Empty Gold • d.meadowes

-16-

It was with great difficulty that Dorcas was able to hunt down Leigh before she would be walking out of the castle grounds to board the horseless carriages. She found him, however, huddled among a group of a few other Hufflepuffs at the Hufflepuff table. She pulled the edge of his collar to get his attention, and the boy looked up at her with a smile.

"I'm going home, Leigh," she said, before giving him an apologetic smile. "The Hogwarts Express is going to leave at eleven."

A surprised look crossed his face, and she smiled sheepishly as he wrenched himself free of his friends and swung his legs over the bench to stand up. "You're going home for Easter? Why didn't you tell me?"

Dorcas wondered that too. She was having a particularly hard time keeping up with everything, even though she had no reason to at all. She hung her head in mild embarrassment. "I – uh – it skipped my mind. I'm sorry."

Leigh laughed softly. "It's alright, Dorcas. You have NEWTs and all – I'm surprised you seventh years are out of the library at all. It's OWLs for me, and yet I can't find enough time for myself to sneak into the kitchens and eat some unhealthy food."

A genuine look of surprise took over her face, as the initial feeling of guilt left her. "You know where the kitchen is?"

Leigh smirked this time. "Of course. It's a special gift for us from Helga Hufflepuff herself. Only we know the location of the kitchens."

"I doubt that," Dorcas replied with a smile. "I've seen a couple of Gryffindors bringing in food at odd times, but I never questioned them. So I guess they have been –"

But Leigh held up both hands and interrupted her. "Hush. Don't ruin the moment."

Dorcas stifled a laugh, before standing up on her toes to hug Leigh. After the brief hug was over, she patted him lightly on the shoulders and said, "Have fun, don't stress yourself."

He tipped his head in an obedient manner, and she turned on her heels before going over to the Gryffindor table where her friends waited for her.

The trio was unusually quiet. Maeve and Silver had had a spat the night before which had resulted in the former sobbing under the bedsheets and the latter storming out of the dormitories to sleep on one of the sofas in the common room. Dorcas was left in a fix, for she didn't think it would be a good idea to leave the two alone, but she couldn't stay back in Hogwarts either. Her mother hasn't written anymore letters, and it wasn't exactly doing anything to elevate her mood.

She finished her breakfast quickly, and waited with slight impatience for her friends to finish too. Maeve accompanied her to the Gryffindor tower so that she could grab her bag, and all the way up to the castle, they walked silently, eyes front, and hands hanging limply by their sides. It was only when they had entered and left the Gryffindor common room, did Dorcas stop and look at her best friend with a strict glare.

"Promise me you won't fight while I'm away," she said sternly, holding up her index finger in front of her face. Maeve sighed.

"You know I can't promise something like that." She had her head hung low and Dorcas noticed the signs of sleeplessness and exhaustion around her eyes in the form of dark rings. "She's the one who keeps ditching us."

"Maeve, please," she interrupted. "Stop being so stubborn. She has made new friends, and she has every right to hang out with them."

"But we're her best friends," she argued, and Dorcas suddenly began to laugh.

"Oh, who knew you were such a baby?" she said fondly, before pulling her into a hug, registering in her mind how the parent role of the trio has shifted over to her all of a sudden. When she pulled away, she said, "Now, you two will come and see me off, and please try not to get mad at her. None of this is Silver's fault, and neither is it yours. Try talking to other people, and if she starts getting on your nerves, you can vent to Heather. She's nice, and she won't mind talking to you."

Maeve looked unsure, and for a moment, Dorcas feared that she would go into another temper tantrum. But she managed to hold on with a bite on her lips and finally nodded.

"I'll try."

---

As Dorcas looked around to find a carriage for herself, she registered how the number of people leaving for Easter holiday was much more than she had expected. Normally, people chose to stay back at the castle and study, but a few minutes later, she noticed that most, nearly all of the students were fifth to seventh year Slytherins.

It seemed odd initially, but then she realised why it was so. The Dark Lord has recruited several of the Hogwarts students among his ranks, and in the attacks that have taken place in the past year, the death eaters have been freshly graduated Hogwarts students, not skilful, middle aged wizards as one would expect. She knew that most, if not all, of the students around her had the Dark Mark branded on their forearms, and even despite the sun that shone brightly above them, she shivered. Hugging herself tightly, she hurried her pace and climbed into an empty carriage, closing the door securely.

They were going home, not to spend some joyous moments with their families, but to go on missions under Voldemort's orders to massacre muggle areas and kill blood traitors. Dorcas began to regret not staying at Hogwarts – whatever Jenna has told in her letters, it couldn't be something bad. She wondered if she should just jump out of the carriage and march back to the castle, but before she could make up her mind, an abrupt jerk swept through her body and the carriage began moving, pulled forward by an invisible force.

---

DORCAS STAY IN THE CASTLE