The Slytherins

35- "Grow up the best? Become the best"

At breakfast the next day, the third year students were still talking about the previous Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson.

"Hey Mattheo," Isobelle leaned towards him in curiosity, "who was that boy in that appeared as your boggart?"

Mattheo froze, his spoon with his cereal on stopping before it rose to his lips.

Sensing his panic, Cassie interrupted, "Oh isn't that the boy from the orphanage? The one that gave you the scar on your nose?"

Mattheo looked at Cassie in relief, meeting her eyes in thanks. "Yeah, Thomas Knocks," he pointed to the jagged scar that cut across his nose and turned to face Isobelle. "He's the one who gave me this,"

Isobelle's face softened in concern. "Oh Mattheo! I bet it hurt terribly,"

Cassie scowled to herself. It was only a cut! She'd faced a lot worse.

"Oh," he shuffled in his seat. "Yeah I guess."

"He's been sighted he's been sighted!"

Cassie's train of thought was broken by an exclamation coming from the opposite end of the Slytherin table.

She stood up and hurried over to where Adrien Pucey was sat surrounded by his friends, clutching the daily prophet in his hands.

"Who has?" A calm voice spoke and Cassie realised it belonged to her cousin, Cassius Warrington.

"Sirius Black! In Dufftown," Pucey explained.

"That's not far from here!" Cassie realised.

"Not scared are you Thea?" Her cousin turned to her.

She scowled at him. "Completely terrified actually, now that you mention it! Oh I do hope all the strong Slytherin men will defend me from harm!" She feigned the damsel in distress act.

Pansy giggled from behind her.

"Why would he be in Dufftown? There's nothing there!" One of Cassius' friends exclaimed.

"Do you think he's trying to get to Hogwarts?" Mattheo asked from behind them.

She looked up at him, reading his thoughts that flickered all his concerns in his eyes. "Yeah I do," she replied.

Laurie gulped loudly. "I hope not!"

"What do you think he wants?" Adrien asked.

She shot a look at Draco to see realisation dawning on him too before quickly glancing back, only to find Mattheo sending her a quizzical look.

"I don't know," she lied, feeling herself shift guiltily under Mattheo's suspicious gaze.

_____

The following Saturday was the first time the third years were allowed to visit Hogsmeade.

At about twenty to 9, when Cassie, Pansy and their roommates had been standing in the common room waiting for the boys for around twenty minutes, Cassie decided she was fed up of waiting.