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PROFESSOR Dumbledore was away from Hogwarts again, searching for Gellert Grindelwald. The substitute Transfigurations professor was not that bad, but Athena knew Professor Dumbledore taught better, even though she would never admit it.

Walking out of the Transfiguration classroom with the other students, Athena pulled out her schedule from the bag she slung over her shoulder a minute ago.

She had already gone through Ancient Runes—having done another test she excelled in, same with Riddle, of course—and Defense Against the Dark Arts, which was boring since all they did was read from the textbook.

Now, though, she had Potions.

Athena would have rathered going through the boring Defense Against the Dark Arts class again.

"Potions next," said Lucinda after leaning over to check the schedule in Athena's hand, a frown on her face. She hadn't been bothered to get her own schedule from her bag, since she had the same exact classes as Athena anyway.

Athena winced, remembering Lucinda was Druella's potions partner. "At least the two of you spend the lesson in silence," tried the girl.

Lucinda nodded, agreeing with her.

She had already mentioned ages ago how her partnership with Druella was spent in silence in potions, even though the silence was more awkward than anything else.

Walking through the corridors of Hogwarts, Athena slung an arm over Lucinda's shoulder, giving her friend a comforting smile. "Don't worry about it, Cindy. Potions will pass by quicker than you think?"

"Cindy?" Lucinda's eyebrows raised in surprise, watching her friend's lips curl up into a grin. She let out a laugh—though felt the warmth seeping into her heart, cracking her moody behavior.

"Lucinda—Cinda does not sound well," explained Athena as they continued to walk, her arm still over her friend's shoulder, giving her a sense of comfort and security at the same time. "Cindy sounds better, I reckon. Or do you have a better idea?"

No." Lucinda's grin matched her own.

Clutching the book in her other hand to her chest, Athena's grin did not falter.

Only when they reached the Potions classroom did it falter.

She rolled her eyes when she noticed Riddle hunched over his Potions textbook, sitting in his usual seat beside hers.

Potions was not her favorite class anymore, even though she was damn good at it—and the fact that Riddle was as good as her in it did not help.

It only made their potions better, and made Professor Slughorn beam every single time without fail.

Athena let her arm fall from Lucinda's shoulders and let out an inaudible groan, already dreading the class she had to endure an hour in.

"Goodluck," whispered Lucinda with a look of pity before finding her own seat beside the quiet-Druella's.

She did not pay the girl that used to be her friend a glance and opted to read from her Potions textbook for once instead. And if Druella noticed, she did not point it out, and was doing the same.

Students were bustling through the doors—both Gryffindors and Slytherins.

So Athena quickly found her seat next to Riddle's and sat down before taking out her textbook from her bag.

Riddle did not even glance at her.

But she noticed the way his posture stiffened.

And she could not stop the sense of satisfaction flowing through her at the fact that her mere existence seemed to annoy him.

She could not stop the little smirk crossing her lips as she opened her Potions textbook and waited for the Professor to arrive and tell them the Potion they had to make that class.

Soon enough, Professor Slughorn burst through the door and looked around his classroom. Half of it was filled with the energetic Gryffindor fifth-years, while the other half was filled with the quiet Slytherin fifth-years.

When he cleared his throat, the Gryffindors finally quietened, giving the class a sense of silence.

"Welcome, class. For today, I think it is important to remind you all of the examinations coming up this June, which is only four months away." Professor Slughorn looked at them all, his lips pursed.

Some groaned at the mention of O.W.Ls, wanting to ignore it for just a little bit longer.

Athena, though, tensed at the mention of the examinations. She was already stressed enough, and was sure that if she put a finger underneath her eyes, she would feel the deep bags she got from all the late night studying.

"Because of which, today you will be making one of the most important Potions that the O.W.Ls require you to do." Professor Slughorn walked to his desk, where a stack of papers and Potions books lay. "The Hair-rising potion."

Some exchanged looks at the sound of it. It did not seem so exciting—not the way other potions did, like the Polyjuice potion they made a month ago.

Riddle leaned in, his voice dripping with cold disdain as he whispered to his potions partner, "I'm sure if you took a good look at your marks, it would have the same effect as the potion."

Athena lifted her chin slightly, her smile frosty and measured. She held his gaze, unflinching. "If that's the case, I suppose it would apply to you as well, since our marks are exactly the same."

The tension hung between them like a heavy fog, each word sharpening the air.

A muscle ticked in Riddle's jaw as he looked away, listening to the instructions Professor Slughorn was giving about the potion.

Athena, meanwhile, already knew how to do it from the studying nights and wanted it to just be over soon.

She was not so lucky, since Riddle was being more insufferable than usual ten minutes later as they made the potion.

Stirring it the way she was supposed to, Athena did not look up from the bubbling cauldron after yet another one of Riddle's taunts.

"Riddle, you should stop focusing on me so much and actually start focusing on something more important. Something like the fact that Hogwarts will shut down soon, since you killed Myrtle Warren." At that, she gave him a sharp look.

"Shut your mouth or someone might hear you!" Riddle seethed quietly. His eyes narrowed a moment letter as she rolled her eyes and looked back at the cauldron, his disdain towards her obvious. Though, her words stuck. "What do you mean Hogwarts is shutting down? The petrifications have stopped."

She rolled her eyes for the second time in the span of ten seconds. "They might have stopped, but the culprit—" she looked him up and down with a curled lip " —is still not found. So the Minister and Headmaster Dippet have agreed on shutting Hogwarts down after this year ends."

Riddle's hands clenched around his textbook as he stared into the distance. An idea seemed to pop in his head, and the calculation in his eyes was obvious to Athena.

"Whatever you have got planned, do it fast," Athena whispered, swallowing in an effort to hide the sheer desperation in her voice.

His gaze snapped to hers, eyes boring into her hazel ones that looked into his black ones.

The same emotion in her eyes was also in his.

A silent understanding passed between them. Perhaps the only understanding they would ever have towards each other.

Hogwarts was their only home. The two had nowhere else to go and call home.

"I will handle it," replied Riddle in a whisper.

Athena looked away first, feeling her heart thump in her chest. The way his words were laced with certainty and confidence gave her hope.

She did not want Hogwarts to be shut down—did not want to go back to Beauxbatons. Not when she loved Hogwarts so much.

The rest of the lesson passed by in silence for the two, but not for Abraxas Malfoy and Cygnus Black—both of whom were mumbling angrily to each other about how many rat hairs they had to put in the potion.

Meanwhile, in the midst of the brewing chaos, Lyall Lupin, a Gryffindor boy with tousled hair and an easy grin, miscalculated a crucial step in the potion he was concocting with Fleamont Potter.

The mixture erupted violently, sending a vivid splash of green ooze cascading through the air. The sticky ooze rained down on them, drenching Lyall and Fleamont, as well as the startled Gryffindors surrounding them, who squealed and ducked, laughter mingling with the chaos.

One of the Gryffindor girls—Euphemia, Athena thought her name was—grimaced in disgust, trying to shake the green ooze out of her hair. "Eugh!" she exclaimed, her friend nodding in agreement and disgust with the same problem.

Fleamont Potter wiped the ooze by his hands from his face, offering the girl he was dating an apologetic smile. "Sorry, darling." He turned to Lupin, slapping his friend's neck. "Lupin, you bloody idiot!"

Lyall Lupin clutched the back of his neck that had just been slapped, though he should have been more focused on the ooze that was dripping from his hair and onto his Gryffindor robe.

The Slytherins couldn't contain their laughter, snickering at the spectacle with gleeful malice.

Their amusement grew as Professor Slughorn, his expression a mix of exasperation and bemusement, ushered the Gryffindors out of the classroom.

With a resigned wave, he docked house points, then pointedly suggested they take a shower to wash off the remnants of their failed potion.

"Who's slimy now, Gryffindors?" Dorian Nott's voice sliced through the chaos, dripping with mockery. The taunt echoed just as the Gryffindors were hurried out.

As Professor Slughorn closed the door behind them, the Slytherins leaned in closer, their grins widening, fully savoring the moment.

Athena could not stop a laugh falling from her own lips, shaking her head at Nott's words.

The phrase "Slimy Slytherins" circulated throughout the school like a well-worn chant, a common insult directed at the House that went through more hate than the others: the Slytherins.

That being said, the fact that the Gryffindors had slimy ooze all over them brought them way more satisfaction than they thought was possible.

Athena gave the boy an appreciative grin, who grinned back and threw her a wink.

She turned away, eyes landing on the boy beside her, whose narrowed eyes were on Dorian Nott.

She rolled her eyes and looked at the clock on the wall.

The class would end soon, and she had two more classes for the day: Divination—which she was glad, for once, that Druella had quit it ages ago and she wouldn't have to suffer the awkwardness Lucinda seemed to be facing at the moment—and Astronomy, which was going to be done late at night.

She would have to start and finish studying earlier than usual that night, then.