Expulsion

17.

Extremely Unedited*

ONE WEEK AGO.

Syracuse's POV

I sat in my office reading up on Harry and Draco's predicament.

They had been fairing pretty well for a curse that typically killed both people within the first year of locking souls.

But the question that stumped me was: What made them so different?

In order to even lock souls, both parties must be willing to do so.

And I don't think Harry being the golden boy has anything to do with it.

Are their souls similar?

Maybe there's more to being willing to lock souls...maybe they both truly want to be one for a common cause...

Draco's going to be a death eater and Harry has to defeat Voldemort.

I leaned back in my chair as I stared up at the ceiling.

This curse has been around for thousands of years due to my ancestors.

But my father was the first to combine all of their notes and form some kind of data.

There has to be one other pair who has been thrown into this predicament.

I got up and pulled out an old dusty book before freezing as someone knocked on my office door.

I furrowed my brows before putting away the book and opening the door.

I blinked as I looked down at a short plump lady in pink.

"H-Hello?" I peered down at her.

Her eyes scanned me before she pursed her lips. "Are you Syracuse Alexander?"

"Uh- Yes."

"You subbed for my class, right?"

"Yes." I blinked. "Is something wrong?"

"Have you seen my books?"

"What books?"

She narrowed my eyes. "The ones my students were supposed to be working out of."

"Oh."

She narrowed her eyes further, searching bitterly for a confession to end my life with. "..."

"We didn't use them." I shrugged.

A scowl graced her lips. "What do you mean you didn't use them?"

"Who teaches defense against the dark arts with a textbook?" I snorted.

"Are you saying that using the textbooks the ministry provided isn't a sufficient way of teaching?"

"If you're trying to stunt their magical growth and have them unprepared for fighting the dark wizards of this world, I'd say you're doing great."

"So you're going against the ministry of magic, is what you're saying?"

"Just because I disagree with Minister Paranoia, doesn't mean I'm against the ministry, Ms. Plump." I cracked my knuckles before leaning against my door frame. "Using just a textbook in a class you ought to be practicing magic in, seems insufficient."

"Really?" A sickeningly sweet smile graced her lips. "And what exactly do you do here?"

"I teach."

"What do you teach?"

"Upper electives."

"Such as?"

I took a deep breath. "Well if you don't know, then I guess it doesn't concern you, Ms. Plump."