Rise of the Death Eaters [3]

Chapter 73: Moving Pieces

"You don't say," Sam replied, dunking her roll into the remaining sauce from her beans. "They might as well walk down the hall with the dark mark on their backs."

"Do you think any of them have the dark mark?" I asked, risking a glance back to them. Blaise was filling a second cup of tea and pushed it over to Draco who dismissed it entirely.

I turned to find Sam giving me a skeptical look.

"Ava they're 16."

"Nott's 17."

"Congrats to him," Sam said, unimpressed.

"So no then?" I pushed. Sam sighed and dropped her cup, now empty.

"Would it really matter if they did? It wouldn't change anything for us. They'd still be the scum of the earth and we would still be struggling in classes. Speaking of which, have you found McGonagall yet?"

"No, I was going to find her after dinner." Sam snapped her napkin at me, hitting my hand like a whip.

"Woah, what was that for?" I reacted, wringing my hand in surprise.

"What does the word urgent mean to you?"

"Urgent? You never told me this was urgent?

"Oh," Sam lost her dramatics in an instant to be replaced with a sheepish grin. "Well it is. Best to go chat?"

I pulled away from the table, giving Sam the dirtiest of looks before stalking off towards the exit. Few of the teachers remained at the table, one of which funny enough was Snape.

Perhaps he did this to us on the pretext of avoiding the required decorum of conversation with his coworkers.

McGonagall found me before I did her.

"Is there cotton growing in that Spencer girl's ears?" McGonagall demanded, as she walked with me down the corridor. We were standing near the stairwell of the fourth floor and the students that had been nearby had quickly made themselves scarce at the raised voice of McGonagall.

"I'll tell her you said that," I said with aimless charm that didn't hit it's mark.

"Professor Dumbledore would like to speak to you. Privately."

Suddenly the floor had turned under me and my humor had evaporated.

"Me?" I questioned but she was already steering me in the direction of his office.

By the time the gargoyle had started to move and McGonagall had ushered me on, I was just starting to blink back the rational realization that this was probably my only chance for an audience with the headmaster.

If I couldn't convince him to save Theo, chances are no one could.

The stone stairs stopped moving as I stepped up onto the wooden floor. I was emptied out in front of a pair of grand doors I knew well. This was my third time appearing behind these doors and they remained as intimidating as ever.

"Do come in, Miss Fountaine," came the old wizard's voice as I went to lift my fist to the door. The doors opened on their own accord, as if waiting for Dumbledore's approval, before moving and suddenly I found myself stupidly with my hand still in the air, gawking at the man in his office.

My hand dropped quickly and I felt myself straighten as I found a pair of half-moon spectacle glasses glimmering at me with the sharpest blue eyes I had ever seen. He was smiling warmly at me, as if finding my display comical.

I took a few hesitate steps into the room before adding, "You asked to see me, Professor?"

"Yes," he said calmly, standing up from his desk. I joined him, standing a few strides in front of him. "Professor Snape tells me you had something to ask of me."