~Chapter Five~
Potters Fall
The Great Hall was bustling that next morning as students chatted with their friends. Lily and Rayleigh were thrilled that they had made it through their first night at Hogwarts, though they had stayed up much of the night talking and laughing. The girls placed their schedules next to each other.
"Look! We have all of our classes together!" Lily exclaimed as they went through the schedule: Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, Transfiguration, Potions, Flight 101, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and History of Magic. Hugo sat down next to Rayleigh with his own schedule in his hand.
"Me phew," Hugo said with his mouth full of toast. Bits of toast sprayed their papers. Lily rolled her eyes.
"Hugh-go! Gross!" Lily moaned as she flicked the pieces off her schedule.
"All first years are together," Rose said authoritatively as she sat across from Lily, Hugo, and Rayleigh. James sat down next to Rose.
"God, you sure are like your mother, a know-it-all," James quipped as he began loading food up onto his plate. Albus nodded and sat down on the other side of Rose.
"You say that like it is a bad thing," Rose replied as she began eating more daintily than her brother did.
"So, are you all related?" Rayleigh asked hesitantly. Rose nodded.
"Hugo and I are Weasleys. Our dad is their mum's brother," Rose said. "They are Potters."
"We are the Potters," James said arrogantly. "We're famous."
"That, I don't doubt," Rayleigh said breathlessly. She glanced at the teachers table to find them looking at the Gryffindor table rather intently. "Is that why they are staring over here?"
"You are not famous, James Potter, your dad is," Rose retorted. James stuck his tongue out at Rose.
"I presume it is the reason, Rye," James said ignoring Rose and addressing Rayleigh. "Stick with us, kid, and you will do just fine."
"Assuming you are the reason they are looking over here, James Potter, it has nothing to do with you being famous," Rose snapped. "If anything it is because you are trouble with a capital T."
Rayleigh looked at James as if he had hung moon. Rose giggled, familiar with the way that girls looked at James when he had them. She nudged Albus, and the two of them stood and headed to the doors of the Great Hall. James stretched rather loftily and rose.
"Us fourth years are mighty busy, but if you are good, I'll give each of you rides on my broom," James promised.
"A real broom?" Rayleigh asked unable to contain her excitement.
"Haven't you ever ridden a broom before?" Hugo asked. Rayleigh shook her head.
"I wasn't raised in a magical household," Rayleigh confessed as she watched as an incredibly good looking male teacher walked by. He made eye contact with her but did not smile as he continued on to the teacher's table.
"That is Professor Krum," Lily whispered so that only Rayleigh could here. "He used to be a professional Quidditch player until a few years ago, and then he came to teach here."
"Oh," Rayleigh replied.
"So, your mom and dad weren't magical?" Hugo asked as he rummaged around in his bag.
"You don't have to answer that, Rayleigh," Lily told her.
"No, its ok, Lily. My mom was a squib, I suppose, and my dad was a muggle, I suppose, maybe a wizard, I don't know. He didn't stick around to see me be born," Rayleigh said. She frowned.
"Your parents were both likely non-magical?" Hugo snorted. Rayleigh frowned again.
"Is that bad?" Rayleigh asked him.
"No, of course not," Lily defended. "Its just unusual, that is all."
"Is there no magic in your blood lines?" Hugo pressed despite the look that Lily shot him. "Even with your unlikely surname?"
"No, not that I am really aware of," Rayleigh said after a pause of hesitation.
Scorpius walked by at that moment to bother the first years. He managed to run Hugo off immediately and he told Lily to scram. Rayleigh began to gather her things and stood to leave when Scorpius stopped her, blocking her exit. He took her wand and began to examine it carefully. It was very small compared to his wand. They walked out into the corridor in front of the Great Hall.
"Why did you lie?" Scorpius asked lazily as he balanced the wand on the tip of his finger.
"What are you talking about?" Rayleigh asked as she took her wand away from him and stuck it in her side pocket.
"I know who you are, Riddle," Scorpius breathed as he stepped closer. His breath tickled her cheek and she turned her back to him, ready to leave him behind. She glared angrily out the window, a flash of anger in her cool, blue eyes.
"You don't know what you are talking about," Rayleigh whispered through gritted teeth. Scorpius stepped closer until he was directly behind her. His broad, muscular chest brushed against her back.
"Tell me I don't, Riddle," Scorpius said as he slid his hand along Rayleigh's arm, guiding her to gather her wand. "Tell me I am wrong, Riddle. You feel it pulsing deep in your veins."
Scorpius' breath was hot on Rayleigh's face and he held her to him, his arm crossed in front of her. His fingers gripped her hand, clasped tightly on her wand. Rayleigh could feel his fingers on her shoulder, stretching for her neck. She tilted her face back to look at him. She was biting her bottom lip.
"Malfoy!" James called from across the now deserted hall. A sneer bloomed on Scorpius' face. He still held Rayleigh tight to him, almost possessively.
"Mind your business, Potter. Riddle and I are just talking," Scorpius said. He pulled Rayleigh's wand arm across her chest toward him.
"Any business you have with a Gryffindor is my business, Malfoy," James said stepping toward the pair. James looked ready to kill.
"Easy there, Potter," Scorpius warned with laughter in his eyes. He brought Rayleigh's wand toward her face. "If you want her, come, and take her," Scorpius sneered. James frowned and stepped forward, his hand reaching tentatively forward. Rayleigh's free hand slowly reached for James as Scorpius brought his hand to Rayleigh's throat.
Scorpius caressed the tender flesh of her eleven year old throat with his finger as James' hand encircled Rayleigh's wrist. Upon contact, with James touching Rayleigh and Scorpius also touching Rayleigh, their flesh felt as if it was burning and there was a blinding white light. Miles away, as Harry Potter rose to give his monthly Aurors meeting, which Kingsley Shacklebolt and Hermione Weasley watching on, a sharp blinding pain split across his skull and Harry Potter collapsed.
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