The Promise of Light and Shadow Episode 3 FusRohDontMessWithMe (2023)

Chapter body

"Good morning!" Samantha exclaimed in a monotonous voice as Rhea opened the bed curtains to start getting ready for the day. The excited girl is clearly an early riser as she is already dressed and sitting on a small dresser in the bedroom, brushing her long black hair. "Are you excited about starting classes?"

Rhea stood up and sat with her on another dresser with a weary smile, "I'm ready. I'm definitely in a better place than I was last year."

"That's it!" Samantha smiled softly as she began to pull the hair at the base of her neck into a voluminous low bun. It's her favorite hairstyle, and if there's ever a day to look impressive, it's the first day of the new school year. "I'm actually a little nervous about starting classes this year. I was going to be a healer when we left school, but I barely passed Potions last year. I really have to improve my grades this year if I have any hope of making it to the N.E.W.T. Filtration levels next year."

"I'm sure it won't be much different," Rhea said, trying to reassure the girl. "After all, Professor Sharp is firm and fair. If Gareth Weasley can get grades in his class, surely you can too."

"That's right," Samantha laughed. "It's a miracle he got through. It's not that he's bad at potions or anything - he's just had a lot of trouble and I'm surprised Sharpe would welcome him back."

"Maybe Sharp convinced him," Rhea said with a shrug, running her fingers through her hair and beginning to part it, pulling it back into its usual thick braid. "Gareth is very good at potions, and Sharpe knows that. Maybe he's calmed down a bit."

"I doubt it," Samantha said angrily as she carefully pinned the bobby pins into her hair. She turned her head left and right with critical eyes, wanting to admire her masterpiece. She waved her wand, and a small mirror floated out of the dresser, hovering behind her so she could see the back of her head. "However, I think you may know better than me."

"Excuse me?" Rhea frowned slightly, looking puzzled. She tied the ends of her braids and turned to Samantha, who was carrying blush and a brush, still staring at the mirror in front of her.

"Oh, because he wants to flirt with you," Samantha said, as if it was obvious. "He ended up in the car with me, Arthur Plumley, Duncan and Everett. He was known to be very talkative and told us about his summer. Talk about youa lot of.Since the two of you went to the Yule Ball together last year, it wasn't hard to put two and two together. heyesI want to ask you, right? "

"Well, that's him," Rhea said, watching Samantha apply makeup with her slender hands. "Does he really talk about me a lot?"

"Oh, it's just a good thing! If I were you, I wouldn't worry," Samantha said, looking curiously at Rhea's slightly worried expression. "Should it be kept secret?"

"Well, no, not really," Rhea admitted. "But who knows what will happen now that we're back in school?"

"I'm sure he'll be found," Samantha said. "Gareth isn't the type to care too much. To her, it's like water off a duck's back. If he's not worried, you shouldn't be. Unless you know there's a reason to be concerned?

Rhea considered answering the question, but hesitated. Samantha watched her carefully in the mirror. It's not that Rhea finds Samantha untrustworthy, it's that they're not really good friends. She certainly wasn't close enough to discuss her personal concerns about Gareth Weasley's intentions. But he couldn't just ignore the problem like that. This only results inmoreQuestions and possible guesses. Samantha, while usually a dependable girl, was also one of the school's most famous gossips. She, Imelda Reyes, and Rhea's cousin Albertine are always whispering about someone or something interesting.

The year before, Rhea and Gareth Weasley had fallen prey to their vices after spending their first afternoon together in Hogsmeade. Somehow, they also managed to ask her out at the Yule Ball. By the end of the weekend, most of the school knew, even if they didn't know who she was.

"No, don't worry," Rhea said, shaking her head and standing up to check her uniform. It was still warm outside, and she didn't want to wear too many unnecessary clothes. She chose a nice ironed white collar blouse and a shorter gray herringbone skirt. She flicks her wand, which pops up a privacy screen, allowing her to quickly change clothes. She tied the blue and silver striped tie carefully around her neck and looked at herself in the mirror for a moment, wondering this time if she should borrow Samantha's blush. She shook off the thought for a moment and put on her school uniform. She turned around slightly to make sure nothing was happening before she closed the privacy screen and continued gathering her schoolbag.

Still working on perfecting her appearance, Samantha motioned Rhea to go to the auditorium alone. Rhea waved goodbye and hurried out of the common room, checking her bag as she went to make sure she had everything she needed. Once she's sure she's fully prepared for the day, she pulls out her trusty field guide and opens it to view some final notes from the previous one.

She may have learned her lesson last year. Her first class is Charms, during which Professor Ronan begins quizzing the class on the spells they've learned the previous year. Natty pulls out her textbook to give Rhea a chance to understand what Professor Ronen is talking about, but the man spots it and yells at them. Rhea has never wanted to be invisible more than this moment. She wouldn't let herself be called back.

When she stepped out of the common room, not caring too much about where she was going, her autopilot engaged and she walked up the first flight of stairs without caring. That is, until he hits a solid mass directly. She turned slightly, but caught herself, holding the field guide to her chest. She opened her mouth to say who was blocking the way, but closed her mouth when she saw who it was.

Gareth stood there with a casual smile on his face, waiting for her to recover. "Good morning!" he exclaimed. "I figured if I was going to try to ask you, I might as well ask you." He turned and glanced at her, extending his arm and brushing away the long hair that covered his eyes. "Shall we go to the auditorium, ma'am?"

She hesitated for a moment, laughed briefly at his theatrics, then reached out and grabbed his arm. She closed the field guide with her free hand, put it back in her bag, and quickly took it out of the bag. It seems that it is a good idea to accompany her and help her carry books. He wondered if this was normal, or if he was just doing it to look good. He certainly didn't do any of that last year.

"I didn't realize you were a morning person," Rhea commented softly as they descended the tall stairs. "You are very bad."

"Oh, I'm not," Gareth said. "I'm always nervous on the first day of class. This year is very big, so I'm more nervous than usual. I think I really have to pay attention to Sharpe's instructions this year if I want to have a chance to pass."

"So you just want to be a potions master?" Rhea asked. "Or do you have any special works?"

"Well, actually, he's recovering," Gareth said. "At least on paper. I can't really sayonlyAll I want to do in my life is to be a therapist. At least, I couldn't just tell my Aunt Matilda. She prefers her students to be pragmatic and thoughtful rather than impulsive or short-sighted. So I told her I wanted to take a class that would make me a good therapist. Anyway, it's mostly focused on potions and herbalism, which is what I wanted to do, so it worked out pretty well. And you? Do you want to be an Auror after Harlow worked last year?

"Not a big fan," Rhea said, wrinkling her nose slightly at the thought. He had great respect for the Constable Singer, and the few Aurors he'd been exposed to during his work at the Ministry last summer, but he didn't want to join their ranks. "Now I'm more interested in theoretical magic. Like breaking curses. Or whatever the Unspeakables in the Department of Mysteries do.

"I take that to mean you're going to Professor Figg's Theory of Magic class?" Gareth asked as they emerged from the long hall leading to the grand staircase. "I couldn't crack it. It was a little too dry for me."

"I thought I'd love it," Rhea said. "But I guess I'll just have to wait and see."

"Well, I'm sure we'll at least have some of the same classes together," Gareth said as they approached the auditorium. The doors were already open when the students went to eat breakfast. "Maybe we can sit together for a session or two?"

"Well, maybe," Rhea nodded, though she didn't want to admit it. He suspects that the handsome Gryffindor somehow tends to be more of a pastime than a good study companion. "I think we'll see our timetable. We'll definitely drink potions together, but I'm afraid I don't want to sit next to you in this class, if only because of my self-preservation instincts."

"Hey, I said I wouldOKIn Sharpe's class this year," Gareth grinned and nudged her while reaching out his other hand to pat her reassuringly. "But I think it's probably for the best. I might be distracted. ’” She seemed to at least share her thoughts, though she wasn’t sure if she was really talking about his ego or if she was just joking.

"Also," Rhea said with a shrug, "I'll probably help Ominis this year too. It wasn't his best class, but I think he's determined to pass the N.E.W.T. degree of pure malice'.

"Admirable," Gareth said, setting Rhea's bag on a counter in Ravenclaw and giving her a warm smile. "But I'll see you later - I need to check with Nattie on the courses she's decided to take this year and see how easy it is to get her to share notes with me."

"Okay," Rhea laughed, "good luck."

He hesitated for a moment, as if pondering something, then turned and hurried off the Gryffindor table to where Natty was sitting, intently looking at a piece of paper. Rhea sat down and started serving herself food when a small flashing light at the end of the table went off. A small roll of paper floated to the table and stopped in front of her, resting precariously on top of her glass. He paused for a moment, picked it up and opened the seal.

Inside, as she suspected, was her class schedule. This is typical. Approximately the same number of courses as in the previous year. His first study that morning was Defense Against the Dark Arts, followed by Ancient Runes. Then, after lunch, he reads in the early afternoon. From her point of view, the first day was not bad. Though she wasn't exactly thrilled about the inevitable pop quiz Professor Mattocks was going to give them about ancient runes. He's thankful that school starts on September 2 — and while it's a pretty consistent pattern, it also means he only has three days of classes until the end of the year that year. A great way to get used to school.

"Okay, Pennywhistle, pass this over," Sebastian said, sitting on the counter across from her. He reached for a piece of bacon from her plate, and when she protested the theft, he grabbed her lesson plan and began to examine it carefully. A moment later, Ominis appeared, holding his own program in his hand, stroking it with his hand, frowning slightly on his face.

"I left Divination this year," Ominis said, sounding vaguely satisfied. "I've finally convinced Professor Weasley to let me give up astronomy. No more late nights in the freezing cold that I can definitely dothere is nothing, thanks Merlin. I don't know what he thinks I've learned from this class - you'd think I just got an acceptable grade on the O.W.L. It's enough to prove that I don't care about the world... How was your day?

"He ate about the same as me today," Sebastian said, with the bacon hanging slightly in his mouth, and he took out his calendar to compare directly with Rhea and Omni's. "Defense, then Ancient Rune. Gosh, it's going to be a close upset... We might have to run if we want to get decent seats...Still divining, Rhea ?Why?"

She shrugged, "I can easily take apart the dream journal. Also, for all we know, there may be ways to find out things that aren't strictly prescribed in the book—like, maybe there's a prophecy about a curse, or a pendulum that can answer Yes or no theory. I just keep my options open. I also dropped astronomy. I find it exciting, but in the grand scheme of things, my schedule is very full. Something has to go, it doesn't As easy as divination. Very simple decision, really."

"So what do you have, Omenis?" Sebastian frowned, reading over the boy's shoulder. "doubleMuggle studies? Why would you choose that?

"If I were going to break my family's traditions, I think knowing Muggles would be a good place to start," Ominis said. "Of course, I'm a bit late to class, but I'm sure I can catch up - hopefully with Rhea's help if she wants to. At least that way, when I leave school for the Wizengamot next year, I'll be better off Learn about the relationship between Muggles and wizards."

High goals, Sebastian thought. "When did this plan start?"

"Starting this summer," Ominis said. "Mr. Darrow has to go to a conference to present his work, and since we have him as secretary we have to go too. It's exciting."

"I personally find it kind of dull and disappointing," Rhea said. "Just a bunch of really smart people trying to reason with people who don't have an idea in their heads. Going around in circles and doing nothing... I don't think I can handle it."

She paused to pat Sebastian's hand, who had already walked across the table trying to steal more food from her plate. She said to him angrily: "It's like a whole plate of baconover there"Don't try to steal it off my plate, go get yours, Buster."

He backed away slightly, pinching his injured hand with a teasing expression on his face. "So selfish," she said, before doing exactly what he suggested. He glanced down at the table and pointed to a carafe, "Mind? If we have a HecatandPickaxe before lunch, I need some specialty Ravenclaw coffee. "

Rhea smiled slightly, but ordered the carafe anyway, pouring some coffee for the three of them when Sebastian returned the schedule to her. "So what's the verdict?" she asked, carefully pouring a little cream into the glass.

"I cast Divination and Beast," Sebastian said, adding some food to Omenis's plate as well. "But it's the same for all our other classes. I can't wait to steal your notes at exam time."

"If you're just learning, you don't have to steal themandI," Rhea pointed out, gently handed the cream and sugar to Omini, who nodded gratefully as he made the coffee. "Why did you throw the beast away? "

"I want to try alchemy," he said. "Ronen thought I'd do a good job. It's all about breaking things down to their basic physical and magical properties and seeing how they fit together. I think that might help break the curse. About. I'm amazed Hecat is not suggesting that you do the same."

"I thought it might be a good idea to learn more about the beasts I might encounter in the wild," Rhea said with a shrug. "I'd love to work, but when I meet a crab I don't know what to do."

"Don't approach it from behind," Ominis said dryly, frowning slightly as his mouth burned with coffee. He has already arranged his schedule and is casually eating eggs on his plate. "I won't be taking Ancient Runes, but I will be taking Ancient Studies, so at least we'll be studying together outside of the core curriculum."

"Rhea and I took 10 classes together," Sebastian said, "which is definitely more than I thought I'd take this year—but I think I'll need eight O.W.L.s for a lot of work."

"Do you have ten classes together?" Ominis raised his eyebrows in surprise, "How many classes do you have? Definitely all of them."

"I have…" Rhea said, taking a quick glance at her schedule, "Twelve."

"Twelve? Damn, you're so Ravenclaw," Omenis grimaced. "It's not an easy job."

"Nothing was harder than last year," Rhea said with a heavy sigh. "The Beast and Divination are my only suspensions from Sebastian's Company. What about you two?

"I'm eleven," Sebastian said, nodding. "Alchemy is my only course without you."

"Merlin... when did you become so pedantic?" Ominis asked, sounding surprised. He shook his head slightly, took out the program and checked it again.

"You could say it's in the family, Ominis," Sebastian said grimly, tearing a piece of toast in half and buttering it.

"I only had eight classes this year," Ominis said.

"Fine—it means you'll have plenty of time to help me when I inevitably fall behind on something," Sebastian nodded firmly. "I'll try to make sure it's something you really like."

The big bell in the clock tower in the distance began to ring, announcing the end of the morning. The boys ate their food quickly, and Rhea tried to hurry. Before long, they packed their bags and started heading to Defense Against the Dark Arts in the Hall of Herodiana.

The hall was packed with students hurrying to class, and as they walked, a number of rather confused first-year students jumped out of their way. Rhea kept a fairly brisk pace, chatting about what she hoped to have in class. The boys followed her, walking the familiar path to class, telling her about the previous years in Hecate's classroom.

They walk into a classroom and see an unsanctioned duel between Leander Prewett and Everett Clopton. When Rhea saw this scene, she had a vague feeling of déjà vu, although it was not quite right. She smiled affectionately at the duel, remembering the previous duel before class. It was the first time she had actually seen Sebastian. She notices him in Charms class, but there's no real interaction there. Defense Against the Dark Arts is where she stands out.

Rhea heard someone calling her and scanned the room to spot Gareth, smiling and waving at her. As he came to his side, he folded his arms and leaned against a table, watching the duel thoughtfully. He gave her a brief smile, nodded to Sebastian and Omenis, and turned his attention to the duel.

Everett did a great job. He's a strength duelist and prefers to cast heavier spells more slowly, taking the time to charge them up before casting. Leander took his hand this time. He enjoys dueling, but is not as intuitive as many of his classmates. His moves are calculated and therefore more predictable. There is no doubt that this is an interesting game.

Rhea hates dueling alone, and for the most part tries to avoid doing so as much as possible. He hadn't told Sebastian yet, despite his insistence, that he would definitely not be participating in the Crossed Wands individual competition. She prefers to know that she has support in the couple's duel.

"Five Galleons say Leander got this," Garreth said quietly, not taking his eyes off the duel.

"I bet," Ominis said quickly, leaning against Rhea and offering Garreth a hand. Gryffindor obviously didn't take the comment literally, as he looked hesitantly at the Slytherin's outstretched hand. But Gareth Weasley liked a challenge, so he smiled and shook Omni's hand, trusting that he'd walk away with a few extra gallons.

Rhea shook her head slightly. It looks like the Ominis will bet again this year and start early. His performance the year before last was not bad, and she couldn't blame him if he continued last time. If they're here because of her and Sebastian, she kind of wants him to share his winnings. But instead of jumping on him right away, he pulled him to where he was standing, leaning against the table with Gareth, who began to describe the duel to him in no uncertain terms.

Rhea turned around and put down her schoolbag, and began to organize notebooks and field guides, humming softly while doing it. He opened the field guide, flipped to some notes he'd taken in Defense Against the Dark Arts class the previous year, and started flipping through them, in case Hecate wanted to put them in the review class. She wanted to be at least a little bit prepared, even though she would have preferred to see Leander beaten like he had been a year ago.

She felt the bench move beside her as Sebastian slid into the seat next to her, reading the Field Guide over her shoulder. It was a surprising touch - while he's used to choosing to study rather than watch some Gryffindor get his ass kicked, it was out of character for Sebastian. Although, he guessed, Sebastian was usually more willing to be the duelist than the person watching the duel.

The final minutes before class slowly became more tense as the duel dragged on. Half of the students expected the duel to end quickly, so the continued performance was surprising. Gareth stood up, pacing back and forth, watching the duel intently, while Ominis joined Rhea and Sebastian in her office. Rhea watched anxiously as Sebastian excitedly recounted the Ominius duel, laughing even more every time Leander hit the mark. He really doesn't like the boy.

Finally, Everett managed to shake Leander off his ankles and disarm him, grabbing the boy's cane with a triumphant smile. Once Everett's rally was broken and Leander fell to the ground, the rest of the class erupted in cheers and boos for each duelist. This time, Leander didn't seem overly upset by the outcome of the duel, though the boy didn't seem happy at first. Everett reached out to take his hand, patted Leander on the shoulder in a friendly manner, and handed him his wand back.

As the students began repairing the desks that had been moved for the duel, Gareth turned and reached for the schoolbag he had placed on the desk in front of Rhea. He scooped up a few gallons and handed them over to Ominis, who, to his credit, didn't wait with open arms.

Ominis pocketed the gold coins and walked to the table behind Rhea. Sebastian goes to get the one next to Rhea, only to find that Poppy has slid into him. In the middle of speaking, he stopped slightly and understood his intention. She gestures with an apologetic look on her face, but he waves her away, choosing to sit behind her next to Omini's vacant seat. She smiled gratefully at him, her cheeks flushed slightly. He greets Rhea, who is lightly teasing Gareth for his loss to Ominis. Much to the chagrin of the non-Gryffindors, Leander sat next to Garreth and nearly stole Natty to the spot. She agrees to sit next to Poppy and begins enthusiastically comparing shows with Hufflepuff.

About ten minutes of class passed, and the elderly teacher hadn't appeared yet. The students began to look at each other, a little worried. Professor Hecate is very punctual, and if students are more than five minutes late, she locks the classroom door unless they have a particularly good excuse. So far, Rhea has been lucky to avoid that particular embarrassment, but it's still a huge motivator to always be on time.

After another five minutes, Amit walked cautiously up the steps of the professor's office and knocked on the door hesitantly. He was still standing there when the classroom door slammed open and all the students jumped up and looked in the direction of the commotion.

A tall man in a well-tailored suit, carrying a briefcase and a stack of old books, burst into the room with his wand in his mouth. He hugged the books to his chest, using his chin to keep them from falling out of his hands. He walked briskly to the front of the room, carefully set down the book, and threw the briefcase onto the armchair behind the desk.

He turned and leaned back against the table, taking off his large round glasses briefly to clean them, and he looked at the students, trying to catch his breath. He put the glasses back on his face, lifted them expertly over the bridge of his nose, and looked around again. His eyes linger briefly on Ominis and Rhea, a small smile twitches at the corner of his mouth, and he clears his throat to turn his attention to the rest of the class.

"Good morning, students, how are you doing during your summer vacation?"