Heirs of darkness || Theodore Nott

A dance with fire(6)

Winter had settled over Hogwarts, its icy fingers creeping through the castle and laying a thick blanket of snow across the grounds. The days grew shorter, and the cold seemed to slow time, yet somehow, the weeks flew by, and it was already nearing Christmas. For most students, this was a time of joy and celebration, but for Aurora, Theo, and Draco, the season brought only tension and darkness.

One cold afternoon, as the wind howled through the corridors of Hogwarts, Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way to Hogsmeade. The village was covered in snow, the rooftops glistening under the winter sun. But the serenity of the scene was shattered when they witnessed something horrifying: Katie Bell, a fellow student, screaming in agony, her body contorted as though possessed by a malevolent force.

She had touched a strange, cursed necklace a piece of dark magic that none of them could understand. Harry's mind raced as he remembered where he had seen the necklace before. It had been in Borgin and Burkes, the very shop where Draco Malfoy had been spotted during the summer. As they watched Katie being taken away to the hospital wing, Harry voiced his suspicions.

"It's Malfoy," Harry said, his voice filled with certainty. "He's behind this. I saw that necklace in Borgin's shop, and I know he's up to something."

Ron and Hermione exchanged worried glances but didn't argue. The idea of Malfoy being involved in such dark magic was entirely believable, given his family's history. They resolved to keep an eye on him, but Harry's mind was already set. He knew Malfoy was dangerous, and he wasn't about to let this go.

Meanwhile, Theo, Aurora, and Draco were in Theo's prefect room, the fire crackling softly in the hearth as they huddled together in tense conversation. Aurora's face was twisted in anger as she glared at Draco.

"Are you out of your mind, Draco?" Aurora snapped. "That necklace could have killed her! You're being reckless, and you know it!"

Draco's expression was stony, his grey eyes cold as he met her gaze. "If you're so worried about it, Aurora," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "maybe you should take over the task yourself. Maybe you should kill Dumbledore."

Aurora's eyes narrowed, her voice low and dangerous as she replied, "Maybe I will."

Theo, who had been silent until now, shifted uncomfortably. The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with unspoken fears and frustrations. But before he could say anything, Draco turned on him, his anger finally boiling over.

"Oh, of course," Draco sneered. "You two are too busy with your little love-making sessions to be of any use. I'm left to do everything on my own."

Aurora gasped, her eyes widening in shock. "You're one to judge, Draco! We all know about you and Astoria."

Draco's eyes flashed with anger, but he didn't deny it. Instead, he turned away, his shoulders tense. The room fell into an uncomfortable silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts.

As winter break approached, the tension at Hogwarts only grew thicker, culminating in Slughorn's Christmas party. The party was a grand affair, with the professor pulling out all the stops to impress his guests. The room was filled with the warm glow of candles, the sound of laughter, and the clinking of glasses.

But the festive atmosphere was disrupted when Draco Malfoy was dragged into the party, looking disheveled and irritated. He had been caught lurking in a deserted corridor, and his excuse of gatecrashing the party did little to convince anyone. Slughorn, however, chose to let him off the hook, more interested in maintaining the jovial mood than disciplining a student.

But not everyone was so lenient. Severus Snape, who had been watching the scene unfold, quietly took Malfoy aside and led him out of the party, his expression unreadable. Aurora, who had been observing from a distance, felt a surge of unease. Without thinking, she followed them, slipping through the shadows as they moved down the deserted corridors.