Beater ↕️ f.w.

IV

AKG

I keep my distance even more so now than I did before. After last month's run-in with one of the Weasley twins, I stopped going to the library unless I absolutely need to. I limit how much I go to the Great Hall to avoid their stares. I'm careful when I leave classes so I don't get stuck in a group of other students.

I just keep my distance. I stay to myself, and I do as little as required anymore.

↕️

The end of October used to be my favorite time of year. Halloween had always been my favorite holiday of all, the pumpkins, the scary stories, the bonfires and jumping into leaf piles. Fall has so many memories for me, and even Logan. We were closer when we were kids.

The Great Hall is decked out for the holiday, the carved jack-o-lanterns floating in the ceiling, huge mounds of candy filled the tables after the majestic feast. I hadn't eaten much during the dinner, but grabbed a couple pumpkin pasties for the walk back to Ravenclaw.

I dipped out just before everyone else, keeping my cloak tightly around me. As I take a bite of the danish, something whips past me, so fast it almost knocks me down. I turn around to catch a glimpse of what it was, and looking back at me was a pitch black dog, literally shaking its head at me. My eyes go wide as I drop my pasty, and the dog runs off. The hell is in this thing?

I stand there for a moment as all the other students start to pile out of the Hall, making their way to their beds. I try to make sense of it, a wild dog just, in Hogwarts? Nothing connects.

"Atkins?" Hermione's voice brings me back as she places her hand on my shoulder. "You okay?"

I shake her hand off as I reply, "Perfectly fine, thanks." I look her in the eye for a split second, then walk away. I hear her mutter something to the wonder boys of Harry and Ron next to her as I'm getting further out. I just keep going, closer to the Ravenclaw tower and closer to a bit of refuge.

↕️

So remember that refuge I talked about? Yeah, now I'm stuck back in the Great Hall with every other student and faculty member in this damn place.

Apparently, Sirius Black was trying to break into Gryffindor, and Dumbledore decided that a massacre would be a great Halloween tradition to start this year. I'm stuck between Cho and another girl I don't know, but she looks almost whimsical.

"What do you think happened?" the girl unknown asks. I keep my eyes on the ceiling as I think she's talking to someone else around her.

"Atkins, right?"

I snap my head over to her, and her big, blue eyes are right on mine. "It's a pretty name, very unusual but it fits you quite well."

"Um, do I know you?" I whisper back.

"I'm Luna, I'm only a second year, I don't really expect anyone to know me," she replies. "What do you think happened?"

"Uh, not really sure. Wasn't there," I answer quietly.

"I think it was really him, Sirius Black," she states. "The security around here, it's not really great."

I snort, then quickly cover my mouth. She lets out a little giggle, signaling she indeed heard me.

I look around to make sure Flitwick, or god forbid Snape, heard us, but nothing. Some of them are gathered over near the Gryffindors.

I turn on my side, facing Luna, "I walked out of the Hall before everyone else, and saw a black dog running."

"Really? That is quite bizarre," she responds.

"That's what I thought as well."

We both go quiet, when she says, "I've seen you around before, you don't really talk much and you don't have a lot of friends."