In a world ravaged by good and evil, those toeing the line find solace in nothing. Blood runs thicker than water, but is risking your life and livelihood for a war you never wanted a part in worth it? Is becoming a monster in the eyes of some, and a...
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The fact that Snape had barely even made a welcome speech in any shape or form, followed by the lack of song on the Sorting Hat's part was past disconcerting. The welcome feast felt dreary and lacking in every ounce of spirit it had previously held.
Maeve felt bad for the scared-looking first years who sat at their new houses' respective tables. They no doubt had held Hogwarts to a much higher standard, and it wasn't measuring up. If anything, it was measuring down. She couldn't look up at the staff table without a chill crawling up her spine.
Anthony's warning played in the back of her mind as she stabbed at her food. The food tasted as marvellous as ever, but it turned to ash in her mouth when she let the gravity of what was happening overtake her mind.
She thought of the thick volume she'd scoffed at. The Forbidden Art of Dark Magic. Power and Poisons. The list had gone on like that, seeming to be one big joke.
Around the end of the first quarter of the Forbidden Art of Dark Magic, there had been an extensive entry on the unforgivable curses and their history, along with detailed instructions for casting. The last teacher who had even spoken of the unforgivable curses in a Defence Against the Dark Arts class had turned out to be a Death Eater impersonating Alastor Moody. It was not a coincidence they were being reintroduced.
Maeve hadn't realized when she'd started staring a hole into the Carrows until she had nearly memorized every minute detail of their appearances. The witch was stocky with a pale and angry face. The wizard, who Maeve assumed was her brother, was squat and hunched, sharing an equally pale, porcine face.
"I recognize them," Theo said, soft enough for only Maeve to overhear, "the witch is Alecto, and the wizard — her brother — is Amycus. They're terrors."
"You should have come to Pansy's with me," Maeve said, almost to herself. When she glanced at Theo out of the corner of her eye she saw his eyes soften and a sad smile spread across his lips.
"It's fine, really. Crabbe isn't awful company when it comes down to it."
"I thought you were staying at Malfoy Manor?"
Theo's expression hardened, "there was a change in plans."
Maeve didn't push him further. Instead, she shoved a spoonful of bread pudding into her mouth to avoid talking. There was an all-around hush, but it was impossible for a room so large and filled with students to ever be truly devoid of chattering voices.
Feeling a pair of eyes on her, Maeve slowly glanced around. She half-expected newly appointed Headmaster Snape to appear out of nowhere and admonish her for things she hadn't even done.
Instead, her eyes locked with a distinct pair of grey eyes. Draco Malfoy looked haughty as ever, but the dark circles under his eyes and slight greyish tinge to his skin made him appear vaguely frail. She thought back to how his mother had adopted a pained look at the mention of her son.
