Maya Dursley [ABANDONED, ENDING REVEALED]

48: Prefect Training and a Toad

It was Maya's favourite day of the year. Her birthday was great and all, she supposed, but it had truly nothing on September the first. Like always her spirits soared when she caught sight of the Hogwarts Express, belching sooty steam over a platform packed with departing students and their families.

Maya stood there for a few moments, inhaling the familiar smell and her brand-new, spotless Slytherin Prefect badge proudly pinned on her chest. She did not see her friends, but as she heaved her trunk into the train she did catch a glimpse of Harry and his... entourage. He appeared to be escorted by the Weasleys, the werewolf Lupin, Mad-Eye Moody, some old woman Maya did not know and finally a bear-like black dog that actually reared on to its hind legs to place its front paws on Harry's shoulders. Wish I was important enough to be escorted Maya thought bitterly, at the same time realising that he indeed got off again. She just boarded the train and within seconds Harry and his fan club were completely out of view.

She found her friends in a compartment near the front of the train. "Wow, don't you look smashing," Draco said after the first greetings had been exchanged, immediately taking notice of her new look. The train began to move.

"Don't I," Maya said casually, but fondly putting a finger on her shiny, new nostril piercing just the same.

"And I knew you'd get that, well done!" he said, pointing at her gleaming Prefect badge.

"And you," Maya responded, looking at his badge in turn, "I can't deny I'm chuffed to bits about this, it was about time this school recognised my talents. Besides, between you and me, I'd have been absolutely gutted if that daft cow Pansy had been chosen instead."

"Aren't you two going to sit down?" Vincent asked. The train was gathering still more speed and as the houses outside the window flashed past, Maya and Draco swayed where they stood.

"Afraid not, chum. Draco and I are supposed to go into the Prefect carriage, you know, to hear in which ways we'll be able to abuse our newly given powers," Maya said, holding on to the compartment door to keep her balance. The faces of Vincent and Gregory fell; without Draco or Maya they always felt rather lost. "Don't worry, we'll be back before you know it. No way we'll have to stay there all journey," Maya said soothingly, as Vincent and Gregory helped her stow her trunk and Aurelia's cage in the overhead luggage rack.

A few moments later, Maya and Draco were making their way towards the Prefect carriage. The train rattled onwards, speeding them out into open country. "You know, I like this new you, but I do miss your long hair. It was always very convenient to have something in reach to wipe my fingers clean with," Draco said.

"Yeah, but it constantly got in the way and... wait, what?" Maya said, glaring at him and lazily shoving aside a timid looking first year girl who had been blocking her path.

"Just kidding!"

The Prefect carriage basically consisted of two adjacent compartments that had the wall between them removed to form one big space filled with seats. The Head Boy and Girl, from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff respectively, sat in the middle facing the corridor while the newly elected Prefects took their seats around them. Maya sat down opposite Ron and Hermione, who evidently were the Gryffindor Prefects. She recognised the faces of the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Prefects, but frankly was not too sure on their names; she had never bothered to actually learn them.

"Well, don't you look... different," Ron told her, when she accidentally caught his eye. She could tell he was surveying her hair and nostril piercing.

"Wish you did. What are you doing here anyway, saving Harry's seat while he's giving another interview?" Maya spat at him immediately. Draco sniggered appreciatively.

"No, I'm a Prefect," Ron said calmly, pointing at his scarlet and gold badge.

"Come off it, only a truly gormless person would make a knobhead like you a Prefect!" Maya sneered, but then the Head Boy cleared his throat and they fell silent, turning their attention towards him. Maya, however, kept her gaze on Ron for a few more seconds and smirked at the Gryffindor.

"Welcome everyone, and congratulations on having been made Prefects! Now, there's more to being a Prefect than just walking around with a cool badge on your robes, it also comes with various responsibilities. Will you do the honours, Valeria?" the Head Boy said, now looking at the Head Girl.

"Certainly," Valeria said, unrolling a large piece of parchment, "I'll tell you about your Prefect duties in chronological order, to hopefully make them easier to remember. First you're to patrol the corridors of the train to make sure nobody's misbehaving. Should you find they are, you can either deduct points or give them a detention as a form of punishment. The way that works is that you report them to their Head of House and they will then decide on whether the detention was fairly given and what it could consist of if so. Then, after the feast tonight you will show the first years of your house the way to the common room. Throughout the school year, the most common duty you will be assigned to is patrolling hallways to ensure that other students are not breaking curfew. You will be informed well ahead when you are scheduled to do so, so that you can plan your studies around it. Trust me, you'll be wise to do that because the fifth year is extremely demanding. Lastly, you can be assigned to supervise smaller activities like the decorating of the castle for Christmas, or to watch over the younger students when bad weather keeps them indoors over break times. Broadly speaking, that's what you'll be doing, but there's also perks. Having been a Prefect looks very good on your CV, and there's a Prefect bathroom on the fifth floor. Check that one out as soon as you can, it's absolutely ace!" the Head Girl finished brightly.

Maya had listened very carefully, but now expected that they would be dismissed. However, much to her displeasure, the Head Boy then had all of them tell a little something about themselves and why they thought they had been made Prefects.

"Just so you get to know each other even better and what your best qualities are. Teamwork makes the dream work!" the Head Boy said happily.

That was all fine and dandy, but Maya hardly listened when the other Prefects spoke, and when it was her turn she kept it rather basic, only mentioning that she was strong academically and that she felt a great sense of responsibility to the school. The latter was not a lie per se, but she was mostly in it for herself. When finally they were free to leave, almost an hour had passed and when Maya looked outside she saw that the city had made way for towns and villages.

When Maya and Draco returned to their compartment, they found that evidently the food trolley had already gone by considering Vincent and Gregory were pigging out on Chocolate Frogs and other types of candy.

"Well, sharing is caring," Maya said, throwing herself into the seat next to Vincent and grabbing a Cauldron Cake from the vast pile of sweets. They chatted and ate away happily for a while, and when the food was all but gone Draco got to his feet.

"Let's go and see what Potter's opinion is on the Prefect selections," he drawled, "we're supposed to patrol the corridors anyway, aren't we?"

"You know what, I'd love to know that too. I'll come with," Maya said, getting to her feet as well. A few seconds later, all four of them were making their way through the train, peering into every compartment as they passed. They finally found the Gryffindor trio, accompanied by Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom and a girl Maya did not know in the very last compartment. Smirking, Draco opened the door.

"Prepare for trouble!" he said.

"And make it double!" Maya said, coming into view from behind him.

"What?" Harry said aggressively.

"Manners, Potter, or I'm afraid I'll have to give you a detention," Draco drawled, "because, you see, I, and your superior cousin here, unlike you, have been made Prefects, which means that we, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."

"Yeah, but you, unlike me, are pathetic gits, so why don't you just piss off and leave us alone," Harry said coolly. Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville laughed. The girl Maya did not know was reading a magazine upside-down, not paying the slightest attention to them or the conversation. Draco's lip curled.

"Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?" he asked.

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Hermione said sharply.

"Oh, I seem to have touched a nerve," Draco said, still smirking, "but you just watch yourself, Potter, because I'll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of line."

Maya did not understand why her friend put so much emphasis on 'dogging'. Maybe it had something to do with the black dog that had been with Harry on platform nine and three-quarters, but right now she had more pressing matters on her mind. She looked at her cousin.

"Looks like I finally got one over on you, Harry, considering I'm a Prefect and you're not, as Draco here was so kind to point out already. I must say it makes for a nice change, and one I can definitely get used to," she said with a slight sneer.

"Well, congratulations on having the best day of your life then," Harry said drily.

"Get out!" Hermione said before Maya could respond, standing up. The Slytherins gave the Gryffindors one last malicious look and then departed.

When they got back to their own compartment, they quickly pulled on their school robes. Maya and Draco pinned their Prefect badges carefully to their chests and Maya checked her reflection in the rain-spattered window.

Darkness fell and lamps came on inside the carriages, and Maya was looking forward to the feast. Sweets were fine and all, but now she very much wanted a real nosh. At last, the train began to slow down and they heard the usual racket up and down it as everybody scrambled to get their luggage and pets assembled, ready to get off. Prefects were supposed to supervise all this and thus Maya and Draco were forced to leave Vincent and Gregory behind for the second time this journey.

Maya and Draco lost absolutely no time in abusing their position. They halted an entire group of non-Slytherin students, so that their housemates could get off at their leisure. When a brave first year piped up to ask what was going on, Draco immediately snapped at him to put a sock in it. The small boy went red, and Draco smirked.

"This'll be a good year," he told Maya smugly, as they finally let the other students get off too. Then, when they were the only ones left, Vincent and Gregory re-joined them and they all stepped onto the platform together. Maya felt a pleasant sting of night air on her face and smelled the pine trees that lined the path down to the lake. She also got a first glimpse of Hogwarts, high on the hill opposite the lake. In a few minutes she would really be back.

The Slytherins followed the rest of the school minus the first years on to the dark rain-washed road outside Hogsmeade Station, where stood the hundred or so horseless stagecoaches. Maya and her friends thought nothing of pushing some small second years out of the way so that they could get a coach to themselves.

"Sorry, Prefect privilege," Maya told them with a smirk. They did not dare say anything back and scurried away instead. It made Maya feel pretty damn good about herself, and she smiled broadly as she sat down inside the carriage and got comfortable. "You're right," she told Draco, "this'll be a good year. We'll actually matter this time, because we have the power to make ourselves matter."

Rattling and swaying, the carriages moved in convoy up the road towards the magnificent castle and Maya's home for about the next ten months. When they passed between the tall stone pillars topped with winged boars on either side of the gates to the school grounds, they found Hogwarts looming ever closer: a towering mass of turrets, jet black against the dark sky, here and there a window blazing fiery bright above them.

The carriages came to a halt near the stone steps leading up to the oak front doors, and Maya and her friends joined the crowd hurrying up the stone steps into the castle. The Entrance Hall was ablaze with torches and echoing with footsteps as the students made their way to the Great Hall. A few moments later, the four long house tables were rapidly filling up under the starless black ceiling. Candles floated in midair all along the tables, illuminating the silvery ghosts. Lively chatter echoed through the Hall as students were greeting each other, exchanging summer news and occasionally eyeing one another's new haircuts and robes.

When Maya sat down at the Slytherin table, she looked up at the staff table. Hagrid was not there, but she did not care much. She was much more interested in who their new DADA teacher would be, and her eyes fell on a woman sitting next to Professor Dumbledore. The woman appeared to be rather small and had short, curly, mouse-brown hair. She wore a -in Maya's opinion- rather disgusting fluffy pink cardigan over her robes. Her ugly face was rather pallid and toadlike, and all in all Maya felt that this woman would stand a pretty good chance in a lawsuit against her parents.

The buzz of talk in the Great Hall faded away when a long line of scared looking first years entered, led by Professor McGonagall, who was carrying a stool on which sat an ancient wizard's hat. The first years came to a halt before the staff table, their faces glowing palely in the candlelight. The whole school waited with bated breath, and then the Sorting Hat burst into song. As usual, Maya hardly listened, but she did pick up that this time the Hat placed strong emphasis on unison instead of division, because Hogwarts was in danger. She glanced at the Gryffindor table on the other side of the Hall. Fat chance she thought. There was muttering and whispering, until Professor McGonagall gave them the sort of look that scorches. Then she lowered her eyes to her long piece of parchment and called out the first name.

Maya did not pay attention to the Sorting, longing for the feast instead. Slowly, the long line of first years thinned until finally Professor McGonagall could pick up the Hat and stool and march them away. Professor Dumbledore, wearing deep-purple robes scattered with silvery stars and a matching hat, rose to his feet.

"To our newcomers," the Headmaster spoke, his arms stretched wide and a breaming smile on his face, "welcome! To everyone else, welcome back! There is a time for speech-making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

"That's the wisest thing that geezer's ever said," Maya said gratefully, as food appeared out of nowhere and an outbreak of applause and appreciative laughter filled the Hall. She immediately poured herself some pumpkin juice from the nearest flagon and then began piling chips and chicken legs on to her plate.

Like always Maya wholeheartedly enjoyed the feast. She was back at Hogwarts with her friends to continue her quest of becoming a powerful witch. She would even try her hand at becoming an Animagus; in her third year, the process outlined in the book had seemed incredibly complicated, but now she felt ready. Nobody was to know though, not even Draco. Every person deserved to have at least one secret and she had no intention of registering once the journey had been completed.

When everyone had finished eating and the plates were magically wiped clean, Dumbledore got to his feet once more and the Hall fell silent.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I would like your attention for the usual start-of-term notices. First years, along with a few of our older students by now, ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students. Mr Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the rather extensive list now fastened to Mr Filch's office door. We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are delighted to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank to teach Care of Magical Creatures and we are also very pleased to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher." There was a polite but rather unenthusiastic smattering of applause. "Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the..."

Dumbledore suddenly broke off, looking enquiringly down at Professor Umbridge. She cleared her throat, 'hem, hem', got to her feet and was clearly intending to make a speech. As Maya and Draco looked at each other in mild surprise, Dumbledore sat down immediately and looked at Professor Umbridge with polite interest. Maya noticed that even the teachers did not appreciate this course of action, but Professor Umbridge evidently had no time to worry about that, if she had even noticed it in the first place.

"Thank you, Headmaster," she said. Her voice was high-pitched and, frankly, annoying to Maya. She glared at the woman. "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts! I'm sure we'll be very good friends!" Professor Umbridge said with a smile. It did not make her seem any nicer to Maya, who felt a rather unexplainable but definite dislike towards this woman and her ridiculous pink cardigan. "Now, look at my face and tell me what you see."

"That you're old," Maya mumbled.

"That's right, this is the face of change! The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. We cannot afford to let the rare gifts with which you were born come to nothing, and thus proper teaching should play a pivotal role in your development. Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to this historic school, which is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged. We strive for a balance between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation," Professor Umbridge droned on and Maya noticed that students around her were not paying the slightest attention. In fact, as far as she could see, Maya was about the only one who was still listening intently. "Let us move forward then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."

Professor Umbridge sat down. There was hardly any applause this time. The speech had definitely given Maya something to think about. Progress for progress's sake must be discouraged? Pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited? Was the Ministry about to interfere at Hogwarts? Maya was so lost in thought that she initially did not even notice that Dumbledore had apparently just dismissed them all, because everyone was standing up.

Draco poked her. "C'mon, we're supposed to show the first years our common room."

"Oh, yeah! First years, this way please!" Maya called commandingly along the table, beckoning the titchy students towards her. They shyly walked up to her and Draco. "All right, that should be about everyone," Maya said, easily looking over their heads and scanning the Slytherin table for small and scared looking students but all of those seemed to be standing before her. "You can trust me, I have a badge. You can always trust someone with a badge," she told the first years reassuringly, who actually did not at all seem reassured but nevertheless followed her and Draco through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall and down the stairs leading to the dungeons. "We share the dungeons with the Hufflepuffs. Their common room is somewhere to the left here, but we'll go straight ahead," Maya said.

None of the first years actually responded, but she just assumed they understood. It was not exactly her problem if they did not anyway. She inadvertently remembered how she had been shown the Slytherin common room four years ago, and now she was the one who showed new students around. It was some progress she had made.

"All right, here we are," Draco said, when they came to a halt before the stone wall leading to the common room.

"Er, sorry for possibly making this awkward, but did you actually get the password? Because I didn't," Maya said, looking at Draco.

"As a matter of fact, I did," Draco said, before turning to the wall, "Eunectes murinus." The wall slid open and they all filed into the room.

"Cracking, isn't it?" Maya asked the first years pleasantly, seeing their amazed faces as they eagerly looked around. There was a shy murmur of agreement. "Now, the boys take the stairs to the right," Maya went on, indicating the two stairways off the main chamber, "and the girls take the stairs to the left. You all have your very own room, and I promise you it's ace. Check it out, come on, off you go!" The first years scurried past her and soon disappeared out of sight.

"You're good with kids," Draco said.

"Not really, I just had some sort of script," Maya shrugged. She actually found kids rather annoying; they were often very boisterous. She would tolerate them as a Prefect though, because she could easily exercise power over them and maybe even make them do her bidding.

A few minutes later Maya and Draco bade each other a good night before they too made their way down to their respective rooms. After Maya had descended five floors down, she found that much to her unpleasant surprise there was someone waiting for her.

"There you are," Pansy Parkinson spoke angrily as soon as she caught sight of Maya, "our new Prefect." The sneer in her voice was unmistakeable.

"Hello to you too," Maya said calmly, making to enter her room but Pansy went on.

"You know, Mudbloods like you shouldn't even get sorted into Slytherin, let alone become a Prefect! This school's going to the dogs!" Pansy spat.

"Oi, don't be stealing Draco's catchphrase. But yeah, Pansy, don't think I'm blaming you for anything. I can totally imagine that it must suck to constantly get beaten by a, what was the word, oh yeah, Mudblood. That's why I'm not giving you a detention this time, because, you know, as a Prefect I totally could," Maya said coolly.

"I know you think highly of yourself, you always have, but Prefect or not, you can't fool me. Being Muggleborn will ultimately get you nowhere in this world. You just wait, your time will come, I promise!" Pansy spoke threateningly.

"Fine, but could that possibly be tomorrow? Because right now I'm feeling knackered," Maya said casually and actually suppressing a yawn. A few seconds later, she was unpacking her stuff. She was not exactly fazed by Pansy's behaviour. If anything, it actually made her cherish her Prefect badge even more, if that was possible.