After we dyed our hair, my friends and I went back to the Hufflepuff common room where conversations about the Quidditch match continued with other chatter about what classes would look like in the upcoming week.

"Wait," Clark glanced over at us, standing up from the table as he was in the middle talking. "Something's off between you two..."

Daphne and I froze up while Bran and Edna snickered. Clark inspected everything about us, up and down, squinting.

"Your hair!" Clark gawked. "Well, I gotta say, it looks good on you, Rollie."

"Thanks."

"And of course, Daphne, I like your hair too!" Clark stared. "It's so blonde! Is that your natural hair color?"

"No, of course not."

"Uh excuse me but how am I supposed to know? What is your natural hair color, then?"

"Electric blue," Daphne smirked.

"C'mon seriously, I can't even remember what it looked like your first year."

"Guess you'll never know," Daphne winked. She strolled away, heading towards the girls' dormitory. "I'll see you all tomorrow, have a goodnight."

"Hey, wait," I said. "Aren't you going to hang out for a little while? It's only 8 o'clock. Everyone's playing exploding snap, wizards chess, or chatting."

"This is a big week coming up. I really just wanna study my potions book," Daphne frowned.

"Oh come on, you'll have all day Sunday. That's perfect study time."

"Yes, but I want to study tonight, though. The more studying and sleep you get, the better the material sticks."

"Damn," I groaned. "Bradna, let's hang out with the others. Have fun working, if you change your mind, we'll be here."

Daphne furrowed her brow. "We have a significant class this week in potions, trying out something completely novel, so I need my practice."

"Okay, whatever, goodnight, I guess," I shrugged, turning around to Clark. Bran and Edna also said goodnight to Daphne and followed me to the table.

Later that evening, after all the students went off to bed, I stayed up and sat at a desk in the Hufflepuff common room. Daphne inspired me to take out the textbook I checked out from the library, 'Even Rarer Fantastic Beasts.'

While it served as more of a glossary than anything informative, there was a small portion dedicated to The Silver Jackalope. The image was a painting precisely like Jolly, the one Hagrid had in his possession. We hadn't studied it in class yet, and I'd meant to follow up with Hagrid about it, but I hadn't had a chance.

The book-entry only said, "The Silver Jackalope is one of the rarest magical creatures known in the world. Only two have ever been confirmed to exist, both were obtained by The Ministry of Magic and put in a safe vault, but they disappeared both times, two hundred years apart. Their properties are unknown, but there's a belief they embody the powers of a Patronus. This information is unconfirmed."

Their location of where you can find them was listed as unknown. Disappointed with the entry, I figured it was time for me to go to bed.

***

"Good afternoon, as you know, we're learning a new potion in class today. We're going to see if we can pour this concoction on parts of the cursed land to restore the soil back to health. It's uncertain if this will work, but judging by the materials, we think it's possible," Professor Mortitch stood up at the center of the class and performed a demonstration. "It's not the hardest potion to make, but it's advanced enough to where the fourth years wouldn't be comfortable. With that said, let me get started on the demonstration for the Tonic of Nature's Grace."

Professor Mortitch took out some plants provided by Professor Sprout and took a stone bowl and crushed it up. She proceeded to hold the bowl over the flame until it melted. As soon as it curdled, she stirred in some dried pollen (which I felt terrible about taking at first for Daphne's blonde hair, but we had an abundance for the class). Once mixed up, she poured two different syrups in the concoction at the same time. Then she heated it up as quickly as possible to a boil before finally throwing a layer of pine-dust over it, where it cooled and became a green glowing solution.

"Not that potion making is ever a race here, I will say that 10 points will be given to whichever house can create it the fastest. The record is currently held by Layla Moors from Ravenclaw. She completed the potion in 9 minutes and 50 seconds! But please take your time, even if it takes you the full hour, you will be given a grade based on how well its made. Again, it's not a race. Go slow, please. Gather the materials, and the time will start... In three, two, one."

Everyone started working on their potion, but nobody tried to race to get it done like Daphne. Her hands moved in lightning strikes with expert handling of the materials, heating, and mixing. I kept glancing over periodically as I was taking my sweet time. She could sell tickets for people to watch her ability. There was no doubt in my mind she would beat Layla's record.

"Done," Daphne shouted, the first in the class by a longshot.

"Ah. I'm so sorry, Daphne, while you completed the potion in the timeliest of fashions, you're five seconds over Layla's finish."

Daphne stared at Professor Mortitch, with a twitchy, widened eye.

"Daphne, are you alright?" Professor Mortitch asked.

Everyone stopped working on their potion and stared at her, as she trembled and clutched the table until her knuckles were white.

"Daphne?" Edna whispered.

Daphne hurled her perfectly made potion across the room, spiking the stone wall, the green liquid splattered everywhere. Everyone stared with bulging eyes, myself included. I could hear Johnny and Sable snickering off in the corner.

"Uh. I'm sorry, Daphne, but that behavior is not acceptable. I'm afraid you'll have to owe me detention this Saturday," Professor Mortitch looked at the class. "As for the rest of you, get back to work with your potions."

Daphne stormed out of the classroom, and everyone followed her out with their eyes. Edna nudged me as the class continued. "I've never seen Daphne act like that."

"Yikes. I'm a little worried about her," I said.

"I don't think she's ever got detention in her life."

***

The following Saturday, Daphne arrived for detention at 9AM, thirty minutes early. She was hoping to get it out of the way sooner to prepare for Quidditch practice. When she walked in, she couldn't believe that another student was sitting in the corner at one of the tables. Professor Mortitch was nowhere to be found.

"Leon? What are you doing here?" Daphne said with a slightly accusatory tone.

He turned around and lifted his brow at Daphne. "I think that's a better question for you? Unless you came in to worship Professor Mortitch, in which case, you're out of luck, she'll be in at 9:30."

Daphne scowled. "In case you forgot from my meltdown in class, I'm serving detention," she yanked out a chair from the table and sat on the other side of the room.

"Oh little Ms. Perfect. What could have possibly made you do that?"

Daphne sneered. "It's none of your business."

Leon shrugged. "Didn't mean to pry. We've got a lot of time to burn from now till this is over."

After a lengthy pause, Daphne said, "I'll tell you why, as long as you tell me why you're in here."

"Professor Mortitch smelled cigarettes on me, but literally didn't catch me in the act. Just smelled it on me in the corridors."

"Wow, you volunteered that quicker than I thought you would."

"I've got nothing to hide. So what happened to you?"

Daphne bit her lip for a moment.

"Come on, out with it. Mum's the word," Leon said.

"Do you know how hard it is to be the daughter of my parents?"

"Can't imagine it's too hard. Everything you could possibly want, you have. Must be nice to have that kind of luxury."

"Nevermind," Daphne folded her arms and glared down at her table. "Not like I heard that one before," her voice became thick as tears glistened in her eyes.

Leon frowned and took careful consideration of what he was going to say next. "Aren't you a really good potioneer?"

Daphne was flattered but didn't show it. "I guess."

"Quit the humbleness routine. You're the best in the school."

"Well, I'm not so sure about that anymore."

"Don't take that as a compliment from me trying to cheer you up. It's just fact. So what happened? You made a mistake for once? It happens."

"Potion making is mine, not hers!" Daphne snapped.

Leon felt a verbal stab. "You wunderkinds are unbelievable. That's what makes you ticked off? How fast you can finish a potion?"

Daphne scowled. "I don't expect you to understand. You pick on others, at least I don't do that. That's the lowest of the low."

"You don't know me. You probably think I'm just a bully."

"A bully who smokes."

"You don't know that either."

Daphne stared at him incredulously. "How did you get the smoke smell on you then?"

"Johnny and Sable."

"I don't know how you hang out with those two either. Talk about bullies, your friends are an extension of who you are."

"Blech. Don't get my started on your friends. They're always so glee and jolly like a never-ending wind-up toy. There's nothing in life that can make you that happy, all the time."

"They're good positive friends," Daphne said and gave him a look as if she just beat him in a chess match.

"Rollie seems alright, though," Leon shrugged. "How well can you keep a secret?"

"Like everything in my life, I do it to the best of my ability."

"I figured," Leon debated on whether or not he should say the next sentence. "I do actually smoke cigarettes. Luckily I didn't get caught actually doing it, but there. We smoked in between classes, which was really stupid. But now you know."

Daphne smiled. "I believed you when you just said, Sable and Johnny."

"Yeah, I know... But it felt like lying by omission, and lying to someone is pretty rude... So, yeah," Leon rested his head on the table with his folded arms as cushioning.

Daphne giggled. "You're not as tough as you think."

"Never said I was," Leon murmured.

Professor Mortitch came into the room. "Both of you are in here early. Thank you for the punctuality. Since this is the first detention I've given to either of you, it's just going to be two hours of sitting in silence."

"Can we work on homework?" Daphne asked. A muffled chuckle came from Leon with his head down.

"No, I'm afraid you'll use this time to reflect on what you've done, so you regret it so much you'll never do it again. The detention will now begin. No sleeping, Leon."

He picked up his head from the table and sighed. The two of them were silent for the rest of the two hours.