𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸, harry potter

˗ˋ 131

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED
AND THIRTY ONE
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-: fifth year :-

── IN WHICH AVIANA 
FINDS OUT THE NEWS

. . .

As Aviana made her way to breakfast that next morning, she felt particularly pleased with the situation at hand. Harry, whilst he did have to endure the lessons with Snape, had already discovered that he did have the ability to at least try and banish someone from invading his mind, Draco seemed to have decided to dial it back on the annoyance, although he kept throwing furtive, somewhat suspicious glances her way, and she had found one sole way of annoying Draco, Snape and Umbridge all at once. 

That and the fact that despite having somehow returned to school with more secrets than she had left with, Aviana was pleased with how Christmas had gone, pleased that she was able to deliver the message of her importance (well, at least the importance of the Order actually having access to a Death Eater's daughter) and certainly pleased that she and Sirius were getting along just fine. 

The shard of the two-way mirror had been carefully tucked away in Harry's luggage and should she ever want to talk to him, as it was impossible to send a letter, it was there.

And, to top everything off, she had found the skirt she had been thoroughly searching her luggage for. It seemed that the house-elves had missed it whilst packing her stuff after her abrupt departure from Hogwarts. She was wearing it that very morning, although it was just a little out of the dress code - but then again, when did she adhere to that?

Velvet-like black denim, slightly pleated but a wide enough belt to thin them out. Through the loops around the waist she slid a leather belt with the pretty, engraved, silver heart buckle, and with it a crisp white blouse, her Slytherin tie, grey vest and black coat. Her bag hung by her side as usual, hair tied back in an emerald green ribbon, and... everyone was looking at her. 

As she left the common room and emerged out into the empty corridor beyond, her face momentarily crumpled into a frown of pure confusion before smoothing out at the sound of footsteps on the stairs above her. It wasn't the usual looks she received. Of course, her outfit was flawless, that wasn't in question, but those gazes were easily identified.

No, these seemed more like the looks she got at the start of the year. The ones of fear, brought on by the conviction of her father as the murderer of Muggles. But these... they were combined with something else - pity, perhaps? Or concern. 

Either way, she wanted answers. Needed them, and she stormed her way up the stairs into the Entrance Hall, slipping through the doors of the Great Hall. Eyes were upon her almost instantly, from above copies of the Daily Prophet, pages fluttering. She looked over to the Slytherin table first, met with faces of poorly concealed glee, Pansy getting to her feet, actually looking concerned. Opposite the hall, Harry seemed to have found similar movement, clambering out from the benches. Across from her, both Snape had risen slowly from the professors' table, and were beginning to make their way towards her. From beside his now-empty seat, Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore were deep in conversation, grave expressions upon their faces.

"Give me that." She demanded, snatching the newspaper off the nearest person - who just so happened to be a Ravenclaw first year, who audibly squeaked. Aviana closed the newspaper from it's open spread, eyes landing on the front cover; a moving picture of Azkaban alongside several images of easily recognisable Death Eaters. 

Her stomach dropped when she saw the headline, and she felt bile begin to rise in her throat, any appetite she had mustered up disappearing in an instant. She swallowed, harshly, lips pursing. 

They had escaped Azkaban. Ten of them. Travers, the Lestrange brothers, Mulciber, Antonin Dolohov, Augustus Rookwood, Bellatrix Lestrange and... and William Rosier. 

She felt incredibly sick. It was indescribable, how the fear filled her entire body, entirely on edge, every hair on her body rising. She could hear her heart thudding in her ears, fingers digging hard into the paper and creases formed, scanning the page hurriedly for any inch of information. But of course, it was all Ministry bullshit, blaming it on Sirius, that he was somehow the ringleader, with absolutely no mention of the Dark Lord whatsoever. Nothing of any interest, nothing to reassure anyone other than some garble of utter nonsense about the Ministry searching for them and the public being cautious, Umbridge sitting at the professors' table, a sickly-sweet smile spreading across her frog-like features.

Pansy was moving towards her slowly, as though approaching a skittish animal. Harry too, although much quicker than Pansy. But Snape got there quickest of all, with a great sweep of his black robes around him, directing her out of the Great Hall and closing the doors behind them with a swish of his wand. 

Aviana didn't remember how she had gotten there, but soon enough she was sat in his office and he had opened up the sideboard, selecting various ingredients from the drawers. As though awoken from a dream, Aviana's nails pressed deep into her tights-covered legs. 

"I'm going to die." She said, to no one in particular, certainly not Snape. 

And she had never felt anything was more true.

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