As soon as the class came to an end, Diana quickly packed her bag and made a run over the door, leaving the classroom as fast as she could. She hurried toward the entrance hall, where she always met up with Layla after their separate classes.

The walk back to the main tower took quicker for her than in the morning, probably because Diana was too lost in her thoughts to even pay attention to her surroundings.

Once she reached the entrance hall, she saw Layla standing by the Great Hall's doorway, flirting with a sixth year Hufflepuff boy. Shaking her head with a little grin, Diana leaned against the wall, waiting for Layla's conversation to come to an end.

When she saw the boy waving Layla goodbye and walk into the Great Hall, Diana finally approached her friend, who was still standing by the doorway.

"And who is the new lucky boy?" Diana asked as Layla joined her and the two of them made their way out of the castle.

"Ben. Short for Benjamin." Layla grinned. "Got myself a date for the upcoming Hogsmeade trip."

"Of course you did." Diana laughed, knowing her best friends all too well. Layla never went to Hogsmeade without a date, and never with the same guy. "Did you also warn him that you have a little brother who will kick his arse if he crosses the line?"

"Not yet. But I'll make sure to mention it," Layla said with a little laugh. "Anyway, how was Ancient Runes?" she asked as the two of them sat down on the freshly-cut grass, enjoying the sunny weather while it lasted.

"It was a nightmare " Diana grumbled, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples.

Layla chuckled. "What happened?"

"Remus Lupin happened," Diana replied with a grimace.

"Ooh, am I hearing the start of a love story?" Layla nudged her with a teasing grin.

"No! Shut up!" Diana pushed her on the arm playfully, but Layla only laughed harder. "It's not like that!"

"That's what everyone says at the beginning."

"No! And you know what? That boy is not as innocent as he looks! I can feel it!"

"What did he do?"

"He — he answered a question, I tried to correct him, but turns out he was right —"

"What a monster!" Layla gasped dramatically.

"That's not what I'm getting at. When I got it wrong, he actually smiled. I saw it! It was a cocky, evil grin. He's more troublesome than what he lets on, trust me."

"Who? The sugar-pie boy?" Layla scoffed. "Lupin does not look like the troublesome type. He's too innocent for that."

"I mean, how innocent can he be when his best pals are James Potter and Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew?"

"Hmm... good point."

"Well, I'm just glad we don't have another Ancient Runes class for another week."

"Maybe. But we still have Potions, Transfigurations, and Defense Against the Dark Arts with Gryffindors this year."

"Ugh, why did you have to remind me?" Diana groaned, dropping herself down on the grass so now she was laying on her back, while Layla chuckled at her state.

***

After their classes that day, the Slytherin Quidditch team was holding their first practice in the afternoon. Diana bid Layla goodbye after they left the Charms' classroom, and so she made her way down to the Quidditch field.

She walked into the ladies' locker room, only to find it empty as usual, seeing as she was the only girl in the their team. Changing into her green robes, Diana put her messy curls into a low bun and took her broom and bat, walking through the field to where she thought the others would already be gathered.

   But as she stepped into the field, she only found Regulus Black standing there with his broom in hand. He was the Slytherin Seeker, and had joined the team last year along with Diana. Although he was a year bellow her, and therefore younger.

"Hey," said Diana as she approached him, and Regulus gave her a curt nod in response. "Where are the others?"

"Late. As usual." He shrugged. Regulus didn't seem to be much of a talker, and Diana was glad that she didn't have to make small-talk. And frankly, he was glad too.

     One by one, the rest of the players started arriving, but last was the Slytherin Captain himself, Hamish Baker. He was the perfect Keeper, being the tallest boy in the team with broad shoulders and large features.

     "Okay, team," Hamish started, as the others gathered around him, waiting for his instructions, "Ravenclaw might not be a threat this year, but Hufflepuffs have Gwenog Jones, and she's proven to be a hard competition in the past few years."

     This was always how Hamish started his speeches at the beginning of each practice; by going through the strength and weaknesses of all the others team, and how they could best them.

     "Gryffindors have a new captain this year, and a brand new team with only three of the old ones in it," Hamish went on, "so we don't know how good they're gonna be. That's not a good risk, because our first game this season is with the Gryffindors. We need to be prepared."

     "Who's the new captain?" Tom Walker asked, who was one of the three Chasers. "Sirius Black? Or James Potter?"

"Neither," said Finn Martin, his grin widening. "Their new Captain is that Gryffindor freak. The Metamorphmagus."

Finn was the other Slytherin Beater. He had dark hair and brown eyes, his smirk always a little crooked. And for obvious reasons, Diana despised his whole existence.

"Weren't you the one who forgot to protect Tom from a Bludger last year in our game against Gryffindor because you were too busy gawking at her?" Diana raised a brow at Finn, and his smirk immediately dropped.

"Watch your mouth," Finn snarled at her, a sense of threat in his tone.

"Or what?" Diana scoffed, a sneer spreading across her face. "You'll call me a freak too? Ouch... that's definitely gonna hurt my non-existence feelings," she said sarcastically, placing a hand over her heart with a mocking hurt expression.

"Cut it out, you two!" Hamish snapped, silencing them. "Everyone, mount your broom. We only have the pitch for three hours. Get to practicing!"

Hamish was first to shoot through the air, and the rest of the team followed his action. Diana was certain that the whole team hated her. She had made a reputation for herself, specially when it came to arguing with Finn.

He and some of the other players had tried to convince Hamish to kick her out of the team and get a new Beater, saying that a girl wasn't strong enough for the Beater's position. But Diana had proved them all wrong on numerous occasions.

As much as Hamish wasn't apposed to the idea of kicking her out, he still needed her on the team. Because even though his pride would never allow him to say it out loud, he knew no one could go as brutal as Diana Greengrass when it came to knocking someone off their broom with the bat and Bludgers.

      As soon as the players flew upward, Hamish released the four Quidditch balls. Regulus let the Golden Snitch get far enough before flying after it to catch it as fast as he could. Hamish stood over the hoops to guard them as the three Chasers tried to goal the Quaffle. The two Bludgers were set free as well, and the Beaters' job in practice was to defend the other players from being hit.

      With the bat in one hand and holding her broom's handle with the other, Diana hovered in mid-air, suddenly noticing a Bludger nearing her in full speed. She could've just sent it in the other direction, but only a few feet bellow her Finn was flying, staring at a group of Slytherin girls who had come to watch the practice in the stands.

     Diana felt the edge of her lips curl up into a smirk as she saw the opportunity right before eyes. And so, the moment the Bludger reached her, she gave her bat a hard swish, sending the Bludger toward where Finn hovered in mid-air, not too far from the ground.

      "AARGH!" Finn let out a shriek the moment the Bludger hit him with force, knocking him off his broom and throwing him to the ground. Everyone gasped, looking over to make sure he was all right.

     "Oops," Diana said innocently, trying to suppress her smile.