"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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Black shapes were emerging out of thin air all around them, blocking their way left and right; eyes glinted through slits in hoods, a dozen lit wand tips were pointing directly at their hearts; Ginny gave a gasp of horror.
''To me, Potter," repeated the drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy as he held out his hand, palm up.
They were trapped and outnumbered two to one. "To me," said Malfoy yet again.
''Where's Sirius?" Harry demanded. Several of the Death Eaters laughed; a harsh female voice from the midst of the shadowy figures to Harry's left said triumphantly, ''The Dark Lord always knows!"
''Always," echoed Malfoy softly. "Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."
''I want to know where Sirius is!"
''I want to know where Sirius is!" mimicked the woman to his left. She stepped into the light, and Tori heard Neville gasp. It was Bellatrix Lestrange.
She and her fellow Death Eaters had closed in so that they were mere feet away from Tori and the others, the light from their wands dazzling Tori's eyes.
''You've got him," said Harry, ignoring the rising panic in his chest, the dread he had been fighting since they had first entered the ninety-seventh row. "He's here. I know he is."
''The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed was twoo," said the woman in a horrible, mock baby voice.
''Don't do anything," Harry muttered. "Not yet—"
The woman who had mimicked him let out a raucous scream of laughter. "You hear him? You hear him? Giving instructions to the other children as though he thinks of fighting us!"
''Oh, you don't know Potter as I do, Bellatrix," said Malfoy softly. "He has a great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. Now give me the prophecy, Potter."
''I know Sirius is here," said Harry, "I know you've got him!"
More of the Death Eaters laughed, though the woman laughed loudest of all.
''It's time you learned the difference between life and dreams, Potter," said Malfoy. "Now give me the prophecy, or we start using wands."
''Goon, then," said Harry, raising his own wand to chest height. As he did so, the six wands of Tori, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and Luna rose on either side of him.
But the Death Eaters did not strike.
''Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt," said Malfoy coolly. Tori a step in front of Harry, her wand drawn. The Death Eaters only laughed.
"Victoria. Put your wand down." Tori turned immediately, her heart-stopping. She knew that voice. It was her father.
Tori hadn't seen him in what felt like years, but when he stepped into the light Tori couldn't help but hold back a gasp.
