"Ready, to go?" Narcissa asked us. nodded, we were headed back to Hogwarts today. I had hidden the cursed opal necklace deep in my trunk. I hoped it was hidden enough so that I could sneak it in.
I hadn't been able to see Harper, or over the summer. But Astoria was able to owl me some and inform me of what was happening.
She had told me about how her parents were planning on getting the mark. Especially her older sister. But when they asked Voldemort denied them saying they needed to prove themselves first. Astoria owled be a few days later saying that they had killed a muggleborn wizard in order to be accepted as a death eater. Unfortunately that muggleborn wizard was Lucille's father. Since then Lucille's mother and younger brother Jason, have gone into hiding.
Astoria told me that she had left her family and had gone to stay with Lucille to help her through her grief. I felt horrible, I wanted to protect my friends but it seemed I had already failed at that. Luckily the Greengrass's weren't officially marked so they weren't at the Death Eater meetings, allowing me to keep my mark hidden from Astoria.
When we arrived at the station, I saw the Weasley's plus Harry and Hermione saying goodbye before boarding the train.
"We should hurry so we're not late for the Prefect meeting." I said to Draco.
"I'm not doing Prefect duty this year." He said walking in the opposite direction towards Blaise and Crabbe's compartment.
"What?" I said, shocked. "You're quitting Prefect? I thought you loved to bully first years and annoy Harry with your status!"
Draco shrugged and tried to move past me to the compartment, which I was blocking.
"Is it because..." I whispered to him quietly. He gave me a sharp look at my discreet mention of our task. He pushed past me and sat down next to Pansy and Blaise, without giving me another look. I sighed. I guess Draco was permanently grumpy now.
Trying not to let Draco quitting Prefect duties get me down, I headed over to the Prefect compartment. Hermione and Ron were all ready there, as well as the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Prefects. But someone else was there who I was surprised to see.
"Harper?" I said bewildered as I took a seat next to him. "Since when were you a Prefect?"
"Since Malfoy quit." He said shrugging. Well at least I wouldn't be alone with a mean Slytherin Prefect during my duties so I was glad Harper was chosen as the replacement.
"How's Lucille?" I asked quietly. He shrugged.
"I mean her father was killed and the rest of her family went into hiding, and she doesn't even know where. How do you think she is?"
I swallowed hard. I knew that would be the answer but I had hoped it wouldn't be.
"And before you ask," Harper continued, "we're not a thing. It's best if we remain friends."
I nodded. I understood why, but I couldn't help but hear the sadness in his voice. "What about Astoria?"
"It was hard for her at first." Harper admitted. "But she's come to accept that her family made their choices and she made hers."
Astoria had made the right choice. The brave choice. She chose to not accept the Dark Mark and stay loyal to the Order. I was starting to think I hadn't made the right choice.
"How about you?" Harper asked. "How was your summer?"
I placed a fake smile on my face. "Just the normal," He looked at me as if he was trying to see through my facade. It was lucky that the Prefect meeting had started keeping Harper from asking questions.
