slytherins do it better

Chapter 30

All the students were rushed to the Great Hall. Some professors stayed with them to protect them and closed the huge door of the hall behind them. The students were terrified and gave each other confused glances as the teachers tried to restore order in the crowd.

Some first year witches cried in fright and held hands to cheer each other up.

Camila didn't understand what was happening. She didn't remember much of that day: she'd gone to the Gryffindor party, she'd met Shawn and they'd been drinking together. Then? Why couldn't she remember anything?

She felt a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach, as if something terrible had happened. And usually her instincts never failed.

She didn't remember going to the Quidditch game or going up to the stands to cheer. But then she had started to rain and the sky had turned gray and as if she had woken up from a dream, Camila had found herself there among the fans, with Shawn holding her in her arms, worried. She looked up and saw all those Dementors looming menacingly around the camp.

One of them had walked up to her and looked her straight in her eyes (or so it had seemed to her, since her Dementors don't have eyes). The creature had been staring at it for a few seconds, then it made a guttural sound, similar to a moan, and walked away.

Her heart was pounding in her chest and her breathing had become heavy. She had never seen a real Dementor before. School books always said that Dementors are the most dangerous creatures in the wizarding world and that if they catch your eye they can suck your soul to a point of no return. But then why had that Dementor let her go? She knew it might sound absurd, but part of her believed the Dementor had walked away out of fear of her.

But afraid of what? She was just a weak half-breed witch, she didn't have anything special. Certainly a Dementor who wasn't afraid to attack great wizards like Harry Potter himself couldn't be afraid of one of her like her. Yet Camila had no other plausible explanation for what she had just happened to her.

Unfortunately Shawn hadn't given her time to mull over what had happened; he had grabbed her hand and started dragging her quickly down from the stands, following the direction the mass of terrified students was moving.

She had followed him, without resistance, and she had let herself be guided to the castle.

By the time they reached the Great Hall they were completely soaked. The rain had soaked all of their clothes and their hair was a mess.

Little by little, however, Camila began to become clear and to remember new details of that day. For example: where was Lauren during the Quidditch match? Why wasn't she with the other players when the Dementors appeared?

She tried to repeat to herself that she probably hadn't seen her in the midst of all those people or that she might have gone to ask some professor for information. But her stomach continued to grumble and she Camila couldn't get rid of that bad feeling off her.

What if something happened to her? What if the Dementors took it?

'But no, stupid' she repeated to herself 'Hogwarts is the safest place in the world'. Certainly Lauren was fine and someone was taking care of her right now.

She looked down and noticed that Shawn was still holding her hand. She glanced at the boy, suddenly feeling invaded by a strong feeling of discomfort, and immediately withdrew her hand.

"Hey, baby, what's up?"  Shawn asked worriedly.

Baby?  Baby?!  Why had he called her that?  They barely knew each other ... And why was she still with him after all this time?  Shouldn't she have met her friends at the party?