It was while I was on my way to speak to Lotty, that I bumped into the last person I wanted to see, the villain himself. He was by the Greenhouses, and he was with his usual minions - Brass and Castellanos.

"I heard you reported us,"Silas said, then he added in a mocking tone,"how did that go?"

"You won't get away with this!"I said,"none of you will! The truth always comes out in the end!"

"I agree,"Silas said,"maybe some archaeologists will dig it up in a couple hundred years time."

Max and Kenneth laughed. I felt fury rising within me. I don't often get angry, rarely do I get this angry!

"I'd like to speak to you, alone!"I said to Silas.

"Alone?"he replied,"you're not planning on kidnapping me and getting some revenge, are you? Because that would be so LIKE a Carrow!"

Max and Kenneth laughed again.

"What? Are you a coward?"I went on.

Silas' eyes glinted angrily when I said this, and he walked towards me,"what makes you think I'd be afraid of you?"he said,"you can't even block basic curses!"

"You'll get yourself expelled, or worse!"I said, backing away,"if you continue doing things like this, you WILL get found out!"

"You're talking as if I'm in the wrong,"Silas said.

"So you actually think you're in the RIGHT!?"I said.

"Of course,"Silas answered,"it's time we started seeing some proper justice around here. You Slytherins are allowed to get away with too much!"

"WE'RE allowed to get away with too much!?"I said, indignantly.

I have never wanted to turn someone into a frog as much as I did at that point. It's a good thing I had low confidence in my transfiguration skills, and an even better thing I have a cautious brain, because otherwise there might have suddenly appeared, in between Kenneth and Max, a half-human half-frog monstrosity. I would have gotten Detention, and possibly (definitely) a trial at the Courthouse, but fortunately I didn't give in to temptation.

"Do you REALLY want a war between houses?"I said.

"A war between houses, I like the sound of that,"Silas said.

"Well, I don't!"I said.

"Looks like things are getting interesting,"Silas went on.

"You're just going to cause a whole load of more problems and get yourself into trouble too!"I said.

"You're just saying that because you know this is a war Slytherin can't win,"Silas said.

"Oh really? You want to BET on that!"I said.

"I'd bet my life on it!"Silas said.

I left them, now in a really bad mood. I'd forgotten about finding Lotty. I ran down to the edge of the Black Lake and threw stones into it. It was while I was doing that, that my rock-throwing disturbed someone that had been sitting hidden amongst the reeds.

It was Julia Brown. Her face was tear-streaked, and for a moment I hoped I hadn't accidentally hit her.

Sobbing, she ran off into the distance. I don't think I hit her, I think she was hiding by the edge of the lake - crying.

Suddenly I felt less angry, now I just felt sad. I went to find Lotty.

Later:

Lotty didn't know what to do either.

"We have to keep an eye on them,"I said,"if we suspect they're about to put someone else on trial, we could get a teacher and bring them to the Courthouse so they can see what's happening."

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I told Lotty about Antonius' schemes of war.

"That's one thing I don't understand,"Lotty said.

"What's that?"I asked.

"I don't understand why you're so mad at Antonius' plan when it's the same as yours,"Lotty went on.

"My plan isn't the same,"I said,"I want Silas to be caught doing something he's going to do anyway, but Antonius wants to manipulate him into doing something worse! That's the issue I have with it. Especially as he's going to be putting Dominic at risk."

"I don't think he'd put Dominic's life in danger,"said Lotty.

"Do you suppose he'd go to Azkaban for using the Cruciatus Curse?"I said.

"It's banned, so he might,"Lotty said,"he'd get expelled too."

"Antonius did say he'd 'damn himself ',"I went on.

"Maybe we shouldn't worry about it so much,"Lotty said,"we should just keep an eye out; and like you said, we can get a teacher if we think someone is in danger."

I suddenly remembered something.

"I saw Julia by the Black Lake on the way here,"I said.

"You saw who?"Lotty asked.

"Julia Brown,"I said.

"Oh,"said Lotty, her expression changed to a frown.

"She was crying,"I said.

"What about it?"Lotty responded, in a cold tone.

"I think she's upset about what happened at the Courthouse,"I said.

"So what?"Lotty said,"if she didn't like it, she could have done something about it! She's a coward!"

"Lotty,"I said,"no one's perfect. If Julia is upset about what Silas is doing, you should be there for her. She could become an ally. She could help us try to stop this."

"She would never be friends with me again,"Lotty said,"not if it makes her unpopular."

"You could just give her a chance,"I suggested.

Lotty went quiet. Then she said,"anyway - let's talk about something else. Something happier. Let's plan something! Let's DO something! Let's go to the Duelling Meadow."

"I'm not sure I'm in the right mood for duelling practise,"I said.

"Invite the others,"Lotty insisted,"I will! You can be judge if you want. Just don't put us on trial, ok?"

I couldn't help laughing, though I felt like crying at the same time.

A few days later:

In DADA, Professor Livia had us practicing duelling. Gryffindor Vs Slytherin again.

Professor Livia organised us into pairs. I don't know if I've mentioned before, but there are ten Gryffindor 6th years and only eight of us (if you include Henry Blaise, who joins us for these sorts of classes), so pairing isn't so simple as everyone Vs someone else. It was actually 4 pairs duelling at a time.

For the first round, I was paired with Lauren Golding (another of Silas' loyal minions). I've never spoken to her, I don't even know her, but I always get this idea that she hates me. Antonius was paired with Kenneth Brass, Priscilla with Patricia Finnigan, and Regulus with Max Castellanos.

We were blocking again. I'm glad I've been practicing in the Duelling Meadow because Lauren was very fast in her attacks, and it was quite challenging to keep up; but I survived the session without being blasted backwards...

I wasn't in round two, which was: Henry v Elena Thomas, Priscilla v Danielle Turner, Amelia v Amber Harris (another of Silas' gang), Artemisia v Richard Steel (the only boy in the Gryffindor 6th year that isn't in Silas' gang). All attacks were blocked, nothing dramatic happened.

Then round three. I was called back for this round, with Dominic and the Sanding twins.

"Right, Castellanos - you will be with Miss Carrow,"Professor Livia was organising us,"Turner, you with Amelia Sanding; Stevenson, you with Artemisia Sanding. Warren, you will be with Carrow."

I looked over in horror. She was pairing Silas with Dominic. I couldn't think of a worse combination! I was so distracted that I didn't notice Max's attack, and ended up among the desks and chairs.

"A bit hasty, Castellanos,"Professor Livia remarked,"wait until we're ready at least!"

I got up, unsteadily.

"Would you like someone else to go instead?"Professor Livia asked me.

I found myself nodding. So she swapped me for Antonius, and I went over to my desk.

Dominic was frozen, he didn't even try to stop Silas, and was knocked backwards. Then he got up and ran out of the classroom. Professor Livia was furious.

"What's gotten into him?"she said,"he can't just abandon class like that!"

"I'll get him,"Antonius volunteered.

"I don't think it's a good idea to pair Dominic with Silas,"I said.

"Oh! And why is that?"Professor Livia snapped,"because of some false accusations being thrown around?"

I was horrified! So Professor Livia had heard about the reported incident. Whether or not she believed it, pairing Dominic with Silas was an incredibly tactless thing to do!

A minute or so later, Antonius returned with Dominic, who was not at all looking his usual self. Dominic instantly sat down at his desk, but Professor Livia ordered him back up.

"I won't have this cowardly behaviour in my class, Carrow!"she said,"I've a mind to give you detention! You will return to your position, and you will face Warren, and you will practice blocking!"

Dominic remained at his desk.

"If you will not, then I will have no choice but to give you detention,"Professor Livia went on.

"Can't you pair him with someone else?"I asked.

"No,"said Professor Livia, firmly,"he will do as he's told! I will not have petty feuds disrupting my class!"

How could she call something like this a 'petty feud'?

It was Antonius that got Dominic up from his desk and took him over to the duelling arena. He whispered something to him, and Dominic faced Silas.

He blocked Silas' first attack, but on the second time, instead of blocking, he cast Depulso on Silas, sending him flying backwards!

"Carrow, you are supposed to be blocking, not attacking!"Professor Livia said,"that's twenty points from Slytherin, and if you do it again, it will be thirty points, and detention!"

Antonius made a disapproving face at Dominic, and waved his hands at him, in some kind of instructional guesture. Dominic looked back at Silas, nervously. Silas also approached Dominic with caution this time. Now Dominic did what he was supposed to. He managed to block all of Silas' attacks, and then the duelling rounds were over.