The Seven Year Adventure (All Seven Books In One)

Fourth Year: Love Begins

"I can't believe you're dating you're cousin, Zoe!" Sirius joked. "We're not dating!" Zoe shrieked. Emmaline put down her fork. "Zoe don't scream at the table please." Her mother reminded her. "Tell Sirius not to taunt me!" Zoe whined. Emmaline shot Sirius a look of annoyance. He took a sip of the pumpkin juice she had made earlier and looked off in the distance.
They had been living together in Grimmauld Place. If Sirius lived there alone people would suspect someone was living there and check to see who it was, so now Emmaline and Zoe could cover for him. The first time Zoe had visited the house, she was especially creeped out. It was protected by the Infedelius Charm, making it invisible to muggles.
The minute Zoe walked in a woman's portrait started screaming at her. "You're a disgrace to this family! She's not a real Black! Get out!" Zoe looked at her mother. "SHUT UP MOTHER!" Sirius yelled from the basement.
"Is there any lights?" Zoe asked as she sat down on a dusty armchair. Sirius shook his head. "Your ancestors had a liking for darkness." He affirmed. Zoe got up and took a look around her new home. Everything was covered in dust. The wallpaper was peeling and some of the tiles in the kitchen were cracked. There wasn't one bright color anywhere. The house was decorated in a combination of greys, blacks, and browns with the occasional red.
Zoe ran a finger over one of the many books in the library. It revealed golden lettering that read "The 4 Founders of Hogwarts. A thick layer of dust covered her finger. "Disgusting." Zoe cringed. There was a single desk in the room, which Zoe didn't dare touch, and hundreds of books stacked neatly in rows on shelves that went up to the ceiling.
She made her upstairs, the steps creaking every time she put pressure on them. The first floor had a bedroom, a bathroom, and another room with a large black door. "Allahomorah." Zoe whispered. She could her her mother and Sirius arguing downstairs. "Emmaline you need to tell her the truth. She deserves to know." Sirius insisted. Her mother sighed. "Let her enjoy her Summer here. I'll tell her before she goes back to Hogwarts." Her mother agreed.
The door opened after Zoe casted her charm. It was an impressive room. The Black family tree was enormous. It started at the top corner and its branches wrapped all around the walls, showing how everyone was connected. She saw her mother's name next to her father's and then her name below, except it wasn't connected at all by a branch. Regulus, Emmaline, Sirius, and few others' portraits had been burnt off the wall. Probably by disgrace. Zoe traveled up another flight of creaky stairs up to the top floor. She saw inside Sirius's room, he had left his door open. There were books scattered on the floor, a fire poker set was tipped over, there was dirt everywhere, and faded gryffindor emblems hung up on the walls. It was the next room that Zoe fell in love with. The room was wide and had square shaped bed in the middle with sheets that were all tangled and torn. The wall paper was a blue color that reminded Zoe of the black lake on a sunny day. Random objects covered the ground such as candle stick holders, books, and old faded clothes. The drawers of the dresser were pulled out to different lengths and more clothes hung out of them. Green, velvet curtains hung by the window on the sides of the bed. The nightstand had melted candle wax all over it, and the lamp had fell off and broke. But that wasn't what made Zoe love it. There was a wall on the far side of the room that had a giant Slytherin tapestry , a Quidditch jersey, and a broomstick hanging up. "I see you've found Regulus's room." Sirius said, standing in the doorway. He walked in and picked up a picture off the ground. "The Slytherin Qudditch team during the 1970s was unbeatable. And they had the best seeker in the world, Regulus Black." Sirius smiled and set the picture of nicely and the dresser. He looked around the room and then at Zoe. "You know, I'll help you fix the room up. Kreacher can too." Sirius offered. Zoe raised her eyebrows. "Kreacher?" Sirius laughed. "The house elf. Trust me, go as long as possible without meeting him."
The next day Zoe started cleaning up the room. She'd started with the dresser, pulling out all the clothes and shutting the drawers nicely. While she was throwing out clothes, she found a green jumper that had Black written on the shoulder. She threw it in her box of things. Once she finished that, she cleaned up all the broken things on the floor and old things off the shelves, making room for her things. She also dusted, scraped off the candle wax, and threw away all the old sheets and the mattress. Finally, she made her way around to the wardrobe. As soon as she opened it the woman in her nightmares came out. Zoe froze for a minute and then remembered what to do. "Riddikulus!" Zoe shouted, mimicking the same thing she did the past year at in Professor Lupin's class. This time the boggart shrunk all the way down to where it disappeared.
Sirius helped her move the bed and heavy things out of the room so they could fix the wallpaper and carpet. Thankfully, the use of magic sped up the process a lot faster. By the end of the week Zoe's room looked amazing. Sirius even put in a bigger light so it wouldn't be so dark. Zoe sat on the bed admiring her new room. She wished that her father could've seen it, maybe even helped her with it. But she knew he did so much more for her than helping fix up an old room, he died for her and thats the best thing a father could do to help their child.
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Juliet had been counting down the days until she got to go to Zoe's house. Bandit and Harper were also coming and it was going to be so much fun. Zoe had written them a while back saying that at first, the house was disgusting and depressing, but they had been working really hard on it and now it was actually habitable.
Bandit knocked on her door, and then came in the house. She took a long look around. "Muggle houses are strange. Where's your parents?" She asked, grabbing one of Juliet's bags. "They're on vacation, with the rest of my siblings." Juliet sighed. "Assholes." Bandit mumbled. They walked outside to find Bandit's parents waiting for them. "Where's the car?" Juliet asked, without noticing the broomsticks. Bandit threw her a broom. "We're wizards. We don't have a car!" She exclaimed. Juliet had to think long and hard back to first year and their flying class. Remembering what to do, she set her broom nicely on the ground and chanted "Up!" until it flew into her hand and floated in the air. She noticed no one else did that. "You don't have to do that ya know. It's just a safety thing." Bandit explained. Juliet was too busy looking at her trunk on the ground. "Locomotor trunk!" Bandit's dad said, causing Juliet's trunk to float behind them. "Number 12 Grimmauld Place here we come!" Bandit howled as they all started flying.
When they got to Grimmauld Place they could only find Number 11 and 13. They stood in the street, pondering what to do, when Harper landed on a broom next to them. "Zoe said you can't there on Floo." Harper complained. Suddenly a loud creaking rang in the girls' ears. A tall townhouse emerged from in between houses 11 and 13. The door opened and there she was. "Zoe!!!" Harper exclaimed, dropping all her things and running to meet her friend. Bandit and Juliet followed and soon all four girls were hugging in a big circle. "Okay lets go inside. Get your stuff." Zoe declared.
The house creeped Juliet out. "GET THE MUDBLOOD OUT OF MY HOUSE YOU BLOODTRAITOR OF A GRANDCHILD!!" A portrait screamed from down the hall. They all flinched at the word mudblood, except Zoe who was stomping down the hallway. "Siliencio!" Zoe growled. The painting shut up. "Sorry about her. And no we can't get rid of her. There's a sticking charm." Zoe rolled her eyes. "Dude why the fuck are there elf heads on this shelf." Bandit was appalled. "Those are all the house elves of the Black Family." Zoe explained, leading them upstairs. "And you kept them for what reason?" Harper asked. "I dunno! I don't make the rules here!" Zoe huffed. She led them up the first flight of stairs. "Here's bedroom one." Zoe pointed to a square room. Everyone exchanged looks, waiting for someone to volunteer. "I'll take it." Harper sighed. It wasn't a gross room, it was just dark. Harper set her things inside and followed everyone up more stairs.
Juliet looked at the depressing room, wondering if she should take it. There wasn't any bright, happy colors. "I'll have this one I guess." She piped up. "Alright Bandit this next one is your's" Zoe pointed out once they got to the third floor. It was a brighter room, which Bandit liked better than the other ones. All of a sudden, a loud screeching and clacking came from the next door room. "What's that." Bandit questioned, it was too good to be true. Zoe opened the door slightly. "You're kidding. Why is Buckbeak in there!" Harper shrilled. "That's how Sirius escaped, so they wouldn't kill Buckbeak. Sirius had to take him home with him so the ministry couldn't find him." Zoe explained. The three girls' jaws dropped. "Sirius Black is here?!" Juliet whimpered. "Don't you remember what I told you." Zoe answered sternly. Juliet nodded, remembering what Zoe said about Sirius being innocent. "I want to see your room!" Harper demanded. Zoe motioned for them to follow her up the stairs to the top floor.
Juliet thought Zoe's room was amazing. Yes it was pretty dark, but she had done a good of laying it out. The only thing she didn't like was the Slytherin relics on the walls.
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The last two weeks of Summer were amazing. Harper got to spend them with her best friends. It had all gone well, so far. Sirius and Bandit took interest in complaining about Snape and making fun of other things at Hogwarts. They were all taking part in a heated game of wizard chess between Harper and Juliet when Emmaline came into the room and asked Zoe to come talk with her.
As soon as the door shut the three girls stacked beside the door, trying to listen. They kept arguing over what was being said until they heard footsteps up the stairs. Bandit shoved everyone back into the spots they were in before Zoe left.
She came in, her eyes welling with tears, and sat on her bed. "I'm not a Black. That dream I have? The dead people are my family. Emmaline adopted me after that." Zoe simpered. "At least you can date Draco now!" Juliet exclaimed, trying to make Zoe feel better. Harper put her head in her hand. "WHEN DRACO FINDS OUT HE'LL NEVER TALK TO ME AGAIN!" Zoe screamed at Juliet. "Hey she was just trying to make you feel better!" Bandit barked. Zoe laid down and sighed. "Sorry. I'm just really overwhelmed right now." Zoe groaned. An owl tapped at the window. Zoe looked up and groaned again. "That's Draco's owl oh God." She complained. Harper took the letter and read it. "He wants to know if you want to go to the Quidditch World Cup." Harper informed her. Zoe groaned for a third time, this one louder than the last. "Why don't we play some quidditch. It'll take our minds off all this." Bandit suggested, staring at the quidditch jersey hanging on the wall.
Juliet was actually good at chaser once they taught her how to play. At first she was afraid and kept flinching every time the ball came at her, but now she was zooming up and down the makeshift field in the backyard. Harper and Zoe tried desperately to intercept the quaffle, but it just wasn't working. "I'm calling you lightning. And you better try out for Hufflepuff quidditch this year." Zoe ordered her, as Juliet scored the winning points.
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Harper woke up from a deep sleep and stretched. She was instantly awake when she remembered what today was. They were meeting Bandit's parents and heading to the Quidditch World Cup! She banged on their shared wall to wake Bandit up and was rewarded with a string of curse words in multiple languages.
Juliet walked past, already cheery (or as cheery as Juliet ever was) even at this early hour. They met up with Zoe, Sirius, and Emmaline in the kitchen.
Rubbing her eyes, Bandit smiled sheepishly. "Morning guys. I confess, I couldn't sleep last night. This is so exciting!" Everyone nodded. The four girls gathered up their bags and Harper laughed to see that Bandit's was black leather, Juliet's was yellow, and Zoe's was eye-smartingly green.
"Bye Z! See ya in a few days!" They waved her as she slid into a taxi that would take her to the Malfoy Manor. Juliet looked down at her watch.
"Guys, Bandit's parents should-" She was cut off by Bandit shoving her out of the way and running to hug Mr. and Mrs. Stone. "...be here anytime," J finished quietly. Harper laughed again and waved at Sylvia and Mikey.
Mr. Stone, smiling as always, looked around. "You girls got everything? We will be taking a Portkey to the camping area and meeting the rest of the band there." Everyone grabbed the old baseball that was their transport and when Harper opened her eyes again they were in a misty field surrounded by tents.
Mrs. Stone handed the ball off to the wizard who was standing there for just that purpose. She set off towards the middle of the campsite with Bandit, J, and Harper right behind her. They soon arrived at a cluster of four or five tents, all marked 'Frozen Dream and party'. "Well girls, you have the tent on the end. Dinner will be in a couple hours. Get settled, maybe walk around a bit and then meet us back here."
Harper had been in the magic world for long enough that things didn't surprise her like they used to but she still heard herself gasp upon walking into the tent. It looked like a full-size London flat, complete with kitchen and three sleeping areas, already done in yellow for J, black and cream for Bandit, and blue for her. They all dropped off their bags and decided to walk around the campsite before dinner was on. Bandit, being Bandit, first pulled out her leather jacket and slipped on some combat boots. Noticing Harper's look, she started to laugh.
"It scares off people I don't want to interact with, okay?" The three girls walked out into the crowd. They passed through an area of fanatical Ireland fans; a group of artists who interested J; and a group of people from America covered in tattoos and piercings, of whom Bandit knew at least three. Harper heard someone call her name and turned around. She gasped. It was Jason!
He jogged over. "Hey Harper! How're you? Also hello friends of Harper!"
"Um...hi Jason. Why are you here? Oh, it's obviously to watch the Cup. What am I saying?" Harper kicked herself mentally. Luckily, Jason only smiled.
"Yes, I am here to watch the Cup. It was great seeing you!" He smiled once more and walked off.
The three girls kept on walking until a voice yelled out, "Bandit!" Harper looked around and was shocked to see Bandit smiling at another girl.
"Hey Katie! It's so great to see you!" Harper was even more surprised when Bandit hugged Katie. The four girls talked for a few minutes and then Juliet gasped.
"Uh guys... We were supposed to be back at Bandit's twenty minutes ago..."
Bandit's eyes got huge. "SHIT WE HAVE TO GO BYE KATIE I LOVE YOU," and with that she sprinted off, Harper and Juliet close behind.
The next morning dawned bright and clear. Harper was the first awake and she got up quietly to make some tea. After a few minutes Bandit was also up and shoving her hair into another beanie.
"Morning Harper."
"Morning Bandit. I'm gonn' wake up Juliet. We have to go buy souvenirs." Harper grabbed an ice cube, and set it on J's forehead. She fell out of bed with a shriek. The three girls slid out of the tent and told Bandit's mom where they were going. A few minutes into their walk they heard a voice calling.
"Hey guys!"
"Hey Zoe!" They were all surprised to see her dragging Malfoy over to say hello. "It's so amazing here isn't it?" The others all nodded, and then noticed Bandit and Malfoy staring each other down.
"Stone."
"Yeah asshole?"
"Why are you wearing a Frozen Dream shirt?"
"Because I like them. Why the fuck else, Malfoy?"
Zoe butts in, "Draco I told you to be nice!" Everybody else laughed at the look on Bandit's and Malfoy's faces. They stood and talk awkwardly for some time, before wishing Zoe a good day and walking away.
The anticipation built throughout the day, until finally it was sundown and they headed towards the stadium.
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Juliet was extremely overwhelmed. The VIP Section was crowded with celebrities, except Juliet had no idea who they were. Harper and Bandit fangirled over Gwenog Jones a Beater for the Hollyhead Harpies, their favorite quidditch team. The Minister Of Magic was there too preparing to announce the game. Juliet stared around the room awkwardly. After all these years she still never felt quite normal around all the wizards. The door swung open and in came Lucius Malfoy followed by Draco and a very uncomfortable looking Zoe. She flashed Juliet with a small smile before being bombarded with more conversation with Draco. "Juliet!" Harper called, waving her over to where they were sitting. "The game's about to start!"
Juliet's long, red hair flapped behind her as she hurried to her seat. It overlooked the center of the field and was the perfect height to view the whole game. Suddenly, the first team sped over their heads, messing up and tangling the girls' hair. "The Irish!!" Bandit hollered over the sound of the giant stadium erupting in cheers. She hopped from her seat and started jumping up and down while joining in with the crowd's chanting. Juliet started laughing at her along with Harper until the Bulgarian team showed up. Harper also jumped up and started showing her team spirit. "LET'S GO VICTOR!!!!!!!!" Harper screamed. Harper constantly reminded them all about how much she wanted to be like Victor Krum. Juliet was honestly quite worried about her friend's mental states at the moment. The only normal ones were Juliet and Zoe. Zoe sat in the very back corner with Malfoy, deep in conversation and not even paying attention to the game. "Let the match... BEGIN!" Minister Fudge announced, using an amplifying charm.
Green and Red blobs shot around the pitch so fast that Juliet couldn't even tell who was who anymore. Professional Quidditch definitely was a lot faster than Hogwarts quidditch. Somehow, Harper and Bandit managed to know where every player was. Ten minutes into the game, the girls had settled down, and Irish Chaser Troy scored the first goal. Bandit started screaming again. "IN YOUR FACE HARPER!" She taunted. Harper rolled her eyes and focused back on the match. The Irish scored two more goals, causing Bandit's taunting to get louder and louder until most of the room had stopped to gawk at her. Even Zoe looked away from Draco to see what all the screaming was about.
Finally, Ivanova scored Bulgaria's first goal. Now it was Harper's turn to rub it in Bandit's face. The Bulgarians continued to have a scoring streak much to Bandit's horror and Harper's delight. Nothing seemed to happen for a while until Victor Krum started bolting down towards the ground from the top of the pitch. He must've spotted the snitch. The Irish seeker Aidan Lynch trailed closely behind. Krum almost smacked into the ground before he pulled up on his broom. Aidan Lynch, however, went hurdling like an asteroid into the field, making and deep pit in the dirt. "THE WRONSKI FEINT!!" Harper yelped. Bandit's eyes bulged out of her head as she watched the mediwizards tend to Lynch. Juliet thought Harper and Bandit were more entertaining than the game. They had the most animated reactions to every little thing.
Fifteen minutes later the medics fixed Lynch and he was back in the game. The Irish were in the lead 130-80 and were awarded a penalty when Mullet was fouled by the Bulgarian keeper Zograf. Another penalty was awarded to Ireland when the referee Hassan Mostafa was distracted by the Bulgarian's mascots, the Veela. The Irish Beater, Quigley, sent a bludger hurdling toward Victor Krum which broke his nose. Harper started wailing about how her "beautiful baby" was broken. Juliet was starting to get bored. The game was going on for hours and she was starving. Finally, Lynch spotted the snitch and raced after it. Then, in a neck and neck race, Victor Krum beat Aidan Lynch to the snitch. For the first time in history, the team that didn't catch the snitch won the match. The Irish won 170-160. They took a lap of honor and then landed in the VIP box which almost caused Bandit to faint. Zoe had slid out of her chair to get closer to the team. She had a sly smile on her face as the Irish winners strutted past her. Draco noticed her face and glared at the players with his arms crossed. Connolly, one of the younger players, winked at Zoe which caused her to turn a shade of pink. "Did Connoly just-" Harper was completely shocked. "Look at Malfoy's pathetic face!" Bandit snickered. He looked like he'd seen a ghost.
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"That was amazing!" Zoe exclaimed. Her brown hair flapped in the wind as she walked back to the tent with Draco. "I can't believe Ireland won without catching the Snitch!" She continued to obsess over the day's events all the way back to the tent. "Where's your dad?" Zoe asked after taking a pastry and plopping on the couch. Draco shook is head. "I don't know. He said he had business to take care of." He grumbled. Zoe shoved another pastry in her mouth. Suddenly, a high-pitched scream rang throughout the camp. Draco stood up from his chair and looked outside the tent. "We need to go." He mumbled, running over to Zoe and grabbing her hand. "What?" Zoe asked as Draco dragged her out into the madness. A raging fire had started. Everyone in the whole camp was sprinting in different directions. Draco's knuckles were white from the grip he had on Zoe's hand. People kept shoving the others around them, causing even more chaos when groups got split up. "Wheres the portkey?" Zoe yelled over all the screams. "We need to get out of the crowd first!" Draco bellowed.
They ran in all different directions. Basically, wherever they could push through. But that wasn't the worst part. When she saw them, Zoe's stomach lurched up to her throat. They were chanting words she didn't understand, had long black cloaks, and pointed hoods. Death Eaters.
Once they appeared all hell broke loose. They screaming doubled, the running got faster, and the shoving got harder.
It took 2 hours but Draco and Zoe found the portkey. They had gotten out of the crowd fast, but had to silently walk the perimeter of the camp site to find their transportation home. By the time they found the portkey, the camp ground was completely burnt down. There was a cold sounding voice that muttered some gibberish and suddenly a green beam of light shot into the sky.
A symbol Zoe never wanted to see floated among the clouds. The Dark Mark spit out a giant snake cloud as Zoe grabbed the portkey and left, but the image was still plastered in her mind.
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The girls were still shaken from the attack the day after. They had all safely gotten back to Grimmauld Place.
Juliet came back into Zoe's room, holding The Daily Prophet. She plopped down beside Harper on the bed. "What's a Dark Mark?" Juliet asked, staring at the paper with wide eyes. Zoe looked at her feet which were dangling off the side of the bed. "It's Voldemort's sign." She answered, a hint of fear in her voice. The room was silent. No one had any words for what had happened. Harper felt that it was incredibly awkward. Suddenly, the awkward silence was interrupted by the tapping of a brown owl at the window. Zoe slid off the bed, opened the window, and came back shaking four letters in her hand. "Guess what came!" She smiled. Bandit fell back on the bed and groaned. Zoe handed Harper her letter. She ripped it open, eager to find out what they would need this year since they were fourth years. Harper scanned the list. "DRESS ROBES?" Harper wailed. Juliet looked extremely confused. "What are dress robes?" Zoe was giggling. "That means we have to buy dresses!" She exclaimed. Bandit sat up in a flash. "And you know what dresses mean..." She wriggled her eyebrows. "A dance!" Harper cheered.
The smell of Diagon Alley filled Harper's senses. She followed her friends down the uneven cobblestone streets towards Madam Malkin's. They passed Ollivander's and suddenly Harper felt extremely nostalgic. Images of her first year flashed in her mind: Getting all of her Hogwarts supplies with her parents, seeing the Hogwarts Express, being sorted into Ravenclaw, and meeting Zoe, Bandit, and Juliet.
Ring! Bandit, who was in front of everyone, pushed open the door. Like every year, the girls ventured to their separate robe racks corresponding to their houses and found new robes. Then they finally got to climb the wooden stairs to where the dress robes were nicely displayed. The dresses were organized by color. Harper stared at all the racks. "I don't even know where to start looking." She bleated. Of course, Bandit made a beeline for the black dresses. Zoe started at the far side of the room and started looking through some orange dresses. When she finished that rack, she skipped over the green dresses. "Definitely not wearing the same color as my house!" Zoe cackled. Juliet was prancing around the room picking up random dresses at will. She grabbed Harper's shoulder's and spun her around before handing her a blue dress. "This one. You look nice in blue!" She winked and then proceeded to add to her stack of dresses. Harper held up the dress. It was a deep blue and the top part had beautiful blue lace. "Go try it on!" Zoe sang. Harper smiled shyly and made her way into the fitting room. Thankfully, she had the dress on enough that it covered her when Bandit barged into her fitting room. "Sorry! Sorry! I just- these heels match your dress and- ...here!" Bandit stuttered, looking away from Harper. She awkwardly grabbed the skin-colored heels from Bandit's hands and slid them on after she left. Harper turned to look at herself in the mirror. The outfit made her feel beautiful, and older.
She strutted out into the store, feeling extremely confident. "But it." Juliet demanded. Harper started laughing. Zoe came skipping out of her dressing room in a medieval gown that looked 100 years old. Everyone started cracking up. "So? What do you think?" Zoe giggled, patting her hair. "I love it Salazar Slytherin." Bandit joked sarcastically. "Salazar is a guy!" Harper yelped.
Zoe froze in her place and her eyes widened. "Hey Zoe..." He familiar voice chuckled. She was as red as an apple. "Hi Draco!" Zoe squeked. "Nice dress robes." He smiled. Zoe let out a nervous laugh and shot back into her dressing room. It took everything Harper had not to burst out laughing.
Bandit had chosen a whole black outfit that only she could pull off. Harper wasn't sure how she managed to look good in those types of outfits. Juliet chose a short yellow dress that had black flowers running down the sides. After Draco left, Zoe came out in a glittery silver gown. It definitely made her noticeable. "Now all they have to do is announce a ball!" Harper announced as they made their way out of the shop and back into the busy streets of Diagon Alley.
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Zoe sat with Draco alone in a train compartment. "I need to tell you something." Zoe mumbled. Draco looked up. She couldn't bare looking at him, so instead she looked down at her feet. "My parents were killed by Death Eaters and Emmaline adopted me after Regulus died saving us. I don't know my blood status."
It was silent for a good five minutes, they didn't even look at each other. Finally, Draco stood up. "I'm sorry, Zoe. But-" He started to explain. Zoe interrupted him. "You don't have to explain it to me I know how pureblood families are." She grumbled, her cheeks hot with anger. Draco left the car. Zoe leaned her head on the window. 'How could you be so stupid to think he actually liked you for who you were!' Zoe mentally yelled at herself. She felt hot tears run down her cheeks. Suddenly, the door opened and in walked Harper, Juliet, and Bandit. "Sorry, Zoe." Harper said softly. She only sniffled. They tried to cheer her up the whole train ride. Bandit tried making fun of Draco, Juliet tried to tell her how worse it could be, and Harper made puns and bought her candy off the trolley. The best they got was a small smile. She didn't say a word the whole time.
During the sorting ceremony Zoe sat at the end of the table, away from all the purebloods. Pansy took a seat next to her. "Welcome to the not Pureblood Slytherin life." She said, holding up her drink. Zoe smiled a little and clanked her drink with Pansy's. "You know, you can still be his friend." Pansy pointed out. "He's friends with me and I'm half blood." Zoe nodded her head. "I think I'm just gonna take a break from all those people for now." She decided.
The school erupted in protest when Dumbledore announced there would be no quidditch. Instead they were having a "Triwizard Tournament" with Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. The winner would recieve a thousand galleons. Everyone erupted in protest again when Dumbledore said only 17 year olds and older could enter. The yelling and scoffing was interrupted by Mad Eye Moody, an auror, walking into the Great Hall. He had a magic eye that wriggled around, focusing on random students. Every step he took echoed because of his enormous cane. "Meet Professor Moody. The New Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Dumbledore announced. "Now, let me introduce the wonderful ladies from Beauxbatons."
Dozens of girls came through the door in baby blue dresses and hats. Zoe rolled her eyes, watching all the boys go crazy. They pranced around and conjured some really stupid looking butterflies. After they took their seats the boys from Durmstrang came in with a loud entrance. They chanted some random words and flung around some sticks. Zoe wasn't impressed.
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Professor Moody was terrifying. The first class they had with him, he taught them about the unforgivable curses. He asked Luna Lovegood to name a curse. "Imperious Curse." Ron whimpered. Juliet didn't blame him for being scared. Moody took a large spider out of a jar and used the imperious curse on it. He controlled it and it jumped on various people, making the class laugh. It didn't seem all that bad until Mad Eye Moody threatened to make the spider jump out of the window and drown herself. "Many people have said they've done Voldemort's dirty work under the Imperious Curse. But how do we sort out the liars?" Moody said slyly. Next was the Cruciatus Curse. Juliet couldn't even watch as the spider wriggled in pain. Lastly, was Avada Kedavra. The green light still blinded Juliet when her eyes were shut. But that wasn't the scariest part about it. It was the way Professor Moody had performed them all so carelessly, like the were normal spells they taught in Hogwarts. Besides, they were illegal to use. He even said it himself: "The use of any one of these spells earns you a one way ticket to Azkaban." Shouldn't he be in Azkaban then? He used all three... In front of innocent students.
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Bandit walked into the library. She grabbed a few books and decided to settle in for a little bit of reading. Walking to her table in the back, she saw another girl from her year named Katie. "Hey Katie!" Bandit smiled at her.
"Oh hi Bandit! Looks like you had the same idea as me, to get away from all the noise."
"You are so right," Bandit said, laughing. They both sat and read in silence for a bit.
Then Katie spoke up once more. "Hey, um, Bandit? I've always wanted to talk to you and become friends but well, you're always surrounded by people, and I'm shy, and just its nice to be able to say this. Can we maybe talk more sometime?"
Bandit looked up in shock. "Awww Katie! Yes, I would love to talk to you and be friends. And please know, I'm really not as scary as I act. It just keeps away people I don't like!" The two girls giggled and talked until it was lights out, and as they walked back, Katie slipped her arm around Bandit's waist with a shy smile.
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After a month, it was finally time to see which names got chosen from the Goblet of Fire. All the students filed into the Great Hall, sitting wherever they wanted for once. Draco did his best to kiss up to the Durmstrang boys which meant sitting next to them during the ceremony. Pansy was sick and resting in the Hospital room, leaving Zoe as the only girl at the whole table.
The Goblet of Fire spit out a bright blue fire and a nicely folded note in the shape of a flower. Dumbledore caught it and read the name. "Fleur Delacour will be the champion from Beauxbatons!" Everyone cheered. Zoe didn't really care for them all that much. They were quite annoying and thought they were better than everyone. Especially Fleur. Next, black fire shot from the cup and a piece of torn parchment flew into Dumbledore's hand. "Victor Krum! The Durmstrang champion." Draco cheered so loudly Zoe almost fell off the bench. Then, blinding yellow fire flew out of the cup. A square piece of parchment floated out. "The Hogwarts champion. Cedric Diggory!" Zoe cheered along with all of Hogwarts. They were definitely the loudest.
Everything seemed finsihed when another name shot out of the Goblet of Fire. "HARRY POTTER!" Dumbledore yelled. Everyone exchanged looks of confusion. Zoe saw Bandit have to shove Harry to get him to walk to the front. As he walked, dozens of people muttered insults at him. After he made it to the front, the staff and the other champions, including Harry, all went into a back room, signaling the ceremony was over.
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The day of the first task dawned cool and clear. Waking up, Bandit looked at Hermione. "It's the day of the first task. I have to get down there, to the arena."
"Bandit, are you going to talk to him? You know we're not allowed down there."
Bandit winked at her. "You know I never break the rules."
She sprinted down the lawn until she reached the edge of the forest. Then, using the trees for cover, Bandit managed to slip next to the tent. She inched her way next to the canvas wall.
"Psst. Psssst! Harry!"
"Bandit?" He sounded stressed. "You're not allowed to be here."
She slipped through an opening in the wall and threw her arms around him.
Click! The shutter of a camera went off. "Slap my ass and call me Sally," Bandit hissed under her breath. "It's that Skeeter bitch." Harry snorted.
"Young love! How sweet!"
Barty Crouch, Dumbledore, and the headmasters from both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang walked in. Bandit squeezed Harry's hand and slipped out. She met up with Zoe, Harper, and Juliet to watch the task. First off, their least favorite, Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons, follows by Krum and then Cedric. Finally it was Harry's turn. Bandit gripped Juliet's hand as tightly as she could. In that moment the other three realized that she cared for him as more that just casual friends.
"Accio Firebolt!" Harry's voice cut across the noise of the crowd. Everyone gasped as one. He tossed his leg over the broomstick and flew down to steal the dragon's golden egg, getting a nasty scratch from the dragon in the process.
"And here we have HARRY POTTER OF HOGWARTS, WITH THE FASTEST TIME OF GETTING THE EGG!" The entire school went wild with cheering.
That night saw the biggest party Bandit had ever seen, bigger even than the m&g line for a concert. The Weasley brothers outdid themselves with fireworks and stolen food and even McGonagall stopped by for a few moments. Once she managed to fight through the crowd (mosh pit skills), Bandit grabbed Harry's hand and hung on, laughing with him and her friends.
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All the Slytherins gathered into the Great Hall with Professor Snape after their classes were over. "I wonder what this is all about." Pansy whispered. "Miss Parkinson would you please do me the favor of shutting your mouth? Thank you." Snape scolded. "Now, the Triwizard cup has an event called the Yule Ball held on Christmas Eve. It is my, unfortunate, job to teach you how to not look like fools while you dance." He seethed. The girls whispered comments of excitement, while the boys groaned and complained. Pansy started whispering about who she wanted to go with when Snape caught her talking again. "Pansy. Since you won't shut your mouth, I guess you get to be the example." Snape hissed. Pansy awkwardly walked over to Snape while Zoe tried her best not to burst out laughing.
"Pay attention Draco!" He spat. "Now, boys. You must grab your date's waist, first." Pansy shrieked. Everyone started laughing. "One, two, three, one, two, three." Snape muttered to the class as he danced with Pansy. It looked so awkward. Finally, they stopped. "Now you try." Snape demanded at his students. He flicked his wand at the record player and it started playing waltz music. Every student looked as though they'd seen a ghost. Awkwardly, they all moved from the wooden benches they were sitting on and formed a giant crowd in the middle of the floor. The girls had smiles on their faces, except Pansy who was a deep shade of olive green, while they skipped around looking for a specific boy. Zoe snickered to herself while she watched a Milicent Bullstrode try to hunt Draco down. He speed walked around the room until his eyes met Zoe's. She instantly looked away, desperately hoping he wouldn't use her as a scapegoat.
Before she knew what was going on he had already grabbed her by the hand and pulled her away from an angry Milicent. She rolled her eyes. "I'm surprised you didn't want to dance with Milicent. She knows she's a pureblood." Zoe said sassily.
Draco grabbed her waist and they started to dance. Although, she had told herself numerous times not to develop feelings for him, his touch made her heart jump and her skin tingle. He sighed. "Merlin's beard, I don't care what her blood status is. It's Milicent!" He said her name as if it left a sour taste in his mouth.
He took the opportunity of silence to spin her around. Her heart fluttered as he did so when she caught a glimpse of the smirk that was on his face. Once she was back to facing him Zoe rolled her eyes once more, although on the inside she secretly liked the fact that he wanted to dance with her. "There's plenty of other pureblood girls here that would love to dance with you I bet." Zoe said, despite her internal feeling. His smirk faded from his face.
"Well I don't want to dance with them." Draco said persistently as he dipped her. As much as she was angry with him, Zoe had to admit he was a good dancer. She mentally kicked herself for enjoying this.
"But-!" Draco interrupted her before she could bring up blood status another time.
"Zoe can't you take a hint?"
The look he was giving her made her equally in love and annoyed. Her cheeks turned bright red from either anger or the crush she was redeveloping on him. His obvious flirting had left her dumbfounded and plain confused on top of all her other feeling toward him.
She decided it was best to act like she hadn't heard him over the music and students crying out as their partner stepped on their feet. Zoe, and her toes, was especially grateful Malfoy was a good dancer.
While some students called "When can we be done?" or "Professor I hate dancing! I don't care about some stupid ball!", Zoe was genuinely having a good time. After ignoring Draco for most of the time this year, she'd forgotten how charming he was. Her curious mind wondered if he felt the same way.
It seemed as if each time they dipped, spinned, and swayed back and forth she became more fond of him. His arrogant smirk had faded into more of a happy smile as they laughed each time a student cried out in pain. Little by little they were transitioning back into their usual state.
As the music played on Zoe started to imagine she was at the ball. The Great Hall was now a winter wonderland. Everyone was beautifully dressed including Snape, who was still stiffly dancing with Pansy. Zoe was still dancing with Draco who looked incredibly handsome in dress robes.
Suddenly, the music stopped and Zoe's vivid daydream faded away. Her and Draco awkwardly parted away, both realizing how much they still enjoyed each other and how much they shouldn't have been enjoying that.
"You are dismissed." Snape grumbled at them. Draco and Zoe looked at each other one last time before hurrying in opposite directions. As she walked away from him, Zoe couldn't help but replay the moment in her head.
Pansy caught up with her, the color slowly coming back into her face now that she had left Snape. She wriggled her eyebrows. "So! You and Draco eh? I guess that never died!" She giggled, playfully poking Zoe's arm.
Zoe faked a disgusted look as she blushed again. "Ew no!"
By the look on Pansy's face, Zoe knew she wasn't fooling her. She was a terrible liar, especially when it came to her feelings. And right now she could not lie to deny the fact that she wanted to go to the ball with Draco, and she secretly hoped he felt the same way.
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Bandit was alone up in the Owlrey, sending a letter home and thinking about the upcoming Yule Ball. Hearing someone walk in, she whipped around with a glare, but her gaze softened when she saw Harry.
"Hey Harry!"
He blushed bright pink. "Um, hey Bandit. Er, could I ask you something?"
She smirked slightly. "Yeah Harry. Anything."
"Wannagototheballwithme?"
Bandit blinked. "I didn't catch that all the way. Did you just ask me to the ball?"
He blushed even deeper and nodded.
In a rare moment, Bandit dropped her act of being aloof and squeaked with happiness. She ran over and wrapped him in a hug. "Harry I would LOVE to go to the ball with you!" Smiling at each other, they walked off to dinner.
Juliet, Harper, and Zoe immediately noticed something different about their friend. "BANDIT WHAT HAPPENED TELL US EVERYTHING NOW"
She grinned at them. "I have a date to the Yule Ball. And it's Harry."
The other three bombarded her with questions. Eventually Bandit smirked at them and said "you guys will just have to see. Also, I got a letter from my parents. Take one guess who's playing music at the ball."
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Harper was practicing on the Quidditch pitch while Zoe watched contently and worked on an essay. "How am I doing?" Harper asked, trying to get Zoe to pay attention. Zoe looked up and before she could answer a voice said "Amazing! As always." From down below. Both girls looked down to see Jason mounting his broom. Zoe smiled. "Hey uh Harper? I'm gonna go back to my common room, it's getting pretty cold out here." Zoe announced, leaving the two alone to hover in the air.
Jason and Harper started out just tossing a Quaffle around the field. It went on for a good amount of time. The snow had started falling pretty hard by the time they were done. They both locked their equipment back in their lockers and started towards the castle. Jason ran a hand through his blonde hair. "So you've heard about the Yule Ball obviously. D-do you have a date?" Jason stammered. Harper smiled and looked at the ground as she walked up the hill. "No I don't. Not yet I mean." Harper squeaked. She was always nervous around him and she didn't know why. "Would you like to go with me then?" Jason asked, a hopeful smile on his face. Harper blushed when she looked at him. "Yeah! I'd love to!" She chirped. "Awesome." Jason sounded so relieved. Now they had made it to the heavily decorated castle. "Hey jase! Get over here man!" Cedric Diggory called from down the corridor. "Well I guess I'll see you later!" Jason exclaimed. "Y-yeah! See ya!" Harper smiled and rushed to find her friends.
"Guys! Guess what!!" Harper exclaimed as she found Harper, Bandit, and Zoe talking in a corridor. "What!" Juliet shrilled. "Jason asked me to the Yule Ball!" Harper declared. The girls started screeching and jumping up and down. "Michael asked me too!" Juliet announced happily. "Well isn't that just great. All you have dates and I've got no one!" Zoe sighed. "Hasn't Draco asked you?" Bandit asked. Zoe shook her head. "He hasn't asked anyone." Harper spoke up. "There's still a week left. Don't worry!" Harper reassured her. "There's no doubt he won't ask you. Have you seen the way he looks at you in potions?" Bandit pointed out. Zoe blushed and looked at her feet. "Nine o'clock!" Juliet whisper yelled. The Slytherins were walking their way. Harper pushed Zoe out of their circle and into Draco. He laughed. "Hey Zoe." She froze for a second. "...Hey." She said timidly. "Can I talk to you? Alone?" He asked, pushing Crabbe and Goyle away. Juliet turned and her jaw dropped. Bandit had to hold in a giggle. Harper watched the whole moment play out, her eyes glued to them. "Y- yeah." Zoe stammered. They walked off down the corridor. "Ohmygod! He's gonna ask her!" Juliet squealed. Harry also came down the hallway. "Harry! Do you have the invisibility cloak right now?" Bandit asked in a hurry. "Yeah. Why?" Harry replied, his eyebrows raised. "I need it now!" Bandit whisper yelled. He handed it to her, reluctantly. She slung it over the three girls.
Zoe leaned against a wall while Draco stood in front of her. "I'm just going to straight up say it. I really like you! And- and I know I shouldn't because of blood status, but I can't help it! And I don't care what my father thinks anymore because I really really like you." Draco explained softly. Harper's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She was not expecting that! They all waited to see what Zoe said, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him. "HOLY SHIT!" Bandit shrieked, blowing their cover. They pulled away from each other and Zoe walked over and ripped off the cloak. She smirked. "You're pathetic." She giggled, before spinning on her heels and slipping her hand in Draco's. After they walked away Harry came running down the hallway. He looked disgusted. "Did they just?" He asked. Bandit started laughing. "Yeah." She giggled, throwing Harry the cloak.
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It was finally here. The Yule Ball. At breakfast that day, Bandit, J, Harper, and Zoe made plans to meet up and get ready for the ball together. Standing in her dormitory before leaving, Bandit did one last check of everything. Her short black dress? Check. Stiletto heels? Check. Way too much makeup? Check. Hair done, and not in a beanie? Check. And more makeup still in her bag for the moshpit? Check. Running down to the bathroom where they were going to meet, she first encountered Pansy Parkinson. "You look like a mushroom, Pansy."
"Thanks Bandit. You look like a whore." She kept on going. Bandit saw Harper next. She whistled. "DAMN HARPER YOURE LOOKING FINE." Blushing, the girl ran up and smiled. "You too Bandit."
They met Zoe and J in the bathroom. Everyone did a once over, making sure each detail was perfect. "ARE YOU READY TO MOSH WITH ME?" Bandit can hardly stand still. The other three laugh and not excitedly.
Zoe speaks up. "Okay guys. Let's all walk out together and slay the Great Hall. Bandit, you'll have to go with Harry and we will meet up with you after."
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When the four girls walked in everyone gave them looks of astonishment. Zoe's silver dress glittered in the lighting. The Great Hall was a winter wonderland. At the far side where the teachers usually sat were 3 giant pine trees that had glittery snow dusted perfectly on them. The floor looked like a giant iced over lake, but wasn't slippery at all. The candles burned an icy blue and silver strands hanged from the ceiling. Snow fell until it almost hit the students and teachers in the room and then dissolved. Everything else in the room looked like ice, even the walls and statues. Harper and Juliet found Jason and Michael who were fortunately standing together, probably talking about how beautiful they looked. Draco emerged from the large crowd and took Zoe's hand. "You look amazing." He smiled. Zoe blushed a bright pink. "Thanks." She squeaked. "I guess we should go take a spot in the crowd?" He suggested. "Yeah, I guess its rude if we don't watch the champions dance." Zoe scoffed, smiling at Draco as they pushed to the front of the crowd. The crowd made way for the champions. First came Fleur Delacour and a seventh year from Ravenclaw. Second was Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang. Zoe had to admit he looked really handsome. Next came Victor Krum and... Hermione Granger? "What's she doing with him?" Draco scoffed. Zoe couldn't believe it. Lastly, came Harry, who looked very confused and nervous, and Bandit who looked like she was going to kill everyone as always. "Watch Potter." Draco whispered. The music began and the four couple started to waltz. They all danced quite well, except for Harry who was off beat and out of step until Bandit had to start leading where they went. Zoe and Draco started cackling, several people gave them dirty looks. Snape shot them a glare. "Oh no! Better not piss of Snape! He'll make you dance with him." Zoe joked. Draco tried so hard to contain his laughter that he shook like an idiot. Finally, everyone else got to start dancing to. Just like when Snape was teaching them, Draco danced so well. Zoe snorted. "Look at Weasley.." Draco turned his head and immediately looked back. "I feel so bad for Parvati!" He laughed. He spun her around, but the spinning wasn't what made Zoe's heart do flips. It was the fact that Draco put down his old beliefs and put her first, and now he was back to his old self. They both were.
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She couldn't stop thinking about her dance with Harry that night.