"SO MANY PEOPLE are staring," Wendy had to point out.
"Even your best friends," he said eying Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Wendy didn't have to look to know they were, but she smiled at his statement, "best friends?"
His eyes turn back at her, gentle once again, "aren't you? You're always together."
"I never thought about it," she said, not saying the part where she felt weird intruding the Golden Trio's circle. Her mind often wondered what she would do when they would go around searching for the remaining Horcruxes. She couldn't leave with them and be part of such personal adventure.
"If not them, could it be the twins?" He asked giving a quick glance to his left, where Fred and George were drinking butterbeer hiding their curiosity for Draco and Wendy.
"They're great guys," she answered, "I found myself needing their help for so many things during my time here—without them I wouldn't have passed Potions."
"They're..." He searched for words, "smart?"
The girl couldn't help but laugh, his clear confusion resembled so much Tom Felton's from the first movie, "of course they are! They're just using their brains for things different from normal things."
"Like?"
She lift her head proudly, "like their cool inventions, no one would ever think of even dreaming of."
Draco laughed, she was right. No one could ever even imagine a tongue twister candy, why even try making one? Before Draco could think of something else to say, the music stopped and a new song started to play almost immediately. Wendy was the first to let go, but Draco wasn't going to let go of her hand that easily.
"Where's the diadem?" He asked, still hand in hand with the girl.
The girl forgot all about the Ravenclaw Diadem and quickly tried making an excuse of its absence, "the colours didn't match at the end."
"Pity," he said looking at her dress, "it would have looked nice on your gown."
The girl looked at the boy, an eyebrow raised high, "you like the colour?"
"Never thought of liking anything pink, honestly" he said before looking back at her, cheeks as pink as her dress, "but it looks good on you."
The girl chuckled, "you look quite handsome too."
"Excuse me," Parkinson interrupted the two, "I think Draco owes me a dance."
Malfoy looked back and forth between the two girls, conflicted on leaving Wendy but having no excuse to prolong their conversation. Wendy, seeing the problem, nodded slightly at the girl and kindly excused herself and, despite the rude tone of the Slytherin girl, she gave her a smile, "have fun," and gave Draco a last look, "see you around."
Unlike Wendy, Parkinson was the first to grab the boy's hand. Although, he was still leading the dance, there was something off on how they moved. It wasn't as magical as it was with Wendy, and Draco couldn't shake off the feeling of her in his arms.
Wendy walked towards the exit, The Weird Sisters were finally going to start soon and she took this as a chance to finally do what she needed to do, but Cedric got to her first.
"Wendy, where are you off to?" He asked worriedly.
"I'm just going to get something from my room," she said honestly, "it's... very urgent—but I'll be back!"
"Do you want me to come with you?" He asked, the girl stared at him. "I meant— to accompany you... Nothing else!"
Wendy laughed at his expression, "don't worry, it'll be quick," she said holding his hand one last time, "please tell Hermione to help me out if I'm not back in a few minutes? I'll probably need help with my dress or something."
"Will do," he promised holding her hand tighter, something about it felt like a goodbye, "we still have so many songs to dance to."
The girl smiled and let go of him. She ran to the girl's dormitory to get her bag with the diadem in it. Everyone, including professors, were all at the ball and this was the best, and probably only time, for her to destroy the Horcrux unbothered and without bringing anyone in danger. But she had to be quick, before anyone noticed her absence. She already made a mistake of letting her be seen by Cedric, but she knew she could count on him.
Running through the corridors of the castle in heels was exhausting, so she had to take off her shoes, putting them inside the bag with the diadem. Sling bag across her chest. Hands holding the gown. She ran bare-feet towards the Chamber of Secrets.
Hopefully, her memory of the movie would be enough to know Parseltongue.
The horrid smell flooded her nose. Feet wet from the dirty and damp floor of the entrance of the chamber. Her hair all loosed down because of the run, but her dress still clean thanks to her charm. She met the big door with the serpents and quickly hissed some syllables hoping to get in.
Unfortunately, it wasn't correct and she could only imagine how silly she looked hissing at a wall. The feeling of the diadem was getting heavier and she knew she needed to finish this quick. She hissed again and this time the doors opened.
She ran through the big room until she reached the big skeleton of the serpent killed by Harry. It laid there since the second year and she could still smell the decay from its long body. But that didn't stop her. She got closer to its mouth and grabbed a tooth, the only thing she could use to destroy the diadem.
She brought out the Horcrux and sat herself on the damp and dirty floor, not minding what would happen to her protected gown.
"Wendy," a voice called.
Wendy looked at the diadem laying in front of her. Faint voices have been calling for her since the moment she laid eyes on it, but that was the first time she heard her name so clearly.
"Wendy!"
That almost desperate scream called her attention, it wasn't the diadem. Looking up, she searched around her, a faint and familiar voice calling out for her name. She didn't know what to do, she couldn't let them see the Horcrux, so she did the best she could do; she put it on.
She expected more from it, being scared of even touching it with her own hands. But nothing happened, just a normal tiara on her head.
"Wendy!" There it was again, "what are you doing here?!"
Wendy spun around, Fred and George running towards her. They both grabbed her arms making her turn and turn looking for any sign of wound, but she seemed normal. Hair down and a bit messy, but nothing compared to what they were imagining.
"I—" she started, "how did you find me?"
"Peeves," George simply said, sweat in both sides of his face and hair messier than usual. "we said it was urgent—he said you went this way—"
"And that talkative girl ghost with glasses said you went here," Fred continued. He too was quite raggedy, his eyebrows in a frown and worried eyes. "Why did you go here?!"
Wendy wasn't sure if she could tell them, and a daunting silence fell upon them.
"Maybe let's get out of here first," George said looking around.
He then proceeded to push the girl with a hand on her back, leading her out of that dungeon. Fred looked at the two walk away, he looking down and Wendy's trusty sling bag was on the floor. He grabbed it, knowing she would have flipped loosing that bag, and anything that was left behind and followed them.
Once outside, Myrthle was there to greet them, "oh my, you're back! Fred and George you said your name were?" She flirted, "are you planning on staying for a while with those handsome suits on?"
"No," Fred said, and Wendy never heard his tone be so firm, "thanks for helping us find her."
"Oh," the poor ghost was left once again alone in her bathroom, "okay then."
The three walked their way towards the ball once again, feeling like it would be the best place to go to to reunite with the other people who went looking for Wendy. After Cedric and Wendy parted ways, he immediately told Hermione what Wendy said. The girl knew something was wrong because both of their dresses were charmed to stay in place and not get dirt nor wet. There was no reason for her to go back to the dormitory to fix her dress.
So not long after, she called for Harry and Ron asking them to help her search for her, and the twins, overhearing the conversation, joined too. Neville joined the search party too, staying behind in the Great Hall, just in case she came back. They did their best to not make a big fuss, but Gryffindors roaming around like lost puppies was enough to catch Dumbledore's attention. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were finally back and walked their way to Wendy, who sat on a chair with Fred and George on her side.
"Wendy!" The three called.
"Where did you run off to?" Ron asked.
Wendy kept silent holding a grave face. Fred and George answered for her, "she was in the Chambers."
"The Chamber?!" Harry was stunned, "with the big snake and all?!"
Hermione was the only one who noticed the new hairdo the girl had, "what's that, Wendy?"
The girl still didn't answer. Her stare was fixed on her hands.
"Guys!" Neville called for them as he ran, "I'm so sorry!"
"Neville," Hermione said, "it's fine—we've found her."
He took a few deep breaths after his run, "no!" He breathed in, "Dumbledore..." And breathed, "I couldn't—"
"What about Dumbledore?" Ron asked.
"Indeed," a solemn voice said just beside him. Dumbledore was among them with a small smile on his face, "so, what's seems to be the problem?"
The six kids all looked down before they eyed the silent girl. Dumbledore looked over at her and immediately noticed the diadem resting on her head. His first instinct was to grab his wand, but he couldn't, not when Wendy was still wearing it. So he sat knelt down in front of her and brought his hands on her face, studying her.
"Wendy," he called her, "are you there?"
All her friends were looking with worried expressions in their faces. Dumbledore was often a peculiar person, but he seemed to be even weirder then.
"I'm going to have to take it off," he announced.
Wendy wasn't paying attention, her eyes looking through him and, without hearing, a response Dumbledore grabbed a napkin and slowly made his way to the diadem. He was about to touch it when Wendy forcefully grabbed his wrists.
She stared at him, an echo of voices came from her, "you're never going to see her again—let her go."
Dumbledore was speechless, to say the least, and Wendy's group of friends were scared. Never has Wendy treated anyone with such force. Fortunately, the other students were distracted by the Weird Sisters's concert to pay any attention to the small group gathered around Wendy.
"The mistake of your past will haunt you until your last leap," Wendy continued, "there is—"
And she stopped. She blinked numerous times and her grip on the headmaster's wrist loosed up. A spark of life came back to her eyes and she seemed to have woken up from a deep sleep, but at the same time, they were as red as the nights she stayed up for her project. Her breath was heavy like she ran around the castle grounds. Hands shaking and cold as ice.
Wendy grabbed the diadem and threw it on the ground, but as the diadem left her head, her mind went cloudy. And just like the diadem lied on the floor, so did she next to it.
notes:
sooooo that happened ahhaha