CHAPTER THREE
purpose

AN HOUR LATER Winona was presented with the rules. James slipped a small piece of paper into her pocket without her noticing.

The paper read:

The one with the highest number of passed exams and highest marks wins

Rules:

For every O we get, we receive 1 point in the form of 1 sickle. Progress Check - a meeting to keep track of our points and consult each other with any questions, worries, etc. The student with the most sickles by end of the year wins.

If there's a tie we'll have one final challenge to determine the winner.

If you have any questions you know where to find me :)

That selfish bastard, Winona thought to herself.

In the Hufflepuff dormitory Winona, Maurine, and Molly were getting ready for bed.

Molly and Maurine laughed at something behind her, but Winona wasn't paying attention. She was too busy staring at the infuriating piece of paper that made her want to march down to the Gryffindor dormitory and shove it down James' throat.

"What's wrong with you?"

Winona jerked to attention, using the vanity mirror to peer at Maurine. "What?"

"You looked like you were plotting murder."

"I'm fine." Winona's voice was laced with ice. It wasn't directed at Maurine — or James for that matter — she directed it at no one but herself. What was she thinking?! It was the most reckless and stupid decision she could've ever made. And she did it anyway.

Molly glanced at her friend with a worried expression on her face. "Are you sure about this?"

"If he wants to make a fool of himself in front of our peers, who am I to stop him?" Winona laughed. And she kept laughing. Like a bloody madwoman.

"Should we call for Madam Pomfrey?" Molly said quickly.

Maurine only shrugged. "I think this is the most fun she's had in months.'

Winona stopped laughing. "No, it's not."

"Then why did you agree to this?" Maurine asked.

"I don't know." Winona sighed, "I've always wondered if....if any of it was real."

"If what was real?" Molly asked.

Winona turned around, facing her friends. "The competition, the compliments, the constant bickering I just-" she stopped herself, unsure of what to say next.

The three of them sat in a comfortable silence as Winona tried to put it into words.

Rivalry felt like too small of a word for it was. For what it felt like to her.

She remembered the day her Hogwarts letter arrived, the moment she knew magic was real. The day she peered up at the castle for the first time she promised herself she would take advantage of this magical world and be free. Already feeling like an outsider in the life of her mother and step-father, what more did she have to lose?

Even at the age of eleven Winona knew she wanted to be more than the muggle-born witch next to other muggle-born witches and wizards. She read all about Hermione Granger's accomplishments as a muggle-born student at Hogwarts and what came after — she wanted that future. The one where she could do anything and be anything all because she wanted to. Winona didn't know what that future looked like yet but she knew every opportunity would come if she just worked for it. Not pass a few exams and take every chance you get sort of work, the work that requires you to drop everything and do it.

For years that had been her plan and seated right next to her was James. What did he have to work for anyway? With his name alone he could find a job at the ministry!

At times it didn't feel like a rivalry. "It's a fight."

"What did you say?" Maurine asked.

Winona had said it so quietly she didn't even notice. She tried again, a bit louder this time, "I'm fighting for what I want and James is cheating at it." She continued, "You know how my mum is. She despises everything about Hogwarts and the wizarding world. What do you think will happen when I graduate? She'll welcome me home with open arms?"

Winona fought back tears. "And if that's the ending I have with my family, that's fine." But by the way, her voice was falling, Maurine and Molly knew it was not fine. "But for that cost, I want to be something good."

Molly narrowed her eyes, "You're already good."

Winona smiled at the ferocity in her friend's voice, "I mean career-wise, Mol. And not just for my career but for my life. To have the power to do good I have to work ten times as hard as the average student." To prove that I am good myself, something she would never admit to Molly.

"And what? James is in the way of all that?" Maurine asked.

"No, his name is in the way of all that. He does nothing to stop it." Winona went on, "The first time he acknowledged it was today."

"I say this with all my love for you, Nona." Maurine cleared her throat and looked her friend in the eyes, "This is rubbish."

Molly laughed quietly.

Winona shook her head, smiling, "And why do you say that?"

"You're both trying to prove what you already know!"

"Oh please please elaborate, Maurine." Molly laughed.

"Everyone expected something like this would happen since you and James are dramatic bitches-

"-What?" Winona interrupted.

"-But I just think that you both could save yourselves a lot of time by just moving on with your lives."

Molly sighed, "The chances of that happening are very low, Maurine. They're both very stubborn."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here."

Molly smiled sweetly, "That's why I'm talking about it because you are here."

To Winona that didn't make a lick of sense.

As the three of them said their "goodnight's" to each other and went off to bed something bothered Winona.

I just think that you both could save yourselves a lot of time by just moving on with your lives. Maurine's idea almost sounded like paradise. But before they could move on with their lives they had to finish what they started. Maurine was right about one small detail, you and James are dramatic bitches.