XI // Everything Starts to Go Downhill

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Monday

September 14, 1977

Gryffindor Common Room

So basically it turns out seventh years have a larger workload than I had first anticipated. On Friday McGonagall gave me an absolute whopper of an essay, and Mercier-Roussel set us about five feet of runes to translate, and I couldn't even pretend I didn't know what was going on and ask Remus for 'help' this time as neither of us actually had any idea what we were doing.

Luckily, Peter's quite good at sneaking around, and whilst Lily distracted Pince with her charm, he sneaked into the Restricted Section and got some books for us all to use. Not quite sure why there would be books we need for our homework in the Restricted Section, but, well, I'm not going to not use the books because of that.

Anyway, what I'm getting at is that I have had absolutely no time this weekend, and spent the time I wasn't doing homework in detention, and the sparse moments I had left were spent staring at Remus.

I'm just about to go down for breakfast, and I thought I'd just quickly write this all down, because Black's rejoined DTB and knowing him, he'll probably do something completely idiotic and I'll have to record it in my diary.

Monday

September 14, 1977

Great Hall

As I expected, Black is sitting at the Gryffindor table when I arrive, talking amicably with DTB, probably about murder or something immature like that. Oh, wait, huh. Peter's there too.

"Evelyn, nice of you to join us," Black smiles as I sit down.

"We're just discussing how long we think Binns is going to make it here," says Peter, his hair an alarming shade of green. "We know he's a ghost and all, but would he notice if people just stopped turning up to his classes due to the fact that they're so mind-numbingly boring?"

"Yeah," Black says, "Would he notice if no one turned up and instead Dumbledore had hired a new teacher and we were all taught by that teacher. Would he just keep teaching an empty classroom?"

"I reckon he might," replies DTB. "He probably wouldn't notice if you all stood on your desks and started chanting 'the Great and Powerful Merlin is a Bloody Git' for the entire lesson.

"Uh, hate to interrupt this, thrilling conversation," I say, "but is your hair supposed to be that colour, Peter?"

"Huh?" He looks confused. "Oh, yeah, it's green, isn't it."

"That was the handiwork of Snivellus," says Black with a grin. "We were going to change it back and hex him but we thought we'd make more of a point if people kept asking Wormtail here about his hair. Bloody git, that Snivellus is."

"Well I think it's a marvellous idea, shoving it in everyone's faces and all. Sticking it to the man, as they say," says DTB as she stands up, "but I'm afraid I have some early-morning study to do so I'll see you all at a later date, quidditch practice perhaps?"

Oh, great. Quidditch practice tonight.

Once DTB is out of sight, Black leans over the table and rests his head on his hands, staring at me. And keeps staring. I glance at Peter but he just shrugs.

"Uh, Black? What are you doing?"

"Evelyn."

"...Yes?"

"Evelyn Katherine Olivia Bishop."

"You have an Olivia in your name?" Asks Peter

"No," I say. (I do have an Olivia in my name).

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