I make it to the moving staircases that carry me up to the bathroom. If I remember correctly, she said the sixth floor. I'm sure of it... Well, not really but it has to be. The stairs stop smoothly allowing me to exit, sprinting down the corridor and finally to the bathroom door. I shortly stop when I grope powerful magic pulsating from it, odd for a bathroom to have such a force upon it.
This entire school buzzes with the sense of magic, in the air, the floor, and even the walls. I feel very powerful magic coming from the bathroom that almost leads me to believe it's enchanted. I've studied bucketloads of enchantments with Abby before. The feeling the books described was of a higher pulsation of magic equivalent to the difference between a river and a waterfall. I believe I'm certain then, this bathroom is absolutely enchanted. I gaze upon the silhouette boy sign upon the door, I wonder if that's not the enchantment. To keep the opposite gender out.
The consequences of challenging an enchantment vary depending on the caster's sadism, this is Hogwarts, it can't be that bad. The worst thing about these tricky devils is how hard they are to get rid of...
I must've heard Pansy wrong on my way out because this is clearly a boys' bathroom. Although, I'm quite curious as to what happens to those who go against the enchantment. The professors of Hogwarts couldn't have put a dangerous enchantment on something as unimportant as a bathroom, however, something that'll make students think twice before attempting such a thing. Perhaps I'm being too cocky right now thinking that nothing too terrible could happen to someone such as me who has studied all kinds of spells religiously. But I'm very inquisitive.
I lift my foot to walk through when my instincts turn to defense mode. My reflexes act like lighting against the spell being thrashed at me, I lift my wand in a wink and knock the spell away... While I trained myself with Abby on how to use spells, I had to teach myself to be prepared for anything that could come flying my way by accident. I've had many failures and near-injury experiences for both Abby and myself with scars to prove, but not today.
When the effects of the clashing spells clear, the perpetrator stands to the right of the door in his alarmed stance. It's the boy from much earlier who first greeted me.
"What do you think you're doing, Harris!" He spits.
"Going to the bathroom, what does it look like?" I retort stupidly.
His face gleams with mischief.
"Naughty, naughty." He chortles, "Going into the boys' bathroom, risking the consequences. Quite stupid yet quite amusing." He rattles on.
"Well, aren't you curious to see what the enchantment will do?"
He's visibly concerned when he hears me, or did he hear me wrong? I did just say that.
"Definitely more stupid," He retires his wand back to the holder of his robes. "Go on then."
I tilt my head, feeling my buried mischief slowly finding the sunlight. He isn't afraid, is he?
"Stop looking at me like that!"
"Like what?" I smirk.
He throws his hands up and shrugs his shoulders.
"Fine, so I misjudged you."
"So has everyone else," I start. "Is that why you cast that spell at me? Not a very nice spell either."
"What would you know? You're behind on four years of practice, I bet you don't even know the spell I used--"
To shut his flappy entitled beak, I cheekily used exactly the same spell he was going to use. Knockback Jinx. This is one of the many spells I practiced without a wand. The first and only wand I've ever owned I received when I entered the school earlier today. Otherwise, I've been using wandless magic or many others know it as underage magic all this time. So unfortunately for Big Boy over here, I'm all too familiar with spells.
The boy stands up quickly and grabs his wand, he looks furious.
"How dare you!"
His next spell goes flying through the air, Stupify. I am prepared to counteract it when the scene is interrupted. Someone else throws a defense spell toward me that shields the upcoming spell. The boy and I are stumped to speak when we look up at Professor Dumbledore. I can't tell if he's angry or not but I know I would be.
"You should both know enough about the rules and safety of this school to realize that casting spells, especially stun spells on each other is against the rules. Stun spells on this particular level that neither of you has yet qualified for is also against the rules." Professor Dumbledore lectures.
"Sorry Professor," I shamefully whisper.
"You, my dear, are yet to truly experience this school. For this, you have learnt. And Mr Malfoy, I expect better from you as head of Slytherin."
Malfoy... A fitting last name for a snake.
"Now, resolve this and report back to your homeroom for the evening," Dumbledore instructs.
The professor steps back and watches the two of us not move an inch. I know of the two that I'm bound to be the only one willing to not only listen but want this behind me, I'm not looking to make enemies on my first day. So I stroll forward and hold my hand out to the furious boy.
"Truce," I declare.
In the presence of Dumbledore's demanding glare I believe is the only reason Malfoy took my hand in the end. After witnessing the two of us kiss and makeup, we all departed to where we needed to be. But so soon as Malfoy and I make it around the corner, he gropes my robes and throws me against the wall. I hiss in pain when I'm suddenly bound where I stand, between his arms and his rage-filled eyes.
"You're lucky Professor Dumbledore could save you this time, Harris. Next time you won't be so lucky."
I feel my bones chill at his low tone, the anger emitting in his voice even made me hold my breath.
"This is my school, Slytherin is my house, and everyone does what I tell them to. You're a late arrival so allow me to initiate you."
If he wasn't already so close, he bends his arms beside me and leans in closer.
"You saw how easy it was for me to cast a spell at you, remember that when you think you can step out of line. Because, Little Harris, I'm the head of Slytherin, which means if you break a rule I will attend to you first before any Professor. God, so help you step out of line again and I'll hit you with an unforgivable curse that will put you under my control, I will do it."
In his eyes, I can see clearly that he isn't bluffing.
"Do you understand, Harris?"
It takes me a good minute to relax my tension enough to nod. He lets me go and walks back towards the Slytherin Dormitories...I've been bullied all my life by stupid kids at The Home when Abby wasn't there to help me. A bunch of poor kids that had nothing better to do. Well, no little rich boy will intimidate me because he can cast spells, I can cast them too and I'm damn good at it.
