BORN TO DIE | R. Arcturus Black

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Chapter Ten: Gryffindors & Slytherins

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Sunday was feeling like a fresh start for Janet. Despite being released from the infirmary and moved to a small dorm near McGonagall's chambers earlier, she had finally been able to join the rest of the students in the Great Hall for breakfast. Janet's moment of excitement was quickly crushed as she passed by another student and caught a glimpse of the front page of his Daily Prophet. "Family Targeted" the headline read, filling her with a sense of dread and unease. Suddenly, the solemn atmosphere around her made a lot more sense, and she realised that the danger lurking in the wizarding world was far more real than she had previously believed.

She quickly scanned the table, looking for a familiar face. Shock and horror creeping over her, it almost felt as though there was some sort of dark essence breathing on her neck. As soon as she recognized Marlene and her group of friends seated at the end of the Gryffindor table, she made a beeline towards them, hoping to get more information on the recent events.

"Excuse me," she said, her voice low and urgent. "Do any of you have a copy of the Daily Prophet?" After a moment of silence, one of Marlene's friends pulled out a copy of the newspaper and handed it to Janet. Janet quickly skimmed the front page.

"Do you know them?" One of Marlene's friends asked, but Janet was too preoccupied with skimming through the paper to pay attention. She flipped through the paper frantically, her eyes darting from one paragraph to the next. Her feelings were evident on her face, eyes widened with fear and her hands shaking with anxiety.

"It doesn't say where they were killed," Janet mentioned, looking up at the group. They all winced at her words, and Janet felt a twinge of guilt for being so insensitive. She hated the idea of treating the victims like pawns in some larger game, but she couldn't ignore the thought that there might be some kind of pattern to how Voldemort was choosing his victims. "I just... I hate the idea that we are completely in the dark here, you know?" Janet added, her voice tinged with frustration as she tried to cover up her strange response.

The young witch frowned, her thoughts still wandering to the idea of a pattern, hoping against hope that there was something that she was overlooking. But she knew it would be too much of a stretch to believe that Voldemort was randomly selecting his targets. He was indeed a control freak, and she remembered how ruthlessly efficient and precise he had been in her time, as if he was an executioner swinging down his axe.

Janet paused, her mind racing as she considered a question in her head. She felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her as she turned to the girl who had so kindly allowed her to borrow the paper.

"Um, actually," she said, her voice quiet and hesitant. "I'm really sorry, but do you mind if I keep this? I'd just like to read it again later, if that's alright with you?"

The girl gave Janet a small, reassuring smile. "Of course, go ahead," she said, indicating for Janet to take the paper. "We can always get another copy."

As Janet was leaving, she felt her arm grabbed from behind, and a chill ran through her as she recognized Lily's voice.

Her eyes widened, unsure if it was her imagination or not but the warmth of Lily's hand had turned into an icy grip on her arm, and she was instantly flashed with a horrifying scene of a dead body. Without thinking, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

When Janet opened her eyes, she looked up to see Lily staring at her with a mixture of concern and curiosity on her face. "W-would you like to have breakfast with us?" Lily asked, her voice gentle and full of kindness. At first, Janet was taken aback, she looked up and met Lily's eyes, feeling a mix of emotions. She appreciated the gesture and felt grateful that Lily had extended the invitation. But she couldn't help feeling a pang of anxiety and guilt at the thought of sitting across from someone – or a group of people- who may end up dead in a few years.