My Life As a Witch

Red Slits

"Professor Dumbledore!"

"Is that him?"

"Dumbledore's here!"

Mary took my hand once again as the green and red hues of spells were distinguished by one flick of a powerful wand. Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, the greatest wizard of all, strode into our compartment, in all his pride and glory, and surveyed the scene with his half-moon spectacles.

"Come," he beckoned to the hooded and spoke, his voice a mass of barely controlled anger.

The masked students trooped after the tall figure, their shielded faces held high. Only one of them turned back, and instinct told me it had to be Severus. I held no emotion in my eyes as I watched him leave, hoping to give him the signal that what he did was wrong. Terribly wrong.

James was looking at me, his expression unreadable, contrasting with the usual goofy grin he would be sprouting at situations like this.

"Serves them right," Sirius's deep voice penetrated the silence.

"How dare they did what they did!" Remus was shaking his head. "Unless..."

"What?" Peter squeaked curiously.

"Unless they were doing it to prove to Voldermort that they were capable," the other people who were listening in, including me and Mary, winced at the name as James answered.

"Anyway, let's get off the train," said Mary, shaken.

"We haven't changed into our robes yet!" James said suddenly, looking down at his shirt.

I retrieved my hand from Mary's clingy one and grabbed my robes from my trunk, ushering the others to do the same.

Mary and I slunk off into the other compartment, quickly slipping on our robes and joining James and the others to catch up with the end of the line. Turning back, I thought I saw a face. A familiar, barely human pale face with eyes no thicker than slits.

I turned back around, disoriented, to find James's head also pointing in that direction, his eyes wide and face pale against his black hair.

"Did you see that?" he asked in a whisper that could only be meant for me.

I barely nodded, just as stricken. I suddenly had the impulse to grab his hand, but held back by biting my lip. I should be hating him. Hating him!

James turned back to his friends as they started to notice that something was wrong. Mary turned to me, having finished talking to a girl with pretty eyes who was standing right in front of our group, and noticed how my already pale face turned even paler under the red bangs.

"What's happened?" she asked, the lingering smile of the conversation before still hanging off her face.

"I... I think I saw... saw You-Know-Who back there," I said in a rush.

"What?" Mary said, laughing a little.

"I'm serious Mary," I frowned at her faltering grin. "I swear."

I turned to see James having the same conversation with his friends.

"...Couldn't have been," Remus was saying, shaking his head.

"It was..." I started, wanting to convince even them.

"Now my girl decides to speak," James said, patting my shoulder. But in the humorous tone I found a small tinge of fear.

I glared back for old times sake, but something in me stirred.

"You're joking right?" Mary asked nervously.