What's in the fourth?!

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      Quick and light footsteps were heard along the corridor. Her breathing was a little off, but she wasn’t going to pay attention to it.       Hair flew in different directions, but mostly in the eyes, which was terribly annoying. People were passing by: someone was moving aside, almost bumping into a hurrying person, and someone was walking in the same direction.       Adjusting the strap of the bag, Lika rubbed her eyes a little, which were sticking together from the desire to sleep. Cheerfulness for some reason abruptly disappeared, and fatigue weighed on my head. It seemed that I had been sleeping recently, but now I was tired.       Glancing at her watch, which had become an integral part of her clothes, Shepherd noticed that if she slowed down, she would be late for class. The teacher is not particularly kind there, so it is not advisable to be late. Professor Alastor Moody led the defense against dark arts. The obscurantist seemed creepy to the students, so not many people liked him.       Turning the corner, the girl passed her eyes all around: there is such a calm atmosphere in the corridor, and she has to hurry to class. But the benefit is a little more and a staircase can be seen in the distance, from which she sighs with relief, hoping to bring her breathing back to normal.       A little more and the student was already walking down the corridor of the school, realizing that fortunately she managed to come to the first lesson today without delay. The girl entered the office and sat down on the first empty seat that caught her eye. Today was a combined lesson with the seventh year. This was reported to her by a chatty classmate — Pansy Parkinson, part-time girlfriend of Blaise Zabini, he is also a seventh-year student. Well, now it’s clear why all the girls from the sixth year look so slick. They’re all just crazy about undergraduates. Lika could only imagine her appearance in nightmares: disheveled chestnut hair, pale skin, emerald eyes looking wearily at a textbook.       Everyone was talking to each other cheerfully. Lika looked at her desk neighbor and was surprised to see the main handsome and funny Slytherin, and indeed the whole of Hogwarts, Theodore Nott, next to her. He didn’t look so cheerful to them. He also looked at the girl. Shepherd ran her eyes over the guy’s face, while Theo looked at Lika as if into the soul

***

      The lesson has begun. The professor was explaining something, but the students who occupied the very last desk were not up to it. They were having a casual conversation about Quidditch. Both were in the Slytherin national team. Theo is a beater, Lika is a catcher. The girl did not understand how she found a common language with such an unapproachable guy so easily. They didn’t talk during training, only if they could say something about Quidditch and that was it. You can’t get to him any further. There are girls and guys around him all the time, besides, he has a girlfriend. Well, or was. To be honest, it’s not clear there. Daphne Greengrass and Theodore Knott broke up and then met again. She is because Theo is handsome, strong and has authority at Hogwarts. He — because Daphne had a beautiful curvy shape, a pretty face, snow-white hair and beautiful gray eyes. And she was just sexy by the standards of guys. With the character she was unlucky, harmful to the horror. — It’s a pity, of course, that this year Dumbledore canceled the matches because of the Triwizard Tournament, — the brown—haired woman sighed and turned her gaze back to the window. She looked anywhere but into Theodore’s caramel eyes. — I agree. It’s a pity that this is my last year and I won’t be able to play with the Slytherin team for the last time and compete with the Gryffindors for the cup,” the guy sighed and looked at the interlocutor. — Yes, it’s a pity… You’re a great player, I won’t be able to perceive someone else in your place,” the girl lifted the corners of her lips and continued to drill the window with her gaze. A little more and she’ll burn holes in it! — Thank you, it’s nice to hear praise from such a nice girl. — Cute? It’s nice to hear this from Theodore Nott himself,” the girl let out a laugh and, smiling, still decided look at Theodore. This was a fatal mistake. It was at this moment that Daphne turned to us. She gave such a withering look that a chill went down Lika’s spine, and her hair stood on end. It was dangerous to deal with Daphne, she had a certain popularity. If someone crosses her path, she immediately makes this person a “rat” and mocks the unfortunate.       The girl bit her lower lip and looked at Daphne. Grinning crookedly, she ran her thumb horizontally across her throat. This meant that Greengrass was warning her: they say, if I see you smiling with my boyfriend again, I’ll cut my throat. This is at best. At worst, she would make Lika a “rat”, which was the last thing she wanted. — Yes, you’re very cute, even when you’re disheveled.       Theo said, smiling faintly, he was even glad that Lika looked at him and not in the other direction. Lika glanced at Theodore with displeasure when it came to the disheveled appearance of the girl. Suddenly, the figure of the professor appeared from behind. She decided not to pay attention to Nott’s jealous girlfriend. Let him do what he wants, a blockhead in a female guise. — What do you do, young people? Moody asked sternly, so much so that a chill ran through Lika’s body. But she found a way out in such a situation. She always knew how to get out of it and lie flawlessly. — Professor, we are discussing your lesson. Shepherd’s face didn’t move a muscle. Alastor Moody said something, but immediately left. Phew, it’s gone. — We were lucky, otherwise after the lesson they would have wiped their asses at work.       Lika cheerfully reported, but she was interrupted by the voice of the professor, who, as it turned out, was standing next to the next desk, Daphne was sitting there, and perfectly heard every word of the girl. Alastor Moody turned abruptly. — Miss Shepherd, you’re absolutely right. After the lesson, you, and Mr. Nott, will, as you put it, wipe your asses during the practice, — the professor said ironically and added in a different, authoritative tone, in which there were notes of schadenfreude. — Minus ten Slytherin points.       To say that the teenagers were upset is to say nothing. They were outraged! In general, Alastor Moody initially seemed to them not quite… ordinary. The tenacious gaze of a real eye and an artificial one, the one with which he saw through the back of his head. An iron leg that stands in place of the real one, because he lost his real leg. Bags under the eyes, a lot of wrinkles, a strange gait — all this was annoying. He could speak calmly, quietly, without any malice, but after yell for a minute so that the whole of Hogwarts could hear him. He is an interesting person, but dangerous. It’s better not to joke with him. The guy tensed, but said nothing. Lika just threw lightning with her eyes. That was the end of the lesson. The students noisily left the office. It was raining outside the window. Drops trickled down the stained-glass windows with images of famous magicians, gods and goddesses. The sky was covered with black clouds. Well, November starts so-so. Also a transfiguration test. The girl stopped abruptly in the middle of the corridor. A couple of people indignantly said something to her, they say, why did she get up in the middle of the corridor? But Lika didn’t pay attention. — What are you standing for? — there was another girl nearby — Ashley Kaymerson. A pretty hufflepuff with an explosive temper. With Lika, they were the complete opposite. Our heroine is calm, cunning, smart, reasonable, and Ashley is loud, can’t sit still, kind and has courage. Lika still didn’t understand why her friend wasn’t sent to Gryffindor. To this question, Kaymerson just shrugs his shouldersand he says, “There’s food nearby. Probably because of my love for food, they sent me there.” — Today is the transfiguration test! Lika howled and ran her hands through her hair. The understanding friend patted her on the sharp shoulder. — We just had it. Questions there… It’s terribly complicated, but if you taught, it will be easy. I was teaching, so it was easy for me. And you? — Slytherin desperately looked at Ashley. — What, didn’t you teach?… — Lika shook her head negatively. Kaymerson rounded her big brown eyes and tossed her blond curl back. — Am I finished? — You’re finished, — her friend confirmed. Shepherd nodded resignedly and, quickly hugging her friend, ran to the transfiguration room, which was in turmoil. The tension was felt physically. Lika sighed and sat down at her desk. The bell rang, announcing the beginning of the ill-fated lesson. Minerva Mac came into the classroom’Gongall. Everyone fell silent, looking at the professor. Well, that’s the end.