Servitium| Theodore Nott

Chapter Seventeen

The following Saturday's match against Hufflepuff had been a total bust, luckily Gryffindor only had to endure twenty minutes of hell, Ivory could've sworn she saw Umbridge's Cheshire Cat grin in the stands every time Hufflepuff scored a goal. Thankfully Ginny had caught the snitch and saved them the game. But if Ivory felt that was hell, well she had another thing coming, she walked into the Great Hall on Monday morning with all eyes on her, whispering and pointing. Ivory frowned and looked around her to see if anybody else was nearby her, but no, it was her they were whispering about.

"Ivory?" she frowned even deeper when Soren jogged lightly towards her from the Slytherin table. He was looking much better nowadays, she was grateful to Snape for keeping a close eye on him. In terms of spirits he didn't appear to be any happier but at least he looked healthy.

"What is it? Why's everyone pointing at me and stuff?" Ivory asked him and Soren gave a pitiful look.

"Haven't you seen? The Quibbler?" Soren questioned holding out a copy to her. Ivory scrunched up her face, why was anybody reading the Quibbler? She vaguely recalled that it belonged to a fourth year Ravenclaw's father, and they published nothing but a bunch of poppycock about flying crumpled cornsacks or whatever they called it.

"The Quibbler? I don't read that!" she snapped but took the copy anyway. 

"Well you're gonna read it today," Soren said gravely. "You can come find me afterwards if you wanna talk about it." He returned to the Slytherin table, her eyes shifted to Theodore, Pansy and Draco. Theodore was pointing aggressively in Blaise's face waving the same copy of the Quibbler about, Blaise was shouting back but also attempted to be calming Theodore down. Draco was glaring at the Gryffindor table with a hatred she had never seen before, she gulped and held the newspaper to her face to read.

HARRY POTTER SPEAKS OUT AT LAST:

THE TRUTH ABOUT HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED

AND THE NIGHT I SAW HIM RETURN

Ivory grunted, what could be so bad about Harry speaking out? And then she saw it, in his interview he had listed the names of thirteen Death Eaters he could recall and right there in bold black writing was her fathers name, Ethan Galliano.

"What?" Ivory whispered hoarsely, had Harry known all along the very thing she had been trying to hide? Why pretend to be her friend and then release an article like this exposing her to the whole school? Her legs moved of their own accord towards the Slytherin table.

"You've seen it then?" Draco asked darkly when she slammed the paper down nearly spilling Pansy's goblet of pumpkin juice in the process. "Isn't Potter supposed to be your mate? He had no issue name dropping your father and now he's ruined your reputation with your Gryffindor buddies," Draco scowled.

"What about you? You father's name is in there clear as day," Ivory fired back.

"I don't think anyone is as surprised by me as they are at you Ivory, it's not exactly hidden knowledge that Theo and I's fathers are and were affiliated with the Dark Lord. Everyone knows they're Death Eaters and if they didn't I guarantee you they aren't surprised," he shrugged, Theodore looked at her sympathetically but he seemed to be agreeing with Draco.

"Right," Ivory said tersely stalking back to the Gryffindor table. "Fuck you big time Potter!" Ivory hissed standing over him and ripping the front page to shreds in front of him.

"Ivory-" he started nearly choking on his pumpkin juice as he sorted through his fan mail. "It isn't a personal attack on you I promise, I just need to get the truth out there, look, I knew all along and I've never treated you any differently, why would I start now?" he looked at her, green eyes searching. "You're my friend," he added more softly.