𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 | l. lovegood

xxxi

"𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐒𝐎 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌 𝐓𝐎 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔." Hermione said as she walked into Hogwarts with Harry and Dorothea on the first day back from the break. He had filled her in on everything that went down at the Burrow. "You're bloody lucky you guys weren't killed. You have to realize who you are, Harry."

"I know who I am, Hermione." Harry sighed. "Alright?"

"So, tell me what Arthur said."

"'If Dumbledore is traveling, then it's news to the Ministry.' But, what about this? That night at Borgin and Burkes, Draco was looking at a Vanishing Cabinet."

"What would Draco want with a Vanishing Cabinet?" Hermione frowned. "Thea, do you have any idea?"

Dorothea shook her head. All she knew was that he was sneaking around the castle late at night. She'd seen him going in and out of the Room of Requirement a number of times. Maybe there was something in there that he was working on. Something that he needed to keep hidden in the come-and-go room.

"He looks different, don't you think?" Hermione asked, slight worry in her voice. "Draco. Almost ill."

"Well, who could tell the difference?" Harry muttered. They turned a corner and saw Lavender Brown being all lovey-dovey with Ron. Dorothea's nose scrunched. Couples were so disgusting.

"Excuse me, I have to go and vomit," Hermione whispered, rolling her eyes as she walked away. Dorothea looked between her and the redheaded boy. She felt bad for Hermione.

She continued down the corridor towards the library. She sat down at a table and took out her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook. After the Death Eater attack on Christmas, she wanted to learn how to better protect herself from threats like these. She felt like there was more that she could've done.

Her mum had told her that she was just a child and that it wasn't safe for her to get involved in the war in any way. Her dad said to leave the fighting to the Auror's with years of training. Her sister said that it was her job to protect her from dark forces, not the other way around. Her head told her that they were all just being overprotective and underestimating her. Her heart said that they needed all the help they could get.

It wasn't like she was gonna go looking for Death Eaters to pick a fight with. She just wanted to stand a chance if she was ever put in a position like last year where there weren't any Auror's around to save them. She wanted to prove that she could be her own hero.

Someone dropped their bag on the floor and sat down in the chair beside her. It was Luna.

"Hermione just told me what happened," she said when Dorothea met her gaze. The blonde put a comforting hand on top of hers. Dorothea glanced down at it, her cheeks heating up. "How are you feeling? That must've been so scary for you."

"Mum said that Bellatrix used to be nice," Dorothea mumbled. She slowly turned her hand over hoping that Luna would hold it. She did; she laced their fingers together. "I...I don't know what happened that made her how she is. My mum wouldn't say. Everyone's been giving me looks, and...and I just want it to stop. It's not like I have any control over what my family members are doing, right? I-It's not my fault."

Luna gave Dorothea's hand a reassuring squeeze. She used the pad of her thumb to gently wipe away the single tear that fell down her cheek. Dorothea had always been sensitive when it came to her mother's side of the family and the judgemental opinions of their peers. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," she said softly. She put an arm around the brunette when she leaned her head onto her shoulder. "You're safe now. They can't hurt you here."

"Unless they can," Dorothea whispered. She lifted her gaze to meet Luna's ocean eyes. "I think there might be a Vanishing Cabinet here in the castle. In the Room of Requirement. There's another one at Borgin and Burke's in Knockturn Alley. I-I think that's what Draco's been up to. He's trying to find a way to get Death Eaters into the castle."

"Why would Draco want to bring Death Eaters into the castle?" Luna frowned. "Unless..." Her eyes widened, and Dorothea nodded.

All the pieces were falling together. What he was doing was dangerous, not just for himself, but for anyone else who crossed his path. Draco didn't want Dorothea to know what he was up to out of worry that she'd get hurt; although, he had a very odd way of showing it.

"He's doing a mission for You-Know-Who," Dorothea confirmed. "That's why my Aunt Narcissa got Snape to make an Unbreakable Vow. To protect him in case something terrible happens...And I have a really bad feeling that something terrible will happen."