The Oracle's Wake - Harry Potter

Chapter 7

Laken quietly slipped out into the corridor, her footsteps barely making a sound while moved.

She had been confined to her dormitory for the past several hours, ever since the incident with Umbridge the previous afternoon. The ordeal had caused her no small amount of trouble, and now she found herself constantly looking over her shoulder, trying to avoid any unwanted attention. Reaching to the end of the corridor, Laken paused, straining her ears for any sounds that might give away the presence of others. The castle was eerily quiet, most of the students and staff having retired for the evening.

Suddenly, she heard a voice coming from the other end of the corridor, Laken quickly moved back into the space between the wall and a large suit of armor, concealing herself in the shadows.

"Oh, come on, Hermione! He's just blowing off steam. Can't blame him with Umbridge breathing down his neck from now on," came Ron's voice.

"Blowing off steam?, Ron, this is serious! Harry's not just angry; he's in the verge of losing control. We need to do something before it's too late." Hermione yelled, arguing back.

"We? What do you want us to do, Hermione? Hold his hand and sing Kumbaya? Harry's old enough; he can handle himself" Ron scoffed.

"That's not the point, Ron! He needs our support, not your dismissive attitude," Hermione shot back, her voice rising with frustration.

"Look, Hermione, I care about Harry as much as you do. But he's not a baby. He'll come to us when he's ready. We just have to give him space," Ron said, trying to placate her.

"Space?, Ron, he needs us now more than ever! We can't just sit back and wait for him to implode," Hermione insisted, her worry evident in every word.

Laken listened intently, as the two Gryffindors passed by, their conversation reveling the turmoil Harry was experiencing. She wasn't surprised by his behavior, given the trauma he had endured the previous school year and this. How could anyone blame him when he's labeled as a liar?.

As the voices faded, Laken took her hands off her pockets and looked around, making sure no one else was there. Suddenly, she felt a strange sensation, as if something had appeared nearby. Glancing down, she spotted a large, black feather on the floor.

Laken bent down to pick it up, but as she did, she felt the odd sensation again. Swiftly turning around, she found herself face-to-face with Bonny, Slytherin whose dark hair and attire resembled his uncle, his dark suit seemed to show off his height.

"Who are you spying on?" Bonny asked, a slight smile on his face as he stepped out of the dark.

Laken regarded him coolly. "None of your business," she replied, turning back to the wall and continuing to scan the corridor.

Bonny joined her, popping his out to look around. "Who are we hiding from?" He inquired.

Laken glanced at him sideways, her expression neutral. "If you had to guess, who would it be?"

Shrugging, Bonny emerged fully into the light. "Oh, I don't know," he spoke casually. "Perhaps, Umbridge?"

Laken looked up at him blankly. "Why would I look for her?" She asked, her tone making it clear that she had no interest engaging with him further.

Bonny looked at Laken with a curious expression. "Probably because you were brave enough to blurt out about...something," he said, adding a slight uncertainty to his tone.