Fighting Fate // Mattheo Riddle ♣️

Chapter Fifteen - In The Hog's Head

Word Count: 2,479.

Warnings: None.

"Er," said Hermione as I entered. Her eyes turned to me as I approached the back of the large group of students. She smiled. I returned the gesture, scanning my eyes across the crowd.

I recognized a few of them. Particularly, the Weasley twins. Their fiery red head stuck out in a crowd. Neville Longbottom was there. As was the other Gryffindor twins. The ones that were in my year.

Hermione continued rather nervously. "Well — er — hi." The group focused its attention on her. "Well . . . erm . . . well, you know why you're here. Erm . . . well, Harry here had the idea — I mean" — Harry had thrown her a sharp look — "I had the idea — that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts — and I mean, really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us because nobody could call that Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"So are they making an extra class?" Barty asked me. I turned to find him sitting on one of the bar stools, watching the trio with his arms crossed. "What do you think Estrella?"

My mother approached my other side, tilting her head at the group. "What are they doing?" she asked.

"Well, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands." Hermione continued, "and by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the real spells —"

"You want to pass your Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. too though, I bet?" a small Gryffindor asked.

"Are they talking about a secret force?" my mother asked.

"More like a way to piss off the pink bitch," Barty said in reply, laughing lightly.

"Of course I do," said Hermione at once. "But I want more than that, I want to be properly trained in Defense because . . . because . . ." She took a great breath and finished, "Because Lord Voldemort's back."

I perked a brow her words. "Never in a million years did I think Hermione would say that bastards name."

"Well said!" Barty shouted and my eyes widened in fear. Only then did I realize that no one had heard him because he didn't exist in anyone's head but mine.

My mother sighed at my words. "That is quite rude Lyra," she all but scolded me.

I ignored her, turning back to listen to Hermione. "Well . . . that's the plan anyway," said Hermione. "If you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to —"

"Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?" a blonde Hufflepuff asked rather aggressively.

"Well, Dumbledore believes it —" Hermione began.

"You mean, Dumbledore believes him," said the blonde boy, nodding at Harry.

"Who are you?" said Ron rather rudely.

"Zacharias Smith," said the boy, "and I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back."

"Look," said Hermione, intervening swiftly, "that's really not what this meeting was supposed to be about –"

"It's okay, Hermione," Harry spoke up.

I leaned myself up against the wall. His eyes locked on me, and I saluted him playfully. The boy took a deep breath, seeming more confident than he had been before.

"What makes me say You-Know-Who's back?" he asked, looking Zacharias straight in the face. "I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you don't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone." The whole group seemed to have held its breath while Harry spoke.