Extra: A Strange Concoction

Somewhere, in a disjointed space, a Dark Wizard gripped a scared girl's arm; he wanted something and he was going to make her give it up.
Margaret was laying on the ground, everything was dark, she could hear their words and understand them but she couldn't remember them, she felt them; their movements; the room, but she couldn't see anything: she was dreaming.
"Just a little push, you're asleep, you're dreaming" she would've told herself if she wasn't so exhausted, so comfortably asleep.
Margaret said something, attracting the ire of the Dark Wizard who instead of twisting her friend's arm was now pointing his wand at her, furious; she nonchalantly disarmed him, catching his wand with a swift motion; the man threatened her and her friend; she snapped his wand; he charged her; she readied herself and summoned arms of water; he dodged a punch; he dodged a jab; he smirked; he's caught by a third unseen arm bursting from the ground; her friend rejoiced.
"Allow me to be Judge Judy and Executioner" she said, approaching her foe with her trademark blank expression, Margaret twisted her wrist; the man screamed in agony as the water arm gripped his; she silenced him with a spell; they couldn't hear him scream but the sound of the man's arm snapping broke the heavy silence; her friend covered her ears.
Climbing onto her victim's back, Margaret methodically broke his limbs one by one under her friend's terrified gaze, his earlier words still ringing in her ears; she kicked him onto his back, her foot resting on his celiac plexus and lifted the silencing charm; he threatened her again; she pointed her wand at his forehead; he dared her to do it.
"Defodio." she whispered.
The dark Dark Wizard twitched one last time; her friend looked at her like she would have look at a Dementor.
Margaret was laying on the floor, somewhere comfortable, she felt like she was forgetting something.

Opening her eyes, Margaret is greeted by warm sunlight seeping through her bed's curtains and the pleasant smell of magical fire.
"Class... I slept in." she thought, as she rubbed her eyes.
Reaching for her watch to confirm her assessment, she remembers the commotion that disturbed her slumber: some meaningless bickering about boys.
"No wonder..." Taking a deep breath, she smiled at the Gryffindor Common room she had grown so fond of.
Late or not, she wasn't going to skip any steps of her morning ritual; refreshed; stretched and dressed, Margaret grabbed an apple on her way down the Common Room.
Walking briskly towards the Potions classroom she thought about apples; how she used to dislike them for being too messy, something magic made irrelevant thanks to slicing and levitation spells.

She wasn't the least bit worried about being late, though witnesses would think otherwise with how fast she was moving through the corridors, unaware that she still found the time and focus to avoid stepping on cracks and to "slide down the stairs"; most of the castle's stairs were too wide to do it but she greatly enjoyed the haptic feedback of it, how her heels would bump on each step in quick succession; how it would look like she was sliding on a surface that couldn't allow it.
Eating slices of fruit and letting her mind wander, she quickly found herself in front of the Potions classroom, her eyes briefly meeting with Professor Sharp's stern gaze.
"Alone, today?" he noted.
The girl frowned quizzically, unsure of why he made such a comment.
"See me in my office after class, come on in."
Putting on a clothespin on her nose, she stepped in.
Potions had always been a difficult class for Margaret, much like cooking, though she greatly enjoyed and excelled at both; the overpowering smells forced her to cover her sensitive nose, a single whiff was enough to make her sick; she often left the classroom with red marks left by the clothespin she wears for protection.

A thick white smoke filled the classroom, most students were already sat down but a few stared at her and Professor Sharp's entrance despite there being a overweight black man sitting in the teacher's seat, dancing with a chicken wing in each hand; she watched him enter his office, a puzzled look on her face, before turning back to a student staring at her.
"Yes, hello" she said, hurriedly as she pecked the Slytherin boy on the cheek before briskly walking to an empty seat next to Natsai and Amelia.
Filling the room with another annoyance, the students whispered and gossiped about what they had just witnessed; sat down, Margaret plugged her ears, gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, impatient for the teacher to demand silence; she could make out a few of the words: "Harlot." "... You know what they say about Gryffindor girls" "... Sebastian and Ominis."
She was poked, she opened her eyes to a worried Natsai.
"Why did you kiss that boy?" she asked, shocked.
"Because I'm polite?" retorted Margaret, oblivious.
"Silence." ordered Professor Sharp, finally putting an end to the painful buzzing."Now as you have probably heard, it has been discovered that a few students never existed but were a certain troublemaker using Polyjuice Potion; as a result, our esteemed Headmaster has asked that we refrain from using our already limited supplies while the case is being investigated."
The whispers started anew.
"Please." he interrupted "As such, today's lesson will be... Unorthodox. Professor Booker-" he pointed at the man sitting behind his desk, wearing a bowler hat and a large smile "- will be our teaching guest; he may be a Muggle but I assure you his knowledge is not to be underestimated. Professor Booker." He nodded.
"Thank you Professor Sharp!" replied the black man.

"Don't touch that wand! Today! We are going to brew... Cheese-based Potions! Mhmhm!" cheerfully said Professor Booker, motioning with his hands like a ringmaster. "Now stand up, come closer, and watch the magic!"
Margaret winced as the almost totality of the students made their chair screech as they slowly stood up; she waited for the commotion to stop, ears plugged.
"Come, Margaret!" said Natsai, loudly leaving her seat.
Glancing at each other, the Belgian deskmates left together.
"Hmmmm smell this!" said Professor Booker, enthusiastically waving the cheese aroma towards his face "Pheeew, now that's stinky! Mmhm! Now I know this is tempting but you're not allowed to eat the cheese today!"
Margaret shuddered at the thought, her gaze wandering, exploring the classroom; she stopped at a visibly uncomfortable Hufflepuff boy; she tapped his shoulder, presented a clothespin to him and pointed at her nose; he gratefully grabbed his salvation and thanked her with a quiet bow.

The ex-Auror's desk looked more like a cheese display than an Potions teacher's desk, Professor Booker truly had a knack for showmanship and the students were entranced as he described, smelled and tasted each cheese.
"Oho, looks like I forgot to put water in the cauldron!" exclaimed the fat man.
"Miss M... Margaret, please?" said Professor sharp, she obliged, slithered through the crowd and poured water out of her index into the waiting receptacle.
"No wand? Wow!" said the impressed Muggle. "Thank you..." he looked at the student list and poofed with laughter "Margaret, sorry, thank you, Margaret!" a few students joined his laughter, mocking the girl's unusual name; she nodded to the teacher and slithered back towards the back.
"Now refer to your schoolbook and work in groups to brew a... Cheese-based Potion, oh yeah!" he pointed with both hands towards the students.

Making rounds between groups, Professor Booker's warm smile illuminated the usually dark classroom, though once immersed in their potions the students paid little attention to him, even gossiping in front of him, unaware he was listening.
"Matthias looks like me?" he said, making a group of girls yelp in surprise. "Matthias? Boy? Stand over here please!" he beckoned the student.
"Oh, I like the hat." "I like your hat, sir." they said in unisson, provoking hilarity.

Focused, Margaret sliced and diced the various cheeses under Amelia's fascinated gaze while Natsai read the recipe; the Slytherin was entranced by the unusual silver blade and the swift motions, her imagination running wild with ideas and desire.
Once done cutting the cheese, she folded the knife with a flourish under her compatriot's wide eyes and handed her the platter of ingredients.
Stirring, mixing, smelling, reading aloud, the three of them followed the instructions to the letter, sometimes with a correction from Margaret; the potion was almost done.
"Now we need to add this last piece of cheese and the potion should be done." said Natsai, Margaret nodded, then glanced at Amelia still focused on the knife.
Pulling another one from her robes, she flourished it open, bringing the girl's attention to the second blade, she flicked it closed and handed it to her benchmate with a nod, along with a flask of dittany.
The brunette grasped the item: a silver butterfly knife.

A loud explosion turned all heads.
"Mister Stephald, the recipe said two pinches, not three, we're making potions, not fondue!" scolded Professor Sharp. "Don't eat it, clean it up."
The Ravenclaw boy stood embarrassed in front of what could pass for an Acromantula web, except thicker, yellow, and most likely tastier.

Playing around expertly with the butterfly knife, Amelia held back a giggle of jubilation as she grabbed the last piece of cheese and stabbed into it, before slicing faster and faster while her benchmates inspected and stirred the brew.
"Good progress, good." said Professor Sharp.
"Now we have to add saliva to the potion." said Natsai.
Margaret shook her head.
"Is something wrong?" asked the teacher; the girl put her finger in her mouth and showed the red saliva.
"You're bleeding!" exclaimed Natsai, taking Amelia's attention to the finger.
"Don't worry, I bite myself, add your saliva." answered Margaret calmly; Amelia spat in the cauldron unceremoniously, to the disapproving gaze of the Professor.
"Thank you, now the cheese..." she said, nodding at the Slytherin; she obliged, though the amount was a little less than expected.
They were first to successfully brew the potion.

"Congratulations to miss Onai, Tilmann and... Margaret... For completing the brewing of their Cheese-based Potion." announced Professor Sharp.
"Mmhmm! This! Is the smell of success!" said Professor Booker, rubbing his hands together.
The image was certainly funny for the rest of the students, the happy fat man and Onai, both smiling, and the two Belgians, looking like they would rather be anywhere else.
"That's mighty fine work, girls!" said the black man, a wide smile on his face. Onai was the only one to answer with words.
"Quiet ones, these two." he chuckled.
"Belgian weirdoes..." grumbled a nearby student, quickly interrupted by another student's "Oi!" and a shocked look from Natsai.
"Belgians?!" she asked, with disdain, the two girls nodded.
"Why are you mad Onai? Look! We found your father!" remarked a blonde Slytherin, pointing at Professor Booker.
"How dare you!" Natsai pulled up her sleeves before being interrupted by Professor Sharp.
"You! My office!" he hissed, while Onai grabbed her belongings and left the class in a hurry. "Class dismissed.*" he added.

Overwhelmed by the cacophony, Margaret rested her head on her desk, ears plugged while her benchmate clutched her stomach. By the time Professor Sharp approached them the class was significantly quieter and emptier.
"Miss M... Margaret." he cleared his throat. "Professor?" she answered.
"I have an assignment for you; a certain... Potion has been stolen from my office, I need you to retrieve it."
She nodded. He looked at Amelia frowning at him. "Miss Tilmann will accompany you."
"Tummy... Hurts..." she grumbled, clutching her stomach one last time before bolting out of the classroom.
"I think she ate some cheese." remarked Margaret.
The man clicked his tongue. "Well, ask your friends."
She frowned quizzically "What friends?" she thought.
He sighed, feeling a mix of shock, pity and annoyance. "Any volunteers to give Margaret a hand with her assignment?"
"I'd give her both of them if you know what I mean..." said a voice.
"Who said that?" grumbled Sharp.
"Well, me of course!" said the voice, followed by two more, also claiming to be "me".
Waving his wand towards the source of the sounds he removed the three students' invisibility and pointed towards his office, showing that to be an Ex-Auror you need the skills to have been an Auror.
He sighed. "Alright, Sallow, Gaunt, give the girl a hand."
The announcement made a few girls snicker as the gossip started anew. "What did I tell you? Harlot." "Two of them?"

"Good to see you again." said Sebastian. "Likewise." added Ominis.
The girl nodded, staring at the door while the boys waited for an answer.
Spotting an opportunity to slither through the crowd she bolted out of the classroom, followed by her surprised helpers.
With the clothespin off her nose she was finally able to breathe normally, she slowly walked away from the odorous corridor, not wanting to lose her companions out of politeness but lamenting not being allowed to complete her assignment on her own.
"I told you she didn't run away." remarked Ominis, as the two of them walked towards her. "She must have wanted fresh air."
Margaret nodded.
"So, what's the assignment?" asked Sebastian, barely able to contain his excitement.
"I was asked to retrieve a missing potion; a special one." she answered.
"A missing potion? I overheard some Sixth Year talking about something similar, under the Greenhouse."
"Well that makes things a lot easier." remarked Sebastian "Too easy."
"How so?" asked Margaret.
"...I don't know. It feels too easy." answered Sebastian, a serious look on his face, while Ominis rolled his eyes.

"Under the Greenhouse" being such a vague clue, the three of them decided to split up, search, and convene one hour later.
Sebastian and Ominis looked inside the Greenhouse while Margaret looked outside, all too happy to be outside, in an area where she would least expect to meet someone.
Enjoying the fresh breeze and the afternoon sun, she walked much slower than she otherwise would, occasionally scratching her itchy skin; the area behind the Greenhouse was surprisingly well maintained, she noted that it looked like an intimate and romantic dating spot; too bad she would never use it.
A wide variety of flowers and topiaries followed the path until it forked into stairs going down; the area below was much more natural, completely devoid of landscaping but still well maintained; there stood a half-hidden half-forgotten door, covered in plants.
Flicking her wand, she lifted the flora and pushed the door open; she guessed that the tunnel was very likely to end under the Greenhouse; this had to be the one.

Meeting at the courtyard doors, the trio shared their findings.
"There was a trapdoor, someone didn't want it to be found, but it couldn't be opened." said Ominis.
"I could've gotten it open if Garlick wasn't there." added Sebastian.
"No you wouldn't have..." thought Ominis.
Margaret nodded, this was most likely another entrance to the tunnel she found. "I found a door, someone didn't want it to be found, it was open."
The two boys were unsettled by her wording but nodded. "Let's do this." said Sebastian.

Carefully advancing with their wands lit up, the trio entered the tunnel with Ominis leading the way.
"I never thought about it but you're right, he does have the upper hand in the dark, since he doesn't use his eyes." remarked Sebastian.
"I'm blind, not deaf, Sebastian." quipped Ominis. "This looks safe."
Illuminated by magical torches, the circular area looked artificial, with support beams and another, even darker tunnel leading deeper inside.
Margaret squinted, whispered "Lumos" and sent her light to scout ahead.
"Devil's Snare." she remarked, as she noticed the vines covering the walls slithering to avoid the lights.
"I heard in the Common Room that... Girls... Play with those. Is that true?" asked Sebastian, before receiving a slap in the back of the head from Ominis.
"How would you even do that..?" asked Margaret.
"Well... You know..." answered Sebastian, blushing slightly as he approached the vines.
"Stop, don't touch it." interrupted the girl.
"It's just a leaf, it's f-" he said, reaching for it. "Accio." "EURGH!" Sebastian was pulled away by his tie.
"Don't touch it, I recognize it. "Laportea moroides" my mother calls it the Crucio Leaf." said Margaret.
Coughing on the ground, Sebastian remembered her face as she cursed him ruthlessly; he shivered and gulped.
"It seems crossbred, it shouldn't have leaves." commented the Gryffindor.
The boys looked at each other, Ominis slightly distraught, Sebastian excited.
"Ah, it's not magical, don't expect Dark Magic." she added. They sighed, for different reasons.

Bathed in bright light, the trio progressed slowly and carefully through the thankfully deserted tunnels; the visibly dug out passage lead into an old castle corridor, also covered in Devil's Snare.
The overly careful exploration slowed to a crawl in the increasingly dangerous vine infested tunnel, carefulness that rewarded them by not being stung by the dreadful plant.
"Who thought something so dangerous could be so boring..." remarked Sebastian.
"Don't lose focus Sebastian." said Ominis.
"You better make up for this, Megamelons." said the brash boy.
She rolled her eyes; another errand.

Finally they reached the end of the tunnel: a circular area clear of Devil's Snare, with a bottle illuminated by sunlight, and the Greenhouse trapdoor at the ceiling.
"Is this a joke?" thought the three of them simultaneously.
"It's a trap, right?" said Sebastian first, the other two nodded.
He flicked his wand, levitating the flask off the pedestal while holding his breath... Nothing happened.
"...It's not..?" he said, bewildered.
The trio carefully walked towards the suspicious area; focusing their light on any approaching vine.
It was not a trap.
"I don't know why but I'm really frustrated." grumbled Sebastian.
Ominis uncorked the flask and sniffed its content.
"It's liquor." he remarked.
"There goes my hope for a cure for Anne..." lamented Sallow.
"Sebastian..." said Ominis, feeling a mix of different kinds of pity.
"Let's skedaddle." declared Margaret, her trademark blank expression clashing hard with her wording, while looking at the trapdoor.

Professor Garlick jumped in surprise when a trapdoor she didn't know existed hit her in the head, thankfully not hard enough to leave a bump.
"What is the meaning of this?!" she asked, flustered, trying to sound more commanding than she really was. "What were you three doing down there! Don't tell me..."
"Sorry, Professor, we were on an assignment for Professor Sharp." answered Margaret, bottle in hand, as Sebastian closed the trapdoor behind him.
"Ah... That's... Alright..." she half mumbled, wondering about the mysterious trapdoor. "I didn't even know there was a door here..." she approached and lifted it.
"Be careful, Professor, it's full of Devil's Snare." said Ominis.
"Am I not the Herbology teacher?" she said with a smile.
"It's different, "Laportea moroides"." interrupted Margaret.
"Oh... That's troublesome." said Professor Garlic, visibly concerned. "A crossbreed..? That's downright evil."
The trio nodded.
Margaret bowed, silently excusing herself as she left for the Potions classroom at her normal, much faster pace; confused at her sudden departure, the boys followed behind, surprised by her speed.

Having returned the "potion" to Professor Sharp and warned him of their encounter, Margaret left the office, exhausted, walking much slower, feeling a weight lifted from her shoulders; she sat down on the cold floor, enjoying the feeling and the breeze caressing her face; she closed her eyes, sighed, and relaxed her shoulders, stretching her limbs slowly with a satisfied but inaudible moan.
The boys observed her from a corner, they decided to not bother her, though Ominis had to hold Sebastian back. He still wrote a note on a paper plane.
"You owe me one, meet me in the Undercroft."
Margaret rolled her eyes and chuckled.

Eyes closed, she focused on the cold but increasingly warm floor against her legs, on the intermittent breeze, on the warm sunlight against her left hand, on the restful silence; she sighed.
"Purreow"
She opened her eyes, a sphynx cat with a blue bow approached her, rubbing its cheek against her knee, purring and meowing at her; she caressed its back eagerly, smiling at the rare encounter, wondering who could have such a pretty cat.
The affectionate feline "dug" its face inside her robes, rubbing frantically against her chiseled abdominal muscles, kneading her thighs until it finally curled up in her lap, purring ever so loudly.
Sitting on a nearby bench, a few students pointed at her and the cat, and giggled; a few passing students caressed the animal's head despite the Gryffindor's displeasure at their proximity; she grew increasingly annoyed at her "popularity" but didn't want to bother the cuddly animal; she did enjoy its embrace... Until she sneezed.
Margaret wasn't a loud sneezer, but it was unusual for her, and perhaps because the cat had been so used to her not moving, it was especially startled, so much that it turned back into the Ravenclaw witch it really was.
The weight of an adorable cat suddenly turned into the weight of a (nude) Seventh Year girl on Margaret's knees, who was just as surprised, but not as terrified; she was wearing clothes, after all, unlike the girl frozen in fear.
Quickly grabbing her wand, Margaret covered the two of them in a thick fog and she felt the weight disappear.
As the fog dissipated she found herself alone, with staring students around her, bewildered.

She was annoyed; another mistake, another person she wouldn't ever see again.