Do or Die (HP FF)

Dementor Rising

A/N: Here's a super mega long chapter (to me anyways). This time, since it is CHAPTER TEN! (kinda, including the "prologue", I'M ASKING FOR ONLY TWO VOTES. Please? Maybe? Dx Well, we've achieved it before, and this is gonna be a long chapter (I hope!!!!1one) Anyways, I know Gaulda's acting like a whiny little brat, but remember that she's only thirteen when this is happening. She's supposed to be like this. And after reading, can anyone guess what her Patronus is? So here we go...

Gaulda was never an angry child. Sure, she'd given snippy responses to the goblins and threw a few tantrums, but didn't every kid?

Other professors definitely took notice. McGonagall was concerned, but kept to herself. Flitwick, the Charms instructor, took it upon himself to take care of her. He asked if she had enough sleep; to eat. He even suggested for her to take the day off, of which she refused. She insisted that the was alright; fine even. Severus Snape acted as though he didn't care, and as though she didn't exist. Gaulda liked  him more for this. 

Today was the beginning of the weekend. Friday. It'd been a tough first week. Breakfast was stiff. Cheery chatter echoed throughout the hall, and the enchanted ceiling forecasted puffy clouds and sunshine. But Gaulda could feel anything but happy. She looked down at her golden plate and realised that it was empty, so she chose a blueberry tart from a nearby platter. Her goblet magically filled itself with a pumpkin milkshake. Pumpkin milkshake was waaay better than pumpkin juice, she thought dreamily. It has pumpkin juice in it, but with milk, cream, and ice cream. She sipped her drink gladly.

"I'm worried about her, Dumbledore," McGonagall muttered to the headmaster. "She's unlike herself."

"I am well aware, Minerva."

"Well can't you do something about it?"

"No," Dumbledore snapped, his beard twitching in irritation.

McGonagall slouched back in her seat, glaring at the old man. She fancied herself a guardian-like figure for Gaulda. She didn't like seeing the younger professor upset. 

Gaulda heard this whole conversation. It made her even more angry that they would have the nerve to talk about her behind her back. But then that anger was cooled off by the knowledge of McGonagall only caring about her. 

A bell toll was the signal of first lessons beginning shortly. Gaulda stood along with the other professors and headed towards her very own classroom. 

Today, something was off. Fred and George Weasley were oddly early, and were standing outside, in front of her classroom door. They were waiting for her to arrive. Gaulda was prepared for a weird day,  but she wasn't expecting the school pranksters outside her door. Eying them suspiciously, she asked, "What are you doing out here so early, Weasleys?"

The twins shared a look, then glanced around to find a less-than-empty corridor. They grabbed Gaulda by the arms (they weren't cutting off her circulation, but the grip was anything but gentle) and dragged her into her classroom, and even further into her more private office that was to the side.  When the three of them made it through the door, the boys let go of Gaulda, who immediately crossed her arms. She looked up at the twins. They were fifteen, much taller than her thirteen year-old self. Her eyes were drawn into a sulky glare that looked quite  Snape-like. The boys moved in front of the door, so that she couldn't leave. 

"What's been going on?" Fred interrogated. 

"Yeah! It's like you've gone bonkers!" George quipped. 

"Doesn't concern you," Gaulda replied breezily. She uncrossed her arms and went to her desk,collecting her notes for the lesson from one of the drawers.