Professor Slughorn, Sirius and Professor McGonagall turned in unison towards Alya, their expressions interjected.

Alya almost regretted what she had just said, seeing them in such horrified disbelief. Yet the little voice inside her kept repeating that sentence with absolute certainty: it was indeed Lily Evans who had hexed her classmate. And Alya immediately understood why. In fact, she even called herself stupid for not realising it sooner.

"What did you say, Miss Black?" whispered Professor Slughorn, indignant; he seemed to want to give her the opportunity to retract that horrible sentence. But Alya, her chest puffed out, didn't retract the accusation.

"I said it was Lily Evans. She was the one who cast the spell on McKinnon, or whatever her name is!" she repeated, frowning.

"You're crazy!" blurted Sirius, who was looking at her with the same horrified eyes as when he had caught her speaking Parseltongue.

"What you claim is very serious, Ms Black. As serious as it is inconsistent. Miss Evans is an excellent student, whose behaviour has always been mature and worthy of respect. Furthermore, she is a prefect. I personally do not believe that she could ever have compromised her conduct with such a childish attitude. Anyway, do you have any evidence to confirm what you have just asserted?" asked McGonagall in an extremely harsh voice.

"I, er, no, I don't. But I'm sure she did!" Alya's confidence began to waver; not so much in her words, but more about being taken seriously by those present. Both professors seemed to hold Lily Evans in special adoration. They would hardly have believed Alya's version. And Sirius -- well, he had stopped listening to his sister since he was barely a boy.

"To put it simply, you have no evidence to back up what you say," asserted the tracher, ignoring the Slytherin's expression that was becoming increasingly dark and threatening.

"Furthermore, many students who were present claim to have seen you waving your wand just before the incident." Professor McGonagall finally said.

"If that's the case, Lily Evans also had her wand in her hand at the time of the incident, but her witnesses - all Gryffindors, as it happens - were very careful not to inform her!" remonstrated Alya immediately, increasingly struggling to hold back her anger. She was surrounded by a pack of prejudiced blind men.

"Miss Black, watch your tone!" thundered Slughorn, resolute. Alya bit her lip.

"If Evans had been behaving in any way suspiciously, I'm sure some of my students would have reported it to me," replied the unflappable McGonagall. Sirius shook his head frowning.

"So, you don't believe me! You think I'm making it up! Why would I make something like that up?" retorted Alya, on the verge of screaming. But the teacher's reply was anticipated by Sirius' snarling voice.

"Because you are rotten inside! You hexed Marlene just to spite me and now you accuse Evans because you can't stand her. And we all know why: you can't stand that someone with her background can be better than you at anything. And look at the irony. Lily Evans is an exceptional magician and a wonderful person. She's worth a hundred times more than you are, you dull-witted snob! You're a fool!"

"The only fool here is you, who doesn't understand a damn thing about what goes on around you!" hissed Alya scornfully. Professor McGonagall and Slughorn remained momentarily silent, bouncing their worried glances first to one Black, then to the other. They seemed intent on minutely observing a tennis match.

"I understand that you're pathetic. And envious." Sirius' tone was calm, but the hatred contained in his words was palpable.

"Envious? Me? Of that insulting puppet?" ranted Alya, with snooty indignation. Sirius didn't take the trouble to reply, but threw a meaningful glance at his professor, as if to say see-what-did-I-tell-you?

"That's enough! I have had enough of your ways, Miss Black! It is clear that at the basis of your - I dare say - false accusations, there are silly reasons undeserving of mention. Especially in times like these!" thundered Professor McGonagall.

"They are not false! It is you who -" tried to protest Alya, but McGonagall immediately interrupted her.

"Horace, escort your student out of my office. I expect you to find a suitable punishment for this shameful temper of hers. I will do the same to my student." she concluded sharply and in a definitive tone, looking almost reproachfully at her colleague, who was watching Alya more and more dumbfounded.

"Of course, Minerva! I am truly sorry. Miss Black had never shown such behaviour - I don't know what to say - but it will not go unpunished. In these times, certain speeches and ideas must be nipped in the bud!" agreed Professor Slughorn, in a grave voice, nodding firmly and looking serious.

"Excellent, I see we agree." replied McGonagall gruffly, putting a definitive end to the discussion and leaving Alya stammering in anger, with Slughorn dragging her out of the room. Before crossing the doorstep, Alya cast one last rancorous glance at her brother, who returned it with an icy, victorious smirk. Stupid, you really don't understand anything! she thought angrily. She then left the room, reluctantly following her Potions teacher.

The professor and the Slytherin girl strolled through the corridors of the school at great strides and reached the dungeons of the castle in a few minutes.

Slughorn's study was located right next to the gloomy Potions classroom, but it couldn't have looked more different. Instead of the rickety desks and dim torchlight which barely illuminated the darkness permeating the classroom next door, the teacher's study sported rich and opulent furniture, highlighted by a lighting which was anything but dim. As was his wont, if Slughorn had something to show off, he did his utmost to ensure that the result was properly emphasised.

In the centre of the room was an elegant desk, carved in fine wood on which Alya immediately noticed the presence of a large brandy glass and a bottle of what must surely not have been simple pumpkin juice, already half-empty. As soon as he reached the table, Professor Slughorn grabbed it and poured a handful of the amber liquor into his glass. He took a long sip. With silent mockery, Alya told herself that this shouldn't be the first one of the day.

"Miss Black, I must say it, your behaviour today has left me appalled, to say the least," the teacher exclaimed, distraught. He cleared his throat, once again rocking his well-groomed moustache. "Honestly, I care little what opinions on blood prestige you and your family share, but we live in troubled times and expressing such ideas, so openly in public, at Hogwarts, in front of a teacher of such integrity as Minerva McGonagall, is not to be considered a wise move."

A glimmer of hope resurfaced in Alya's calculating mind: Slughorn was not angry with her, he was simply concerned with keeping up appearances. If she managed to play it right, she could still put her plan to extort information from him about the Potions O.W.L. into action.

"You're right, Professor. I realise I went too far. I shouldn't have expressed myself like that. I'm really sorry, especially for embarrassing you" apologised Alya, with false regret painted on her face.

Slughorn's expression looked to soften at those words and Alya, with victorious satisfaction, laughed inwardly at the ease with which the teacher was being beguiled. But her triumph didn't last long.

"I'm glad to hear you say that. In any case, I cannot act as if nothing has happened. You must be punished for what happened." Professor Slughorn continued thoughtfully, combing his large walrus moustache with his fingers. He was talking more to himself than to the girl. For Alya, it was like receiving a sudden bucket of ice water. Frowning, she immediately began to protest animatedly.

"But professor, I have already explained it to you. I didn't do anything. It's my brother who imagined everything. It wasn't me who hit McKinnon. It was Lily Eva -"

Slughorn interrupted her instantly, glaring at her sternly.

"That's enough! I'm not going to listen to another word about this. Professor McGonagall is right. Your constant accusations towards Miss Evans are not tolerable. I understand that at your age, spitefulness and jealousy are the order of the day, but I expected more adult behaviour from you, Miss Black. Please don't insist!" the professor's voice suddenly sounded more serious and authoritative. Questioning the good conduct of his favourite student seemed to be a personal offence to him.

Alya wanted to retort, but once again, Slughorn nipped her complaints in the bud.

"I think a good lesson in humility is just what you need, Miss Black" muttered the man, grabbing a small sheet of parchment on the desk; the teacher quickly scribbled something on it.

"Starting Monday, Miss Black, you must come here, to the Potions classroom, every night for the entire week," he sentenced, extending the note towards Alya.

"What? Why do I have to be punished for something I didn't do?" ranted Alya, furious, deliberately ignoring the scrap of paper.

"You are in no position to refuse. Unless you wish me to send an owl to your family."

Alya paled.

"But you can't ground me now. There are exams and -"

"I'm sure a student of your level has found time to prepare for exams properly over the past few weeks. I expect you here on Monday evening. On time." concluded Slughorn definitively. Alya wanted to protest, but she swallowed her complaints reluctantly: what good would it do? It would only risk making the situation worse. With rage wrapping around her body like a heavy iron crush, Alya roughly grasped the fragment of parchment still outstretched towards her.

"A good day, Miss Black. I advise you to take advantage of this time to reflect on your conduct." Professor Slughorn finally said, in a reproachful tone.

Alya left the room without uttering a word, furious, outraged. She immediately ran towards the Slytherin dormitory. She only wished to lock herself in her room, to be alone. She did not want to see or speak to anyone. The humiliation she had suffered stung too much. It was all the fault of that insufferable know-it-all Muggle-born from Gryffindor, Lily Evans. It was her fault Sirius had attacked her. It was her fault that she had been punished so unfairly. And, most of all, it was her fault that her plan to nab the information she needed to pass the Potions O.W.L. had gone miserably up in smoke.

***

Monday evening arrived all too quickly.

In the Great Hall, the evening banquet was pervaded by a feverish chattering ferment. Alya was the only one to eat her meal in religious silence, barely listening to her friends' stories about the exam. The voices of her schoolmates sounded to her ears like a distant, barely intelligible buzz. After dessert, Alya reluctantly made her way to the Potions room, sketching a cold greeting to Philippa, Melyssa and Beth, who reciprocated with a sympathetic greeting and continued chatting happily amongst themselves.

The sound of Alya's heels clicking firmly on the hard stone floor echoed powerfully in the emptiness of the almost deserted corridors. After all, anxiety about the exams still permeated the air severely and almost all the students went to hole up in their common rooms or the library to brush up as much as they could for the next day's test. The castle dungeons looked even more gloomy in those anxious pre-examination hours.

The creaking of the wooden door of the Potions room ripped through the dense silence of the evening with its shrill gasps. Professor Slughorn was inside, still wearing the day's clothes, perched on a massive chair inlaid with lavish craftsmanship, no doubt borrowed from his opulent study, which shared with the Potiins classroom only a piece of the walls, but nothing of the style. Torches shyly illuminated the room, which was even more eerie than it appeared in daylight hours. It seemed to Alya as if she were sneaking into a giant's cave, so much so that she tiptoed into the small room, as if she didn't want to wake up the occupant. But Professor Slughorn was already awake and greeted the girl in a jovial tone, which clashed with the situation.

"Miss Black! You are on time. There is no more mature way to deal with a punishment," Slughorn exclaimed cheerfully. Alya thanked the darkness, which managed to hide the expression of furious annoyance that inexorably contorted her face. She barely mumbled a polite greeting, but the teacher seemed not to notice the student's annoyance. Or at least, he ignored it.

"Well, this evening you will help me polish the ampoules on the shelves of this wall. They contain very powerful potions, some quite dangerous, so you need steady, delicate hands to handle them. A job of concentration and precision, no doubt about it," said the professor enthusiastically, as if announcing a pleasant Sunday outing. With disdainful silence, Alya made to pull her wand from the sleeve of her uniform, but Slughorn intercepted her intentions and his tone suddenly became peremptory.

"No. No magic. You will clean in the Muggle way. A good training in humility is what you need. On the desk you'll find everything you need." he explained, pointing to a worn-out old tea towel and a basin of water. Alya grabbed the cloth without hiding her disappointment.

"You can use the ladder for the higher shelves," Slughorn added, waving his wand gently. An old, wooden ladder whizzed past the girl, ready for use. After pulling up the sleeves of her school uniform, Alya climbed listlessly to the top of the wall, grabbed the first flask in the row and began scrubbing vigorously. The encrusted dust formed a thick, sticky layer that stubbornly refused to come off. It seemed to be years old, decades old, as if no one had ever tried to remove it until then. It took a good handful of minutes before the cold transparent surface was revealed in its original splendour again. It was a laborious job, made all the more onerous by the instability of being suspended a couple of metres over a shabby wooden ladder, gnawed by woodworm. But Alya, determined not to show any sign of weakness, clung tightly to her innate pride and continued to scrub and polish with commitment without uttering a peep. Smugly, Professor Slughorn watched over her like a sentinel, from the bottom of his beautiful chair adorned with elegant ornaments, sipping a goblet of fine elven wine from northern Britain, which looked as tasty as it was expensive. Another fine gift from some devoted old pupil of his, probably.

After about an hour of hard work, Alya's wrists began to give way to pain, numb from the unusual and prolonged movement. On the other hand, the girl had gone down a couple of levels, although there were still numerous rows of filthy ampoules ahead. Alya began to feel tired. Even the grip on her fingers became a little weaker, and Alya almost let a long, thin bottle slip from her hands, ending in a pretty golden cap. It looked familiar, Alya was sure she had seen it somewhere before, though she couldn't remember on which occasion.

"I would be especially careful with that one!" exclaimed Slughorn suddenly, in a somewhat alarmed tone. "Don't you recognise it? I showed it to your class a few days ago, at one of our last classes."

Alya answered him with a questioning expression, without, however, abandoning her stubborn muteness. Glad to have caught a glimmer of interest in the student, Slughorn took the opportunity to interrupt those moments of boring silence with a display of his extensive knowledge in the subject he taught.

"That, my dear girl, contains a very potent potion, the preparation of which itself requires a talent that few potionists can claim. Not to sound unassuming, but I can claim to be one of those few. So much so that even the Ministry turns its enquiries to me, especially in these times of confusing crimes, when there is a need to shed light on the real wishes of those who carried them out. A serum capable of loosening the most reticent tongues and revealing the most secret and intimate intentions," the teacher explained in a pompous voice.

"Veritaserum." murmured Alya, peering with sudden interest at the small bottle she held between her fingers. Digging into her memory, she recalled how Slughorn had displayed it in the last lesson, as if it had been a personal trophy won who knows where.

"Exactly. Veritaserum. A few drops of this potion mixed with your evening drink and we wouldn't need punishments like this one to understand what actually happened to poor McKinnon. Or why you insist on accusing Miss Evans of such a thing," Slughorn said in a more mournful and grave tone, looking at Alya seriously, to see what effect the idea of such a possibility had on the girl. But Alya showed no concern. On the contrary, she almost seemed to reciprocate the professor with a look of fervent interest.

"Nevertheless, the use of Veritaserum on students is not allowed. You can sleep soundly and enjoy your meals, Miss Black. Your secrets are safe here at Hogwarts," Slughorn concluded, with a wink. But Alya paid no attention. Her attention was totally attracted by the small, elegant ampoule which sparkled before her eyes. Her calculating brain was working fast, processing every piece of information Slughorn had just given her. Thus, an inspiration suddenly came to her. Her grey eyes studied every single detail of the small glass ampoule, as if to indelibly imprint its features on mind. Only when Alya was sure she had made the image of the flask her own, did the girl put it back in its place. With renewed energy, Alya continued her work of forced polishing, which suddenly seemed less tiring.

After another half-hour had passed, the silence of the room was again interrupted by a loud, wide yawn from Slughorn.

"It's getting late, I'm afraid. I really think that's enough for today. After all, the exams have just begun and it's only fair that you have time to rest," the professor exclaimed in a sympathetic tone.

"I hope tonight's activity has given you the opportunity to reflect on your behaviour, Miss Black," he added, staring at Alya sternly.

"Of course, professor! It provided me with excellent food for thought." replied Alya sincerely, alluding, however, to something different than what Slughorn was thinking.

"I' glad. Then I'll see you back here tomorrow night, same time. Good night, Miss Black," the teacher concluded, hurriedly.

Alya took leave politely and slipped out of the classroom. She plunged once more into the silence of the dark dungeon, her soul galvanised by a new inspiration, which gave her a vibrant enthusiasm. Alya knew well that she would neither rest nor sleep that night. The adrenaline of a new plan, this time of revenge, would keep her awake.

A smile made of wickedness rippled cruelly across Alya's beautiful lips as her footsteps thundered relentlessly and menacingly through the dark dungeons of Hogwarts.

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A/N:

Hi everyone! After a long wait (sorry!), here's finally the new chapter of "The Tree of Blacks".

I hope you enjoy it^^!

Let me know what you think about it ♡
~Vale