Soteria

CHAPTER 6:

The following morning, Ivy awoke with an excruciating headache. It had felt like the aftereffects of the cruciatus curse.

Ivy shuddered and placed her hands over her head. It was pounding.

She grumbled and tried to remember what had happened yesterday to cause it. She recalled the girls night she had with Agnes and the others. Agnes was right; it was fun. She had no idea how much she would need that evening, and she definitely needed the alcohol to make it even better. Alcohol? That's right! The firewhiskey. She let out a groan. She shouldn't have consumed that much.

She recalled how she tried to run back to the dungeons before being caught. She let out a gasp. She was caught by Tom Riddle. Voldemort. She groaned once again. Urghh.

She recalled his attempt to frighten her and the way his gaze swept over her, examining her. She winced, her head pounded relentlessly.

However, one positive thing did come out of the night, Harry's theory-that Tom Riddle had horcruxes-was accurate, and the chronology was moving in the direction she feared. But she was here now, and she won't allow that to happen. She won't.

*

As she sat on the Gryffindor table for breakfast, she felt her headache slowly subside. She had taken various potions to soothe the ache.

She held her head in her hands. She was in disbelief that Riddle had witnessed her at her most vulnerable. She was practically drunk! He saw her hiding. Hiding from him! HIDING! How weak.

"URGHHH"

"Woah, what's up with you?" a voice to her right exclaimed.

She looked to her right, taking her hands off her head. Dark brown eyes welcomed her behind round spectacles.

"Ugh, nothing; I just had too much firewhiskey yesterday." With a shrug, she reached for her pumpkin juice.

"Oh right," mused Fleamont as he buttered his toast, "you went to the 'annual girls night' ."

Before Ivy could respond, a different voice was heard. She looked across from her.

"So, Ivy, tomorrow is Hogsmeade," Agnes said while sitting and reaching for some eggs. "You are coming, I take it?"

"Hogsmeade?" Ivy inquired, her look changing to one of perplexity.

Agnes widened her eyes and dropped the spoon from her mouth.

"Oh right! You don't know what Hogsmeade is!" She said enthusiastically, "Hogsmeade is a village near Hogwarts. It has various kinds of shops. Sweets! Chocolate! Dresses! Books! Firewhiskey! Butterbeer! You name it!"

Ivy marvelled at her friend. Naturally, she was aware of what Hogsmeade was. It was a terrific place. It did have various kinds of shops. She was eager to visit Honeydukes and mull over the chocolates. She desired to go inside Flourish and Blotts and immerse herself in fantasy. She sighed blissfully.

"I'm not exactly sure; I'll have to ask Professor Slughorn after the lesson."

*

Ivy entered the Potions classroom with Agnes and Mabel by her side. They both went to the other side of the classroom as Ivy made her way to her seat, which was tables away from her friends. She hadn't seen Tom during breakfast and was slightly nervous as she took a seat beside him. When she sat down, he did not look up. With his quill clicking away, he was writing.