𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑 || H.P

𝟔𝟐

I did my rounds by Ravenclaw today. It was easy to convince Thomas to keep switching. However much I hated using him in that way, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor were practically neighbors. The corridor leading up to it was lit with candles rather than lamps, and I realized the paintings were much more polite.

"Good day, Shallow!"

"Good night, Sir." I smiled at the painting of a wizard with a bushy mustache and sideburns.

Ravenclaw students were also much less rebellious, I found, as they are always in their common rooms by nightfall.

Apart from the little girl sniffling by the door.

"Harper! What are you doing? It's past curfew!"

Tears were streaming down her cheeks, but she was quick to wipe them away.

"What's wrong?" I knelt beside her.

"Alicia- I- I can't figure out the riddle!"

I never did understand the riddle system. Perhaps I was never smart enough, but clearly it wasn't some trap for fools either.

"Oh- no, no it's alright. I'll get you inside-"

"A-and in Muggle Studies- Professor Carrow..."

"What did she do?" I attempted to calm her tears, but her entire body was shaking.

She shook her head and lifted her sleeve.

"Diffindo."

I screamed but I made no noise.

Another cut ran along my forearm.

"Oh, Harper..."

Most of the blood was soaked up by her white uniform, but it bled as if it were fresh.

Harper sniffled again. "She was talking about muggle-borns, and- she called my mother a blood traitor!"

I examined her arm some more. It didn't go too deep, but it would leave a scar.

Harper continued. "So I- I said that she should've stayed in Azkaban for her unibrow alone..." She managed a little laugh through her sobs.

"Harper," I said but smiled a little. "Don't worry, I can stop the bleeding, just- lay down."

She did as I said squeezed her eyes shut. "Will it hurt?"

I pressed my lips together. "Just don't pay attention to it. Think about something that makes you happy."

She shut her eyes again, and I pointed my wand towards the cut. "Ferula."

As the wound was closing, I thought about how terrible it all was. Torture me all you want, but how could you point your wand at this sweet little girl? It was a stretch, but I thought Snape had enough decency to not let death eaters become teachers.

"Ferula."

The wound was bandaged, but still tender. "Alright, that was all."

She opened her eyes, and all her tears were dry. She smiled. "Thanks, Alicia."

I grinned back at her. She was truly adorable, with her curly brown hair and crooked teeth. "Don't put too much pressure on it, okay?"

She nodded her head. "Do you want to know what I was thinking about?"

"What did you think about?" I sat against the door.

"I thought about my dad's Christmas cookies, and the decorations! Every year, the ministry gives him an extra week off. Oh, I'm so excited for holiday!"

"That's lovely, Harper."

"What about you? Oh! Do you spend your holiday's with Harry Potter?"

My eyebrows knit together. "What gave you that impression?"

"Everyone knows, Alicia. No need to hide it!" She giggled.

I laughed. Oh, great. "He's a pretty busy bloke, if you can imagine."

"Of course!" She nodded. "You're welcome to spend dinner with us. My mum makes this delicious stew, it's really good!"

"Thank you, but I don't think I'll be going home for the holidays."

"Why not?"

I sighed. "Well, there's lists of work to be done. Being Head Girl is a lot more than it seems."

Harper gave me a lopsided smile. "The invite's always pending."

I smiled and stood up. "How about you try that riddle again?"

The bronze eagle door knocker turned to Harper. "I always run, but never walk. I often murmur, but never talk. I have a bed, but never sleep. I have a mouth but never eat. What am I?"

"Hmm.." Harper pursed her lips. "..A river?"

"Well done!"
-

Ginny insisted on the Army idea. She decided to take me up to a place she called 'the Room of Requirements.'

"It's where we did our training the last time," she explained. "Neville found it."

"I think Neville's quite underrated."

Ginny smiled. "I agree. But, he really only started talking to us after this past year."

She led me up to the seventh floor and stood in front of a wall. She just closed her eyes.

"What are you doing-"

"Shh!"

A couple seconds later, the wall started to shift, and soon, it completely opened up.

"What did you-?"

"Doesn't matter." She smiled at the open wall and stepped inside. I followed behind.

Ginny look around, gleeful for a moment, and then confused. "It was much cleaner when we used it."

The room was full of dust. Empty, but very spacious.

"Nothing we can't dust off." I blew some dirt away from a table.

"I suppose."

I walked up to a statue place by the end of the room. "Harry taught you all how to fight?"

"Mhm. He was truly excellent. We learned deflecting spells, disarming, even the patronus charm!"

I sat down on a wobbly bench. Ginny still spoke to me. My people nearly killed her brother. I led death eaters to her home, not on purpose, but it happened. But, she still spoke to me.

"He really cares about you, you know."

I sighed. "He said that?"

"No... but it's so obvious you're all he can think about!" Ginny looked around some cabinets. "Merlin knows how he's holding up now. You've got him knackered!"

There was prickling in my eyes, and immediately I thought about how foolish I was, shedding tears over news I would have killed to hear five years ago. It would've been better to hear it from him. "He should've told me where he was going."

Ginny shook her head. "No, he shouldn't have."

"How could you say that-"

"Don't you understand? He didn't tell the lot of us because that's a hassle. He didn't tell you because you're too valuable!" She started smiling which only made me more confused. "I didn't believe it at first, but I know you're not just some scheme partner. What he feels for you is real!"

Harry was thinking three steps ahead of me. All the time. If I thought about trust, he thought about torture. If I thought about knowledge, he thought about Voldemort.

"I've never seen him so desperate to protect someone," Ginny ended and continued dusting off the tables.