The ShapeShifter

Chapter 23 - Fights, Books and Almost Figuring This All Out

Chapter 23 - Fights, Book and Almost Figuring This All Out

I wake up with a start. In a  dark, different room, spinning all around… 

“You!” A voice hisses, “you were supposed to get close! Look at what you have done!” 

“He’s very sorry master, very sorry indeed… He will not fail you, he promises.” There’s then a slight hesitation. “Well?”

“Yes, yes master, I shall fix what I have broken.”

“Good, good….”

I wake up with a start still aware of all the mysteries swirling around me. How could the horrors of the past years be returning? What was making them rise from the dead? And probably the most important question, how can it be stopped? These thoughts never leave my head until —

“OW,” I yelp, looking down to see that I’ve run in to one of the tables in the great hall. The Slytherin table to be specific. Draco eyes dart towards mine in a fury. Before I know it he’s grabbing my arm and yanking me out the doors into the chilly hallways. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” I yell at him. He just stares back at me with his cold, blue eyes. 

“Just listen dammit!” He starts back. Before I can yell at him once more he speaks.  “Look,” he says, “I’m sorry about what happened awhile back…” Referring of course to him kissing another girl, a girl that definitely was not me. I have to say, I’m startled by his apology. I was never expecting to get one. 

“I was just wondering if you would give me another chance.” He continues. I stare him down. I don’t want to give someone a second chance who doesn’t deserve it. 

“Well, to be friends…” He adds, breaking down by the second. That is the perks of being able to shape shift. You can use animal habits, such as eye-stalking to get the truth out of people.

I consider his offer, “well, I guess, but don’t push it Malfoy.” With this a small smiles breaks upon his face. 

“I knew you would come around Winters.” And with that he smirks and walks away, having gotten what he wanted. 

I slowly walk back to the great hall. The chill of the outside air pecking at my skin.

Why would he finally talk to me after all this time? It doesn’t make any sense. Now that he’s not the one I want, I can see him clearly. He’s not going to fool me this time around. 

Finally, having made my way back to the hall I sit down next to Hermione and the gang.

“So how are you?” Hermione asks me gently. She knows that it’s been rough, with the dreams, and the mysteries multiplying by the second.

“Fine.” I reply. Simple. Easy. Fine it is. I should tell her about the new dream. The next dream in the recurring series that is playing out in my head. I know they’re clues. I know that I should be taking this more seriously than I am. But I just don’t know what to do with them.

“Bea?” I hear. 

“Sorry what?” I ask, looking around me to see that Harry had asked me a question. He gives me a look. 

“I was just asking if you had thought any more about what’s happening…” He says in a hushed tone… “I think we should tell somebody… Sirius, Dumbledore, anyone really.” He tells me. Everyone looks towards me. 

“Umm.. Yeah, i guess. If you want to tell someone Harry, you should.. But honestly what are they going to think? They’re going to say you’re crazy! Who’s actually going to believe that events are happening exactly the same fore the second time! It’s mad.” I start. Harry just looks at me.

“But it’s the truth.” He says.

“Yes,” Hermione adds, “And it could be more serious than we think.”

“What do you—.” Ron begins to add, but Hermione begins to cut him off. 

“I’ve been doing some reading in the library, and I think I’ve about figured it out.” She says. We all just look at her. 

“What do you mean, ‘you’ve figured it out?’” Asks Harry.

“Well, it says here,” she mumbles whilst pulling out the oldest and dustiest book that I have seen in my life. “It says here that events can replicate themselves.” 

“Okay, but obviously we know that if it’s happening to us!” Ron tells her. She just rolls her eyes. 

“I’m not finished Ronald! Like I was saying,” she starts again glaring at him. “Events can replicate themselves, when there is a large source of magic willing them to. It can be used as an attack, warning, distract—.” 

“So somebody’s attacking us?” George butts in, having just came over to the table a second ago, after talking with another Griffyndor.

“No, George—.” Hermione starts, giving him a glance.

“She says that somebody’s doing it to us!” Ross yells at his brother with a sound of worry in his voice. 

“No Ron—.” Hermione begins.

“That’s what you said!” Harry accuses. Suddenly everybody begins to panic, yelling at each other.

“Would everyone be quiet!” Hermione yells. We all shut up. Well except Ron, who takes this chance to jam even more porridge into his already full mouth. “As I was saying, it is brought on by powerful magic, used to kerfuffle the enemy! Which is exactly what is happening!” 

With this we all look at each other guilty. 

“Sorry ‘Mione.” We all mumble — Ron through his porridge. 

“That’s okay. Now there’s still a lot to figure out, but at least we know we’re not that crazy.” She says, giving us the eye. 

Finally we’ve all calmed down. 

“So then who’s doing this to us?” Harry asks. We all stay silent. 

“I don’t know.” Hermione says. Harry sighs. 

“That’s it, I’m going to Dumbledore. It there’s an enemy that is putting magical — I don’t know — curses, enchantments on Hogwarts, he has to know about it. 

Harry gets up, the bench squeaking underneath him. We all watch as he strides through the great hall and turns towards the Headmaster’s office. 

“I sure hope he doesn’t take too long,” George announces. “Because we still have to kick Slytherins’s arse today!” Everyone laughs, for the first time in I don’t know how long.