Legacies

The Opened Chamber

For the next few days, everyone was cautious when it came time to Defence Against the Dark Arts and, generally, of Lockhart himself. It was clear as day (to anyone with brains) that the man wasn't as gifted as one would think when it came to magic. It also meant that since Lockhart wasn't necessarily teaching DADA lesson concepts, anyone actually interested in the class had to go about it on their own.

While Ron overlooked the Quidditch stand rails, Hermione sat beside him engrossed in a book. Harry and the rest of the Gryffindors were meant to practice for the first time that year.

"Have they started yet?" Romina called from a distance. She and Carolinha Paes were making their way towards the two Gryffindors.

"No, not yet," Ron glumly took a seat beside Hermione.

"What are you reading?" Romina curiously asked Hermione, but the bushy-haired girl didn't respond. Rolling her eyes, Romina came closer. "Hermione, c'mon, are you actually still mad with me?"

Hermione's dark eyes briefly looked up from the book. Her hand passed the page and she went back to reading. She had not forgiven Romina for protesting the points Lockhart awarded her on their first day of class.

Romina thought it was ridiculous. "If roles were reversed, you would have definitely said something about how stupid it was!"

"Maybe we should sit somewhere else," Carolinha suggested, trying to keep the peace. She didn't really like confrontations.

"Hermione, let it go!" Romina exclaimed, completely ignoring Carolinha for the moment. "It was just one of my usual lash outs! I never said you didn't deserve to be awarded. I only said that the situation in which you were awarded in was unfair. The class is Defence Against the Dark Arts, not an 'All about Lockhart' course!"

"Why keep arguing?" Ron looked at the two girls with a crazed expression. "The man's loony. Let's leave it at that."

Carolinha shook her head. "I think he's a total idiot."

"Yes, exactly!" Ron made a 'thank you' gesture at her before doing a double-take at her. "Who are you?"

Carolinha sheepishly smiled. "Carolinha Paes. I'm Angel's sister."

"Right..." Ron distractedly said then looked past her and Romina to the field. He'd seen something interesting.

"Hermione, c'mon," Romina plopped down on the stand. "You know I didn't do it with bad intentions."

Hermione considered the words and tentatively looked up from her book. "I know that..."

"So then why are you mad at me?"

Hermione grudged and snapped her book shut. "I'm not mad, merely upset, that you would protest my points for my House. If I didn't know any better you were trying to make sure Gryffindor didn't get points at all."

"Okay, now you're exaggerating," Romina playfully rolled her eyes.

Hermione shared a blip of a smile with her.

Carolinha had turned to the fields as well with Ron. "I thought your House was supposed to practice?"

"We were," Ron frowned. There were shades of green robes filling the field instead of the Gryffindor scarlet.

"What's going on?" Romina watched Ron hurry down to the fields.

"I think Slytherin is going to practice now," Carolinha answered calmly. She sounded more curious, actually. "Well, at least now it's going to be interesting."