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"Right, class," Professor Jenkins said. "We are going to get right to work. Please take out your copies of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Flip to page seven of the A-Z section."

Dahlia smiled at her book. Wishing to appease the teacher, she opened her book to the assigned page, but she already had all the information memorized. She blamed it on her photographic memory.

"Right, is everyone there?" Jenkins asked.

"Yes, Professor," the class all chorused.

Jenkins grinned. "Good. Now, skim over on the information about the basilisk." The class did as told, all except for Dahlia, who just sat there impatiently. "Everyone good? Now, shut your books."

In confusion, all the students did so. One Slytherin complained,"Where am I gonna get the info now?"

Jenkins smiled. "Right. I'll call one Ravenclaw up and one Slytherin. Let's see. . ." He pointed to Dahlia and Orion. "You and you. A girl and a boy. Perfect."

Dahlia smirked. "You're goin' down, Orion," she said, making her way to the front of the class.

"Nickname of the basilisk!" Jenkins shouted.

"King of Serpents!" Dahlia exclaimed.

"Who was the first known breeder?"

"Herpo the Foul, a Greek Dark Wizard. His basilisk was told to have lived for up to nine hundred years."

"And how did he do it?"

"He got a chicken's egg and had a toad sit on it. When it hatched, it was a basilisk."

"Describe the monster!" Jenkins cried.

"Vivid green. They can reach up to fifty feet in length. Males have scarlet plumes atop their heads."

"And?"

Orion shouted, his brow furrowed in confusion,"Small yellow eyes-"

"Large," Dahlia corrected.

"Whatever," Orion mumbled. "And venomous teeth."

"What is the deadliest out of all the basilisk's attributes?" Jenkins asked.

"Its large yellow eyes will kill on sight, literally. If one stares directly at a basilisk's gaze even for a millisecond, they will still die." Dahlia's back was like a straight steel rod.

"What else?"

Seconds passed in silence. Orion smiled, for Dahlia clearly did not know the answer. "If you look into a basilisk's eyes indirectly, you'll turn to stone."

"Examples!"

"A couple of years ago, here at the school, where the last basilisk sighting was, a few students saw the basilisk. For instance, a reflection in a puddle, taking a picture with a camera, looking through one of the ghosts."

"And who killed it?"

"Harry Potter!" both students shouted at the same time.

Jenkins smiled wide. "Great! Since you two just answered all the questions on our pop-quiz. . ." All the Slytherin students groaned. This stirred up a response of laughter among the Ravenclaws. "You two can have some free time. Don't care what you do with it, just get out of my sight," the teacher said with a playful wink.

"But, what about the test, Professor?" Cassia asked. Dahlia smiled; she was glad that Cassia cared about her.

"Now, now," Jenkins muttered, wagging his finger at her. "Don't you fret. They'll be getting a hundred percent."

"Whoo-hoo!" Dahlia exclaimed, punching her fist in the air.

"Americans," one kid muttered.

"Don't mock her," Orion snapped. Dahlia's chest swelled with pride.

With a nervous giggle, Dahlia literally dragged Orion out the classroom door, to embarrassed to be seen blushing like an idiot in front of all her schoolmates. "C'mon, bub."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Orion said with a sarcastic sigh.

On the shore of the lake, Orion and Dahlia sat side by side, shoulder to shoulder.

"So, what's it like in America?" Orion asked Dahlia.

"What's it like in Britain?" she retorted. Dahlia felt way more relaxed than she usually did.

"I asked you first." Inwardly, Dahlia smiled.

"Alright. In Maine, it's cold and rainy in the winter in my town, and in the summer, it's pretty warm."

"Well, that sounds nice. Just like on the outskirts of London."

"Ooh, you live in London."

"Yes. Yes, I do," Orion said, wrapping one of his arms around Dahlia's midsection. "Maybe you could visit during the Christmas holidays."

"Maybe I could." Gently, both students turned to each other. They leaned towards one another, and kissed. Dahlia let herself lean into the kiss a little bit more, calm and collected.

Neither noticed James Potter watching enviously from a slight ways away, his eyes trained on one specific person; his gaze was for her and her only. Dahlia.

Dahlia Wood was kissing his predetermined nemesis, Orion Malfoy.

And only one thought was on his mind. Revenge.