#but connecting it to the Mary incident makes Lily look really weird

[danadiadea]

The fact that within that theory Snape's language about Levicorpus is similar to Ron's and Harry's (even though they've seen Muggles tormented with it and Harry saw Snape tormented with it) is a neat observation.

Basically I think this is a solid theory, but then Lily's objections towards it being dark magic are even weirder, because this is... not true? Levicorpus isn't more of a dark magic than Wingardium Leviosa or Scourgify. It can be used to assault and hurt people, but... no-one ever thinks it's dark on it's own? Not Harry, not Ron, not Hermione, even if she rightfully points out it can be used to do harm, and evidently not James, who "hated dark magic" (but didn't hate illegal, so this is to be taken with a grain of salt), not Sirius or Lupin.

Lily's main (and kinda only) complain to what Mulcibier tried to do is that it was "dark magic". It's unfunny, according to her, specifically because it's dark magic, this is where she puts the empathis – and Severus doesn't disagree, preferring to change the topic. Now I already think that separating spells to abstract categories like this is dumb, and Severus clearly thinks so too, but why would Lily concentrate on a levitation jinx being "dark" when it's not, instead of bringing up that Mary had been hurt or forcefully undressed (I'm pretty sure Mulcibier tried to do something to her, not did, but maybe Lily meant he didn't take it as far as he wanted to) if she was? why wouldn't Severus disagree with her unjust classification? even if there are no acknowledged, clear borders between something recognised as "dark" or "light", not one other character who supposedly hates dark arts classifies Levicorpus as "dark".

Mulciber, Mary Macdonald and why Lily almost smiled in Snape’s Worst Memory

Note:  I appreciate that this is very long, but hopefully the theory is worthwhile:

Lily’s twitch in Snape’s Worst Memory has always bothered me.  

Lily, whose furious expression had twitched for an instant as though she was going to smile, said, “Let him down!”

Lily’s half reaction didn’t sit well with me when I merely thought she was the best bystander of a bad lot.

It deeply troubled me when The Prince’s Tale revealed that she was supposedly Snape’s best friend at the time.

Ever since The Prince’s Tale gave us some more context, I have not been satisfied by any explanation of Snape’s apparent loyalty to Mulciber.  His best friend tells him that his housemate is a creep, and Snape completely dismisses her.  

I was always confused by both of these reactions between two supposed best friends. 

We’re repeatedly told that Lily is a kind and caring person - so why would she be amused at witnessing her best friend’s humiliation at the hands of his hated enemies?

We also know that Snape cherished his relationship with Lily above all others - so why would he choose this moment to seemingly side with Avery and Mulciber over something so trivial?  As a consequence, it’s occasionally suggested that Avery and Mulciber had a Marauder-esque friendship with Snape, but canon doesn’t support this position.

However, there is one explanation that makes sense:

The Dark Magic that Lily Evans accused Mulciber of using was Snape’s created jinx of Levicorpus. 

The Half Blood Prince’s Potions Textbook 

Snape’s Worst Memory takes place during his OWLs.  During that scene, we see the use of three spells that later show up in the Half Blood Prince’s NEWT level Potions textbook as scribbled amendments. Snape was the creator of these spells:

the imaginative little jinxes and hexes scribbled in the margins, which Harry was sure, judging by the crossings-out and revisions, that the Prince had invented himself.

…so Snape must’ve been using the NEWT textbook in his OWL year.  This fits with Snape’s studious nature (as evidenced by him studying his exam paper), and given his apparently natural flair for Potions, it is logical that he would be challenging himself with wider reading.

It also means that his spells probably didn’t get into the public domain by accident; nobody would be borrowing his textbook to work from, as it was for a higher level.

So how did Levicorpus get out?

Harry and the Half Blood Prince’s Potions Textbook

When Harry discovers Levicorpus, he realises that it was a much struggled over spell:

Harry turned the book sideways so as to examine more closely the scribbled instructions for a spell that seemed to have caused the Prince some trouble. There were many crossings-out and alterations…

Look at what happens when Harry first unleashes it:

Pointing his wand at nothing in particular, he gave it an upward flick and said Levicorpus! inside his head.

“Aaaaaaaargh!”

There was a flash of light and the room was full of voices: Everyone had woken up as Ron had let out a yell. Harry sent Advanced Potion-Making flying in panic; Ron was dangling upside down in midair as though an invisible hook had hoisted him up by the ankle.

This is really important.  Harry points his wand at ‘nothing’ - and yet the spell finds Ron and hoists him into the air.

With this in mind, it seems fair to say that Snape could not have created this in isolation - even if he intended to; on casting the spell, it seems to pick up on the nearest human.

Who would have been nearest?  Presumably his housemates Mulciber and Avery - so that’s possibly how the spell got out.  

Let’s look at Harry and his housemates’ reaction to the spell:

“Sorry!” yelled Harry, as Dean and Seamus roared with laughter…

There was another flash of light, and Ron fell in a heap onto his mattress.

“Sorry,” repeated Harry weakly, while Dean and Seamus continued to roar with laughter.

Ron’s shock had subsided and he had decided that Harry’s new spell was highly amusing; so amusing, in fact, that he lost no time in regaling Hermione with the story as they sat down for breakfast.

“… and then there was another flash of light and I landed on the bed again!” Ron grinned, helping himself to sausages.

“And also,” she added, as Harry and Ron rolled their eyes, “because I’m starting to think this Prince character was a bit dodgy.”

Both Harry and Ron shouted her down at once.

“It was a laugh!” said Ron, upending a ketchup bottle over his sausages. 

“Just a laugh, Hermione, that’s all!”

“Dangling people upside down by the ankle?” said Hermione.  “Who puts their time and energy into making up spells like that?”

“Fred and George,” said Ron, shrugging, “it’s their kind of thing.”

And there we have it; it’s the sort of spell that’s deemed to be really funny amongst friends.  The boys see absolutely no problem with it - between mates, it’s a bit of a laugh.  Ron compares it to the practical jokes of his twin brothers:  decidedly NOT Dark Magic, but a jokey hex.  

It all comes down to intent:

“Maybe your dad did use it, Harry,” said Hermione, “but he’s not the only one. We’ve seen a whole bunch of people use it, in case you’ve forgotten. Dangling people in the air. Making them float along, asleep, helpless.”

Harry stared at her. With a sinking feeling, he too remembered the behaviour of the Death Eaters at the Quidditch World Cup. Ron came to his aid. “That was different,” he said robustly. “They were abusing it. Harry and his dad were just having a laugh.”

So, we can guess - given that some of Snape’s earlier spells were faintly harmless - that this was created in the same vein.  It was a jokey hex, intended to make people laugh - just like Fred and George creating a product for their shop.

But - like the Death Eaters at the World Cup - it’s how Mulciber uses the spell that causes the problem.  

When Lily confronts Snape, she says:

“I don’t like some of the people you’re hanging round with! I’m sorry, but I detest Avery and Mulciber! Mulciber! What do you see in him, Sev, he’s creepy! D’you know what he tried to do to Mary Macdonald the other day?”

There is a big difference between a boy throwing another boy in pyjamas up in the air in a friendly ‘having a laugh’ manner between mates in the confines of their dormitory…and a boy throwing an unsuspecting teenage girl - who he may not know very well - in robes up in the air in the middle of the school.

In the dormitory, the boy would be relatively harmlessly turned upside down; the girl may not have much on beneath her robes - and amongst teenagers of 15/16, the “joke” becomes sexual in nature…and becomes, as Lily suggested - creepy.   

If this theory is correct and Mulciber used Levicorpus, it’s possible this is how the spell escaped into the mainstream - and how James et al picked it up.  

Snape had taken great care to remark in his book that it should be used nonverbally, but if Mulciber used it recklessly and Mary heard the spell - well, is it any wonder that one of the Marauders managed to wheedle the incantation out of their fellow housemate?  Maybe they suggested they would gain retribution for her, but needed to know the spell so they wouldn’t fall victim to it.

After all, when Snape is attacked in Snape’s Worst Memory, it is curious that he’s wearing nothing but underpants beneath his robes.  It’s summer, so perhaps he’s hot.  He’s poor and it’s the end of term, so perhaps he’s grown out of his trousers.  

…but mostly, I think he’s entirely blindsided and not expecting other people to know the jinx.  If he had, I think he’d have been wearing more beneath his robes.

When we look at Snape’s reaction to Lily’s accusation, he says:

“That was nothing,” said Snape. “It was a laugh, that’s all – ”

His language is identical to Ron and Harry’s; it was just a laugh. 

Incidentally, the same is true of James, Sirius and Peter when they unleash it on Snape - just like Dean and Seamus, they roar with laughter:

Many people in the small crowd watching cheered. Sirius, James, and Wormtail roared with laughter.

But I digress.

The point is, Snape desperately didn’t want Lily to discover that he was the source of the spell that had been used in a creepy manner, because he hadn’t designed it to be used in such a fashion.  

He had genuinely designed it with harmless intent - but he soon saw that it could be used maliciously; and as Hermione pointed out, the Death Eaters continued to do so well into the 90s.

Lily calls the spell Dark Magic:

“It was Dark Magic, and if you think that’s funny – ”

“What about the stuff Potter and his mates get up to?” demanded Snape. His color rose again as he said it, unable, it seemed, to hold in his resentment.

On first read, it seems slightly weird that Snape leaps straight to talking about James Potter - but if we look at Levicorpus as being an ‘innocent’ spell and Lily accusing it of being Dark Magic, it’s easy to see where Snape makes the connection in his head.

After all, look at their next exchange:

“I’m just trying to show you they’re not as wonderful as everyone seems to think they are.”

The intensity of his gaze made her blush.

“They don’t use Dark Magic, though.”

And that’s Snape’s point; James et al don’t use Dark Magic, but their “jokey” spells are enough to bully him.  When does a spell stop being a joke and start being Dark Magic?

Furthermore, Sirius and James constantly bleat that Snape is a wannabe Death Eater and uses Dark Magic - so Snape wouldn’t want Lily to think that he was the mastermind behind a Dark Magic curse.  

So, Snape defends Mulciber because Snape invented Levicorpus, and he doesn’t want Lily to think badly of him.  

But why does Lily almost smile?

Because when she complained about Mulciber using the spell on Mary, Snape completely dismissed her and told her it was just a laugh.

I think that Lily saw Snape on the receiving end of it and a small part of her - even though he was her best friend - thought triumphantly that her point had been proven, “You see!  Now you don’t think it’s funny!”  

Alas, the irony was lost on Snape - and in his fury, he blurted out the slur that would end their friendship.

[dillydedalus]

august reading

minus my women in translation month reads, because i’m still working on the last one but want to include it... that wrap-up will come in a few days once i’m done with the last book. 

not all dead white men: classics and misogyny in the digital age, donna zuckerberg classicist donna zuckerberg (facebook dude’s sister!) talks about how the alt-right, pick-up artists, incels etc. use the classics to assert & justify their misogyny and racism & portray themselves as the inheritors/saviours of western civilisation etc. the main examples she looks at are stoicism, ovid’s ars amatoria, and ancient narratives about sexual violence, which were all really interesting, but i feel like this could have been expanded a lot. 3.5/5

magic for liars, sarah gailey fun & cool crime story about a murder at a secret magical school (school nurse cut in half in magical library!), answering the burning question of what would happen if petunia dursley became a somewhat dysfunctional PI & had to solve a magical murder at hogwarts, where lily is a teacher. 3/5

the lie tree, frances hardinge frances hardinge writes the kind of middle grade/YA books i wish i could have read between like 10-14, where the world is spooky and the girls are angry spiteful stubborn resourceful sneaky things. i loved a skinful of shadows and i loved the lie tree, where curious snake girl (not literally it’s not that kind of a book) has to investigate her scandal-hounded natural scientist father’s death by spreading lies on the miserable island he died on and literally feeding them to spooky science-defying tree - and faith is very good at lying, and very angry, and very much willing to drag the whole island down with her. read for spooky trees, fake ghosts, and victorian male natural scientists being dumb and sexist & victorian female (& thus secret) natural scientist being smart & awesome. 4.5/5

the dead ladies project: exiles, expats & ex-countries, jessa crispin i have been at turns in love & really annoyed with crispin’s 2012 essay on william james, berlin & her own mental breakdown (x) since uh..... 2012 - it says some really interesting things about berlin’s capital-i Image as the city for self-destructive broke & weird messes, it’s very quotable, while also being some of the most irritating Anglophone Expat in Berlin Bullshit ever concocted (’we have surprisingly affordable rents’ sure didn’t age well.....) and saying almost nothing about the actual city outside of the Expat Bubble (apparently every single person in berlin is here because they feel like a failure.... YALL SOME PEOPLE JUST LIVE HERE). this book, structured around crispin’s soul-searching trip around europe, with each city being discussed in connection with an artist/writer/artist’s wife/etc who lived there, opens with that essay and i’m still torn. the thing is, crispin is smart & well-read & occasionally capable of some interesting insight & good writing..... she is also at times utterly insufferable, ranting at length about how she despises women who perform learned helplessness & prioritise men over everything else only to turn around & do the same fucking thing over & over, incl. going on endlessly about her torturous affair with a married writer, performing her ‘broke but independent woman traveller’ while uh.... staying at a friend’s luxurious farmhouse in switzerland for free... at one point she says she never felt at home in kansas bc based on her looks people don’t believe she’s really from kansas & constantly ask her where she’s REALLY from because.... y’all.... while she’s a good-looking white woman she has an ANGULAR FACE. sure jan. there is so much cool stuff in here, and i wish crispin had kept some most of the personal stuff out of it. 2/5 

mansfield park, jane austen hmmmm... austen is always good but this feels like it’s maybe the one novel of hers that is most negatively affected by values dissonance in that its morality feels like it’s from an alien culture which considers a private theatre performance to be the very height of impropriety (aka regency england apparently); as a result, fanny, a passive, timid, neglected girl of strong convictions often comes across as a moralistic prig (i will make no excuses for edmund, who’s just a patronising sanctimonious prig outright). there’s a quiet sort of triumph in fanny’s integrity & conviction in the face of a literal campaign of harrassment from everyone in her life including the dude she’s in love with to marry a reforming (maybe) rake & i love her for that, but her triumph in returning to mansfield park elevated in the esteem of everyone there (except aunt norris who is delightfully vile) feels empty considering that these are the same people who previously neglected her. also edmund sucks. 3/5 #justice4marycrawford #mary/fannyOTP #alsoarewegonnatalkabouttheslavery #guessnot

fool’s quest (fitz & the fool #2), robin hobb the first one in this trilogy was pretty much slow-paced set-up and character development... this one is much better: there’s a lot going on & the character development feels much more organic & complex - fitz seems to have come down from Peak Dumbass a bit & i really liked how it developed shun (shine!!!) and lant, who felt really one-dimensionally awful last book. also there are so many moments when the farseer family really comes thru for fitz & i cried literally every single time. so yeah. this one’s great, can’t wait for the next one but i also really don’t want it to be over :/ 4/5

what matters in jane austen, john mullan fun little collection of essays looking at specific details and minutae and their meaning/importance in austen’s work - like, how old are the characters (incl. age differences), how do characters address each other, what do games do they play, what about the servants, etc. don’t expect deep litcrit but it’s fun. 2.5/5

dead mountain: the untold true story of the dyatlov pass incident, donnie eichar hello i’m fred & i am obsessed with mountaineering disasters. the dyatlov pass incident refers to a night in 1959 where 9 russian hikers died in the ural mountains after they left their tent half-dressed without shoes for ~mysterious reasons. it’s pretty creepy & theories about it run from ‘avalanche’ to ‘animal [yeti] attack’ to ‘aliens and/or soviet conspiracy theory’. eichar too is super obsessed w/ this mystery and even went to the ural mountains & the dyatlov pass to investigate, which sadly makes for the least interesting (and possibly the longest) part of this book (the other timelines are the dyatlov group hike & the investigations after their deaths). the ‘59 timelines are both interesting tho & provide a good look into how weird the whole thing is. i enjoyed this, but i wish he had cut the endless chapters of him investigating, which is mostly russians being like ‘idk man aliens/radioactivity/secret govt agents?’ and him hiking around in a lot of snow, neither of which really added to his theory or my enjoyment. 2/5

if beale street could talk, james baldwin baldwin’s prose is staggeringly brilliant as always. this is a story about a young black couple (tish, who is the narrator, and fonny) in the 70s who are planning to move together and marry when fonny is wrongly arrested for rape by a racist cop with a grudge; tish and her family try to get him out, especially once tish realises that she’s pregnant. tish is a great narrator, at the same time kind of naive and soft, and full of world-weary cynicism about white institutions and racism, and her narrative voice at times drifts in and out of other characters’ minds, which i found an interesting effect. as many baldwin’s novels this is full of rage & violence & tenderness & tiny sparks of hope. 4/5

lady susan, jane austen epistolary novella about a 35-year-old lady susan, a scheming, ruthless, not-so-grieving widow, who is trying to get her timid daughter frederica married to a buffoon. while staying with her sweetly clueless brother-in-law vernon and trying to win over his much more suspicious wife, she makes the wife’s brother reginald (lol) fall in love with her. a very different protag and story for austen & while the end can’t quite commit to either punishing susan very much or letting her triumph, it is a lot of fun. 3/5

on a sunbeam, tillie walden this is an absolutely beautiful (the colours!) graphic novel about a spaceship crew (the spaceship is a fish) who fly around & restore old space buildings. it’s also a story about a romance between two young girls at a boarding school (in space) and about found families and deep space and there’s not a single man in this, just women and elliot, who’s nonbinary. lovely, dreamy and completely gorgeous. want me a fish spaceship. 4/5

between birthday books and birthday giftcards i also acquired uh.... 12 new books??? which is INSANE. i’m not committing to a book buying ban but i should probably chill a lil in the next few months. 

[athyrabunlord]

LLSHP 10 - Moonstruck

Arc1: [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5] [Chapter 6] [Chapter 7]

Arc2: [Chapter 8] [Chapter 9] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Chapter 13] [Chapter 14]

Arc3: [Chapter 15] [Chapter 16] [Chapter 17] [Chapter 18 - sanguinem pudicitia (TBD)]

Interludes: [Carbonado (1)] [Carbonado (2)] [Of Feathers and Wind] [Delphinus (teaser blip)]

[Brief note about School Term] [other LLSHP AU stuff] [YohaMaRuby concept arts] [ChikaYouRiko concept arts] [KanaDiaMari concept arts] [Hogwarts Staff]

[FFN link] (up until ch14!) [Pixiv Link] [Translated to Chinese by plin2290]

A/N: So much for keeping to my update schedule (ノ°益°)ノ  Welp, this chapter is long and I’m still unhappy with some parts, but at least it’s finished. After the previous fun chapter, we’re back for a different kind of fun~ Hope you’ll enjoy reading! Any feedback is appreciated ('▽^人) Words: 8,351

Yoshiko sighs for the umpteenth time since she entered the Room of Requirement. She should be using her time to rest before the next session, but how in Satan's name is she supposed to relax when there are so many distractions around?

"I still can't believe you never told us, Kanan-chan!"

"I think you're as big as Shiitake, hehe~"

Yoshiko drapes over the couch's backrest to see You and Chika patting and scratching the massive wolf-dog. Somehow, after the excess use of magic for the Yule Ball's performance, Kanan's arm has healed exponentially. Dia theorizes that Kanan's own magic has purged the area of whatever malevolent forces that injured it in the first place.

Therefore, after a long discussion within the research group, a happy Kanan celebrates her recovery by revealing her Animagus form to her childhood friends. While the wolf still walks with a bit of a limp, Riko is confident that the older witch would fully recover by New Years now that they know how to treat the wound.

After observing the Gryffindors a bit more, Yoshiko sighs in resignation and flops back down onto the couch. Truthfully, she is rather disappointed that nothing seems to have changed between You and Chika after the Banquet. They are still as close and touchy with each other as ever, but there aren't any gestures that suggest more. She doesn't consider herself an expert matchmaker or anything, but she would like to do something nice for the duo, especially since they have always been nice to her and have unconditionally decided to help them out without knowing the whole truth or their forgotten past.

"Belly flop!" "Woof!" "Ah no fair, I want to play too!"

At least, they're enjoying themselves. Gryffindors are so weird.

"Is it really wise to let them come here?" Yoshiko shares the same exasperated expression as Dia, who glares at Mari to show that she is still upset about the Acromantula incident. In return, the blonde merely winks before transforming into her Animagus self. The lithe golden cat leaps for the human-wolf pile, purring when they fuss over her.

"Well, now that they are part of our group… again, I suppose, I see no harm in letting them know as many secrets as we can. The Room of Requirement at least ensures what happens here stays here." Dia is polishing her saber sword, clearly used to her two best friends' childish behavior.

Upon Riko and Dia's insistence, the knowledge of Yoshiko's connection to the black feathers is kept from Chika, You and Ruby. Therefore, whenever the nine of them are together, they just help each other study and practice more advanced magic, while researches and experiments only take place when those three witches are not present.

"So… what is your Animagi form, Dia-san? I'm sure you've successfully-" Yoshiko trails off when Dia visibly twitches at the question. She warily glances at the older Slytherin's unsheathed sword and mumbles. "Nevermind, it must be top-secret huh?"

"Indeed it is," Dia says stiffly. An awkward silence falls upon them for a while, making Yoshiko wonder if she's stepped on a landmine. She exhales in relief when the door opens and reveals Riko, Hanamaru and Ruby.

Even though it's Christmas break and Hogwarts is mostly empty save for some of the staff and students who decided to stay, they agree to keep up an appearance to ensure that the location of the Room of Requirement remains a secret. They would take turns to go study at the library, and of course Hanamaru volunteers every time.

Yoshiko rolls her eyes as her two Hufflepuff friends squeal at the sight of canine-Kanan, who greets them with a wet lick and wagging tail. She then rolls over and allows the younger girls to rub her belly and jaw. Really, it's hard to imagine that this crooning, oversized wolf is the so-called Grim that unintentionally terrorized them on the first day of school.

Hanamaru looks over to Yoshiko and smiles bashfully when their eyes meet, giving her a little wave. She uncontrollably returns a lopsided grin and waves back too.

Dia raises an eyebrow at this. "Is there something going on-?"

"N-Nothing! I mean, y-yes! Wait, no, there isn't anything, but there's also something-" Yoshiko doesn't know why, but she feels oddly defensive and guilty under the Head Girl's sharp gaze.

"Nothing you should concern yourself about, Dia~" Mari suddenly pops up behind Yoshiko and ruffles her hair. "The power of Christmas is shiny, making flowers bloom, ne? Just make sure yours keep blossoming~"

For some reason, Dia looks away and… is that a blush? The Head Girl is blushing?

Mari cheerfully elaborates. "You're not the only one who enjoyed the Banquet, Yoshiko-chan~"

"What does that mean-"

Dia coughs loudly and announces that break time is over. In spite of the slip in composure, Dia still manages to command everyone's attention and split them up for specialized training. You and Chika have taken it upon themselves to help the First-Years improve on areas they struggle with and, this time, they decide to work on Hanamaru's agility. Ruby, though nervous, requests that her sister spar with her. The last time they dueled, Dia did not go soft on her little sister, and Ruby was pretty much thrown about and struck by countless spells, yet the pair appear quite happy at being able to train together. Dia does look proud of Ruby's determination, and soon the sisters begin to exchange spells in the center arena.

Yoshiko knows better than to get in the middle of that. She glances at Riko, who has gone to the cauldrons and is checking up on Kanan's arm.

"That just leaves you with me, hmm?"

"Oh joy."

Frankly, Yoshiko dislikes her one-on-one Occlumency lessons with Mari. Dia has explained countless times of its importance, that an enemy skilled in Legilimency can easily probe through your mind for information, influence your emotions or actions. Therefore, one must train their mental barriers through the practice of Occlumency.

Naturally, the three Fifth-Years and Riko are already well-trained. Both Yoshiko and Hanamaru are required to learn it as much as they could, while the remaining three do not need to focus on this subject as they are not privy to this group's sensitive information.

As it turns out, Hanamaru must be a natural Occlumens, since Mari is unable to access her thoughts and the Ravenclaw is their best Legilimens. Yoshiko, on the other hand, apparently has the mental defense of a 'pile of dirt', or so Mari says.

"Empty out your mind, Yoshiko-chan, I know you do have great willpower," the blonde folds her arms, appearing oddly like an older sister as she chastises and encourages her at the same time.

"I am trying! It's easier said than done." Yoshiko grits her teeth. As if she wants the irritating witch to know about her secrets!

"Daww, you think I'm irritating? I'm hurt~"

"Ack! Stop reading my mind so easily!"

"I'm not even actively using Legilimency on you. You're -that- transparent, Yoshiko-chan."

Unlike Dia, whose Leglimency is piercing like a sword and almost triggered Yoshiko to go berserk the last time they practiced, Mari's magic feels more like caramel. It doesn't feel intrusive yet it adheres to her thoughts in a way that coaxes her to relax and thus become more vulnerable.

"I understand Hanamaru-chan's lips are so soft you can't help but keep thinking about the kiss but-"

"Aaaaahhhhh! Stop it stop it stop it!" Yoshiko slaps both her hands on Mari's mouth, feeling as if her face would explode from all the heat that rushes up her neck. Thankfully, You and Chika are keeping Hanamaru quite occupied to have overheard that.

Mari slips out of her grasp in her cat form, saunters a few steps before transforming back. "Doesn't seem like this is going to work until we work out your issues first, Yoshiko-chan. Perhaps I should teach you other things instead hmm? What do you say, shiny Onee-san is more than happy to share her tricks-"

"No thank you." Judging by the lecherous way Mari grins, Yoshiko really doesn't want to learn anything unnecessary from her.

"Why not? You'll thank me one day, and I'm sure Hanamaru-chan would appreciate it too when-"

"I'm going to go work on Potions!" Yoshiko exclaims and sprints to where Riko and Kanan are.

The Gryffindor chuckles rather apologetically at her disgruntled mood. "I feel fine, Riko-chan. I should go exercise a bit to see how much mobility my arm has regained. I'll take care of Mari."

"Yeah! Keep her away from me," Yoshiko growls, fanning at her red face. She glares at Kanan and Mari until the pair are well out of reach on the other side of the room, where they begin to duel. Huffing, she turns to face Riko, only to find her attention elsewhere even as she rhythmically stirs the pot of Potion she is brewing.

"Lily, are you okay?"

"H-Huh? Why would you ask?" Riko blinks out of her trance, appearing rather sheepish as she adds in a bit more ingredient into the cauldron.

"Oh, um, we haven't had much chance to talk lately, but I'm worried about… well, are you okay about You-san and Chika-san being here?" There, Yoshiko is pleased that she finally got this off of her chest. Plenty of things have happened to keep them all distracted, and Riko is good at keeping a tough front even if something gnaws at her mind. Yoshiko knows that better than anyone, for she does the same. As kindred spirits, she understands that all the negative feelings kept at bay during the day would ache at night, when she's alone.

"Thank you for being worried about me, Yocchan, but really I'm fine," Riko relaxes and smiles at her gently. "Truthfully, back then, I was rather upset that Mari-san would involve Chika-chan and You-chan again after knowing what happened, but now I see why she did it. I really miss them. We used to do everything together, so at least this way, I can still..."

Her eyes shimmer with a myriad of emotions, of guilt and sadness, but the way she smiles at her best friends is indisputable as well.

"Heh, yeah, you do seem happier this way. I'm glad they're here too. I wouldn't trade our group of nine for anything," Yoshiko grins, and gives Hanamaru another giddy wave when the latter happens to look this way. She probably looks silly right now but she doesn't mind, knowing the older girl wouldn't tease her like a certain blonde would.

"I agree. This is the happiest I've felt since… well, I'm very grateful, to all of you."

"Just remember, the great Yohane is always here for all of her little demons. If you need someone to talk to, I'm here!"

Yoshiko straightens in her seat and is extra exuberant as Riko resumes the Potion lesson. They have yet to resolve the cauldron-explosion problem, but at least she's grasped the theoretical concepts well enough. After jotting down some notes, she furrows her brows and tries to confirm some of the steps with her tutor. When she receives no response, she glances at the Ravenclaw and notices her attention has drifted once again. This time, she follows Riko's line of gaze and tilts her head in wonder.

"Lily, why do you keep staring at Dia-san?"

Riko almost drops the ladle into the cauldron. "I-It's nothing! Um, as I was saying, Yocchan, the Murtlap Essence is particularly useful for treating painful cuts…"

Yoshiko is taken aback by Riko's loss of composure. Perhaps Mari isn't joking, maybe something did happen between Dia and Riko? Yoshiko has no idea what happened after she left the Great Hall, as she was too blissful in spending the rest of the night watching the stars holding Hanamaru's hands and exchanging little kisses with her girlfriend.

Ku ku ku, girlfriend indeed.

Her lips involuntarily form another lopsided grin and she resists the urge to giggle like a silly mortal. Even now, she is still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that the brunette is her girlfriend. Praise Satan, she the unfortunate fallen angel finally has a girlfriend! They are both new to having such concept, and they haven't decided whether they want it to be known to the others or not. At least, Yoshiko is certain that Hanamaru is content with what they have. Surely, their relationship should progress at a comfortable pace, little by little, until one day they would enter the next phase which is…

Blushing, Yoshiko shakes her head and unabashedly blames Mari for corrupting her mind. She sends Riko an apologetic look for not paying attention, only to discover the latter to be lost in thoughts as well.

"It appears that no one is focused today." Dia's disapproving tone is directed at Kanan and Mari, who are playing a game of tag in their Animagi form, and at You and Chika, who are playing a game of Exploding Snap while Hanamaru watches on with sparkling eyes. "But at least, try to focus and do something more productive."

When no one stops what they are doing to listen to her, the peeved Slytherin resorts to a more drastic measure. Riko lowers her head in shame, even though the Head Girl isn't looking their way as she scolds those five. Ruby tries to calm down her sister, which appears to be working.

Mari whines as she struggles in the ropes that Dia has conjured. "Come on, it's New Year's Eve, Dia! We deserve to relax too! I wanna go to Hogsmeade with Kanan!"

"Hogsmeade! Oh oh, I wanna go too! We gotta show Ruby-chan Honeydukes," Chika, also bound by ropes, somehow manages to hop back onto her feet and gives Dia puppy eyes. "Please? I heard Coach Kousaka is going there too!"

"We did receive permission from the Professors to go if we want to," You adds, while Kanan explains Hogsmeade to a curious Hanamaru. From what Yoshiko knows, it is an all-wizarding village near the Hogwarts Express' train station, and there are a variety of shops there that rivals the ones in Diagon Alley in popularity.

Overall, it sounds like the perfect place to spend the last day of the year, especially with a girlfriend. Yoshiko's lips involuntarily curve to a crooked grin for the umpteenth time, and widen even more when she notices Hanamaru's equally excited smile.

Dia, however, is as adamant as her name. "Show me that we have accomplished something today, and I will consider it. How about the Patronus Charm?"

Yoshiko groans aloud. "That's not fair, you know I can't do it!"

"Exactly," the Head Girl's voice is dangerously low. "That is why you need to practice. The rest of you, go catch Mari-san and you will be pardoned."

"What?!" The blonde hastily shifts to her cat form, hackles rising, and sprints away just as You and Chika lunge for her. Kanan, also in her Animagi form, barks rather mischievously and runs after them. Riko appears hesitant, and smiles in relief when Dia subtly nods at her.

Dia then faces Yoshiko again. "Well, what are you waiting for? Come. Show me how much progress you have made."

Though grumbling, she obediently joins her friends in the arena. It was Hanamaru's idea to learn the Patronus Charm in the first place, as she is determined to conquer her fear, and the others agree that it is good idea to learn such a powerful defense magic.

"Hey, how are you today?" As soon as the words leave her mouth, Yoshiko feels like jumping into a hole. That's the stupidest opening line ever! Even though Hanamaru is her girlfriend now, it doesn't mean she has to act any different, does she?

Fortunately, the brunette just finds her antics amusing. "I'm good, Yoshiko-chan. Riko-san showed me where to find some of the rarer books in the library so I had a very productive day zura."

Hanamaru's smile makes her smile too. Yoshiko strikes a pose and subtly scoots closer so that their arms are touching. "Me too. Now let's get this Patronus task over with so we can go have fun at Hogsmeade!"

Her heart speeds up a little when Hanamaru reaches for her hand and holds it tight. This new relationship status is really nice, she grins dazedly, but then something catches her attention and makes her frown.

"Hey, where are you going, Ruby?"

"Piki?" The pigtailed girl pauses and sheepishly twiddles her thumbs. "Oh I just thought, I'll go practice over there and-"

"Ruby-chan." Hanamaru's voice is uncharacteristically firm. "We've already talked about this."

Yoshiko glances between the two Hufflepuffs and understands the situation right away. "Ah, come on Ruby, I appreciate you wanting to give me and Zuramaru space but that's not how we work."

The day after the Banquet, Yoshiko and Hanamaru had agreed to tell Ruby everything about their relationship. The last thing they wanted is for Ruby to feel left out, and so they continue to act as they always have. Yoshiko did entertain the idea of going on dates with Hanamaru, but they already are, sort of, and dates aren't urgent.

She quite enjoys spending the holiday with her close friends, and is in no hurry to do those couple-y stuff she's seen on TV. Hanamaru wants to take things slow too, comfortable and content with what they've done so far, thus that takes the pressure off of Yoshiko too.

"Don't ever think you're a… um," Hanamaru purses her lips as if trying to recall what she's read about in novels. "Third wheel-? I think that's what the term is zura. Ruby-chan, it won't be us if you're not with us."

"Yeah, it's not like Zuramaru and I will suddenly start making out in front of you or anything," Yoshiko chuckles, though her ears redden a moment later as that very image fills her mind. Her girlfriend kicks her shin, light enough not to hurt but still forceful enough to make her shut up.

Ruby giggles at them. "O-Okay. Just let me know when you do need to be alone." She links their arms together and giggles again. "Hehe, I'm just so happy for you two! I thought it'll take longer to happen, since Yoshiko-chan is… well, and Hanamaru-chan can be headstrong too."

"Oi what's that supposed to mean?" "Aha, Ruby-chan, that earns a Tickle Jinx zura~!"

Before they could start fooling around, Dia coughs loudly. Yoshiko and Hanamaru cringe under the Head Girl's frown, forgetting they actually have spectators. Ruby, in an attempt to placate her irritated sister, casts the Patronus Charm.

So far, among the trio, only Ruby is able to produce a thin, silver shield. Given enough practice, she should be able to summon a corporeal one like Kanan and Mari (and surely Dia too). Hanamaru tries very hard but her innate fear prevents her from casting the spell properly. Yoshiko is frustrated by the translucent string that shoots off from her wand whenever she tries as well.

This is a very advanced and complex magic, especially for First-Years like them. Therefore, Dia only requires them to be able to produce incorporeal ones like Ruby's, and that's exactly what Yoshiko wants to achieve.

"Dia-san! Are we free now?"

The three Gryffindors have successfully captured Mari, who is held tightly in Kanan's arms while Chika and You have their wands pointed at the hissing feline.

"Very well. What do you have to say for yourself then, Mari-san?"

The blonde Ravenclaw pouts at her friend. "I'll help the girls on their Patronus Charm, happy?" She glances over the trio, nodding at Ruby's attempts but frowning at Hanamaru's pale face.

"Maybe it's best not to push her? Whatever her encounter with the Dementor is preventing her from casting it properly."

Dia nods slowly and places a hand on the brunette. "Indeed. This is fine for today, Hanamaru-san. We shall try again at a later time. Your Shield Charm is quite powerful, so do not fret."

Though disappointed, Hanamaru smiles gratefully at the encouragement. Yoshiko stands up a bit straighter and tries the Patronus Charm again, groaning at the pathetic string that resembles a spider web drooping from her wand.

"Think happy thoughts. See? Shiny~!" Mari easily conjures up her corporeal Patronus and smirks. "Any happy thoughts would work. You know what I'm talking about."

"Can't you offer any good advice?" Yoshiko scowls at the sparkling seal, wondering for the umpteenth time why the Ravenclaw's Patronus looks slightly different every single time.

"I am being serious here," Mari schools in her expression, her voice lowering to a soft, encouraging lilt. "The Charm draws energy from positive memories, the happier the better. Try it."

Yoshiko blushes as she recalls the kisses again. "I'll try it. In private. I feel like there are too many eyes watching me, I can't concentrate."

"Fair enough. But how should we impress Dia enough to go to Hogsmeade?"

As if to answer Mari's question, You salutes and calls out. "Expecto Patronum!"

Her wand conjures a fluffy-looking horned owl, its form shimmering from the power of the spellcaster's magic. Chika high-fives her friend and does the same, summoning a massive tiger with scruffy fur around its head.

Kanan whistles. "Oho, I didn't know you two could conjure corporeal Patronus."

"Hehe, you're not the only ones who have secret powers, Miss Animagi~" Chika wraps an arm around You's shoulder. "Though I don't remember when we learned it-?"

"Must be from Riko-chan, we learned a lot from her," You looks puzzled as well, though the duo don't dwell much on it and look at Dia for approval.

The Head Girl does seem impressed. "It is heartening to know that the two of you are well-prepared in defending yourself should such need arise. If I remember correctly, you can conjure it too, Riko-san?"

The Ravenclaw nods and casts the spell as well. A bright rabbit hops off of the tip of her wand and approaches Dia, nestling beside her leg. Riko blinks at her bunny Patronus as if she wasn't expecting it to take such form. Dia raises an eyebrow at the corporeal Charm, her expression slowly changing from mild confusion to shock when some sort of realization dawns upon her.

Riko must have arrived at a similar conclusion too, for her cheeks become so red that it matches her hair. She looks ready to bolt in mortification while Mari and even Kanan begin to snicker.

"What's the big deal?" Yoshiko curiously stares at the harmless rabbit. "I mean, sure it's a small creature, but that doesn't matter as long as the spell is strong."

Mari's eyes are twinkling in mirth. "Rikocchi's Patronus used to be a cat. It is very rare for a Patronus to change form, but when it does, it is because of an emotional change which, in this case, is-"

Her mouth is then audibly clamped shut by Riko's hands, similarly to what Yoshiko did earlier. While Yoshiko still has no idea what's going on, she finds Riko's panicky, blushing face quite relatable.

Chuckling, Kanan pats Dia on the back as if to congratulate her. "So, Hogsmeade? I think we've all worked hard enough."

Dia blinks out of her daze, swallows hard and mutters. "I suppose we have, yes."

Though still confused, Yoshiko excitedly pulls Hanamaru into her arms while Ruby is smothered by the cheering Chika and You.

Hogsmeade it is!

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Mirai zura~"

"That's like the eighth time you've said that today," Yoshiko smirks when Hanamaru playfully punches her arm as expected and proceeds to ignore her. She doesn't mind, as long as her girlfriend continues to hold hands with her.

"So what did you end up getting zura?"

Ruby looks quite proud of her collection, opening the bag to show her friends the various chocoballs, toffees nougats and many more. Yoshiko's always knew that Ruby likes sweets, but that amount would last them well past the second term!

Then again, Honeydukes truly is the most fantastic sweet shop she's ever been to. In fact, all the places she's visited here at Hogsmeade are amazing enough that she almost wants to utter her girlfriend's catchphrase.

"So what now? I think we have a bit more time before we have to meet up at the Three Broomsticks."

Hanamaru immediately replies. "Tomes and Scrolls-"

"Veto. I said we have a bit more time, not an entire day- no, you can't use those eyes, that's against the rules!" Yoshiko hastily turns away, knowing that the longer she stares at her girlfriend's sparkling puppy eyes, the more likely she would cave.

Ruby giggles suddenly, which makes the couple share confused looks. "You two still act the same, even though you're together now."

It is one thing to call Hanamaru her girlfriend in her mind, another to hear her friend state their relationship aloud. Shuffling, Yoshiko tried to appear nonchalant. "W-Well, I'll have you know, I turn a blind eye to Zuramaru's eating habits when she really convinces me to."

Hanamaru rolls her eyes at the taller girl before pulling Ruby close, making sure their arms are comfortably linked. "We're both really new to this so Yoshiko-chan and I agree to just be ourselves. I mean, if she suddenly starts giving me flowers or be extra sweet, that would be creepy zura."

Yoshiko deadpans. Hanamaru sticks out her tongue. Ruby's still giggling.

True to their discussion at the Room of Requirement, the trio see no reason to change how they are around one another.

After a while, Ruby says quietly. "But, surely, you'd want to spend some time together in privacy right? Hogsmeade is a nice place for couples..."

In response to that, Hanamaru pouts and squeezes their entwined arms, while Yoshiko tugs at those signature pigtails. "Piki?"

"Haven't we talked about this already? Stop thinking you're intruding on us or something. You gotta get that kind of mindset out of your head."

"Unless...you don't like spending time with us, Ruby-chan?"

"Eh? No, that's not what I meant-"

"Then it's decided. You're stuck with us and that's the end of the discussion, heh."

Just for good measure, Yoshiko ruffles the shorter girl's hair, which prompts Hanamaru to chide her as usual. Yup, their trio dynamic is operating normally just fine.

"Anyways, back to topic, where should we go? As much as I like Quidditch, I'm not going anywhere near Spintwitches Sporting Needs again…"

After a long discussion back at Hogwarts, the nine witches have decided to split up not just to maintain their distance in public but also so it does not draw attention, moving in a big group. As soon as they set foot in Hogsmeade however, Kanan and Mari practically pushed Dia and Riko towards Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop and told the rest that they would be patrolling the area, so they should relax and have fun.

The trio had a great time in Chika and You's company, for the duo are familiar with the area, in particularly Zonko's Joke Shop. When they got to the Quidditch Shop though, the duo became so engrossed that the three younger witches unanimously agreed to let them be while they go explore other places.

Ruby smiles fondly at the thought of the two lovable Gryffindors. "They really love Quidditch don't they?"

"Yeah, and it's good to let them take mind off of things anyways," Yoshiko knows that the duo have already given Riko their blessing, much to the latter's embarrassment, but certainly even the dunderheads need time to recover. Besides, she is determined to set up Chika and You, after seeing how her plan almost worked at the Christmas Banquet.

She is a Slytherin after all, clever and sneaky!

"I still want to go to Tome and Scrolls but, you're right, we probably don't have enough time zura…"

A part of Yoshiko really wants to go as well, not because she likes books but because she adores Hanamaru's expression whenever she reads. Next time, she vows inwardly. Looking around, she takes notice of the sparse Hogsmeade residents and visitors walking down the street since most people have gone inside for warmth. They could just head to Hogsmeade and wait for the others, especially since she's heard rumors of the delicious Butterbeer served there, but Yoshiko feels like there should be one last stop before they call it a day.

Yoshiko perks up in excitement when she spots something. "How about that? An abandoned building, haunted maybe? That looks like just the place for the great fallen angel! Let's go check it out!"

Down the path, somewhere in the distance, is a lonely building that sticks out like a sore thumb in a flat field full of snow and nothing else. The surrounding barren forest is a good distance away, as if giving this dilapidated house a wide berth.

The two Hufflepuffs appear hesitant but intrigued as well.

"Come on, we'll go take a closer look, and by the time we get back here, we can just head straight for the Three Broomsticks and still be on time!"

Convinced, Hanamaru and Ruby follow after Yoshiko, who exuberantly runs ahead towards the sinister-looking shack. There are many eerie locations in Hogwarts, though she's too fascinated by the magic to feel the 'scary vibe', and she hasn't ever personally met any of the ghosts. The most frightening experiences she had in the magical world are the night with the supposed Grim, and the battle against the Acromantula colony, but those had been circumstantial and not exactly 'test of courage' material.

This ominous building though! It totally meets her standards and, with proper modification, it could even serve as a demonic den for her legions!

"Yoshiko-chan! Wait for us-!"

"Y-You shouldn't be going over the fence! It m-must've been locked for a reason-!"

She could barely hear Hanamaru and Ruby's calls. She's so caught up on creating her ideal hideout that she's levitated herself over the barbed wire and fence before she realizes it. Her mind blanks out until one sole purpose remains. She needs to get to that shack as soon as possible. She must answer its calls-

"Ack!"

Her charmed scarf activates and successfully trips her, making her tumble and roll forward several times before faceplanting in the icy cold snow.

"Yoshiko-chan!"

She shakes her head in bewilderment, adrenaline still high in her veins, and blinks up at her worried friends. Hanamaru quickly checks her over while Ruby has her wand out as she scans the perimeter. They are half way between the Shack and the fence, and certainly way too far to call for anyone's attention. The winter sky is forebodingly dark, illuminated only by the moon and faint glow of Hogsmeade's shops in the distance.

Yoshiko breathes heavily and shakes her head one more time, her mind now calm enough to access her situation. It's been months since this last happened, and it always had something to do with the Forbidden Forest. Yet this time, the compelling force comes directly from that Shack.

"We need to contact the others," Hanamaru says firmly.

"I-I've already sent a message," Ruby adds, holding out the gold-rimmed piece of parchment that she's scribbled on. Before they came to Hogsmeade, Dia had given each of them the parchment that she's placed the Protean Charm upon. This spell enables them to communicate with one another in case of emergency.

"Thank you," Yoshiko whispers in a shaky tone, smiling when Hanamaru huddles closer and Ruby pats her shoulder. She's more freaked out than she would ever admit, so she's very thankful for their company.

They wait there in the snow, alert and nervous. They are too wary to move from their spot in case something happens, and they trust that the older witches would arrive soon enough. To their surprise, Riko comes towards them from the west side of the barren forest while Dia could be seen heading towards the Shack. The Ravenclaw's expression is full of worry and consternation as she crouches besides the trio.

Seeing their questioning gaze, she elaborates as she gestures at the direction she came from. "Dia-san and I were over there - there was a hut within the woods where… Chika-chan, You-chan and I once used it as a hideout, for our research."

Yoshiko and Hanamaru shares an understanding glance, while Ruby furrows her brows.

"I… I haven't gone back there since," Riko clears her throat and struggles to maintain a placid tone. "Well, nothing's changed in that place since then. The Hut is still fully Warded from intruders, but now that this happened, perhaps there is a connection to the Shack even though it's far enough from it…"

"You mean, whatever makes me blank out every time, is connected to-?" Yoshiko feels dismay twisting in her stomach. She's always guessed it, that the peculiarity she experiences has something to do with Riko's quill and those feathers. Now that her speculation is confirmed, memories of that day with the black tendrils begin to surface again and it's taking all of her willpower to keep the panic at bay.

"Most likely," Riko replies grimly as she leads the trio away from the Shack. "We need to go back to Hogsmeade to meet up with Chika-chan and You-chan. Dia-san says she's going to investigate the Shack - Kanan-san and Mari-san messaged that they are on their way so-"

They pause when a howl echoes through the desolate clearing.

It is a savage, heart-piercing sound.

"T-That's not Kanan-san," Riko turns around just in time to see flashes of spells around the Shack. "Dia-san!"

The Kurosawa heiress has her saber out, slashing and deflecting Curses while returning fire towards the three cloaked figures converging around her. Four more silhouettes trudge out of the Shack, their movements jarring and awkward as they slowly move towards the fight.

"Onee-chan! We need to help her!" Ruby is ready to sprint to her sister's aid if it weren't for Riko's firm grip on her shoulder.

"I-I can't… I need to keep you safe, all three of you, that's what Dia-san would have wanted." Even as she says that, the Ravenclaw is also looking at the vicious fight with a conflicted frown. She conjures up her Patronus and sends the silver rabbit off to the direction of Hogsmeade, most likely to look for Kanan and Mari since they could not alert the authorities due to the Unbreakable Vow.

Ruby and Riko flinch when a particularly powerful Curse shatters Dia's Shield Charm, and it is only due to the heiress' fast reflex that she avoids and deflects the following onslaught of Jinxes. Yoshiko hasn't even realized her hand is shaking, but she certainly can feel Hanamaru's trembling form against her.

"We need to go, there's no way we can just stay here while Dia-san is in trouble!" Yoshiko swallows nervously. "The scarf will activate if anything happens again, Lily, so I'll be fine. We'll be okay, and we'll help however we can."

Riko nods grimly and flicks her wand before tapping the trio on each of their heads. Yoshiko blinks at the odd sensation of an egg cracking and something travelling down her body. She glances down at her hands only to find thin air. Likewise, her friends have also been rendered invisible from the Disillusionment Charm.

"You must stay out of range, and do not draw their attention unless you are absolutely certain you will not be discovered. Promise me, please," Riko glances at the direction where her Patronus had gone off, biting her lips in trepidation. "Kanan-san and Mari-san haven't responded since their last message, so there's a chance they may be caught up in a fight as well, so we'll need to hold off those attackers as long as we could."

Upon hearing verbal agreement, Riko then runs towards the Shack, firing Stunners as she goes. The trio blindly reach for each other before carefully following after her, mindful of the footprints left in the snow.

Once they are close enough, the three girls could feel the air heavy with raw magic, the atmosphere tense enough to stop them in their tracks. Riko is good, very good, yet even she seems to be struggling as those cloaked figures keep her on the defensive with their barrage of Dark Magic. At least, the enemies appear to be leery of Dia's sword since they carefully keep their distance as they circle around the two witches.

"I don't think we can help even if we w-wanted to zura," Hanamaru murmurs fearfully, and Yoshiko could feel Ruby nodding in agreement. Truly, this fight is beyond their abilities, a whole different league for mere First-Years like them. Dia was correct in what she said long ago, that the trio is trained to defend themselves but not to attack. As much progress as they have made over the term, as advanced they are compared to their peers, they are still green leaves.

The rapid exchanges of Curses and Charms, the switch between offense and defense, and the sheer repertoire of spells are too much for them. Yoshiko could barely keep track of the enemies' whereabouts, let alone their attacks and how to counter them.

Suddenly, one of those four silhouettes join the fray. The biggest one lunges at Dia, who reacts before the stranger even reaches midway.

"Confringo!"

The blasting Curse hurls the assailant back towards the Shack while creating a shower of burning snow around them. The cloaked figures manage to shield themselves in time but Riko quickly follows up with a powerful Aqua Eructo, forcing them to stay there or else the torrent of water would have smashed them away as well. Twirling and flicking her wand, Riko causes the jet to freeze and locking the three attackers in place.

Before Yoshiko could cheer, another chilling howl immobilizes her in place.

All eyes are on the fallen form against the cracked wall of the Shack, as well as the other three silhouettes whose tattered cloaks have been blown off from the Curse earlier. The four men appear clean-shaven and are dressed respectably, but they all share the same blank expression as they stare at the moon.

Dia's sword is pointed towards them as she stands protectively in front of Riko, whose wand is trained on the three frozen attackers.

The stalemate doesn't last long, for the four men howl at the moon again in unison before a horrific transformation begins to take place. Bones cracking, muscles rippling and fur sprouting, four hulking werewolves stand where the humans used to be, with their lips curled to reveal savage fangs and their nails elongated like claws.

Dia gapes at the creatures, her hand lowering just an inch from shock. That minimal movement is enough to signal one of the werewolves to spring into action.

"Dia-san!" Riko fires an Impediment Jinx at the werewolf bulldozing towards them, but the spell merely bounces off of its furry chest. Dia pushes Riko away just before impact and is knocked down by the werewolf's pounce.

The sword, gripped in place by its powerful jaw, is the only thing preventing the creature from biting Dia's throat. As if it isn't chaotic enough already, the remaining three disperse in different directions, one heading towards Hogsmeade, one away from the Shack, and one right towards…

"Shit!" Yoshiko almost stumbles, her shaking hand holding her wand in front of her but no spell comes to mind. Even though they are invisible to any onlookers, the werewolf must be able to smell them. What can they do, if no Jinxes or Hexes seem to work?

While she is paralyzed with fear, Ruby suddenly empties the candy bag onto the snow and Transfigures the pile into rabbits. The werewolf pauses, sniffing curiously between the critters and the spot they are standing. After a tense moment, it decides to chase after the magicked rabbits and disappear into the barren woods.

"Good call, Ruby! Now we need to-"

"Lacarum Inflamarae!" Due to Dia and Riko being occupied, the cloaked assailants are able to free themselves enough to conjure balls of fire to melt the ice holding them in place. Riko had utilized a binding spell to summon ropes and pull the werewolf off of Dia, who quickly slashes at its ankles.

Whimpering in pain, the werewolf collapses in the snow, bleeding and heaving. With one enemy incapacitated, the two witches turn their attention back to the cloaked figures and soon, the nerve-wrecking spell-exchanges resume. However, Dia and Riko are obviously unsettled and worn out by the fight, distracted by the possibility of those other loose werewolves returning for them.

"It doesn't seem like they've noticed us yet, what should we do now?" Yoshiko really wants to help, but she knows that they would only burden the older girls.

"The village zura! One of t-those werewolves went that way, right? Surely the Aurors would be summoned and- Protego!"

Hanamaru's yelp is all the warning they have when something slams into the Shield Charm and against them. The three girl collide into one another and fall onto the snow in a heap of tangled limbs. The werewolf, disorientated from the collision, is growling at them with its ears perked and shoulders rigid. Yoshiko glances at herself and discovers that the Disillusionment Charm has worn off. They only have seconds to act before the beast pounces.

"Oi, ugly brute! Come get me!" Yoshiko rolls away from her friends and fires a Bombarda at the werewolf's leg, causing a small explosion of snow. The creature seems unaffected by the Charm, but the noise and rubble successfully catch its attention.

As soon as the werewolf turns towards her, she darts for the woods while firing random Jinxes behind her to slow its movement. She could hear Hanamaru and Ruby shouting at her, Dia and Riko's calls, but their voices are covered by the beast's guttural snarls.

The only thing keeping her from freaking out or breaking down in tears is the refusal to lose.

She is Yohane, the great fallen angel! There are still so many mysteries unresolved, so many things she still wants to achieve, she will not meet her end here! Ruby and Hanamaru have already saved her earlier, it's her turn to return the favor!

As she runs past the barren trees and stumbles over the roots concealed by the snow, she's reminded of her encounter with the Acromantula. Inwardly thanking Mari for that horrible but helpful experience, Yoshiko Transfigures the brittle branches into thicker planks, blocking the werewolf just in time before it jumps on her.

Yoshiko struggles to her feet and resumes running, noting how her magic is not as effective due to the fragile state of these trees in comparison to the ones in the Forbidden Forest. She continuously Transfigures the roots, trunks and branches to walls and crossed bars, but the werewolf plows through each and every single obstacle like they are nothing.

I've only made it angrier! Yoshiko bites on her lips hard, using the pain to overcome the panic as she wills her legs to move faster. Thankfully, this chase between predator and prey comes to a stop when she stumbles upon a logger cabin. Running on instincts now, she hurries for the door, unlocking it and locking it with spells.

She leans against the table to catch her breaths while casting Charms to strengthen the walls, knowing that the werewolf would catch up any time. The cabin is expectedly empty and there are only sparse supplies left behind by the former occupant. She glances at the small fireplace, scowling at the lack of kindles or metallic pokes and tongs she could have used.

Her grip on her wand tightens as she listens to any sound. Unnerved by the silence, she is tempted to venture out to check if the werewolf is still set on hunting her. Her efforts would be a waste if it returns to the Shack!

She yelps when the cabin and the ground quake from a powerful slam. The werewolf must be repeatedly bashing against the wall and door, trying to force its way in. Yoshiko is morbidly reminded of the Three Little Pigs, except unlike the fable, she has nowhere to run and her hiding place is not impervious to the big bad wolf's strength.

Just as she fears, the wooden wall begins to fracture in spite of her Charms. She braces herself and pours as much magic as she could to the tip of her wand. A moment later, the salivating werewolf bursts through the cracked wall, its jaws agape as she shouts.

"Reducto!"

The Curse strikes the werewolf square in the chest, but it does not break or disintegrate as it's supposed to. At least, the force of the spell is enough to propel it towards the pillar, snapping it in half. Yoshiko's eyes widen as the roof crumbles down onto the creature and around her. She fumbles for a Shield Charm, but the hastily-cast magic only protects and cushions her from the worst.

Her vision becomes obscured by dust and rubble while broken planks clutter around her. Trapped beneath the demolished cabin, she barely has room to wiggle and the dusty air sends her into a coughing fit.

A vicious growl snaps her out of her dizziness, and her heart almost leaps out of her throat at the sight of the werewolf's fangs an inch away from her face. Likewise, the beast is trapped beneath the planks but unlike her, its limbs are confined and possibly crushed by the fallen roof's weight.

Yoshiko gulps fearfully, noticing the way its crazed yellow orbs follow the minute movement of her throat. She feebly scratches at the ground, attempting to reach her wand that had rolled away during the fall.

"Dammit! W-What am I supposed to do now?" She can't do wandless magic while there's a possibility that the mad beast would break free and end her.

In response, the werewolf snarls again with froth dribbling around its cut lips. Suddenly a scorching fury replaces the terror in her heart, and Yoshiko finds herself screaming at the creature. "You! This is all your fault! If it weren't for you and your buddies, I would be enjoying the most amazing Year's end with my friends! Yet, you attack them, attack me, and for what? What did we ever do to you?"

She's read about Lycanthropy and knows that the werewolf would not be conscious enough to answer her, but that only makes her angrier. "Those cloaked people! They're the same ones who have been attacking Dia-san, aren't they? Just what do you want with us? Is it about Pureblood? Then how about Lily? How about me? Just what the hell are you people!?"

The werewolf growls again, though its lust for blood seems to have diminished. They glare at each other, their distance close enough that Yoshiko could smell its foul breath and see her own reflection in its moon-like eyes.

No, there is one wandless magic I can try. Yoshiko recalls how Mari used it without her wand, or how Dia did the same with her wand but non-verbally. If she focuses enough, surely she can successfully cast the spell with the target so close and vulnerable.

This is her chance to find out more about their attackers.

Schooling her expression to the coldest she could muster, Yoshiko speaks clearly in her husky tone. "Legilimens!"

The world around her seems to melt then and there, the dimensions morphing like smoke and water while black tendrils of magic swirls around the edges of her vision.

She is standing in what seems to be an underground cavern, with water dripping from the high ceiling and countless pipes surrounding her. The stone path is carved with ancient runes, but she has seen enough to recognize the marks of the House of Slytherin. Looking around, she has no trouble picking out the details in spite of the dim lighting. The material of the wall and the ancient feel of the atmosphere can only mean one thing.

This must be somewhere within Hogwarts.

"Will this batch finally work?"

The speaker is wearing a familiar, inconspicuous cloak as those that attacked Dia, so perhaps this is even the same person. Another walks up to her, grabbing her arm and injecting her with a serum. No, not her, but rather the werewolf when he was still in his human form. This is his mind she has delved into after all.

The memory then begins to deteriorate, melting together with other images. She recognizes Hogsmeade, some pub, Dia-san and the Shack, and finally she sees herself.

She could feel the werewolf's intense emotion towards her. She couldn't discern if it is rage, fear or even any negative feeling at all. It just feels so overwhelming that she's starting to empathize with the unfortunate transformed man. The desire to hunt and hurt grows stronger and stronger as she tries to sift through the distorted memories for clues.

The cloaked figures again, blurred images of herself, Dia-san's sword, feathers imbued with magic, cauldrons boiling some sort of concoction, vials of red liquid that are presumably blood, and even more images of herself.

What, I didn't know I'm that important to whatever they are doing. Dread churns in the pit of Yoshiko's stomach, the anger and bravado from earlier fading. They were sort of calling for me, weren't they? Every time I blanked out, they must be nearby, summoning me, baiting me… but why? Why me? I'm just...

For some reason, she is unable to complete that thought. For the first time in her life, she is afraid to consider herself to be a 'fallen angel'.

Black tendrils of magic flood over her senses until she's half-floating and swimming in the quagmire of darkness again, just like that time with Kanan and Hanamaru by the Lake.

Before her consciousness completely fades, she manages to hear one thing clearly.

"She is perfect. We will need to get her first before the Kurosawa heiress."

[danadiadea]

Well, Mary probably didn't hate Snape, since she'd made an effort to pass his message to Lily, but Severus didn't torture her?? Lily says "D’you know what he tried to do to Mary Macdonald the other day?", which implies that he wasn't even there, according to the information Lily has on the incident (and also that they've "tried" to do something, not "did". obviously still bad and bullying attempt, but saying someone "tortured" Mary is a little bit of a stretch. also Lily saying it's not funny specifically because it's dark magic and not because Mary was hurt always made me feel a bit weird, because the problem with bullying is not what method those who bully use, but that the victim is attacked and suffers. Lily lives in a different context, of course, but for me making an empathis on that specifically seems questionable. we know Severus loves dark magic, maybe if Lily said "but Mary was hurt" instead he'd have been more empathetic lol).

If Snape had been a bully – Sirius and Remus would tell Harry about that in OotP, but that never happens, the worst he's accused of is that he "never lost an opportunity to hex James". Saying that Snape had been attacking people would've been a perfect way to soothe Harry's worry and disgust with their actions a bit, but they never say this (because this is not true). And Lily does accuse Severus of calling other muggleborns mudbloods, yes, but not of attacking or especially torturing anyone.

Lily never says she made excuses for Severus' precious death eater friends, only for him – and considering that Severus loved dark magic from the 1st year... The conversation between Severus and Lily after the Prank doesn't look like Lily is accusing Severus of a friendship that has been going on for 5 years. Lily is trying to prevent Severus from "hanging out" with Mulcibier and Avery, telling him "I'm sorry, but I detest them", and that's not an attempt in breaking off a meaningful connection that has lasted for many years. Severus isn't even particularly protective of them.

Poor unkempt kids are often singled out, and even if Hogwarts isn't full of aristocrats – we don't really see anyone in the series at Snape's level of poverty among Hogwarts students (maybe Tom, Weasleys are doing better for sure). Children who are already bullied by a group of influential popular kids are usually generally disliked as a way to show off conformity and protect oneself, and also as a result of the bullying victim being dehumanised. Once someone is repeatedly framed as lesser - whether as weak, annoying, ugly, or deserving of mistreatment - others start to see them as socially acceptable targets. This makes it easier for bystanders to justify their indifference or even join in. "Several" people laughed when Snape was insulted, "many" cheered when his old underwear was revealed – how is that connected with him wanting to be a DE (or being "fascinated with the dark arts", which Sirius says he was known for, but that's not a freaking crime, this rather falls under "weirdo" category)?

The bystanders in SWM might as well contain Slytherins or wannabe deatheaters from other houses? The "crowd thronging around the front doors eager to get out into the sunlit grounds" wasn't consisting of exclusively muggleborns and anti-Voldemort activists, Voldemort supporters also love the sun. There were a lot more people affiliated with Voldemort then with Dumbledore during the first war ("you don’t understand, last time we were outnumbered twenty to one by the Death Eaters and they were picking us off one by one...”), and they didn't just spawn into existence as adults. Saying that 100% of Hogwarts' student body hated protoDE's or that poor half blood Snape was the biggest protoDE in that school is ridiculous.

Probably Snape got along with the pro-Voldemort slytherins in his fifth year and was their friend during years 6-7 (although "friend" is a broad concept, Seamus is a friend to Harry, but they are not particularly close, they were just brought together by a sorting hat), but nothing in the books points towards the interpretation that aristocratic blood purists were Snape's best friends forever and ever.

lily: none of my friends can understand why i even talk to you! i’ve been making excuses for you for years—you and your precious little death eater friends!

lily: but you call everyone of my birth a mudblood, severus

snape fans: everyone at hogwarts (and not just the rich guys) hates snape because he’s a poor ugly weirdo! “weirdos” and ugly people are additional oppressed classes in britain! #british class system #class analysis