LIFELINE | 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙮 𝙒𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙮

▪︎ 36.

The school's spirits seemed to be cheerful. It had been four months since the last attack, and the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff match was coming up soon. Oliver trained his team harder than ever, limiting his free time. During that time, Rehan made the most of it.

Revision schedules were being drawn up since they were only two months away. The yearly exams, that the rest of the school were guvujg, except fifth and seventh years were also drawing up closer.

But everyone, almost everyone, including Percy, let themselves have a break for the match.

On the morning of fifteen minutes to eleven, the school was making way towards the stands. The seats were being filled rapidly as Percy sat to Eliza's right and Claire to her left, which was followed immediately by James and then Rehan.

The both of them came to a stiff agreement of not discussing their argument. Although that spell wore off.

"Eliza? Do you mind if I join Noah over there?" Claire asked as she spotted her Valentines date, waving to her cheerfully.

"Go ah—"

"I mind." James said, cutting Eliza off mid sentence. "You're staying here with us."

Claire furrowed her brows furiously, but she didn't want to start a racket here. "I thought you said you didn't care anymore about what I did with guys?" She asked.

"I don't trust him." Jakes said, shrugging.

"I do." Claire replied shortly. "I'm going."

"Don't you dare," James warned, rolling his sleeves.

Claire eyed him warily. "Are you going to beat him up or what?" She questioned.

James scoffed, "You're not fucking moving Claire." He spoke, calmly. But his voice dripping threateningly.

Eliza turned away. If they were cursing now, she was not happy to get involved in it.

Claire was enraged. She stood up abruptly. "I'm not listening to you without a proper reason."

"I don't trust him, and that's proper reason. Sit. Down." He said, looking up at her.

She didn't answer him. She simply flipped her hair ready to move when James caught her hand and pulled her back, causing her to sit between his thighs.

Rehan and Eliza wide-eyed looked away.

"Let's shift a little and give them some space." Eliza whispered to Percy.

Percy pushed up his glasses. "I don't want to see that."

"Exactly." And they shifted aside a little, but they could still hear them.

James was still holding onto her hand, not letting her move. "I told you to fucking sit. What is your problem?"

"You! You are my problem." She argued back. "You can get a girlfriend, but when I try to even talk, you get hot and bothered!"

"Because the guys to talk to are trash." James said, giving a bark of laugh.

"Oh yeah? You're lying because—"

The teams had come upfront. Their argument broke off as people cheered for them. Everyone stood up to clap, but James and Claire remained seated.

For five minutes, people cheered for their team, whistling and shouting and chanting slogans.

But before they could start the match, Professor McGonagall walked onto the pitch with a giant purple Megaphone.

"This match has been canceled," Professor McGonagall called through the megaphone.

There was instant uproar.

"They can't cancel Quidditch!" Percy said, looking disappointed.

Eliza, however, took another view. "I wonder why, you don't think there's been another attack?" She said concerned.

"Can't have, everyone almost here, aren't they?" Percy said back. Standing up and peering down over the various heads. Being tall and lanky certainly helped him.

"All students are to make their way back to the house common rooms, where their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!" She shouted in the Megaphone.

"Come on, let's go, I don't think it's any good news." Percy said, holding Eliza's hand and dragging themselves away into the stampeding crowd, rushing towards the exit.

They walked hurriedly amongst the crowd, who were talking nervously amongst themselves. Eliza could make out the fear in people's voices, as they discussed hurriedly. She distinctly heard the two familiar names, of who were attacked, her heart clenched with fear.

The portrait door was already swung open when students clambered back. Some make angry comments at the match being canceled, and some have more accurate guesses on the matches cancelation.

Rehan and Oliver were huddled together, presumably to comfort Oliver on the Quidditch loss.

Eliza and Percy found a chair to themselves behind, Lee Jordan, Fred and George.

To her pleasant surprise, James and Claire were together, his arm wrapped around her waist protectively. She didn't seem to notice it, though, or else Eliza was sure Claire would've pushed his hand away.

Everyone was grim and white when Professor McGonagall came into the portrait with Harry and Ron and a scroll in her hands.

"All students will return to their house common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities." She announced.

The Gryffindors packed inside the common room listened to Professor McGonagall in silence. She rolled up the parchment and choked out, "I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward."

The Gryffindors began talking immediately.

"That's two Gryffindors down, not counting a Gryffindor ghost, one Ravenclaw and one Hufflepuff," Lee said, counting his fingers. "Haven’t any of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn't it obvious all this stuff's coming from Slytherin? The heir of Slytherin, the monster of Slytherin – why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?" He said, as people applauded him.

"A Prefect was attacked?" Percy asked, his brows scrunched up so much that it looked like a unibrow.

"James's ex-girlfriend. Penelope Clearwater and Ron's friend, Hermione Granger." Eliza said. "I overheard."

When Eliza's eyes darted around the room towards James, he didn't look the least bothered. He was talking to Claire about something, and she suddenly looked much more mature as she listened to James talking to her.

"I hope the monster is caught soon. Hogwarts closing down... that's something I'd not like to witness..."