"So... You want me to be considered a blood traitor. So, I can be erased from the family tree so I can live at Potter Manor?" said Emily with her usual expressionless face. In front of her stood James and Gwen, who had explained their plan for her to escape her home safely.
"Exactly. You're a half-breed anyway. It would be idiotic for you to attach yourself to the supremacist ideals of the Shafiq family. If you ask me," James said with a calm expression savoring a rich cake that Gwen prepared for him or most likely the Hogwarts house elves.
James already considered the supremacist ideals of pureblood wizarding families idiotic. More idiotic he would consider a person who was half-blood and knew it, accepting these ideals.
Emily frowned at James' comment. She lived her whole life in an environment with supremacist ideals. When she learned that her mother was a Muggle and she was a half-blood it was hard for her to accept it. After all, she had those supremacist thoughts instilled in her since birth.
Gwen elbowed James for the comment, "Ouch, did I say something wrong? There's nothing wrong with being half-blood or muggle-born. There's no evidence of that. Just biased, xenophobic thoughts. Lupin, my half-blood friend, can defeat Rabastan with no problem. I'm sure of it," James said without backing down.
"I get your point. I always side with you, and you always say so. But it's not easy to accept for someone who grew up with our ideals," Gwen said with a frown.
"Stupid ideas that rely on thoughts with no foundation whatsoever. You'd better leave them behind as soon as possible. If you want to be superior to others train to crush them, don't think your stupid lineage will help you at all," said James, getting up and walking towards the door.
"If you decide to come to Potter Manor let me know," said James without turning around and leaving the balcony hiding.
"What's wrong with him...?" asked Emily in surprise. She rarely saw James in a bad temper.
"He hates supremacist ideals... His grandfather always stood up for muggles, half-bloods, and muggle-born. He has no tolerance for supremacist ideals. He proved it against Anastasia..." replied Gwen.
"Mm... How are you compatible with him?" asked Emily with a raised eyebrow. From what she knew of her sister she was a supremacist, though not as extreme as Anastasia Nott. It was true that she got better, but Emily didn't know that since she didn't relate to her because of her crazy mother.
"Because I changed!" replied Gwen in a high-pitched tone and clenching her fists. Emily was surprised by the energetic response.
'Touch a nerve...?' thought Emily not understanding her older sister's behavior.
Gwen realized James' rejection of supremacist ideals. She was afraid that he might decide to distance himself from her because of her family and her previous xenophobic behavior towards half-bloods, muggle-born and muggle-born.
It is a struggle for her to change these ideals, and the process continues, but she has to do it if she doesn't want her James relationship to end.
"Let's talk about earlier... The best thing is for you to go live with James. That way you won't be mistreated by Mother anymore," Gwen said with a worried look on her face.
Emily stood thinking, she remembered James' words. After a few seconds she replied, "Fine, I will."
...
'Damn supremacists...' thought James, walking angrily towards the dragon clubhouse. He wanted to retaliate against the training dummies and be alone. In the room of requirement would be the marauders studying or practicing quietly. Much better than the library or the Gryffindor common room.
It was rare for him to be angry, but this subject was one of the most successful. His grandfather always defended muggles, muggle-born, and half-bloods. Because of this many supremacist families turned against him and branded him a blood traitor.
Many of these families must be supporting Voldemort and joining the Death Eaters by covering their faces. So, they are future enemies.
Blood traitor? Nonsense. He will teach them a lesson in this war that has already begun. Though it is still in its beginnings.
He arrived at the dragon clubhouse, and it was empty. That's the good thing about exam time. Everyone is studying in isolation from everyone else, so it is always empty during these times.
He went to the dueling room and started practicing against the magical dummies that had superior defenses to withstand James' spells. Otherwise, they would have been burned, frozen, or destroyed into several pieces by now.
'Fire!' thought James from his wand a stream of flames was conjured that was losing power until it hit the dummy.
'What a weak power...' thought James, unhappy about achieving a non-verbal magic spell being only a second year, almost a third year.
Non-verbal magic is very difficult and takes a lot of practice. Something James does not lack. At Hogwarts, it is taught in the sixth year in the DADA class.
James was already able to cast basic non-verbal spells such as Incendio, Flipendo, Immobulus, and Lumos, among others. The downside was that the potency decreased by 50% compared to if he cast it verbally.
'It's not all bad. Aeromanteo non-verbally is much better, since the power doesn't matter,' thought James. He shouldn't be in a hurry. If he kept practicing he would manage to get full power with non-verbal form spells.
"Non-verbal magic..." said a voice in a surprised tone. James turned his head and noticed a girl with pale skin, blue eyes, and long almost silver blonde hair. It was Narcissa Black. Sirius' cousin.
'I didn't notice her presence...' thought James, sighing internally. He was deep into his training, though in reality, it was taking it out on the poor dummy.
James since the day he stood Narcissa up at the dragon club with the promise of a serious duel, had begun to avoid the cold-hearted Princess Black. He didn't want to argue with her and have to apologize by giving a cheap excuse.
As for Narcissa, she was annoyed and indignant with James. No one ever dared to stand her up, least of all a boy. She wanted to look for James, but he always avoided her, something that made her angrier. Finally today she managed to find him alone in the dragon club, but she ended up seeing something that left her speechless.
How did an almost third-year boy know nonverbal magic? She hadn't even learned that yet.
James and Narcissa stared at each other in silence.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" asked Narcissa, breaking the silence and walking towards James. She stopped a few feet away from him and looked at him with her blue eyes.
"What do you want me to say?" asked James.
"Why did you stand me up? Tell the truth. You were found in the vault of fear that day with Sirius and the other students who managed to get there," said Narcissa, who knew James had taken her to the dragon club to distract her.
"It's simple. With Sirius, we found the paper, and I didn't want someone else to see us with it. So, I distracted you so you wouldn't tell the professors about the paper, and we could go quietly to the vault..." replied James without hesitation.
That was true in a way. What he didn't tell her was that they planned everything themselves about the location of the vault, the newspapers, etc.
"Mm," Narcissa said, staring at James. She found no trace of doubt in James' eyes so she decided to believe him. It's only natural that he and her cousin, who always wants to run riot would want to head towards the vault of fear. She wouldn't have done something so dangerous and would have handed them over to the professors.
James wanted to leave the room, but Narcissa stood in his way not letting him walk.
"What are you doing?" asked James with little patience. Today was not a day when he had much patience.
"Apologize. You stood me up. So you owe me an apology," Narcissa said, crossing her arms and looking at James with her cold eyes.
"Are you serious?" asked James, pissed off. Narcissa was right, but the way she was asking for the apology angered James, who already had little patience. Besides, he remembered that Narcissa follows the ideals of blood supremacists. So, it made the situation worse.
"If you want me to apologize beat me in a duel. What do you say?" asked James angrily, gripping his wand tightly.
Narcissa's expression fluctuated. She had witnessed when James swept the floor with the Slytherin students in the courtyard. Even a fourth-year student.
She had just witnessed James perform nonverbal magic. Also, the rumor of him defeating Professor Eustace Burke went all over Hogwarts. Even though the bald man didn't look very strong, he was still a DADA professor. Because of all this, she no longer had much confidence in defeating James in a serious duel.
'His presence is similar to that of the day in the courtyard...' thought Narcissa, seeing James' icy stare. She felt a strange feeling, it wasn't fear...
"F-fine... All or nothing. Just one round," Narcissa said after a few seconds and stuttering slightly. Something odd to see in her, though James didn't notice it because of her anger.
James nodded and walked away from Narcissa, putting the appropriate distance for a duel.
"The starting signal will be when the galleon hits the ground," James said, and Narcissa nodded, gripping her wand tightly and sharpening her senses.
James tossed the coin upwards. The coin spun and spun. Narcissa looked at the coin, but James just stared at her. The sound was enough.
Narcissa noticed out of the corner of her eye James' gaze on her, but she didn't let it make her nervous, maybe just a little.
By the time the coin hit the ground and Narcissa was flicking her wand to cast her spell, James had already made his move. His reaction and speed surpassed Narcissa's.
"Lumos Solem!"
From his wand came a blinding flash that blinded Narcissa and stopped her movements as she could no longer see.
Before the girl regained her sight, James cast a powerful Expelliarmus that knocked her wand out of her hands and also sent her flying several meters backward until she fell on the ground.
'Shit, I crossed the line...' thought James seeing Narcissa's body lying on the cold ground. He quickly ran over to her.
"Are you okay?" asked James, kneeling and wanting to help her, but the girl refused with an icy expression and pushed him away.
"You're hurt. Let me help you," said James, noticing that Narcissa's delicate, pale hand was scraped, though it was only a slight wound.
"Don't touch me," Narcissa said in an icy tone.
"Please. I just want to help..." said James, looking at Narcissa, who after a few seconds of silence nodded and held out her hand.
James took Narcissa's hand gently and with his free hand cast a spell to heal the scratch. In a few seconds, Narcissa's hand was as good as new.
Then he cast a muscle pain spell on her, as the Expelliarmus hit, and the fall must have hurt.
"You... you know healing magic too?" asked Narcissa, surprised and feeling her body like new. She no longer felt any pain at all.
"Yes, my mother taught me from a young age," James replied.
'How is he so good at everything...' thought Narcissa, looking at James as if he was a monstrous genius. She considered herself a genius, but compared to James she was a long way off.
James' level was not at all normal, even for those considered geniuses. This to Narcissa reminded her of Dumbledore and all the accomplishments he had when he was at Hogwarts. The old headmaster's life was very famous, and there were many stories of his accomplishments.
James helped Narcissa to her feet. Then with an Accio, he drew his wand and handed it back to her.
"I'm sorry..." said James, bowing his head slightly.
"What?" asked Narcissa, surprised by the sudden apology.
"My earlier behavior was rude for which I apologize. I know it's no excuse, but I had a bad day... I'm also sorry for leaving you posted the other day and avoiding you these days. It wasn't polite of me," James said in an apologetic tone.
'What a gentleman...' thought Narcissa, pleased with James' behavior. Befitting his status. Few knew how to behave in a noble manner, even boys of her class who belonged to pureblood families.
As for James, he lived all his previous life by the highest class standards in the world. If he wanted to he could behave like the most chivalrous and classy person in all of Hogwarts, but he didn't want to.
"Apologies accepted," said Narcissa.
"Thank you... Well, I'll be getting back to my common room. See you," said James, saying goodbye politely.
"Wait," said Narcissa, grabbing James by the wrist.
"What's wrong?" asked James, surprised at Narcissa making physical contact.
"I accept your apology, but you must make it up to me," said Narcissa, and a slight smile formed on her face.
'She is pretty...' thought James for a fleeting moment. Narcissa's beauty could not be denied. She could be considered in the top three at Hogwarts easily.
"How do you want me to repay you...?" asked James, dropping those thoughts instantly.
"Train with me... I need a helpful companion like you," said Narcissa. She hardly had any friends, and the people who followed her were bootlickers and not as interesting as James.
"Okay..." said James, scratching his head.
"Let's start now," said Narcissa.