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

Chapter 12

Christmas was just around the corner, and Hogwarts had been covered overnight by a mountain of snow. Sarah woke up visibly happy; it was rare for her to see something like this. She didn't even wait for Ginny and Hermione, quickly got ready, and soon after, she was already in the school courtyard to watch the white blanket covering every single corner.

Many students were already awake for the same reason, playing tag or throwing snowballs at each other.
From afar, voices made her turn around,loud shouts and laughter were coming from a corner of the courtyard. Pansy was laughing uncontrollably while Blaise was trying to pick her up despite the girl's punches. Sarah smiled as she watched them, she had bet with Draco that the two would eventually end up together, insisting that they were perfect as a couple.
She walked toward them, noticing that the rest of the group was hiding behind a marble slab. 

"I'm going to throw up, I'm going to throw up!" Pansy was shouting, struggling to escape from Blaise's arms. 
"Not in front of me, please" Sarah said, revealing herself to everyone. 
Pansy took advantage of Blaise's momentary distraction and managed to free herself, running over to Sarah with a smile. 
"My savior, always here at the right time." 
Pansy hugged her enthusiastically, trying to catch the breath she had lost from the struggle.

"First Christmas at Hogwarts for you. Are you staying here or going home?" Draco asked, moving his foot in the snow. 
Sarah hadn't really thought about it. She had exchanged a few letters with her parents in recent months, but the idea of returning home for the holidays had never come up.
She simply shrugged. "I don't know yet. It would be nice to see the castle during the holidays. And you all, are you staying?" 
They all nodded, some more enthusiastically than others. 
"Hogwarts during Christmas is amazing. They decorate the Great Hall and even the common rooms. It feels like being in a different place for a few days," Enzo smiled, probably the most excited about Christmas. 
"Only to be sucked back into the darkest depths when we return to studying for the second semester," continued Mattheo, earning a laugh from Theo, who nodded. 
"Come on, can't you be more enthusiastic? It's Christmas! We can really do anything in these days," Pansy said, hopping in place. 
But their conversation was abruptly interrupted by Filch, loudly calling the students for Hogsmeade. 
Sarah, once again, would not be going. By now, she had decided not to dwell on it too much; she would find a way to go next year. 
"We could always hide you somewhere," Blaise suggested, walking toward the group of students ready to head to the village. 
"I think it'll have to wait until next time, but always bring back something to eat. I can still taste the candies from last time." 
The group laughed, waving goodbye to their friend, who now watched them walk away.
She didn't notice, however, that Tom was standing beside her, hands behind his back. 
She glanced at him for a second before speaking. "Why are you here? Aren't you going with them?" 
"I prefer staying here. Is there a problem, Settimini?" Tom was now fully turned toward her, his lip curled in a small smirk that was probably meant to be a smile. 
"No, not at all."
They were engulfed in an awkward silence, they had never really had a normal conversation before. 
"Would you like something to eat? I know the way to the kitchens," Tom offered, for the first time showing a hint of embarrassment. 
Sarah smiled, both at his response and at the visible blush on Tom's cheeks. 
She nodded, and together they started walking through the castle. 
They arrived at what should have been the kitchens, and Sarah was surprised to find many house-elves bustling about. It was a large space, a long scarlet kitchen overwhelmed by these creatures. 
Tom moved toward one of them, clearing his throat to get its attention. 
The elf looked at the boy with its large eyes, bowing in respect. 
"Winky, could we have two hot chocolates?" His voice came out almost sweet but seductive, as if he were trying to charm the elf. 
"Winky will bring you what you asked for right away," and she ran off toward a door leading to another kitchen.
"Do you come here often?" Sarah asked, still looking around, bewildered. 
"Mattheo is always hungry. During the night, he often asks for company to get something to eat," Tom continued, moving closer to Sarah. "Granger hates this place; she's been trying for a while to find a way to free them." 
Sarah smiled, typical of Hermione. 
"I'm not surprised, she told me Dobby's story with tears in her eyes." 
Winky quickly returned with mugs full of chocolate, handing them to the two students. 
She bowed again and ran off. 
They moved to a small area of the room; chairs and tables had been left there. 

They sat in silence for a while, but Sarah remembered that she hadn't updated Tom about the note. 
"I followed your advice in the end and spoke with Dumbledore." Tom raised his head, now visibly interested in her words. 
"But he simply told me that it was probably just a coincidence and that the note was a silly prank. In fact, Ginny told me they often do things like this," she paused, placing the mug on the table. "But I don't think this is one of those cases. Tom, I heard it, and this note isn't a joke. I can feel it; it wasn't anyone from the school." 
"Maybe you're right, but maybe you're not, Settimini. You've just arrived, and you're clearly in a peculiar moment. Perhaps you should file it away, put it aside, and if anything else happens, then you can start looking for the thousand answers you want."
She looked at him, annoyed
"You changed your mind too quickly. At first, you were so sure that there might be more to it, and now you're going for the simplest solution." 
"I just want to avoid trouble, and you'd do well to avoid it too, Sarah."

It was the first time Tom called her by her name. 
Sarah felt a shiver down her spine, and a thought flashed through her mind: her name, spoken by him, had a different flavor. 
Tom resumed speaking, oblivious to the sensation he had caused in the girl. 
"But since you don't seem entirely convinced, I can help you in some way." 
They soon found themselves in the library, and Tom ran his long fingers over the books on the shelf. He pulled out one, completely black with gold lettering on the front: The Sacred 28. 
"You were reading it some time ago" Sarah took it in her hands, opening it. 
"The Blacks are among the Sacred 28, the pureblood families of the wizarding world. You'll find something about Sirius," he replied, looking at her. 
Sarah looked up at him, smiling. "You said it would be better to stay out of trouble." 
Tom let out a sort of laugh. "I've realized something about you, Settimini: if you're friends with Potter, it's because you also have the same interest in getting into trouble. So even if I say no, I know you'll continue to look for information." 
The girl thanked him with a nod, holding the book close to her chest. 
"Well, thanks for this and for the chocolate." 
They moved toward the library door. 
Before they each went their separate ways, Tom spoke, "At least I don't feel like strangling you like I do with Granger." 
Sarah laughed. "Is that a compliment?" 
Tom started walking down the corridor that would take him to the Slytherin common room. 
He suddenly stopped and, with a slight smile, looked at Sarah again. "Don't make me regret telling you this." 
And so the two parted ways, but Sarah couldn't forget the little help she had received from Riddle.

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Lots of love,
Ale