The woman in the mirror (Harry Potter fanfic)

Chapter 2.16 (The beast of Slytherin)

The problem is not the problem.
The problem is your attitude about the problem.
Do you understand?
~Captain Jack Sparrow

Artemis, Harry, Ron and Hermione had always known that Hagrid had an unfortunate liking for large and monstrous creatures. During their first year at Hogwarts he had tried to raise a dragon in his little wooden house, and it would be a long time before they forgot the giant, three-headed dog he'd christened 'Fluffy'.

And if, as a boy, Hagrid had heard that a monster was hidden somewhere in the castle, Artemis was sure he'd have gone to any lengths for a glimpse of it. He probably thought it was a shame that the monster had been cooped up so long, and thought it deserved the chance to stretch its many legs. But she was equally certain that Hagrid would never have meant to kill anybody.

"Riddle might have got the wrong person." Said Hermione. "Maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people..."

"How many monsters d'you think this place can hold?" Ron asked dully.

"D'you want me to count the monsters we've already had to deal with or...?" Artemis said, already holding up a hand to count on.

"We always knew Hagrid had been expelled." Said Harry miserably. "And the attacks must've stopped after Hagrid was kicked out. Otherwise, Riddle and Leighton wouldn't have gotten their award."

"But that girl...she was Dumbledore's daughter, wasn't she?"

"Well, she said something like that to Riddle but I'm not sure."

"Than why isn't she called Dumbledore instead of Leighton? And since when does Dumbledore have a child? I've never heard of her."

"But why would Dumbledore hire Hagrid as gamekeeper when his own daughter got Hagrid expelled in the first place? It just doesn't add up." Harry groaned.

"Do you think we should go and ask Hagrid about it all?"

"That'd be a cheerful visit." Said Ron. "Hello, Hagrid. Tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?"

In the end, they decided that they would not say anything to Hagrid unless there was another attack, and as more and more days went by with no whisper from the disembodied voice Harry heard, they became hopeful that they would never need to talk to him about why he had been expelled.

It was now nearly four months since Justin and Nearly Headless Nick had been petrified, and nearly everyone seemed to think that the attacker, whoever it was, had retired for good.

During spring break, they had to choose electives for their third year. A matter that Hermione, at least, took very seriously. "It could affect our whole future." She told Artemis, Harry and Ron as they pored over lists of new subjects, marking them with checks.

"I just want to give up Potions." Sighed Harry.

"We can't." Said Ron gloomily. "We keep all our old subjects, or I'd've ditched Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"But that's very important!" Said Hermione, shocked.

"Not the way Lockhart teaches it." Artemis scoffed. "I haven't learned anything from him except not to set pixies loose."

She looked back down at her list, tapping her quill against her temple. Eventually she decided on several subjects. Them being:

Electives (Min. 2 subjects)

■Alchemy Rowan Falcon
*Only for chosen students*
The study of the four basic elements, as well as the study of the transmutation of substances