Hogwarts: Era of Darkness

Our following days usually played out the same. Through the lessons, we kept an eye on Draco, trying to see how he would act or if he would speak to us again, but he became more reserved. Even worse, when we went to the library, now he was there. Not to wait for us but to do his own research, which was telling. We had to come up with something to avoid letting on what we were looking up, or we risked being found out. Giving clues to Draco was not a smart move… so we moved the borrowed books into our hidden classroom. We could have used the Room of Requirements, but Draco knew about it now, and we wanted to use it less to avoid making him suspicious.

"So… you suggest we get a rooster and… that is it?" I asked with a raised eyebrow as we sat in the old divination classroom at the top of the North Tower.

"Yes," Quincy answered, writing furiously on an extra-long parchment, not even raising her head.

"What… Should I order a dozen roosters for no reason?"

"Have you been reading the same book as me or not?" She asked, getting annoyed, looking up from his work at last.

"I did! But I am having doubts!" I leaned back, crossing my hands.

True enough, our current hunt for clues was much more manageable. We found it on the first day, and the bestiary simply and clearly told us that the basilisk's main weakness was a rooster's call. Which was hilarious! The king of snakes dies if a rooster starts yapping? What? Why? How? What kind of evil magic is this?

"We cross-checked it!" Quincy shrugged before continuing scribbling away, "Every book said the same! So it must be true!"

“A big hodgepodge… that is what it is…”

"So? What? Are we dropping YOUR idea?"

"Okay, okay!" I sighed, giving in, "I will get ourselves some roosters. Somehow…”

"I have an idea!" She chuckled, seeing how she easily won over me, "Here!" And with that, she pressed a letter into my hands.

"And this is?" I opened it and read through it carefully, "Huh… Would this work?"

"Should!" She grinned proudly, "Every student has the opportunity to conduct some experiments! We just need a teacher's permission for it!"

"We don't even have care for magical beasts yet."

"If you take it to Professor Lockhart, I don't think that would matter! I detailed everything in the letter as if we were trying to get some extra points for potions by raising our own ingredients! Well, I don't think he is that versed in making them, even after all that boasting… so, he would not understand it!"

"Or play it off. He knows exactly what we are up to, and he will let us do it because he is such a great act!"

"No, he is not a great actor at all!" Quincy giggled at her own joke, which made her especially cute, so it drew a smile onto my face, too, "Anyway! While you get that and ensure we have roosters, I will start gathering the remaining one or two ingredients we need! Like pre-prepared mandragora... I think I could borrow some from Professor Slughorn."

"Sure!" I yawned, standing up and stretching, "Will we do it in the Room of Requirement?"

"Of course!" She snapped as if I asked something stupid, "We can't do it here, the smell could easily drag somebody up here, and we would be busted!"

"Thought so." I nodded, looking down at her and her writings, "Looks complicated…"

"Well, I need to work out everything, and it is best to write down the steps on how to make the potions! I could do it from memory, but… I feel safer like this! It lets me reorganize my mind!"

"I'm not complaining!" I chuckled as I remained staring at her.

"What?"

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine." She answered after a brief pause, thinking.

I was asking because two days ago, we concluded our second ritual after I got my hand on a boomslang. It played out just the same as before, with the sole difference being that Quincy's words had an effect on the snake we tested it on. When she spoke parseltongue, I also felt it to be more pronounced, powerful, and filled with more… magic. This time the snake did not attack, remained obedient and even followed Quincy's orders as to what to do. It was marvelous to see.

"Nothing else?" I asked a question I had brought up multiple times since then.

"Nope!" She shook her head, "No weird dreams; I felt no difference in being at a cold or warm place, no snake-like pupils, and my nose did not fall off, as you can see!"

"Okay, okay~!" I chuckled, patting her head, making her pout and blush happily. I don't think it had to be mentioned between us, as both of us felt and knew we were getting closer and closer. And it was fine like this. It felt... natural. As things simply should be.

"I honestly couldn't tell that something happened to me! The extra thing I can now do is listen and speak to snakes! And do it without thinking about it. I expected… a bit more."

"It is different when you speak in that language, you know." I seriously told her, "Your voice is a bit lower and filled with power. I could perceive it. It was… dominating."

"Heh! Good~!"

"Oh? Are you someone who wants to dominate others?"

"No, not really!" She titled her head upwards to look at me with a smile, "But I never said I was fine being bullied-"

"Wait a minute…"

"I said I knew what would be like coming here!" She continued, "That does not mean I was planning on taking it silently! I would have waited patiently until I had enough power."

"Wicked." I whispered but also kept the smile on my face, "Well…! I'll go, hit up our dear Professor Lockhart!"

"You do that! It is close to curfew, so I also have to hurry back shortly! Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow~!" I nodded, and out of impulse, I leaned down, giving a peck on her cheek, enjoying the panicked look in her eyes and how she was frozen in place by it, "Good night!" Before she could say anything, I left, happy with the results of my sudden attack on her cheeks.

…
….
……

It was already dark outside as I walked through the corridors, heading straight to the office of Professor Lockhart. Most of the students were already back in their Common Rooms, but if I were caught outside with a teacher, I should be okay. Arriving at his office, which was funnily at an unused classroom, I was surprised to see the door half-way open. Hearing the sharp voices coming out, I already recognized the owners… Professor Lockhart and Umbridge. Trying to be as sneaky as possible, I edged forward, hoping to get a good listen to what it was about.

"You are a disgrace… I just can't understand why you are here?" Umbridge asked, not that she wanted to hear any answer to her question.

"I… It wasn't my fault… you tortured him too much!"

Torture? Torture who? Peaking in, I could see Professor Lockhart cowering, sweating like mad, while Umbridge looked way larger than him, yet in reality, she only reached up to his chest in height. She was simply towering over him by presence alone, wearing her vomit-inducing pink sweater.

"You are being kept here to do the only thing you are good at! We bring in those who we capture, and you extract their memories! Alter others so we can send back double agents! If you are not even good at that, why are you even here? Just leave!"

"I can't leave…" He murmured, trying to find an escape from the confrontation, making Umbridge smile evilly. "And as I said… if the mind is damaged, it… can suffer irreversible… injuries! Too much Crucio and-"

"You want to say it was my fault?" Umbridge asked, drawing a sharp breath while smiling like a kind lady… I almost barfed right there. "This is the only place where the Order can't attack willy-nilly, rescuing their members… where we can bring our important… guests for a chat! And you want to say… I treat our guests… badly?"

"No! No, not at all!" Lockhart waved his hands like some kind of windmill.

"Hmph… you are a disgrace as a Professor. Your only worth is helping the first-year students adapt to your misuse of spells, you buffoon! I think we ran out of use of you… I think I need to report this to the Minister."

"I am still a good spy! I… I am…"

"Spy? You?" Umbridge laughed, "You are not a spy! You are just a mole! A rat! Like that other wretch, Wormtail! You were sent to keep an eye on the Anguines, and even that escapes you!"

What? I seriously shuddered. I knew Mother fooled around with him… but… wait… what was happening?

"And I have been doing just like that!" He nodded rapidly, trying to prove he was useful.

"You are fooling around with a wench!" Umbridge snorted, unimpressed, "You were sent there to get information out of her so we can track what Angus Anguine is up to! He tends to disappear from time to time! If he is building his own army, we must know about it! Yet you only managed to get into that rotten woman's bed and nothing else!"

"I did bring useful information to you before! I can't get what the man does not share with his wife!"

"Then go after his kid, you moron!" She berated him, and I saw Lockhart cower as she pulled out her wand.

"His… kid?"

"Crucio!" She pointed it at him, and while Lockhart was writhing on the floor, Umbridge continued, looking down at him with a sadistic pleasure on her toad-like face. "You brainless troll! Conrad. Conrad Anguine is his kid! Do I really need to spell this out? You should have struck up a friendship with him already! Get information out of that good-for-nothing, you idiot!"

With a swish, she stopped the spell watching him pant and drool onto the floor as he cried like a baby. In the end, Umbridge said nothing more, leaving as I watched her back disappear, quickly hiding behind a suit of armor. I just stood there motionless, waiting for things to die down, and after I heard that Professor Lockhart was back on his feet, I made my move. Knocking on the partially open door, I knew I scared him again as his voice shook when answering.

"Come in!"

"Professor." I walked in with a smile as I did not know if I was angry with him or if I was starting to pity the fool. His golden locks were still ruffled, and his eyes were puffy from crying. But… the fact he was after my family… made me feel something weird was going on, and I was kept out of it. Maybe because I was still too young? Inexperienced?

"Ah… Conrad." He nodded, and I saw he immediately thought about Umbridge's words.

"Professor Lockhart, I'd like to ask for a favor…" I said with a shy smile, pulling out Quincy's letter and presenting it to him.

"Ahaha, young chap, of course, of course! I always adored the drive of young wizards! Let me sign it for you!"

"Really?" I asked, bewildered as he did not even read it.

"Just for you, my boy! You are my favorite student, but don't tell this to others!" He winked at me with a loud laugh and returned the letter, almost shoving it into my hands.

"Oh… thanks! Well, Professor, your classes are always the best too!" I smiled, lying so hard I felt the ceiling shaking, in danger of falling on me.

"I knew that we hit it off!" He slapped me on my back multiple times, "Later on, we should have a little chat; what do you say? I could give you some advanced… tips! You have the talent for it! You are a shining star, my friend!"

"Well… er. Um… Yeah! Why not! I… I will check my timetable, Professor!"

"Ahaha, do that, do that!"

"I should go… Curfew is in effect, so… I don't want to end up on Professor Umbridge's wrong side. Again."

"Y-yes." He started to tremble the moment he heard her name and asked nothing, just watching the door with terror in his eyes while I left.

Advanced tips? Sure… Well… I may just take up his offer. I need to know what is going on back home. I thought it was my mother's promiscuous nature that she hooked up with the flamboyant author and teacher… but now it seemed something else was going on, and it made me worried.