The low hum of conversation mixed with the gentle crackle of the fire in the Slytherin common room as Missy sat slouched at one of the dark wooden tables near the far corner. Her History of Magic essay lay sprawled out in front of her, the parchment still painfully blank except for her name and the title: The Goblin Rebellions: A Turning Point in Magical History. By Missy Dragonov.
She tapped her quill against her chin, leaving a faint smear of ink on her skin, she stared at the parchment with a mix of dread and boredom. The topic couldn’t have been less exciting. Why did it matter what goblins were angry about hundreds of years ago? It wasn’t like they played Quidditch.
Her emerald-green tie hung loose around her neck, and her Firebolt broomstick leaned temptingly against the wall by the dormitory entrance, the family insignia shimmering seductively, as if calling her outside to practice. She sighed, glancing wistfully at it before turning her attention back to the essay. She dipped her quill in ink and wrote a single sentence:
The Goblin Rebellions were important because...
She paused, twirling the quill as she tried to summon any shred of inspiration. Nothing came.
“Ugh,” she groaned, dropping the quill dramatically and letting her head fall to the table. The cool surface was oddly comforting. She peeked up at a first-year who was passing by with an armful of books.
“Hey!” she said, straightening up slightly. “Do you know anything about goblins and rebellions? Or, better yet, how to make a History of Magic essay disappear?”
The first-year just gave her a confused look and hurried away, leaving Missy to slump back in her seat with a huff.
Her gaze drifted toward the magical weather globe, a glass orb about the size of a Quaffle, set on a polished green and silver stand over on the other side of the common room. She liked looking at the globe, since it was enchanted to replicate the weather outside in real time. There was faint golden glow of the setting sun, it just screamed 'perfect flying conditions'. She could practically feel the air whizzing against her hair and face.
Missy sighed dramatically again and muttered under her breath, “I’d rather a Bludger to the face than write this stupid essay.”
Her hand reached out absently, tapping the end of her quill on the table as she debated whether she could convince someone—anyone—to distract her from this torment. Maybe she could sneak out to the pitch for just a quick lap or two...
Essays... ugh...
-
Evelyn Darke Goldman
- 6th Year | Beater | Captain
- Player: Jae
“If that’s what you want, Dragonov, I’m more than happy to oblige.”
There was no mistaking the owner of that somewhat husky voice: Evelyn Darke Goldman, captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team and one of the two beaters. Mercifully, she seemed to have neither a bat nor a Bludger with her, though most people would know that she didn’t need any of those to hurt anyone.
As Eve strode into the Common Room, an annoyed expression plastered on her face as usual, she cast her gaze at the homework before Missy. The Goblin Rebellions: A Turning Point in Magical History. By Missy Dragonov. Immediately she understood what was going on, and a lack of interest usually went hand-in-hand with a lack of knowledge. Out of all the subjects taught at Hogwarts, History of Magic was amongst the least liked amongst the students. But, unknown to most people, Eve was amongst the minority who found it interesting and useful, and she didn’t think this was a difficult essay to write.
Curious about how Missy would go about writing the essay, Eve made no move to help outside of introducing some time pressure. “Don’t take too long to finish your homework,” she said. “You don’t want to be late for Quidditch training later today.” Yet, it was clear from the way she lingered at the tables that she wasn’t entirely opposed to offering some form of assistance…
There was no mistaking the owner of that somewhat husky voice: Evelyn Darke Goldman, captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team and one of the two beaters. Mercifully, she seemed to have neither a bat nor a Bludger with her, though most people would know that she didn’t need any of those to hurt anyone.
As Eve strode into the Common Room, an annoyed expression plastered on her face as usual, she cast her gaze at the homework before Missy. The Goblin Rebellions: A Turning Point in Magical History. By Missy Dragonov. Immediately she understood what was going on, and a lack of interest usually went hand-in-hand with a lack of knowledge. Out of all the subjects taught at Hogwarts, History of Magic was amongst the least liked amongst the students. But, unknown to most people, Eve was amongst the minority who found it interesting and useful, and she didn’t think this was a difficult essay to write.
Curious about how Missy would go about writing the essay, Eve made no move to help outside of introducing some time pressure. “Don’t take too long to finish your homework,” she said. “You don’t want to be late for Quidditch training later today.” Yet, it was clear from the way she lingered at the tables that she wasn’t entirely opposed to offering some form of assistance…
we are our own judge, jury and executioner
-
Missy Dragonov
- 4th Year | Chaser
- Player: Annalee
Missy jumped slightly, her quill jerking across the parchment at the sudden sound of Evelyn’s voice. She turned to see the Slytherin Quidditch captain standing there, arms crossed, looking every bit as imposing as usual. Missy swallowed hard, her nerves tingling under Eve’s sharp gaze.
“Goldman,” Missy greeted, her voice teetering between sheepish and playful, though her shoulders slumped a little. “Don’t suppose you’re here to tell me that History of Magic essays are optional now?” She offered a weak grin, motioning half-heartedly to her parchment. “No? Yeah, didn’t think so.”
She sighed, leaning back in her chair and letting the quill drop from her hand. “Honestly, I’m completely tapped out. Goblin rebellions, pivotal moments, all that—it’s just words at this point.” She groaned softly, running a hand through her hair. “And knowing I’ve got practice looming isn’t exactly helping.”
Her green eyes flicked back to Evelyn, catching the faintest hint of curiosity behind the annoyed expression. “You’re not just here to make sure I don’t skip out on practice, are you?” she asked cautiously, tilting her head. “You wouldn’t happen to have any sage wisdom about goblins... or at least a good pep talk to get me through this before we’re smacking Bludgers around later?” Missy smirked weakly, trying to make light of her desperation but clearly looking for even the tiniest spark of motivation.
“Goldman,” Missy greeted, her voice teetering between sheepish and playful, though her shoulders slumped a little. “Don’t suppose you’re here to tell me that History of Magic essays are optional now?” She offered a weak grin, motioning half-heartedly to her parchment. “No? Yeah, didn’t think so.”
She sighed, leaning back in her chair and letting the quill drop from her hand. “Honestly, I’m completely tapped out. Goblin rebellions, pivotal moments, all that—it’s just words at this point.” She groaned softly, running a hand through her hair. “And knowing I’ve got practice looming isn’t exactly helping.”
Her green eyes flicked back to Evelyn, catching the faintest hint of curiosity behind the annoyed expression. “You’re not just here to make sure I don’t skip out on practice, are you?” she asked cautiously, tilting her head. “You wouldn’t happen to have any sage wisdom about goblins... or at least a good pep talk to get me through this before we’re smacking Bludgers around later?” Missy smirked weakly, trying to make light of her desperation but clearly looking for even the tiniest spark of motivation.
-
Evelyn Darke Goldman
- 6th Year | Beater | Captain
- Player: Jae
“You hardly need my permission to turn in a blank script,” Eve replied with a seemingly uncaring shrug. “But if the professors take you off my Quidditch team because of poor academic performance, I’ll have your hide.”
A hint of a satisfied smile hovered over her lips when Missy accepted that the essay wasn’t optional after all. Though the younger student hadn’t found a way forward yet, it was still a step in the right direction.
“Surely there’s no greater source of motivation than an impending deadline,” Eve continued, piling on the pressure just to see how Missy would respond to that. Would she push through her barriers? Or was she truly as stuck as she said?
Either way, Eve wasn’t going to spoonfeed Missy the answers. It’ll do her no favours at all. Perhaps it would be more useful to get a sense of Missy’s familiarity of the essay’s topic. “Tell me what you know about the Goblin Rebellions.” Eve asked, starting with the most basic and fundamental question. “Who, what, where, when, why, how. Just off the top of your head, whatever you can recall.”
A hint of a satisfied smile hovered over her lips when Missy accepted that the essay wasn’t optional after all. Though the younger student hadn’t found a way forward yet, it was still a step in the right direction.
“Surely there’s no greater source of motivation than an impending deadline,” Eve continued, piling on the pressure just to see how Missy would respond to that. Would she push through her barriers? Or was she truly as stuck as she said?
Either way, Eve wasn’t going to spoonfeed Missy the answers. It’ll do her no favours at all. Perhaps it would be more useful to get a sense of Missy’s familiarity of the essay’s topic. “Tell me what you know about the Goblin Rebellions.” Eve asked, starting with the most basic and fundamental question. “Who, what, where, when, why, how. Just off the top of your head, whatever you can recall.”
we are our own judge, jury and executioner
-
Missy Dragonov
- 4th Year | Chaser
- Player: Annalee
Missy sighed, leaning back in her chair and tapping her quill against the edge of her parchment. "Off the top of my head?" she repeated, giving herself a moment to dig through the dusty corners of her memory. Evelyn’s sharp tone didn’t help her concentration—it was like being put under a spotlight by someone who didn’t care if you cracked or crumbled.
"Okay, well... the Goblin Rebellions were, like... a bunch of uprisings, right?" she started hesitantly, trying to ignore the weight of Evelyn’s gaze. "Goblins fighting wizards because they wanted equal rights or something. I think they got mad about wands? Like, we wouldn’t let them use wands, and that didn’t sit well with them."
Her frown deepened as she stared at her parchment, willing it to fill itself. "The who is obviously goblins and wizards. The what? Rebellions. The where? Probably mostly in England, right? The when..." She trailed off, chewing her lip. "Merlin, I don’t know. A long time ago? And the why—well, they were treated like dirt, weren’t they? And the how? Fighting. Lots of fighting."
Missy groaned and dropped her quill onto the table with an exaggerated flop of her hand. "That’s about as much as I’ve got rattling around up here. Which is, admittedly, not much." She glanced up at Evelyn, her expression a mix of sheepishness and irritation.
Evelyn’s piercing expression made it worse. Missy felt like she was being dissected for her lack of knowledge. "I’m trying, okay?" she muttered defensively, her tone sharp enough to show her frustration. "It’s not exactly easy to think when it feels like I’m being scolded for not being a walking history textbook."
She ran a hand through her hair, sighing again. "I’m not even sure where to start pulling that into something coherent," she admitted, her voice softer this time, betraying just how overwhelmed she felt under the pressure. Give her something physical to do, she could hold her own. But, when it came to words and papers and study - she can see now why the Sorting Hat didn't recommend Ravenclaw as her house.
"Okay, well... the Goblin Rebellions were, like... a bunch of uprisings, right?" she started hesitantly, trying to ignore the weight of Evelyn’s gaze. "Goblins fighting wizards because they wanted equal rights or something. I think they got mad about wands? Like, we wouldn’t let them use wands, and that didn’t sit well with them."
Her frown deepened as she stared at her parchment, willing it to fill itself. "The who is obviously goblins and wizards. The what? Rebellions. The where? Probably mostly in England, right? The when..." She trailed off, chewing her lip. "Merlin, I don’t know. A long time ago? And the why—well, they were treated like dirt, weren’t they? And the how? Fighting. Lots of fighting."
Missy groaned and dropped her quill onto the table with an exaggerated flop of her hand. "That’s about as much as I’ve got rattling around up here. Which is, admittedly, not much." She glanced up at Evelyn, her expression a mix of sheepishness and irritation.
Evelyn’s piercing expression made it worse. Missy felt like she was being dissected for her lack of knowledge. "I’m trying, okay?" she muttered defensively, her tone sharp enough to show her frustration. "It’s not exactly easy to think when it feels like I’m being scolded for not being a walking history textbook."
She ran a hand through her hair, sighing again. "I’m not even sure where to start pulling that into something coherent," she admitted, her voice softer this time, betraying just how overwhelmed she felt under the pressure. Give her something physical to do, she could hold her own. But, when it came to words and papers and study - she can see now why the Sorting Hat didn't recommend Ravenclaw as her house.
-
Evelyn Darke Goldman
- 6th Year | Beater | Captain
- Player: Jae
As Missy began her answer haltingly, Eve maintained her intense gaze, fully aware of its effect on the younger student. But it wasn’t for her own pleasure that she was pressurising Missy; rather, she was pushing Missy forward, bit by bit, without giving her any time to overthink and procrastinate.
And as the answers came forth, Eve nodded. “Go on,” she prompted, trying (but perhaps not quite succeeding) to sound as encouraging as she could, and gradually a rough picture of the Goblin Rebellions began to form. But there was something missing, and it wasn’t the details that Missy didn’t manage to memorise. Still, Eve couldn’t resist a jibe. “I concur, it’s not much,” she replied with a nonchalant shrug. “But it’s a start.”
The pressure seemed to be getting to Missy as her frustration mounted. For a brief moment Eve wondered if she had overdone it… but right then, Missy somehow correctly identified why she had been struggling with the essay, and a satisfied smile crept over Eve's lips. They were getting somewhere now. “That is precisely what the problem is,” she nodded. “It’s not all about memorising dates and names and events. It’s about understanding their significance, the chain of cause and effect, and most importantly, what we learn from them.”
Eve paused for a moment to let it sink in for Missy, before delivering a more practical piece of advice. “If you haven’t figured out what your answer’s missing, take a look at your essay’s title. What’s the turning point? Why was it a turning point? Or was it not a turning point after all?”
And as the answers came forth, Eve nodded. “Go on,” she prompted, trying (but perhaps not quite succeeding) to sound as encouraging as she could, and gradually a rough picture of the Goblin Rebellions began to form. But there was something missing, and it wasn’t the details that Missy didn’t manage to memorise. Still, Eve couldn’t resist a jibe. “I concur, it’s not much,” she replied with a nonchalant shrug. “But it’s a start.”
The pressure seemed to be getting to Missy as her frustration mounted. For a brief moment Eve wondered if she had overdone it… but right then, Missy somehow correctly identified why she had been struggling with the essay, and a satisfied smile crept over Eve's lips. They were getting somewhere now. “That is precisely what the problem is,” she nodded. “It’s not all about memorising dates and names and events. It’s about understanding their significance, the chain of cause and effect, and most importantly, what we learn from them.”
Eve paused for a moment to let it sink in for Missy, before delivering a more practical piece of advice. “If you haven’t figured out what your answer’s missing, take a look at your essay’s title. What’s the turning point? Why was it a turning point? Or was it not a turning point after all?”
we are our own judge, jury and executioner
-
Missy Dragonov
- 4th Year | Chaser
- Player: Annalee
Missy scowled, the annoyance plain on her face as she stared at Evelyn. “Why does that actually make sense?” she muttered, half to herself and half to the older girl. The suggestion to think about the rebellion as more than just a string of dates and fights wasn’t something she’d considered. It stung to admit it, but Evelyn had a point—an irritatingly good one.
She shifted in her seat, glancing down at her essay title again: The Goblin Rebellions: A Turning Point in Magical History. A turning point. Why hadn’t she thought to focus on that? “I guess I never really thought about goblins as anything other than the ones who guard our gold at Gringotts,” she admitted, her tone begrudging. “Like, I’ve always known they’re clever, but... I didn’t think about why they’d get so fed up with us wizards. I just figured they were troublemakers or something.”
Missy ran a hand through her hair, a flicker of inspiration starting to spark. “But I guess if the rebellion made wizards take them seriously, that would be a big deal. Maybe it’s not about what the goblins wanted, but about how wizards had to change after.” She frowned, her quill hovering over the parchment. “Or... did they even change? Did we just sweep it under the rug and hope they’d shut up about it?”
Her frustration softened as she looked back at Evelyn. “This is annoying. I hate that you’re actually making me think about this.” There was a trace of begrudging humour in her voice now, her irritation fading into reluctant respect. “Guess I should start looking at them as more than just Gringotts clerks, huh?” She sighed, tapping the parchment with her quill. “Fine. I’ll try this your way. But don’t get used to me saying you’re right, all right?”
There was a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips, though she quickly tried to hide it by looking back at her essay.
She shifted in her seat, glancing down at her essay title again: The Goblin Rebellions: A Turning Point in Magical History. A turning point. Why hadn’t she thought to focus on that? “I guess I never really thought about goblins as anything other than the ones who guard our gold at Gringotts,” she admitted, her tone begrudging. “Like, I’ve always known they’re clever, but... I didn’t think about why they’d get so fed up with us wizards. I just figured they were troublemakers or something.”
Missy ran a hand through her hair, a flicker of inspiration starting to spark. “But I guess if the rebellion made wizards take them seriously, that would be a big deal. Maybe it’s not about what the goblins wanted, but about how wizards had to change after.” She frowned, her quill hovering over the parchment. “Or... did they even change? Did we just sweep it under the rug and hope they’d shut up about it?”
Her frustration softened as she looked back at Evelyn. “This is annoying. I hate that you’re actually making me think about this.” There was a trace of begrudging humour in her voice now, her irritation fading into reluctant respect. “Guess I should start looking at them as more than just Gringotts clerks, huh?” She sighed, tapping the parchment with her quill. “Fine. I’ll try this your way. But don’t get used to me saying you’re right, all right?”
There was a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips, though she quickly tried to hide it by looking back at her essay.
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