Dragon: Again with the human interaction?! (groans)

Kira: (blinks) Wow, and I thought Voldemort was bad because he only hangs out with his minions. Which he doesn't exactly have much of in canon because he happens to enjoy killing them...

Dragon: Do you really want to get me started on the grab bag of crazy that is the 'Dark Lord'?

Kira: You know, he only became so insane because of splitting his soul like seven different ways… Anyway, sorry this is so late coming out. We're both been busy and I haven't been in contact with Dragon in a while. But don't think this abandoned! Also, this version is unedited but I might post another edited version. So, may the show begin!

Chapter 3 - Reality, Fantasy, and Blood Quills

The scratches of quills filled the air as Elise walked into an abandoned classroom. She noted the Gaia Library researcher's familiar handwriting scrawled over all four walls, the ceiling, and in some places, the floor. "How in the world did you get up there?"

"Ever heard of a levitation spell?" The answer came, as Dani, hovering on her back in midair, wrote on a piece of ceiling with a neon orange whiteboard marker. Reading over what she had written, Elise noticed the words Slytherin, Gryffindor, houses, Chamber of Secrets, and Tom Riddle repeated multiple times.

"Yeah, I highly doubt that this was their intent when they taught us that spell."

Dani shrugged and flipped herself over landing on top of the teacher's desk. "So what are you doing here, Elise? I thought you were going to check if there were any secret hallways near the Slytherin dorms."

The aforementioned Slytherin leaned against the wall, looking very much like a school delinquent with nothing to do. "Already done; there were a few which might be useful in the future, but nothing particularly outstanding. What are you doing?"

"Did you know that breakdancing started with a kind of martial arts in Brazil?" A gleam entered Dani's eyes, and Elise blanched, taking an involuntary step back.

"Oh god, not again." She groaned, facepalming. "You've gone into your obsessive compulsive disorder research mode again, haven't you? The last time that happened it was whether it takes a cup of of vinegar to wake somebody up or just a drop."

"You have to admit, it came in handy when you had that rematch with Kash. The vinegar sure helped you stay awake in that gas chamber." Dani replied cheerfully.

"And I never want to see another drop of it again. Whatever. We better head to dinner. It's starting in a couple minutes."

"Okay, just give me a sec." The Gryffindor waved her hand over the book, and the writing covering all surfaces glowed blue, lifted itself off the walls and was sucked into the hardcover book she held. "Alright, I think that's it."

The two girls then walked out of the classroom, which looked as abandoned as it had been before Dani had chosen to occupy the room.

"Is that a new spell?" Elise mused. "It seems different than before. It actually looks like wandless magic."

"It's actually more of a combination of spells, but you know it's not actually magic right? More like the effects if those spells were to be combined. Since my mind is like a testing ground for magic." Dani glanced over at Elise who grinned.

"Yeah, yeah, technicalities, I know." Ahead of them a Ravenclaw walked barefoot down the stone floor. "Hey, Luna is that you?" Elise waved at the odd blonde girl, when she turned around. "What are you doing over here? It's dinner time!"

"Oh, I was just giving the thestrals some snacks. They really are incredibly sweet creatures." Elise frowned, and looked at Dani, who appeared to remain unphased by this news.

"Oh. Um, I- er, I didn't know there were thestrals , I guess you can see them, then?" Elise paused, wary of Luna's response to the questions.

"My mother died when I was little." The musical voice contrasted with the sentence almost mockingly, catching Elise's interest.

"Oh, I'm- um- sorry." Elise frowned again, struggling for something to say.

"You know, it would be considered polite to introduce me." Dani interrupted, dragging Elise's thoughts away.

"Oh! Sorry, Dani this is Luna, Luna meet my friend Dani." Elise gesticulated particularly enthusiastically, accidentally smacking her hand into the wall. Dani snickered as Elise glared at her, now rubbing her sore hand.

Luna smiled at the pair's interaction. "You know, I'm glad you two are getting along so well despite the animosity between Slytherin and Gryffindor." Elise looked up, startled before beaming back at Luna.

"Yeah? Well, I'll just have to keep on befriending the last person they'd expect, won't I?" She nudged Dani, who rolled her eyes.

"Hey, look, it's Loony!" An older boy in Gryffindor robes grinned at the three from across the hallway. Elise and Dani's heads snapped up, already forming glares at him, though Luna appeared to remain aloof and uncaring.

"Aww, and look, she's made friends with the new kids." A girl wearing the blue robes of Ravenclaw joined in the taunting.

"Well, don't worry, that won't last long long, Loony. Once they realize how crazy you are, they'll find somebody more worth their time, won't they?" The first bully sneered.

Elise shifted her attention to Dani, who was still glowering at the boy, barely containing her fury. "As the snake bites, and the lion roars, revenge shall be had, and it will be sweet." Elise muttered a variation of her usual oath of vengeance, and Dani looked over at her. Seeing the slowly spreading smile on Elise's face, she forced herself to relax, knowing she might not get much sleep tonight, but the fruits of their labor would be well worth it.

The three turned to the Great Hall doors, and Luna turned, telling them, "You don't have to do that because of me, you know," before heading off to her seat at the Ravenclaw table.

Elise watched her, muttering something about "damn seers" before heading to her own seat at the Slytherin table.

That night, two girls snuck out of their respective dorms, ready to turn a devious plan into reality and garner their revenge.

It was a few minutes before she was suppose to meet Elise in front of the Great Hall and Dani frowned, glancing down at her latest calculation with concern. "Now that isn't good, because if this is right then…" She looked up and noticed in surprised Harry Potter walking alone in the darkened hallways from the DADA classroom. "Odd, what is he doing out so late I wonder?"

Harry walked down the hallway, thinking once again that though he never expected it. He had certainly found a contender with Snape in the worst and most evilest professor ever and that included when Quirrell was controlled by Voldemort.

Suddenly he felt someone behind him and spun around. "Who's there?"

There was a moment of silence before a voice spoke.

"Harry Potter known as the Boy Who Lived," The voice answered with a tingle of curiosity. "What are you doing in the halls I wonder?"

He immediately reached into his robes for his wand. "That's none of your business, where are you?"

"So hostile, really Harry it's like you think someone is going to kidnap you or something." Dani stepped out of the shadows to his right, taking note of his pale complex but didn't say anything, much to Harry's relief. "But you never did answer my question. Have any reason for being in the hall at this hour?"

"You're the new student," Harry realized, recognizing her and saw she still carried the hardcover book from earlier. "Wait, why are you out here at this time?"

She shrugged. "I just asked you the same thing. But I'll answer, no reason, just wandering the halls. WAWW, the school I come from, is about this big but it's not a castle. So I was just getting to know my way around. Oh and you might put your wand away, I'm not going to curse you or anything you know."

When he realized he still had his wand pointed at her, he flushed and hastily put it away. "Um, yeah sorry about that."

The brunette laughed. "No problem, though it does say in your book that you have a habit of being rather hostile to people you are suspicion of. Funny, I didn't know I had gained the worthy attention of the Great Harry Potter and his Golden Traveling Companions." Seeing his frown at her somewhat obvious insult, she grinned. "No insult to you or Hermione, I thought it amusing how people see you guys according to the rumor mill. Though maybe insult to Weasley because of what he said to my friend."

"He has a perfectly good reason for disliking Slytherins." Harry snapped.

"Oh, does he? Then tell me this," Dani turned to look him in the eye. "Elise was a victim of bullying. Back before we met, she had gone to a muggle school where she was bullied and harassed for being different. Then came a day when the school was set on fire because someone thought it was funny to bring a lighter to school. She, along with the bullies, were the only ones left in the building and the exit was just before her. But then one of the bullies lost her footing and sprained her ankle, the others fled but for two who tried in vain to pull her out. Do you know what Elise did to those who bullied not only her but others in the school who couldn't do anything about the bullying?"

The Gryffindor frowned. "What?"

"She helped them."

"Wait, what?"

"Exactly, Elise who according to the wizarding world should be a lying, back stabbing, and good for nothing person as well as a coming Death Eater, saved someone who treated her like nothing but dirt. But to add fire to the fuel she saved a muggle."

She paused as if allowing him to absorb what he had just learned before continuing.. "So tell me Harry, is that the acts of an evil Slytherin? Elise could have left them to die, or she could have taken revenge even before that because she was a witch. WAWW has different rules than Hogwarts, we take care of our own and no matter how dark they acted if it is justified then we have their backs. Yet even with that knowledge, Elise refused to harm them. In fact after saving their lives, they became her allies and whenever she is at WAWW and couldn't go to Muggle School, they kept her up to date. In addition to providing her cover whenever she was questioned why she missed so much muggle school."

Harry stood shocked before shaking his head. "Why are you telling me this?"

The female Gryffindor shrugged. "Perhaps, I don't want you to think Slytherins are all the same. I don't pretend to be all knowing, however judging someone for merely their house is a bit silly. Then again, we all have our prejudices. But the point of the matter is maybe I want you to learn that those in Slytherin are not all evil but misunderstood. Cunning is a useful trait to have, but it's because it's so useful that people often distrust those that use it."

The male Gryffindor frowned. "Well, maybe your friend isn't so bad, but she wasn't born and raised around here. Most of the people that are Slytherins were raised with the idea that they're better just because their blood is pure. They actually call people like Ron's family blood traitors because they accept and welcome muggle-born witches and wizards. I doubt you'd think that's okay."

"Of course, I'm muggle-born myself." Dani nodded. "There are some who believe that, but not all. I merely wish you to understand that those who believe in blood purity are not the majority. Think, if you were placed in a house where everyone said from the day you were born was either evil or supreme wouldn't you slowly follow the status quo out of peer pressure? I'm sure as the 'Boy Who Lived' there are some who pressure you into being the golden boy hero when you wish to just be Harry? But maybe I'm looking too deep into it."

She noted his uncertain look before taking out a pocket watch and flickered it open. "Anyway, I'm off. Got things to do and places to be. By the way, I heard murtlap essence helps with deep cuts. It was nice talking to you Harry Potter, and please keep in mind what I said. I know it's hard facing the majority. Just keep in mind, that a person can always change. It just takes the right motivation."

Then the female Gryffindor turned and walked off to the Great Hall where her best Slytherin friend stood in front of the doors.

"What are you doing out of bed?!" The two girls froze, and turned staring at the irritated, and fairly frustrated witch glaring at them.

"Dammit, I told you we should have used the spell! But you said we'd be fine, and now look!?" Elise glared at her partner-in-crime.

"It's just Hermione Granger," Dani calmly turned and nodded at the cleverest witch of her age. "Nice to meet you by the way."

"Oh, well my bad. It's nice to meet you, 'just Hermione Granger'." Elise replied sarcastically.

The witch looked surprised that Dani knew her name before recalling their first meeting and frowned at Elise's reaction. "Wait how do you know my name? Also what are the newest students doing out of bed? You shouldn't be out here!"

"We shouldn't be out of bed? Oh jeez. I swear the rules said we only had a curfew on school nights. Look I'm very sorry," An embarrassed expression shifted onto Elise's face and see gestured helplessly. " I guess we're still adjusting to the new rules here. I mean, there's so many to learn, and people's names too?! I've never been good with names. Ah well, I suppose there's nothing we can do about it now. How much trouble are we in?"

Dani hid a smile, as Elise employed her empathic abilities, pushing Hermione subtly towards sympathy with her plight. There were many things Elise did very well, but Dani had never met anyone that was so capable when it came to manipulating people as Elise was, and though it came in handy in certain occasions, Dani rarely got a chance to see her employ it freely such as this.

Hermione hedged, glancing uncertainly between the two. "Oh, I guess I can let you off with a warning this time. After all, you're still getting settled in, and Harry, Ron and I have certainly gotten away with our fair share of transgressions without getting in trouble. Just get to bed now, and next time, I won't be so forgiving."

"Oh, thanks Hermione, you're a real life-saver! I swear we'll pay you back for this sometime!" Elise nudged Dani, whose face held an amused expression, and both girls turned in the direction of their respective dorms.

As they walked away, Dani looked back. "He's going to be alright you know."

A surprised look flittered over the prefect's face. "What?"

"Nothing," The newest Gryffindor smiled. "Just be there for him and things will be alright in the end."

She turned and continued walking away, leaving the perfect confused but wary.