Agents of Discord

by KittyrinnAiko

Chapter 17: What would you do if you angered a Night Mare?

“First years, gather round,” Percy called at the banquet’s conclusion. Professor Dumbledore had just wished them all a good night and left, followed by the other members of the staff. From there it was up to the Prefects to show the first years to the dormitories. Percy introduced Idda Peverell who was the Prefect on the Gryffindor girls' side of the dorm. Once they were satisfied they had everyone they were on their way.

“Professor Dumbledore said we should trot, this isn’t exactly trotting?” Aurora asked.

“This pace is fine.” Aerie offered as they climbed the stairs.

“Ya, I’m too bleary to do anything faster than an amble.” Lavender offered and punctuated her statement with a yawn.

They’d gone down several corridors, up staircases, and through several secret passages.

Aerie was beginning to wonder if Percy might be lost? And then they came to a halt at the sight of a bundle of walking sticks floating in the air.

“Peeves,” Percy whispered. And then in a much louder tone, Percy hoped sounded authoritative said, “Peeves – show yourself!”

He was answered by a sort of sound that made one think of a long drawn-out fart.

“Peeves, do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?”*

And then a little wicked man dressed like a jester appeared with a pop. He had dark eyes, a wide mouth, and was floating in the air cross-legged. “Ooooh, Ickle firsties… ah shit!” His eyes had grown three sizes larger, he spun around, dropped the bundle of canes he had, and raced away with a white-maned and tailed Night Mare nipping at his backside.

“That looked kind of like Luna,” Aurora said dumbfounded.

Aerie gave Aurora a curious look.

“Well, that just happened,” Idda said softly not entirely sure what had just happened.

“She likes kids I guess,” Aerie said sheepishly while hoping no one would remark on the absence of her cat.

“Well, then, not much further to go.” Percy offered and they continued down the corridor stopping at a portrait of a large woman whose figure could be described as pleasingly thick.

“Password?” asked the Fat Lady.

Percy offered up the word, “Caput Draconequus,” followed by the portrait swinging open to reveal a large hole in the wall reminiscent of a Moon Gate with a high threshold. One by one they stepped into the Gryffindor common room with its decor dominated by reds and golds. And a party seemed to be in full swing.

“Oh for… what is going on here?” Percy shouted.

“Kind of looks like a party.” Idda offered. “It’s early yet. Let's let them have their fun. - Alright, first-year girls, this way.” Idda lead the girls to the left to a doorway that opened to a leftward spiraling staircase, the boys going to the right to a rightward spiraling staircase. Both went up, and both existed in the same space… sort of. Aerie was probably the only one in the room who could appreciate the opposite spirals of Kamuromi and Kamurogi. And of course, her room was on the top floor right under the attic space where three large canopy beds awaited. Aerie, Aurora, and Lavender Brown were up there while Parvati Patil, Hermione, and Alice Tolipan were on the level directly below.

Aerie wasn’t entirely sure why but she’d this odd feeling that all six girls were on the same floor relatively speaking.

“Listen,” Miss Peverell began noticing hoof marks on the floor. “It kind of looks like some pegasi might have been in here. Likely came in through the ceiling hatch. They are friendly enough so long as they aren't antagonized. Should one find its way down here, just relax, and come get someone.”

“Yes mam,” Aerie offered.

“I’m actually really good with pegasi,” Lavender offered as she went to the bed that had her trunk. “The trick is to watch the ears to see what sort of mood they might be in.”

“You don’t say,” Aerie commented. “What do my ears tell you?”

“Just a guess but I’d say you are ready to curl up and get some sleep,” Lavender teased. She hadn’t even bothered to look.

“Alright then.” Idda offered, hesitated a moment, turned, and went downstairs.

The nerves of the occupants of the room immediately went on edge at the sound of a creaking hinge.

“Hi guys,” Offered a voice in Old Ponish Aerie knew all too well. “Oh my gosh, you are so cute.”

“Alice, Alice Mouse?” Aerie asked looking up at the gray pegasus thestral mixed pony. “You seriously need to oil the hinges on that trap door.”

“Let me guess, you must be Aerie. Let’s just say that Our Celestia thought you might want some backup.”

“Wait, is that an actual language?” Lavender asked. “How are you even able to understand it?”

“I had few human friends thanks to my cousin,” Aerie offered even as the voice of Hermione could be heard droning on below them.

“Wait, Alice Mouse? As in Captain Mouse of the Night Guard?” Aurora guessed looking up at the gray pony.

“Lieutenant, actually,” Alice offered just as Idda Peverell came back up the steps.

“Shoo, shoo you,” Idda said. “You don’t belong down here. Out.”

Alice stuck her tongue out, pulled her head back, and closed the hatch.

“I swear, sometimes I think they are as smart as people. Next thing we know they’ll be wanting to attend Hogwarts.” Idda offered, turned back around, and went back downstairs.

“Is she gone?” Alice whispered as she peeked through a crack of a slightly opened hatch. “We moved the hoof lockers so the three of you would be up here together since Aurora and Lavender seem to be your best friends and to give you access to the roof.”

“Thank you, and I’m starting to wonder if Aurora might be under similar conditions as myself.”

Alice quickly pulled her head up and closed the hatch at the sound of footsteps coming up the steps.

“Is it true, was there a pony up here?” Hermione asked as she came into the room from the landing. She was followed by, Parvati, and Alice Tolipan.

“They are in the attic,” Aerie offered as she opened up her trunk. “Best not go up there though, they might thump you,” she cautioned as she pulled out her pajamas, a robe, and a vanity kit. These were placed on the bed her trunk was in front of. Everyone also had a wardrobe and a small writing desk, each desk looking out a window, with a chair at the desk.

“Thumped?” Hermione asked as Aerie was hanging up her clothes in the wardrobe she figured had to be hers based on the relative positioning of wardrobes to beds. Aerie also took that moment to grab the chair at her desk, and climb up to deposit a few things up on the top shelf. As for Hermione, she was too distracted by the idea of climbing up to have a look at the pegasi to pay much attention to what was going on around her.

“Hermione, did you never play whack a mole?” Aerie asked.

“What a mole?” Hermione asked in turn. She’d likely never been to an arcade with friends. Or even been to one at all.

“It’s a game for little children. Were you never little? Anyway, it’s a box with a bunch of holes in the top, and when a mole sticks its head up you whack it back down with a soft mallet.”

“That sounds totally barbarous,” Hermione protested.

“They aren’t real moles.” Aerie countered. “I’m just letting you know that if you stick your head up through that hatch, that’s what’s liable to happen to you. They are wild after all.”

“Oh,” Hermione replied as Aerie was taking her witch's robe and hat off.

“Aren’t you going to the party downstairs?” Parvati asked Aerie.

“I thought I’d beat the rush and get a shower.”

“That might not be a bad idea,” Lavender agreed.

A short time later saw the first-year girls all headed for the showers that were available for the first second and third years. Fourth, fifth, and sixth years shared a shower room, with the seventh years girls having a shower they shared with whoever the girls' prefect was, and sometimes the sixth-year girls.

“Moonie,” Aerie called on spotting a certain yellow rat. “Be so kind as to show Mr Scabbers the way out.”

Scabbers froze on the spot and on seeing an ominous shadow coming closer, spun around and scampered back down the stairs taking two at a time. Once at the bottom just the call of the cat was enough to tell him he was still being stalked.

“Hey Percy, that cat is after your rat again,” one of the boys pointed out.

“Not my rat anymore. Scabbers is Ron’s problem now.” Percy replied followed by laughter. “By the way, does anyone know why he’s yellow?”

As for Scabbers, even a rat knows to flee a sinking ship and scampered off in search of Ron. As for Moonie the black cat, she was satisfied for now and went to mooch goodies from the party goers. Moonie liked everyone with the exception of a certain obnoxious rat.

The next morning Idda roused the girls and made sure that they would make it down to breakfast in time to get something to eat. Following breakfast, she made sure they made it to their first class of the day which was an introduction to the wizarding world and magic theory. A very necessary class even for those who were part of the wizarding world in that they often had only a piece of the picture. They didn’t know half as much as they thought they did. Including Hermione. As for Percy, he seemed to be of the opinion the boys could find their own way. And Peeves, well, anytime Peeves went after any of the first years a certain Night Mare would pop out of nowhere and go after him. Her antics delighted students, staff, and the ghosts as well, none of whom much liked the poltergeist.

The second class of the day was potions. As the first session was an introduction it had been taught by a seventh year as part of their apprenticeship.

“Darnedest thing I’ve ever seen.” Dumbledore was saying during lunch with a rather bright smile on his face. “That mare had a hold of Peeves by the belt and was shaking him up and down just to make him squawk.”

“She seems to be making an effort to protect the youngest of the students from him.” Minerva McGonagall offered.

“Kind of reminds me of something Headmaster Black used to say,” Dumbledore offered. “He would tell me that my thinking was too black and white and that all I ever saw was something was either good or evil.”

“So, does this mean you’re not going to try to expel it from Hogwarts?” Snape asked.

“I can’t see a reason too,” Dumbledore replied. “Yes I was curious to see how the students would react, and most seem to love her. Often we fear what we do not understand.”

Following lunch was an introduction to the defense against the dark arts taught by Professor Quirrel. For Nova, it was worse than a bad joke and she had to fight to keep her aura in check. That smell of death was only scarcely covered by the smell of garlic. And his stories about how he did this and that were laughable. As for Riddle, all she had to do was look over her glasses to tell he was there, under the turban. The glasses weren’t so much so she could look like Harry Potter, but so she wouldn't see the auras and react to them. Something Discord had anticipated which was pretty good considering his habit of doing things seemingly with no consideration of the consequences.

And in order to avoid suspicion, she had to wait until the Hogwarts staff backed off on keeping tabs on the new students. Which for Aerie would be extra tricky if she kept the tracking amulet on. If she were to take it off and go snooping about she might appear in the wards as an intruder.

After the class was over Aerie and Aurora went straight away to Madam Pomfrey for the queasy feeling the class had given them. They barely made it in time for charms and Aerie had to kick herself for not having remembered that aspect of being anywhere near the wraith.

Their first few charms classes were mostly lectures with a short little man who had to stand on a stack of books to be seen named Flitwick. Professor Flitwick did not remark on Aerie’s name simply because she wasn’t Harry Potter. As for what Aerie thought of him, ‘Finally, someone who is shorter than I am.’ OK, technically that was the reaction she had the first time she’d met the man when she'd nearly bowled him over at Diagon Alley. Still, though, she was enjoying the nostalgia of living out the actions of the books even if it was like sitting in class with your own children and they not knowing it. At least Astronomy proved challenging in that she had to relearn the positioning of the constellations. Most of which were near identical to the ones she'd know from her previous human life. The one downside was that her Celestron Powerbroker was ten times the telescope anyone else had and turned into the most popular scope. It's muggle built, they asked incredulously, for Aerier to affirm once more that yes, and it'd had the appropriate charms added in that it was a licensed product of Eques. It was also electronically powered, shielded from magical energy, and had a magical power core supplied by Mrs Silverwood so Aerie wouldn't have to worry about it ending up a worthless hulk two weeks into the first semester after the muggle batteries had died.

History of magic.

“Should have seen it coming,” Aerie said with her head in her hands. Aurora asked the wrong questions. Wrong as in Professor Bins, the ghost professor, becoming aware that he’d shucked off his mortality some time ago. Up through the ceiling he went and that was it. He was gone.

“Well now, what do we do?” Hermione asked.

“Well, you could teach the class.” Aerie offered.

“Me?” Hermione asked.

“Her?” Ron echoed.

“And why not?” Aerie asked. “Let’s be honest with ourselves, we’ll probably learn more history if we do it as a group study activity than we ever would have out of Professor Bins, and I bet if no one says anything the staff won’t even know he’s gone.”

“OK, OK, you’ve got my attention.” Dean Thomas offered.

“But why me?” Hermione asked.

“Give you a chance to get it out of your system and maybe leave off when everyone just wants to decompress for a bit.” Aerie said as kindly as she could. “And yes, we heard you last night.”

“But they were saying Pegasi could fly faster than it was physically possible.” Hermione offered in her defense.

“Hello, magic?” Aerie countered. “Pegasi can create a type of force energy in much the same way as an electric eel can generate its own electricity. That energy field makes it possible for Pegasi to do what would ordinarily be impossible.

“Remember the cavern at the end of the boat ride?” Aerie asked. “Those were bat-winged ponies called Thestrals. They don’t just use flight magic, they also project a sort of notice-me-not field around themselves. Most can discern the evidence of their passing, but not actually see them. I’m to understand that only a few people can actually see past their field.”

“Oh, so that’s what it was,” Seamus observed. “Ron’s brothers were saying they were wraiths.”

“Can’t say they were any more wraith-like than our resident Night Mare.” Aurora offered. “Yes, I can see them, though I’m not sure why. They are like a megabat that’s in pony form. Very intelligent.”

“I guess I have a lot to learn,” Hermione said. “Listen, it’s your idea, I just can’t get up in front of everyone unprepared.”

“Alright, we’ll take turns, and as it’s my idea I might as well take the first go at it.” Aerie offered, getting up. “Now, Professor bins was going on and on about the goblin wars and who fought who. And I’m to understand he never mentions why they fought the wars in the first place. What were the factors that started it?”

“The book just goes on and on about goblin rights.” Hermione offered.

“But what was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back?” Aerie asked. “Ron, can I borrow your book?”

“Why do you want to borrow my book? You’ve got a brand new one?” Ron asked genuinely perplexed.

“Precisely because you have an old book,” Aerie offered. “You will all understand in a moment. Here we go, page forty-two where all the secrets of life, the universe, and everything are revealed. It says right here in this addition, that the trigger to the war was in fact the fear of indiscriminate use of the Philosopher’s stone to make gold and thus cause economic collapse.”

“But that’s not, it’s not in the new additions?” Hermione said stunned.

“Right there, in black and white.” Aerie offered, showing Hermione the page. “Ron I bet you didn’t know just how valuable your book is?”

“But I don’t understand?” Hermione said sounding stunned.

“Politics.” Aerie proclaimed. “And yes I’ve one of the older copies. It’s not in the newer copies because the ministry doesn’t want you to know. The irony here is that I picked up my copy in a muggle used book shop.”

“Hang on, doesn’t that violate the secrecy act?” Alice Tolipan asked.

“And why would it?” Aerie asked in turn. “The Muggles know about the Philosopher's stone. Those that bother to educate themselves that is. They know that it was created by Nicolas Flamel. About the only thing they don’t know is that it was real.”

“Ah… it’s not the knowing so much as it’s the knowing.” Seamus said sagely.

“That would be it indeed. In fact, there are times that telling the absolute unadulterated truth can actually get a person out of trouble because the truth is too hard to believe. And times when it can get a person into even more trouble because it’s not what anyone wants to hear. Such as the time I accidentally turned my primary school teacher’s wig blue.” Aerie offered while citing something that had happened to the lings. The ling who’d been in school that day said it wasn’t even their doing. The others in the class all laughed. There wasn’t one who hadn’t experienced some form of accidental magic. “Of course, I said no. Not like I knew what happened. In hindsight, if I’d said yes they would have decided that the initial claim was a case of hysteria.”

“Looks like we are just about out of time.” Hermione offered, and a moment later they were off to their next class.

Herbology turned out to be Aurora’s best subject, and she was eager to get started on an actual project.

And then there was Transfigurations with McGonagall. Most of the Gryffindors all arrived at about the same time, with the exception of Ron and Neville who’d arrived late for some reason.

“You know, you remind me of a cat that would sit on the fence at Privet Drive.” Aerie commented to the cat sitting on McGonagall’s desk while they waited for Ron and Neville to show up. Aerie couldn't know for sure, but she suspected she was the only one who knew the cat was also their teacher.

Aerie would find out later that the two had dared the third-floor corridor and been caught. Though they claimed they had gotten lost. Given that the class was going from class to class as a group, and there were plenty of older students such as Miss Idda helping them, their excuse really didn’t hold water.

Ron and Neville lost house points. Aerie did not because she’d resisted the urge to hug the kitty. McGonagall then went into an hour-long lecture and promised immediate expulsion to anyone who didn’t take her class seriously. Towards the end of class, they were all given matches and the task of turning their matches into needles. Seamus Finnigan blew his up. Lavender and Parvati managed fairly decent needles around the same time as Hermione with Aerie and Aurora producing fine-looking needles moments later. Aurora even got extra points for the gold patina around the eye of the needle.

“Show off,” Aerie teased quietly.

“Aerie,” McGonagall called at the end of class. “Linger a moment.”

“Professor?” Aerie asked as she walked back. “Am I in some kind of trouble?”

“Oh, no, you are fine. You weren’t startled when I transformed.”

“When a cat I can remember watching the house shows up...” and Aerie had picked the lings memories so she could go over them for anything useful. “..shows up on my teacher's desk at a magic school, all it takes is a little deductive reasoning to know to expect the unexpected.”

“Your hair used to be shorter.”

“While the Dursleys were freaking out over those letters from Hogwarts it had a chance to start growing back. Aunt Petunia cut it every morning. And every afternoon I could expect to get beat up by Dudley and his friends. They also made sure I’d have no friends. Dressed me in his old rags, and he’d beat up anyone who tried to be my friend.” And with that Aerie spun around and walked out.

Was she proud of her performance? No. In fact, she kind of felt like she’d just jabbed a knife in the woman's back. After all, Professor McGonagall had been clandestinely trying to keep an eye on Harry Potter in her free time but had missed a great deal of abuse. Along with the fact that Aerie had been a girl.

Finally, it was Friday, double potions with the Slytherins. Aerie went in and made sure she’d be partnered up with Aurora. Then she tied up her hair, followed by tying up Aurora’s hair.

“Hey!” Aurora protested.

“Well, you don’t want to get it in your potion.” Aerie offered, and then whispered, “Equestrian hair is magically reactive.”

“But I’m not?” She returned in like volume.

“You’ve been to Equestria though. At least one version of it, don’t deny it you recognized the Night Mare as a version of Princess Luna. It changes a person.” Aerie explained while still whispering just as Snape entered the room.

Snape swept in with his usual flair for over dramatics, his hair now perfectly slicked down flat. He gave a little speech about what potions can do and started taking names.

“Aerie Potter,” Snape said and stopped.

“Here sir.”

“Yes … I was going to say something about our new celebrity, but they got your name wrong didn’t they. Not that you haven't already been grandstanding. What are you looking at?”

“Nothing sir.”

“Indeed. Tell me, Miss Potter, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?”*

Hermione’s hand immediately shot heavenward. A habit they’d yet to fully break her of.

“Asphodel… Lily. My regrets follow you to the grave,” Aerie said softly but loud enough for Snape to hear.

“What?” Snape asked.

“Asphodel, it’s a lily, and Lily was my mother’s name, it’s my middle name, and in the language of flowers it means ‘my regrets follow you to the grave.’ The ingredients combine to make the draft of the living dead.” Aerie answered triumphantly. And yes, she knew full well she’d just done the equivalent of sticking a knife in the man’s heart and twisting it.

Snape’s lips went razor thin.

“Where would you look if I told you to find a bezoar?”* Snape asked. Snape had of course planned this out but things weren’t quite going according to plan.

“A bezoar? Why yes sir. I’ve one in my pocket.” Aerie offered and then produced a bezoar from her pocket.

“Why … why do you have a bezoar in your pocket?” Snape asked stunned.

“It’s um, well…” Aerie began. “Just in case, I suppose.”

“Where would I normally get one if I didn’t already have one,” Snape asked, his anger starting to rise.

Hermione’s hand started bobbing.

“A bezoar is a stony concretion that forms in the stomach of animals, typically ruminants which include cattle, sheep, goats, buffalo, deer, elk, giraffes, and camels. They can occur in any mammalian species including unicorns as well as people.”

And now Snape was mad. Which was exactly what she was hoping.

Snape bound and determined to out Aerie as a fraud right then and there made the nearly fatal mistake of trying to read her mind, and rather forcefully. Nova was prepared thanks to Nova Silverwood. Snape’s wand lit up such was his ire and locked his glare on Aerie’s eyes, her expression going blank. Most were blind to what Snape was doing, but they knew he was doing something. And then there were a few, mostly among the Slytherin students, who’d a fairly good idea what was happening and weren’t shy about sharing that information.

What Snape saw was the moment Lilly was murdered by Voldemort. He saw her rush to block the curse meant for the Potter baby. Her baby. The Nova woman rushed to intervene. Something flying through the air hitting Voldemort. Saw the spell hit Lily with a portion of it going through bringing Lilly’s very life force with it striking the babe like a desperate hug, momentarily blinding and causing great pain on top of exceeding fear and anguish, and then he was able to make out the spell rebounding not off the baby but off of Lilly. The stream rushed at the baby one more time and this time the green light completely washed out all else.

And then the memory was gone and Snape was looking at a horror-stricken girl who looked so much like Lily did at that age, and then she collapsed to the floor sobbing.

Sure Aerie had seen that memory before, but in that brief moment it was as though she’d lived it, she experienced every emotion, and began to weep openly. She wept at the horror of the moment, she wept for the cruelty of the man in front of her, and she wept for everything Harry Potter was forced to endure.

“What did you do to her!” Aurora demanded even as another figure swept into the room. Such was Aurora's rage that her aura had erupted much like Aerie’s had at the Leaky Cauldron only in her case it looked like fiery prominences and heat rippled off her forcing people to step back.

Aurora dropped to the floor and wrapped her arms around Aerie who was unhurt by Aurora’s fire. The rest of the class was speechless.

“What did you do to her!?” demanded a very angry Night Mare, and she was looking every bit the part of something seen in a nightmare right then.

Comments

[ToMahkAros]

Yes, Severus, yes. Let your hate flow through you and cloud your judgement and mind! Just so you can do something stupid!

[harts fire]

11377899
I am so hopping the Night Mare beats Severus down good and sound, or put the real fear of death in to him.
Rest in piece Alan Rickman he was one hell of a actor and paled Severus snipe perfectly.

[Da Fennec]

11377931 11377899 Well that might still happen can you imagine outrage if a teacher was caught doing something like this or just reading someone's mind nowdays

[ToMahkAros]

11378045
They would be fired and jailed so fast it would leave flames behind them!

[uis]

- Did you agree with Night Mare?
Nod.
- Oh no?
- Oh no.
- Oh yeah! - Moonie jumped out

[Elfendrago87]

Thanks for the chapter I'm grateful your still continuing to write especially Nova's adventures😁
Cheers hope you continue there are fewer and fewer good authors showing up with unique stories nowadays

[badninja]

Well it looks like Dumbebore will need to hire another teacher, if he ever finds out about the first one having moved on.

[Kentavritsa]

“Well now, what do we do?” Hermione asked.

Okay, this is Price-less

“Well, you could teach the class.” Aerie offered.

the Correct answer

“Me?” Hermione asked.

Yes, Exactly