"You should have a proper talk with her," Nolan advised Cho as they left Dumbledore's office.
Cho nodded, but after glancing around briefly, she grabbed Nolan's wrist and dragged him downstairs. "Walk with me. You've been glued to Eve lately, and that's not fair to me."
"There's no such thing as fair or unfair. I haven't made any promises to either of you," Nolan replied softly. Still, he didn't resist as she pulled him along. They walked out of the castle and strolled along the lake's edge.
"Bai has always looked up to me, but I can't help her..." Cho's voice trembled with uncharacteristic vulnerability. Perhaps she blamed herself—believing that by inspiring Bai's fascination with magic, she had inadvertently led her sister to disappointment.
Nolan's response was indifferent. "No one can help her. Wanting something she can't have—that's her problem."
"You're heartless, Nolan." Cho's eyes narrowed with a flash of anger. Bai was her beloved sister, and no one was allowed to criticize her, not even Nolan.
"I can stay silent if you prefer me not to comment. You know I don't like wasting words on matters that don't concern me."
"Can't you stop being so logical for once?" Cho's frustration bubbled over. She felt like she had always been the one chasing after him, while Nolan remained detached, almost uncaring. "I want you to comfort me! Not sit here and make emotionless observations! Just say something like—'Bai will be fine, you two will make up, and she'll find something she loves in the Muggle world.' Can't you just lie to me a little?"
Nolan frowned. "But you know that's a lie."
"I don't care!" Cho shouted, gripping her hair in exasperation. "Okay, fine, maybe I do know it's a lie. But hearing it would make me feel better... Nolan, you need to learn to say things that make people happy, or you'll never get a girlfriend."
"I won't."
"Yeah," Cho muttered, her face darkening as she nodded. "You really won't."
After that day, Cho started giving Nolan the cold shoulder. Although calling it a 'cold war' was a stretch—it was entirely one-sided. Anyone could tell Cho was upset. She had stopped talking to him, and even when they crossed paths, her demeanor was icy. She used to sit at the Slytherin table often; now she avoided it completely.
The rumor mill wasted no time.
Poor Miss Chang, they said. She was finally cast aside by the Slytherin prince. In the end, Nolan chose his true love—Eve Stock!
This only fueled the jealousy of the other girls.
It had been tolerable before. Sure, Eve was Nolan's rumored girlfriend, but so was Cho. As long as there were two contenders, things remained balanced. But now? With Cho out of the picture, Eve was the only one left. The girls couldn't stand the thought of Eve monopolizing Nolan's attention, and their dislike toward her grew more pronounced.
Not that it mattered. Eve had long grown used to being disliked.
During Potions class in the dungeon, Eve raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "What happened between you and Cho? She's been complaining about you a lot lately."
"You're still in touch with her?" Nolan's eyes flickered with curiosity.
It was surprising. Over the summer, the two girls could barely stand each other—practically at each other's throats. Friendly was the last word anyone would use to describe their relationship.
"I get along with Cho just fine," Eve replied, her tone casual. "Girls need someone to vent to when they can't stand the boys around them. Turns out, for Cho, that someone happens to be me. Nolan, you should try being a little gentler with her."
As Eve spoke, the rest of the students began filing into the dungeon for Potions class. They set up their cauldrons and took their seats. Nolan sat next to Eve, with Alicia to Eve's right, and Miles furthest on the end.
Nolan lazily grabbed Eve's notebook and flipped through it without asking. "I understand why she's upset with me. I can appreciate her... emotional perspective. But I'm not sure if indulging in that will actually help me. What do you think, Eve?"
"I don't know… maybe you're right," Eve replied softly.
Her voice trailed off. Snape had just swept into the room. Though there were still a few minutes before class officially began, he was already prowling for Gryffindors to scold.
He immediately zeroed in on Lee Jordan, scolding him for not being seated, then sneered at the Weasley twins' latest assignment, deeming it "an insult to the art of potion-making—practically troll dung." George and Fred exchanged mischievous glances, silently vowing to pay Snape back with a surprise swamp bath.
"Thanks to your sluggish behavior, Gryffindor loses five points."
"But, Professor Snape, class hasn't even started yet!" Lee protested.
"Contradicting a professor? Another two points, Jordan." Snape's voice was like ice as he strode back to the front of the room, hands clasped behind his back. "Class begins the moment I step inside. I wonder how long it will take Gryffindors to grasp this concept. Perhaps your collective intelligence mirrors Potter's talent—impressive on the surface, but thoroughly lacking underneath."
For anyone who wasn't a Slytherin—especially Gryffindors—Potions class was a nightmare. Snape's provocations were relentless, and no one dared challenge him.
Well, almost no one.
"Perhaps I should let you all meet Potter personally. He's an arrogant fool who knows nothing, and no amount of fame can save his empty head. One wonders what kind of parents produce such a child. I only hope my students—Field, what are you doing now?"
Field was Alicia's last name. The young Slytherin was staring blankly at the bubbling purple liquid in her cauldron, entirely lost in thought.
"This is a potion for curing leprosy, Professor," she mumbled.
"No, it's not. Your concoction would cause leprosy in a perfectly healthy person. I distinctly remember instructing that wolfsbane should be added last… Clearly, you haven't been reviewing your notes."
Snape was mid-rant when Eve's soft voice cut in.
"Actually, Professor… you never taught us that."
Snape's sharp eyes snapped toward her, one brow arched in disbelief. No student ever dared to contradict him. Well—aside from Nolan.
"What did you say?" Snape's voice dropped to a dangerous level.
"The potion for treating leprosy is part of the third-year curriculum. We're second-years, Professor."
Eve kept her head down, speaking quietly but firmly.
Snape froze. His fingers twitched slightly, and he thumbed through the textbook in his hand. His already sallow complexion paled further.
She was right.
He'd mixed up the lesson plans.