Battles of Darkness and Strife

Potions

Merrily POV

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For school food, Hogwarts isn't half bad. Oh, who am I kidding? This stuff is excellent. I eye Ron warily as he stuffs his mouth full of food. Hermione gently nudges me. 

"This is normal; you'll get used to it." I nod weakly and take a bite of a fried egg. I wish I could cross tables and talk to my friends, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed. Then I see a flash of blue plop down next to me. 

"Hi, Merrily!" Leo wraps me in a warm hug. 

"I missed you so much!" I squeal. "Gimme your arm." I pull a few markers from my pouch and start drawing on his arm. Harry looks at me oddly. 

"You're not supposed to visit other tables," he says seriously. 

Leo fixes him with a stare. "Unless you can show me a rule book where it says that, no can do." 

"Did you eat this morning?" I ask him. 

"Of course!" I stare him down. "I did, okay? I had a piece of toast and an egg." 

"Good," I smile. 

"How'd you sleep?" he asks me.

"Nightmares," I frown. These are what Leo and I like to call, wellness checks. We make sure the other is always doing what they're supposed to, to stay healthy and happy. Chey usually handles Nico's wellness checks and Ryan takes David's and Ryan and I alternate with Abigail's. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Chey quickly moving towards the Hufflepuff table and sit down next to Nico. Both look insanely irritated with each other. I can't understand why though. Actually I can. 

Then a flock of birds descend upon the tables. There are several screams; Leo and I included. 

Over the hullabaloo, Hermione shouts, "Don't worry, it's just the owl post! It's how we get our mail!" 

"Are you sure this is entirely... hygenic?" I call back. "Owls carry deadly diseases because of the places they sleep and what they eat. I wouldn't have them around my food." The table fills with nervous whispers. 

A gorgeous, shiny black owl lands in my eggs and holds out a letter written on parchment. I reach out and take it and the owl flies away. I slit it open and read. I can see the Golden Trio trying to look uninterested, but also trying to see over the paper. I beckon David over so he can read it as well. 

"The headmistress wants us in her office as soon as we get the letter," I explain, after deciphering as much as I can.

David squints his eyes at the paper. "I'll take your word for it. I assume she means, like all of us?"

"I guess," Leo replies. "I'll go get Chey and you two can grab our favorite Hufflepuffs."

Several minutes later find us inside Professor McGonagall's office. She'd met us there, scaring the heck out of us by turning from a cat into a human. Instead of sitting behind the desk, she stands and clasps her hands firmly in front of her. 

"You know our secret, right?" I ask tentatively after a few seconds of silence. 

"I do," McGonagall agrees. "My instructions to you are these: You have my special permission to break the rules if, and only if, they pertain to your reason for being here. Otherwise, expect detentions."

"Sounds fair to me," Chey shrugs. "At least I can get away with some stuff."

"And," McGonagall continues. "This year, we will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament again. Except this time, I'll be continuing the Quidditch league as well. So feel free to try both of those events. But, I do have a feeling the tournament will be as dangerous as it was four years ago."