A Few Days Later:

  Lotty and Max have been keeping an eye on Silas, but he hasn't really been doing anything. APS are just being their usual selves. Apparently it seems as though Silas really has been unwell, and is still recovering. I suppose none of us have any idea what he has been doing since that night he escaped from the Centaurs in the Forbidden Forest.

  Yet it's so weird and infuriating that he's just walking around like normal, eating in the Great Hall, attending classes and being present in this school after he literally tried to kill me, Antonius, Max, Lotty, Julia and Emily, and succeeded in killing Kenneth Brass, who everyone now believes is just - missing. It's like being trapped in school with a serial killer! Also Antonius and I physically cannot leave!

  The worry of it has been eating into my sleep! Also I have been continuing to hear strange, unexplained noises in the Common Room, every now and then. I heard it once when I was with Anita, but she insisted she couldn't hear anything.

  Though some good news is we've got enough ingredients for the OM Potion now, thanks to Ed and Lotty's trip to the Foxhole Chamber. So I've been able to begin brewing it in the Room of Requirement. I also have plenty of potion for myself already, so that leaves all the more for everyone else.

  As for Dominic's gang (he has some sort of gang now), they seem to be recruiting Pureblood members from other houses. They've got some Ravenclaw followers, and at least one Hufflepuff. I'm not sure how I feel about it. In one way, I feel relieved that they're standing up for themselves and sticking together, refusing to allow the abuse we suffered last year to continue; but in another way, I can see this escalating and evolving into something horrible.

  But that's just it. Worry is a dreadful thing. It drags you down, clouds your vision and disrupts your thoughts. Even writing this, I'm just taking a deep breath and thinking about it.

  Worrying about something I can't control is futile, but what if I can do something? What? I don't know.

  I feel that I have a duty to do something. That sense I got, as I witnessed the Gryffindor scenario, where I didn't do anything, and so much harm happened as a result. Well, that sense is with me now, and it's frustrating!

  Other people are doing things now. Silas has more and more enemies. But what if those enemies of his end up becoming our enemies too? If I can do something, I must do it!

  Later:

  We had D.A.D.A with Gryffindors today (as usual), but Professor Livia was being extra annoying. She was going on about the fact that Pureblood students have been seen gathering together in groups, and remarked that this sort of behaviour should be prohibited, along with a snide and completely uncalled-for comment insulting our blood -status.

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  That was when Dominic and Regulus stood up. As soon as they did, the rest of our side of the classroom (apart from Antonius and I) stood up and began to leave.

  Antonius and I, left sitting at our desk, were not sure what to do. Then I noticed Max had gotten up, and was leaving the classroom with them.

  We both decided then to get up and leave as well, as Max walking out alone with Dominic's gang might not end up going very well...

  We followed them out into the hall, with Professor Livia shouting behind us, as she followed us out.

  "What do you think you're doing? Leaving class like this! I'll be taking 20 points from Slytherin from each and every one of you!"she yelled.

  Then she saw Max and stopped speaking, she looked like she was trying to work out what sort of punishment to give him.

  "And 20 points from Gryffindor?"Max asked, with a rebellious grin that really annoyed her.

  "That'll be forty more points from Slytherin!"she stormed.

  There was a gasp of outrage from our classmates.

  "You can't do that! He's a Gryffindor!"Artemisia protested.

  Max looked a bit taken aback.

  "It's what you deserve for disrespecting my class!"Professor Livia declared,"I won't tolerate behaviour like this! If it was up to me, I'd have the lot of you expelled! As for you, Castellanos, you can come and see me later, for your detention. Detention for all of you!"

  The Next Day:

  Professor Livia told Antonius and I that because we were the last to leave the class, we were going to receive the smallest punishment. Usually she doesn't differentiate, and punishes everyone equally. Though I'm not saying this is a good outcome. We left that class, and I do understand our classmates' reasons for leaving, and I actually would think it more fair if we received the same punishment as everyone else. Though this is not the kind of thing Professor Livia usually does, and it struck me as odd.

  Our punishment was to be helping the Groundskeeper clean tools without using magic. Professor Livia said it would do us good to experience manual labour the Muggle way and have to 'get our hands dirty for once'.

  The Groundskeeper isn't the normal guy, as he is away for two years in South America, so we have a temporary replacement. He's a very old wizard that never speaks, and does everything really slowly.

  While we were cleaning the tools, I asked the wizard if he would like to retire soon. I meant it out of kindness, because I was wondering why he had to work, when he was so old and frail-looking, but he seemed really annoyed by that and glared at me.

  Antonius said I needed to think before speaking, because even if something is well-intentioned, it might come across as rude (when I had already realised this!). He then made me apologise to the Groundskeeper, which was infuriating, because I was going to apologise anyway. Antonius was in a very irritating mood after that (and he had the cheek to say I was the one being annoying!).

  After we'd completed our tasks, we decided to avoid each other for the rest of the day, in case an argument happened.

  I later asked Max what his detention was.

  "I haven't had it yet,"he said,"but Professor Livia told me I'm going to be in the Castle Kitchens on the weekend, helping the house-elves for hours, and I'm going to miss dinner, and... I'm going to be doing all of that with Dominic."

  "Alone with Dominic?"I asked.

  "Yes,"Max replied,"apart from the House Elves. I suppose they won't let him murder me, if he tries, but it's going to be awkward."

  "At least you won't starve, if you're missing dinner in the Castle Kitchens,"I observed.

  "I didn't think of that,"Max answered, with a laugh.

  "If you see Hoppy, say 'hi' to him from us,"I said,"and let us know how it goes!"

  "I will,"Max answered, gritting his teeth into an awkward grin as he turned around and walked away.