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

chapter 7

Sarah's POV

I found myself in Professor Lupin's office that afternoon. I sat down across from the desk, watching him as he poured tea into two cups. He took some chocolate and handed it to me, smiling.

The professor was not an old man; in fact, he was one of the youngest to hold a teaching position here at Hogwarts. What stood out were the scars on his face, probably not the only ones on his body. In this first period, he had been friendly and kind, but he was always treated with great respect, despite being less severe than Snape.
I hesitantly took the chocolate, as I wasn't very hungry after the lesson. He sat down in front of me, and for a while, we were accompanied by the sound of spoons stirring in cups. I took a sip, and the warmth of the drink immediately had the desired effect; I felt my nerves relax.
Lupin looked at me and paused. "It's not common to have a boggart like that."
I looked at him, setting the cup on the table and searching for the right response to that statement. "Well, I have to be honest, Professor. I have so many fears that I was really unsure of what would come out. I've been thinking about it for a long time; I can't do anything else," I sighed, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.
"Professor Cooman has told us about the strange premonition, but Sarah, the world of divination is so uncertain that you really can't focus all your fears on it."
Lupin looked at her; she was so similar to his old friend, and it was frankly unsettling. He cleared his throat before speaking to the girl.
"You're not going to die, Sarah. No one is going to die, not even Harry. The professor has made many predictions, and none of them have come true."

Sarah felt greatly relieved by these words. Hearing them from a professor was different and reassuring.

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It was a pleasant conversation, and strangely, Sarah almost felt like continuing the exchange of ideas. When she left the office, Sarah was stopped by Pansy, who ran up to her. "Oh my God, Sarah, are you okay? Do you need anything?"
Sarah didn't have time to reply , Blaise answered immediately. "Pansy, you're bombarding her with questions; give her some space to breathe."
The girl took a step back, glaring at her friend.
"I'm just trying to see how she's doing, Zabini," and she turned back to Sarah, "You made me worry, no, you made all of us worry."
Sarah looked at the group now formed in front of her and was quite taken aback. Why should they be worried about her?
"Well, that's very kind of you. I'm fine, really. I was just scared."
Enzo stepped forward. "Well, at least you're not afraid of Snape with Neville's grandmother's clothes. I'm slightly traumatized by what I've seen."
Sarah looked at the boy, who was smiling at her. She returned the smile and laughed at the joke.
Tom, meanwhile, watched the scene leaning against the wall, rolling his eyes at such words.
Pansy took the hand of her new friend. "We're meeting at the Astronomy Tower tonight. Would you like to come?"
Well, it wasn't what she had expected. Slytherins had quite a negative reputation among the students, but they were almost trying to be civil with her. She looked at her and after a moment nodded. "Sure, I'll come!"
That evening, Sarah had to try not to be seen as she sneaked toward the tower.

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Sarah felt her heart in her throat; the Astronomy Tower stairs were perhaps every student's greatest nightmare. She stopped for a second to catch her breath, leaning against the wall.

"You've beaten Pansy; I've never seen such a lazy person," Theo said, smiling. The rest of the group was leaning against the iron railing, looking at the landscape before them. The sky was completely clear of any clouds, which allowed them to see the stars very well.
Sarah approached, still breathing heavily. "Are you all Olympic champions here? Have you seen how steep they are?"
Pansy laughed. "They're the problem; they love this place too much to abandon it. We come here often since the first year; it's so nice, and no one bothers our peace."
Sarah looked at each of them. Besides Pansy and Theo, there was also Draco, who was eating an apple, leaning against the railing, Blaise, who was too busy with Enzo trying to spot as many shooting stars as possible, Mattheo, who was trying to look through the large telescope, and Tom.
The latter was further away from the others, holding a book and sitting on a chair probably left there from an astronomy lesson.
He looked up, examining the girl. Sarah felt her cheeks flush, and she tried very hard not to think about it, even though it was extremely difficult.
"I was thinking," Draco said, taking a bite of the apple, "we don't know anything about you."
Sarah moved toward him, still avoiding Tom's gaze, which now seemed more interested than ever in the conversation. "Well, you've never asked me anything, so I've never told you anything."
Mattheo came closer to her. "Alright, now tell me the story of your life; you have my full attention."
Sarah laughed. Mattheo sat down on the ground with his back against the wall. "Yes, sure, the story of my li—" but she saw most of them doing the same.
"What are you doing?" the girl asked, embarrassed.
"We're listening to you, Settimini. Less embarrassment and more friendliness, come on," Blaise said.
"Maybe we're unpleasant or apathetic, but we're giving you our attention. Take the opportunity before we change our minds," Mattheo smiled at her.
Sarah sat down in front of them; it was like speaking to a real audience.
She cleared her throat. "I don't have a particularly exciting life. I thought I was just a regular girl, but one day Dumbledore showed up at my house saying I was a witch and blah blah blah. So, it wasn't easy, but right now I consider myself lucky. Damn, this place is amazing," she looked around, smiling, "and you're all very nice and kind," she glanced at Tom for a moment, "almost all of you."
The group laughed. Tom shifted his gaze back to the book, visibly irritated. However, the girl had a question she couldn't get out of her head.
"Why are you so nice to me? Or at least, why don't you treat me like you treat Harry, for example?"
Draco spoke up immediately. "With Potter, the situation is not easy. Our relationship hasn't been the best since the first year, and the same goes for Granger and Weasley."
"As for you, you're just likable. And I admit that carrying the bag to the infirmary impressed everyone; a friend of Potter wouldn't have done it so spontaneously," Pansy said, smiling at her.

The evening was pleasant; the girl had the chance to talk with everyone and get to know them one by one. They were perhaps simply misunderstood or maybe didn't want to be understood, appreciating the small circle of people with whom they felt good.
Only Tom had spoken very little, really very little. Mattheo had tried to tease him but without success. Gradually, the group retired to their common room, and Sarah stayed with Tom at the Astronomy Tower.
October had been underway for a while, and the days were not only shorter but also colder. Sarah loved this time of year and loved autumn with all her heart. She heard footsteps approaching the railing where she was leaning and then stopping.
"Do I seem that annoying to you?" Sarah asked suddenly.
Tom didn't look at her; his eyes were fixed on the sky. "Don't you accept that not everyone loves you?"
Sarah turned around quickly. "It was a simple question; could you for once give an equally simple answer?"
"I don't know you, and perhaps I'll never know you well enough, but at the moment I have no interest in you. Simple? Is that okay?" Tom now looked at her, his eyes meeting Sarah's.
The girl paused for a moment. One thing she couldn't deny: Tom was extremely handsome. He was always impeccable, elegant, and composed. She had never seen him otherwise; sometimes he seemed almost drawn, which was nerve-wracking for her. How could someone be so perfect?
"Well, there are only a few lessons left. I don't think I'll be a problem for you anymore, Riddle," Sarah had realized one thing in this school: to emphasize the distance between two people, using the last name was necessary.

Tom smirked. "Unfortunately, I won't be getting rid of you. My friends are very interested, and I assure you that when that happens, it's hard for them to let the person go. There are few lucky ones, especially if Pansy has already considered you a friend. She only has us; you'd be the first girl to be liked by her."
Sarah was struck and slightly saddened; Pansy seemed so capable. "Well then, you'll have to accept my presence," Sarah said, moving towards the stairs that would take her to her common room.
Tom turned back to the sky and said, "Everyone has their problems, Settimini, and you certainly are and will be one of mine."