Deathless (Harry Potter)

Chapter 8

Harry had just defeated a dragon and his luck had changed as everyone was cheering for him again. Astoria's luck had changed as well and wherever she was, she noticed a group of students from Drumstrang following her and eyeing her.

One on the left, three behind, a few, maybe five, staring across the corridor, one waiting in front of her. Just when panic made her think some of them followed her, she saw Harry. He was standing alone with Hermione. Astoria rarely stopped next to him, especially when her or Ron where around but she hadn't seen Harry in a while. Sometimes the need to speak to him and be around him was undeniable.

"You can do it", Hermione said to him with a gentle smile, "If you don't, you will regret it".

"You are right", he agreed with her. He did notice Astoria and smiled awkwardly at her, "Wish me luck", he told her and she smiled back.

"Always".

He left them there and headed towards a group of Ravenclaw girls. In that moment Astoria realized the crush he had on a girl from another house wasn't her. It was Cho Chang, a Ravenclaw. He asked to speak to her and the two of them left the other girls, who giggled behind them.

"I'm sorry you had to see this", Harmonie spoke softly. 

Astoria looked at her with suspicion. She knew none of Harry's Gryffindor friends liked her.

"I don't know what you mean", she responded coldly.

"Maybe its for the best", Hermione continued, "I think you will put him in danger one day".

She swallowed that. It was something Astoria feared herself, yet it felt like a smack on the face coming from her mouth.

"I still don't know what you mean", Astoria barked back.

"I researched your family. They were all dark wizards. All of them. Did you know that?", Hermione said, she had this smart-ass tone that everyone around her barely tolerated mostly because she was also almost every time right, "Even if you prove to be an exception, the chance of one of your family members being alive and finding you puts Harry in a position of danger and could give Voldemort a path to reach him".

Astoria remained silent, thinking about what she was hearing. They were all dark wizards, she repeated in her mind with horror.

"I agree", Astoria admitted quietly.

"Then you understand why you need to stop seeing him", Hermione was firm in her voice. Their eyes never met; both had a stoic look that never met the other. Harry was still speaking with Cho somewhere behind the corner.

"I think Ron's insecurities are also a liability, would you cut him off too?", Astoria hissed. It was a test and she already knew the answer.

Maybe she just wished she was included, equal to them in a way in the status of "friend of Harry".

"No", she answered and a long paused followed, "Ron is one of us".

"Then tell your boyfriend to leave me alone as well", Astoria said, her voice filed with malice.

She wanted to hurt her back. Her eyes met for the first time those of Victor Krum who followed her around like the rest of the boys from Drumbstrang. Now he stood around the corner, watching them talk, and he looked at Astoria as if he could jump and kill her any moment now.

"They follow you on the orders of Igor Karkaroff. He thinks Voldemort is a threat no more, but is convinced you are, or you will be one day, a bigger threat to the magical world", Hermione stated dryly.

"I can barely do anything", Astoria confessed, knowing it wasn't the smartest thing to do.

"Harry says so as well, yet the potential in your genetics is terrifying. Something common for pureblood families Is the strive to achieve the perfect wizard through breeding and magic. Your family line Is the only one that came close to success. Proving through generations, no matter how many were skipped, that every time an all-powerful wizard would appear" Hermione looked towards her for the first time.