𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐀 | Unveiling, uncovering. The Greek notion of truth.
Esmerelda knew everything was going to change the second her super nice foster father suddenly turned into a snake monster and tried to eat her. She just never expected for all of...
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▬▬▬ CHAPTER FOURTEEN ▬▬▬
BY THE TIME ESMERELDA'S SECOND week at Hogwarts began, she was ready to drop dead. Even though there were no classes during the weekend, she had stressed herself out trying to make sense of her studies and she didn't get any sleep at all on Friday or Saturday. During those nights she had devoted herself to slaying the monsters that roamed the Forbidden Forest. The only reason she had a break on Sunday was because she got a nasty stab wound from an angry dracaena and Firenze had strongly suggested that she gave herself a well-needed rest even though her ambrosia and nectar healed the wound up.
The only classes she was really doing well in was Transfiguration and Charms, and that was mainly because those only classes where she could use her magic. Her worst class was Astronomy and that was because all the terms they were learning there were spelled so weirdly that she wasn't even sure if her dyslexia was screwing with her or if that was how the word was really spelled. Defense Against the Dark Arts was okay with her, but she really really wanted for Professor Quirrell to do a practical lesson for once. She felt like she was doing pretty decent with Potions as long as someone read the instructions aloud for her. She was the worst Hufflepuff in Herbology, however, which was apparently shameful because their House Head was the teacher.
And then there was her History of Magic class...
They had just been handed back their very first quiz from the week before, all fully graded and everything. Esmerelda looked at her grade and furrowed her brows at the bright red letter she got.
"T? Does that stand for 'terrific'?" She said hopefully.
Zacharias Smith leaned towards her and snorted loudly. "You got a bloody T? That means 'Troll', you dunderhead!"
A few of her classmates stared at her with wide eyes before turning away and breaking into giggles. She could feel her face turn red with humiliation and she quickly looked away before anyone could notice it. Her fists balled as she overheard Zacharias snicker and whisper something to one of his friends.
Ignore him, Essie. He's just some stupid mortal. She told herself, but then she heard Ethan's voice: Teach him a lesson, Essie. Stop being pushover. I'm not there to protect you anymore. You promised me you'd watch out for yourself, remember?
Taking a deep breath, she glanced back at Zacharias, who had stood up from his seat and bent forward to show his classmates from the front row his quiz scores. She took her wand and discreetly hid it under her desk. She aimed at his pants.
"Diffindo." She whispered, and the back of his pants split open, exposing his checkered House-colored underwear.
The kids at the row behind them gasped before breaking out into boisterous laughter. Zacharias whirled around and tried looking for the newest source of entertainment only to become confused at the fingers pointing at him.
