𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓂'𝓈 𝒜 𝐵𝓇𝑒𝓌𝒾𝓃'

November 13th, 1994

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒯𝓌𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓎

"Really, have nothing better to do than stalk me to all my classes?"

Dante pushed Theodore aside just as always, with a big smile as he watched the expected glare get sent his way. Straightening up his back to feel taller as he stood next to Iris, he announced to the world, "Father sent me here to make connections. So naturally, my time is best spent getting in the favor of my—"

"No more of that," Iris' eyes were cold as she locked eyes with Dante... you know, funnily, he was, if anything, just a smidge shorter than Iris, "And funny way to gain someone's favor."

At that, the girls following behind would share a bit of a giggle, the four of them glancing at Theodore, who just had to deadpan... all very aware of the irony of Iris knocking someone for being a bit of a pest. She did follow after Theodore for months once upon a time... and well....

Iris shot them a look back as they reached the stairs leading down into the dungeons for their potions class... not as amused with the way their heads were calling her out. And everyone would just smile to themselves at that... just happy their friend was starting to come back out.

The two weeks since Ryker Peverell left Hogwarts grounds were a slow adjustment. Things were starting to settle... but were far from normal. The mix of the approaching winter chills and the excitement of the twenty or so new faces from the visiting schools had everyone both locked inside and filling up the usual quiet places in Hogwarts. Dante Marcella was still an ongoing headache. His life's goal was to be a pest to Iris... his side mission was to charm every girl who looked his way. And Iris...

Well, Iris was seemingly pushing all her worries away. She was constantly off on her own in the woods and slowly starting to gain the energy that had been typical of her. It was... nice to see but also deeply... worrying.

And with Dante's pestering... it left Theodore at a loss whether he too wanted to add on... so much of his newfound time alone was spent weighing whether he should just tell her about Ryker. But... they were never alone anymore, so the opportunity never seemed to arrive.

Reaching the door to the potions room, the group joined the awaiting students. Iris' gaze firmly locked on the door as she looked the most ready for that door to let her inside... anticipating a potions class with Snape if it meant some freedom from Dante.

But instead of an open door, she would receive the awful sound of a second irritating voice, "Nott, I have a gift."

Everyone. Everyone but Dante rolled their eyes, said boy raising an eyebrow as he surely felt the shared dread spike in everyone. Watching as the blond git that was Draco Malfoy approached Theodore Nott with a box in hand, a horrible little grin on his face.

Theodore stepped back up to Iris' empty side as he blandly met Draco's grin, the girls popping around to watch the unexpected interaction. Sally-Ann jammed an elbow into Valeria's side with a hushed, "I only ever liked his hair, you idiot."

Draco would pay no mind to any of it, his attention solely on Theodore as he dug into the box, shoving something into Theodore's grasp a second later, "Thought you'd like to see what I have been making in the dorm all week."

Theodore did, in fact, not want to see it. Unable to even spare a look down at the badge in his hand, just waiting for Draco to continue as he always would. And as he did as he pointed to the badge on his own shirt, his grin growing a bit malicious as he let it play out.

It was a simple thing at first. Large, bold red lettering that read out "Support Cedric Diggory— The Real Hogwarts Champion!" Wasn't much to it really... until it started spinning, the lettering blurring into itself before it started to slow... the spinning coming to a halt to really explain everything, "Potter Stinks."