"Good luck at the game today," Kirra told Mattheo and Draco before placing a soft kiss on Riddle's cheek. He grinned down at her softly before the two Slytherin boys walked into the Slytherin tent and Kirra made her way up to the stands to watch the match.
It was Slytherin vs Gryffindor, and lucky for the players, the weather was perfect today.
Kirra made it up the stands and apologized multiple times as she pushed through the crowd of people before finally making it to Blaise and Theodore. "Where have you been?" Theodore asked, but from the smirk on his face, it was clear that he already knew where the Hufflepuff girl had been.
"It's gonna be an aggressive game out there," Blaise muttered as the two teams walked out onto the field. The stands erupted with cheers as the players walked out and began to warm up, ready for the game. Kirra cheered for the Slytherins and the Gryffindors, after all, she had friends on both teams and her twin brother was on the Gryffindor team.
The players were just mounting their brooms when Professor McGonagall came half marching, half running across the pitch, carrying an enormous purple megaphone. Kirras's heart dropped like a stone, already knowing that this was going to be bad news.
"This match has been cancelled," Professor McGonagall called through the megaphone, addressing the packed stadium. There were boos and shouts. Oliver Wood, looking devastated, landed and ran toward Professor McGonagall without getting off his broomstick.
"But, Professor!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the megaphone that the woman was holding. "We've got to play — the Cup —Gryffindor —"
Professor McGonagall ignored him and continued to shout through her megaphone: "All students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!"
Kirra looked up at Theodore with fear in her eyes and he gave her a sad look before grabbing her hand and leading her down to the pitch so that they could meet with the Slytherins then all walk back together.
However, Harry and Ron seemed to have other plans for her as they ran towards her and ripped her from the Slytherin's hand and then tugged on her, dragging her towards McGonogall. Kirra gave her friends a reassuring look before she, Harry and Ron followed Professor McGonagall back into the school and up the marble staircase.
"This will be a bit of a shock," said Professor McGonagall in a surprisingly gentle voice as they approached the infirmary. "There has been another attack . . . another double attack." Kirra's insides did a horrible somersault.
Professor McGonagall pushed the door open and Kirra, Harry, and Ron entered. Madam Pomfrey was bending over a sixth-year girl with long, curly hair. And on the bed next to her was—"Hermione!" Ron groaned and Kirra let out a large gasp as she covered her mouth in shock.
Hermione lay utterly still, her eyes open and glassy. "They were found near the library," said Professor McGonagall. "I don't suppose any of you can explain this? It was on the floor next to them. . . ."
She was holding up a small, circular mirror. Kirra, Harry and Ron shook their heads, all three of them staring at Hermione. "I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower," said ProfessorMcGonagall heavily "Miss Potter, Professor Sprout is just outside the room waiting to escort you back.
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"All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities."
The Hufflepuffs packed inside the common room and listened to Professor Sprout in silence.
She rolled up the parchment from which she had been reading and said in a somewhat choked voice, "I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward."
She climbed somewhat awkwardly out of the entrance, and the Hufflepuff's began talking immediately.
"That's two Gryffindors down, not counting a Gryffindor ghost, one Ravenclaw, and one Hufflepuff," said Hannah Abott, counting on her fingers. "Haven't any of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn't it obvious all this stuff's coming from Slytherin? The Heir of Slytherin, the monster of Slytherin — why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?"
Kirra should have been glad to hear that they didn't think it was her anymore, but she wasn't, because now they were accusing her friends. She couldnt listen to it anymore as others nodded in agreement
"Because you idiot, thats discrimination. We dont know that it was a Slytherin, and even if it was a Slytherin, you cant just throw them all out!" Kirra exclaimed. All attention was now on her, but she couldnt care less, she was'nt going to just stand there and do nothing as they shit talked her friends
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Summer was creeping over the grounds around the castle; sky and lake alike turned periwinkle blue and flowers large as cabbages burst into bloom in the greenhouses. Kirra, Harry and Ron had tried to visit Hermione, but visitors were now barred from the hospital wing.
"We're taking no more chances," Madam Pomfrey told them severely through a crack in the infirmary door. "No, I'm sorry, there's every chance the attacker might come back to finish these people off. . . ."
With Dumbledore gone, fear had spread as never before, so the sun warming the castle walls outside seemed to stop at the mullioned windows. There was barely a face to be seen in the school that didn't look worried and tense, and any laughter that rang through the corridors sounded shrill and unnatural and was quickly stifled.
They were hampered, of course, by the fact that they weren't allowed to wander off on their own but had to move around the castle in a pack with their houses which had seemed to have a negative impact on the Hufflepuff and her Slytherins friends, though Theodore and Kirra had been sneaking out at night time in their animagus forms, hanging on the grounds and running around the school grounds before sneaking back.
But of course, they did get to see each other in classes. Kirra was sitting between Mattheo and Theodore in potions while Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were in the row in front of them.
"I always thought Father might be the one who got rid of Dumbledore," Draco suddenly said, not troubled to keep his voice down, everyone's attention had seemed to now be caught on the boy.
"I told you he thinks Dumbledore's the worst headmaster the school's ever had. Maybe we'll get a decent headmaster now. Someone who won't want the Chamber of Secrets closed. McGonagall won't last long, she's only filling in. . . ." Kirra rolled her eyes at the boy
"Sir," said Malfoy loudly. "Sir, why don't you apply for the headmaster's job?"
Kirra once more rolled her eyes at the boy, getting ready to tell him to shut up.
"Now, now, Malfoy," said Snape, though he couldn't suppress a thin lipped smile. "Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I daresay he'll be back with us soon enough."
"Yeah, right," said Malfoy, smirking. "I expect you'd have Father'svote, sir, if you wanted to apply for the job — I'll tell Father you're the best teacher here, sir —" Snape smirked as he swept off around the dungeon, fortunately not spotting Kirra Potter, who was now pretending to vomit into her cauldron as the two boys next to her struggled to stifle their laughter.
The bell rang and they all got up, "Merlin, I wouldnt like to imagine having Snape as our headmaster, its already bad enough as it is having him as our teacher" Kirra groaned quietly
"Someone is awfully bold with their words today," Mattheo said with a grin as she went to grab her book bag, but Mattheo grabbed it first and wrapped it over his shoulder
"I can carry that," she says and goes to take her bag, feeling guilty that the boy was carrying her stuff, but he turned to the side so that she couldn't grab the bag
"Hurry up, I've got to take you all to Herbology," barked Snape over the class's heads, and off they marched. Snape had seen them out of the castle and they were making their way across the vegetable patch toward the greenhouses.
The Herbology class was very subdued; there were now two missing from their number, Justin and Hermione. Professor Sprout set them all to work pruning the Abyssinian Shrivelfigs.
Kirra went to tip an armful of withered stalks onto the compost heap and found herself face-to-face with Ernie Macmillan. Mattheo instantly noticed this and stepped behind the girl, giving the boy a daring look.
Ernie took a deep breath and said, very formally, "I just want to say, Kirra, that I'm sorry I ever suspected you. I know you'd never attack Hermione Granger or any other students for that matter, and I apologize for all the stuff I said. We're all in the same boat now, and, well —"
He held out a pudgy hand, and Kirra went to shake it but Mattheo grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the boy and back to their group
"You need to be careful with what you say Draco, there are a lot of people beginning to expect you as the heir of Slytherin, and you are saying some really cruel things," said Kirra softly, breaking off dead twigs, "you just seem very pleased about all this, and you are acting like a bad person when I know that you aren't."
"That's clever of you," said Draco sarcastically as he sneered at the girl. "Do you think I care that people think that I am the heir, besides I can say whatever the hell I want to say, and who the hell are you to judge me?" Draco hissed
"Watch yourself Malfoy," Mattheo and Theodore sneered back and Draco rolled his eyes. A second later, Kirra spotted something. Several large spiders were scuttling over the ground on the other side of the glass, moving in an unnaturally straight line as though taking the shortest route to a prearranged meeting.
Kirra poked Mattheo and Theodore in the side and they looked down at her with confusion.
The boys then looked over and noticed the spiders and Mattheo let out a small sigh, his demeanour changing completely, "I think we should just forget about it, it's getting too dangerous and I don't want you getting yourself into any trouble," Mattheo sighed and Kirra looked at him in confusion and went to say something back but then Theodore leaned over and whispered into her ear
"If he wants to be a little scardy cat then you and I will go follow them later alright, especially since its a lot easier for you and I to get around without being caught now," Theodore tells her and she nods with a grin.
She turned back, her eyes narrowed as she focused on the spiders. If they pursued their fixed course, there could be no doubt about where they would end up.
"Looks like they're heading for the Forbidden Forest. . . ."
At the end of the lesson, Professor Sprout escorted the class to their Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. Lockhart bounded into the room and the class stared at him. Every other teacher in the place was looking grimmer than usual, but Lockhart appeared nothing short of buoyant.
"Come now," he cried, beaming around him. "Why all these long faces?"
People swapped exasperated looks, but nobody answered.
"Don't you people realize," said Lockhart, speaking slowly, as though they were all a bit dim, "the danger has passed! The culprit has been taken away —"
"Says who?" said Dean Thomas loudly.
"My dear young man, the Minister of Magic wouldn't have taken Hagrid if he hadn't been one hundred per cent sure that he was guilty," said Lockhart, in the tone of someone explaining that one and one made two.
"Oh, yes he would, Hagrid would never do anything like this," said Kirra, even more loudly than Dean.
"I flatter myself I know a touch more about Hagrid's arrest than you do, Miss Potter," said Lockhart in a self-satisfied tone.
"Well I flatter myself too, I know a touch more about Hagrid than you do, and I know for a fact that he wouldn't have done this!" Kirra fired back and the class stared with wide eyes and Lockhart seemed to nervously laugh it off and then ignore the girl
Mattheo was grinning over at the girl with a proud look on his face, but she didn't notice because she was too busy glaring daggers at the teacher.