In The Shadows² ★ Draco Malfoy

*Arrivals

On the morning of the 30th of October the students of Hogwarts came down to the Great Hall for breakfast and found that it had been completely redecorated overnight. Enormous silk bannershung from the walls, each of them representing a Hogwarts House. Behind theteachers' table, the largest banner of all bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: lion,eagle, badger, and snake united around a large letter H.

The chatter at breakfast was louder than it had ever been before as each student spoke excitedly about the day's looming arrival of the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang

Briar was so caught up in the day's excitement that she didn't notice a letter arrive for her, until the owl carrying it dropped it on her head

"Who's it from?" Ginny asked her but Briar's eyes were fixed on the writing on the front: 'Paws'. She immediately knew who it was from so she stuffed it in her robes, made up an excuse about needing the bathroom and quickly left the hall to get to an empty broom cupboard to read her letter

Dear Paws,

I'm back in the country. Harry told me that his scar had been hurting, and about the Triwizard Tournament. I have a feeling this may all be connected. The Triwizard Tournament is beyond dangerous and I want you both to stay as far away from it as you can, please. I'll be in touch.

Love,

Padfoot

As Briar left the broom cupboard her mind was so preoccupied with the letter that she didn't notice when she walked into someone

"Oh, sorry!" she squeaked and looked up to find it was none other than Theodore Nott

"Briar, right?" He asked "Lupin's kid?"

"I'm guessing Draco told you," she sighed and he grinned but nodded too "Then he also will have told you about how I'm a half-breed and bla bla bla"

"He did," Theo chuckled 

"And you're still talking to me?" she asked, half surprised, half scared

"You're cute," he shrugged and she felt her cheeks heat up 

"Anyway you should go before anyone from your house sees you talking to me," Briar sighed

"I don't care," he said "But I do have to get to potions, so I'll see you around, Briar" He smiled at her again before heading off and Briar seemed stuck in her place for a moment

But she quickly snapped out of it and headed back to the Great Hall in time to catch her friends just before they left, so she grabbed her bag and together they all headed to their first class. Classes that day weren't paid attention to by anyone and even the teachers seemed distracted by the approaching arrival of the other schools

When the day came to its early end, all of the students rushed down to the entrance hall where their Heads of Houses were ordering them into lines

Once that was finally done they filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle under the clear dusk sky

The students waited in an excited silence, all of them scanning the landscape for any sign of movement but found nothing until Professor Dumbledore finally exclaimed "Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

Sure enough, against the darkening sky Briar could see a giant powder-blue coloured carriage being drawn by horses soaring across the sky. They hurtled over the top of the forbidden forest until, with a loud crash, the horse's hooves hit the ground