Alessandra Vitale's life has always been filled with unicorns, cupcakes, and roses. Quite literally.
Playboys, Death Eaters, and Imperius curses were certain additions she did not expect in her sixth year of Hogwarts.
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5.Bloviate
I knew exactly where I was going. I was just lost.
I'm pretty sure Daedalus would be jealous of Hogwarts. It was a labyrinth filled with winding staircases that appeared one second and disappeared the next, dark eerie corridors with doors leading to empty classrooms, and paintings of ancient wizards adorning the walls, most of whom were sleeping with bottles or glasses of champagne in hand, unresponsive to my nudges or inquiries.
Reading Hogwarts: A History during the summer seemed like a futile task now.
I started to think about how I should have left a trail of breadcrumbs, as I found myself back in the same green-walled corridor I was sure I had passed about twenty minutes ago. I recognized the suit of armor with a sword whose hilt gleamed with a topaz. Topaz was my mother's favorite gem. She wore a necklace containing one that my father had given her on their 10th anniversary. Thinking of her sent a pang through my heart.
The thought of breadcrumbs brought out a loud growl from my stomach. I was starving. The last thing I had eaten was a chocolate frog on the train, which had been coming back up my stomach due to the disgusting snog fest going on in the compartment. What was I thinking about skipping the feast?
The interaction between me and Malfoy kept replaying in my head. The way his eyes had turned cold and his voice icy in just seconds. The way his face had soured when mentioning my mother. It made me want to do worse things than just punch him. I couldn't go to the feast; my hands would somehow find their way around his neck. Then the dread came over me. This is the next two years of my life at Hogwarts. Everyone in Slytherin practically worshipped or feared Malfoy. Where did that leave me? If everyone was just like him, I certainly did not even want to try to find a place in the house. I was tired of giving them the benefit of the doubt.
Another growl from my stomach. "Shut up! Don't you think I want chocolate pudding?" I groaned exasperatedly.
I wandered through the darkness with my illuminated wand, trying to find any sign of proximity to the destination I was seeking.
"Jackpot!" I exclaimed in joy as I saw the familiar carvings of ivory around a large door, identical to its counterpart picture in Hogwarts: A History.
I pushed open the door and entered the room I had first imagined about Hogwarts.
"Incendio!"
All the candles lit up, sending a warm yellow glow throughout the large room.
There were dozens of rows of bookshelves, row after row of neatly lined up books with their spines facing outward. The familiar smell of parchment and ink filled the air. Comfortable leather armchairs and tables were set for quiet study, under which was a Persian carpet.
I wandered through the shelves, steering clear of the restricted section. I was pretty sure some of those books had sirens that would alert the whole castle of my presence. I grabbed a dusty old volume from the top shelf, one I doubted would even be part of the collection, and settled myself back in an armchair to read the book I had read numerous times before in my own home library.
