The Half-Blood Princess- d.m

IV*

tw: alcohol drinking, hostile Draco

serena's pov:

I was extremely anxious the entire day, unable to pay attention to any of my classes. Those haunting thoughts from the night kept me preoccupied. "Danger"—what did that mean for me? Had I harmed someone? Pushed someone too far?

Suddenly, my thoughts were jolted when Professor Umbridge interrupted them.

"Miss Evans, this class is of utmost importance. I will not tolerate students dozing off in my presence. I expect you to serve detention tonight at 6pm sharp, and that's ten points from Slytherin as well," she declared sternly before returning to her lesson.

I scoffed and drifted back into my previous thoughts, disregarding Professor Umbridge's admonishment.

My mind raced with worry. I couldn't confide in anyone; they might be involved in the problem at hand. There was only one person I trusted enough to talk to about it—my father. Ignoring Professor Umbridge's authority, and the fact that I already had detention, I planned to make my way down to the dungeons. What was the worst that could happen?

I navigated the moving staircases down to the main floor where the Great Hall was located, and then ventured further, past the Slytherin common room. Continuing down the concrete staircases, I descended into the dungeons. Few ventured down here without a good reason.

I finally reached my father's quarters in the dungeons and tapped three times on the door, a signal he would recognize as mine. "Come in," Dad replied in his usual monotone voice.

"Serena, what brings you down to the dungeons?"

Out of breath from running, I burst into my father's quarters. "Last night, I heard voices—strange ones," I gasped out, trying to catch my breath. "They told me I was in danger."

I didn't know how he would react, knowing he could use Legilimency to see the fear and the frightening voice I had experienced.

"Let me have a look. Stay still, and don't resist your thoughts," he instructed calmly, preparing to use Legilimency to probe into my mind.

He delved into my mind, sifting through all my thoughts. He observed how the voices had entered and exited, and I wondered who they belonged to. I hesitated to open my eyes, afraid to glimpse the horror he might find there, knowing he could see everything I had heard. The words "danger" and "cautious" echoed in my mind incessantly from the night before, and I was certain he had seen those too.

"Serena, I'm done now, you can open your eyes."

Dad returned his wand to his pocket, and I remained on the edge of my seat, feeling as tense as I had all day. I sat down on a nearby loveseat, my leg bouncing nervously, as he joined me and began to recount what he had seen.

"Serena, you're not suffering from anything, that's for starters. There's someone out there who means you harm. They're trying to manipulate you into something that could be deadly for you. Whatever happens, don't listen to those voices at any cost," Dad warned solemnly.

I sighed heavily, feeling unsure of what to do next. After saying my goodbyes to father and getting the guidance I needed, I made my way back to the common room. Deciding on a course of action, I resolved to owl Daniella. I hadn't wrote to her since arriving, but she had always been my safe space.

I made my way to my dormitory and spotted my white fluffy owl, Flocon, whom father had bought for me before the school year. Her name, French for "flake," suited her perfectly as a snow owl, and winter being my favorite season. I gathered my parchment and a fancy quill, then began to write.