The Miraculous Effects of Darkness

Chapter Twenty

Anika's third and fourth years passed and in no time she found herself studying for her OWLS. Bertram and Anika had begun dating at the start of her fifth year and had remained in a comfortable relationship ever since.

It didn't escape her notice that her group of friends had earned themselves the attention of James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew's pranks. It seemed that Bertram specifically had antagonised the boys in some way and found himself being pranked at least once a week.

However, Anika had struck up a friendship with Remus Lupin as she had continued to be subject to hexes sent her way by Slytherins who were not happy about her being alive many of which sent her to the hospital wing. It seemed Remus too spent a lot of time in the hospital wing too with mysterious unexplained injuries and the two often spoke whilst Madam Pomfrey patched them up. This friendship spared her the wrath of the four boys' pranks, but this did not extend to her boyfriend.

"Why do you target Bertram so much?" Anika asked Remus one February afternoon in the hospital wing after her ears had been regrown by Madam Pomfrey.

Remus laughed and then winced, a hand flying to his ribs where a bad gash from something that Remus wouldn't tell Anika about was healing.

"Sirius doesn't like him," Remus stated.

"Why? He's perfectly lovely."

"I don't pretend to understand the innermost workings of Sirius Black's mind."

Anika laughed. Sirius had gained himself quite the reputation over the last two years. It seemed he had a different girl on his arm every week.

*

"Engorgio Skullus." Anika whirled around to see who had shouted a spell to see Sirius Black standing there with his wand pointed at Bertram who had been walking towards the library with Anika.

The spell hit Bertram's back and Anika watched as his head began to expand. Anika glared back at Sirius Black, who stood behind a now laughing James Potter.

"Good one Padfoot," said James.

Anika's eyes narrowed and she pulled out her wand, finally sick of the boy's antics. She was going to give him a taste of his own medicine.

"Locomotor Mortis." Anika shot the spell at Sirius. It shot under James Potter's arm and hit Sirius right in the chest. Sirius' legs sprung together and stuck here as James jumped out of the way, leaving the space between Anika and Sirius clear.

A glint of humour was visible in Sirius' eyes and he laughed, "Levicorpus!" Sirius shot a spell back at Anika.

Anika wordlessly deflected the spell and shot one of her own back at Sirius. The two were quickly engaged in a light-hearted duel, shooting spells that would simply irritate each other back and forth.

"What is going on here!" Without either Anika or Sirius noticing Professor McGonagall had rounded the corner to see the two duelling. She took in the scene, noting Sirius' locked legs and Bertram's still expanding head. The witch sighed and exhausted sign and she cast the counter curse, which made Bertram's head begin to shrink back to its normal size and then she turned back to Sirius and Anika.

"Detention, both of you. You can work out your differences by polishing the trophies in the trophy room every night next week, there is no excuse for duelling in the corridors," Professor McGonagall stated, "Mr Black, I expect this of you, but Miss Flamel, you should know better."

Anika cast her eyes down to her feet, not used to McGonagall's disciplinary voice being directed at her.

"Minnie c'mon!" Sirius complained, making to move forwards but forgetting that his legs were still bound together and falling to the floor, "A week is a bit harsh don't you think?"

"Mr Black, I believe I cannot be too harsh on you anymore," McGonagall's eyes flashed in a warning fashion. "Now I'm sure you all have homework to do." McGonagall continued to walk down the corridor.

Anika turned away from Sirius who was flopping around on the floor like a wet fish and to Bertram whose head had now settled back to its normal size.

"Are you okay Bertie?" She asked him.

"I've been better," he said, shooting a glare in the direction of James and Sirius. "Thank you for defending me."

"Those boys are so immature," Anika sighed, "I suppose I do deserve the detentions though, there has always been a rule against magic in the corridors."

"Well none of the Slytherins who hex you, Mary and Lily ever get detentions," Bertram argued. The Slytherins had stretched their hatred to anyone who wasn't a pureblooded wizard. Anika had a feeling that before they knew it, some of the Slytherins would join up with Voldemort's followers who had now been dubbed 'Death Eaters' by the Daily Prophet.

"Well they don't get caught," Anika reasoned.

"Because you don't report them."

"Because that makes it worse!"

"I can't have this argument with you again Anika," Bertram sighed and rubbed his head as if remembering that mere moments earlier it had been nearly triple its current size.

"Then stop bringing it up," Anika crossed her arms and glanced at James and Sirius, James was laughing at Sirius as Sirius begged his friend to cast the countercharm and release his legs, James was laughing too hard to be able to do this.

"I can't do that," Bertram stated. "Honestly Anika, it's like you like getting hurt, some sort of sadist self-punishment."

"How could you say that?" Anika demanded, "of course, I don't like having hexes thrown at me around every corner, but if I report it they only come back at me with more force. You remember the lake incident last year."

The previous year, after Anika had reported Amycus Carrow using an illegal hex on her which left her bedridden for a week, four Slytherin students had attacked her when she was revising for her exams with Marlene down by the lake.

They had used the Cruciatus curse on her and dumped her in the lake. Anika had never reported an incident to a teacher since then.

"Of course I haven't," Bertram shot back, he had been the one to pull her out of the lake.

"Then you understand why I won't report anyone."

"Honestly Anika sometimes I can see why the ministry didn't think you were human, no human would let those filthy Slytherins get away with near murder once a week."

Anika saw the immediate regret in Bertram's eyes as soon as the comment had slipped out, but it was too late for him to take it back.

"I didn't mean it," he said immediately, grabbing her hand with his, "I'm sorry Anika I didn't mean it."

Anika pulled her hand out of his, "Goodbye Bertram."

She turned on her heel and walked down the corridor, past Sirius and James, who had gone silent and had clearly been listening to the latter part of the conversation between Anika and Bertram.

She would endure those comments from the Slytherins - heck she would endure them from the daily prophet, but not from her boyfriend, now ex-boyfriend. She had thought that he understood that she wasn't any different from the others, but it was clear now that he had been thinking it all along.

Once Anika had rounded the corner she heard Sirius Black's voice directed at Bertram.

"That was disgusting," Sirius said, "You call yourself a Gryffindor."