❃
𝑫𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒐 𝑴𝒂𝒍𝒇𝒐𝒚
One week later
That morning was utter bloodshed.
I sat and stared, terrified I would be next as The Dark Lord slashed open the bodies of the remaining guards from the attack at Gringott's Bank last week.
By the time it was over, Father, Mum and I were the only ones left standing as he walked barefoot through the bloodbath that sat on my dining room floor; bodies littered the carpets, now stained with their blood and intestines as the smell of death reeked throughout the house.
The snake slithered close to his feet as he whispered in parseltongue, none of which I could translate.
He was undeniably composed for his current state of mind.
The snake's head met his hand and they had apparated away, leaving us to clean the bodies and blood.
"Draco, go upstairs, I'll help Lucius clean, alright?"
"No, Mum I want to help-"
"Draco, please," she begged with tear filled eyes.
I took a deep breath before nodding, practically sprinting to my room before vomiting in the bathroom toilet. I rid the stench of bodies from my clothing with a shower, throwing the suit in a black trash bag before chucking it out of my bedroom window.
𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆 𝑪𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒆
Chatter was prominent as I entered the main hall, whispers spreading around the tables like a game of telephone.
"What's going on?" I sat down next to Theo.
"Harry Potter was sighted breaking into Gringott's Bank, Bellatrix's vault specifically. Thirteen of the goblins died, eight security guards," Blaise exclaimed as he sipped his tea, placing the newspaper down on the table.
"What're they doing sneaking around Bella's vault?" I asked confusedly, my stomach churning at the thought.
A war was approaching. They were scheming; and there was no denying it.
"They escaped on a bloody dragon," Pansy shoved me her newspaper, pointing at the main picture.
"Why is Hermione in Bella's clothes?"
"I propose she polyjuiced as her," Daph added, plopping a fizzing whizbee into her mouth.
"But how-"
"Bellatrix was torturing Hermione downstairs when Draco took you away. That's who was screaming, May," Theo exclaimed somberly.
"Oh."
"I wonder what they were there for," Naevah questioned.
"No doubt something important. Who would do such a risky thing if the circumstances were otherwise?"
............
Neville and Luna had gone up to the Gryffindor commons, leaving the rest of us and Ginny to sulk on the Slytherin couches.
"Do you think he'll come here?" Ginny asked, closing her book as she hugged her knees to her stomach.
"I hope so for your sake," I exclaimed, giving her a small smile.
"Something seems off tonight, I don't know. Luna said something peculiar was to happen, that's why she left with Nev," Pansy huffed, staring into the green flames.
"I guess we'll have to wait and see," Blaise said.
Luna had been right.
"Ginny," Cho Chang burst through the door, exasperated from the long run, "lightning has struck."
"Shit, shit, I have to go," Ginny sprinted away with the girl, shutting the common room door with a slam.
"What's going on?" Blaise asked, looking up from his book.
"Lightning," I exclaimed. "Harry Potter is in the castle."
They all stared at me in awe.
"You can't be serious, May. Prove your theory," Pansy crossed her arms.
"All students will report to the great hall immediately," Snape's voice droned over the loudspeaker.
"I think he just proved it for me."
The march to the great hall was silent, only the patter of feet heard echoing throughout the castle walls. We silently took our place next to all of the other Slytherins, earning crude remarks from nearly every other student in the darkened room.
The Carrow's stood to the front, Snape in the center as he began his speech.
"Many of you are surely wondering why I have summoned you at this hour."
The room was silent.
"It has come to my attention that earlier this evening... Harry Potter was spotted in Hogsmeade,"
The room burst into commotion, whispers going about students as the Headmaster hushed them.
"Now...should anyone, student or staff, attempt to aid Mr. Potter, they will be punished in a manner consistent with the severity of their transgression. Furthermore, any person found to have knowledge of these events who fails to come forward... will be treated as...equally guilty. Now then. If anyone here has any knowledge of Mr. Potter's movements this evening, I invite them to step forward....Now."
Everyone's heads dropped, avoiding his gaze as he strode down the center aisle, black cloak and all.
Gasps arose from the crowd as Harry emerged from a section of Gryffindors, hate in his eyes as he stared down the Professor that had killed the previous, beloved Headmaster.
"It seems, despite your exhaustive defensive strategies, you still have a bit of a security problem, Headmaster," Potter mocked him as the doors burst open, revealing more members of The Order than I ever had in one room entirely.
Theo's eyes gleamed with hope as he saw George, praying for any sort of acknowledgment from his lover.
To his satisfaction, George earned Theodore a small grin, one too small to appear noticeable to any outsider.
"How dare you stand where he stood. Tell them how it happened that night," his tone became dramatically loud, "tell them how you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you, and killed him."
I wrapped a hand in Theo's as my shoulders tensed from the sudden yelling, squeezing his fingers so hard I thought they might snap.
"May, it's alright, calm down," he whispered, "I know it's hard but this isn't the time to break down, please just breathe."
"I'm sorry," I whispered, closing my eyes as to take myself away from the situation.
"TELL THEM," Harry screamed, making me jump as Professor Snape drew his wand, McGonagall immediately guarding Potter, seemingly with her life.
The students scurried to the sides of the room as she began to rocket spews of fire from her wand, Snape transforming into death eater form before crashing through the main window, glass shards shattering to the floor.
People screamed of joy as Professor McGonagall relit the great hall's torches, returning it the great light it once had.
"Tell them to stop," my legs gave out, "please, please stop the yelling," I begged as Daph sat down next to me, wrapping an arm around me as to cover my ears.
The room went seemingly silent, so much so I could stand up again, but a shrilling scream from a first year forced me to the floor, Theo catching me in his grasp as I sobbed into his chest.
"It's okay, it's okay, you're safe," he whispered, another scream echoing throughout the hall.
Everyone jumped as The Dark Lord's voice filled the air around us.
'I know that many of you will want to fight. Some of you may even think that a fight is wise, but this is folly. Give me Harry Potter, do this and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave Hogwarts untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have one hour...'
The echo of his voice disappeared into the air, silence taking over the hall once more as I gripped at Theo's robes, my head still buried in his chest.
"I mean, we get a shit ton of cash for handing him over," Pansy said quietly, unfortunately loudly enough the others could hear.
"Not the time, Pans," Theo shook his head, wrapping his arms around my back.
"I'm just saying-"
"Students out of bed! Students out of bed! Students in the corridor!!" Filch barged in, carrying his cat.
"They are supposed to be out of bed you blithering idiot," McGonagall scolded him, shaking her head at his idiocy.
"Oh. Sorry ma'am."
"As it happens, Mr. Filch, your arrival is most opportune. If you would I would like you please, to lead Miss Parkinson, and the rest of Slytherin house from the hall."
"Exactly where is it I'll be leading them to, ma'am?"
"The dungeons will do."
The other houses began cheering as we followed Filch down to the Slytherin commons.
"Nice job, Pans. You just got us stuck down here in this shit hole," Blaise muttered.
"This is the nicest place in the castle at the moment, I don't know what the hell you're talking about," she exclaimed as we were locked inside. "Let us out of here you filthy squib!"
As he walked away, his cat on his feet, the door burst open with a bang of explosion, everyone rushing from the room.
"Where are we going?" Daph shouted at Pansy, Theo and Naevah, "We have to stick together!"
"We have to find Luna, George and Neville, we'll be back before you know it," the three of them ran off into the corridors, leaving Blaise, Pansy and I in the midst of a Slytherin quarrel.
"Okay, what do we do?" I asked, staring at the two of them in confusion.
"I have no idea, I don't even know what side of the war we're fighting on," Blaise exclaimed, taking his wand from his pocket.
"Well I'm sure as hell not going to sit around and do nothing," I huffed.
"If we fight for Voldemort and he loses, we'll be sent to jail and will be hated for the rest of our lives. If we fight for The Order and they lose we'll be brutally murdered along with our families. I say we take the first one," Blaise said.
"If we fight for Voldemort and he wins, our entire lives will be filled with pain. The killing and torture will just continue. If we fight for The Order and they win, we'll be freed and seen as kids who were just forced into this absolute bullshit," I exclaimed, "Voldemort, if we win or not is a lose lose. If we fight for The Order at least we have a chance,"
"I agree," Daph said, her eyes moving behind me as a snap of apparation echoed throughout the room.
"Flower."
❃