CHAPTER TWO: Tanith Vanity and Pansy Parkinson: An Insufferable Duo

     On the first of September, Tanith and her mum travel to London so she can leave for her fifth year. But, much to Tanith's dismay, her mother brought Grant along with them. So, she's had to put up with his pompous behavior all the way to London.

     When her mother says goodbye, Tanith clings to the thought that she only has a few more minutes left with Grant. She just has to keep up the appearance of being with him until her mother leaves.

     He has his arm around her as they head off to the train, and it makes her vastly uncomfortable. As she winds through the corridor of the train, she desperately attempts to miss her usual compartment, that is likely filled by her friends. Given that he has an arm snugly positioned around her waist, it's the last thing she wants any of them to see.

But unfortunately for her, someone sees her.

"Tanith?"

She squeezes her eyes shut, before turning around, and smiling at none other than Pansy Parkinson.

"Hey," she murmurs in response. "How was your-"

"Why are you with him?" Pansy interrupts.

     "We're... um-"

"We're dating," Grant cuts in.

"You're dating him?" Pansy questions. "What, does that mean you can't see your friends anymore?"

"I have to-"

"She's with me, Parkinson," he snaps.

"She can't speak anymore either? I'm her best friend, you twat. She can talk to me if she pleases," Pansy snarls, grabbing Tanith by the arm and pulling her into their compartment before shutting the door behind them.

"What was that about?" Blaise frowns from his seat next to the window.

"Our lovely Tanith is dating Grant Yaxley," Pansy huffs, plopping down in the booth beside Tanith.

"What?!" Daphne blurts out. "He's one of the worst people I've ever met. You could easily get anyone at Hogwarts to date you, and you cho-"

"Oh my god," Blaise interjects. "Oh my god, they've arranged it, haven't they?"

Tanith looks down into her lap bashfully.

"They could've at least given you someone who isn't repulsive," Daphne snorts. "Blaise, or Theo, maybe."

     "I'd rather launch myself off of the Astronomy Tower," Tanith snaps.

"Rude," Theodore murmurs, glancing up at her from behind his book.

"Sorry," she grins. "Just don't really want to marry one of my friends."

Blaise throws his hands up in defense. "Nothing wrong with that," he nods. "I too, would rather launch myself off the Astronomy Tower than marry Theo."

"Fuck both of you," Theodore huffs.

     "No thank you," Tanith hums.

Pansy giggles, before grabbing Tanith's arm, and pulling her from the compartment. "We'll be back," she chirps, and slides the door shut. She drags Tanith to the lavatory, and promptly sets a locking and silencing charm on the door once they're inside.

"So," Pansy begins, "you've been rather quiet this summer."

     "I'm sorry," Tanith huffs.

     "Seventeen owls, Tanith! SEVENTEEN! And you can't reply to a single one of them?!" Pansy snaps.

     "You don't understand-"

     "No, I do. You could've written to me about it! You could've asked me for help! But no. You've ignored me!" Pansy argues.

"My letters would've been intercepted!" Tanith retaliates. "Whether it was my parents, yours, or Merlin forbid the Ministry, someone would've read them! And you know what? I don't particularly want to air my dirty laundry for the entire world to see!"

They stand there for a moment, staring at one another. Tanith's brown eyes are wide and wild, and Pansy's chest is rapidly rising and falling. Most people would expect one of them to leave, or send a jinx in the others direction. But instead, Pansy throws her arms around Tanith, and the pair hold on to one another as if they're the only people in the world.

     They've been friends since before either of them could remember. Tanith would go as far as saying that she knows Pansy better than she knows herself, and vice versa. Pansy knows well enough that Tanith needs to get angry, but she also knows that above anything else, Tanith needs someone to be affectionate. So, Pansy takes it upon herself to be that someone, because she knows no one besides Jude (who is hundreds of miles away) will do it.

     The pair remain that way for some time. Pansy strokes Tanith's hair, and holds her until Tanith pulls herself from Pansy's grasp.

     "Did you notice that Theo's gotten rather fit?" Pansy hums as she smooths out her skirt.

     Tanith rolls her eyes. "Merlin, Pans. I'm over here doing mental, and all you can think about is Theodore Nott's bone structure?"

     Pansy giggles. As she unlocks the lavatory door and begins to leave alongside Tanith, she huffs. "You've never referred to him as Theo. Why is that?"

     "I dunno," Tanith shrugs. "I suppose we're not close enough. He doesn't call me T, you know?"

     "Merlin, you're odd," Pansy snorts.

-

     "In times of old when I was new
And Hogwarts barely started
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted:
United by a common goal,
They had the self same yearning,
To make the worldʹs best magic school
And pass along their learning.

     ʹTogether we will build and teach!ʹ
The four good friends decided
And never did they dream that they
Might some day be divided,
For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?
So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why, I was there and so can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.

     Said Slytherin, ʹWeʹll teach just those
Whose ancestry is purest.ʹ Said Ravenclaw,
ʹWeʹll teach those whose
Intelligence is surest.ʹ
Said Gryffindor, ʹWeʹll teach all those
With brave deeds to their name,ʹ Said Hufflepuff,
Til teach the lot,
And treat them just the same.ʹ

     These differences caused little strife
When first they came to light,
For each of the four founders had
A house in which they might
Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Slytherin
Took only pure‐blood wizards
Of great cunning, just like him,
And only those of sharpest mind
Were taught by Ravenclaw
While the bravest and the boldest
Went to daring Gryffindor.
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,
And taught them all she knew,
Thus the houses and their founders
Retained friendships firm and true.

     So Hogwarts worked in harmony
For several happy years,
But then discord crept among us
Feeding on our faults and fears.

     The houses that, like pillars four,
Had once held up our school,
Now turned upon each other and,
Divided, sought to rule.

     And for a while it seemed the school
Must meet an early end,
What with duelling and with jighting
And the clash of friend on friend
And at last there came a morning
When old Slytherin departed
And though the fighting then died out
He left us quite downhearted.

     And never since the founders four
Were whittled down to three
Have the houses been united
As they once were meant to be.

     And now the Sorting Hat is here
And you all know the score:
I sort you into houses
Because that is what Iʹm for,
But this year Iʹll go further,
Listen closely to my song:
Though condemned I am to split you
Still I worry that itʹs wrong,
Though I must fulfil my duty
And must quarter everv year
Still I wonder whether Sorting
May not bring the end I fear.

     Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or weʹll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you...
Let the Sorting now begin."

"Merlin," Tanith snorts, "that was the worst thing I've ever heard."

"I second that," Blaise agrees from beside her.

Mcgonagall unravels her scroll of names once the applause from the students subsides, and she begins to read names off. Tanith doesn't give any of her attention to the ceremony: truth be told, she doesn't really care. It's not as if she's going to befriend any of the first years. The only time she'll come close to interacting with any of them is next year, if they choose to try out for the Slytherin Quidditch Team.

When the ceremony is at last over and Dumbledore rises to his feet, he smiles kindly down at the students. "To our newcomers, welcome! To our old hands- welcome back! There is a time for speech‐making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

"Thank Merlin," Blaise mutters appreciatively as food appears in front of them all.

Tanith loads her plate with hefty scoops of mash, roast vegetables, chicken, and Yorkshire pudding.

"You've been awfully quiet, Theo," Blaise comments, taking a bite of his own food.

"Tired," Theodore shrugs, pushing his food around on his plate with his fork.

"He's always tired," Daphne snorts. "Ever since I met him, he's tired. Merlin knows-"

"Daphne?" Tanith cuts in. "Do us all a favor and shut up!"

Theodore smiles at her appreciatively, and she sends a wink in his direction.

The Slytherin students happily eat their first meal back at Hogwarts, and they finish their dessert afterwards. Once everyone has been fed and watered, the plates clean themselves, and Dumbledore once again rises up to his feet.

     "Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, 1 beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start‐of‐term notices," Dumbledore says. "First‐years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out‐of‐bounds to students- and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too. Mr Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the lour‐hundred‐and‐sixty‐second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr Filchʹs office door. We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly‐Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new DefenceAgainst the Dark Arts teacher."

     The applause Dumbledore is met by is dismal. No one seems horribly excited about the staffing changes: Tanith rather liked Hagrid's lessons, and the only good Defense professor they've ever had was Lupin, who did a rather excellent job at teaching the class.

     Tanith knows of Umbridge's reputation thanks to her parents: they may have the same ideals, but neither of her parents can stand the woman. Tanith can usually appreciate the people her parents despise, but seeing as their disdain for her stems from her general awfulness, she doubts she'll grow to like her.

     "Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the-" he's shortly interrupted by Umbridge, who utters a polite, "Hem, hem."

     The students stare as Dumbledore looks over at her, and proceeds to step back from his place so that she can take his place at the front of the professors' table.

"Thank you, Headmaster," she begins, "for those kind words of welcome. Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say! And to see such happy little faces looking up at me! I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and Iʹm sure weʹll be very good friends! The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witchesand wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were bornmay come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them tor ever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching. Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progressʹs sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation, because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognised as errors of judgement. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to bepreserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."

Then she sits down, and the only thing that snaps Tanith out of her daze is Blaise using his pointer and middle fingers to clasp her jaw back together (apparently it had fallen open somewhere during the speech).

It truly was awful, Tanith thinks to herself. She seems cruel: and possibly as if she's hiding something. She's not entirely fond of their new Defense professor.

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," Dumbledore continues, after retaking his position. "Now, as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held next Saturday and Sunday. They will be in four hour increments per house: Gryffindor tryouts will begin at precisely ten o'clock with captain Angelina Johnson, Hufflepuff will begin at two o'clock with captain Zacharias Smith, Ravenclaw will begin at ten o'clock with captain Cho Chang, and Slytherin will begin at two o'clock with captain Tanith Vanity. If you have any questions, you may meet with your respective captain. Now, that is all I have for you tonight. Off to bed, all of you, for you all have classes in the morning!"

With a clap of his hands, everyone begins to rise up from their seats.

"Oi!"

Tanith looks over her shoulder, and smiles brightly at Dean Thomas. "Dean!" She exclaims, before hugging him. "Oh, how was your summer?!"

"Fine as usual," Dean shrugs. "You've made captain, though! That's impressive!"

"Thank you, thank you," she laughs, bowing to him.

She's about to continue, but she hears Grant shouting for her. She can't help but grimace. "Listen, I've got to go. But I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yeah," he nods. "See you!"

"See you," she grins, and then she has to taste the bitterness of reality.

notes—

I MADE MANIPS. OH FUCK.
# if i saw these two in hogwarts together i would throw up blood they're so good together

decided that theonith's dynamic is boy likes girl who has boyfriend that she hates

disclaimer that some of this text belongs to jkr and not to myself