Tessa Brennan and the Cursed Light

Chapter 4

Tessa was frozen. She faintly heard yelling and Kaden's urgent voice, but her eyes were fixed on the scene in front of her. For there, hanging upside down, was a person.

And they weren't moving.

Gently swaying back and forth, suspended in mid-air, Tessa could barely make out the blank expression on their face. Their eyes were still open, mouth slightly ajar.

Without a doubt, Tessa knew they were dead.

•••
Later, the body was identified as a first-year named Julia Malton. She hadn't known the girl personally, but it was devastating nonetheless.

"So...nobody has any idea what happened?"

Tessa sighed. "Yes. And I imagine the professors won't tell us anything about it for quite some time, either."

Kaden shook his head, then turned to the boy silent beside him. "Reese, you've been strangely quiet."

They were on their way back to their respective dorms on account of the teachers sending the students back early, Mark and Dale having left prior.

"Very funny, Gray." Reese ran a hand through his hair. "Well it's sort of unnerving, isn't it? I mean- there hasn't been any kind of attack on Hogwarts since..."

The air seemed to thicken. Tessa nodded gravely. "Since Voldemort."

Kaden rubbed his shoulder. "Right."

Reese was the first to break the silence. "Do you think it's possible that-?"

"Absolutely not." Kaden's voice was firm. "He's gone, Reese. There is no way to undo that."

Reese shivered nonetheless. "Right."

They came to a fork in the corridor, the right leading to the Gryffindor dorms and the left heading towards Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Tessa placed a hand on Reese's shoulder. "Hey- say hi to Dale and Mark for us, okay?"

Reese smiled weakly. "Of course. I'll see you later."

Kaden and Tessa stood for a moment as Reese waved goodbye. "Tessa-"

"Yeah?"

Kaden looked flustered, something she'd never seen before. She was surprised to find she quite liked it. "Uh- are you hungry?"

Tessa blinked. "What?"

"I mean- we haven't eaten since breakfast and it's been several hours after you passed out and I was just worried that-"

Without thinking, Tessa put a finger to his lips. Face burning, she quickly retracted her hand. "It's- it's fine, really."

Kaden gulped, his face equally, if not more, red. "Ah." He seemed to gather himself. "But it's bad for your health. Seriously, Tess, you should get something to eat. There's got to be something in the kitchen-"

Tessa held her hand up. "Woah, woah, woah. Hold up. Are you suggesting that we sneak into the kitchen and grab food right now?"

"Well-"

She bit her lip. "You want us to break the rules?"

Kaden sputtered. "No! Well, yes- I mean-!Ugh."

Tessa gasped. "You, the Prefect?"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" He sighed. "Yes, I'm suggesting we break the rules." Kaden looked at his shoes, then back up at her with a grimace. "Happy?"

Tessa smirked. "Very. But- that's not all, is it? C'mon, Kaden, do you really think I'm stupid enough to believe you want to break your precious Prefect code just to get some food?"