Pansy stared at the door, wondering what she might discover about Lucas. She had already dropped off all her belongings in her room and had now come to Lucas's to return his things. However, her true goal was always to snoop around, hoping to uncover his secrets. She took a breath to calm herself before placing her hand on the curved metal handle, slowly turning it to let herself in. She entered quickly, not wanting to be discovered by the other boys, making sure to close and lock the door behind her.
The room was dark yet proper. Much like her own, his was almost identical in design. She placed the cauldron and potions book on his desk, then began checking the rest of his books for anything out of the ordinary. To her dismay, he only had the same year-one books as hers. However, she did notice something strange on his desk—a pot that was different from his cauldron. She checked inside and found it still slightly wet. Running her finger along the interior, she felt the liquid between her fingers. It was more slick than water, leaving her confused as to why he had something so unusual in his room.
Her eyes then fell on a terrarium filled halfway with water, most likely meant for housing fish or perhaps a toad. However, when she looked inside, she saw nothing alive. Pansy wanted to investigate further, but the sound of the bell, signaling her next class, made her abandon her search. Thoughts still filled her head as she hurried out of the room. 'Is he harboring a snake under his robes? No, it couldn't be that simple.' She almost scoffed at the idea while rushing down the hall. However, the simplicity of the notion, combined with Lucas's intelligence, made her feel slightly less uneasy about him.
I walked toward the last class of the day: Defense Against the Dark Arts. Based on the description, it was meant to teach us how to protect ourselves from mostly violent magical creatures. When I first read Chapter One, I gritted my teeth at the idea of students feeling threatened and killing innocent creatures out of fear. However, to my surprise, most of the spells were designed to disable, not kill. The few that didn't fall into that category were intended to scare off creatures rather than harm them. With this new understanding, I felt much better about heading to class with Professor Quirrell.
Upon entering the room, I gagged from the overpowering stench of garlic but forced myself to focus on the other students already waiting. Many of the Gryffindors gave me side glances, their dislike for me still fresh from Potions class. In contrast, the Slytherins were all grins and nods, still praising me for earning house points earlier. I took a seat at the back of the class, in the corner, and pulled out my book, reading ahead into the later chapters.
After years of only having dull potions books to read, anything about magical creatures felt like a blessing—especially since this book wasn't about using them as ingredients. As I read about zombies, werewolves, and vampires, I discovered the darker side of magical beings. These weren't whimsical or enchanting creatures but rather cursed or infected monstrosities driven by a lust for flesh. There was nothing magical or mystical about them—only horror. I was just about to finish the chapter when my thoughts were interrupted by the seat beside me being violently pulled out.
I glanced over to see Pansy sighing in relief, clearly having made it to class just as the bell rang. I scoffed lightly as she caught her breath from running.
"I'm glad you could make it," I teased, earning a scowl from her.
She opened her mouth, ready to fire back, but was interrupted by the turban-wearing teacher clumsily entering the room.
"Wel- Wel- Welcome, cl- class. If you could p- please turn to Chapter One!"
The man spoke with a noticeable stutter, clearly struggling to get through his words. I almost pitied him for how hard he was trying.
"My name is M- M- Mr. Quirrell! This is Defense Against the D- Dark Arts, so we will begin by d- defining what Dark Arts are!"
His stammering made the class drag on painfully slowly, barely getting through a page every five minutes. I wondered how he had even been hired as a teacher. A sidelong glance from Pansy confirmed she was just as baffled. She gave me a questioning look, silently asking if I understood something she didn't. I shook my head and shrugged before returning to my book.
I skimmed past the introductory text and focused on the first spell: one that allowed the caster to change the color of sparks emitted from their wand—red or green. I read the spell and the slight variation in the incantation needed to make the sparks green. It wasn't particularly powerful but could be useful for scaring off creatures. The next spell described a forceful blast that could violently push objects or people back—a good spell for creating distance when trying to escape.
I continued reading on my own, using the class time for self-study. No offense to the man, but he was a poor teacher.
"Mr. P- P- Peterson!"
My thoughts were derailed, and my head shot up as I heard my name.
"Yes?" I asked, regaining my composure while ignoring Pansy's smug look.
"If you could p- please showcase the Incendio spell to the class."
I nodded and walked to the front.
Taking my wand from my waist, I pointed it away from the students, hoping to keep its majestic sheen hidden from prying eyes. I felt the magic flow through the wood, the swirling color of my wand amplifying its beauty.
"Incendio!" I commanded, sending glowing red sparks jetting from my wand. The spell struck the wall, leaving a scorch mark on the stone.
I was surprised by the power behind the spell. My eyes widened slightly as I realized the potential danger if I used it on a person. 'This is a dueling spell! I could catch their clothes on fire or seriously burn them!'
I glanced at the professor and noticed his gaze had darkened. His eyes were sharp and calculating as he stared at my wand. Uncomfortable with the attention, I quickly tucked it back into my cloak. Quirrell's eyes softened again, returning to their timid, bumbling nature.
"W- Well done, Mr. Peterson! 5 points for Slytherin!" he praised, quickly ushering me back to my seat.
I was relieved to sit back down. His earlier gaze had sent a chill down my spine.
He instructed the rest of the class to practice the spell, exempting me since I had already demonstrated proficiency. I gladly returned to my book, hoping to rid myself of the lingering unease from the professor's stare.
"Incendio! Incendio!"
I kept hearing Pansy beside me, struggling with the spell.
I glanced over and saw her wand sputtering weak sparks.
"Stop forcing it. Let the wand work for you," I advised, noticing how she was pushing too much magic into the spell. The wand resisted her, trying to protect itself from being damaged by the excess energy. 'Why do so many students ignore how much power their wand can handle?' I was reminded of the Lumos spell earlier and how many students had the same problem—either using too little or too much power.
Pansy shot me a glare.
"Easy for you to say, when yours shot across half the room," she snapped, cutting down my attempt to help.
I sighed, but not wanting her to keep yelling the spell while I was reading, I added, "Just relax and use less power."
She scowled but considered my words. With a breath, she focused and cast the spell again. This time, vibrant red sparks soared into the air before harmlessly falling around her.
She glanced at me, and I gave her a small nod of approval before returning to my book.
Pansy, however, was left deep in thought. She was reminded of how Lucas had helped others with the Lumos spell earlier. She had assumed he was merely faking inexperience to gain favor, but seeing him help her now, with the same natural ease, made her doubt herself.
'He's definitely hiding something… but he isn't using his influence for anything yet. What is he planning?'