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November went by so fast I barely noticed. Slipping into December with only the increased beauty of the winter wonderland around Hogwarts able to draw my attention away from my books for more than mere moments.

Many times I was found standing on one of the bridges between the Hogwarts towers, just gazing across the beautiful landscape. Watching the more daring magical beasts of the forbidden forest venture all the way into Hogwarts courtyards to frolic amongst the frozen trees and statues. Nothing truly dangerous of course. The forest had wards to prevent an exodus of dangerous beasts.

Over the days I saw many students, mostly younger years - delighting in rolling around in the snow - Diricawls poofting into the air around them with squawks - just to playfully disappear when the giggling students got close. Tiny glowing Fairies circling the beautiful icy trees, dumping snow on unsuspecting students, trilling in delight. The magical beasts seemed unperturbed by the cold.

At night - the mooncalves came, dancing in the dark - soaking in the abundance of magic that is Hogwarts. It probably didn't help my sleep to find the quiet moments to sneak out, just to watch the mooncalves dance. But I found the time. When the full moon was bright in the sky - the dancing became just magical.

As much as I had wanted to continue to research and discover every nook and cranny of Hogwarts - after my little discovery in the library. I had other priorities that needed to come first. So other than my tiny forays to admire the winter wonderland of Hogwarts - I devoted myself to study.

I started cutting down on my sleep even more - shaving that extra hour off at first - then another. Devoting my nights almost entirely to study. Devouring every text on the subjects of my upcoming tests that I could finagle out of the library. Pince was beginning to detest the sight of my face - as I kept taking more and more books out of her precious hoard.

I knew it wasn't ideal. But it would only be until the winter holidays. I could sacrifice sleep that long.

My friends spent time with me studying as well. Their chatter around me helped lower my stress levels by a considerable degree. Even if I wasn't participating as much as I honestly should - their presence helped.

For the most part they were understanding. Or they tried to be. Tried to be supportive. They knew my goals - they frequently began asking me to slow down more and more as the month passed by, and as we slipped into December I began spending more time in my dorm room after classes - avoiding their entreaties to sleep more.

Tonight is one such night. I sigh quietly as I close a book on Divination that might as well have been sold as kindling - it certainly had no use for anything else. I have a pounding headache, but I ignore it. My last pepper up potion should still give me some more time before I'm forced to sleep. These tests have become an obsession for me. I know this. But they are so important.

I push away my books, sitting in the dwindling candle light at my desk. A glance over at Neville's bed shows him happily snoring away. I assume snoring, anyway - I've long had the habit of silencing both our beds.

Seeing as my friend is happily in la-la land. I take out the Marauders Map. Whispering, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." My eyes tracing the hallways of Hogwarts as the map unfolds before my eyes.

I've been checking it frequently over the last month - trying to spot any sight of Voldemort, or anything else suspicious. Unfortunately, if Voldemort is here. On the back of someone's skull for example. It appears it does not count enough as a 'person' for the map to recognize. I frown as I notice Ophelia pacing around the seventh corridor again - in the middle of the night - and yep, there she goes. Disappearing off the map again. I really wanted to know how she did that… And why? I had this nagging feeling I knew something, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

My eyes travel over the map, finding Quirrell. Not moving - in his quarters, likely asleep. Late enough at night, or is it morning? That his patrol had long finished. Either I have very bad luck on timing when checking the map, or something was definitely wrong with my assumptions of what was going on at Hogwarts. Because so far I have never seen Quirrell get anywhere near the forbidden corridor. Not even on his patrols when he could claim he'd need to check everywhere - did he go by. It was suspicious just by the sheer avoidance of the area. Wasn't the man trying to break in there?

I grimace as my right eye starts twitching, the strain of too many nights up late, reading by candlelight.

I'm about to close the map and actually head for bed - when I spot something odd.

I put my finger on Filch's office, "Who are you? And what are you doing there… At 4am? Arnold Shaw?" I mutter to myself. Brow drawn together as I place my finger on the dot Argus Filch - laying still in his quarters nearby. Drawing the finger to Arnold Shaw in the adjoined caretakers office.

There's an Arnold… In Gryffindor? Right? I think slowly, tracing the name with my finger. "A prank." I mutter with disgust. Closing the map. Lack of sleep is making me too paranoid. Now I'm looking for Dark Lord's in stupid Gryffindor's pranking the caretaker.

The amount of times I've spotted the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan around the office almost makes me feel bad for the caretaker. To live in this magical place as a squib - being bullied by kids who can't even appreciate the gift they have. Self imposed torture - or perhaps as a squib he has nowhere else to go?

Right. Bedtime it is. I check my watch. I got to get up in… 3 hours.

…Maybe another quick read of that Astronomy text..

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December was trudging along slowly - heading towards winter break, allowing me to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, I am of course absolutely buried in work at the moment - preparing for the break. For all the tests and the sweet success that awaited afterwards. But I am right there, just an inch away from being finished.

Which is why I groan in tired annoyance, coming down the stairs from my dorm room in the Hufflepuff dorms - to find an array of seats in a circle, occupied by not only my Hufflepuff friends, but my Ravenclaw ones as well. "I do not need an intervention!" I huff out, stubbornly sinking down in the comfy armchair left open for me. At least by some small mercy the Gryffindors were not here. I'd die of embarrassment if I had to sit through an intervention for studying too much, by bloody Hermione 'time turner' Granger!

"Looked in the mirror lately?" Came the lazy reply from Tonks, half laying over an armchair, hair unusually long and a soft brown color - a departure from her normally bright showy flair. I frown at her, she's been oddly lackadaisical lately, not nearly as energetic and vivacious as usual.

I grimace at her, "What are you even doing here?" Although we were kind of friends in a way - I didn't think she'd be part of my friend group this way, she was pretty disliked by them actually, the whole beating the crap out of me thing still leaving some iciness between the group and the older girl. A good hexing might be normal in the magical world. But my friends took exception to the whole - practically my first day at school thing - and the fact Tonks and Ophelia were seventh years probably didn't help.

Water under the bridge and all that, but my friends didn't agree for some reason. Ophelia didn't help by constantly having a bitchy attitude either. That woman has issues. Kind of glad she'll be gone by the end of the year, even if I'll miss Tonks.

Tonks makes a wounded noise, stretching out like a lazy cat, "So mean, Lucas!" She pouts, growing her eyelashes impossibly long, just to flutter them better."Someone had to clear out the room for this little party, I figured I might as well stick around after, to help knock some sense into you." She winks at me, seeming to take delight in the frosty glares she receives for that comment.

She really wasn't helping things along by purposely messing with them like that. At least she is showing some spirit again, it's been weird having her be all… Odd.

"No one is knocking, anything." Susan says forcefully, before nervously fingering her braided hair, giving me a beseeching look. "We really are worried, Lucas, you don't look well…"

"I'm fine. Just hitting a rough patch." I say shortly. Looking around me, taking in the absolutely empty common room. "So everyone knows I'm having this 'intervention' now, then?" I say with distaste, making air quotes with my fingers. Just what I need. More gossip, I think. I'm starting to get actually pissed. Like the Slytherin aren't already weird enough, I don't need the Puffs starting too.

I'm not doing that badly… Surely a Professor would have forced me to see Madame Pomfrey by now if I was.

"Tonks just told them to get lost for an hour, or else." Hannah says, with an annoyed look at the older girl, "I don't know why, but they all listened."

I snort, having been on the other end of her wand, I know why… Whatever problems with other students that Tonks had suffered when younger - now it was more like the other students suffered Tonks.

Tonks smirks, her hair briefly flaring red as she shoots the young Hufflepuff the finger guns and a wink, "You're welcome, sweetie!"

"Lucas, you're pale as a vampire and have dark shadows under your eyes…" Susan says softly, concernedly. "You're doing too much, you're even losing weight."

Neville hurriedly interjects before I can rebut that ridiculous statement. "Mate, she's not wrong, you've barely done anything without a book in your hands for so long now, you're barely eating - because you're too busy reading!"

I eat… I mean. I'm not starved or anything. I'm just… Busy.

"You know, if even I'm saying you're spending too much time with books, there's an issue, right?" Padma piles on, patting Su on her knee, the smaller girl flinching slightly at being put on the spot, everyone's eyes turning to her.

Su squirms, avoiding anyone's gaze, before softly speaking up, "I think…" She says so quietly I have to strain my ears to hear it, "That we should ask Lucas what's going on, and n-not p-pressure him!" She almost loses her nerve at the end, as she looks around the group with an almost mullish look on her face.

"Su, you're my favorite little bratling - good on you to throw the quaffle straight through the hoops" Tonks says, snickering as the girl blushes and ducks her head, but not before giving the older Hufflepuff a weak glare. Tonks was not Su's favorite. I had gotten many lectures from the shy Ravenclaw on how Tonks wasn't the right kind of person to hang around.

"Mine too," I say with a tired smile at Su, the tiny girl giving me a returning smile, I really am exhausted, that's true... "You all already know I'm studying for OWLs and NEWTs, I don't really understand why this is coming up now?"

"We accepted that, I personally think it's an admirable goal you're working towards,"Padma says, a slight frown on her face, "Yet…" She places her hands in her lap, making a frustrated sound, "We have seen you grow more and more sick and tired, and we're worried."

"We know you've been using pepper up potions almost daily for the last little while, Lucas." Susan says with a half smile, "We're not trying to make you stop, we just…" She gestures helplessly, looking around at the group.

"Want you to be okay." Hannah finishes for her friend. "We don't want to push you, you're our friend, but we don't want you to get worse."

I give Neville an annoyed look, "Reporting on me?" I ask almost detachedly, feeling a sort of bone deep weariness. These last few weeks of 3-4 hours of sleep really is bringing me down - but I'm almost there!

Neville squares his shoulders, giving me a firm look, "Yes. For your own good." He states unflinchingly.

I shake my head, a dry chuckle escaping. I admit I'm not well pleased that he did so, but the way he'll push even against me, to make sure I'm safe - is a far departure from a shyer version that could have been. I'm kind of proud of him, honestly. And annoyed. "Fair enough, you owe me one though. For letting this go without a hexing." I can acknowledge things are maybe going a little too far. Especially if Neville is standing up to me, kids got a heart of gold. If he's telling me this - I should probably listen. I have made a lot of mistakes by assuming I've got things under control.

Neville looks happy as he nods quickly. Taking a deep breath of relief. Don't breathe too easily, mate… I think. I'll use that favor to make you stand up to your grandmother about a new wand over the hols - you'll wish you'd kept your mouth shut. Nothing wrong with taking advantage of a situation after all.

"So…" I say breaking the silence, "What exactly do you want? What is this," I wave my arm around to encompass the group, "Whole things, end goal?" I meet my friend's eyes, my own hard and unflinching, "I will not give up on what I'm doing, now that I'm a mere week away from accomplishing it!" That's an absolute non-starter, I can't give up. Not when I'm this close!

"They don't want you to give up, Lucas, seriously for a smart kid, you're pretty dumb, baby claw!" Tonks groans, shifting in her seat so that she can actually sit up and meet my eyes properly. "They're worried about you and want you to eat and sleep properly." Tonks explains, "That's it, not so hard, eh?"

"I'm literally a week away from being finished…* I point out dryly. Squirming slightly in my seat, somewhat uncomfortable with Tonks' eyes on mine - why on earth was she using Ophelia's eye color?

"But that doesn't mean you'll stop." Su, of all people pipes up. "If we don't look after you, you'll just continue!"

"Look after me? I can take care of myself." I roll my eyes, so I've missed some sleep, I'd get over it. "And weren't you the one just saying not to pressure me?"

Su bit her lip, eyebrows scrunched together cutely, "I'm not pressuring." She protested weakly. "But you won't, will you?"

I give her a questioning look, and she continues, "Stop. You won't stop. There will be something else after. And then something else." Su sinks back in her chair, blushing as she realizes she's the focus of everyone for a moment.

"You know she's right." Padma says calmly, "You'll finish your tests. And then what?" The Ravenclaw raises a questioning eyebrow looking quite smug - she knows she's scored a point.

I pondered it, I still have Hogwarts to explore. More magic of course, I need to deepen my understanding of Occlumency and Legilimency - catch Pettigrew. I need to find out what was going on with Quirrell and find a way to reverse my obliviations. Needed to dive deeper into Astronomy and Divination, also rituals. They meshed well with both those subjects. Perhaps look into ancient Druidism as well. There could be so much in ancient history that could solve problems today!

I'm interrupted in my musings by Hannah, who groans, pointing at me, "You're doing it right now!" She pulls on her pigtails, looking at me accusingly, "How many things just popped into your head?"

I admit they kind of have a point. A small one. If I get into a habit of sacrificing sleep and food - what about the next project, and the one after. Hard work is one thing. I can't sacrifice my health on the altar of hard work. Even with… Ugh, 8 hours of sleep… I'll still have time to study and grow - I'll have less classes to attend come January. "You might have a small point." I make sure to stress the word, no need for them to think they should do this kind of thing often. It's embarrassing.

Bunch of kids having to come tell me to sleep more. I need to shape up, this has been an embarrassing first semester. For all the progress I've made in different areas - I've fucked up way too much. Some by impulsivity, some by just not thinking straight. I need to do better.

The relieved smiles all around actually makes me feel worse. Did they think I was going to yell at them or something - how crabby have I been lately? "I'm sorry if I haven't been the best friend lately, I'll try to get at least 8 hours of sleep - no matter what I'm studying." I allow, grudgingly. Because they might have a point.

Susan rushes forward and practically glomps me to get a hug in, making me spit out strands of red hair as I get it all in my mouth. "Bit of warning next time." I say, but hug her back gently. "Thanks for caring, although I think an intervention was a bit much honestly." I eye Padma and Su, suddenly realizing there's Ravenclaws in the Hufflepuff dorm - Merlin I am slipping. "Isn't Sprout going to go sparse for bringing Padma and Su in here?"

I sure remember a warning about something like - in a thousand years there hadn't been any students from another house in the Hufflepuff dorms… I knew it was bullshit!

Tonks stands up, stretching, letting a yawn out, ignoring the grimace from Neville as she almost manages to knock him over the head while stretching. "Nah, Sprout always holds that spiel, dunno why she bothers really, when it's important - like health or family related, no one ever tattles about it. We're Puffs." She says proudly, getting an annoyed squawk out of Padma as she pulls on her plaited hair suddenly, "Time for you squirts to go though, you too, baby claw." She says, pointing at me with a flourish.

I frown, "I'm not a baby claw, you know." I say irritably. "And why do I need to go anywhere? I'm a Hufflepuff - and it's Saturday." All in all though… That just went a lot easier and faster then I could have expected. When I saw them all - I was kind of worried they'd all push me to stop my goals…Probably shouldn't have been worried, Hufflepuff loyalty and all. I probably have time for whatever Tonks wants…

Tonks gives me a toothy grin, "Sprout's been keeping her own eye on you, Lucas. Just lucky coincidence I guess that your intervention happened on the same day Sprout wants to see you, I guess."

The insincerity is strong in this one, I think sarcastically. Right. Coincidence. So much for Tonks needing me for something… I would have preferred that, over Sprout…

Hannah gives Tonks a dirty look, " You told us you could only clear the room for us and bring Padma and Su today." She points out, stabbing a finger forward to point at Tonks, who innocently points to herself, face transforming into a cherubic angelic one, glistening with fake tears, trembling lower lip and all.

"Moi?" She says, cutely. Somehow still managing to look guilty as sin - while appearing as innocent as humanly possible.

"Knock it off, Tonks." I groan, moving forward to join Padma and Su, as Neville and Susan deal with an annoyed Hannah. "Another coincidence I'm sure…"

Tonks transforms back, a grin on her face, "Ophelia got told to corral you today - because she's a goody-two shoes prefect, buuuut she doesn't really like you very much, so I volunteered to do it instead." Tonks told me cheerfully. "Anyone with half a brain could see what the brat squad was planning - so I pulled them in for a twofer." She preens smugly, "You're welcome."

"Thanks." I say dryly. Having Ophelia here would have definitely been much worse, and I'd hesitate to ever call her a goody-two shoes. So I am actually grateful Tonks decided to intervene in all this with her little coincidences. If I have to have a talk with Professor Sprout as well - I'd rather get it all over within one day. And also the half a brain comment smarts - because I didn't see the intervention coming. And I should have.

Susan and Hannah at the very least are open books generally, so I must have been truly sleep deprived if I missed all this being planned. For Merlin's sake I share a room with Neville. And he's hardly a spy master. How did I miss this? I'm really going to have to use the new semester as a soft reboot of sorts. Even when I'm throwing everything into academic excellence I should be able to read the room better.

I wave goodbye to my Hufflepuff friends and exit the dormitory with Tonks and my Ravenclaw friends - Tonks sending Padma and Su on ahead once we're out in the dungeons proper.

Tonks stops me from moving towards Professor Sprout's office however, as soon as the girls are out of sight.

I sigh and lean against the wall, what now? I think somewhat uncharitably. The month plus of mostly ignoring my social life has left me with somewhat of a low tolerance.

Tonks eyes me with pursed lips and her arms crossed under her bust. "So…" She says, then stops. Gnawing on her lip, not saying anything.

The silence builds for another few moments. And I sigh louder, closing my eyes, resting my head against the cool wall, "If Professor Sprout is waiting, do you really have time to do whatever mental gymnastics you need to be able to speak?"

Tonks laughs suddenly, reaching forward and ruffling my hair, "You're such a rude brat, you know." She says fondly.

"I don't know where I could have possibly gotten that from." I reply back dryly. Not bothering to straighten my hair. She'll just mess it up again.

"Ugh, this is so hard…" Tonks groans, before leaving against the wall next to me, "You know, I've never really treated you like a firstie… You just, I dunno, seem more mature." She muses out loud. I open my eyes and look at her, she's staring up at the ceiling, a complicated look on her face.

"Yes?" I ask carefully. Having absolutely no idea where this is going. And I'm definitely too bloody tired for another fight.

"We're kind of friends, right?" Tonks asks suddenly, after a few minutes of silence.

"Yes…" I drawl, tilting my head to look up at her, frowning slightly. Where is this going?

Of everything I've encountered at Hogwarts so far. Tonks and Ophelia surely are the weirdest and simultaneously the hardest to figure out. The one thing I did manage to gather so far for sure - neither of them were what most would call… Stable.

There was definitely something to that black madness thing in my opinion… Ophelia didn't have that excuse - she is just definitely crazy.

"You don't regret meeting me?" Tonks asks quietly, not meeting my eyes. Resolutely staring up at the ceiling.

My brows knit together as I try to understand this conversation. "No…" I say slowly, "I don't."

Tonks simply grunts out, "Huh." Before abruptly leaving the wall, "Sprout's waiting for you, Lucas." Gesturing down the hall towards Professor Sprout's office, giving me another hair ruffle, still not meeting my eyes, before she was gone, her long strides taking her out of the hallway quickly.

What in Merlin's name was that about? I think, puzzled. Before putting it to the back of my mind. Walking up to the Professor's office. Grimacing at the thought of having to explain myself again.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Whelp, in the future I better take care to not look like a zombie - it will save me these headaches.

And make me feel less ridiculous to be chastised by kids about my habits.

I definitely can never tell them about my real age now - the embarrassment would do me in.

Much better to be the mysterious and crazily skilled, wonder boy.

Merlin. That sounded gay.

I knock on the portrait - time to face the music.

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"Forty-five minutes!" I groan, "Just constantly assuring her I'm fine. That woman really is like a badger - just can't stop digging!"

"Well she is the head of Hufflepuff house." Sebastian sniffs, leaning back in his portrait, "Suppose they got to be good for something…"

"I'm a Hufflepuff." I reply back, testily. I can bitch about my head of house, but no Slytherin - alive or not, gets the same privilege.

Ominis scoffs, "Hufflepuff, Hmpfh."

I roll my eyes, unless he's instructing me on Occlumency, or chastising me, he only spoke in snide little comments. It was getting more annoying the less sleep I got. My tolerance for bullshit was at an all time low at this point. "If you've got nothing useful to say, Ominis, then don't bother!" I snap.

Sebastian laughs, clapping his hands together slowly, mockingly. "Ah, the badger has some bite! What do you say? Ominis?"

But Ominis was yet again silent. I turn away from him, not needing the extra frustration. "I can't wait for these exams to be over. My head feels like it's going to explode." I groan, putting my head down on the desk, enjoying the cool feel of the old chipped wood. The Undercroft always felt pleasantly cool - a relief, since Hogwarts, in many places, suffers from an abundance of warming charms. Keeping away the cold from the stone castle by going overboard on magic. Wizards, indeed.

The Hufflepuff dorms with all its plants, almost feels like a jungle nowadays, with the warmth suffusing it.

"Why don't you just divine the answers? You're actually ridiculously good at divination aren't you?" Sebastian asks, before rolling his eyes, a sardonic smile on his face as I stare up at him in shock, "Oh, yes, I forgot, cheating is evil Slytherin stuff, right?"

"Bloody hell! Why didn't I think of that!" My eyes roam around the desk, finding the different reams of parchment where I've scribbled theories on different ways to utilize divination that isn't available to the common man.

"Oh? I just figured you'd discarded it out of a sense of fair play? You mean you'd actually do it?" Sebastian asks, smirking. "How naughty."

I hold a hand to my pounding forehead, closing my eyes, gaining some relief. "It's practically useless now though, I've already memorized it all!" Months of low sleep - maximum effort, on several subjects at the same time - while still excelling in my classes. Ah, well… I'd probably have studied it all anyway.

"So? If you divine the answers, then you can be sure of a perfect score, that you haven't missed some obscure detail, or forgotten some useless goblin." Sebastian says carelessly. He shrugged, leaning against the frame of his portrait, "You being a big great swot, you'd probably have studied anyway, but it doesn't hurt to stack the deck, does it?"

"It could work…" I mumble distractedly, leaning back in my chair, thinking of the implications. The lesser divination like my dice - would not work for something as complex as this.

I open my eyes, ignoring my growing migraine, reaching for parchment and my divination reference books - a paltry amount of books considering no one really studied the subject properly anymore. "It can't be a ritual, not a true ritual - I still can't do any more divination rituals due to the after effects of my last one." I mumble out loud, thinking hard, scribbling ideas down as I did.

It would still be complicated. No divination I could do would give me something as complicated as the entire 600-700 test answers to a NEWTs test. But I didn't need that. The Department of Magical Education no doubt used several different standard tests - ensuring the same exact test wasn't given each year. To prevent someone just studying the answers an upper year student could give them from their previous test. Wizards were lazy - no doubt they used a rotating number of just a small set of different tests, perhaps as low as five different ones. But probably not higher than ten.

What I needed to divine - was which standard test would be used for each of the subjects I was studying, and testing out of. Once I divined that - I have an avenue to move forward.

It would still be tricky. It would also depend on if the Ministry was competent enough to have anti-scrying wards in their archives - or in the Department of Magical Education. Perhaps the whole building was warded thusly. It is worth a shot. If it doesn't work… There's always finding something to bribe… Or blackmail, a Slytherin with Ministry connections for - to get me a copy of each of the tests I Divine. If I can divine even that much. Getting a Slytherin to give me all the tests would be likely costly in favors I don't want to give away. Perhaps I can even trade my method of divining the tests for the year - for copies of the tests?

I have a week to accomplish it. It's doable.

I technically don't necessarily need it. I feel confident I'll pass all the tests.

There's one very big difference though. An 11 year old muggleborn gets an O in several NEWTs in the first year… Big deal, definitely attention grabbing. News across the magical world.

An 11 year old muggleborn gets a perfect score on several OWLs and NEWTs…

Now that is a - is he the next Dumbledore - kind of attention. No one would even consider that I cheated anyway, even if I know most of the material and hardly need to. The only thing more unbelievable than an 11 year old prodigy. Is that 11 year old cheating and beating the Ministry out, getting around any protections or anti cheating measures they have employed. The Ministry will never believe I could get past them. So therefore a perfect score… Would be considered completely by my own genus.

In no way am I an actual genius. It is all hard work and an already developed brain and work ethic. But no one needs to know that.

My plan to begin everything slowly, see the lay of the land - had been a failure from the start. A plan drawn from caution and hesitance. There was no safety in anonymity, no safety in prior knowledge. Almost everything I did had unintended consequences - most of them bad. I could not live on preconceived ideas of the wizarding world. I needed to matter. Stand out. Be harder to disappear.

I might as well introduce myself properly - by crashing through the Purebloods' perfect little pretend worlds, and piss in their entrance halls while I'm at it.

Scrying would have to work. Something more basic than a ritual. Or perhaps coupled with something else…

I glanced at the time, and… It would have to be later. Even with the time crunch I'm on.

I desperately need a nap. My head is killing me.

It's Saturday. Detention awaits.

As I leave I can practically feel Ominis judging gaze on my back. I resist the temptation to give him the finger on my way out.

He's damn judgy for a Slytherin and a Gaunt.

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"Here we are again… Looking forward to it?" I ask with a reserved smile as I walk up to the hallway to the DADA office. Hermione and Harry are already there and waiting in tense silence.

Snape and Quirrell were hardly anyone's idea of a good time. We are all tense whenever Saturday comes around.

"Maybe they'll kill each other, today." Harry says hopefully. He fistbumps me as I come to stand next to him. "They almost came to blows last time."

I shake my head bemused. The detentions had, if anything gotten worse, with the presence of Professor Snape. We always felt a hair's breadth away from getting caught in the middle of a duel - the two men constantly sniping at each other.

When Professor Snape wasn't sniping at Harry. Speaking of, "So, today are you going to be a no good delinquent? Or an oaf barely capable of breathing?" I ask Harry, a smirk on my face. Professor Snape seemed weirdly fond of those two insults in particular.

For a murderous Death Eater and spy. And a general asswipe of a sentient being - the man needed better material. Oaf? Delinquent? There's kindergarteners out there with a better array of insults. To be honest, wait another two decades and kindergarteners growing up with iPads will be more acerbic and sarcastic then Snape is too. Scary thought.

Harry rolls his eyes, lips twitching up slightly, before Hermione jumps in, "Honestly!" She huffs, "Must you? It's difficult enough."

I give her my best serious look, "We must." I deadpan. Drawing a quiet chuckle out of Harry. He immediately drops it when Hermione glares his way, her hair getting all fuzzy, as it does when she's getting stressed out or upset.

So, that's not gonna settle down much over the next six years, is it? Poor girl.

Harry raises his hands, a small grin blooming on his face, "Hermione don't attack me please, I'll get enough of that in there." He jerks his head towards the DADA office door.

Harry skillfully averts a Hermione rant, as she immediately bites her lip at that rejoinder, patting Harry on his arm softly, "I'm sure it will be fine tonight."

I snicker, "No it won't." I say that with certainty. These detentions are never fine. Especially for Harry. My own particular issue with Quirrell is fixed - simply by the presence of Snape. That hasn't exactly made things easier for Harry.

"It will." Hermione glowers at me, one hand still on Harry's arm protectively. Harry simply shakes his head, not willing to argue with Hermione, but also obviously not agreeing with her.

It's interesting to see the way they're closer together by having become friends earlier and without Ron forced into the mix at all times. Hermione and Ron seemed to get along, sure. But it was getting obvious that Hermione was friends with Harry, and Ron was just there, due to him befriending Harry first. Just as for Ron he was friends with Harry, Hermione just added on. There hadn't been a life threatening situation to tie them all together yet.

I reach into my mokeskin pouch and bring out my mooncalf dice. "Bet you they'll say it won't be fine." I challenge Hermione, rolling the dice between my fingers. Letting the ponderings about the golden trio drop, for now.

Hermione sniffs, putting her nose in the air imperiously, "I prefer to look at life positively, Lucas. This detention could go perfectly fine. Honestly, you are just a pessimist."

"I prefer the term, realist." I answer back quickly. I play with my dice for a moment, thinking hard on the question - will this detention, ultimately, be fine?

I crouch down and roll the dice over the floor. Almost feeling the hands of fate over them, there's just this feeling as they roll. Like a loud rumbling of dice in my head. I feel a stirring of unease. That better not become common - I'm no Matrim Cauthon. I don't need fate jerking me around like a puppet.

They stop and I stare down at them.

Harry and Hermione come closer and peer down at them as well.

"What does it mean?" Harry asks curiously.

I continue to stare at the dice for a moment. Baffled.

"Lucas?" Hermione asks, putting a hand on my shoulder and giving me a shake.

I blink slowly, reaching down with trembling fingers and picking up the dice, "You don't want to know." I say, putting the dice away.

Harry and Hermione share a glance, but ultimately they don't know Divination as I do, and they return to the wall, whispering to each other as I remain where I am, thinking hard. Trying to not read too much into this.

I don't know what to expect now. Because the dice have answered - with what could be translated loosely to some version of - great peals of laughter.

I have asked - would this detention be fine. And the universe has basically replied - Hahahahaha!

"Well…Shit." I mutter to myself. What did this mean? Should I just take off? Would something monumental go wrong in there? Would they actually duel each other? Would Snape lose it and kill Harry Potter? Would Quirrell lose it and kill us all?

The door suddenly opens, startling me. I watch Harry and Hermione enter, and in the end, I walk forward as well. Death surely didn't await me or the dice would have warned me - so whatever happens - is something that the universe might find amusing. The dice have indicated something will definitely be - not fine. But whatever it is, the universe finds great amusement in the result. Surely if it's something amusing, there's no danger from me entering. The dice hadn't warned me away… Merlin damn it, sometimes Divination just makes it more complicated, instead of less!

"Professor's." I nod politely to Professor Snape in his usual corner, looking all gloomy and pissed off as usual, and Professor Quirrell by his usual position by the map table - looking irritable. Although he does look unusually stressed at the moment. Even his robes are wrinkled - a departure from the usually immaculate wizard.

"Greenwood." Professor Quirrell snaps, literally snapping his fingers at me, calling me forward.

I reluctantly come and stand next to him, surveying the map, Quirrell's changed it - the oceans are all darker and grimier. His way of letting us know time's up? Or just dramatic flair?

"You've studied the process for a whole semester now - you've studied the muggle books on pollution. Tell me? What would you do?" He demands, stabbing his wand down into the Atlantic ocean - the water bubbling where he puts it down.

I share a glance with Hermione and Harry. We were hardly ready for a solution. Again bringing into the question what this all was. We're eleven. Surely someone older, even other muggleborns would be more useful. As much as I've read up on pollution, it's an impossibility - there aren't enough wizards to possibly affect the whole world like that.

Professor Quirrell would have none of it however, "No need to share coy glances with your little friends, Greenwood." He almost growls, sounding frustrated, his face paler than normal, "Theorize, it doesn't matter if you can do it. Produce a theory!"

I glance at the map, gnawing on my lip. "The ocean is too large." I say finally, seeing Professor Quirrell starting to become impatient with me, his pale face twitching. "It just is, any magic created to affect the entire ocean of the planet is just impossible." There was more water than land after all - and then we have the depth of water around the globe that would have to be purified some way, while not harming any of the life in it. It is impossible. There just isn't enough magic in the world to change something so fundamental - as all water on the planet.

"Nothing in this world is impossible, Greenwood." Professor Quirrell barks out suddenly, eyes wild, as he grabs my shoulders, shaking me - meeting my eyes with desperation and rage. Looking haggard and pained for a moment.

"Quirinus!" Professor Snape barks, Quirrell removes his hand as if burned. Stepping back from me, face growing more placid, he collects himself quickly, straightening his robes with a jerky motion. Before again turning towards me, and my friends. Acting like that little episode never happened.

"Think! You're a mud-muggleborn,"He stumbles over the word, as Hermione's face shutters "It's why I picked the three of you, in particular." He points at Hermione, "Private school, well to do family, good upbringing." The finger slides to Harry who instantly tenses up, looking like he's preparing himself for an attack, "Middle class, bad family - standard average education." Finally arriving at me, stabbing his finger in my face, "Orphan, poor, low quality upbringing, genius, from poor schooling to the best in London."

It was obvious all three of us were less than enthused that Professor Quirrell knew anything at all about our lives. Professor Snape sat back, dark eyes glittering as he watched the spectacle, giving no indication he was about to stop it.

I also seriously doubted Harry got picked for any other reason then - boy-who-lived. His upbringing hardly made him that much more knowledgeable of the muggle world then the magical. For that matter I wasn't sure I could trust that explanation. Surely he could find seventh year muggleborns with the same conditions?

"You encompass enough muggle upbringing - enough ideas of - "Quirrell sneered darkly, almost spitting out," Muggle ways." His voice rising, as his eyes coldly swept between us, "To find a solution where magic can be applied!"

All three of us were silent. I look at the map again. There was just no way… The ocean is too vast.

"Maybe we're looking at this from the wrong angle." Hermione says reluctantly, keeping her eyes on the map, instead of on Quirrell.

"What do you mean?" I interject quickly, a discussion between us likely to work better than between professor and student with how things were progressing. No one had missed how close Quirrell had come to saying mudblood.

Hermione glanced thankfully at me, before looking back at the map. "The ocean is probably impossible." She agrees, side-eying Professor Quirrell worriedly. When he doesn't interrupt, she continues on with more confidence, "But what about all the waterways, sewage and water treatment plants, and all the other ways Muggles disperse water or pollution into the ocean or atmosphere?

It flashed into my mind at that moment. "Of course!" I say excitedly, "We've been looking at it all the wrong way! Just like you said!" I walk around the map, putting my finger down on a random country, "Magic could not possibly be applied on all of the ocean, but what about if there was some sort of anti pollutant magic - attached to every sewer, river, etc, across the actual problem - the muggle countries." I stared at the map, holy shit, it's actually possible. "It wouldn't happen immediately. It might take decades even, but bit by bit, that anti pollutant magic would spread."

Harry looked dumbstruck as he joined me by the table, Hermione almost vibrating next to me, looking like she might have squealed if it weren't for the company of the two Professor's. "You're not talking about ending Muggle's pollution, which probably would never happen…Not entirely. You're talking about getting in right before it spreads and making it anti-pollutant!"

"You'd have to go to extreme lengths - probably magic up every muggle vehicle as it comes out of the factory as well, a thousand other small things. But it could be done. It's possible." I say slowly. "Rituals can be made pretty specific. It shouldn't be impossible to make one that only affects muggle vehicles - one that affects sewers and the like. Save wizards from charming every car ever made - there's not enough of us for that."

"Potions." Harry says quietly, looking down at the map with an intense look on his face, "There could be potions, right? That could be added to water treatment plants, and clear up pollution." Both Hermione and I give him a somewhat queer look, because, yes, good idea. But Harry Potter suggesting potions as the solution? Madness!

"See, Severus. The minds of children... Looks like the headmaster is right on that avenue!" Professor Quirrell breathes out, looking almost fanatical, his eyes wide and his face in a rictus of excitement. "This is why I used children!" He laughs suddenly, holding a hand to his head, "Hahaha, in a thousand years, never would I have thought to use magic on the muggle side of things, for preventi on - instead of fixing what they've done to the earth!" Professor Quirrell starts laughing harder, holding onto the table, Professor Snape rising, fingering his wand, looking unsure for a moment. Although it could be a trick of the eye, when I glance back again he looks as inscrutable as usual.

"Can rituals do all that?" Harry asks, uncertainly, eyeing the still laughing Professor with worry. "And what about potions?"

I hesitate, then plow on, "Rituals can do almost anything. It's all about equal exchange or a cost though." I glance at the others, "I don't know what the cost or exchange would be to remove all pollution like that, but it's a better idea then fixing the ocean itself." I hesitate again, before continuing on, "As for potions… Professor Snape would know best…"

"And how… Mister Greenwood, do you have any knowledge on ritual magic?" Professor Snape asks coldly, coming up right behind me. Ignoring the question on potions." Where did you gain such… Knowledge?" He presses on. Harry and Hermione unconsciously melting away from my sides as the Potions Professor looms over me.

"Hah, hah, now, now, Severus. The boy has helped solve a mighty problem. No need for an interrogation, we were all curious at that age." Professor Quirrell interjects, straightening up, face twitching oddly in excitement. It is odd, to say the least, to see the normally cold and cruel Professor like this.

Is his behavior today an indication he is possessed by Voldemort? Or am I seeing things because I want to. Because again, I can't figure out why Voldemort would want what would definitely need some kind of light ritual. Or perhaps I am just lacking in knowledge of Dark Arts - and there's some advantage to be gained in removing all muggle borne pollution from the ocean and atmosphere.

"Hermione had the idea, really." I say, because she had kickstarted the process. And would have likely arrived at the same conclusions - well except rituals perhaps. That's not really covered in a first year's education.

"The insufferable twit of a girl did not mention rituals." Professor Snape says harshly, giving me a penetrating stare. I look away, rage burning inside me as I feel the Legilimency probe. I've improved it seems, or Snape didn't even bother with finesse, expecting me to not notice, I doubt I'd even have noticed if he seriously tried his best. Either way I resolutely avoid his gaze, stepping away from the looming dungeon bat. Refusing to be mind raped. Fuck him. Violate my mind whenever you please, huh? Go violate Quirrell instead! You already obviously suspect him!

Obliviated and mind raped - sure, Hogwarts is safe for the little children…Insane damn Wizards. Is it too much to ask to just let me learn magic and probe the mysteries of the universe?

Fuck Severus Snape. I turn to Professor Quirrell, feeling buoyed, as Hermione and Harry seem to realize they'd moved away and left me at the mercy of our Potions Professor, and now they return, shoulder to shoulder - to back me up.

"Is it possible? To do rituals for something like that?" I ask. Letting the rage cool down to a simmer. It would do me no good here. Professor Snape is practically untouchable. For now.

Quirrell gives a coy little smile, "Ah, perhaps." He says, tapping his lips with a finger, considering us. Before grinning menacingly, his eyes shone with cruel delight, "The cost would be enormous." He almost purrs out. "For the greater good however, right, Severus?" He chirps mockingly, sounding cheerful - in a creepy, cruel way.

Professor Snape sneers down at us, pointing to the door sharply "Detention over, get out!" Before stepping closer to Quirrell, muttering something angrily that I am not close enough to hear, as both Harry and Hermione grabbed my arms and marched towards the door, glad to leave. I do hear the answer however from Quirrell, the man giving no effort to lower his voice.

"Magic provides, Severus. Always. At a price."

As I leave I realize I completely forgot about the dice and their weird reaction once the discussion began.

Did I fuck up?

How could curing the world of pollutants be bad?

Did I miss something?

Maybe the dice response meant something else? How exactly is any of this supposed to be amusing? Why the laughter?

Again, how can curing the planet be in any way bad? Or even amusing? I groan, as I walk towards the Hufflepuff dorms. This is going to have me worrying the rest of the year now.

Just what I need.

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Sunday, Hufflepuff common room.

"Ouch…" I mutter sleepily. Reaching up to rub my head, blinking blearily around me.

"I do not spend my time tutoring to watch you sleep." Ophelia says snidely, retracting her hand. Did she just… Slap me over the head? I think incredulously. Trying to clear the cobwebs of my impromptu nap.

"Don't do that again!" Neville says forcefully. Half standing out of his chair. "He's just tired."

It was our usual study group time, all of the first year Hufflepuffs together, with Ophelia as our lovely tutor. Normally she isn't really an issue… Surprisingly. Apparently that's changed.

"Don't slap me again." I say warningly. Removing a parchment from my chin where it had gotten stuck, great - I fell asleep in front of everyone. I glare at the annoying prefect who woke me up so rudely.

Ophelia gives me a condescending look, "Then don't waste my time to have a nap." She walks forward to the head of the table and only because I've got my attention wholly on her right now - do I catch the slight limp. My eyes narrow as I study her more closely. She looks… drained. Sure she has NEWTs this year… But… She looks injured.

Just what I need. Her being grumpy and agitated. I think, groaning internally. I don't want to know what happened - it's none of my business. I don't care if this is connected to Tonks being weird. At this point they're 17, I'm 11 - screw the added other life years. They can deal with it. I have enough on my plate.

I resolutely return to the books in front of me, intending to ignore the crazy woman. Which becomes difficult as I realize the entire table is berating her. On my behalf. Such Hufflepuffs!

"Physical violence is never a solution, surely as a prefect, you know that!?" Katie Kogawa snaps at Ophelia.

"As a Hufflepuff you should know that…" Moira Thistlewood grumbles. Getting accompanying nods from Ernie Macmillan and Justin Finch-Fletchley.

"Is that so?" Ophelia says coldly, leaning back in her chair gingerly. Her face twitching slightly in pain, or annoyance, I can't quite tell. "It just so happens I am a Hufflepuff. And hard work - especially mine - should not go to waste."

Zacharias Smith, of all people, scoffs. "Like Greenwood even needs more studying. Come off it!" His support won him pats on the back from his seatmates Sally-Anne Perks and Eloise Midgen and he puffed up immediately, looking around the table smugly.

Megan Jones eyes Ophelia critically, "Where's the Hufflepuff loyalty? Huh?" She shakes her head, her long hair going back and forth, "You're way too old to be acting like that."

"She's right, you're 17 and a prefect, why are you slapping Lucas instead of shaking his shoulder, or asking him to wake up?" Hannah jumps in, and I'm watching it all happen in morbid fascination. Wondering if the entire first year group of Hufflepuff were about to be hexed.

I find it all a bit surreal. The magical world was fine with hexing a bloke into bits, just put you together again in a jiffy, but throw hands and apparently it's a war crime. The culture shock is probably going to take years, before I'm used to all the different weird things Wizard and Witches believe.

Ophelia looks around the table, a snarl on her lips, it turns her admittedly beautiful visage, more bestial. Ugly. "I am more loyal than any of you can know!" She grinds out, "Do not question me on that!" She seems to almost get a hitch in her voice, eyes going slightly glistening, before her fists clench, and she glares murderously around the table.

The table quiets down, watching the older girl stand up slowly. Ophelia gives us all one last look, something flashing in her eyes that I can't decipher. "Court will take over your study group. Do not bother me again." And then she stalks off, the firsties all sharing uncomfortable looks. No one had intended for this outcome I'm sure. But it seems I wasn't the only one to question Ophelia's Hufflepuff credentials with some of her attitude and behavior lately. Or… Like… Ever since meeting her, honestly.

I feel bad for the fifth year prefect, for the coming storm coming for him. Court is not going to be given much of a choice to switch to our group it seems. Considering he appears terrified of Ophelia half the time - he wouldn't likely protest much.

I look around the table at my fellow Puffs. Feeling a bit bewildered - I don't interact much with most of them, nothing more really than - pass the gravy, at mealtimes. Some help with a homework question one of them might have, the odd time. Yet they'd stood up for me in a heartbeat.

It felt nice. I return to my books and it's not long before I'm asleep in my notes again.

This time I was not woken up.

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Basic scrying was in essence fairly simple. You need a clear surface, a mirror, a bowl of clear water, the like. That was the medium through which you would see whatever you were trying to scry for.

In the most basic form, of course. There were numerous ways to scry, including minor rituals, like I had done when I was searching for Voldemort within Hogwarts wards. Hogwarts had the best wards in the country - and probably was up there amongst the best in the world. So basic scrying would not pierce the wards - hence necessitating a very expensive ritual. Without the Undercroft and its reagents I would have never been able to pull that off. And it had failed anyway. Whether through Hogwarts wards or something Voldemort had cast on himself.

Now for the Ministry… I am counting on the fact that Divination has been practically non-existent in Britain for hundreds of years. Unlike Hogwarts who rarely gets any tinkering with its wards. The Ministry updates or removes parts of its wards on an often enough basis - that Divination wards might have been deemed obsolete at some point and removed.

Likely not for such things as the Department of Mysteries, the Minister's office and the DMLE. They probably had the strongest wards in the building. But the main wards of the Ministry itself? The wards covering the Department of Magical Education? Or the Archives? Would a knut pinching Ministry of the past have bothered to upkeep such useless wards as Divination prevention?

That said, I'm above basic scrying - I'm going for a bit more oomph. Just in case.

I personally doubt the Ministry has proper Divination wards. And I am counting on it being that way - but this method today might work even then, depending on their strength. For once, I'm not in the Undercroft either. Between the option of a mirror, or a clear, frozen surface in a fountain in a Hogwarts courtyard, specifically the Transfiguration courtyard - the ambient Hogwarts magic and the use of nature itself for scrying, would supposedly boost the effort. So the choice was easy. A mirror can't beat that.

I could not know for sure, as I'm using older reference books now, having read through all of Cassiopeia Black's book on Divination. Her book did not cover the whole breadth of the subject, not surprisingly, as what book could? So I was utilizing more dubious reference material. But from my experience so far with Divination. It did sound likely. Nature often gave a boost to magic performed utilizing it. And natural water or ice - should perform better than glass, steel or bronze.

I am cutting it close. I just have two days until the winter holidays start. And my testing begins shortly thereafter. But I have waited for today for a reason. Astronomy.

Astronomy is the magic of connections. Light from long dead stars reaching us, the alignment of planets, shooting stars, constellations. All of it. They didn't affect us and our magic simply through being observed, not only that, anyway, as some of that played a part. Certain flora only flourished under a full moon or a blue moon for example. And of course there was the lycanthropy curse. The full moon affecting Werewolves. So there was some of that.

But magic was alive. Might not have a conscious mind, but it lived. Or so many scholars insist. Especially in Astronomy. Because magic is regularly enhanced, rituals empowered, flora and fauna enriched - through connections that shouldn't mean anything. Except, wizarding kind (And Centaurs) believed it so long - no different than muggle astronomers and their beliefs in the effects of stars and planets on our lives - that it ended up working. It was like Quirrell had said… Magic provides.

So tonight, I am seeking clarity. A vision. I am scrying for something, kneeling in the pure snow of winter. In front of the pure ice of winter. In the purity of darkness of the night. Kneeling in front of the frozen fountain.

While above me the Geminid meteor shower began over Scotland. Unlike many other meteor showers - the Geminid does not come from an icy comet, but an asteroid. That's important, because of the connection I'm seeking. I am already surrounded by ice and snow, and the dark. Now I seek duality, to help me achieve my vision. The dark and light together. So an icy comet would just be more of what I am already surrounded by - it wouldn't do.

The Geminid meteor shower comes from the asteroid named Phaeton, an asteroid that brightens on its approach to the sun, like a comet would - and is named after the Sun God Helios. No other named asteroid flies as closely to the sun as Phaeton does. It is connected to the sun and light.

Such things matter to magic. Name's matter to magic. The shower of the Sun God, happening as I begin my scrying - connects everything. Because Magic understands the purpose of rituals and scrying and all other forms of magic. It understands the meaning. The connection between light and dark, the cold of space - heat of the sun. The cold of ice and snow for clarity of vision - the perfect sight in the dark - as if the way was lit before me by the sun.

This I have read in numerous tomes on Astronomy. And this I believe. Time to see if it works in practice. Performing Divination as it hasn't been performed for a long long time.

As the Meteor shower begins I tap my wand to the icy surface of the fountain. I can feel a greater sense of purpose in the magic all around me, as if I'm not alone. "Videri Sit." I intone, eyes intent on the surface. Let it be seen.

Intent also matters. I'm using basic scrying. No blood or reagents to invoke a ritual. Because I can't do one right now. If anything this could be considered an Astronomy ritual, although a very bare bones one. Magic knows intent, it should work.

Everything I've read says it should work.

In front of me on the ice, stacks of files in a dusty hallway are shown, the vision zooming forward. Different tests appear in front of me - I quickly pay attention to the small reference numbers on the top right - just like the upper year student I had casually talked to about his NEWTs told me - the different batches of tests have an identifying number.

I memorize them all as they pass me by on the surface of the ice. Each OWL and NEWT I'm taking.

I now have a few days only to get a hold of someone's memory of those specific tests - or have a Slytherin get me a copy… This method should be a fair trade - actually it would be an incredible deal for the Slytherin who will be able to keep using it every year and sell the results. If he/she is smart.

The vision fades as magic can feel my purpose done. I slump in my kneeling position breathing out heavily, my breath creating a cloud in the air in front of me. Utilizing magic this way is intense. I feel like I've run a marathon. Or honestly… Like I just got laid by magic.

And I don't even have the bodily functions for that yet. It's more like a mental thing.

I shudder as the after effects of the magic leaves me. Eyes lifting to the sky, watching the meteor shower with a smile on my lips. The books were right. Intent, connection, purpose. Magic is alive. It knows.

Suddenly there's a rustle at the end of the courtyard, I turn my wand - casting a quick Lumos. A bird flies up into the night sky, squawking as it goes, I breathe a sigh of relief.

I move to leave, but pause. I look towards the bushes again. Maybe I'm too paranoid. But I head over anyway, slowly, with my wand light held aloft.

When I get there, I find it.

The fresh footprints leading away from the bushes. Someone had just left in a hurry. Someone who was silenced.

Someone was here during that scrying.

I turn around flashing my light, looking for anything else, but finding nothing. The question now is… Who?

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