Between angels and insects

The next morning in the common room, Hermione Granger was less talkative than usual. She hadn’t eaten much and her nose wasn’t buried into some old dusty-covered magic book. And the reason of her behavior was sitting two tables away, having breakfast with her fellow Slytherins.

“Hermione? Hey! Hermione? Do you want your honey?” Ron asked, ready to jump on her friend’s honey pot. The young girl was taken aback by this question and looked at the redhead boy, snapped out of her staring.

“What? Who is a honey?” Hermione exclaimed. Both Harry and Ron looked at her strangely. Ginny, Ron’s sister, was also watching her intently.

“Uh, nevermind, I’ll take Harry’s...” Ron frowned, not understanding her friend’s attitude.

After her morning classes, Hermione sat under a tree facing the lake. She needed time to figure things out.

‘That was just a kiss, and it didn’t mean anything to her! She’s a Slytherin! A disturbed and evil Slytherin!’ The messy-haired girl sighed and tried to relax. She heard several girls screaming in the distance but didn’t really pay attention. Then she noticed footsteps coming from behind.

“Hey!” Ginny Weasley spoke softly. She was a couple of years younger than her, but very trustworthy and a wise counselor.

“Hi...” Hermione replied calmly.

“How are you?” The redhead asked with concern.

“Fine!” She answered a bit too enthusiastically. Ginny stared at her and then at the lake. She could distinguish a tall figure standing on a broomstick, and didn’t have to think twice to know it was Seena. On the embankment, there were several girls and boys admiring the girl who was surfing on the lake. Obviously, she had cast some spell to create waves and was enjoying herself.

“This is about her, right?” Ginny finally asked, motioning the Slytherin girl with her chin. Hermione looked up from her book and stared at the distance. Her face turned pale and then redder than a lobster. “What happened? Did she hurt you?”

“No!” Hermione exclaimed. “No she didn’t!” Then the Gryffindor girl tried to calm down.

“Then what?” Ginny pushed her gently. Hermione remained silent for a moment, and in the end, she let out the secret she was trying to forget.

“She kissed me...” she whispered.

“Oh...” Ginny frowned. She didn’t expect this answer. And after all, it didn’t bother her anyway. Or maybe a little since she had had a crush on Hermione last year.

“Last night, I don’t know how it happened, she was threatening me and then I felt her lips on mine. Then she literally vanished in front of me!” Hermione looked very disturbed and was waving her arms about. Ginny glanced at Seena then back at Hermione and shrugged.

“Did you talk to her after that?”

“No! And I won’t! She’s a Slytherin! What’s more the Nemesis! She’s totally evil and anyway it was just a game for her!”

“That, you don’t know...” Ginny whispered, still wondering what that Nemesis thing was. But she saved the question for later. Hermione was dumbfounded by her friend’s comment. Then she remembered Seena’s words from the previous night

‘If I wanted to cause you any harm, you’d be in a coma right now.’

‘What have I done to you so that you hate me?’

‘Maybe she’s not that evil...’ Hermione thought before going back to class.

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Seena Tariyo was a brilliant witch from Dumbledore’s point of view. He had much respect for her, even though she was still very young. What’s more, she was an extraordinary being. The old wizard hoped forcefully that she would listen to him. The Nemesis entered his office and sat casually on the chair in front of his desk.

‘She is the most powerful being on this Earth and...-’ Albus Dumbledore’s thoughts were cut sharply by Seena’s ruthless tone.

“Why did you call me?”

‘-the rudest student I ever had, for sure...’

“I’m sure you know it very well.” The Headmaster said calmly.

“What? Is this about that boy I stuck to the goalposts? He was the one to attack me first!” Seena declared vehemently.

“Yes I know.”

“Then what?” The young girl shrugged. Then, her face lightened. “Oh I see, it’s about the drugs and alcohol I materialized!” she said proudly.

“Amongst other things...” Dumbledore stood up and started pacing around the room. “You know Seena, you have a reason to be here-”

“Studies? My powers are ten times worth yours! Even you couldn’t beat me with one of your tricks!”

Dumbledore chose to ignore the obvious provocation and went on.

“Studies, indeed, is not the main reason. You’re here because the Ancients think that you’ll be able to choose you side for the battle to come. I noticed some events that let me hopeful about it. But I really want you to know one thing. Turning to the Evil side is like turning your back on your humanity.”

“I’m not human, you know it.” Seena spat bitterly.

“You’re quite wrong.” The young girl stared at the old wizard with a curious look on her face.

“Your feelings are what makes you human! And I beg your pardon if I’m mistaking, but I think you can have feelings?” Dumbledore pointed out. The wiccan witch remained silent.

“I just want you to understand how important will be your decision. You alone will decide whether the world will be chaos or not. You can go back to recess now.” And he turned to look by the window.

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She needed some time alone to think about all this crap.

‘Draco and the others will be mad at me...Nevermind, I don’t owe them anything.’ Seena thought as she sat under one of the Quidditch goalposts. She closed her eyes and visualized her electric guitar she had left in Los Angeles.

“Melo zhik” she chanted. She had created this spell several years ago, when she didn’t have enough money to buy anything but a panpipe. She pulled her hand up as if holding her guitar, eyes still closed and started to play. Soon, she could hear the melody she was playing all around her.

“Here today, gone today
Hurry up and wait...
I’m never there for you or me
Can’t you read the story of our lives?
Death to me, and life for you...
Something isn’t right...” She sang out loud, not aware that somebody was approaching. Hermione Granger stood there, listening to this amazing music. She felt like hypnotized by Seena’s voice.

“And I need some space
To clear my head, to think about my life...
And I can’t be alone...” Hermione tried to get closer and stepped on an old chum. Both girls froze at the ‘crack’. Seena turned her head towards Hermione and frowned.

“What do you want?” She asked coldly.

“To talk...But I can go if I’m bothering you.” Hermione spoke in a voice where both sadness and fear were mixed.

“Yeah, whatever...” Seena stood up and came closer. “Talk...”

“I-uh...I wanted to know if what happened last night was just a Slytherin way to make fun of me or...something else.” Hermione looked down, her cheeks burning red.

“Why would that matter to you?” Seena turned around and picked her bag off the ground. Hermione was speechless but she was beginning to get into the habit. “Look everybody! The dumb cold-hearted bitch has feelings! – Oh! Great, maybe we can break her down after all!” Seena said with a fake high-pitched voice as she was walking past Hermione.

“If you weren’t playing with people and treating them like crap, they wouldn’t feel the same way about you, and you wouldn’t be alone!” Hermione shouted back as Seena was already several meters away. The dark girl stopped dead in her tracks, and for a second Hermione thought she would hurt her. But Seena only turned her head to Hermione, a sad look in her eyes. Never in her life Hermione had seen so much pain and sadness in one’s eyes. She swallowed hard and watched the Nemesis go away.

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When Draco Malfoy entered the Slytherin common room, he was surprised to see a crowd standing there, staring at Seena. He felt even more surprised when he realized what the brunette was doing.

“How long has she been doing that?” The blond boy asked worried to his left arm guy.

“Dunno, maybe twenty minutes?” Goyle replied. Some first years looked horrified, and in fact there was indeed something to worry about. Seena was facing a wall and kept punching a Bludger that was untiringly coming back to her after hitting the concrete wall. A hole was already forming at the spot where the Bludger was hitting it.

“Did someone try to stop her?” Draco added and Goyle shook his head in reply. Parsy Parkinson came next to him with a fearful look on her face.

“Smith tried to but she threw the Bludger to him, he’s in the hospital wings I guess...” she whispered, afraid that Seena could hear her. Draco sighed heavily and walked to the dark girl.

“Seena!” He called in a very calm voice. The young brunette stopped the Bludger with her hand and turned around, a deadly stare on her face.

“Sorry to bother you but...do you want to talk?” Draco asked while looking worriedly at the leather ball that was gesticulating furiously in Seena’s hand.

“No more talking!” She shouted and threw the Bludger to the wall where it stayed stuck in the concrete.

“Miss Tariyo!” A voice yelled from the room’s entrance. The students moved back to let enter Severus Snape.

“What’s up Greasy?” Seena smirked and walked to him.

“Don’t you dare call me like that!” The Potions teacher shouted with anger.

“Like what, Greasy?” The girl raised an eyebrow as a sign of challenge. Snape couldn’t take it anymore, he pulled up his wand and threatened Seena who was just smiling victoriously. The dark man shivered slightly when he saw Seena’s eyes turning black.

“Cruc-” Snape started. He knew he could be expelled for using an Unforgivable spell on a student, but he couldn’t take anymore of Seena’s provocations. The dark man couldn’t believe his eyes when his wand broke into pieces before he could cast the spell. And still this sardonic smile on Seena’s face...

“Oh...I’m sorry!” The Nemesis smiled fakely, before chanting “Vitus exit!”. Several students screamed when they saw their headhouse flying in the air and crashing into a wall. But Seena wasn’t over yet. She stretched her hand towards the teacher and all of a sudden, snakes sprung up from the concrete and came coiling themselves around Snape’s limbs. The look on the man’s face was priceless to Seena, he looked so dreadful and weak.

“You know what’s the funny part, Greasy? All I wanted was to be alone to relax! But thanks to you, now I’m unwinded! See ya!” she waved before leaving the common room. Several students tried to free their headhouse, but didn’t manage to.

“Oh, sorry I forgot!” Seena walked back to them. “The snakes’ venom is lethal, so you’d better not move too much! The spell will fade in about...” She glanced at her watch. “Thirty minutes I guess...Gives you some time to think about it!” Then she vanished once again.

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