The question hung heavy in the air. The two idiots shuffled on their feet, cheeks blotchy, before muttering a pathetic, "...no..."
Snape's lip curled in disgust, and he turned away, robes swishing dramatically as if the stupidity of their answer was beneath him. The students nearby whispered, their disbelief turning into snickers.
McGonagall, though, wasn't done. She pulled out her wand with a sharp flick. Her voice rang loud and clear. "Accio Sona Sitri's wand!" The command sliced through the room.
Silence followed. Nothing happened. No wand came flying through the air.
"Miss Sitri," she said slowly, "where is your wand?"
That was a good question. Did Sona even realize she was supposed to carry around a fake wand? Did Tsubaki? I glanced at both of them, searching their faces. And then I saw it-blank, frozen expressions.
They hadn't thought of it.
Sona, though, was sharp as hell and managed to spin a lie without even blinking. She lifted her chin, folded her hands neatly in front of her, and said in the calmest voice, "I must've left my wand in my dorm this morning. I didn't think I'd need it just for breakfast."
McGonagall exhaled hard through her nose. She rubbed her temple and muttered something about reckless behavior. "A witch must always have her wand, Miss Sitri. At all times. Even at breakfast. You cannot predict when danger may strike."
Sona gave a little fake smile, and answered, "I'll keep that in mind, ma'am." She was playing the game, but not actually apologizing.
McGonagall pursed her lips tight, then turned her attention back to Draco's frozen body. "Clearly, this must be the result of some prank spell gone wrong," she said sharply. "Perhaps some rune trap placed on the floor...?" Her gaze snapped suddenly to the Weasley twins, who were leaning back with smug little smirks plastered across their freckled faces. "Fred. George. Did you have anything to do with this?"
The twins instantly threw their hands high. "Not guilty!" Fred chirped.
"Utterly innocent, Professor," George added, grinning. "If we had done it, we would have made it a lot flashier. We would have planned a whole theme about it and everything!"
"Yeah," Fred snorted, "Malfoy's more like a popsicle right now. Or should we call him a Malfoy-sicle?"
"Maybe a Drake-sicle," George mused, tapping his chin.
"...We're still perfecting the terminology. I'm sure we'll figure something out," Fred finished.
The Great Hall rippled with laughter, muffled giggles spreading like fire. Even some of the other staff looked like they wanted to smirk.
McGonagall's face went so tight I thought she might pop a vein. "Minus five points to Gryffindor, for your lack of compassion for a fellow student..."
"Totally worth it," the twins muttered together, still smirking like devils. They even turned to give me and Sona proud thumbs-ups, like we were partners in crime.
Fred and George were practically bouncing in their seats, eyes glittering with mischief, desperate to know exactly how Sona had managed to freeze Draco like that. They kept leaning forward, whispering quick questions to each other, throwing glances at us like they were trying to figure out the trick.
I knew sooner or later we'd have to invent some half?plausible lie-at least until I trusted them enough to share the truth. I was half?devil, and Sona wasn't just some sharp transfer student, she was a devil heiress with more power than anyone in this castle could handle.
Professor Snape clearly wanted the mess gone before more chaos could break out. His black eyes swept the hall like knives before locking onto a pair of Slytherin students who looked half-competent compared to the rest. "You two. Now," he barked, his tone venomous.
They jumped like frightened rabbits. Their wands shook in sweaty hands as they levitated Draco's frozen, stiff body off the ground, shuffling awkwardly under the weight of the block.
Snape sneered, voice dripping with disdain. "Get him into the sun. Let him thaw before someone decides to carve their initials into him." A few nervous chuckles rippled through the hall at the biting remark, though everyone quickly looked away when Snape's glare turned their way.
I leaned closer to Sona, lowering my voice so only she could hear. "Is he going to suffocate in there...?" Sona just got here and I'd rather she not be tossed out for a murder on her first day.
She shook her head. "Unfortunately not, since my magical intent was only to cause him agony..." As opposed to death.
I turned toward Hermione with a grin, lowering my voice just enough that it sounded teasing but still loud enough for people nearby to catch pieces of it. "I'm impressed that you were able to lie to two professors like that on the spot!"
Hermione's cheeks flushed pink instantly, and she ducked her head a little, trying to hide it behind her frizzy hair. "Well, someone had to say something before they dragged your aunt off in chains," she muttered. Then she looked me in the eye, a little spark in her voice even though she was embarrassed. "But I really hope this doesn't become a habit, Harry. Knowing you though..." She gave a soft sigh, but the corners of her mouth curved up anyway. "...I suppose it will be one."
She was prepared to lie for me and my family anytime? What an amazing girlfriend!
Hermione leaned in close. Her lips pressed against my cheek, warm and deliberate, lingering just long enough to make my skin burn pleasantly.
The sounds that followed were giggles, whistles, and even a few bitter groans from girls sitting further down the table who clearly wished they were in her place.
On my other side, I felt Sona's delicate fingers tighten against my arm. It wasn't much-just a small squeeze-but the message was clear. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. Her face was calm, carefully composed, but her grip told the real story. There was a flicker of jealousy hidden under that practiced control, and honestly, that only made my stomach twist with excitement.
Suddenly, the whole hall seemed to forget Draco Malfoy even existed. The noise of shocked whispers was drowned out as a huge storm of wings filled the air. Dozens-no, hundreds-of owls poured through the enchanted windows, swooping down in a wild cloud of feathers and hoots. The sound was deafening, and a few girls squealed when talons scraped too close to their heads.
Students ducked as parchment and newspapers rained down onto the tables.
One of the larger tawny owls swooped low and dropped a rolled?up copy of the Daily Prophet right into Hermione's lap. I leaned in to see.
THE BOY WHO LIED!
Breaking News! Harry Potter is not a Potter at all. Lily Potter cheated on James Potter. Full story inside!
A groan slipped out of me... Damn, this was already my second scandal in the paper. I'm sure my mother Serafall had gotten a copy as well already.
...
Hermione and I were standing outside the big oak door of our very first class of the year, one of the core ones, and of course it had to be Defense Against the Dark Arts with bloody Gilderoy Lockhart. I couldn't believe our luck. Out of all the professors we could've started with, we got the same idiot who fainted and pissed himself on the train like a scared child.
Honestly, I wished we could have kicked off the school year with anyone else, but life never gave me what I wanted.
At least my morning has been anything but boring so far. Especially with how it started with Lyra and Lyna!
Considering the whole school already knew by now that James Potter wasn't my father because it came out last night-by the time breakfast was over, the shock had dulled, and most of the students were already treating it like old news even if it was in today's paper.
Still, I could feel eyes on me everywhere I went, whispers trailing behind me in the corridors. Hermione held my hand firmly as we waited in the hall, her thumb brushing across my skin in quiet reassurance.
The Gryffindor girls nearby were busy either giggling behind their hands about us being the newest "it couple" in the castle or glaring daggers at Hermione with obvious jealousy. I wasn't blind to it. Hermione noticed too, her grip tightening on my hand like she was staking her claim. I smirked a little at that.
Then I glanced at the Gryffindor boys and almost stumbled from the shock. Every one of them was glaring at me like I'd pissed in their pumpkin juice. Their expressions were bitter, or downright loathing.
What the hell had I done to them?
They'd all been friendly enough last night in the common room, but now it looked like they wanted to hex me if they thought they could get away with it.
And then my eyes found Ron Weasley in the middle of the group. He wasn't glaring like the others. No-he was smirking. That smug little twist of his mouth said everything. Had he been talking shit about me all night, poisoning the others against me?
Was rat boy that fucking petty?
I kind of wished Ginny wasn't in the year below us, because she would've gone straight for her brother and smacked some sense into him. She wasn't the type to let Ron's bullshit slide. But instead, it was just Hermione and me stuck dealing with the tension outside that big oak door.
And it wasn't just Gryffindors waiting-we shared core classes with Slytherins too.
Funny thing was, a lot of them were missing. I figured they were probably still trying to thaw out Draco from Sona's ice magic. Good luck with that. Her spell was no joke, even if it had been an accident, it was fueled by raw devil magic.
None of those pampered brats had the power to break it. Best they could do was wait until it wore off naturally.
Two Slytherins who had shown up caught my eye. They peeled away from the wall and walked toward Hermione and me. Both were gorgeous-because of course they were. I was starting to notice a damn pattern, every supernatural girl I met looked like she belonged on the cover of a magazine. The first girl had long blonde hair that literally shimmered, and sharp green eyes that studied me like she was measuring me up. Her posture screamed upper-class, every movement elegant and calculated. The other was shorter, with soft brunette hair and a curvier figure.
The blonde spoke first, her voice dripping with aristocratic polish. "Hello, I am Daphne Greengrass. It's an honor to finally meet the famous Boy-Who-Lived."
I groaned openly, dragging a hand down my face. Hermione spoke up sharply for me. "Harry hates that nickname," she said firmly. "Just call him by his name please."
Daphne blinked, then actually inclined her head slightly in apology. "My mistake. Harry, then."
The brunette leaned forward. "And I'm Tracey Davis, Daphne's best friend. Don't mind her stiff manners-she can't help sounding like she swallowed a silver spoon." She nudged Daphne playfully with her elbow.
I raised an eyebrow. "Alright... so why are you two talking to us? Doesn't look like you came over here to flirt."
Tracey chuckled, covering her mouth half-heartedly while Daphne rolled her eyes like she'd been expecting that question. "We came to apologize on behalf of our house. Not all Slytherins worship the ground Draco Malfoy walks on, or his father's gold."
Tracey snorted loudly, crossing her arms under her chest in a way that drew my eyes for a second. "Yeah, Malfoy's a douchebag asshole. Always has been, always will be. He struts around like the castle owes him something, and half the time I want to hex his smug face off. So, don't lump us all in with him!"
That made me blink. I wasn't expecting honesty out of two Slytherin girls, let alone them trashing Draco so openly. Hermione arched an eyebrow too, clearly curious where this was going.
Daphne explained in blunt detail that Draco represented the absolute worst side of Slytherin-entitled, arrogant, and stupid. She said she had been waiting years to watch him crash and burn, and the moment he got frozen stiff in front of the whole school, she figured his downfall had finally started. Her lips twitched with amusement, like she enjoyed the memory of him stuck in ice a little too much. Then she lifted her chin proudly and told me she wanted to take his place-not as a bratty king, but as the new queen of Slytherin. She said she wanted to make the house feared and respected again, turning it into something clever and honorable instead of a nest of spoiled idiots.
"Instead of spiteful and stupid," Tracey added with a laugh, clearly enjoying taking shots at Draco too. She crossed her arms under her chest, smirking, and leaned in closer like she wanted to be sure I heard every word. "You'd be surprised how many of us are sick of his voice. The prat acts like he's Salazar's gift to the world when really he's just a whiny little boy with too much money."
Daphne nodded and gave me a cool look. "It's too soon for us to be friends," she admitted, "but perhaps we could start as acquaintances. We can get to know each other better." Her tone shifted smug as she added, "I happen to be the second best student in our year academically, right behind your girlfriend Hermione." She said it with pride, like she wanted me to recognize her value. "So being friends with me wouldn't exactly be a bad move."
I leaned back slightly, my eyes flicking between the two of them. They were both gorgeous, confident, and clearly smart. Being friends with two more beautiful girls would never be a bad thing, but I wasn't ready to commit to anything yet. Hermione had poisoned me against Slytherin from day one, drilling it into my head that she'd never had a single good experience with anyone from that house. And I didn't like that. She was my girlfriend and no one was allowed to disrespect her.
And honestly, after dealing with Draco and his goons in Diagon Alley, I didn't trust the snakes either.
So I kept my tone neutral and said, "Maybe. I'll wait and see how you act."
Daphne's eyes narrowed a little, but she nodded. Tracey gave a small shrug, her smirk fading into something softer. "That's a start at least," they both agreed.
Hermione squeezed my hand, like she approved of me keeping my guard up.
Then, right on cue, the oak doors slammed open. Gilderoy Lockhart came striding out in the halls with his ridiculous blond curls shining like he'd drowned himself in hair gel, his pearly teeth flashing in what he probably thought was a dazzling smile. His arms stretched wide as he boomed, "Welcome to the first day of MY class!" His voice echoed dramatically through the hall, but his expression slipped when he noticed half the Slytherins weren't there. "Although..." his eyes scanned the room, disappointed, "...where are all the Slytherin students...?"
Everyone else filed into the classroom first. Just as I was about to step through the doorway, the man himself suddenly blocked my path, his fake smile twitching nervously at the corners.
