December 17th
Daisy had become a regular visitor to the second-floor girls' bathroom, a place she now frequented for its quiet solitude. Moaning Myrtle, the resident ghost, still refused to acknowledge her presence, which Daisy didn't mind in the slightest. In fact, she considered it a stroke of luck. The bathroom had become a refuge of sorts, a place where she could think without interruption.
She often ran into Hermione there, who was busy brewing the Polyjuice Potion in one of the stalls. Their shared secret had brought them closer, though Daisy regretted that she had little useful information to offer. Draco Malfoy had been unusually cautious lately, careful not to say anything incriminating around anyone who wasn't Crabbe or Goyle. Daisy had tried to keep a closer eye on Ginny as well, out of concern for the younger girl's strange behavior, but it had proven difficult. They were in different houses and different years, and Ginny seemed determined to avoid being found.
As Daisy left the bathroom that evening, her mind was a jumble of thoughts, though she felt slightly more at ease after her recent conversation with Snape. She made her way to the entrance hall, where a small crowd had gathered around the notice board, reading a freshly pinned parchment.
Dear Students,
We're pleased to announce a new addition to our extracurricular offerings: the Dueling Club.
This club will provide students with the opportunity to learn and practice defensive spells in a controlled environment.
First Meeting:
December 17th, 8:00 PM
Location: Great Hall
Best,
Professor Minerva McGonagall
Daisy wasn't particularly interested in combative spells, but the recent events at Hogwarts had left her feeling vulnerable. Knowing how to defend herself seemed like a good idea, so she decided to give the club a try.
---
At eight o'clock that evening, Daisy, accompanied by Pansy, Daphne, and Tracey, hurried to the Great Hall. The long dining tables had vanished, replaced by a golden stage lit by thousands of floating candles. The ceiling was velvety black, and the hall was packed with students, all carrying their wands and buzzing with excitement.
Daisy's heart sank as she spotted Gilderoy Lockhart striding onto the stage, resplendent in robes of deep plum. To her surprise, he was accompanied by Snape, who looked as though he'd rather be anywhere else.
Lockhart waved his arms for silence, his smile dazzling under the candlelight. "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me?" he called, his voice booming. "Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves—as I myself have done on countless occasions. For full details, see my published works."
Daisy rolled her eyes, earning a snicker from Pansy.
"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," Lockhart continued, gesturing grandly. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now, don't worry, you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!"
"I hope Snape wipes that smile off his face," Daisy whispered to her friends, who nodded in agreement. While none of them were particularly fond of Snape, between him and Lockhart, the choice was easy.
Snape's upper lip curled as he and Lockhart faced each other. They bowed—Lockhart with a flourish, Snape with a curt jerk of his head—and raised their wands.
"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart explained. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."
"One—two—three—"
Snape's voice cut through the air like a whip. "Expelliarmus!" A flash of scarlet light erupted from his wand, and Lockhart was blasted off his feet. He flew backward, smashed into the wall, and slid to the floor in a heap.
The Slytherins erupted into cheers, Daisy and her friends included. Even Malfoy looked impressed.
Lockhart staggered to his feet, his hat askew and his hair standing on end. "Well, there you have it!" he said, forcing a smile. "That was a Disarming Charm—as you see, I've lost my wand—"
Snape's murderous glare silenced him, and Lockhart quickly moved on to pairing students for practice. Snape, however, intervened, placing Malfoy against Harry.
Daisy paired up with Pansy as they practiced the Disarming charm.
Then, Lockhart had the bright idea to pick a volunteer pair to go up on the stage. He wanted to teach them how to block unfriendly spells. Daisy never believed it one bit. Then, Harry and Draco walked up on the stage.
Daisy felt torn. Should she cheer for Harry, whom she considered a friend, or for Malfoy, her housemate? In the end, house pride won out.
"Go, Malfoy!" she called, earning a smirk from the blond boy.
"I've got this, Evans," Draco replied confidently.
The duel began, but it quickly devolved into chaos. Draco summoned a snake with Serpensortia, and the crowd gasped as the creature slithered toward Justin Finch-Fletchley.
Daisy heard Harry shout, "Leave him alone!"—though the words slithered off his tongue with an eerie, serpentine edge, causing the snake to become docile, but the damage was done. Justin stormed out, and the hall buzzed with ominous muttering.
"I don't get it," Daisy murmured, watching as Justin Finch-Fletchley stormed out of the Great Hall, his face pale with fury. Whispers buzzed all around her, students huddling together, exchanging uneasy glances. The mood had shifted drastically from excitement to fear in a matter of moments. "Why is Justin so mad?"
"I think it's obvious," Tracey muttered, crossing her arms. "It looked like Potter was egging that snake on. You saw it too, right? He spoke to it—like properly spoke to it. Kind of creepy."
Daisy frowned, her brows knitting together. "No, that's not what happened. I heard Harry—he told the snake to back off. He wasn't encouraging it."
Tracey gave her a dubious look, but before she could argue, Daisy turned away. Something about this didn't sit right with her.
She pushed through the lingering crowd, heading toward the stage just as Snape descended, robes billowing as he walked beside Draco. The Potions Master looked particularly deep in thought, his face unreadable.
"Professor?" Daisy called, quickening her pace.
Snape halted, turning to regard her with a raised brow. "What is it this time, Miss Evans?" he drawled, though there was something in his voice—something almost expectant.
Daisy hesitated for a second before speaking. "I don't understand what just happened," she admitted. "I heard Harry. He told the snake to leave Justin alone—but everyone's acting as if he set it on him."
Draco, who had been listening quietly, suddenly stopped in his tracks. His sharp gaze flicked to her, suspicion flaring in his silver eyes. "Wait. You heard him?"
Daisy blinked at him. "Yeah...?"
Draco's expression hardened, calculating. "That means you understood him."
Snape's dark eyes locked onto her, scrutinizing. "You're a Parselmouth, Miss Evans," he stated, his voice as cold as the dungeons.
Daisy felt her breath hitch. "What?"
"It means you can speak to snakes," Snape continued, his gaze sharp and assessing. "A rare ability—one most famously associated with Salazar Slytherin himself."
Daisy stared at him, heart pounding. She had never spoken to a snake in her life. Had she? She thought back to the moment the serpent had slithered toward Justin, how the words had sounded in her head—how she knew what Harry had been saying.
Draco's calculating expression didn't waver, but something shifted in his demeanor. He studied her for a second longer before turning on his heel and walking away without another word.
Snape's eyes flickered toward him before returning to Daisy. "Best not to speak of this, Miss Evans," he advised quietly.
---
December 18th
The next day, Draco seemed to be everywhere Daisy went, his presence both annoying and suspicious. She decided to escape to Hagrid's hut, hoping his cheerful demeanor would help clear her mind.
When she arrived, however, Hagrid looked troubled. He was holding a limp rooster, his face grim.
"Second one killed this term," he explained. "It's either foxes or a Blood-Suckin' Bugbear, an' I need the headmaster's permission ter put a charm around the hen coop."
Daisy frowned. Another strange occurrence to add to the growing list. This term was becoming more chaotic by the day.
She walked back to the castle with Hagrid, parting ways as he headed to Dumbledore's office. Unsure of where to go next, Daisy decided to visit the library.
"Evans. What are you up to?" Draco's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Not much. Thinking of heading to the library," Daisy replied, eyeing him warily. "Why?"
"Just wanted to see what my fellow housemate is up to, that's all," Draco said, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.
Before Daisy could respond, Peeves came floating down the corridor, his voice echoing through the halls. "ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"
Daisy and Draco exchanged a glance before sprinting in the direction Peeves had come from. They arrived to find a crowd gathered around Justin Finch-Fletchley and Nearly Headless Nick, both petrified. From the murmurs of the crowd, Daisy learned that Harry had been found at the scene—again.
The Hufflepuffs were relentless in their accusations, their voices a mix of hushed murmurs and sharp-edged whispers. Ernie Macmillan, in particular, seemed determined to paint Harry as a villain. Daisy guessed this was what it meant to be fiercely loyal, huh?
"He was controlling the snake," Ernie insisted, arms crossed tightly. "You all saw it! He spoke to it like it understood him."
"He's a Parselmouth. That's Dark magic."
Daisy's stomach twisted. The way they were talking about Harry—it wasn't just suspicion. It was fear.
Her fingers curled into fists. He hadn't done anything wrong. She knew he hadn't. And yet, he was being condemned by the same people who had cheered for him at Quidditch matches.
She wanted to say something, to defend him, but the words stuck in her throat. Instead, she could only listen as the heated accusations were thrown around.
She let out a quiet sigh, guilt weighing heavily on her.
Then, a voice cut through the noise.
"Hey, Daisy."
She turned, momentarily startled, and found Cedric Diggory standing beside her.
Unlike the others, his expression wasn't one of fear or judgment—it was calm, maybe even a little curious.
"Oh, Diggory," she greeted, her voice softer than usual. She wasn't surprised to see him; nearly everyone had gathered to watch the spectacle unfold.
Nearly everyone...
A thought clicked into place. Ginny.
Daisy's eyes flickered over the crowd, scanning for a familiar flash of red hair, but Ginny was nowhere to be seen. Huh. She made a mental note to find her later.
For now, she turned back to Cedric, who raised an eyebrow at her.
"Still on last names?" he asked, a light grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Come on, I think we're past that."
Daisy exhaled through her nose, amused. "Fine. Cedric. What were you up to before... all this?" She gestured vaguely toward the chaos around them.
"Was actually heading to the library," he admitted, tucking his hands into his pockets.
Daisy blinked. "No way."
Cedric tilted his head. "Why?"
"Because I was heading to the library." She narrowed her eyes. "Are you following me, Diggory?"
He let out a quiet chuckle. "Yeah, that's exactly what's happening," he said dryly. "Or maybe—just maybe—I actually like books."
Daisy gave him a skeptical look. "Didn't take Hufflepuffs for the academic type."
Cedric laughed, shaking his head. "We're not all about tea and biscuits, you know." He nudged her lightly. "You coming, then?"
Daisy hesitated, stealing a glance back at Draco, who had been watching her a little too closely for comfort.
Escaping him was an added bonus.
"Sure, Diggory," she said finally.
As they started toward the library, Cedric threw her a sidelong glance. "And you can call me Cedric, by the way."
Daisy smirked. "We'll see, Diggory."
He groaned. "You're impossible."
She chuckled, letting herself relax, even if just for a little while.