Love at First Sight (Harry Potter)

Aragog

|ALEXANDRIA WEASLEY'S P.O.V|

Signs of summer had begun to creep over the grounds surrounding the castle. As the sun rose brighter and the sky lightened, large flowers blossomed in the greenhouses. Despite the pleasant advancements, the inside of Hogwarts couldn't have felt more wrong.

Harry, Ron, and I tried to visit Hermione, but were unfortunately turned away.

"We're taking no more chances," Madam Pomfrey had said, through a crack between the doors of the Hospital Wing. "No, I'm sorry, Alexandria, there's every chance the attacker might come back to finish these people off. . . ."

With Dumbledore suspended, the students were more afraid than ever before. The corridors were dark and cold, never a laugh to be heard. Everyone, teachers included, looked tense.

Hagrid's hint to follow the spiders was easy enough to understand, but it was finding the creatures that was problematic. I searched every corner possible, and yet the spiders that I had been seeing throughout the year had impossibly vanished.

There was only one person in the castle that appeared to be enjoying the new, terror-ridden school. Draco Malfoy would strut about, gloating to everyone who would listen:

"I always thought Father might be the one who got rid of Dumbledore," he had said during Potions one afternoon. I was sat a few tables ahead of him, Ron and Harry on either side of me. "I told you he thinks Dumbledore's the worst headmaster the school's ever had. Maybe we'll get a decent headmaster now. Someone who won't want the Chamber of Secrets closed. McGonagall won't last long, she's only filling in. . . ."

I scoffed at his words, my knuckles turning white around the quill I had been holding. The parchment laid blank in front of me, for my mind was anywhere but on my notes.

Snaps swept past the table, paying no mind to the Gryffindor students.

"Sir," said Malfoy, his voice louder. "Sir, why don't you apply for the headmaster's job?"

"Now, now, Malfoy," said Snape, and I couldn't practically hear the smirk on his thin lips. "Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I daresay he'll be back with us soon enough."

"Yeah, right," said Malfoy with a laugh. "I expect you'd have Father's vote, sir, if you wanted to apply for the job — I'll tell Father you're the best teacher here, sir —"

With a shake of my head, I watched Snape walk off toward the other side of the dungeon. Once he had gone, I spun around in my chair — my eyes narrowed into a fierce glare. I felt Ron place a hand on my elbow, in attempt to turn me around, but I simply pulled away before I said, "And I'll tell Father what a blithering twat he has for a son."

Draco Malfoy looked up at me, his lips pressed tightly together. He searched my expression quietly, but then I turned back around and faced the front. Feeling watched and angry, I loosened my grip on my quill.

"Oh, yeah, Ria," said Harry with a roll of his emerald eyes. "Real good one there, that'll teach him."

"Sod —"

"I'm quite surprised the Mudbloods haven't all packed their bags by now," said Pansy Parkinson suddenly, causing for both Harry and I to stop. We simply continued to look at one another, our attention focused behind us. "Bet you five Galleons the next one dies. Pity it wasn't Granger —"

I felt Ron shift on his seat; with wide eyes, I looked away from Harry to latch onto Ron's arm before he could fully stand up. His taped wand was clutched tightly in his right hand, and his face was as red as his hair. Harry leaned behind my chair to catch a glimpse of Ron for himself, muttering, "Alright there, mate?"