The Girl Who Lied || Draco Malfoy

The Maze

May-June, 1995

These clues would be the death of Hyacinth.

A snitch. A locked box. A bottle.

The bottle had a note written in ancient runes she had never seen before. The chest wouldn't open, even with the most obscure unlocking charms she researched. And then there was the snitch, which was the most infuriating clue because it was just a bloody snitch.

"I hate puzzles," Hyacinth complained as she studied the unrecognizable symbols.

Theo sent her a big smirk as he looked through the library with her. "I love puzzles." He was hell-bent on breaking the ancient rune code for her and he didn't even take ancient runes.

After a week, Hyacinth decided to bring in more reinforcements.

"I love puzzles," Padma gushed as the Ancient Runes study group gathered in the library on a Tuesday.

Parvati frowned as she read over the symbols that looked like no language they studied. "I hate puzzles."

Hermione snatched the scrap of paper with pursed lips as she read over it. She had joined the group after the Yule Ball. Hyacinth's inner thoughts had been correct - she didn't like not being included in a study group.

Hermione was part of the reason Hyacinth had shown the study group the riddle. Hyacinth had faith that Hermione wouldn't sleep until she figured this out because she saw it as a competition now; the muggleborn would do whatever she had to to come on top.

Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, and Megan Jones were also a part of the study group. All the girls scattered to different corners of the library, a different idea in their head that they were off to investigate.

Hyacinth smirked at the nearly empty table.

Padma was the only one that remained. "I see what you're doing. You're getting us to do the hard work for you."

"It's called collaborating, Pads," Hyacinth said innocently. "I just need a little push. You don't have to worry about it; I'm sure one of the others is brilliant enough to find that start."

Padma sighed, slamming her hands on the table as she stood. Hyacinth could see the struggle - Padma was debating between joining in on researching and not helping Hyacinth. "Bloody hell, you're obnoxious." She left to go retrieve a book.

But in the end, no one could match the runes with any language they knew.

In no time it was the end of the May and like any end of the school year, everything was falling apart.

She heard the story secondhand from her brother. Harry and Krum - she still didn't know why they were even together - found Crouch wandering the woods and insane. Krum got knocked unconscious by the crazy ex-Minister while Harry went to get the adults. Moody showed up, though Harry refused to see how suspicious it was that he was already there, and so did Karkaroff. The Durmstrang Headmaster apparently thought the whole tournament was a ploy - which they should have all known by now. Obviously it was, or why else would someone put her name in?

Then she had the dream in Ancient Runes where Voldemort tortured Peter Pettigrew. 'My Lord,' the rat-man had begged under the cruciatus in that same pathetic tone he had begged to her after she chased him down last year. She barely remembered his pleads as the moment had been overshadowed by Moony attacking her, but the dream brought back the memories of when the rat-man suffered under her wand.

Harry had gone straight to Dumbledore and Sirius like the good boy that he was. Hyacinth stewed instead, full of guilt and rage and angst.

If you used a different Unforgivable, he'd no longer be a nuisance.