The Siren's Call (A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction)

39. Back, Already? *Sighs*

Dioleh was less than happy to be heading back to school. With everything going on, school was the last thing she wanted to be doing. After saying goodbye to the Weasleys, she got onto the train and bolted into the first empty compartment she could find. She quickly stuffed her trunk onto the rack and lay down on the seats with a sigh, not wanting to deal with people. To her annoyance, the compartment door opened. Looking up to the door, she saw it was just Imani and Andre.

"Hi," she said, laying back down.

"Are you okay?" Imani asked with a frown.

"No," Dioleh replied as Andre closed the door and put Imani's and his trunks up in the rack. "Oh yeah, Andre, good of you to tell us you were talking to Julio."

"What?" Imani said, rounding on him. "He's alive?"

"So he reached out?" Andre asked, sending Imani an apologetic look.

Sitting up with a grim look, Dioleh replied, "Yup. Apparently, my life is in danger."

"What?!" Imani shrieked.

Ignoring her, Dioleh added, "So as you can guess my mental health is doing just swimmingly."

"From who?" Andre asked, taking the seat next to Imani who had sat across from Dioleh.

"Voldemort," Dioleh said bitterly. "He wants me for my magic. If I refuse to join him, he'll kill me. But, my parents didn't die so I could oppress people as we were oppressed. Thankfully, he doesn't know my name. Just that I'm at Hogwarts. Julio wants me to talk to Dumbledore about it."

"Why don't you?" Andre asked with a weary sigh. "Sure, he's a wizard and works for the Ministry...sort of, but he still might be able to help. He could help protect you."

"I said I wouldn't help oppress them, I never said I trust them," Dioleh countered.

"Forget that, how's Julio?" Imani asked.

"Sad, bitter," Dioleh said.

At Imani's confused expression, Andre explained, "He lost his magic."

They fell into a depressed silence until Dioleh sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly as she admitted, "If it wasn't for the two of you, Hermione, and my promise to the ancestors, I'd just go back and find some tribe to take me in."

"I've thought about it more times than I can count," Andre said. "But my parents wouldn't have that."

"Sorry," Dioleh said. "I'm making this all about me. How are you guys?"

"Decent," Imani said. Dioleh raised an eyebrow at her, hearing the lie in her tone. "Well, not really. My dad heard about a new movement they're trying to do in the Ministry." Andre and Dioleh looked up with interest. "They want to hold an international conference to try and get sirens wiped out for good."

"What?" Andre said. He had turned deathly pale and his eyes were wide.

"They're trying to get as many countries as possible to agree to come," Imani said. Suddenly bitter, she added, "Guess who wasn't invited."

"A single bloody siren," Andre said through clenched teeth.

Brows furrowed, Dioleh asked, "When is this supposed to happen?"

"Sometime next year," Imani said. Dioleh sighed. Another thing to worry about. Each of the sirens was deep in thought throughout the train ride as the distant sounds of students, their age, younger, and older, talking and laughing reached their ears. It seemed a foreign sound as if from far far away.

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Once they got to the school, Dioleh and the other two got into one of the carriages to ride up to school. The moment she stepped out of the carriage, Snape was at her side. "Ms. Granger, a word," he said. Glancing back at the other two, Dioleh followed after him down into his office. As she sat down, Dioleh reflected that this was the second year in a row this had happened. Once Snape had sat down, he said, "Professor Dumbledore has asked that your coursework is altered slightly this year." Dioleh frowned.

"Why?" she replied.

"That is precisely what I have been wondering," Snape replied, beginning to search through his files for a sheet of paper. "He has asked for you to, in addition to your usual work, to go to his office on a predetermined date once a week."

"And you have no idea as to why?" Dioleh clarified, now more confused than ever.

Finally finding the paper he was looking for, Snape handed it over and said, "No, Professor Dumbledore did not feel a need to inform me of his reasoning. There is, however, another matter I need to inform you of, considering we are missing the beginning of the feast. The Triwizard Tournament is being held here this year." Dioleh's face remained expressionless.

After a pause, she repeated, "Triwizard Tournament?"

"A competition, of sorts," he clarified. "Between Hogwarts and two other wizarding schools. You will not, however, be old enough to participate until you are seventeen. It can be quite dangerous."

"Probably for the best then," Dioleh said, not upset she was missing the opportunity to die. "Is that all, Professor?"

"Yes," he said. She got up and began to head into the Great Hall before stopping in her tracks. Turning back around, she went down to the kitchens and got some food before heading toward the Slytherin Common Room and unsealing the letter from Snape.

Dioleh,
Despite what you may think, I do not wish to have you or Julio killed. He had told me what Voldemort now knows and I want to help you be protected from him. Please come to my office after dinner tomorrow.
Albus Dumbledore

P.S. The password is licorice.

Dioleh stuffed the letter in her pocket just as she came to the portrait hole. Approaching the opening, she guessed, "Pureblood." It opened, causing her to roll her eyes. Once she got inside, she went to her dorm where everything had already been set up and got on her bed with her food and a tired sigh.