"Can I call you Tori? You know Tori, I'm a great friend."
"I don't get it, why are you being nice to me?"
"Maybe I don't want to see you friendless."
When Victoria Silvers, who comes from a long line of Slytherins, is sorted into Gryffindor her life...
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With help from Luna, Tori managed to get into the Thestral, and soon they were flying high in the sky.
Tori did not think she had ever moved so fast: the Thestral streaked over the castle, its wide wings hardly beating; the cooling air was slapping Tori's face; she couldn't see her Thestral, so she was bent down low to protect herself from falling.
It was very odd to be flying without something she could see, but Tori kept an eye below.
They were over the Hogwarts grounds, they had passed Hogsmeade; she could see mountains and gullies below them. As the daylight began to fail, Tori saw small collections of lights as they passed over more villages, then a winding road on which a single car was beetling its way home through the hills.
Twilight fell: the sky was turning to a light, dusky purple littered with tiny silver stars, and soon only the lights of Muggle towns gave them any clue of how far from the ground they were, or how very fast they were traveling.
How much time had elapsed since Harry had seen Sirius lying on the Department of Mysteries floor? How much longer would Sirius be able to resist Voldemort?
Tori shut her eyes, begging her Thestral to ride faster. On they flew through the gathering darkness; Tori's face felt stiff and cold, her legs numb from gripping the Thestral's sides so tightly, but she did not dare shift her position...
If they were too late...
Tori's stomach gave a jolt but it wasn't from fear. They were descending at last... Tori let out a shriek as she shut her eyes tightly until she could feel herself on the ground.
''Never again," She said, struggling to her feet. She nearly fell over, feeling as if she was about to pass out. Neville and Luna touched down on both sides of her.
Neville jumped down, shaking; and Luna dismounted smoothly.
"Where do we go from here, then?" She asked Harry in a politely interested voice, as though this was all a rather interesting day-trip.
''Over here," He said. He gave his Thestral a quick, grateful pat, then led the way quickly to the battered telephone box and opened the door. "Come on!" he urged the others, as they hesitated.
Ron and Ginny marched in obediently; Hermione, Neville, and Luna squashed themselves in after them; Tori brought up the rear, making sure there were no unwanted eyes following.
''Whoever's nearest the receiver, dial six two four four two!" Harry yelled.
Ron did it, his arm bent bizarrely to reach the dial; as it whirred back into place the cool female voice sounded inside the box.
"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."
''Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Victoria Silvers," Harry said very quickly, ''Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood... we're here to save someone unless your Ministry can do it first!"
