Higgs is our king

Once again I don't see Harry very often. He's constantly caught up with Quidditch practice training hard to beat Hufflepuff, just like our team is spending every second training to beat Ravenclaw. He updates me on his research on Nicolas Flamel and the Philosopher's stone but besides that we don't get a lot of time together.
But I barely see anyone, especially Fred and George. Instead I spend my days studying hard, perfecting my homework and slowly earning back our house points.
I stay up late at nights studying in the common room and usually Draco is there, just staring into the fire and writing. We don't talk, ever but that also means we aren't fighting. He seems absent, even ignoring Crabbe and Goyle whenever they're around him.
By February I have only gained Slytherin a total of 60 house points, which kind of makes my efforts seem meaningless but Snape completely gave up on awarding me points and McGonagall seems a lot more careful with them as well.
However we all decide to take a day to forget about school and our worries when the match Slytherin against Ravenclaw stands before.
The team stays up late in the common room, going over their tactics one more time and giving each other pep talks.
During breakfast we all wish Terence luck and the rest of the team keeps heating him and Miles up.
Even Draco seems a lot more lively once we finally take our seats on the stance. He's chatting with Crabbe and Goyle, poking fun at Ravenclaw team.
"Why even bother with them. They should just award us with the Quidditch cup right now."
Then the players shoot out onto the field, flying in formation and waving at the cheering crowd.
Marcus Flint screams loudly, throwing his fist into the air, closely followed by Adrian and Graham. Terence at the end of the formation gets the loudest cheers. "HIGGS! HIGGS! HIGGS!" we yell as he flies past us also pumping his fist into the air.
Andy Brass rolls his eyes at Kingsley who throws him a kiss as he flies by. "That dick." mutters Andy "I definitely was a better Beater than that prick."
"You fucking weren't." mocks him one of his best friends.
Twenty minutes into the game the tone has shifted "I swear, if Flint fouls them one more time I'm jinxing him." says Nia "Bletchley is a decent Keeper but all of those penalties are going to cost us the game."
Adrian Pucey seems to be thinking the same thing, heavily flying into Flint and yelling something inaudible at him. Higgs and the substitute Seeker are far up in the air racing after the Golden Snitch while one of the Ravenclaw Chaser scores yet again.
"Higgs better hurry up." says Aidan pointing at the score board "160 to forty. We're dead meat."
But just a second later Terence shoots out of the sky, his fist up high and in it the snitch.
"TERENCE HIGGS CATCHES THE GOLDEN SNITCH!" yells Lee Jordan "SLYTHERIN WINS!"
And mayhem breaks out on the Slytherin stances.
Everybody is loudly cheering for Terence who's flying a few circles, showing everybody the snitch.
Later that evening Quidditch team throws a party in the common room, the Beaters David Boorman and Boris Kingsley carry Terence on their shoulders as they enter, followed by the rest of the team chanting "Higgs! Higgs! Higgs!" over and over again.
We all get up to applaud them.
"Today we celebrate like kings!" shouts Marcus pulling out a large bottle with a brown liquid in it. Just looking at it makes me uncomfortable.
"Fuck yeah!" shouts Terence hopping of the Beaters shoulders and taking the first big sip out of the bottle, coughing a little afterwards "To Slytherin!" He yells.
"To Slytherin!" screams the rest of the common room and someone turns on loud music.
I shake my head. "What's wrong?" asks Aidan.
"Higgs is only thirteen. It's disgusting they just let him drink."
"It's a celebration." says Aidan "He's an amazing Seeker, loosen up, Wilderwald."
I frown. Alcohol makes me painfully uncomfortable. People do things when they drink it. They hurt others, they hurt themselves but most importantly they act like complete idiots when they're drunk.
We sit down on the sofa and just watch the older students get progressively more wasted, the music blasting louder and louder as everyone begins to dance.
"Long live Higgs!
Long be his reign,
Higgs with his brilliant brain!
We love the way he catches the Snitch,
Faster than the wind!
We love the way he wins each game,
Will bring him lots of fame!
Long live Higgs!
The greatest of the great!
Braver than the lion's scum,
And handsome like the morning sun!"
The older Slytherins sing loudly just pushing Terence around to congratulate him.
"Well whoever wrote that song has absolutely no lyrical abilities." laughs Lorinda.
A fourth year, Rebecca Olson jumps into Flint's arms and begins snogging him. She must be completely out of her mind already.
"Oi, firs' years!" babbles Adrian appearing behind us "Isn't it past your sleepy sleepy time?" He giggles letting his head fall on his chest "I bet Malfoy's already cuddled up with his little stuffy dreaming of Daddyyy."
"A real intellectual." mutters Lorinda staring at Adrian just staggering over to a group of girls.
"They're going to be so hungover tomorrow." laughs Aidan.
As if Aidan's words summoned him, David Boorman walks up the stairs from the boys dorms with three more bottles of fire whiskey in his hands.
"Woooooo!" go many of the older students.
I roll my eyes "Shall we go to sleep before Snape brakes this little party up and we all get expelled?"
They all nod. Adrian jumps in our way as Nia, Lorinda and I are about to go up the stairs "You guys should stay. Live a little." He grins and his breath reeks of alcohol.
"Thanks." I say "But I think we've lived enough for a day. And-" I stare at him basically hanging onto the railing "it looks like you did as well."
He laughs, the stank hitting my nose even harder "Aaaaah go to bed kids. Or Santa might think you were naughty." he laughs about his own, what I assume was supposed to be a joke, and we move past him.
I fall back on my bed trying to get the smell of fire whiskey out of my nose. I hate that smell.
"Oi, Wilderwald." says Lorinda "Queen?"
I grin and turn on the player, skipping ahead to the Queen section of one of my mixtapes.
"You guys suck major balls." shouts Pansy jumping out of bed as soon as the first boom boom clap fills the room.
"Shit Pixie, forgot you were here." I laugh.
"Fuck you, Wilderwald. Turn that muggle shit off, I'm trying to sleep."
"Sorry Pixie, no can do." I raise my hands "You can't interrupt rock royalty."
She scoffs at me "Did you get fucked up as well?" she asks all of us.
We shake our heads "No way." I say. "It's barbaric."
"Well, I wouldn't call it barbaric." says Nia "But I'd prefer allowing my liver to fully develop before destroying it."
Pansy places her head in her hands "If they get caught we're in so much trouble."
Lorinda nods "I doubt Snape cares enough about Quidditch to let behaviour like that slide."
I watch closely as Pansy begins tapping her feet to the rhythm of Killer Queen. "Quite enjoying that muggle shit?" I laugh.
She seems like she's about to spit out an insult but then sighs "I've heard worse."
Lorinda and Nia exchange quick looks "Are you being... not completely insufferable right now, Parkinson?"
Pansy leans back and grabs a book from her nightstand "It's still shit but I'm too tired for fighting."
"What are you reading, anyways?" I ask.
She shows me the books cover "Magical Me by Gilderoy Lockhart. He's a genius. A hero. Amazing."
I doubt that "What's it about?" I ask.
"It's his autobiography, with many of his adventures. I've read most of his books already. He's really done it all. Went to Hogwarts as well, even though he was just a Ravenclaw. But I bet he would've done well in Slytherin."
"I bet." I mutter, recalling some Lockhart visions. From what I can see he strikes me as the perfect public image of a Slytherin. Braggy, desperate for fame and painfully arrogant.
"I've read the travel trilogy." says Lorinda "He really is quite amazing."
"Ugh it was great, wasn't it." says Pansy with excitement. She closes the book and sits up, beginning an excited conversation with Lorinda.
I myself open the Bridge to Terabithia and once again read chapter four, Rulers Of Terabithia.
"How many times are you planning on rereading that?" asks Nia "The pages are barely even holding on."
I shrug "I don't know."
"Leslie's always going to die in the end. The outcome won't change by rereading."
"I know." I sigh "She gives me comfort though... at least while she's still alive."
Nia shakes her head "There's books with characters who don't die, you know that, right?"
I shrug "I doubt they're any good."
She rolls her eyes "I never expected muggles to... create art like that."
"Like what?"
"The music, the literature, the poems. Even the paintings are beautiful, they don't move, which is odd, but they're beautiful."
I smile "It would be cool if the almond blossoms would move in the wind." I point at a small painting of Van Gogh pinned to Lorinda's bedside board.
"If the Mona Lisa just stopped smiling sometimes." adds Nia "Just got up to go to the loo or something."
I laugh "Imagine if she were a wizarding painting and her eyes were to actually follow people."
"The muggles would freak." nods Nia "I'd get a good laugh from that."
"I'd love to go the Louvre some day." I say quietly. Lorinda loves art. She has a bunch of muggle books just filled with paintings from different artist and of different periods. But none of them amaze me quite as much as the overview of all the paintings and statues in the Louvre.
Nia sighs "I'd love to go to Paris some day. Eliah told me about it. He went with his parents once."
I raise my eyebrows at her mention of Elijah "He tells you quite a lot, doesn't he?" I grin cheekily and Nia blushes.
"Anyways, he said we should all go some day. Maybe when we're a bit older. After school."
"You think we'll still be friends in seven years?"
She nods "Nobody's more loyal than Slytherins. My parents say friendships you make in Slytherin are forever."
I smile "Well, I guess you guys would be quite nice to spend forever with."
"Yeah... I am pretty awesome." laughs Nia.
Aidan was very right. Not a single boy from the Slytherin team came to breakfast the next morning, and there were maybe a total of six older students.
Rebecca Olson stares into her oatmeal, rubbing her head "I can't believe I snogged him." she says to her friend Kimberly "Flint, of all people." she shivers.
Kimberly holds back a giggle and says "Well, at least he's an athlete, you know."
Rebecca just frowns "I want to die."
Aidan laughs quietly "I had a feeling she might regret it." he whispers to me.
"It's Flint." I whisper back "Who wouldn't."
"Imagine snogging Flint." he grins "I have a feeling his teeth might get in the way."
I laugh "I'd prefer the troll from Halloween."
Aidan bursts out in laughter over that image.
In the common room Terence Higgs is still asleep on one of the sofas. Well, barely on it. One of his legs hangs over the back of the sofa, the rest of his body hovers over the ground.
"How could this possibly be comfortable?" whispers Nia.
"That's nothing compared to Pucey." Aidan laughs pointing over to Adrian who's laying under a desk.
"Oh shit." I mutter and run over to him where my suspicions turn out to be correct. "He must've hit his head passing out." I look at the blood on the table edge and surrounding his head.
"Shit!" mutters Aidan running over "What do we do?"
"Get a teacher of course!" says Lorinda.
Nia shakes her head "He's a third year. He'd be expelled for drinking."
"I think this is a bit more important."
"Let's get a seventh year first." I say. "If none of them can't help we get a teacher."
"The prefect talked about going to healing school when she's done with Hogwarts. Maybe she can help." says Elijah.
I nod "Lorinda, go get Gemma." I lift up Adrian's head. Luckily he's still breathing. "You guys, come help me get him to the sofa."
Nia and I lift up his torso, while carefully holding his head and Aidan and Elijah carry him by the legs. We carefully let him down onto the sofa, placing his injured head on the armrest.
"What an idiot." I say quietly. I also go over to Terence and move him onto the couch, moving his head to the side so he won't choke on his own vomit... just in case.
"Oh no." says Gemma rushing over to us. "Good thing, you got me." she shakes her head and pulls out her wand "Vulnera Sanentur." she carefully moves her wand over Adrian's wound. "Luckily for him, the skull isn't fractured, so he'll just be left with a nasty bruise. "Rennervate!" a red light flashes from her wand and Adrians eyes open.
"You idiot. You dim-witted, thick idiot!" says Gemma to him.
He goes to grab his head and cries out when he touches it "What happened?"
"You got wasted and hit your head." I say.
"Can't you heal it?" he cries.
"I just did." snaps Gemma at him "Honestly injuries like that can end deadly. This is ten points from Slytherin."
"Oh Gemma, be cool." he says "It's not my fault I hit my head."
"It is. I'm going to have a word with Flint now, I'm assuming he's the one who smuggled the fire-whiskey in?"
We nod.
She puffs "Typical. Goddamn Flint." She turns around to look at Terence "What's with Higgs?" she asks.
"Maybe still asleep, maybe passed out." I shrug.
She rolls her head and wakes him up with a second "Rennervate." and Terence immediately throws up onto the carpet.
"Disgusting. The pride of Slytherin house." I mutter.
"Oh please kill me." he says grabbing his head "This is hell."
"If I ever see you two, or any other third year drink, I will have each and every single one of you expelled." shouts Gemma at them. They both cover their ears and stare at the ground.
"Sorry." they whisper.
"Off to your dorms now." says Gemma "And you will attend both lunch and dinner." she stares at the vomit next to her feet "And you'll both clean your messes up by this evening."
"I made a mess?" asks Adrian scratching his head.
I point over to the blood on the table and under it.
"Oh shit." he mutters.
"Yeah, oh shit." scoffs Lorinda.
During lunch the table stays rather empty. There's a few more hungover teens, including Terence and Adrian, who move the food on their plate around but barely eat anything.
During dinner the table is finally completely filled, however still rather quiet.
"Wild party, yesterday?" asks Cedric greeting me on the way out.
"First of many." I say.
He laughs "Well, I don't assume you expect to win against Hufflepuff, do you?"
I laugh "Please, beating Hufflepuff will be the easiest thing, yet."
He smirks "So sure of yourself. Expect to be disappointed."
"Talking to yourself, Diggory?"
He grins "Your arrogance will be your doom." he salutes me with a small wave of his fingers and leaves.
I stare after him for a little too long and Lorinda punches me in the arm "Stop swooning, Wilderwald. Let's go take a nap before we get out at night."
"Swooning?" asks Aidan "Over the Hufflepuff?"
I roll my eyes "Bullshit."
"Oh please." laughs Nia "I bet all you think about is snogging him."
"I do not!" I look at her "Besides do you really wanna go there?" I glance at Elijah and Nia blushes.
"Wait so you do like him?" asks Aidan.
I shake my head "They're imagining things. I couldn't care less."
He smiles a little "Good. Don't waste your time."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I raise my eyebrows.
He shrugs "Just that we've got better things to do with our lives than to swoon over some forth year."
Gryffindor wins the next match against Hufflepuff with an impressive catch from Harry.
"That must be a new best time!" shouts Elijah while we all keep cheering for Harry who by now is surrounded by his house members.
After the game I wait outside the locker room to congratulate Harry. Fred and George pass me by first, chatting energetically with the three Chasers.
"Would you look at that." says Fred "A wild Wilderwald, no books in sight."
"Well I wouldn't assume she's here for us though." says George.
"Of course not. Been avoiding us for two months."
"I haven't been avoiding anyone." I say "I just tried staying out of trouble and unfortunately, you two are nothing but trouble."
They grin at each other "Well, she's not wrong Georgie."
"Absolutely not."
"Suppose we better stay out of your way then, eh?" asks Fred, softly punching me in the shoulder. Before I can say another word they run after Angelina Jones, leaving me with nothing but a quick "Bye!"
I look after Fred until he disappears around a corner and then go back to waiting for Harry. The next to leave the locker room is a tall, muscular boy with dark hair. "Are you lost, Slytherin?" he grunts at me.
"Just waiting for someone." I say calmly.
"Oh right, I know you. You're that kid that landed three of my players in detention."
"Actually, they landed themselves in detention." I try to sound confident but he looks like he could crack my head like a walnut. I also notice, he's quite handsome "I'm assuming you're Oliver Wood then."
He nods "That would be me. Haven, correct?"
I nod "You're the Keeper?"
"And Captain."
I nod "Cool."
"Yeah. If you're waiting for Harry, he'll be out any minute now. Otherwise you're wasting your time."
I shake my head "No, I'm waiting for Harry."
"Alright then... bye."
"Bye."
Finally Harry comes out of the room, carrying his broom. "Congratulations!" I say, hugging him proudly "You were awesome out there. I've never seen a catch like that."
He smiles "Thank you. I was honestly quite scared Snape might kill me before I had a chance to even see it."
"Why would he?"
"I told you. He's after the stone, he hates me he-"
"Oh yeah... that."
He stares at me "This is serious."
I raise my hands "I know, I know." we walk towards the broom shed.
Harry leans against it's wooden door and looks up to the castle.
"You okay?"
He nods "I'm just really happy. We showed-"
W
"What?"
He points at a hooded figure leaving the castle and approaching the forbidden forest. "That's Snape. Look at him. It seems like he doesn't want to be followed." he mounts his broom.
"Wait." I say quickly and grab a shooting star from the broom shed "I'm not letting you anywhere near that forest, alone."
We quickly, well Harry quickly, me with shooting star speed, follow Snape into the forest.
"This is a bad idea." I whisper as we fly closely above the trees.
He shushes me and points into the direction, muffled voices are sounding through the branches.
We fly closer towards the voices, quietly landing in a large tree.
I quickly place my broom on two branches, making sure to not make a noise before turning myself into an owl. Harry stares at me for a second before quietly moving forward in the tree to get a better look.
I've never been an owl before, so it takes me a few tries but I manage to fly closer to the ground, making it look like I'm on the search for food. My heart drops when I recognize the person Snape is talking to, to be Quirrell.
"I r-really d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus..."
"Oh I thought we'd keep this private." says Snape coolly "Students aren't supposed to know about the Philosopher's Stone after all."
I look up to Harry who's face is dangerously shining through the branches.
"Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"
"B-b-but Severus I-"
"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell." interrupts him Snape, closing up to Quirrell.
"I-I don't know what you-"
"You know perfectly well what I mean."
An owl hoots loudly and flies right towards me. Fuck off. I shake my wings a little but the owl keeps softly picking my feathers.
What the fuck do you want? I hoot back, quietly, hoping it means something like "Piss off." on owlish.
Once I shake the Owl off, Snape is already leaving, Quirrell standing alone in the forest.
He stands there for a while, silently whispering to himself. I fly a little closer trying to hear what exactly he's whispering.
"Do it." says a quiet voice coming from Quirrell's direction.
"H-he's after me."
"I don't care. Do it. I need it."
Quirrell's head shoots around, looking directly in my direction "I-I d-don't-"
"Do as your told."
"Y-yes m-master." then he finally walks off and I fly back to Harry, sitting down on the branch and turning into myself again.
Harry stares at me with wide eyes "Quirrell's protecting the stone."
"What?"
"He's the only one standing between Snape and the stone. And here I was, thinking he was this coward but... wow."
I stare at him. That's his takeaway from what just happened?
We fly back to the broom-shed and quickly run towards the castle "I've gotta tell Ron and Hermione everything! Are you coming?"
I shake my head "Nah... I better go to the others."
He nods "Alright then. See you."
I nod and walk over to Slytherin table.
"There you are!" says Lorinda "Malfoy's been going on about how disgraceful it was for us to cheer for Harry."
"I'm surprised he noticed, considering he beat up Ron instead of watching the game."
"He asked for it." scoffs Malfoy.
"I bet he did. You definitely didn't provoke a fight, like you always do." I turn to my friends "I gotta go find Snape. Do you know where he is?"
They shake their heads "Why would you do that?"
"I need to talk to him." I run out of the Hall and down to the dungeons. I knock at the door of the potion's classroom. After a few seconds it swings open and Snape's black eyes stare down at me.
"Shouldn't you be at dinner?"
I ignore his question and walk into the room. "I know you were talking to Professor Quirrell."
He glares at me "I had a feeling that owl was acting rather odd. Twenty po-"
"Professor, who is he?" I interrupt him.
"That's hardly any of your business, Mrs. Wilderwald."
"Dumbledore is making you keep an eye on him. Why?"
He shakes his head "That is none of your concerns."
I stare at him "Quirrell knows that I don't trust him, Sever- Professor."
"Well, that's your own mistake."
"Do you know who he is? What he's doing?"
He stares at me "Does it matter?"
"Well-"
"Off to bed."
"Professor, you know he's dangerous. I'm asking you to-"
He cuts me off with a movement of his hand "I've got everything under control."
"Oh, do you now. You don't even know how to calm Fluffy."
He scoffs "What a ridiculous name, Fluffy."
"Oh yea, because that's the point." I say sarcastically "Dumbledore told me to stay out of it but-"
"Then stay out of it!"
"He's going to hurt Harry."
"Is he going to kill him?"
I shake my head "But-"
"Then everything is alright, isn't it." he points at the door "Out. Now."
"Why won't you just tell me what you know? Maybe I can help."
"Nobody needs your help. Out, now."
I clench my jaw "One hell of a teacher you are." and storm out of the room.