, eyes shooting lasers that only meant one thing, the moment he walks into the common room, prepare for an earful and don't even think of escaping. Due to the house rules, she can't show any tension with a housemate so Xing waited because she reason that this was better served as a cold dish. The perfect Slytherin way.

"Malfoy, I'm giving you some dignity by having you do this so don't mess with my patience," Xing stated as she look down to glance at Draco's writing form. After that, there was a strangled silence between the two of them before Xing left.

Silence. That was the Slytherin way. Unlike Gryffindor who possesses a cynical amount of energy, they are best suited for yells and screams. Young Ravenclaw are best at writing self-reflections, and innocent Hufflepuff, active discussion. However, with the ambitious Slytherin, silence is the best way to pull them back to reality. Xing have found out the hard way.

"Don't you think you're being too hard on the first years, Xing? They're barely eleven."

"They ought to learn the consequences to their actions, Aella. Besides, they didn't get into trouble, if we ignore it, what are the chances of them doing that again?"

"...Sometimes, I don't think you're just a third-year, Xing."

"Goodnight, Aella."

"...Goodnight, Xing. Don't overwork yourself."

***

On the last weekday, Xing got down to the dining hall a tad early to not be late for her first class; Care of Magical Creatures. Since the class is taken outside, in the outer edge of the Forbidden Forest. She wanted to go explore the site before class starts, hopefully without being caught.

After bidding her friends, she headed straight for the forest using an excuse of forgetting her books to leave early. Aella has chosen Arithmancy and Divination which she was quickly regretting while Dion chose Care of Magical Creatures and Ancient Runes.

Xing peacefully headed down towards the bushes of green, quietly passing by Hagrid's hut, not wanting to disturb and be discover by him. She then head towards the site that she presume will have the lesson before heading further into the forest.

Like Hogwarts, the Forbidden Forest remain unaffected by time and holds the same appearance as before. The trees, as she have remembered, are as dense as ever, holding a mysterious mist that linger in the air.

She continues to walk further into the centre of the forest before stopping at a particular boulder midway. Furrowing her eyebrows, she trudge towards the boulder, noticing something strange. Xing extend her hand to touch the cold surface of the rock, fingers groping on to a silvery strand of hair.

Bringing it closer, Xing couldn't help but gasp out at the sight. "Unicorn hair." Not only is unicorn hair durable, but it is very rare to collect it. However, from what she have remembered, unicorns don't live in this particular area of the forest. Xing continue to stare at the boulder in confusion before noticing another silver glint. "Another one?"

This strand got stuck to the rough rock at a fairly low point. As she kneel down to pick it, Xing was frightened at the sight of more unicorn hair. Picking up the strands of unicorn hair, she cautiously look around.

"Why is a student here in the Forbidden Forest," a voice boomed out from behind her. Whipping her head back, she was greeted with towering figure standing proudly on the roots protruding out from an old tree. Xing subconsciously gulped at the sight. A muscular lower body of a horse', an upper body that holds similarity to a wizard's, there could only be one possible creature. A centaur.

"I was exploring sir, I apologize for disturbing you," Xing then stood up, hands stuffing the unicorn hair into her inner pockets, wanting to turn around and leave. Since she had trespass into their territory, leaving was the best solution without resulting to violence. After all, centaurs were known for their dislike against wizard kind.

The centaur seemed to ignore her comment, only focusing on her face. It then stepped closer, jumping down to stand directly in front of her."...What is your name?"

"...Xing Forest, sir."

The centaur's eyes widen at the name but soon changed back to his neutral expression. "...You, Forest, hold a very interesting soul. One that is very familiar to Hogwarts."

"What do you mean sir?"

"Dig inside and you shall realize the meaning of my words. Your soul, attracts those around you whether it be good or bad."

Xing clenches her hands, "Thank you, sir. I must go now." Turning around, she sprinted back to the edge of the forest, not once looking back at the figure.

Before exiting, she took a right turn to prevent her peers from realizing that she have enter without supervision. Once she have made it outside, she walk down the path towards their meeting point, now seeing a few students gathered.

"Took your time getting your books, Forest," Dion commented after realizing the girl standing next to him. "Are you cold?"

Xing shook her head, "No, why would I be?"

"Really? Your hands are shaky."

Only then did Xing realizes how clammy and sweaty her hands are. "... I ran from the dungeon here to not be late. Just a little tired."

"You sure?" Dion raises his eyebrows.

"Of course." Dion dropped the conversation despite looking unconvinced.

Furiously trying to even her breathing, Xing look around to look for the professor, waiting for her name to be called for roll call.

Once it did, she called out in a collected manner. "Ah, the person I was looking for!" The voice whispered out from behind her, cautious to not disturb the lecture of the professor on how dangerous the Forbidden Forest out. Soon, a shadow then two cast itself upon her back. This made her sigh while Dion rolled his eyes.

"Good morning, Xing."

"Good morning."

"How are y--"

"Hush, the professor's talking," Dion interrupted, looking at the Weasley twins.

"Doesn't look like he's listening either, right George?"

"You're right, Fred!"

Annoyed with their comments, Dion whipped back raising his hand in retaliation. "You!" Xing was quick to hold on to him, preventing him from causing a commotion. "Dion, don't!"

"But Xing!"

"What's happening back there?" Professor Silvanus Kettleburn shouted out from the front, staring at the back of the group after finishing roll call.

"Apologies, Professor Kettleburn, one of the students tripped over the roots so we all got surprised." This resulted in a head shake from the professor, sighing out at the clumsiness, leading the class inside the Forbidden Forest.

As the rest of the class follows him, Xing's group also followed. Throwing the twins a glare, Xing turn back to Dion, tugging his sleeve so they can huddle closer, "Ignore them, you don't want to talk to the prefects about you losing house points."

"We're suppose to be the ones that taunt and tease them."

"Dion, I don't think it's good to be on either side."

"Hush, Forest, you're suppose to be on my side."

Rolling her eyes at Dion's sudden childish, Xing increase her pace as a mean to indirectly disagree with him. "Hey, Xing, wait for me!" With her long strides, Dion could barely keep up despite the both of them being a similar height, which was considered to be fairy tall even in the older year group. This sometimes led to Aella clinging on to one of them so she could keep up with their pace. Despite her frequent complaints, it kept their conversations interesting.

"You don't have to speed up whenever you're mad," Dion panted once he caught up to her.

"I'm not mad, Dion. I'm annoyed."

"Foolishness."

"...Sounds like you're targeting me, Forest."

"Interpret it however you want."

"Tha--" Before Dion could complain any further, Dion was tugged back to not bump into another third year. He raises his eyebrows at Xing before realizing that they have stop as he pulled his sleeves out of Xing's grasp, patting the material before focusing on the professor.

"Now turn your books to page eighty seven," the professor said. Immediately, all the students took out their Care of Magical Creatures Book which were tied by a durable rope to prevent them from biting off each other's spines.

"Merlin, why are we using such violent books," Dion groaned out.

"Because it's Cares of Magical Creatures, the books should summarize the entire course. Pet it's spine, it'll relax."

"Oh, it relaxed."

"I can definitely sense that."

"No need to for such sarcasm, Forest," Dion then muttered something in French. "Oh, you understand French!"

Xing only responded with a closed-eye smile, "Glad you remember that."

"Hush, now students," the professor announced from the front as he put down the cages filled with worm-like creature.

Flicking through the book until she have arrive at page eighty-seven, Xing groaned out at the title. Flobberworm.

"We're taking care of flobberworms?" Soon, groans and complaints filled the area which was as shut down as quickly as it has arise by the hush of the professor.

"You lot don't understand the importance of flobberworms! Despite them looking simple and boring, the mucus that they produce are a special substance that helps thickens up potions..." as the professor continues his lecture on the characteristic of flobberworms, the entire class seemed too bored to actually listened to his words and began talking among themselves.

Xing furrowed her eyebrows at this, disliking the disrespect. She look down at the book before taking out a muggle pen before underlining the important details of the creature, ignoring the rest of the students.

Dion, the Weasley twins who were standing near her seem to have pick up the frustration and decided to not interrupt her and focus on something else. With that, the class continues on and soon, the first outdoor class of Care of Magical Creatures ended with many disappointed.