𝙀𝙐𝙋𝙃𝙊𝙍𝙄𝘼 ➣ 𝐷. 𝑀𝑎𝑙𝑓𝑜𝑦✔

𝟑𝟗 | 𝑩𝑼𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑫

𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗙𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗬𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗗 in their robes and make their way into the castle for the first day back after the holidays. I search through the mass to find at least Theo or Draco. I'm still refusing to talk to Eleanor and Theo keeps trying to get me to do so, but I can't. Blaise seems on the fence about everything again, and honestly, I half expect him to fall back to Eleanor's side of things.

And to make things ten times worse, over break, someone broke into Azkaban and ten high-security prisoners escaped; all of which I'm assuming follow Voldemort. It's the only logical explanation for Bellatrix Lestrange's escape.

"Lenora, are you alright? You're looking a bit out of it." Theo. I didn't even realize he had found me yet. My eyes focus and I turn to him with a small smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry. How was your Christmas?"

He shrugs. "It was alright. My aunt made a mean Christmas dinner and we opened gifts, but aside from that, it was quite uneventful... How about you?"

"Quiet. Staying here was the right choice; not hearing my father's constant badgering is like a breath of fresh air, I can finally breathe again."

"That's good." Out of the corner of my eye, I see The Golden Trio rushing out of the courtyard to, if I'm assuming correctly, Hagrid's Hut. I heard he came back during break after some trip doing God knows what. And, of course, Umbridge is still a pain in the ass, just like she has been. The entirety of break, she was up my ass making sure I wasn't doing anything I'm not supposed to. It got to the point where I almost used a spell against her, but she would have expelled me on the spot and I'm not going home unless I absolutely have to.

Theo and I head to the Great Hall with the other students, it only being the two of us together. While Eleanor and Blaise sit a few feet away from us, constantly glancing our way, Draco is no where to be found. The only reason that comes to mind is maybe he's just late.

"Make it a powerful memory, the happiest you can remember." Potter explains casting a Patronus Charm like it's a piece of cake. It's been a month since we came back from the holidays and Potter is finally teaching something interesting. I personally have never actually produced a Patronus Charm, so this is a training lesson I don't want to sit out for. I grip my wand nonchalantly. "Allow it to fill you up. Keep trying, Seamus. A full body Patronus is the most difficult to produce, but a shield can also be equally useful against a variety of opponents."

A powerful memory? I have quite a few of those, but none of them are happy moments. They're all my father and I arguing and screaming at each other... Except for one. One memory sticks out by a margin compared to the others. The night of the Yule Ball; Draco and I dancing together, enjoying ourselves, kissing him on the cheek afterwards. Though we weren't together at the time, nor did we know about our feelings for one another, it was still, probably the happiest moment of my life. It was the first night I actually let my guard down completely. We didn't have to worry about death eaters, or our parents, or Voldemort, or anything like that. It was just the two of us having fun together.

"Expecto Patronum." I flick my wand and watch with wide eyes as a kind of blue mist forms at the tip of my wand before a fox springs out and leaps around the room. I hear a few students gasp as they duck away from the fox. Such beautiful creatures foxes are. They're so carefree and--

Badum! A low thud shakes the entire room, making me lose focus and the fox disappears. The chandelier clinks against itself and the thud happens again. Bile rises to my throat as the worst comes to mind; Voldemort has finally gained enough power and is attacking Hogwarts. I attempt to swallow the lump that's formed in my throat as we all turn to the loudest point; the entrance to the Room of Requirement. As the thudding continues, it shatters the glass, shards falling at Potter's feet.

And then it stops and the lights go out. The room is completely silent, apart from the heavy breathing coming from the people around me. A young boy steps closer to the wall where a small hole has formed. He takes a quick peak before Potter looks too, and then it happens. Potter pulls the boy back quickly and then the wall explodes into a pile of dust and rubble. I shield my eyes and face, still inhaling some of the smoke, causing me to choke. I cough at the dry, burning sensation in the back of my throat.

And as the smoke clears, my heart drops. Standing before me is a group of Slytherin kids, Crabbe and Goyle among them, Umbridge, and Filch. And then he appears in all his glory, holding Cho Chang hostage. Draco Malfoy. The instant our eyes meet, I know he's not on Potter's side of things. He stares at me in complete shock and confusion, but my expression is exactly the same. How-- no, why is he siding with Umbridge? He knows Voldemort is back, so it just doesn't make any sense to me.

"Get them," Umbridge hisses.

We are all escorted back to the common rooms, apart from Potter and Chang of course. They are taken to Dumbledore's office shortly after the Minister arrives the next day.

Their meeting only lasts a few minutes before word of Dumbledore's disappearance spreads throughout the castle, with Umbridge taking his place as Headmistress. It makes my stomach churn just thinking about it and it's only been a day.

"Lenora!" The sound of my name echoing in the corridor catches my attention. I furrow my brows and turn on my heel to see Potter storming toward me, an angry look on his face.

"Ah, Potter. Glad to see you're in one piece after yesterday," I joke, but he doesn't seem to like that.

Instead, he stops before me and hisses in my face. "What happened to your loyalty?"

"What do you mean my loyal--." And then it hits me. He thinks we were busted because of me? Something I did. "Wait, you think this is my fault? What, do you think I told Draco to interrogate Chang into telling him what we were doing? I may be a lot of things, Potter, but I'm no snitch. Not at the cost of destroying my home. I can promise you, I didn't say a thing to Draco."

"I don't believe you." He spits before running a hand through his hair in frustration. "God, I can't believe I actually believed you. You had nothing to gain from this apart from Dumbledore's destruction."

"My father is trying to force me to become a death eater, Potter. Why would I destroy my only safe haven from him?" Potter stops talking immediately, taken aback at my words. "Voldemort is back, Draco has sided with the ministry, and my father wants me to be a death eater, along with Draco, and Hogwarts is the only place where I feel safe. Not all of us are prodigies, Harry. Not all of us can be heroes. But one thing is for certain, I didn't tell Draco a thing."

Before my anger spirals out of control, I turn on my heel and walk away from him. Tears threaten to spill onto my cheeks, but I take a deep breath and compose myself.

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