Empty Gold • d.meadowes

-39-

June came along with a wave of terror coursing through the country.

From the copies of the Daily Prophet Maeve received everyday, they were able to keep up with the latest news on Lord Voldemort, and the more they read them, the more convinced they got of the inevitability of a war. Voldemort seemed to have gained more followers, for the news of his attacks began to come from all over Great Britain, rather than from just the heart of England. He had, with several of his followers, recently attacked a muggle concert. The death count of course, was sky high, and the Ministry workers and Aurors had had a hard time obliviating muggles and neutralising the chaos that had ensued.

Action amongst the Slytherins seemed oddly subdued, raising suspicions that perhaps they were up to something. Regardless, they never did anything that broke the rules, and though a lot of students thought that their communication with the outside world should be regulated, it really wasn't possible to do so without breaking a hundred school regulations.

Despite the terror outside and despite the creepy hushed atmosphere inside the castle, the exams duly arrived, forcing the students to take their minds off Voldemort and focus on scoring good results. Dorcas remained inside the dormitories making last minute revisions, and also mentally preparing herself for stepping out of her hiding place after such a long time. The night before her NEWTs, when she looked at herself in the mirror, she could swear that her skin has gone paler from the lack of sun.

After finishing off her dinner that Maeve had brought into the dormitories for her, Dorcas stood by her bed with hands on her hips. The room looked like a couple of four year olds have been given access to everything they could get their hands on, and without adult supervision. She smiled softly as she recalled the first day she had set her eyes on this dormitory.

It had looked bigger than it seemed now, she remembered. The four-poster beds were large, and less welcoming than the ones she had at home. A study table stood beside each bed, and each had a drawer, the key to which they had found on their respective beds. There were two large cupboards for keeping their clothes. Their trunks were stashed under the beds and there were two dressing tables in the room, bare and empty for them to use.

When she had gone to bed in this dormitory for the first time, she had felt lonely, homesick and she was scared about whether she would be able to make friends.

Now the room was anything but large and empty. The trunks lay randomly all over the place, their lids open and the clothes strewn over the floors, the beds, the chairs. Their tables were filled with books and parchment, there were ink stains everywhere. On the wall over their beds were numerous posters, some of which were yellowed with age. The dressing table had their drawers open and overflowing with various items, and on the tabletop were several makeup items, spilled nail polish, broken lipstick. Copies of the Daily Prophet were all over the place, courtesy of Maeve.

"What are you smiling about, weirdo?"

It was Maeve who had asked the question. She was lying on her stomach, reading a story book she has been reading for about six months now. Her hair had come loose and fell in front of her, hiding her face.

Dorcas shook her head, still smiling. "Nothing."

If it were about a year ago, Dorcas knew they'd get emotional about leaving Hogwarts, and possibly sit together eating chips and talking about the seven years they have spent here. But a lot of things have changed since then. Even though Silver hung out with them sometimes, she had new friends, and Maeve has become a bit distant from them lately. Dorcas has closed herself off from people, and even though she didn't like to admit it, she sometimes liked being on her own, away from her friends, just alone with her thoughts. She hasn't seen Juliet after the time they had spent in the Ravenclaw common room.