Knowledge is Power

Chapter 9

Sitting on the train with Millie and Kereston, heading toward her fourth year of Hogwarts, Mag felt herself growing heavy with trepidation. Her parents believed Voldemort was after Harry Stupid Potter, though why Voldemort cared if the boy lived or not was beyond her. So he hadn't killed a baby before he got killed. It was a baby. so what? And now he was just a Gryffindor with silly glasses. Glasses did come in better shapes, but apparently Potter wasn't aware.

If Voldemort was after Potter it meant more trouble would come to Hogwarts this year. Mag didn't understand why the boy was allowed to attend school and put everyone else in danger! Dumbledore was insane to allow it. If he legally had to provide Potter with an education couldn't he just have him home schooled? Then if Voldemort came after him no one else would be in danger.

When Mag had asked her parents why professor Snape knew Voldemort was sort of alive, they said that some things were safer not to know for the time being. As they were usually forth-coming, she'd decided to trust them and let it go, but it didn't stop her from wondering.

"I have a riddle for you," she told Kereston and Millicent, only then realizing that the other two girls had been talking about something or other and she'd completely tuned them out.

"It better not be a stupid one," Millicent said darkly. "Stupid riddles piss me off."

"Why would it not be safe to know a thing," Mag asked carefully.

Her dad was always saying that knowledge was power, so did not knowing the answer to the question she'd asked them about Voldemort and professor Snape only serve to decrease her power? That didn't serve to make her feel any safer returning to Hogwarts, where Harry Potter probably called to Voldemort like a mouse in a trap. As Professor Snape had openly warned her to be careful, he must have the same opinion.

"Well, sometimes if you know dangerous information the enemy could torture it out of you, if there is an enemy," Kereston said slowly, thinking out her answer as she formulated it.

"Yeah," Millicent agreed, nodding eagerly. "Appearing to know as little as possible is the way to keep safe."

"Now I've got a riddle," Kereston said brightly. "Millie, this one is for you specifically. Why are you always hanging with Malfoy's gang of jerks and acting like a stupid thug chick? No offense," she added hurriedly to Millicent's glare. "Just it's weird and I was wondering. That's why I don't hang with you much at school. I can't stand those guys!"

Mag nodded her agreement.
"They really are obnoxious and it seems like everyone wants to kiss up to them and I don't get it. They're nothing special. They have no outstanding abilities, looks or personality."

"That's for sure," Kereston agreed fervently.

"First of all," Millicent said, "That wasn't a riddle and you are stupid. Second of all..." She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I hang with them to stay safe. People do think they're the cat's shit and so I get social status which can some day lead to power and connections. I pretend to be stupid so they drop useful information around me and you should know how little is expected of someone that people believe to be stupid. Nothing is expected of me and they drop useful info around me so I stay safe without appearing to be a threat.

"I know it wasn't a riddle," Kereston huffed. "I was trying to bring it up tactfully. Anyway as long as you're not crushing on any of them or anything..."

Millicent reached to swat Kereston on the head and the smaller girl ducked down, squealing and laughing.

"Really though," Kereston said after a thoughtful moment.
"I hate to say it but a lot of Slytherins are gits. That's why a lot of my friends are Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs. I mean I am friends with some Slytherins but I just see so many more who are surprisingly gittish! As if being cunning has to equal being a prat."

"Which is why I prefer books and magical creatures to people," Mag said.

During the feast the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was introduced and most of the female students nearly fainted. Mag didn't get why. Professor Snape was far more attractive when it came to that... Strangely, the thought caused heat to flood her cheeks! Was she developing a thing for professor Snape?

"Honestly he looks the sort who prefers boys," Kereston said later in the Slytherin common room.
Mag and Millicent agreed.

"I mean if any professor is crush worthy it's Professor Snape," Mag declared.

"What," Kereston nearly shrieked.
"He'd hex someone sooner than snog them."

Mag smiled. That was a charming thought. She would love watching him hex other girls before snogging her.

"Ug," Millicent made a face.
"Snape is a greasy git. He's always mean to me. Like he's embarrassed to have a dumb girl in Slytherin. I'm not dumb!"

"But to be fair, I thought you wanted people to think you were," Kereston protested mildly.

"He's a git is all I'm saying," Millicent snapped.

Later that night, while getting ready for bed in her dorm room, an idea occurred to Mag.

//Hey Nightshade. Do you mind, from time to time, spying on Harry Potter's mind...Just to see if he knows anything or if things are happening,// she asked, speaking into the owl's mind.

Nightshade was preening himself in his usual place on the rail at the end of Mag's bed.

//Sure thing, I can do that,// he replied. //I doubt there is ever much going on in his mind, so it wont be much of an effort.//

By the end of the school year, both had more information from Mag's little idea than either had bargained for. Neither felt anymore at ease from the learning of any of it either. At the moment, this knowledge didn't feel particularly powerful. It just felt frightening and worrisome.

Mag was sad about the loss of the poor basilisk, though. That was history dying and ancient lore besides. That basilisk had been a companion to Salazar Slytherin himself, and there should've been some sort of legal consequence for not finding a safe way to somehow preserve it's life. Or hell it could've killed Potter for all she cared. That would've been a service to Hogwarts because with him gone Voldemort would surely leave the students alone and worry himself over bigger things. At least there were no end of term exams, so at least Potter was good for something.