Falling into the Black Lake

"Robin Sear, your friend really needs to calm down. We're all classmates. Did he think I'd actually kill him? Besides, even if he'd fallen by accident, a professor was down there to catch him!"

Salasha spoke lightly, as though her attempted murder had been no more consequential than dessert after dinner.

The professor Salasha meant was Madam Hooch, who was teaching the young wizards Flying Class. Robin pulled Hermione behind him and demanded, fury in his eyes, "Salasha Forgini, explain yourself!"

Nothing in the world was more precious than life. Whether it was yesterday's classroom incident or today's shove down the stairs, Salasha clearly had no regard for it. In his mind, Robin had already burned her alive seven or eight times.

"It was a joke. Why so serious? I heard Robin Sear was the most gifted Seeker Hogwarts had ever seen, that he flew through matches like a falcon. I was curious whether it was you or your Broomstick that made you fly so fast."

"When I think of something, I do it. That's always been my motto."

Her brown eyes lingered on Robin's shoulder. It seemed Salasha knew something about his Animagus form, but not much. Otherwise, she wouldn't have shoved him from behind to test him.

"Salasha, you're worse than Draco!"

What made Draco unbearable was his mouth. His sneers and insults hurt people's feelings. What Salasha did was ruthless. She was out to take lives!

"Draco? A child spoiled by his family. What does he know about real evil? There's nothing special about the Castle at Hogwarts, either. Classrooms, corridors, staircases, portraits, ghosts—none of it's much different from Durmstrang. Robin Sear, is our next stop the Black Lake, the one rumored to be calm on the surface and full of danger underneath?"

Salasha glanced toward the