So far during Valentine's brief time at Hogwarts, she had been able to establish quite the reputation. She wasn't just a Muggle despising Slytherin, but a frequently violent Muggle despising Slytherin. Such a short time and everyone already had heard wind of her habit of pushing students in the halls or stepping purposely on their toes. Now naturally such things as stepping on other's toes is not the height of violence, but even a push can seem like a challenge to battle in the young eyes of an eleven-year-old. And it often was her eyes that allowed her to get away with what she pleased.

Her dark glare was practically unmatched unless you counted the steely stare of Severus Snape. Despite her Pureblooded Slytherin status, the two openly despised each other and it had become quite the dramatic affair. Snape may have hated Harry Potter for existing, but he most certainly despised Valentine for opening her mouth whenever she pleased. Which was often.

The other students were sure Snape had never singled out two students so immediately before. They had no idea what Harry had done to deserve it. But in Valentine's case, they weren't nearly as sympathetic. If Hogwarts biggest bullies wanted to bully each other, who were they to say otherwise? Absolutely no one if it meant becoming a target themselves.

Whenever Valentine found herself in the position of abusing a fellow student she was quick to corner off the sections of her brain that would have her feeling pity for her unfortunate victims and when she saw the tears brimming in their eyes she immediately plastered her face with a look of satisfaction before the pesky emotions could arise. So far, she had done what she'd been training herself for and from what she had observed, she had done a pretty decent job.

It was with the same students they were making enemies of that Valentine and her group of old and new found friends made their way to the inner courtyard of Hogwarts where they would have their first flying lesson.

Valentine reacted to most of her classes with hidden anticipation. She wanted to see what she had already learned and what she hadn't. If anything, her ego certainly delighted in seeing how her intellect compared with others her age. She'd had years with only Draco and Leah as a comparison, by now she had met those much smarter and those much duller. But flying lessons were not Transfigurations or Charms or Magical History. Flying was flying and flying was not typically her strongest of skill sets.

The students grouped in the courtyard, chattering among one another.

"This will be easy." Draco boosted.

"I've never actually flown before." Blaze threw a hesitant glance at the two lines of brooms.

"Hmm. Me neither." Liam nodded.

"Father says my skill is very impressive for my age," Draco added.

When did he say that? If I recall, you got a solid 'Well done'.

"My parents wouldn't even let me learn." Leah pouted.

"That's because they didn't want you to die." Draco poked at her shoulder. "Their mistake."

"Your so mean!"

"And you're so stupid!"

"Please, don't fight." Olivia grabbed Leah's arm tenderly.

"Then maybe we should gag her." Draco sniffed and looked away with a scowl.

"I'll gag you with my foot!" Leah shot back

"Good afternoon, class." Said Madame Hooch as she strode onto the field, giving Leah and Draco a look.

She was a tall woman with bright golden eyes, hawk-like eyes and short silver hair.

"Good afternoon, Madame Hooch." The students answered her in perfect unison.

"Good afternoon, Amanda, good afternoon." Madame Hooch repeated, as walked down through the two lines of students.

Then she turned on her heel to face the first years.

"Welcome to your first flying lesson. Well, what are you waiting for?" She gestured for them to take their places. "Come on now, hurry up."

Everyone stepped up to the left side of their broomstick.

"Stick your right hand over the broom and say, up!" Said Madam Hooch.

The air was immediately filled with multiple cries of 'up!' and followed several shouts of success and failure. At everyone held the aptitude.

Valentine looked down to the left to see a plain wooden broom laying on the ground parallel to her.

"With feeling!" Madame Hooch's added as she studied the many attempts.

"Up! Up! Up, up, up!" Leah cries beside her. "Arg! Stupid thing! Up! Why won't it listen to me?"

Beside Leah, Olivia stands shyly, meekly holding out her small hand.

"Up! Please up!" Olivia says uncertainty colouring her soft and frustrated voice.
"Up...please?"

Valentine turned to Draco who was also surveying the other students. Draco and herself had already learned how to fly a year ago on her uncle's wishes. Draco had taken to it immediately, but it had taken Valentine a few more lessons before she had been able to control the broom. It was one of the few things that had actually taken her effort. She had been glad that Draco had had something all to himself, something to impress his unimpressible father with.

When she caught her cousin's eye, he smiled and gave her a knowing look. It may not have been her finest area of expertise, but she could certainly command a broom to listen.

"On three?" He asked.

Valentine nodded in response.

"One..." Said Draco.

"Two..." Added Valentine.

"Three..."

"Up!" They shouted together, voices firm.

Both handles flew directly into the palms of their hands. They turned to each other, Draco's face plastered with a self-satisfied grin, even Valentine spared a smug one of her own.

Liam and Blaze were standing parallel to the two of them. Liam looked rather impressed while Blaze seemed almost bitter.

"Oh, hey!" Liam grinned as his own broom shot up into his hand. "I did it!"

"Oh, come on!" Blaze whined, frowning down at his uncooperative broomstick. "What the hell is wrong with this thing?"

Leah laughed and pointed at him, finding great amusement in his struggle.

"Oi! I don't get to be all superior when you broom hasn't moved an inch!" Blaze shot back at her.

"It seems I'm not having much luck either." Olivia laughed nervously.

"Don't worry!" Leah bumped her should against the other girl's. "I'm sure you'll get the hang of it."

"How come you're so nice to her but you treat me like dirt?" Blaze frowned.

"That's because Olivia is special and you're just annoying."

"Leah Lovat," Blaze gave her a level glare. "I barely know you and I already want to beat you to death with this broom."

"Hmm. Yeah, that feeling doesn't go away." Said Draco.

"Now, once you've got hold of your broom, I want you to mount it." Madame Hooch instructs firmly. "And grip it tight, you don't want to be sliding off the end. When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your broom steady, hover for a moment, and then lean forward slightly and touch back down. On my whistle...three...two..."

Suddenly Neville Longbottom's feet left the ground and he gave a startled 'oh'.

"Mr Longbottom." Madame Hooch warned.

"Neville, what are doing?" One girl cried out.

Neville Longbottom had been a name Valentine recognised. It had been her parents who had tortured his own into insanity. Now, he was being hit with another bout of serious misfortune.

"M-M-Mr. Longbottom." The teacher stuttered worriedly. "Mr Longbottom!"

"Ahh!" The boy cried out, his voice filled with horror as he rose higher and higher.

"Mr Longbottom!" Madame Hooch shouted for him again.

"He can't even hold the damn broom straight." Draco laughed to him beside Valentine, seemingly unconcerned with the other boy's safety.

"Neville!" Cried, Harry Potter.

"Help!" The boy pleaded, as his broom shook hazardously.

At this rate, he's going to fall!

"Come back down this instant." Madame Hooch demanded but it did no good.

All Valentine could do was watch with the others. It wasn't in her reach to help.

Neville soared through the air wildly, broom threatening to throw him off at any second.

Valentine felt her heart drop into her stomach. The boy had no control and no idea how to get it.

He collided with a stone wall, bashing his broom along it and then swooping off again at incredible speeds. He screamed loudly as he was thrown around in the air like a rag doll.

Valentine thought that at any second, he was going to fall.

The broom took him lower and was suddenly flying back towards the group of students.

"Help!" The boy screamed again, but they were all quite helpless to do much more than jump out of his way as he parted the crowd.

Valentine grabbed Liam's and Draco's arms as they were the closest to her and pull them to the ground. She felt Draco grip at the back of her robes as they fell and she heard Leah cry out in shock somewhere behind her.

Neville zoomed up the side of another building, screaming the whole way.

"Are you alright?" Both Draco and Liam asked Valentine at the same time.

"I'm fine." She said plainly, looking over at Leah, Olivia and Blaze who were picking themselves up off the ground unharmed.

Draco's hand was still fisted in the back of her robes.

Then Neville's broom was suddenly gone and he's falling.

Valentine's heart dropped again. From that height, be could have broken his neck and died.

But then his robes caught on a statue and it held in there, danglingly hopelessly.

"Help!" He shouted down at them, looking every bit as frightened as he should have been.

There was the sound of tearing fabric is heard as his robe ripped and he fell further.

Again his clothes caught on a metal torch bracket and held up for a moment. Then he was falling again and hitting the ground with a pained cry.

They all rushed towards him, crowding around the fallen boy.

Valentine could hear Draco, Liam and Blaze snickering to each other behind her.

"Did you hear how he was screaming?"

"What a bloody wimp."

"Everyone out of the way!" Madame Hooch shouted. She pushed through the group of students and hunched over the boy, speaking gently. "Come on, get up."

"Is he alright?" Asked Hermione Granger aloud.

Neville let out a pained hissed as Madame Hooch examined his arm carefully.

"That looked painful..." Olivia murmured.

"You think?" Liam scoffed under his breath.

"I dunno." Leah shrugged. "Looked kind of fun to me."

"No." Liam shook his head. "It really didn't.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh dear. It's a broken wrist." Madam Hooch deduced quickly. ''Good boy, come on now, up you get."

"Look at this," Olivia spoke up again, yanking Valentine's attention away from the injured Gryffindor and holding up a clear ball in one hand. "I found it on the ground."

"It's a Rememberall." Said Valentine, aching a dark eyebrow.

Suddenly Draco snatched the ball out of the small girl's hand, his face showing a smirk both Valentine and Leah knew all too well.

"Uh oh." Says Leah, in a sing-song tone.

"Why 'uh oh'?" Olivia asked nervously.

"Draco, what are-" Valentine was cut off by Madame Hooch, who was carrying the injured student away.

"Everyone's to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mr Longbottom to the hospital wing. Understand?" She ordered. "If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will find themselves out of Hogwarts before they can say Quidditch."

"Watch," Draco said simply.

I do not like where this is going.

"Did you see his face?" Draco chuckled cruelly, speaking loud enough for the entire class to hear. "Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he'd have remembered to fall on his fat ass."

"Give it here, Malfoy." Harry stepped forward and demanded boldly, glaring at the blonde through his round glasses.

"No. I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find." Draco leapt up onto his broom leaning against it. He flew it in easy circles around the group, quick and precise.

And now he's just showing off.

Then he mounted it properly and soared off above the group.

Bloody hell.

He stopped to hover high above the ground, looking down at them all far to arrogantly for an eleven-year-old.

"How about up on the roof?" He shouted down.

"What's the matter, Potter?" Liam scoffed, standing at Valentine's side. "Bit beyond your reach?"

"You should just let it go," Blaze added. "That idiots stupid trinket is hardly worth it."

Harry's eyes narrowed into a glare at their words.

Harry grabbed his own broom readying himself to take off.

Hermione spoke out in protest.

"Harry, no way! You heard what Madam Hooch said! Besides, you don't even know how to fly." She warned sternly.

"You so eager to die, Potter?" Valentine arched a brow up at him, bright eyes piercing and sharp.

God, I hope not.

Harry ignored Hermione's pleading and Valentine's jab. He mounted his broom and raced off after Draco.

By now, Valentine's heart was firmly nestled in the back of her throat. Her anxiety pushed back against her surprised that Harry had gotten off the ground at all.

"What an idiot." Hermione sighed.

I'm with her.

Valentine felt fear coursing through her veins and knew it was not for her cousin. She knew full well that Draco could get out of anything if he had a broom. It was the boy who had gone after him that she was afraid for.

Dumbledore had given her one task: Protect Harry Potter. And yet there he was, only days after finding out that magic even existed, flying after her cousin.

What can I do? Everyone is here and watching. Neville got off easy, this could kill someone.

"Give it here, Malfoy, or I'll knock you off your broom!" Harry threatened loudly.

I've got to do something.

Draco said something that Valentine couldn't hear and threw the Rememberall towards a stone tower across the courtyard.

Harry raced past Draco, his figure blurring with speed. He zoomed towards the tower, not pulling back until he was mere inches short of the wall. A clenched his hand around something. The Rememberall. He had caught it.

Valentine swallowed and could vaguely hear Liam cursing under his breath beside her.

Harry was good. The kind of good that people noticed. He clearly had some kind of innate skill like Draco, but it didn't make her worry less. Natural ability couldn't save him every time.

She pursed her lips hoped Harry didn't have a penchant for getting into reckless situations. She didn't want another occurrence like today.

Nicely done Potter, but is there really a need to give me a freaking heart attack?

-----Pretending to Hate-----

"Hey, Olivia?"

"Hmm? Yes?" Olivia looked up at Leah who was half hanging out of the tree.

"Can blind people see their dreams?"

Olivia blinked in surprise. She opened her mouth and then closed it again unable to find an answer.

"Leah," Said Draco, sitting in the branch above her. "Could you please, for once, not ask stupid questions?"

"That's a stupid question!"

"Only in response to your stupid question." Draco hissed.

"You're both stupid." Valentine cut in from where she was sitting at the base of the tree besides Olivia. "And supposed to be studying."

At that Leah made a loud, horrendous groaning noise.

"But I don't wanna."

"Fine." Valentine shrugged, still not looking up from her book. "Remain stupid forever. It's what we'd expect from you two, after all."

"Hey." Draco frowned.

"You could very well do better if you actually put in the effort."

Draco just grumbled under his breath and huffed about for a little bit before he dropped down beside Valentine and Olivia.

"Give me my damn book."

"You're so very welcome, dear cousin." Valentine handed him his notebook.

Draco just took it sourly and sat down.

They were sitting in one of the school's courtyards, monopolizing a large tree. They really were supposed to be studying, or at least the others were. Valentine had begun to find some forms of study redundant if they were simply going back over what they learnt in class. Typically she could remember the lessons just fine without further memorisation. But the others hadn't been blessed with her memory, not that it made Leah or Draco anymore interested in their studies.

Olivia was the only one who actually seemed happy to sit and work through her work. As for Blaze and Liam, the former certainly drifted into Leah and Draco's lane while the latter did actually but in the effort. The only reason they weren't here right now, either studying or suffering, was because they were serving out the detention McGonagall had given them for talking in class.

Valentine couldn't quite figure when they had formed their little group exactly. They just seemed to fall together as the days roll on. Even Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle had noticed and stepped back as though they weren't welcome. And Valentine supposed that at the end of the day they really weren't. They cowered from her a little much, stiffened when she stood near. The others were certainly wary of her but not in a way that kept them away. The group they had created was rather exclusive that way and everyone seemed to know it.

"Hey, Olivia?"

"Yes?"

"Have you ever thought about how if there was a misspelled word in the dictionary, we would never even know?"

Draco leaned forwarded and pressed his face disparately into his open book.

"I've known her too long to still be so annoyed by everything she does but it just never stops."

Valentine lifted one hand and patted his shoulder lightly.

"There, there." She said emotionlessly.

"Why are you always so mean?" Leah dropped down to the ground, lowering herself to her hands and knees. "You've always something rude to say!"

Draco blinked at her plainly as she crawled towards him, having to pause and hiss when she trod on her own hair.

"Have I ever been any other way?" Asked Draco.

"No." Leah flopped onto her back in front of Valentine and Draco. "But that doesn't mean you got to keep it up forever!"

"Are you ever going to be less of a moron?"

"Hmmmmmmmmmm." Leah hummed loudly. "I don't think so."

"Then get over it."

"Your such a jerk!" She glared at him. "I hope you get eaten by rattlesnakes!"

"I hope you get set on fire in your sleep."

"I hope you fall down ten flights of stairs."

"I hope you choke on your breakfast."

"I hope you get boiled alive."

"I hope you get drowned by the giant squid."

"I hope you get crushed by an actual giant."

"I hope-"

"I am this close to snapping." Valentine cut Draco off, slamming her book shut, eyes glowing irritability.

Both Draco and Leah froze and glanced at her, Leah visibly swallowing.

"Leah started it." Draco looked away with a scowl.

"Well, I-"

Valentine then cut Leah off with a vicious glare.

Leah gulped and flipped onto her stomach.

Valentine felt Olivia's gaze on her left and shifted her vision.

"What?" She bit out.

"Nothing!" Olivia's eyes widened and she quickly looked back down at her book.

Valentine buried and sigh and looked out at the courtyard. They weren't