Chosen

Katie Bell

Harry and Ginny shuffled through the snow, in intense debate with Hermione on the way to Hogsmeade. 
"Let me get this straight," Hermione said as they swung open the creaky door of the Three Broomsticks, "You want me to talk to Draco Malfoy?"

Harry's eyes pleaded with Hermione, "He's not been himself. He's distracted, distant. I fear if we don't do something soon, he will become... one of them." 

Hermione scoffed as they sat down, shouldering off her coat.
"Draco Malfoy? A Death Eater?" She let out a short laugh, "That's ridiculous."

"Is it?" Ginny spoke, "Draco is so troubled. Whenever Sirius talks about his upbringing, it reminds me how if he had never met James, he would've become on of them. And we've all said it before, Draco is a lot like Sirius." 

Hermione slumped back in her chair, "I'll think about it."

Harry grinned, relaxing back in his seat, throwing his arm around Ginny, "That's all I asked."

They were drinking their Butter Beers, when they were interrupted.

"Harry!" It was Slughorn, and by the way he was sloshing his drink all over the table and Hermione's lap, he was slightly tipsy.

They began discussing something about the party the next night, when the door to the Three Broomsticks swung open, letting in the biting cold. But that wasn't what disturbed Hermione. While everyone else was oblivious to the person at the door, Hermione was transfixed. She had never seen something so wondrously dark but intoxicatingly beautiful at the same time. Draco Malfoy stalked through the room straight out to the back, but she could pick out every single thing that had changed about him in that time. He was broader these days, but today he looked particularly muscular, with purplish shadows under his eyes, the angles of his face so sharp they threatened to tear out of his skin. His piercing blue eyes were a stormy grey and his usually white-blonde hair had turned silver, glinting in the watery light. 

She rose in her chair as if to run after him when sense returned to her and she sat back down.
"Miss Granger!" Slughorn bellowed and she returned to the conversation pushing Draco out of her mind. He wasn't her responsibility.

"Professor Slughorn." She acknowledged.

"I assume I'll be seeing you tomorrow night?"

"It would be my pleasure, sir."

"Alrighty then!" He clasped Harry's shoulder then left them.

"What was that about?" Hermione questioned Harry.

Harry sat back down and pushed his glasses up his nose, out of habit, "Dumbledore wants me to get close to him."

"Why?"

"I don't know. But I'm guessing I will."

They left the Three Broomsticks, warmed inside from the Butter Beer and the most stress-free they had been in a while. That was, until Katie Bell began to scream. It cut through the air like a dagger, piercing everyone in the near vicinity's eardrums. Hermione, Harry and Ginny clamped their hands over their ears, but looked up in time to see Katie's body be dragged into the air by an invisible force that then yanked her back and forth, up and down, like a yo-yo. Her body was as limp as a ragdoll's.

"Stand back!" Hagrid commanded, from behind them as he hurried towards the scene. Suddenly, Katie's body froze in mid air and her face was contorted into a look of agony, her eyes wide and mouth open in a silent scream. Then, her body fell limp and she hurtled to the ground. 

"What the bloody hell's going on?" Ron demanded, striding over from the direction of the castle. 

"I told her not to open it!" The girl Katie was with sobbed profusely, pointing at a leather-bound package.

Harry moved towards it when Hagrid's voice barked again, "don't touch it!"

"You four," Hagrid looked to Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny, "Come with me."

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