Heliophilia; d.m

XII

The new school year didn't start the way it did last year. It wasn't like that, it was different. Conversations and gossip could be heard from all corners, and the atmosphere was oppressive and tense.
I felt like I was stuck in the same day, with some people constantly not missing opportunities to grieve for Cedric, to laugh at Harry, or to make terrible assumptions about the one who might have returned.
And again, before I knew it, months had passed and I hadn't even noticed.

—

VIOLET

"So do you think it's true?" Adele asked when there was no one left at our table in the great hall but us.

She was never in our company, but from the very first day of that year, Draco dragged her everywhere with him. She always sat next to him, patting his shoulder while he glanced at me to see if he could make me jealous. It was just ridiculous.

Adele was quite a nice girl, but too naive and impressionable. Sometimes she acted like a spoiled little girl, demanding the attention of others and especially Draco. But most of the time, she just talked nonsense, trying to participate in all the conversations, but no one listened to her, not even Draco.

And now she was asking about Voldemort. And she looked scared about it, even though she didn't fully believe it.

Voldemort... 

There were a lot of things I didn't know about the Wizarding world. For example, about a ball, about a tournament, about a game of Quidditch, Hogsmeade, the forbidden forest, some magical creatures, but Voldemort... I knew a lot about him.

I felt anger and hatred for him. Just the thought of him. From a single mention. It was something I couldn't help.

Before I knew it, my hands were clenched into fists and I had to take a few deep breaths to calm myself down.

"I don't know if this is true or not, but I don't want it to be true. I want to continue living in peace." Kristen said, running a nervous hand through her wavy hair.

She was also terrified at the thought that he might return. Sitting next to her, I could almost feel the waves of fear and panic coming from her.

At the table, a heated discussion began, but I wasn't listening anymore. I was lost in my own thoughts and their voices sounded far away and somehow muffled, as if behind a wall.

I felt slightly unwell, my head suddenly became heavy and I had a strong and obsessive desire to lie down.

I'd often felt so strange over the past few months, and I couldn't find an explanation for it, any more than Madame Pomfrey could say what it might be.

Suddenly, a sharp pain hit my temples, turning into a dull pain, as if my head was tied with a rope and squeezed with all its strength.

There was a noise in my eyes, a noise in my ears, everything spun around, and all I could hear was my own breathing and my own heartbeat. Very fast heartbeat.

I tried to get up, but I think my hand brushed the glass and it fell to the floor, breaking into many small pieces. I felt the spray of water on my feet, and the loud sound of broken glass that echoed in my head. And that brought me to my senses.

The image in front of my eyes became clear again and I saw them all staring at me.

I did get up and heard a crash under my feet, when I stepped on the glass.

"Are you okay?" Kristen got up too and took me by the shoulders. I looked into her warm brown eyes, which were looking at me with concern.

"Can you really trust her?"