Potterzone- The Dark Awakens

AURORS IN THE SCHOOL

The thuds of their footsteps coincided with the laughter and shrilled screams and the rushed running of the excited First years hurrying down the corridor, as Chen and Aditi walked away from the Headmistress's office.

"So basically, she wants more Aurors around Hogwarts," Chen said and shrugged slightly. His hair, which was usually well-combed and neat, was an unusual mess, and his eyes strained with red color. He stuffled a yawn with extreme difficulty, and then gave in to it.

"Yes. And it's to keep an eye on the...'Shadow-Kid'," Aditi said as she pushed her stylish Ray-Ban sunglasses up to her eyes, which were inches from closing. The Aurors were incredibly restless, and their efforts to track down the Death Eaters seemed absolutely in vain, except for a particular pattern they noticed-

"Cotswold, Worcestershire, and Cambridge... There were rumored Death Eater spottings here, in the same order since they ran from Spinner's End... It might be a risky take, but if you look at it, it seems as if they're coming from London to Scotland... It's as if they're coming to-"

"-Hogwarts," Aditi completed the sentence. "Well, it certainly is a bit contradicting... Elizaveta being a person who hates Hogwarts, coming right at it? Seems weird."

"Well, it's not as if she's gonna come here and have a tea party with the Aurors and McGonagall... She despises the school, so it's pretty obvious that she's coming here to take it down, brick-by-brick," Chen said, nodding to himself.

"But why now? I mean, wouldn't it be too risky for her if she just tries to march in here with all the Aurors trampling around Hogsmeade? And now that McGonagall has requested more Aurors around the school-"

"Which, if I may say, is just nonsense! More Aurors just because a suspicious kid randomly appeared?"

"Chen, the kid nearly murdered a student."

"Well, I consider a Death Eater more dangerous than the kid... I'd prefer if McGonagall set her priorities right, and left the Aurors to the bigger issue," he said, and Aditi sighed. "Well, I guess you're right about that... Although from what she said, this kid does seem a bit suspicious. I think it's better if we tried talking to him, like she asked," she said, and Chen nodded.

**********************************

The classroom at the end of the corridor was eerily silent with its three occupants sitting in awkward silence. Chen and Aditi sat on one end of the desk, and Dev sat on the other side, awkwardly fiddling with his thumbs.

The three of them sat quietly, staring at each other, occasionally yawning and smiling awkwardly, until Dev said "Um, hi," in a can-I-go-back-to-my-stuff tone. Aditi smiled and greeted him, and Chen just gave him a warm grin.

"So... How's Hogwarts?" he asked, and Dev made a curious look on his face. "It's... Weird, but nice. Although, it doesn't seem to welcome me."

Aditi coughed twice, and said, "Well, I'm sorry it seems as if no one likes you... It's just, given the present circumstances, everyone's scared and confused, and it just makes people mistrust-'

"Oh, I can understand that... And it's fine. I really don't wanna be a trouble to anyone, and as long as things get better, I'm okay with getting the blame... I just hope everything gets fine, and people realise I'm innocent," he said, beaming.

Aditi looked at Chen, and whispered, "I don't know about you, but I don't think this kid is suspicious. At all." Chen slightly chuckled.

"We hope you're innocent, as well. We really do... And I'm sure everyone else does too," he said warmly, and Dev smiled. "Well, how's everything else about Hogwarts? You know, the teachers... The magic... All of it?"