𝘋𝘈𝘕𝘊𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘞𝘐𝘛𝘏 𝘖𝘜𝘙 𝘏𝘈𝘕𝘋𝘚 𝘛𝘐𝘌𝘋/𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 (English version)

chapter 5

After the Divination lesson, Sarah walked toward the Great Hall with her friends. Only three things were clear in her mind:
Harry and me, the Grim, death.

Breathe, she repeated to herself, it's not real.

Sarah closed her eyes before following Hermione, who was now watching her with concern.
The four took their seats at their table, the food appeared quickly, and they began to talk about what had happened a short while ago.
"You don't really believe what she said, do you? I mean, everyone in the school knows she's crazy."
Ron was devouring a chicken leg while he spoke, receiving a disgusted look from Hermione.
"No, of course not, Ron. But still, what a strange coincidence, right? Having the same sign, at the same moment."
Sarah felt her anxiety growing, terrified by the professor's words.
Harry squeezed her hand in a gesture of affection, trying to calm her down. He didn't want to tell his friends, but he wasn't at ease either. Things had been complicated lately, and Sirius Black's escape seemed somehow connected to him as well.

That afternoon, the first "Care of Magical Creatures" lesson was scheduled. Sarah wasn't very convinced about this choice, but Harry seemed so excited that it felt rude not to join the class. They had told her so much about Hagrid and the friendship that bound the three to the big man. Once they arrived, Sarah looked around: it was a field completely covered in greenery; the thick and tall trees shielded them from the heat of the sun.

"I think they're funny" Hermione said, placing her bag on a rock.
"Oh yes, terribly funny,really witty. God, this place has gone to the dogs. Wait until my father hears  Dumbledore's got  this oaf teaching classes."
Draco, followed by his friends, advanced toward the Gryffindors, laughing.
Harry wasted no time and, in a threatening manner, moved toward the blonde, "Shut up, Malfoy."
Draco looked over Harry's head, a somewhat frightened expression appearing on his face. He stepped back, shouting, "Dementor! Dementor!"
Most of the students present turned around, only to see nothing behind them.
Sarah sighed, looking at Malfoy. "Have you always been this funny, or is it something you picked up over time?"
Draco looked at her, a small smirk forming on his lips, and a girl behind him laughed at the joke. Pansy Parkinson wasn't known for being the best companion in life; she was very bitter, sometimes rude. She treated most people with disdain, as if they had been lifelong enemies. Except for her friends; that group knew the real Pansy from the very first day and knew what the girl hid from most of the school.
Sarah was surprised; the Slytherins hadn't been excessively mean to her so far.
Except for Tom, they had seemed almost tolerable.

A cough made the class turn; Hagrid was behind them, smiling. With open arms, he pointed to something behind him.
"Well, isn't he beautiful? Say hello to Buckbeak."
"Hagrid, but what is that?" Ron asked.
"This is a Hippogriff, the first thing to know about Hippogriffs is that they're very proud creatures, they get offended easily. It might be the last thing you do in your life..."
Sarah stood still, observing the creature moving in front of her; it was stunning.
"So, who wants to greet him?" Everyone stepped back, except for Harry, who found himself having to follow Hagrid's instructions.
The class watched the interaction between the animal and the boy with bated breath; any mistake could have been fatal.

"Well, I think he'll let you ride him now!"
Hagrid placed Harry on the big animal's back, and soon it took flight.
Sarah watched her friend fly away, enchanted.
"Show-off," Draco muttered as he bit into an apple.
"Would you want to fly on that thing, Malfoy?" Sarah said without taking her eyes off her friend.
"Not a bad idea."
The boy moved closer to her, "Thanks for the idea."
Arrogantly, he moved toward the Hippogriff, which had just landed.

"You're not dangerous, right? Stupid beast."
But he didn't even have time to take another step forward before the creature attacked him, scratching his right arm.
The whole class screamed, and Hagrid rushed toward him.
"He needs to be taken to the infirmary," Sarah yelled to her professor.
Hagrid took the boy in his arms. Malfoy, meanwhile, was cursing the Hippogriff.
"You'll regret this, you and your stupid chicken."

The class slowly drifted away, still in disbelief.
Sarah saw a bag at the base of the big tree, and as she approached, she noticed the initials engraved on it: D.M.
She picked it up and followed her friends back inside the castle; she would need to return the bag to its owner.

The infirmary wasn't hard to find; the smell of medicine was the same as in a normal Muggle hospital. Malfoy was lying on the big bed, a bandage covering his injured arm.
As she approached, Sarah noticed six students by his side, including Pansy, who was laughing at her now-lying friend. "Chicken, did you seriously call it a chicken?"
Malfoy rolled his eyes. "If you're here to laugh, I suggest you leave, Pansy."
Sarah approached, coughing to get the group's attention. Embarrassed, she held up the boy's bag, "It was on the ground, I think it's yours. I mean, no one else would have their initials engraved on a bag."
A dark-skinned boy, the one she had seen on the first day, walked over to her, smiling. "It's Draco Malfoy, what do you expect? He even had his initials embroidered on his under-" but was cut off by Draco shouting, "Blaise, stop it!"
The group laughed, and Sarah felt less nervous. She moved even closer, observing them all. "Well, um, are you okay? I mean, it must have been scary. Although it was a rather..."
"Stupid, senseless? Yes, but not surprising, coming from Draco," a tall boy approached her, extending his hand, "Theo Nott, you're Sarah, right?"
The girl nodded, smiling at him.

Theo stepped aside, pointing out each person to her, "They are Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, Mattheo Riddle, Enzo Berkshire, and Tom Riddle. The one lying down is Draco, but you know him well by now," he smiled, and Sarah raised a hand, greeting them.
Tom watched her without being noticed by anyone, curious as to why a Gryffindor hadn't yet said at least one negative word about them.
Pansy walked over to her, "You seem nice, how can you get along with Granger?" she said, touching her arm. Sarah smiled, "I must have a thousand talents at this point."
Draco sat up, "Thanks for the bag, Settimini."

Mattheo Riddle raised his hand to his mouth, "Malfoy said thank you, Enzo, give me your diary, we need to mark this day."
Draco threw a cloth in his direction with his uninjured hand. Exhausted, he rested his head on the bed, "Leave me alone, I need to rest. See? I'm wounded! Almost dead! Oh, when my father finds out..."
The group laughed as they left the infirmary.
Sarah waved goodbye to Malfoy and followed them out.
"Well," Mattheo said, "Theo, Blaise, we have Quidditch practice, let's go," he waved to the few remaining and the three of them walked away.
Pansy looked at Enzo, visibly annoyed, "I need your Potions notes." The boy looked at her and, without arguing, said, "Let's go, but it will be the last time, okay?"
"You've been saying that for three years," laughed the dark-haired girl, who turned to Sarah.
"Don't disappear, I like you."
And taking Enzo with her, she walked away, disappearing into the corridors.

Sarah found herself alone, grinning like a fool in the empty corridor.
Or so she thought.
"I don't understand," said a voice behind her.
For the first time in a while, Sarah clearly heard Tom's voice, who was now watching her, leaning against a column.
"They've warned you about us, told you to stay away, but... you're here. A noble act, I don't dispute that. But... why?" he said, moving closer to the girl, who was now visibly embarrassed.
"Exactly, Riddle, kindness! I simply returned the bag to its owner, I don't think it's a big deal."
"It is when your friends hate mine and vice versa. You still haven't figured out how things work here."
Sarah moved closer to the boy; the height difference was embarrassing, and she quickly realized it.
"Maybe you didn't grow up knowing that cruelty gets you nowhere. Maybe neither does kindness, but if I have to choose, I certainly know what to discard," and taking a step back, she said, "Kindness you might not be familiar with, given that you were assigned as my tutor, but I still haven't had a lesson."
Tom looked at her closely; the girl wasn't like Granger, he had been wrong. He hated to admit it, but it was true.
"I'll send you an owl as soon as possible."
And without saying another word, he turned away, leaving her alone, her cheeks flushed with anger.