Pyrrhic Victory

fourty five.

Year Three
fourty five. Lucille's Jealousy

December approached Scotland quickly as in two weeks they were due to leave for winter break, and snow was expected within with next week. Magnolia hated the frigid air in the winter. She didn't like how she could see her own breath, or when she walked in the snow it made her socks wet and cold. Lucille, on the other hand, loved the cold. She loved how the snow fell down and created a beautiful white sheet on the ground. She adored how the wintry season made her cheeks turn pink.

Lucille and Magnolia sat in the library in silence as they did their rolls of parchment for Professor Snape. Magnolia kept looking up as she hears Lucille groaned as she tossed the parchment into the nearest bin with her wand.

"Are you okay?" Magnolia asked as she dropped her quill into the ink. Magnolia noticed Lucille face was flushed with anger which wasn't good.

"No, I'm not! Professor Snape gives us way to much work! Especially in Defence Against the Dark Arts! He isn't even the main teacher!" She complained to Magnolia who couldn't help, but agree. "We aren't even learning the curriculum in order!"

"What work of his are you doing?" Magnolia questioned as she peered over the table. She stared at her friend's opened textbook, and blank parchment.

"That insanely stupid werewolf and werewolf animagus compare and contrast essay!" She complained, Magnolia sighed as she hadn't even started it yet.
"Well, I could try to help you with it when I do mine?"

"Honestly though, what is Professor Snape's thing with Werewolves?! We will be learning a totally different thing with Professor Lupin, and when he gets sick Professor Snape comes in with his knowledge about werewolves!"

"Maybe he just really likes them?" Magnolia tried to give an answer to her friend who was obviously in distress. She promised Dumbledore and Lupin that she wouldn't tell anyone about his secret though, especially Lucille.

"A weird interest, thats for sure." She rolled her eyes as she started again on her essay. Magnolia went back to working on her transfiguration project she had to present tomorrow.

———

"You still plan on coming to my house for New Years Eve?" Lucille questioned. Magnolia nodded as she had gotten 'okay' from her parents around a week okay.

" Ninety-ninety-four, isn't that amazing Mags? In a few years we will be in the 2000s!" Lucille gushed to Magnolia. Magnolia chuckled at the girl who was excited about the upcoming new year.

"I can't believe I'll be fourteen this year, it's crazy innit?" Lucille questioned Magnolia who was reading through her Legilimency textbook. Magnolia nodded as she slightly payed attention to Lucille.

"Maggie?" Lucille questioned her best friend. "Are you listening?" She nudged Magnolia, and Magnolia snapped out of the trance of her reading.

"Oh, sorry." She quietly told Lucille who gave her a sympathetic smile. Lucille scooted closer to Magnolia and peered over her old textbook.

"What are you leaning about?" Lucille asked her best friend who had annotations and highlights scribbled all over the pages.

"Apparently you could use Legilimency to get into people's minds, not only read them." Magnolia told Lucille who sat there with her mouth opened.
"Can you do that?"

"Not yet, it's for the very advanced." Magnolia closed her textbook, and stood up.
"Now come on Luc, we've got supper to attend."

———

The weeks passed as the Professor rushed to give all the work they could. It was December Seventeenth, and all the Ophidians were in the library rushing to get all their work done before the end of today.