𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘹𝘵𝘩 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳

1. Preparing

"If we all did the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves." Harry Potter, sometimes known as the boy who lived, was capable of overcoming many challenges in his life, including escaping Voldemort multiple times, fighting death eaters at the Department of Mysteries, and a lot more.

The December wind blew harshly as he stepped through the thick snow on Hogwarts grounds. His best friends, Ron and Hermione had stuck by his side during the past five and half years, but there was a problem now, not even they could solve.

Harry was, least to say, somewhat troubled, seeing that the Slughorn's party was the next day, and he still didn't have a date. Romilda Vane asked him to take her, but he didn't want to spend a night with that girl since she tried some not-so-nice ways to get his attention. He also knew that Romilda was trying to give him a love potion, so it would be better to avoid her if he did not wish to be caught in another unwanted situation.

Dean Thomas was a Slug club member. Earlier that day, he told Harry how he'd asked Luna to the party. Dean walked out of the great hall, where he spotted Luna Lovegood. He chatted with her a few times this year, and he believed she was an interesting yet mysterious girl. Later, he decided it was the best choice to ask her to the party.

"Hi, Luna. Would you like to go to the Slughorn's party with me?"

"Yes! Nobody has ever asked me to go to a party before."

"Meet me here at 8 o'clock tomorrow."

"Alright, see you there."

Neville has asked Hannah Abbot from Hufflepuff. Yes, the blond who used to braid pigtails. Being Neville Longbottom, he was a little bit scared at first but eventually did it after everyone encouraged him.

Harry didn't know who Hermione was going with. Sure, she was his best friend and all that and talked to him during his worst times, though she refused to let him know the person she would go within the party. Hermione was acting differently this year, for the days were getting darker and, could there be another reason?

"Password?" the fast lady questions as soon as he almost reached the Gryffindor common room. A quick glance at the Marauder's Map allowed him to walk away from the fat lady to a place where it led him. Two small words, Draco Malfoy, was right there on the map. He already spent half a year figuring out what Malfoy was up to, not ignoring the fact that Harry suspected him to be a Death Eater, and he just couldn't miss the opportunity to find out the truth.

Slowly, he climbed up the staircases that led him to the room of requirement to find out what Malfoy was doing. Half an hour later, having tried many more variations of his request to see what Malfoy was up to, the wall was just as doorless as ever. Harry felt frustrated beyond belief Malfoy might be just feet away from him, and there was still not the tiniest shred of evidence of what he was doing in there. Losing his patience, Harry ran at the wall and kicked it.

"OUCH!"

Broken might his toe be, he clutched it and hopped on one foot, as the Invisibility Cloak slipped off him.

"Harry?" a voice whispered in a tone he could barely hear.

He spun around, one-legged, and toppled over. To his utter astonishment, there was Tonks, walking toward him as though she strolled up this corridor.

"What're you doing here?" he said, scrambling to his feet again; why did she always have to find him lying on the floor?

"I came to see Dumbledore," said Tonks. Harry thought she looked thinner than usual, her mouse-colored hair lank. It was far from the same compared to last year when she still acted like her normal self and the way she used to make everyone burst into laughter by changing her appearance using her metamorph powers, and of course, not forgetting that she once turned herself into a "half-pig" by accident, but what changed?