THE CURSE | Harry Potter

Chapter 6

The four students stepped out of the self-pulling carriage. They looked up at the castle in front o them, its many lights lightning up the dark, gloomy evening. Even though the rain had begun to decrease, the shivering students were already soaked and hurried up towards the stone steps into the castle. 

However, before the students could reach the castle and warm up in the Great Hall, none other than Vega's cousin Draco Malfoy, followed by his two friends Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, approached them.

"You fainted, Potter? Is it true, what Longbottom's saying?" Draco said with a laugh. "You actually fainted?"

Draco elbowed his way past them to block Harry's way up the stone steps to the warm castle with a smirk on his face. 

"Shove off, Malfoy" Ron said and clenched his jaw. 

"What? Did you faint as well, Weasley?" Draco said. "Did the scary old Dementor frighten you, too, Weasley?" 

"Draco, please stop" Vega begged him. Draco looked at her. 

"Defending 'em, are we now? Should be happy I didn't tell mummy about you. Disgrace to the family, you are, Vega Black" he said with an emphasis on her last name. Vega was taken aback by shock. 

"HEY" Harry started and tried to step forward, but he was held back by Ron and Hermione. 

"Is there a problem here?" said a mild voice. A young man, who'd just jumped out of an arriving carriage, walked up to them. 

He was wearing a shabby set of robes, and under his brown hair, which even though his young age, was flecked with grey, a pair of tired eyes hid. Vega also noticed deep scars cutting across his face. 

Draco stared at the man, his tired face and shabby clothes, and with a hind of sarcasm in his voice, he said, "Oh, no professor". Vega followed the boy with her eyes as he walked up the stone stairs, closely followed by Crabbe and Goyle. 

She could barely comprehend her cousin's words. Disgrace to the family? Vega wanted to be mad at him, angry at his words, but something stung inside of her as she thought about what he'd said. Maybe he was right, she thought as the five of them walked through the giant oak front doors and up the marble staircase, lit by flaming torches, before finally reaching the Great Hall. 

Vega heard professor McGonagall's voice calling for Harry and Hermione from behind them, and they quickly said a "See you" to her before Vega continued through the open door into the Great Hall. 

The thousands of lit candles floated in mid-air over the five tables, filled with students and teachers. The ceiling was dark like the night sky though, just as outside, dark clouds blocked the view from the blinking stars. 

Vega walked all the way to the far left and sat down alone at the end of the table, where all the students wore the same colored robes as Vega did; green. She spotted her blonde cousin, sitting a few seats away from her with Vega's roommate Pansy Parkinson leaning against him, laughing at a story he was telling to the students around him.

She couldn't help but overhear a conversation from the Ravenclaw table next to as the name Sirius Black was mentioned, and Vega could feel the stares burning in her neck.

A few minutes later, the doors to the great hall opened up, and a big group of scared first years hurried their way through the Great Hall, trying to keep up with professor McGonagall. 

As the sorting hat sung a new song, Vega glanced over to the Hufflepuff table and searched until her eyes found the familiar brown haired 5th year. Cedric looked up and smiled at her when he noticed her staring at him, but Vega couldn't help but see a tiny hint of pity in it.