My Story: Serena Snape

Chapter 23- Holiday

The last few weeks leading up to the Christmas Holiday were no longer the paradise the start of the year had been. Now that I was no longer on Professor Umbridge's good side, thanks to my father not telling her that I did not forge a note, she's been keeping an extra close eye on me. My marks for Defense Against the Dark Arts began to decrease as she graded my assignments harsher and harsher. Thanks to her, I was no longer among the top of my class, even though the work I handed in was far above the work of some of my peers, all of which received higher marks than me in the course. I had tried going to Dumbledore about this problem, but even as he read over my  unfairly graded rows upon rows of parchment  assigned by the terrible woman, his mind seemed to be elsewhere, and he claimed he saw "work that matched the mark received". 

Even my father believed that the low marks were due to my poor effort and not Umbridge's want to fail me. The hours I used to spend making her precious Veritaserum for him were now partly dedicated to completing assignments for her under his watch. Father had also begun to notice how Goyle and I were spending more time together, and blamed my grades on him being a distraction. 

As for Goyle himself, he had begun to hang around me less and less, and more around Draco, whom I had made a point to avoid for the semester in hopes that would lessen the tension between us. A week before the break, I had confronted Goyle about this, asking about his sudden avoidance from me. He said it was because he didn't want to distract me from my studies, but I didn't think that was the whole truth. 

I could not board the Hogwarts Express fast enough to get away from all of it for Christmas Holiday. Well, almost all of it. No doubt father would make sure I came back knowing enough of Defense Against the Dark Arts to improve my performance in the class. At least this way I might have a chance at learning defensive spells. And then there was Voldemort. I didn't even want to imagine when or what my next meeting with him would be about. I thought back to the Yule Ball, back to the strapless dress I had worn to it, and knew that now, with my damned dark mark, I would never be able to wear another dress like that in my life without showing that I'm a death eater. 

I quickly found an empty compartment and closed the door to it behind me. All I wanted was a few hours to myself to think everything through, and maybe actually relax for once. I sat and looked out the window listening to all the other students walk past the compartment, hoping none would try to join me. As the train began to lurch forward, I sighed a breath of relief. I guess enough students had decided to stay at Hogwarts for there to be at least one mostly empty compartment. I kicked my shoes up and propped my feet up on the bench across from me. I read through one of my older potion books and reviewed in my mind how I would prepare each one. 

The train had been moving for probably ten minutes by the time a knock sounded on the door to my compartment. I instantly sat up and stared at the door. It was one person, I could tell that by the silhouette. I just couldn't tell who. Then I realized it didn't matter who, that wouldn't change my mind of wanting to be alone at this moment. "Go away." I propped my feet back up and continued my book as the door quickly opened, the silhouette swiftly moved inside, and closed the door.

"Why are you in here all alone Serena?" Goyle plopped down on the bench across from me, nearly sitting on my feet. "Crabbe, Draco and I are in our normal compartment, just down-"

"Don't you think if I wanted to sit with you I would have?" I was not in the mood to talk to anyone. And especially not Goyle. He practically ignores me these past couple of weeks, then wants to hang out? And of course right when I wanted most to be alone.

"No need to be so harsh werewolf." The nickname confused me for a second, before I remembered back in third year, when Crabbe and Goyle had originally given me that nickname. "I thought you already mastered all those potions." He nodded to the book in my hands. He was beating around the bush. There's no way he came to see me and talk about what I had chosen to read.