Chapter 3
MARLENE McKINON
The rivalry between House Slytherin and House Gryffindor was a tale as old as Hogwarts itself. The Two Houses had followed in the footsteps of their founders, and were known to be always at each other's throats, for that was how the lore about Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor was often presented as.
No one knew how true it was, though for very few records of that time remained. But whether their rivalry was real or not, the rivalry between their two Houses was as real as magic itself and had become a bit darker and stronger in the past few years.
It had evolved from a simple rivalry into a sort of hatred, for the two Houses became symbols of near equal ideologies. The House of the Snakes became a hub for blood purists and pure bloods, with its members openly calling muggle-borns by slurs and often bullying them for their heritage.
House Gryffindor was not one to sit down quietly and retaliated, and the Lions of Gryffindor became the symbol of resistance and inclusion as the House welcomed the largest number of Muggle-borns in every batch of new students.
House Slytherin was filled with purebloods, or better yet, blood purists who believed in their superiority. Many others refused to believe this dogma and were hailed as blood traitors, her own family amongst them.
"Is it me, or is everyone from House Slytherin staring at us?" she asked, as they all gathered for the Breakfast in the Great Hall, and while a few stars and spats were the norm, this level of animosity was a new occurrence.
"I know I am beautiful, but this is a bit too much," she teased, as she bit into her toast, as the boy a few seats down.
"Don't flatter yourself, McKinnon," and it was insufferable Sirius who chose to answer, as he looked towards her.
"They are not looking at you," and of course they weren't, and she made a face at the roguish boy, whose family was one of the oldest and most bigoted amidst the sacred twenty-eight.
Yet he was the Black Sheep of the Black family, believing in none of their dogma, though he had suffered for his beliefs.
"Haha! Very funny," she retorted, refusing to take his words to heart.
"But still, she is right," and it was his friend who spoke up now, and unlike Sirius with his dishevelled black hair and open collar, Remus Lupin looked as impeccable as an honor student, which often made her wonder just how he ended up in that troublesome group of four.
"They are staring," and so she was not the only one who had noticed the odd behavior.
"They are not looking at any of us. They are looking at him," and of course, Sirius would have an answer, as he pointed towards her friend sitting beside him, who was ignoring it all rather innocently.
And just like the blood purists of the school had rallied themselves around one Lucius Malfoy, making the blonde their unofficial leader, the Muggle-borns had a leader of their own, and it was by sitting right beside her.
He was tall, and his blonde hair and blue eyes had caused quite a few heartbreaks already, and more than that, he was perhaps the most skilled and powerful magician at the school and was the head of the Duelling Club.
"Alder," she asked, her eyes narrowing at the insinuation as she smelled a story here.
"Why?" she asked, looking at Sirius, and the Marauder was quick to spill the beans.
"I was told that someone had quite a night," Sirius began as Alder continued to eat in silence, ignoring them all.
"I have heard that they had won a duel against a rather drunk Lucius Malfoy," and that explained the stares for Malfoy was amongst the Leaders in House Slytherin, and if the rumors were true, he and his family were in bed with this uprising Dark Lord, Voldemort.
"You had a duel against Lucius," she asked, angry that he had not shared the news with her.
"It was just a scuffle," he tried to downplay it, but Lucius was no joke. He was their senior by two years and was in his final year. For him to defeat the star pupil of House Slytherin. Of course, they would stare.
"When?" she asked, as he finally turned towards her.
"During the patrol last night," and he was behaving as if it was nothing.
"Details, Alder! Details?" she demanded, and before he could say anything more, it was the Gossip Queen who cut in.
"Rumor has it that our boy here did not just beat him up; they saved a damsel in distress as well," and that was it.
"I think that is enough, Sirius," Alder cut in, as he gazed at the black haired boy.
"You wouldn't want me to reveal the details of your nightly activities on this table would you?" and she saw him turn pale at those words, and this was why Mc Gonagall had been rather insistent upon making him a Prefect, for if there was anyone in the school who could control James and his group of devils, it was him.
"Damsel! Now I am even more interested," McKinnon pushed, and they had been friends ever since their first year, and so she was rather intrigued in his affairs.
"It was nothing," and she could spot a lie relatively easily.
"Either you tell me everything right now, or I can go and have a chat with your sister and she can come and make you spill it all out," and just as Alder could control the infamous Marauders, if there was anyone who could control the boy wonder of Gryffindor it was his twin sister, the fiery Lily Evans.
"You know, you and Sirius are more alike than you would ever admit," and both of them responded at once to that ghastly accusation.
"Don't you dare compare me to that brute..."
"I have nothing in common with her..."
And the blonde chuckled as they both glared at each other.
"He is a brute who knows nothing about manners and civility," McKinnon cursed, as Sirius rolled his eyes.
"And you are a teacher's pet...." and they began to bicker as they would nearly every day, and only a few minutes later did she realise that that had been his exact plan, as she turned towards Alder once more, who had now finished his breakfast.
"Don't think I have forgotten about that damsel?" she began as Alder smiled and got up.
"Well, I am afraid I gotta go, the Head Boy wanted me to come and see him," and she saw him run out of the Hall, as she turned her focus to her plate once more, where her toast and egg had gone cold.
And in the end, she could not get her curiosity to die down as she turned towards Sirius.
"Hey, Black," she called out, as the boy turned towards her.
"Do you know what exactly happened between him and Malfoy?" she asked, and he shook his head.
"No. But I can find out, but it's gonna cost you..."
0000
ALDER EVANS
Each House had a total of six prefects, a pair from the fifth, sixth, and seventh years, and all of them reported to the Head Boy and Girl. Alder had little fondness for the position and had little interest in it, but both the teachers and a certain brown haired bastard were rather adamant in forcing him into becoming a perfect.
"Ted! Ted," he called out to his Hufflepuff boy who slowed down and turned to face him, as Alder raced forward.
"Alder," he greeted warmly, and Ted Tonks was as hulking as a seventh year could be. The man played as a Beater for his House and had the build of a bodybuilder, yet he was amongst the kindest souls in the entire school.
He was also one lucky bastard, for the brown eyed boy had caught the eye of one of the divas of the school, a girl whose very name inspired fear and dread.
"Just the man I was coming to see," and of course, he should have heard about the alteration from last night.
"Is this about Lucius?" he guessed as they moved to the side, and the Headboy nodded.
"Yeah, but don't worry, I handled it. But I wanted to hear from you exactly what happened last night," and Alder's eyes narrowed as he looked him in the eye, for he had a suspicion it was not really him who was interested in the details.
"Is it really you who wants to know the details, or perhaps is this someone else?" he asked with a teasing smirk, as Ted looked around nervously.
"How...." and he knew better than to ask, and he sighed.
"Yes," he answered after a sigh, as Alder smirked.
"Now, will you please tell me what happened last night exactly, because if you don't, she will come and ask you directly, and I can assure you, you don't want that to happen to you," and he was not really afraid of Andromeda Black, not as much as he was afraid of Bellatrix. Still, the eldest of the Black sisters was now gone from the school, and only Andromeda and Narcissa remained, with Narcissa being his junior by a year and Andromeda his senior by two years.
"He hit her," he told him what he really wanted to know, and saw those brown eyes narrow, before he asked after some seconds.
"Are you certain?" and Alder nodded.
"She had a mark on her face," Alder told him, and he could remember it clearly.
"He was drunk and was trying to take some liberties with her. Liberties that she was not comfortable with, and when I tried to stop him, he attacked me, and the test you must have heard," and he looked to the side, as he shifted his hand through his head.
"Why didn't you tell this all to Slughorn?" he asked angrily.
"It was her sister who lied and protected him. I had no choice but to follow along," and there was good reason for that.
"I did not want to cause trouble for her. After all, we both know what Lucius's family is involved with," and Ted was a Muggle-born, but he was also rather well informed, and while the rest of the people were happy turning a blind eye to the attacks and dangers erupting around them, Ted saw through it all.
"That is why I sent you that message last night," and the Head Boy nodded.
"Andy's going to want to kill him," he whispered, and she would be doing the world a favor, but he doubted that she would do it.
Then he faced him once more, as he added in a concerned tone.
"The Slytherins. They will come for you. You humiliated Lucius, and Malfoy is not the kind to let such a humiliation go," and sooner or later rumors about their alleged duel would spread, and Malfoy would have no choice but to get back at him.
"I can take care of myself," Alder offered, and Ted would know that better than most.
"Still, if you want me to change the patrolling routes," Alder shrugged.
"I will be fine," for if Lucius and his friend dared to come after him, they would suffer the consequences for it.
"But that all will matter if your precious Andy spared his life in the first place," and they both chuckled at his words, as Ted gave a deep sigh.
"Yeah, I will have to beg her not to go after him. We don't want any more eyes on her, at least not this year," and Alder did not react as the words slipped from his mouth.
"Well, then I have to head to class," he said as they shook hands.
"I had them compile the list for the new first years. Orientation for the duelling club this Sunday," and that was his one major accomplishment to this day, as he nodded.
"Yeah, that's the plan," and with that, Ted walked past him and began to jog as he made to reach for his class, and just as he turned to head to the class of his own, he was stopped by the familiar face of his twin.
"What the hell were you thinking..."