ɢᴜɪʟᴛʏ ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴜʀᴇ ⎮ ᴅ.ᴍ.

⌈CHAPTER 63 ⎮⎮ ROYCE⌋

Esme Ambrose (POV)

I was beyond thankful that we weren't learning anything new in DADA today. However, Snape still decides to assign a ten page paper due by the end of the week. Fantastic.

To make things even more stressful, he claims that this will just be the first part of our final project. I can't imagine the second part. Right now, everyone was doing the research for the paper or getting started. I had written my introduction and was mid-way through my second paragraph, Anzac was super concentrated and would ask me for help while Snape wasn't looking.

It was uncomfortably quiet. Usually that's how it should be as you're writing but not in this class, especially with Snape. I think it's that fact that everyone has now some sort of trauma just from this class. 

As we were approaching the end, Snape stopped us early as he claimed he needs to make a big announcement.

"As the Ministry announces outlawed activities continuing to happen... it's my role as headmaster to establish rules with serious consequences." He looked at everyone but I already knew everyone had their head down. That's how it always was, no one dared to make a sound or movement.

"Earlier curfew times will be obligated, each student must return to their common room at 7pm."

Great, it was two hours early from our last curfew.

"Going off-castle grounds is once again prohibited, no excuses. Any student who is to participate in suspicion activities or witness... will be brought in to further punishment."

There was a long silence till he continued, "Shall I remind you, the ministry continues to play a role into your safety and forbids any student to take action. Students that chose to disobey these rules, disobey the ministry and should then be faced as such punishments."

Sometimes I wanted to work at the ministry, only because I wanted to do a way better job than all the idiots in charge. Most of the time they were clueless. None of the truly important things mattered to them, instead they all cared about themselves yet claimed to care about the entire wizarding world.

"You're all dismissed." We all got up and headed out, the doorway was always crammed up with students.

I was able to catch up with Adaline, Lucy and Draco. Anzac was next to me while I couldn't find Blaise still.

"Well... that was fun," Anzac coughed out.

"The ministry wants to start punishing or questioning students," Lucy spoke, "That only means Potter hasn't been caught yet." 

I started thinking about Harry, the thought of him putting an end to this seemed so out of reach but I still believed he could. Only he can do it.

"Excuse me," I turned around to see Royce, "Esme can I talk to you?"

It was hard to not look at Draco who was probably mentally killing Royce right now. Royce took a small glance at Draco but back at me, "Sure."

We walked a couple feet away from my group to where they couldn't hear us but still see us, "I was thinking if we can meet in the potions room after class since Slughorn says his students are still in their research part of their work."

"Oh sure! Yeah that's great since we're always busy and the room isn't ever really clean at the end of the day." I agreed, "What time should I meet you?"

"I'll be there at 3, if my classes go as they should, I won't be able to make it to potions today which is why I'm telling you now."

"You're not going to class after Snape's whole punishment speech?"