CHAPTER THREE:

PRIZES AND PUNISHMENT

Harry was still rather mystified about Shantiel Biggs being in Gryffindor. It didn’t make much sense to the young man. He was almost certain that the Sorting Hat had made a mistake, but he also remembered what it said his first year about never being wrong. To make things worse, McGonagall had reminded him that he would need to take Advanced Potions if he still pursued a career as a Healer. On the upside Harry didn’t have to deal with Snape.

However, Advanced Potions was still going to prove a challenge. That was evident as soon as he and Ron entered the drafty classroom.

“Oh great, what's she doing here?” Ron said as his eyes fell on Shantiel. “I thought she was having tutors in all of her classes? What's she doing in Advanced Potions?” Hermione kicked him from under the table a moment later as Slughorn came out of his office and addressed the students.

“Today, class, your assignment is to make The Draught of The Living Death. It is a complicated enough potion in itself. Few have made it correctly on their first attempt, therefore I am making today's lesson into a type of contest. Whoever makes the potion in its correct form will be awarded this vial of Felix Felicis, along with fifteen House points,” he smiled as he held up a tiny vial of liquid gold.

“Liquid luck!” Hermione exclaimed in shock, causing others to gasp in awe.

“Correct you are, Miss Granger,” the professor beamed at her. “Everything you will need will be on page ten of your textbooks. You have one hour. Begin,” Slughorn said.

Harry soon realized that he and Ron never got textbooks since they had barely discovered that morning they would be attending Potions after all. Luckily, Slughorn directed them an old cabinet of abandoned books. Ron managed to grab an almost new book while Harry was left with a beat-up book which looked to be a hundred years old.

Everyone opened their books and started on their potions. The book Harry got stuck with had writing all over in it, including side-notes in the margins of every potion. He realized that maybe for once he might be good at potions.

A half-hour in, Harry looked up from his cauldron to see Draco making his way to where Shantiel stood and in the process he bumped the blonde so hard that half her belongings went flying onto the floor. He snickered as he continued on his way. The miniscule bottle of Felix Felicis was a highly coveted prize, and each person worked intently on his or her cauldron of ingredients. Everybody seemed to be throwing surreptitious glances about, trying to see how the others were faring. Everybody except Shantiel. She was so focused in what she was doing, that Harry couldn't recall her looking up even once. He watched her put the flat of her knife against one of the slippery seeds that needed to be milked. She got a lot of juice out of it!

Harry checked the side notes in his tattered book. Shantiel had just done exactly what the hand-written instructions said to do, although the textbook said to chop the seed instead of press it. Ron's potion looked to have turned into a nasty sludge color; Hermione's was violet, but her hair was all frazzled with her rushed concentration. The other students didn't appear to be doing much better—the only exceptions being Shantiel and Harry.

Soon the hour was almost up, Slughorn called time, and made his rounds. He examined each cauldron. Some contained just jiggling globs; others held every color of pink and purple of which one could conceive. It wasn’t until he stopped at Shantiel’s that he said something. She sat nearer the front of the classroom.

“This is absolutely perfect, Miss Biggs!” he exclaimed in pure delight, “very well done indeed.” This caught the entire class off-guard, but nobody more than Hermione. How had Shantiel managed to do something that nobody else in the room had yet managed? “Now who is next? Ah, Mr. Potter.”

Harry stepped away from his cauldron as Slughorn approached. The professor dropped a feather into the liquid and as it incinerated Slughorn was even more astonished.

“It appears that we have two pupils in this class who have the golden touch when it comes to potions,” Slughorn said while patting Harry on the back. “Just like your mother, Harry, m'boy. Now this makes it nigh impossible to choose a winner due to the fact that I have only this one vial of Felix Felicis, but I do have this intriguing device called a Coupler,” He smiled as he walked over to his desk and removed an object from a drawer. It was something that Harry had never seen before. It was metal, cylindrical, and each end was hollowed out, but not so one could see through it.

Slughorn held it up and said, “It makes it easier for one to use two wands simultaneously. Not an extraordinary task in and of itself, but the Coupler provides an extra power boost, as if two separate people were using the wands. I've never had cause to use it myself, but who knows? It might come in handy for you someday, Miss Biggs.” He handed the Coupler to Shantiel and then handed Harry the tiny vial of Felix Felicis, winked conspiratorially, and clapped along with everyone else. Harry knew he should be pleased that he won, but instead found himself feeling mounting irritation toward Shantiel; he noticed he wasn’t the only one.

As everyone left for lunch, Hermione marched passed the boys looking completely miffed.

“She’s just angry she didn’t win,” Ron said, rolling his eyes. This time Hermione responded.

“I just think that it was a little unfair and I also think Harry should turn in that tainted book,” Hermione said coolly.

“It’s not tainted, Hermione. It's just someone wrote in it,” Harry said simply, with a shrug.

“Exactly, and remember what happened the last time someone had a book someone else wrote in?” Hermione said sternly.

“It’s nothing like that, Hermione,” Harry said with a tone that implied there was no need for further discussion.

The trio took their usual places at the Gryffindor table for lunch. A little ways down, Harry spotted Ginny talking to Shantiel which caused his insides to burn slightly. It still irked him that Hermione and Ginny both befriended that Biggs girl against his and Ron’s better judgment. Something just wasn't right about that girl. He was glad that Ron also saw Shantiel for what she really was, even though his claims about her secretly spying were rather outrageous, even to Harry. The girls’ voices travelled to where the boys were.

“I can’t believe Slughorn gave you that Coupler, and Harry the potion!” Ginny said with genuine surprise. “You are probably the only Gryffindors who have ever managed to impress a Slytherin professor that much!”

“Yeah, only because she’s a spy for Slytherin,” Ron mumbled cynically to himself as he slopped potatoes onto his plate, “Hermione is bloody brilliant but Snape has never given her points even once. Biggs cheated somehow--just a matter of proving it.” Apparently he'd mumbled a bit too loudly.

“I didn‘t cheat!” Shantiel defended. “That happened to be one of the potions that I assisted my father with before. I just remembered the ingredients and his techniques.”

“I'm sure you do,” Harry said. It was such an enigmatic statement, nobody knew what to make of it.

“I can’t prove it to you but I know I didn’t cheat,” Shantiel said firmly, somewhat hurt. It seemed that Harry was being rather flippant. She couldn't believe he and Ron and even Hermione were begrudging her this one skill, as the bushy-haired brunette remained sullen the entire conversation. Shantiel had to have tutors in everything just to catch up with people her age, but potions was one thing she could do with her eyes closed.

“Whatever. Maybe you should go join Malfoy with the other Slytherin gits,” Ron said icily. "I saw him bump into you in class. He probably likes you,” said the redhead, shoving his mouth full of food. Shantiel’s cheeks slightly turned pink before she stood and made her way down to the end of the table.

“Shantiel, wait,” Ginny trailed after her, “Don’t let my stupid brother get to you, okay? Those boys are both stubborn and they will get to see the real you in time. Tonight I‘ll teach you how to fly a broom so you won't make a fool of yourself in lessons and we'll just have fun, okay?”

“I would like that very much,“ Shantiel nodded, grateful that someone at least believed in her. Yet at the same time, the way Ron, Harry, and Hermione were behaving toward her was quite hurtful...

“Anytime,“ Ginny said. “Now let’s go to class and you are going to love Hagrid. He may look scary but he‘s actually very nice.“ Shantiel stood to follow and as she grabbed her books she noticed that a folded piece of parchment had fallen out from between the pages. She picked it up and opened it, curious to read what it said:

Meet me in the Room of Requirement at

9 o’clock tonight.

Make sure you come alone.

Draco Malfoy

Shantiel turned towards the Slytherin table to see a blonde boy looking at her briefly. That was the very boy that Harry and Ron had been mentioning since the first time she saw them in Diagon Alley. But what did he want with her? Things were definitely getting weirder by the minute. She sighed as she stood to go to her next class. At least she had flying with Ginny to look forward to that evening, as she needed a good distraction.

*~*~*~*

As soon as the blonde finished her dinner, she and Ginny dashed upstairs to their dorm, changed out of school clothes and went back downstairs. They grabbed one of the school brooms out of the closet that Ginny told her about. Both nervous and excited, Shantiel made her way down to the Quidditch pitch. She breathed in the warm breeze and surveyed her surroundings. So beautiful and green!

“Are you ready?” Ginny said with a hint of excitement.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Shan said, letting out a nervous laugh. “Never flown before...”

“There’s nothing to be worried about. I’m sure you will do just fine. Besides everyone is nervous their first time at this,” Ginny said to ease the blonde’s anxiety about the whole thing.

Shan mimicked Ginny as she mounted her broom, but it definitely took her a few tries before she could push off the ground anything close to how Ginny had shown her. For the first few moments Shantiel was airborne, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The wind seemed to make every worry and knot in her stomach fade away the moment she pushed off the ground. A new feeling of complete freedom flooded through her. She wasn't even going all that quickly...but thankfully they had he entire open Quidditch pitch to themselves. Ginny bobbed up alongside her and demonstrated how to land. It was a rough go in the beginning, same as getting airborne, but Shantiel managed to get through the process before Ginny let her just fly free again, so she could get landings down without being wobbly.

Afterward, the girls were standing on the ground together and Ginny's eyes were shining. “You're small and quick, like all the best Seekers and Chasers. I think you might have it within you to be a Quidditch player, if you're willing to practice as hard as you can. I can be your trainer until tryouts next month, if you're interested.”

“I really don’t know about that! But thank you anyway,” Shantiel said, happy that her face was already red to hide her slight embarrassment. There was no way she could be on the house team. Maybe it was worth the shot of just trying, if for nothing else than to see how she compared to others. Something else that she had almost forgotten about crossed her mind. She still didn’t have one clue as to where the Room of Requirement was. Nor would she tell Ginny the reason behind her needing to know its location.

“Ginny…I heard of this room called the Room of Requirement, I thought I might use it, and go see what it's like,” Shantiel said, hoping Ginny wouldn't question her further.

“Yeah, I know where it is. That’s where Dumbledore’s Army meetings are held. You should come once they set clubs up for this year—I have a feeling you’d like it,” said Ginny with a smile. “It’s on the seventh floor. You have to pass a blank section of wall across from a tapestry of trolls doing ballet. If you concentrate on needing the entrance, a door will appear,” Ginny explained.

“Trolls doing ballet!” laughed Shan as Ginny laughed with her. “Thank you for everything, Ginny,” Shantiel said shyly. “I’ll see you later, I have to meet one of the professors for my tutoring lessons.” Ginny nodded before she headed up the marble staircase. Shantiel felt even worse for the lies but she had no other choice in the matter. If she would have told Ginny the truth about who she was meeting, Ginny would think that Harry and Ron were right about her.

She begrudgingly made her way up to the seventh corridor and to the Room of Requirement. She tried to squelch the sensation that she was being watched. A couple of times, she could have sworn she heard shoes scuff the stone behind her but when she turned to look, nobody was there.

Shantiel stopped straight across from the portrait but Draco Malfoy was nowhere in sight. How was she to know if she hadn’t been just tricked into some kind of new student prank? She had only waited for a few minutes when she heard the sounds of approaching footsteps. Draco rounded the corner his appearance was slightly smug when he saw her.

“I see you decided to show up alone, Biggs. I reckoned you might not, given that you're Gryffindor,” Draco smirked as he stopped in front of her. A she held her ground, she was beginning see why Harry and Ron had so much dislike for Draco. She had also heard that he was responsible for Harry's being late to the Welcoming Feast. Apparently the blonde had broken Harry's nose that night.

“I honestly thought against coming because I am not your servant girl and have little interest in anything you have to say. Now what is so important that you had to call on the enemy for?” Shantiel said coolly. She watched Draco look around them as if expecting someone to jump out from behind the corners.

“You are quite sure you came alone like the note said?” Draco asked, his eyes still slowly surveying the corridors. Shantiel rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest.

“Obviously. Do you see anyone else here with us?” Shantiel said, not trying to disguise her annoyance.

“Don't get cheeky. This is a school of magic. Things can be hidden from the naked eye,” Draco bit back and narrowed his eyes at her. He might have been raised among wizard aristocracy but then again, she had been too. She wasn't going to let him intimidate her.

“Really? Poor ickle me didn't know that,” she said, letting sarcasm drip from her voice. “I would be so terribly lost without you here to show me.”

He glared at her and whirled around to face the wall behind him, “Watch your tongue, Biggs. And stand back,” he said before he closed his eyes and began pacing back and forth in front of wall. Just after his third time, a door slowly started to push through the wall. Draco opened the door first, barely holding it open long enough for Shantiel to slip in behind him. A clutter of assorted items filled the space, and a broken old cabinet stood out in the center of the room. She turned around when Draco had shut the door.

“So?” she said with impatience.

“Your father is a Ministry Treasurer, correct?” As Draco questioned her his voice grew more arrogant. But Shantiel kept nonchalantly walking along the table as she answered him. No sense in appearing to take him too seriously.

“Yes, what of it?”

“Has he ever mentioned my father, Lucius Malfoy?” he continued his interrogation, “They are friends, you know,” Draco boasted.

“Yes, I do know I have seen him from time to time at dinner parties,” she answered. Her parents tried to keep her ensconced during their parties and was never allowed to actually speak to any of their high society friends. That didn't mean she wouldn't sneak peeks from time to time. “I find it odd you were never mentioned.”

Draco ignored the sleight. “Excellent. I was wondering if you would arrange for me to meet him. The sooner the better,” Draco said in a very business-like manner. She faced him with her arms folded and with absolute certainty that she shouldn't trust him. “For what purpose would you want to meet with my father?” It was her turn now to do the interrogating.

“That's none of your concern. Now will you arrange an audience with him or not?” His voice turned dark and dangerous. She nodded.

“I can try but I can't guarantee that my father will do it,“ she said casually. First off, she probably couldn't get her father to even listen to her, but she wasn't about to tell that to Draco.

“Good. Let me know within the next ten days. That's not a request,” he said before he walked out of the room without a backward glance.

The young woman sighed when she left the room and walked back to the Gryffindor Tower. What did she just agree to? She couldn’t just get out of this, but she couldn’t exactly forget about it or ask advice for what to do either. She still didn't know or trust anyone enough yet. From what she had learned about Draco, there was no way of telling what he'd do if she didn't do what he wanted. Her joy at finally coming to Hogwarts was quickly becoming something that she was beginning to second-guess.