[4] UNREQUITED ENEMIES ━ Draco Malfoy

06. Hogwarts Is Changing

SIX HOGWARTS IS CHANGING

     Snow fell gently around them as they walked down the long road from Hogsmeade back to Hogwarts. Diana was talking about their potions professor, Horace Slughorn, that had taken quite a liking to Diana. Xander wasn't surprised by this because she had always been stellar at potions even while dreadful Professor Snape was teaching it. It was strange to think that it was already easing into the wintertime considering Xander felt like classes had hardly started. He loved Hogwarts and the last thing he wanted was for this last two years there to go quickly -- he was the type to cling onto his youth, he knew that much.

"Closer to the winter holidays, he's throwing like a Christmas party or something and we're allowed to bring someone and you know I'd rather die than ask Justin, but I think it would be fun if we went together. Besides, most of them are pure-bloods so no one really knows what I'm talking about when I talk about muggle stuff. I feel so bad for Hermione, though, at one of the meetings, she said that her parents were dentists and no one even knew what that was. Seriously, you would think wizards knew what a dentist was! It was ridiculous, I just stayed silent. Much better than saying that my mum is a waitress, I think so. I don't know, I just think you should come, that's all."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll go with you," Xander nodded along with what she was saying. He was only half-listening if he was being honest mainly because he was focused on the voices behind him. Last he checked it was Katie Bell behind them and not far behind were Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. He had divination with the three of them their third year, but that was about as close as he got to interacting with them. He remembered at one point Hermione had smacked the crystal ball off of its stand and walked right out of the attic. He quite respected her after that stunt.

Katie Bell was talking a package or something she had been given to deliver which Xander found odd, but he didn't really know Katie well enough to turn around and say something. He just liked to eavesdrop which was bad, he knew this, but he was nosy as hell. This was a widely known fact.

"Are you even listening to me?" Diana asked with a small chuckle, nudging her best friend on the side. He stumbled a bit in the snow, but still laughed as he pushed her back.

Any response he had was cut off by a bloodcurdling scream from behind them. The package he assumed they were talking about was open and the black packaging along with what looked like a silver and sapphire necklace was a stark contrast to the clean whiteness of the snow. However, that wasn't what the girl was screaming at. Turning around, he saw that Katie Bell was now pressed against the snow-covered road, being pushed around by some invisible force. Her face was frozen in a contorted scream, but no noise was leaving her throat. Xander jumped to help her, but the girl was thrown up the air where she stayed with her arms out and her hair splayed against the white sky -- her expression still frozen in a mute cry for help.