Dark

Chapter 23

Eleanor
The air was cold against my skin as I moved with precision against Viktor’s strikes. Pivoting my feet and turning my body I dodged another blow just in time before swinging my own fist in his direction. With a sharp smack of my knuckles I connected with the side of Viktor’s face and he stumbled back for a second before once against taking the offensive and approaching me.
We were all of five weeks away from the second task. Most of my and Viktor’s training sessions consisted of a swim in the Black Lake in preparation for the freezing temperatures we would be facing in the task ahead. I was slowly getting used to the icy chill but was nowhere close to being able to last an entire hour, especially in the chillier depths that we would likely have to plunge to on February 24th.
Today’s training session was different, however. After weeks of freezing swims and dizzying dives we had opted for a break. Though the air was less cold out of the water, I was still freezing as we spared on the bank of the lake. It had been nearly two hours already and I was exhausted to say the least. Deep down though, I knew that learning to protect myself without a wand was necessary. So I continued to push through the cold and the exhaustion.
As Viktor threw his weight toward me in the form of a jab toward my face I pulled my arm up and painfully blocked the blow. In the split second I had to make a move I put all my energy into a high kick to Viktor’s head. I made contact and he moved back a couple of steps as he caught his bearings again.
That was when I got distracted.
In the moment that Viktor had moved back, I caught sight of two figures walking in our direction, clad in heavy coats. I immediately recognized them as Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini. What were they doing here though?
Suddenly there was a sharp pain in the left side of my face and I was falling back. I had allowed myself to become distracted for the briefest of moments and that was when Viktor managed to hit me. I swung my weight into the fall and pulled one of my legs around quickly so that I was facing Viktor again. Without wasting time to fully right myself, I swung my arm back and then forward again, connecting my fist with Viktor’s lower ribs. Apparently the move had taken him by surprise and Viktor collapsed downward as the wind was knocked out of him.
I finally got back to my feet, breathing heavily with my hands against my knees. The exhaustion was finally beginning to set in properly now as I fought to catch my breath.
“You hit her.” Malfoy said loudly.
I turned again toward Malfoy and Zabini. What in the world are they even doing down here? I glared at them trying to fight back the urge to punch in them face for having distracted me.
“We were hitting each other, Malfoy. It’s called sparing.” I told him harshly as I reached a hand up to my sore face. As I pulled my hand away I was met by a smudge of blood. My cheek must have been cut open by the blow.
“He shouldn’t be hitting you at all.” Malfoy said, clearly annoyed.
I noticed Zabini rolling his eyes at Malfoy’s comment. I stepped closer to Viktor and offered my hand to him. As he took it I helped to pull him back up to his feet before turning back toward Malfoy.
“Well that’s not your problem, now it is it? Besides, I wouldn’t have gotten hit if you two hadn’t distracted me.” I said.
“See something you like then?” Zabini asked with a devilish smirk.
Malfoy gave Zabini a sharp smack to the shoulder as I answered simply, “Quite the opposite actually.”
“We were wondering if you wanted to go into Hogsmeade with us?” Malfoy asked suddenly, shoving his hands back into his coat pockets.
“Why would I want to do that?” I asked.
“Because it’s Hogsmeade.” He said as though it were obvious why I should want to go. “You have heard of it, right?”
“Yes, Malfoy. I’ve heard of it. I’m not a blithering idiot, you know.” I narrowed my eyes in his direction. He was incredibly aggravating. “But there’s nothing I need to go there for.”
“Come on. Just take a day off from training, Potter. It won’t kill you.” Zabini chimed in.
I turned toward Viktor, hoping that he would say something along the lines of wanting to continue training. To my utter disappointment, however, he simply said, “Go on.” With that he turned back toward the Durmstrang ship and left me with Malfoy and Zabini.
I pinched the bridge of my nose as I inhaled deeply. This was bound to be a terrible decision.
“Fine. I need to change though.” I told them before making my way back toward the castle.

Draco
By the time Eleanor walked back into the common room she had changed into jeans and some sort of plain shirt that was covered by nothing more than a light jacket. Her cheek wasn’t bleeding anymore, but there was still the small cut laced across her cheek bone and adorned by a small amount of dried blood. Why does she insist on sparing as a part of her training? It seems like an incredible waste of time.
“Where’s your coat?” I asked her as she approached us near the common room entrance.
“I don’t own a winter coat, Malfoy.” Eleanor said shortly. She seemed frustrated by the question, but unlike her attitude down at the lake where she glared heavily at me, she was now looking awkwardly down at the floor.
“You know you’ll freeze out there, right?” I asked her.
“I’m used to the cold, don’t worry about me.” She answered, still not looking up at me as she rounded me and Zabini and made her way out of the common room.
We followed her silently and before long we were making our way down the snow laden path toward Hogsmeade. The walk was silent and I couldn’t help but keep glancing in Eleanor’s direction. I couldn’t believe that she was walking all the way to Hogsmeade without a coat to keep out the cold. In fact, now that I was paying attention, I also noticed that she wasn’t wearing boots like everyone else. She had on a simple pair of trainers that looked completely worn down.
How is she not freezing right now?
By the time we had reached the High Street, Eleanor’s hands were shoved as far down into her jacket pockets as she could get them. She was shivering slightly, but overall she didn’t seem particularly bothered by the intense cold.
“So what are you supposed to do here anyway?” Eleanor asked impatiently, looking up and down the street at the many shops.
“Let’s go to Honeyduke’s.” Zabini said.
We made our way through the street and I was glad to step into the warmth of Honeyduke’s as the bell rang out above the door. I thought Eleanor would be excited to see Honeyduke’s for the first time just like any other Hogwarts student. But as her gaze shifted around the shop her shoulders seemed to slump forward a little and she pursed her lips together tightly.
What could she have against candy and chocolate?
Not wanting to dwell too much on that question, I made my way through the shop picking up different things here and there while Eleanor and Zabini browsed on their own. By the time we all ran into each other again I had a selection of Chocolate Frogs, Pepper Imps, and Sugar Quills in my arms. Zabini was clutching a pile of his own sweets.
“Are you really not going to get anything?” I asked as I nodded my head toward Eleanor’s empty arms.
“There’s nothing I need here.” Eleanor answered simply.
“Nothing?” Zabini asked, a disbelieving expression on his face. “You can’t seriously tell me there is nothing here that you want.”
“I’m fine.” Eleanor said again as she turned away from us and made her way toward the counter.
After having paid for our candies, Zabini and I led Eleanor towards the Three Broomsticks. The pub was as crowded as ever but we were able to find an empty table in the corner. As Zabini and I slid into the bench across from Eleanor I noticed her scowling at something across the room. Turning my head I saw Potter sitting with Weasley and Granger.
“Still pissed at him?” Zabini asked, having taken notice as well.
“It doesn’t matter.” Eleanor muttered as she pulled her gaze away from Potter and toward the woman who had just stepped up to our table.
“What will it be my dears?” the woman asked quickly.
“Butterbeer.” Zabini and I both answered.
“For you darling?” the barmaid asked Eleanor.
“Nothing, thank you.” She answered.
“What do you mean nothing?” I asked, shocked.
“I don’t want anything.” Eleanor said quietly, again looking away from us and down toward the table instead. What in the world is going on with her?
“She’ll have a Butterbeer,” I told the woman who nodded and walked off.
Eleanor looked back up at me, her expression unreadable.
“I don’t want that.” She said.
“Have you ever even had a Butterbeer?” Zabini asked.
“No.” She answered simply.
“Well now you can try some.” I told her.
“I don’t have any money for that.” Again her gaze shifted downward.
“Its fine, I’ll pay for it, Potter.”
An awkward silence stole over the table as Eleanor refused to look at me. That must have been why she didn’t enjoy Honeyduke’s, and why she didn’t want to come into Hogsmeade to begin with. There wasn’t much to do here beside visit the shops. I still didn’t understand how Potter could have money to spend around here but Eleanor didn’t. How could that even be?
The barmaid returned with three overflowing Butterbeers, setting them down before us on the table. As she walked off I grabbed my own mug and took a drink from it. The warmth of the Butterbeer was enough to banish the cold that had lingered from the walk outside.
“Try some,” I told Eleanor as I watched her sitting across from me just staring at the drink.
“You’re paying for it, you can have it.” She said.
“For fucks sake, Potter. Just try it.” I said.
Eleanor glared up at me for a moment before closing her hands around the mug and taking a sip of it. Zabini and I sat there waiting to see what she thought of it.
“So?” Zabini asked.
“It’s…fine.” Eleanor answered oddly.
Again silence seemed to engulf our table. I searched for something to say but nothing seemed to come up besides the tournament.
“Did you figure out how to breathe underwater then?” I asked suddenly.
“What?” Eleanor’s eyes shot up toward me as they widened.
“You asked before if I knew how to breathe underwater for an hour. You’ve been swimming in the Black Lake with Krum, and you’ve been pouring over that book of underwater spells for weeks.” I said. “Obviously the second task has something to do with being underwater. So did you figure it out yet?”
“I…er…no.” Eleanor was watching me intently. “Have you…have you really been paying that much attention?”
I heard Zabini snort as I shifted in my seat. I hadn’t really been watching her that closely, had I? Was it strange? I just wanted to know what in the world was going on with the tournament. It wasn’t that weird, right?
“No.” I said, trying to sound indifferent. “I just –“
“Eleanor Potter,” a voice said from nearby and a moment later a yellow-clad Rita Skeeter was standing at our table. “Always a pleasure.”
“Really?” Eleanor asked, a smirk breaking out across her face. “You didn’t seem too pleased when I hexed you that last time.”
She hexed Rita Skeeter? At least I wasn’t the only person on the receiving end of Eleanor’s fury.
“Tell me, Eleanor,” Rita said, completely ignoring Eleanor’s remarks, “how are you feeling about the second task? Worried? Excited?”
“I’m not answering your ridiculous questions, Skeeter. So you can leave now.” Eleanor said shortly before returning to her Butterbeer.
“Let’s not talk about the tournament then. We could always discuss the orphanage instead. Tell me, does it really live up to its reputati-“
Suddenly Eleanor’s arm bolted out over the table and took hold of the front of Skeeter’s robes. She yanked Rita Skeeter down so that their faces were no more than two inches apart.
“Why don’t you tell me something, Skeeter. I’m about five seconds from hexing you across this room. Would you rather be thrown into the mirror behind the bar, or that post over there.” Eleanor’s face was livid as she spoke throw clenched teeth.
She released her hold on Skeeter, who stepped back and cleared her throat as she straightened her robes again.
“Well…I…” Skeeter stuttered before she simply turned and walked away.
“Damn…” Zabini said, watching wide-eyed as Skeeter made her way across the pub. “You’re a scary one, Potter.”
Before I could make sense of everything that had just happened though, Eleanor had jumped up from her seat, leaving behind her half full Butterbeer as she stormed out of the Three Broomsticks.
What in the world was the deal with this orphanage? Why did it seem to set off Eleanor so badly?

Harry
“What the bloody hell was that all about?” Ron asked.
He, Hermione, and I were all staring wide-eyed across the pub where a flustered Rita Skeeter was quickly shuffling away from a furious Eleanor. I had a bad feeling that Skeeter had brought up the same subject that had set off Eleanor during our first interviews. As much as I knew Eleanor would hate for me to ask her about it, I had the sudden feeling that I needed to know.
“Harry, where are you going?” Hermione called after me as I pushed my way through the crowded pub. To my misfortune I got caught up near the door by Skeeter.
“Ah, Harry.” Rita said. “How about you, do you have anything you’d like to say about the upcoming task?”
“No.” I answered quickly and pushed my way past her.
When I stepped outside the pub I was met by the harsh winter winds. I looked up and down the street trying to find Eleanor. Eventually I spotted her at the end of the road and hurried off in the same direction. As I made my way toward her I noticed she was looking at something at the end of the street. Then she took a left turn and disappeared from my sight.
Reaching the end of the road I noticed the sign that pointed off to the left and read, “Shrieking Shack: Most Haunted Building in Britain.” Why was Eleanor going to the Shrieking Shack? My mind was overcome with the new question as I slipped out my invisibility cloak and wrapped it around myself.
I trudged through the snow covered path in search of Eleanor. It wasn’t until I was near the fence that kept most people away from the shack that I could see her again. Where was her coat? She was only wearing a thin jacket. She must be freezing out here.
I watched as Eleanor stepped onto the porch of the shack and approached one of the windows. Before I knew it she was pulling away old and rotted out boards that had been nailed up over the windows. The glass looked as though it had been broken out years ago.
As Eleanor climbed into the shack through the window, I followed. What in the world is she doing here? Why is she coming inside in the first place? The questions piled up in my mind as I watched Eleanor look around the small room we were standing in. There were broken chairs, smashed glass, and incredible amounts of dust littering the space.
Suddenly Eleanor was moving across the room, and then she was ascending the stairs. I followed as quietly as I could manage, only taking steps at the same moment she did to mask the creak of the stairs under my weight.
When we reached the top of the stairs I followed Eleanor into a small bedroom. I recognized it at once as the room in which we had been confronted by Sirius months before. The room where I had learned that Lupin was a werewolf. The room where I had discovered that Peter Pettigrew was in fact alive and was the real reason that my parents, our parents, had been discovered by Voldemort.
I didn’t think that so much could change in such a short amount of time, but it had. And then just weeks later I was being told that I had a sister, a younger sister. So much had changed. And now I was standing here in this destroyed room watching my own sister as she moved around, taking in every dust covered and broken object.
I continued to watch, perplexed as to what Eleanor was even doing here in the first place, as she came to a stop on the other side of the room. She had stopped in front of nightstand and I noticed for the first time the small chess board that was sitting there. For a moment Eleanor disappeared behind the bed as she stooped down to pick something up. When she stood again I could see the black knight piece that she was holding in front of her and examining closely.
“Eleanor?” someone called from outside.
“Where are you Potter?” another voiced shouted.
Eleanor’s head snapped over to the window. She quickly stepped up to it and peered through the spaces between the boards.
“Damn it, Malfoy.” She muttered to herself.
I had completely forgotten for a moment that Eleanor couldn’t see me, that she thought she was alone in here. As I took a step toward her the floor creaked beneath me. Eleanor whipped her head around. Her eyes darted into every corner of the room, looking for what had caused the noise. I was practically holding my breath as she gave up and hurried across the room. Then to my utter surprise she stopped in the doorway.
“I know you’re here, Harry.” She said quietly before she made her way back down the stairs and out of sight.

Draco
Zabini and I had found Eleanor walking out of the Shrieking Shack after she had left us behind in the Three Broomsticks. What she had been doing in there she wouldn’t say. Eventually we had made our way back toward the castle. I wasn’t sure what to make of our strange trip into the village, but it was clear that Eleanor wasn’t up for talking as she quickly left us behind in the common room and made her way toward the girls’ dorms.
So I had spent the rest of that day with Zabini, Crabbe, Goyle, and Knott enjoying our purchases from Honeyduke’s in the comfort of our own dorm room.
As night moved in though the rest of my dorm mates drifted off into sleep. I seemed unable to join them, however, as the same question kept cropping up in my head:
What is it exactly about an orphanage that sets Eleanor off?
I had no idea what could have happened there to make her react so violently, but she clearly had issues with the place. Each time this question popped up though, I would eventually think of our conversation about the upcoming task. Then I would wonder if Eleanor had found out how to breathe underwater yet.
Unable to sleep I eventually made my way back out toward the common room, hoping to warm up by the fire. When I got out there I noticed that I wasn’t the only one to have had that idea. There was Eleanor, sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, a blanket wrapped around her. For once she wasn’t out here practicing spells or reading intently, though. She was just sitting there doing nothing.
“What are you still doing up?” I asked as I stepped closer to her.
“Nothing. I was just cold.” She answered quietly.
“Well you went all morning outside without a proper coat on.” I scoffed. “No wonder you’re cold, Potter.”
She didn’t say anything back. She just kept looking towards the fire.
“Look…” I said, contemplating if I really wanted to do what I was going to do next. “I think you should take this.”
Eleanor turned and caught sight of the parchment I was holding out toward her. I had been carrying it around in my pocket all day. I had intended to give it to her earlier while we were in Hogsmeade, but then she had run off and after that my brain was distracted by the same pesky question about that bloody orphanage.
After a moment Eleanor reached out and took the parchment from me. She read over the notes I had made on it before looking back up at me.
“The Bubble-Head Charm?” She questioned.
“So you can breathe underwater.” I told her simply.
“You figured it out?” She asked, her eyes scrunching up slightly in confusion. “You figured it out for me?”
“It’s not like I went out of my way for you, Potter. Don’t get your hopes up.” I scoffed at her. “I just happened to remember it earlier and wrote it down for you.”
“I…” Eleanor looked back at the parchment again. “Er, thank you.”
“Yeah, whatever.” I said as I turned and left the common room for my dorm again.
I certainly wasn’t about to tell Eleanor Potter of all people that I had actually gone searching for an answer to help her out in the next task. She didn’t need to know it had taken hours in the library to find the right book and the right spell. That was certainly none of her business.