Chapter Text
The words stared blankly back at her.
The chapter on Erumpent horns might as well have been written in Gobbledegook.
Rose had read the same page four times, yet every sentence slipped away the moment she reached the next. Her eyes stung. She took off her reading glasses and rubbed her eyes fiercely.
She looked over her notes, the parchment was littered with scribbles. She dipped her quill into the ink once more and slashed through another paragraph.
None of it was worth keeping.
“Erumpent Horns…” She muttered the words as she wrote them down, “are used in various—”
“You’ve got to be joking.”
She looked up to see Al’s unkempt jet-black hair.
“I didn’t believe Gene when she told me you were here,” he stood over her, reading the words she was trying desperately to write on the page.
“Al, just leave me.”
“Breakfast is gonna end in fifteen, you need to eat, Rose.” He said, already stuffing her items into her satchel. “Also, if you want to stay up for the party you got to get a nap or something, you were practically falling asleep.”
Rose sighed.
“I don’t even know why everyone is making such a big deal about it.”
She made a grab for her satchel, but he was quicker, raising it high above his head.
“You don’t understand, it’s O.W.L.s.”
“Rose.”
“What?”
She looked up at him. He looked her right in the face and laughed out loud.
“What?”
Rose snapped.
Albus shook his head.
“Nothing, just you’ve got…”
He shrugged, a small smirk on his face.
“I’m sitting the exact same O.W.L.s,” he said the words as if she was stupid.
Judging by the last hour, he was probably right.
Her eyes lingered on the nearly written paragraph. The ink hadn't even dried yet.
“Breakfast, then you can get it back.”
He snatched up the parchment and ran away from Rose’s little alcove.
She picked up the quill and ink bottle. She had no choice but to follow him.
Her first class was History of Magic. Professor Binns wouldn’t notice if she finished her Potions essay then.
Rose’s luck had not turned, and on their way towards the Great Hall she obviously had to run into Malfoy.
“Al, where are you off to?”
She didn’t even care to look at him, she would have to see enough of him during DADA later, unless he skipped the class again.
“This one hasn’t had breakfast yet,” Albus pointed to Rose as if she was an incompetent child.
She looked up and saw Malfoy’s usual smarmy look.
He snickered a laugh before passing them.
“Nice make-up you got going there, Weasley. You should keep that for tonight,” he commented.
She lightly touched her face, but he was already heading off towards the greenhouses.
“I hope the Devil’s Snare strangles you,” she yelled after him, his disgusting laugh echoing in the corridor.
“What is his problem?”
She turned angrily to Albus.
Her cousin was hunched over in laughter.
“I may have forgotten to mention…” Al wheezed, wiping tears from his eyes. “You've got ink all over your face.”
She touched her cheek.
Black ink coated her fingertips.
Rose stared at them for a heartbeat.
She slowly turned back toward Albus, her hand ready at her wand.
“You better run, Albus Severus Potter.”
He barely had time to straighten before the Bat-Bogey Hex caught him square in the chest.
Saira stared wide-eyed at Rose as she finished not one, not two, but three essays during History of Magic.
“Rose, as you love essays so much, you wouldn’t mind finishing my DADA essay.”
Rose eyed her.
“Saira, do you mean the one due today?”
She laughed.
Saira only offered a sheepish smile.
“She’s been too busy fighting with the Slytherins,” Gene fiddled with her necklace.
The three girls were walking towards Charms.
“They started it,” Saira replied with a shrug. “They're the ones who put sticky paste on Lucas' Keeper gloves.”
A wicked grin formed on her face.
They separated for a moment, letting some sixth years walk past.
“And well… I might have gotten Roxy to put flea eggs in their helmets.”
The Quidditch captain continued.
Rose glared at Saira as two first years forced their way past them.
“Hey, why don't you ever ask me? I'm on the team too.”
She folded her arms.
“I can do more than write essays.”
Rose sulked as she watched Saira pull out a package of Bertie Botts from her satchel.
“Want one?” she asked, offering the packet to Rose, who politely declined.
A few beans fell out as she turned the packet on Gene, who cringed in disgust.
“No way! If I puke I won’t be able to go to the party tonight.”
Rose stopped in her tracks.
“You’re seriously gonna go to that, Gene?”
Genevieve flashed Rose a sweet smile.
“Rose, it’s a party, not a funeral. The whole Hogwarts population is gonna be there, Al… Lucie… even Tommy.”
Gene stopped square in the middle of the corridor.
She pulled Rose and Saira closer.
Saira was more interested in her packet of Bertie Botts than the conversation, and Rose was regretting even saying anything in the first place.
“I heard they paid off your cousin so she won’t tell the headmistress.”
Saira snorted before popping a Bertie Botts in her mouth.
“Molly?” Rose laughed. “I doubt it.”
Rose pulled Gene along with her.
“To get her to agree to that they’d have to pull out that stick up her—”
Saira’s face grimaced in disgust.
“…Was it earwax?” Rose asked.
“Nope, burnt grass.”
Gene and Rose laughed at Saira's discomfort.
Once inside the Charms classroom, the girls split up.
Rose took her usual spot next to Dominique.
“Have you been part of the planning committee?”
Rose sat down and noted the confetti stuck to Dominique’s hair.
Dom rolled her eyes.
“Ugh, no. It’s Lisa and Bella. They have taken over our whole dorm, wrapping presents and gluing decorations.”
Rose scrunched her nose.
“I can’t believe they are going through all that effort. I heard Bella say to Samantha Zabini that Malfoy was ‘feeling down’,” she signalled air quotes. “I bet you he ran out of hair gel or something.”
Rose got out her parchment.
“The start-of-term party… what does that have to do with Malfoy, Rose?”
Dominique shrugged.
Alice came rushing into the classroom before Rose could respond, slouching down into the seat behind them.
“That cousin of yours is infuriating.”
She glared at Dom and Rose.
“Don’t get me started on Al today,” Rose sighed.
Gene twisted around in her seat.
“He let me walk around with ink all over my face,” Rose said, pulling out her parchment. “I got him though, with a Bat-Bogey.”
“I don’t mean Al.”
“What did Fred do now?” Dominique exclaimed.
“Not Fred. James. He decided to try out some stupid new product on me, look.”
Alice lifted a thick lock of hair from behind her ear.
The ends had been burnt clean off.
Gene gasped from the bench below.
“Why would he ever.”
Rose was already uncorking her ink bottle while Alice spoke.
“I wish I had walked around with ink on my face. I’ll look terrible at the party tonight.”
Rose could already see tears gathering in Alice's eyes.
“I’m not wonderful at beauty charms, but I could…” Rose began.
Gene frowned.
For a long moment she didn't say anything, her fingers worrying at the pendant around her neck.
“…I could always try and research them later—”
“I’ll help you,” Gene interrupted. “Meet me after classes today,” she said before turning back towards the blackboard just as Professor Flitwick walked through the door.
Turquoise sparks flew past her ear.
Rose barely flinched.
“You call that a shot?” she smirked.
Another spell came her way.
“Protego.”
She straightened, putting her hand on her hip and twirling the wand between her fingers.
“Honestly, Malfoy,” she readied herself, “Impedimenta,” she yelled out, but he was able to stop her advances.
“Are you ever just quiet?” he said through gritted teeth, before giving the spell another attempt.
“Nope, Impedimenta.”
He flashed her a grin.
“I wasn’t expecting you to be this terrible, Weasley.”
His next attempt at the jinx flew past her, bouncing off of the classroom wall.
Uncle Harry was walking around the classroom, inspecting all the pairs as they attempted to perfect the Impediment Jinx.
“Well, you couldn’t hit a slug if it was right in front of you,” she joked.
He sent another flash of turquoise her way.
She rolled onto the stone floor, narrowly escaping his jinx.
Harry stepped in front of Rose’s path.
“Rose, Scorpius. How is the lesson going?” He glanced between the two of them.
Rose exhaled sharply, her hand itching to send a curse in Malfoy’s path.
“Fine, Professor Potter,” Malfoy spoke up.
“Scorpius, I’ve said to use Harry,” he laughed. “Rose, your wand movement is just slightly off, try flicking your wrist a tad more. Excellent form, Scorpius.”
Uncle Harry grinned at the two before moving on to the next pair.
“As you were.”
Harry was just out of the line of fire when Rose began her attack.
“I’ll show you correct wand movement,” she muttered, sending another attempt at the jinx Malfoy’s way.
He wasn’t prepared.
The jinx hit him right in the chest and his movements slowed down. His body falling backwards in slow motion.
“Too late, Scorpy,” she mocked. “Just like you were late to patrols yesterday,” she edged towards him.
“Or just like you were late adding the Honeywater in the potion yesterday.”
He had just managed to stumble to his feet before Rose began her second attack.
A blast of turquoise shot out of Malfoy’s wand, but Rose intercepted it.
“Flipendo.”
The jinx was stronger and Malfoy wasn’t expecting it.
“You’re just plain slow.”
He fell back, knocked to the ground.
He pointed his wand at her.
“Expelliarmus.”
Scorpius’ wand flew from his hand, landing on the other side of the classroom.
The noise drew the others’ attention.
A tight smile on Malfoy’s lips.
For one glorious second Rose thought she'd won.
She stood over him.
“I’m sorry, Scorpy, are you feeling down? Perhaps a party can cheer you up.”
His smile slipped.
Not much.
Not enough that anyone else would notice.
But Rose did.
For once, Scorpius Malfoy looked like he didn't have a comeback.
Then she saw something flicker across his face. Something she couldn't quite place.
Something inside her snapped.
“Stupefy—”
Harry's shield intercepted the spell.
“Expelliarmus.”
Her wand dropped to the floor.
Around them, the room had fallen silent.
Every wand was lowered.
Every pair had stopped fighting.
“Rose Granger Weasley.”
His voice was quiet, which was somehow worse.
“Detention at eight.”
“What, Uncle Harry—”
“Professor Potter.”
“Malfoy wasn’t even in class on Monday, why aren’t you giving him a—”
“Do you want two detentions?”
There was not a single pair still duelling, everyone’s attention was on Rose.
“No, Professor Potter.”
She hung her head.
Malfoy had managed to get up from the floor.
He walked so quietly over to where his wand had dropped, that had Rose not been watching him she never would’ve noticed.
His fingers tightened around his wand.
For a moment, he looked more tired than angry.
His eyes met hers, there was no smugness on his face.
Only a genuine distraught look.
For a moment, something uncomfortable twisted in her stomach.
She pushed it away.
He was only trying to make her feel guilty. Anything to garner sympathy.
She huffed and watched as he stormed out of the classroom.
Typical.
Couldn’t even fight his own battles.
Rose didn’t feel like eating dinner after the day she had had. Instead, she waited outside of the DADA classroom while the rest of her peers went down to dinner. She only hoped it wasn’t turkey, then she might change her mind.
The quiet corridors were the best place to study, no distractions. Not the usual student going into her library alcove, stealing a book off the shelf. Only an occasional ghost passing by, ignoring Rose. They didn’t have a care in the world.
Helena Ravenclaw did, however, wander straight through Rose, which gave her quite the chill.
At one point, in the middle of dinner, she did think she heard footsteps, but it was most likely a first-year who had gotten lost on the way.
Her Uncle Harry arrived five minutes past eight.
“Rose, have you been here all evening?”
She held up her notes and essays.
“No time like the present,” she laughed nervously.
He only gave her a small smile.
“You really are your mother’s daughter,” he laughed. “Come on.”
Once inside, he wordlessly lit the lamps in the room. Rose put her satchel down.
“Right, what do you want me to do? I can write lines.”
Harry cringed at the suggestion.
“Or polish all the cabinets. Perhaps count over all the inventory—”
Harry drew out a chair.
“Sit.”
He held the chair out for her.
“Sit?”
She looked at him with wide eyes, but got down in the chair.
Her uncle pulled up another one on the opposite side of the table.
“Rose, what happened today in class… stuff like that can't happen again.”
His voice was firm.
“I know, Uncle Harry, I’m so sorry, I got a bit carried away. But I promise I will—”
Harry sighed, pulling off his round spectacles and rubbing them on his shirt until they were as clean as they could possibly be.
“Do you know what my biggest mistake was?”
Rose furrowed her brow. She expected him to laugh it off.
He didn't.
“You mean like getting a T on your O.W.L.s?”
He chuckled and got up from his chair. He was pacing the room, unable to begin his next sentence.
“When I was your age, Rose,” he looked at her. “I was very angry at the world.”
Rose nearly laughed.
Of course he was angry. He had every right to be angry. Voldemort had been targeting him since he was a baby.
Rose leaned forward, her elbows on the desk.
“I hurt people, people I cared about… and people I didn’t.”
Harry was looking out of the window now. He turned back to Rose and got down in his seat again. He stared at her, not moving an inch.
“I nearly killed another student.”
Rose let out a small gasp before looking away from him.
“Why—why are you telling me?”
She folded her arms.
This had nothing to do with the way Malfoy was acting.
“Malfoy is acting a complete git, he deserved…”
She let the words falter.
He did deserve what was coming for him, but her uncle’s stern look was enough to shut Rose up.
“Perhaps he did, but lashing out isn’t the answer.”
“—Says you,” her voice was growing louder with each word. “You nearly killed someone.”
Harry was quiet for a moment.
“Yes,” he said finally. “I did.”
He sighed heavily and sat back down, opposite Rose.
“It was my sixth year. I had just started N.E.W.T.-level Potions.”
Rose let her arms unfold and drew her attention back to her uncle.
“I had found the potions book in the supply closet. An old tattered one with notes scribbled all over. It was a really helpful book, I was the best potion-maker in the whole year,” he grinned at the memory. “But the book also had a darkness. Spells created by the author.”
He looked at Rose as he spoke, needing her to hear every word.
“Your mother warned me about using it, but I was stupid, a sixteen-year-old,” a small chuckle escaped him. “This classmate of mine was doing things I couldn't explain. Things that frightened me. I convinced myself he was already becoming his father. Times were desperate, Voldemort had just returned.”
Rose knew the story.
Everyone did.
Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. Her parents beside him. The Golden Trio. The heroes who had saved the wizarding world.
Yet surrounded by shelves of cursed objects and dark artefacts, the line between hero and villain suddenly seemed far less certain.
“Rose, listen.”
“Sorry…”
Her eyes snapped back.
“One day I followed this student, I used a spell I had never tried before. I watched as he nearly bled to death on the bathroom floor. There was so much blood,” her uncle pulled off his glasses once more, though there was no way they could get any clearer.
“He could’ve died, and I would’ve been to blame, not because I tried using a spell I didn’t know. But because I didn’t know when to stop.”
Rose stared at him.
She understood what he was saying, even if she wasn’t sure she agreed.
“What—what happened to the student?” she asked, her interest piqued.
“You know of him,” Rose furrowed her brow.
Harry got up, pacing aimlessly.
“That student was…”
Harry stopped.
His hands gripped the back of his chair.
“Draco Malfoy.”
Her eyes widened.
Harry looked away, his fingers tightening around the chair.
“I spent years thinking that because I was fighting the right war, every choice I made was justified.”
Harry Potter had almost killed someone.
Not just anyone.
Malfoy’s father.
“But he was—”
“And before you say it,” Harry interrupted, “Yes, Draco was doing terrible things. He was making choices that frightened me. I was not wrong to be afraid of him.”
He looked at her.
“I was wrong to let that fear decide who I became.”
“Why are you telling me…”
The words faltered.
“I know you and Scorpius have your differences, Rose. You have got to stop letting that control you. Next time you feel like hexing him. Try thinking of something you two have in common—”
“We have nothing in common—” she spat out.
Her uncle’s eyes drifted to the maroon pin on her chest.
“Are you sure about that?”
Rose looked down at the pin, lightly touching it.
“So what, we are both Prefects. That doesn’t change anything.”
He shot a look at the badge once more.
“It tells me someone trusted both of you to make the right choice, even when it’s difficult.”
Harry sighed and went to open the classroom door.
“Now go on, join the party, Rose.”
“What party?” She lied.
“I know about the party in the Slytherin common room, you teenagers sure aren’t conspicuous.”
“Right… I’m not going.”
Her uncle flashed her a confused look.
“It’s a stupid party for Malfoy—”
Harry shot her a look.
“Fine, I go for like five minutes,” she got up and hurried out of the room before her uncle could give her any more stern looks of disappointment.
As she walked into the party she could smell the distinct smell of fire-whiskey.
Fred and James, she rolled her eyes.
Her eyes wandered over the crowd. Students from the older years dancing, snogging and Merlin knows, she didn’t need to see it on full display in the Common room at the very least.
Rose was sure she could spot Saira together with sixth year Tori Thomas. Though it was dark, so she couldn’t be sure.
Not only was the room dark due to the chandeliers having been blown out, but the whole vibe. She didn’t like it.
The first thing she noticed was the enormous window overlooking the Black Lake. Beyond the glass, the water stretched into endless darkness. Looking at it made her feel as though she might drown simply by standing too close.
“Rosie,” Gene put her hand around her shoulder. Her speech was slurred.
“Gene, should we get you some water?”
Rose untangled herself from Genevieve.
“No, no, no, I don’t need,” she pointed towards Alice, who was stood at the top of a small indoor balcony talking to James. Her hair was cut in a really cute bob. “Look at her stupid hair, Rosie. I did that. I made it look like that. I fixed it.”
Gene was nearly slumped over.
“I think you might need some water,” Rose laughed.
“Maybe you are right, you do have four eyes,” the girl hiccuped as Rose pulled her with her to the common room bathroom.
As she passed the boys' stall she could spot a familiar face.
Malfoy had his hands clenched around the sink basin, his knuckles white. His breathing came in ragged pulls.
In.
Out.
Too fast.
Her first instinct was to keep walking.
Instead, she stopped.
In.
Out.
The sound was jarring.
Gene swayed beside her, mumbling something Rose couldn't make out. Rose barely heard. Her hand found the doorframe without thinking.
His shoulders were so tense it looked as though, if he relaxed, his whole body would fall apart.
Before she realised it, she'd taken a step towards him.
A floorboard creaked.
His eyes shot up in the mirror.
Their gazes locked.
Neither of them moved.
His breathing hitched.
In.
Out.
Faster.
He stared at her, while she stared right back.
She was about to open her mouth to say… something. Anything.
When his head whipped back down and he puked.
Right.
Down.
The sink drain.
Relief washed over her.
Her shoulders loosened.
Firewhisky.
Of course.