Chereads / HP: The Epiphany / Chapter 5 - Chapter 4: reading chapter three

Chapter 5 - Chapter 4: reading chapter three

As Remus finished reading, he asked who wanted to read next, and Regulus offered to read next, so Remus passed the book to Regulus as everybody got comfy to start listening to the next chapter. Theo tries to remember what happens in this chapter, and he suddenly remembers and turns to Eliza to say, "Is this when Draco-" "Yes." Eliza confirmed. The people around them looked suspicious about what happened, when Draco groaned again and slightly flushed red, remembering what happened the first time they had an argument. Daphne, Blaise, Theo, and Eliza all burst out laughing knowing that Draco is going to get his arse handed to him.

"Chapter 3 Summary: Eliza settles into Hogwarts and gains a new enemy, it doesn't take long for a fight to occur." Regulus reads, and many raise their brows at the implication of a fight, while James and Lily look slightly concerned but from what they have read and seen, Eliza can handle herself perfectly fine, so they're not too worried.

"Eliza didn't know whether to be flattered or irritated by the whispers that followed her around Hogwarts. They whispered her name furtively, gossiped about her scar and her sorting as she walked past them in the halls."

"That is just rude." Alice Fortescue, Marlene McKinnon, Mary Macdonald, and Dorcas Meadows all speak at the same time.

"Some had awe in their voices, some were vicious, talking in hushed voices about how she was turning traitor. Eliza couldn't help but scoff when she heard those. If only they all knew about the betrayal she had suffered, then they would know the real meaning of treacherous."

"How can she be a traitor when she hasn't even done anything yet. That is just disgraceful to judge her just because she's more cunning than chivalrous." Dorea Potter said, as Pollux and Cassiopeia looked at their sister, making note to talk to her more.

"But she let those whispers wash over her as she instead took to exploring the castle in her free time."

Professor McGonagall groaned knowing that she is just like her father in that aspect, while all the Marauder's smirk thinking about a specific map.

"Hogwarts was full of trick doors and vanishing steps, twisting halls and hidden passageways and Eliza wasted no time in learning her surroundings. She woke up two hours before breakfast every day to explore the ancient castle. The bonus of her obsessive behavior was that she was usually one of the first to class, giving her ample time to create a good first impression on her new professors."

"First impressions are always important no matter who you are meeting." Arcturus Black informs everyone, while most of the pureblood's agree with his words.

"On Wednesday nights they had astronomy. Eliza already had a passing knowledge of the night sky, muggle science seemingly far more advanced in comparison to the wizards."

A lot of witches and wizards look at the book in indignation, while the muggle-borns all agree knowing it is true. Abraxas Malfoy scoffs and says how, when Lily says, "The muggles have had people walk on the moon before." All of the witches and wizards who weren't muggle-raised all look at her in shock.

"Three times a week Eliza had to suffer through Herbology, she wasn't a fan of the subject."

Professor Sprout looked slightly put-out by her statement.

"It reminded her too much of being forced to tend to Aunt Petunias' garden when she was still at Privet Drive."

'oh' Professor Sprout thinks, making note to find a way to make her classes more fun but also informative.

"History of magic was tragically boring and Eliza found herself once again questioning Dumbledore's decisions when she was forced to sit through an hour of Binns' ghostly teachings."

"Why do we still have Binns as a teacher? All he teaches is Goblin Wars." Many of the students ask. Many of the teachers make note of that as well, to find a history teacher to replace Binns.

"Defense would have been interesting if they actually had a competent teacher, instead Eliza had to suffer through an hour of a stuttering fool lecturing her and have her nose assaulted with the scent of garlic that was so strong it caused a curious pounding in her head."

"We haven't had a good defense teacher in years. It's rumored to be cursed." A lot of the students say. Eliza just looks suspiciously at Tom as he looks away and doesn't meet her eyes, knowing he's exactly why the position is cursed.

"Charms was interesting and Eliza quickly established a good rapport with the small charms professor who was impressed by her reading on the subject. The theory for charms and transfiguration had thrown Eliza for a few weeks in her initial studying, so unlike muggle science it had made her head hurt just thinking about it. But after weeks of reading and re-reading the source material she was confident in her grasp on the subject. It appeared most magic, much like her wandless magic, was focused on intent. Intent, determination and visualization all of which Eliza had been doing for years."

"I don't even know why Magic that needs intention to perform is considered dark magic, especially since all magic takes intent to perform. It's just stupid." Eliza grumbles in her seat as many people look thoughtful at her words, specifically the light witches and wizards.

"She had been hoping for a chance to discuss things with Professor McGonagall but the elderly witch hadn't been there when Eliza had arrived. It was to her great surprise when the tabby cat on the desk suddenly turned into their professor. The second she saw it Eliza pledged that she would learn to do that one day."

"I thought the exact same thing when I first saw it happen." James said cheerfully, knowing another thing he has in common with his quintessential Slytherin daughter.

"Me too." Sirius chimed in.

"The professor handed out matches to the class for the first practical of the year. Eliza focused on her magic, feeling the crackling warmth beneath her skin as she unspooled it, letting it travel down into her hand and through her wand. Her wand warmed pleasantly in her hand and quickly there wasn't a match sitting on her desk anymore but a sharp silver needle."

Professor McGonagall looked proud at the fact that Eliza was able to transfigure something so easily on her first try.

"Eliza took great pleasure in showing the professor her new needle, the first in the class to accomplish the task. Eliza turned to smile at Parkinson who still hadn't turned her match into a needle."

"Uh oh, petty Eliza alert." Theo says before smiling teasingly at Eliza. She glares at her first ever friend but everyone could see the affection in her eyes as she does.

""Do you need any help Pansy?" Eliza asked nicely, purposely using the girl's first name. 'Do you need any help from a filthy blood-traitor' were the unspoken words between them."

"YES BAD BITCH! SHOW HER WHO'S THE QUEEN!" Marlene cheered her pseudo-niece on.

"Parkinson huffed shortly and went back to furiously casting spell after spell. Eliza leaned back in her chair lazily changing matches into different needles throughout the lesson gaining more and more house points."

"I swear Eliza gets like 100 points a day for Slytherin, it's just not fair." Susan slightly pouted, knowing that once Eliza started Hogwarts, no other house ever had a chance of winning the house cup.

"Any time she was not in lessons Eliza could be found in the library, she knew she had raw power, could feel it in her veins but that meant nothing without knowledge."

"Knowledge is power. You can have as much power as you want but it's useless if you don't know how to use it." Tom said while nodding, proud that his soulmate wasn't an idiot.

"Eliza devoured tome after tome as she steadily read through the years of content over the week practicing spells in her dorm with the curtains drawn around her bed. She had even learnt how to ward her belongings through a buried book on runes in the back of the library. They were simple, silencing charms and intruder alerts weaved together around her bed and trunk but it did the job."

"Good idea, you never know who could be snooping about." Orion Black said, shocking his sons, as they had never heard their father give a compliment ever.

"The tension between her and her year-mates had only been growing these past few days. Draco Malfoy and his court of sycophants wasted no time in insulting her, snidely whispering about filthy blood traitors and muggle loving scum."

"I didn't even like muggles considering my experiences with them." Eliza grumbled in her seat.

"Tracey Davies, the other half blood in their year, always looked uncomfortable when the round of insults began but she never bothered saying anything. She probably didn't want to end up a pariah like Eliza and spent most of her time with another quiet Slytherin girl, Lily Moon."

"We really need to fix this school. I'm noticing a lot of different problems now." Professor Sprout said. Most of the staff agreed with her.

"It was Friday now and Eliza was piling an assortment of fruit onto her plate for breakfast still unused to the heavy rich food Hogwarts served. The owls swooped in, overhead, but Eliza didn't pay any attention to it, nobody would be sending her mail and she refused to get a subscription to the rag that was the daily prophet. It was only the crowing voice of Malfoy that made her look up from her breakfast."

Many groaned knowing Draco would say something stupid again, but he wasn't bothered what other's were saying. Eliza had forgiven him and that was enough for him. She had told him once to never let others' opinions affect his own, and he took it to heart.

""Your parents sending you letters, Potter? Oh wait no that's not right is it?" he simpered as his stupid court burst into laughter around him. Oh she couldn't wait to finally put that brat in his place, it wasn't even as if she was bothered by his words, this past week it only took his presence to annoy her."

"And I did, didn't I." Eliza said happily with a teasing gleam in her eye as she turned towards a blushing blonde.

"Blocking out their crowing laughter Eliza instead turned her attention to the brown barn owl that stood grumpily in front of her with a scruffy looking letter tied to its leg.

Dear Eliza,

I know you don't know me but I was meant to take you for your supply shopping, I knew your parents you see, I was wondering if you'd like to come down for a pot of tea after your lessons today.

Send a reply back with the owl (make sure to give it a treat, ruddy bird snapped my fingers off)

Hagrid

Eliza narrowed her eyes in confusion. The only contact she had had with Hagrid was the opening feast with the rest of the first years. She didn't know him, he didn't know her but he 'knew her parents' if she hadn't heard what a bumbling fool the oaf was Eliza would have judged it as a blatant manipulation."

"Sorry Hagrid." Eliza apologized.

"He obviously didn't know her at all if he thought she still had any lingering attachments to her parents, story book figures who she didn't even remember."

James and Lily looked disappointed again at the reminder, but resolved to make new memories with her for however long she stays in this timeline.

"Eliza scanned the staff table and saw Hagrid looking at her hopefully before he averted his gaze. It was then that she noticed how closely Dumbledore was watching her reaction to the letter. Ah, but of course."

Many parents glared at the obvious manipulation Dumbledore was doing, and he slightly shuffled, remembering the warning Lily had given him prior.

"Eliza pulled a quill out of her bag and quickly jotted down an affirmative as she sent it off. If this was how the old coot wanted to play the game then so be it. She had a potions class to get too."

"It was hilarious watching her fool him for years." Draco laughed. Eliza slightly shoved him before saying, "Don't spoil it for them."

"She trailed behind the rest of the Slytherins as they made their way to the dungeons where Potions Class was held. Eliza was actually quite excited for potions, it was no transfiguration, which was now her favorite class thanks to the failure of defense, but the possibilities of the subject seemed endless."

The potion fanatics ( Professor Slughorn and Severus Snape ) all looked happy at her words as not many people appreciated the craft behind potions.

"They all shuffled into the cold classroom and Eliza headed towards a desk at the front. She would have to work extra hard to create a good impression on Snape as the man undoubtedly probably held some suspicions now after their first meeting. It didn't matter, Eliza loved a challenge."

"I most likely did, you were a suspicious child." Snape said to her. She smiled at him before stating, "You are always suspicious of me, even if I didn't;t do anything."

"The sullen professor took the register, pausing slightly on her name before continuing. When he called the last name he moved to the front of the class swooping up through the rows as he spoke

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making" he said quietly but Eliza was still held in rapt attention as he continued the rest of his speech enthralled by his words. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses.... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death-"

"That is a very nice speech, Severus. It is very enthralling." Slughorn praised him, while the other teachers nodded along.

The future kids just smirked and said in sync, "Just you wait for it."

"-if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

"oh. Never mind, it was a good speech until that." Slughorn said, as many students laughed at Snape's words, while he blushed profusely in his seat.

"Potions class truly might become her favorite. He finished his speech and scanned the crowd with his icy black eyes before they landed on her.

"Potter" he said suddenly "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"Wait a moment, that has a hidden meaning in it." Regulus said. Everyone who knew Victorian Flower Language quickly worked it out and Snape himself looked slightly guilty. Many students didn't know what the hidden meaning was so Regulus explained.

"According to Victorian Flower Language, asphodel is a type of lily meaning 'My regrets follow you to the grave' and wormwood means 'absence' and also typically symbolizes bitter sorrow. If you combine that, it means 'I bitterly regret Lily's death.'" Regulus said, shocking many people, mostly Lily who thought Severus didn't care about her anymore. She looked towards him and gave him a small smile and they both felt hopeful that their friendship would be repaired after this. Eliza herself looked shocked, not knowing that Snape had hidden a meaning in his first words to her and she made a note to give the Severus in her time a very big hug when she gets back.

"Eliza pondered the question for a few moments. Wormwood was usually used in sleeping draughts but she knew Snape was looking for something more specific, asphodel roots, powdered roots of asphodel, the answer was on the tip of her tongue.

"I believe you'd get the draught of living dead sir" Eliza said politely and Snape curiously looked like he had sucked a particularly sour lemon."

Severus grimaced at the analogy of a lemon.

""And where would you look to find a bezoar?" he questioned again. Oh that was just too good.

"Well preferably in the ingredients cupboard sir, unless of course there was an easily accessible goat's stomach lying around" Eliza commented cheekily and watched as Snape clenched his jaw in fury."

Everybody laughed knowing they would see a lot of Eliza making Severus angry.

"He had been trying to humiliate her, prove her nothing more than a 'dunderhead' in front of her classmates. Eliza wasn't just going to let an insult to intelligence, an attack on her status, slide. She smiled sweetly at him and she knew just how much he wanted to take points off her. He glared one final time before rounding on the Gryffindors and choosing a different victim."

"That makes it sound like he's going to murder someone." Barty dead-panned.

"He might as well be." Draco commented, knowing the stress of having Severus pick on you in class.

"A point to her.

Snape's mood didn't improve as the lesson continued. In fact it only got worse the more Eliza worked, and then the Longbottom exploded his cauldron, and then he didn't even get to belittle her potion skills as she turned in a perfect cure for boils. Yes he was in a bad mood indeed."

Alice and Frank both grimaced knowing he has Alice's knack for clumsiness.

"Eliza happily walked out of the potions classroom when the lesson had ended dodging a simple tripping jinx from Malfoy. She had a gamekeeper to visit."

"Draco was more petty than I ever was." Eliza said emotionlessly.

"Well obviously, he's a Malfoy and a Black, you can't get any more petty than that." Blaise said as every Malfoy and Black looked at him in offense.

"Hagrid's hut was, well, exactly as it sounded. The wooden shack was situated out on Hogwarts' grounds and looked as if one large gust of wind could knock it over and the inside was no better. But Hagrid had opened up the door and ushered her in with such a large smile and heart felt hello's that Eliza set aside her distaste and strode in.

She had grown up with less after all, it would be rude of her to judge."

"At least she has manners." A random Slytherin said.

"Hagrid gestured for her to sit down as he put the kettle on and began making them both a brew as he spoke.

"Good to see yer Eliza, I 'ave to say I was disappointed when I 'eard professor Snape 'ad taken yer supply shopping, was looking forward to it myself" he said jovially as he came to sit down across from her. Eliza plastered a fake smile on her face trying to appear as eager as possible.

"Yes, you said you knew my parents sir?" she said looking up at him imploringly. Everyone always fell for the sweet little orphan act. Every time."

"They really do. It is so easy to get what you want when you just play the orphan card. I would know." Tom said, making Eliza laugh softly at him.

"Hagrid let out a booming laugh.

"None o' that sir business, jus' call me Hagrid" he said between chuckles and Eliza nodded her head in easy agreement as he carried on chattering away.

"Yeah I knew yer parents, bloody good wizards they were, Gryffindors the both of 'em" he looked sheepish here and gestured nervously to her tie."

"We don't care that you are a Slytherin, you could be a Dark Lady and we would still stand by you." James and Lily told her while Eliza smiled at them but in her mind she was thinking along with her friends, 'oh if only you knew'

""They wouldn't blame you for being in Slytherin, I'm sure they'd get used to it" he said earnestly as if those words were meant to comfort her instead of trying to make her feel ashamed of her house. An awkward silence ensued after that and Eliza was just about to leave when Hagrid spoke again evidently noticing her attention on the paper beneath her cup of tea.

"Aye mighty strange tha' was, in fact I was there that day emptying a vault, secret 'ogwarts business you know" Hagrid confided and then looked as though he instantly regretted it.

"I would trust Hagrid with my life but definitely not my secrets." The Marauder's stated as Hagrid gained a slight pink tint on his cheeks, and many of the staff laughed knowing his tendency to blurt things out by accident.

"Eliza smiled and left the hut with a short goodbye with no plans of returning. He had obviously been uncomfortable with the notion of her being in Slytherin. To Eliza it was obvious he was nothing more than a pawn in a much larger game of chess. The only question Eliza had was what was Dumbledore actually hoping to achieve?"

"I figured it out after a couple of years or at least most of it." Eliza admitted.

"The next week passed in a similar vein of ignoring insults, subtly snubbing her fellow year mates, winning over her professors and spending far too much time in the library devouring book after book on anything she could get her hands on."

"Tom did the exact same thing in his first year." Alexander Nott said to Eliza, questioning just how many similarities she shared with his old friend.

"Her simple routine was broken with the news that starting Thursday Slytherins would be having flying lessons with the Gryffindors in possibly the worst move of bolstering house unity ever."

"That is just a recipe for disaster. Who even thought it would be a good idea for the Slytherins to have classes with Gryffindors?" Many students wondered out loud in curiosity, as every teacher looked at Dumbledore. Many adults caught onto these looks and sighed.

"Eliza had proven adept at most types of magic she had set her mind too and she had yet to find any of her lessons actually challenging. Flying however was something Eliza wasn't too sure about."

"You'll be a natural at it! Flying is in your blood! Oh please tell me you play quidditch?" James asked his daughter. Eliza said, "No, I don't play on the team, but I do play quidditch." James looks slightly crestfallen but is still happy that she at least plays quidditch.

"You were too busy taking over Wizarding Britain, then playing quidditch." Draco deadpans to her. Eliza just gives him a big, innocent smile, that no one believes even for a second.

"There weren't exactly flying broomsticks in the muggle world and she didn't want a possible failure in this class to ruin her effortless streak of achievements so far. The only thing Eliza could take comfort in was that she had never been afraid of heights. In fact she had spent many days seeking solace on top of the orphanage roof peering down at the streets below. Eliza was determined that she would not show herself to be a fool in front of her class-mates, especially Malfoy who had been bragging non-stop all week about his own quidditch skills.

And so it was at half three that afternoon that Eliza found herself walking down to the quidditch pitch with a determined set to her jaw. Madam Hooch had them all line up beside their chosen broomstick and Eliza tried to choose one with the most even bristles she could find.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom" called Madam Hooch at the front "and say up!"

Eliza's broom jumped into her hand almost at once which she was pleased about, she was even more pleased when it looked like she had also done better than most of her classmates. The Weasley boys' broom had even hit him in the face and the lesson became ever better when Madam Hooch had to correct Malfoy's grip. The bragging fool."

"I am a natural at flying, I just don't play often and quidditch will probably take the fun out of flying." Eliza muses to everyone.

"However, after all her worrying, Eliza didn't even get a chance to test out her flying skills. Longbottom had lost control of his broom and had come crashing down to the ground landing in a heap in the grass. And purebloods were supposed to be superior Eliza thought mentally rolling her eyes.

Madam Hooch left to escort the boy to the hospital wing which didn't make any sense at all when she could have had a fellow student do it and not leave the class unattended but who was Eliza to comment on the incompetency of the staff? Certainly not a student concerned about the state of her education.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter."

"Sorry Mr and Mrs Longbottom." Draco grimaces, apologizing to the future Longbottom couple.

""Did you see his face, the great lump" Malfoy taunted, scrunching up his face in a poor imitation of Longbottom as his sycophants laughed.

Eliza was interested in what Malfoy would also look like as a pain-wracked heap at her feet.

Shaking off her idle thoughts Eliza dropped her broomstick on the ground and began to quietly leave the pitch unnoticed as Malfoy started another argument with the gryffindors. Class was obviously finished and Eliza had some more reading to do. Whoever Malfoy ended up terrorising wasn't her problem. She didn't notice the curious gaze on her as she walked away."

"What? Somebody was watching me?" Eliza said slightly panicked that she didn't notice someone's eyes on her. "It was me." Theo said.

"Oh. Ok."

"It wasn't until the end of the day when Eliza was sitting in the comforting Slytherin common room did she find out what had actually happened. Malfoy had stolen a remembrall that belonged to the Longbottom boy because he was apparently the most boring kleptomaniac in existence. He had gotten into a fight with Ron Weasley and had then challenged him to a wizarding duel, tonight at midnight in the trophy room.

It was two hours of hopelessly trying to tune out Malfoy's bragging that made her snap."

"Finally we get to see some drama." Marlene and Rabastan said, slightly squealing at the suspense.

""You're not actually thinking of going through with this are you?" Eliza pitched her voice over Malfoy's boasting. The common room turned quiet as they all began listening to the confrontation.

"And what's it to you- filthy blood traitor" said Malfoy with a sneer on his face as the other Slytherins twittered. Eliza didn't bother standing up, she didn't even bother moving from her relaxed position in her armchair. Instead she simply quirked an eyebrow in Malfoy's direction and scoffed."

"I love how unbothered she is. What a queen." Bellatrix shamelessly says admiring Eliza.

""It matters to me because the house matters to me and I don't want your foolish Gryffindor tendencies to ruin our house standing" said Eliza clearly, face blank but inwardly she was grinning. Oh she had just been dying for a confrontation like this."

"I really was. I was getting quite the itch to hurt someone."

""Why-you" Malfoy spluttered an angry red blush marring his pale face.

"You go out to the trophy room, you either win or fail to beat Weasley which is a likely possibility" Eliza couldn't resist adding in "and then you get caught and we lose all the points we've worked for" she finished and she saw some older years nodding in agreement around her."

"Well that's one way to raise your standing in Slytherin House Politics." The Black's stated, nodding approvingly at their future heiress.

""Well what do you suggest" Malfoy said scornfully, as if being a half-blood made her dim-witted. Eliza allowed herself to smile then, it was an overly sweet one and Malfoy eyed her nervously."

"Malfoy's don't get nervous." Draco scoffed.

""We all know Weasley will go through with the duel. Don't go out to meet him like an idiot, stay inside the common room and we can casually let it slip to Filch that someone will be in the trophy room tonight at midnight. Gryffindor loses house points and we keep our hands clean" Eliza explained as everyone listened to her speak.

"Now doesn't that sound better" she tacked on condescendingly. Malfoy tried to regain power of the conversation, clearly flustered."

"Sorry to break it to you baby Malfoy, but it is a better idea." Rabastan said to his sort of nephew-in-law.

""Bright idea Potter but I can't let Filch know without leaving the commons in the first place" he said smugly as if he had come out of this argument victoriously. Eliza laughed shortly before turning to scan the rest of the room.

"Fawley" Eliza addressed the female prefect who had led them here the first night "you have prefect rounds tonight don't you?" Eliza asked innocently and waited for her to nod before continuing "Do you think you could help us pass on a message?" she asked slyly and matched Fawley's answering grin with one of her own."

"Already getting people to do your dirty work for you, Eliza." Blaise tsked at her. Eliza rolled her eyes, "Oh please, I do my own dirty work and plus I was a first year."

"Eliza didn't stay long in the common room after that, not with the status so obviously unsettled in Malfoy's ranks.

"Let me know how it goes would you?" she chimed as she walked up the stairs to her dorms.

She would cause cracks in Malfoy's ranks and watch them crumble from afar.

She always knew she would be the victor of this little game, it was time Malfoy realized that as well."

"I definitely realized it very soon."

"The next day Malfoy's court was clearly fractured and Eliza's plan had clearly gone off without a hitch judging by the near empty Gryffindor hourglass and the sullen look on Weasley's face. The upper years had clearly been impressed with her demonstration last night and had been subtly keeping an eye on her all day. Malfoy on the other hand had not so subtly been shooting her angry glares all day long as well and Eliza felt something itch within her at the thought of the inevitable confrontation that was to come."

Her parents looked slightly concerned about a confrontation, but also slightly curious about what would happen. Draco groaned knowing he was going to be very embarrassed very soon.

"It happened when she returned to the common room later that night. The second she stepped into the room a hush fell over its occupants. Eliza took an easy relaxed stance but inside her robe sleeves she was gripping her wand."

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Mad-eye yelled out of nowhere, making the majority of the hall flinch.

""And there she is, the dirty little blood-traitor who thinks she's better than us" Malfoy taunted, stepping out into the middle of the room to meet her, a ring of students surrounding them.

"Someone ought to remind you where you belong" he threatened with malice in his eyes. Eliza stood blankly, keeping her stance lazy and relaxed as she studied him."

Everybody waited with bated breaths, and curiosity about what would happen, especially the Potter's, Black's, and Malfoy's.

""And you think that someone's you Malfoy?" Eliza commented easily as she slowly unspooled her magic from her core. She could probably defeat Malfoy with the first year spells she had learnt but some part of her was desperately craving to put on a show. Eliza was a creature of violence at heart."

"I really am."

""Like a filthy little half-blood like you could stand up against my father, against the Malfoy name" he scoffed arrogance dripping from his every move. His wand was held loosely at his side."

"Your father is not going to save you from everything." Cygnus said to his grandson.

"Oh I'm well aware of that fact now." Draco replied to his maternal grandfather.

""I don't need to stand up against your father Malfoy" Eliza said, a wide grin splitting across her face.

"When I just need to ruin you" she finished darkly.

Before the Malfoy heir could even raise his wand Eliza had unsheathed hers and struck quickly.

"Expelliarmus" she said viper fast. Malfoy's wand was flung across the room and he stumbled a little under the force of the spell but before he could scramble to right himself Eliza cast again

"Incarcerous"

Black ropes tightly bound the Malfoy heir until he toppled over onto his side desperately squirming. The arrogant air he had held before had long since vanished and instead his pale pallid face was twisted into one of fear, his slate grey eyes shining wetly as Eliza approached. Eliza picked up his wand as she made her way over to him slowly, twirling it tauntingly between her fingers as she bent down next to him. She jabbed her wand harshly against his throat as he squirmed to get away from her. She tucked his wand away in favor of grabbing his hair and yanking it so he had no choice but to see her face.

"Now I believe you'll think twice before attacking me again won't you Malfoy?" Eliza cooed gently as Malfoy's bottom lip quivered when he met her eyes. Eliza let go of his hair as he started frantically nodding in agreement."

"I am not afraid to admit that I was scared shitless." Draco said with a completely serious expression on his face.

"Eliza huffed a laugh as she stood backing away from him. She released his quivering form with a flick of her wand chucking his in the direction of his crumbled figure. Pathetic.

"And before you think of attacking me again" Eliza said as Malfoy unsteadily climbed to his feet "remember what this filthy little half-blood can do" she finished with a smile that made Malfoy pale even further. It was a small vicious thing, too sharp, full of teeth and the promise of violence."

"I still have nightmares about that smile." Draco deadpanned, making everyone slightly wary of Eliza, but she just gave them the same vicious smile full of teeth.

"She walked away from the still snivelling worm and the silence of the common room with her head held high. And as she made her way to her dorm she ignored the way her hands were still itching for blood. It didn't matter, she was victorious just like she knew she would be.""

It was completely silent in the Great Hall as Regulus finished reading the chapter. The tense silence was broken by James, "WOOHOO, THAT'S MY DAUGHTER BITCHES, SHE IS POWERFUL AS FUCK. I HAVE SUCH A GREAT AND FANTASTIC CHILD." He cheered, running around the room before going to Eliza and giving her a big hug, not noting how she tensed in his hold, before relaxing and hugging him back with a slightly flushed face.

Draco watched fondly as Eliza conversed with her father, not caring that he was thoroughly embarrassed of everyone finding out about his and Eliza's fights. He was just happy that Eliza finally gets to know her father, even if it is only for a little while.

After James calms down, Sirius asks a question that makes everyone pause and wonder the same thing. "How the bloody hell are you two friends now, with the way you acted towards each other?" Eliza and Draco just shared a small smile before simultaneously replying, "You'll see." Which made everyone groan, as the two pseudo-siblings smiled cheekily at everyone.