— Clara POV —
The second year at Hogwarts started terrifically. It all started, when I overheard a few sixth years whispering about Loony Lovegood and her apparent character flaws and weirdness. They also talked about their highlights of ideas to bully Luna this year, as apparently they had also done so in the first year. It shocked me, that I didn't know that had happened. Or maybe I just didn't want to see it, which my family magic didn't find funny at all and gave me a painful wake up call afterwards.
While I was friends with Luna, sat beside her in classes, where the teachers deterred anyone and was her roommate, for most of the time we went our separate ways. I read in the library or went to practice spells in abandoned classrooms, while Luna checked out her books and mostly read them outside of the castle, more often than not accompanied by magical creatures. Hell she fed thestrals and even sang them lullaby songs. And if she wasn't doing something similar, she was either at Hagrid's house, those two being the best of friends and talking multiple hours about magical creatures or similar things, or she was skipping around in school, in the most obscure corners, searching for mythical creatures, which she can see. Furthermore, we both were intensely private persons.
Well those were all excuses in the end, so I swore myself to do better this year or else I would probably be plagued by my families magic.
In these reasons lay the problem, that most kids of her age either didn't want or just couldn't understand her peculiar traits, not to forget the rampant arrogance and bigots running wild, which resulted in supple bullying, scorn and even jealousy, as her grades were still at the top of the class, mostly full marks, even better than mine, though I didn't really put in much effort, as I couldn't care less about points, recommendations or similar, only doing the bare minimum in tests to still get outstanding.
Those two seniors had the habit of stealing her things, everything from shoes to underwear or even library books, which she read at that moment. While I could not do much about the teasing or similar things, as I couldn't be with her twenty-four/seven, protecting our dorm would be way easier. Well not really, but I just needed to get a small ward going, to deter them from intruding and until I am capable of that, I will need to make do with a proximity ward, with only Luna and me keyed into it, through which I would get alerted to any intruders.
The neat thing about proximity wards was, that they were laughingly easy at their roots. There was even a spell which you could use to mimic its effects, though I would need to reapply it every day. Though easy at its roots, it could be used for so much more. You could link it to a conditional barrier ward or any ward really, could cover vast distances for a magical radar, though any supernatural being would sense it, the moment you activated it and would not be pleased. Proximity wards were used for so much, that practically any wardstone has one in one way or another, even if it is to just automatically switch the lights.
After asking Luna about it, which was a bad idea, she downplayed it. Well, through her peculiarities she was more mature than most kids, me excluded and overall just a mindful and ever positive girl, so she didn't resent the kids for it and doesn't want them to get into trouble just because of her. She didn't say it, but I could hear it from her tone, that she didn't want and wouldn't talk about it, nor speak to any teacher about it. The subject was finished for her, though not for me. Even if she resents me for it, I will make it stop, bringing peace and quiet to her life.
Don't want to be friend or associate with here? We both couldn't care less. But if you cannot leave her alone and start teasing, picking on and bullying her? That is a line they should have never crossed. And even though Luna would not appreciate this, I will bring this to the attention of the head of house Ravenclaw, professor Flitwick, the first thing I will do tomorrow morning.
The train ride continued, until dementors stopped and searched the train, until they got chased away by a beautiful wolf patronus. Afterwards I learned, that a serious Sirius Black, pun intended, escaped from askaban and the minister for some ungodly reason decided to send dementors to Hogwarts. Dumbledore naturally protested and only through his efforts, we could keep them outside of the ward boundary, though if they decide to breach them, Hogwarts will be unable to stop them, which is a huge problem.
It was some part of the old charter about lending aid in time of crisis, the minister abusing this right and his power to make it happen. There were a maximum of five pupil in this school, who could defend themselves from one dementor, forget hundreds of those creatures.
Only good thing is, that while I cannot defend myself, I am mostly unbothered by their effect, though my suit now has another effect to use and even build upon. I couldn't say the same about Luna though, as she was a shivering sobbing mess, though chocolate apparently helps in these cases.
On to more joyous food, sorry news. The feast was great, with a few new dishes and overall less fatty. The headmaster also introduced the new physical education teacher, who was someone named Remus Lupin, who was also the one to repel the dementors. He also announced Hagrid as the new teacher for care of magical creatures due to the previous ones retirement.
Though Dumbledore didn't say it, anyone with two eyes, a bit of time and a good head on their shoulder could see, that that man was a werewolf, not the nicest either. My various senses screamed at me, that that man was at least as dangerous as Dumbledore and my empathy gave the greatest hint, as I could feel a second mind, radiating unbelievable bloodlust and killing intent, being suppressed by our weak and frail looking professor. Though I must admit, that Dumbledores young look still irked me, as it just felt so out of place.
Todays riddle for the know was: „I'm found in socks, scarves and mittens; and often in the paws of playful kittens. What am I?" It was sorely lacking, way too easy, and Luna just merrily skipped ahead, saying: „Yarn", before entering and defying age old tradition, that the first riddle of the school year should be left to first years, which I picked up from the grumbling behind me.
As I got to our room, Luna was already laying on the bed, deep asleep, without even a blanket on her, which I promptly rectified, before settling in for my meditation.
The first thing I did on Thursday, the second September, was participating in a staff meeting, just so that I could waylay professor Flitwick. The meeting itself was just about a few curriculum changes and a list of books who are no longer in the restricted section. The subsequent talk with the half-goblin consisted of a look of disbelieve, a lot of shrieking and cursing. He also looked melancholic. From his curses I could interpret, that he was also getting bullied at his time in Hogwarts, but that everyone that did so promptly landed in the hospital wing.
What did they expect really? He was a half-goblin, a warrior through and through, they learn their first stances before they could even walk. The most talentless 11 year old goblin could wipe the floor with any normal teenager under 17, as long as they do not get into an ambush and Flitwick is not talentless in any way and form, as you could see from his impressive career in dueling. Sometimes I really doubt the intelligence of Britain's wizards.
The end result was, that he said he would keep an eye on her followed by two hundred and fifty minus points for Ravenclaw before breakfast of the third day, smashing our chances for the house cup in the first few days of the year. This would hopefully deal at least with the in house bullying. And I needed to deal with an angry and frosty Luna for the next few days.
The first two days of classes were interesting to say the least. First and foremost I needed to rectify my impression of professor Lupin. He was absolutely jacked, just not in the most visible ways, but his body was an impressive feat of year long cruel training. His teaching style and moral was also good, as he showed the exercises, explained them and did them parallel to us, still correcting any mistakes. He himself took those exercises to a whole new level, until it looked more like a an art form than anything else.
After his first lesson I approached him: „Professor Lupin, I have an offer for you." He just raised his eyebrows: „You let me participate in your fast track classes and I will do the same for you. A word of caution, there are multiple people in it already." I said, while blinking with my left eye.
He pondered for a while, I do not know if I stunned him or it was just that difficult to decide, but in the end he still nodded. „Nice, see you tomorrow at nine", I responded, before skipping out of the room. A werewolf as semi-test-subject is nice and such a powerful one extremely rare.