The Last Riddle

4. Blaise Zabini

"Evening Miss Potter" The Bloody Baron glides past me his chains dragging along the floor.

"Uh um good evening Sir, I mean Mr Baron." I stutter as I walk past him my eyes wide.

Even after a week at this school I'm still not used to the ghosts that roam the hallways on their own accord.

I hold my books slightly tighter to my chest as I enter into the large dining hall and the sound of students chatter and laughter sounds all around me. Awkwardly I stand on the spot and look around hoping to spot a familiar face.

My eyes lock on Harry and see him sat beside Ron and other first year Gryffindors I don't recognise. His head is thrown back in laughter as him and Ron point to a boy with soot on his face and smoking hair.

Sighing I turn away and see a large head of hair buried inside a book.

Hermione Granger.

I think I would actually quite like the girl if she wasn't such a know it all. She always shoots me glares when I answer the teachers questions and I often hear her muttering under her breath about me.

I turn my head away from the Gryffindors and look over to the Hufflepuff table, Poppy meets my eyes and waves enthusiastically at me. I smile at her and raise my hand waving back at her stiffly.

Poppy is a great friend and she always says hi to me in the corridor, she's even invited me to sit with her at the Hufflepuff table every morning. I always decline though, I don't want the Slytherins to have any more of a reason to shun me. I'm already a Potter and Harry's twin sister.

They all already glare at me when I walk into the common room, I hear them saying that I'm lost and was put in the wrong house. The mutters and glares I can deal with but I have heard rumours about how cunning Slytherins can be, I'm worried that they might start cursing me or hiding my things. Therefore no matter how uncomfortable it is I'll keep sitting at the Slytherin table to avoid any harsher treatment.

I slide on to the bench and avoid the students sat around me, instead I open the top book of the pile and begin to read greedily.

Today is going to be my first flying lesson with Madam Hooch and it would be a very big lie to say I am anything but absolutely terrified. In fact my plate lays empty before me due to how much my stomach is churning.

Just as I reach the second chapter of the book does a set of footsteps sound before stopping in front of me.

"Not hungry?" A thick French accent asks me loudly.

I jump at the voice and look up my eyes wide. A boy who I know is in my year and house stands before me but his name escapes me.

"Um what?" I take in the boy as he appears to do the same to me. His dark brown skin stands out against his white school shirt which fits him perfectly and appears to be of a much more expensive material than mine and everyone else's. His hair is shaved short but this only highlights his sharp cheekbones and his strong jaw, even though he can only be my age he appears so much older and more grown up. His eyes are bright and warm but their angular shape gives him a sharper look.

He laughs warmly as he sits down on the bench opposite me "you're not eating anything for breakfast? Normally I see you eating at least two meals in the morning."

My cheeks burn pink "I'm sorry? You notice that I eat a lot?"

He nods smiling widely "sure. I mean you sit there bent over your little book shovelling food into your face as though it's going to be your last meal. For you not to be eating this morning is, what's the English word for it?" His accent becomes even thicker as he smiles "creepy."