𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑 || H.P

𝟓𝟗

My mother was the one who taught me to persevere. Through the darker days, when I came home for spring holiday and my father was drunk and mindless, she faced her thoughts by scaring them away. Recently, however, her confident flare has gone amiss.

That's all I ever knew, for a while, how to scare. And now, that's all I need to know.

"I'm sorry, Finnigan, am I not the aid you were hoping for? Did you expect Dumbledore to be wandering around the grounds?"

"You're not," he stated blandly. "You've done your job, I think, making Harry delusional to your petty confessions."

"Seamus!" Ginny scolded.

"Well, if Harry is so delusional, why bother looking for him anyway?"

I was content with the silence that followed. I placed my bag by the door of the couch and sat down. "I am here because I have a duty to fulfill, and no matter how much you lot believe we need Harry, the truth is he needs us."

Dean Thomas shifted in his spot near the stairs. "What if he's dead?"

His words choked me. How could that even be an option? He can't die. Not when war is still upon us. Not when I couldn't say goodbye.

Scare it away.

Scare it away.

Oh, but how could I? Not matter how much I try to hate him, I can not scare the bliss away. I am not my mother.

"If h-he were dead, we would know." My voice shook.

"Do you actually believe that?" Ginny asked.

No. "Yes, I do." No one spoke, and I began to wonder if Luna was even listening. "Harry knows how to survive, yes, but he can't do it all on his own."

"She's right," Luna droned. "You know, she's got a prophecy too. My father wrote about it in the Quibbler."

Seamus rolled his eyes. "No one reads the Quib-"

"I think the Quibbler is more accurate than the Daily Prophet," I interjected. "The Prophet's got everyone thinking Harry is this flawless robot. I am telling you he's human, and your robot isn't even here. Until Harry's back, we've got to stop sitting around like
lazy ducks and take matters into our own hands!"

The group looked around at each other as if I had just splattered nonsense into the air. Ginny and Neville stared at Seamus until the boy finally spoke. "So, what do you suggest?"

"What happened?"

"Nothing." He ran his hand along my arm and pressed his lips on mine. "When you go back, you'll have to be discrete."

And discrete we shall be.
-

When the school bell rang, Professor Slughorn hadn't even finished announcing our assignment for the night. The seventh years hurried out in order to take in every second of their free period, leaving poor Sluggy glum and wandering back to his desk.

Neville was gathering his things quickly beside me, and I told him to leave without me. He nodded and stumbled out behind the crowd.

"Miss Shallow, would you like to hear of the presentation for tomorrow?" Slughorn asked doubtfully from his desk.

I pulled my bag up to my shoulder. "That would be erm- wonderful, Sir. However, I do have a question."

"Why, of course."

I walked up in front of me, digging through my bag, and finding the fake locket. It had been hidden underneath the many books and papers throughout the days. Before he could speak, I dropped the locket onto his desk.

"Miss Shallow?"

"Do you know what this is, Professor?" I sat myself down on the chair across from him.

Slughorn looked at me, then back at the chain and inspected it closely. "A plastic souvenir of sorts."

"Of what?"

He looked at it again. "Salazar Slytherin's locket, I presume."

I interlocked my fingers. His answers were too simple, and his manner too timorous. "I would like to know a little bit more."

"About a plastic locket?-"

"About the real locket."

The professor pursed his lips and tilted his head. With just just the slightest movement I knew he knew more than he would tell. "I apologize, Miss Shallow, but I believe it is just a locket. Now, if you will, I would like to focus on the-"

"We've been here before," I said. "You've lied to me before, Slughorn. I think I am quite acquainted by your ways."

"I am not sure what you mean."

"It was a pitiful lie, really, but it shows you are more than what everyone says. And, I wonder, do you know more than everyone says?"

"I- I just make sure of your success in potions-"

"My highest marks are in potions."

Slughorn frowned. "I know nothing of your locket." He pushed it forward towards me. "And, I am afraid you are missing quite some time off your free period for this."

"I would miss my next class with the Carrows for this, Professor."

He was frustrated. Good? Maybe. "That's quite unfortunate." He stacked some parchment together and pushed it towards me next to the locket. "The assignment is simple-"

"I know you know where he is!" I stood up frantically. "I know you know what he is doing!"

"Get to your free period!" It was the loudest I had ever heard him shout. He took the papers and the locket and shoved them to me. "Get out!"

"Sir-"

"I- I can not..." His hand where the locket lies was shaking vigorously. "Go, please!"

I quickly collected my things and started towards the door, only looking back once towards the Professor who supported himself with the edge of his desk. After turning the corner from his room, I glanced around before dropping the locket back into my bag. A piece of parchment fell from my hand and flipped itself over.

The back was blank, except for a small scribble in the left corner. The words were hardly legible.

'Servatur Animarum.'

Servatur Animarum...?