𝒯𝒽ℯ 𝒫𝓇ℴ𝓂𝒾𝓈ℯ𝒹 𝒪𝓃ℯ | 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲 |

#23 The Beginning of the End

The day before

Blaise's hand was painfully intertwined with mine as we marched with the rest of the students down the corridors towards the Great Hall. We hadn't got enough time to catch on, I didn't have enough breath as Blaise pulled me into a tight hug, joined by Theodore as soon as he saw who visited them that late in the evening. They already heard about the news that I was seen, but just believed it themselves with my face in front of theirs. We were called out of the rooms through the same loudspeaker which announced Umbridge's rules in fifth year, so we needed to hurry. Theodore burrowed me his second school robe to blend in with the other Slytherin students. Pansy and Daphne joined us while we were already out of the Dungeons, so they suppressed the excitement for seeing me truly alive the best they could.

Blaise kept my hand secure in his as we continued with our heads down low. As we crossed the staircase, I saw two straight and tall figures watching us like hawks. I remembered them from the banquet Voldemort hosted, it were the twins guarding his stay all night long. They made the atmosphere in the castle even more misery, nothing left of the magic between the walls.

Ron, El and Hermione were waiting in the common room until the other members of the Order would come and everyone was gathering together. As soon as we were in the Great Hall, I spotted Harry in the same line as me, his head low along with the other students next to Ginny. In front of everybody stood Professor Snape, his figure tall. All the long tables I spent my childhood at were gone, along with the Hogwarts I knew. El was right as she said that it wasn't the same anymore. It was almost physical painful, that the place, which was my home for so long, was noting more than an empty canvas. That it was blown out like a candle.

My head was aching and the dizziness came back, I was exhausted by everything coming down on me. My hand clenching on Blaise's robe as I lost a bit of balance, his arms reached around to steady me without anyone to notice. Theodore held his arm out for me to intertwine to get some more stability, so that nobody would notice me straight away.

"What's wrong.", Blaise whispered without lifting his head or his gaze from the floor.

"I'm good.", I whispered back in the same small voice.

"Many of you are surely wondering why I have summoned you at this hour. It's come to my attention that earlier this evening, Harry Potter was sighted in Hogsmeade." Snape's voice rung through the hall, echoing over with nothing left of the small hint of sympathy he had towards me. It sent a shiver down my spine. The mumbling of the remaining students stopped as Snape raised his voice again. "Now, should anyone, student or stuff, attempt to aid Mr. Potter, they will be punished in a manner consistent with severity of their transgression. Furthermore, any person to have knowledge of these events, who fails to come forward, will be treated as equally as guilty. Now then if anyone here has any knowledge of Mr. Potter's movements this evening..."

But the man trailed off as his eyes settled down on my head which came high again.

Keep your head high, the chin upright.

It needed a few seconds for other students to notice me, most of them just looked over, continued with the mumbling, as I stepped out of the crowd and into the corridor between the students.

"I do.", I said, my voice firmer then I thought it would be. "I know where he is, because he was with me, professor."

Snape's face remained emotionless, but I knew that he was troubled by me being there. He never wanted that for me, he always helped my mother getting me away from that. But I believed he sometimes forgot that I was just that. The daughter of my mother - a Fox. And Foxes never step down or give up.