Rise of the Death Eaters [3]

Chapter 68: Schemes and Counter Schemes

"Really?" Ella asked, more surprised at the news than I was. "What did this new professor have to say?"

"Nothing remarkable," Sam mused with a low sigh. "Harry was right though, he does seem to be collecting names. I'm half surprised you weren't invited, Ava."

"Well it's not like I missed much," I complied. "Blaise's company isn't worth anything, and I can always see Ginny later." I did my best to hide the bite in my voice as I turned to face the line waiting for the bathroom, rather than look back at Sam.

It was a cooler evening in Hogsmead as we arrived onto the platform. But the evening chill was soon escaped by our piling into one of the many carriages pulled by the invisible creatures I had only learned to ride on a few months ago. The idea felt foreign to me as I squeezed in next to Ella, who was jittery with hunger.

"This feast can't come soon enough. I'm absolutely starved."

"First we'll have to get through the sorting," Sam warned from the opposing seat that she shared with Luna and her sister. "It usually takes another hour just to get through all the names."

"Or maybe there will half as many students now that the war is ongoing," I stated unhappily from my perch in the middle. Neville took a sharp inhale by my side as if I had just stunned him with a stinging jinx.

"Cheerful as ever, Ava," was all Sam had time to say before the carriage lurched us forward.

I was in part, correct on this view. Not many first years lingered the front stoop of the great hall as we watched from our seats at Slytherin House. Granted, we were further in the back of the table than I was used to. Now that I was considered a fifth year, I was closer to the door than to the front table.

Which meant I was officially an upper classman.

"At least we don't have to pretend to understand the rubbish the hat has to say before the sorting," Sam mused, playing with her fork across from me. I smiled softly at her, enjoying the overall feeling of being back in this hall with Sam so close to me I could feel her shoes as she shifted her feet under the table.

I was finally away from that awful house in London. My parents would have to jump through new hoops to get to me. Even if they technically could pull me out of this school, I felt safety finally drift over me like a lazy layer of snow one wakes up to on a snow day.

I was safe as long as I didn't draw much attention to myself. Maybe for once that was something I was content to do.

A shift to my left made me turn my gaze toward the back of the table where Draco sat, hunched over the table while his friends bent forward to hear what he had to say. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.

I didn't have to wait much longer to see exactly what his topic of conversation was about. We were in the midst of dinner, when I spotted Harry bolting in with a face covered in blood.

"Merde" I muttered, pausing full stop with a milk roll dangling from my left hand. Sam frowned at my expression before turning around to see the sight.

Harry's face didn't seem to have anything wrong with it. Even his glasses were the same and unbroken. But there was no ignoring the dark red blood dripping down his chin from his nose.

"I wondered where he got up to following the meeting," Sam muttered, turning back to me with a raised brow. I watched as she tore into a chicken leg while further down the table I spotted her sister, Tati, ogling wide-eyed at Harry before catching me staring. She gave me a raised brow, no doubt wondering if I too was as astounded by Harry's appearance as she was. I gave her a nonchalant shrug in answer before returning to her sister who dropped a chicken bone clean on her plate and turning for me.