The Storm | The Sister book #3 | A Harry Potter Fanfiction

chapter seven

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I grin at Draco, running after Pansy down across the bridge and skidding to a stop when I reach the large group of Slytherin students eyeing me expectantly. Pansy ushers some first years- the only two first years here- out of the way and precariously pulls herself up onto the wall that lines the edge of the bridge on the side looking over the lake. She clears her throat and the group falls silent. Everyone looks at her expectantly. She raises her hands, waving them theatrically as she speaks,

"Welcome, newbies. Tonight, we are here to enrol you into our family, induct you into our friendship, bring you into our cult, so to speak-"

"Get on with it, Parkinson!" A boy yells from the crowd. A few people laugh. Pansy scowls, lowering her arms and placing her hands on her hips.

"Are you third years ready? Oh, and Clara," She nods at me, and I shrink down, nodding. The third year's nod and chant yes. "Righty-o then, it's simple, look over the edge-"

I step over to the wall, peering out at the black water. I frown, seeing a faint glow coming from underneath the waves, looking back up at Pansy. She smirks at me.

"That glow you see comes from the Slytherin common room. We're right above it right now. Your task," She jumps down, grinning at us, "Is to dive down and touch the glass window, then resurface. Don't even try lying- We have the rest of the first and second years down there and waiting to see you. They don't lie. Well, not to us anyway. It's further down than you think. That is why we only get third years and up to do it."

Pansy claps her hands excitedly, motioning for at the third years. "Up you get, kiddos."

"Pansy-" I murmur, tapping her shoulder, "What about me?"

"Oh, you go afterwards, we go by age group, and frankly, the third years will be pretty boring- Almost all of us are here to see you."

"Why?"

She shrugs, turning back to the motionless third years. A few have taken initiative and started stripping down to their underwear. I suppose this is team building of a sort. I glance back at Draco, raising an eyebrow. He grins.

"Well get on with it! Don't worry, there'll be no judging here. No hurry up!"

They undress faster, some keep on their shirts or shorts, but mostly down to their underwear. Only a few of them seem at all perturbed. They seem determined, ambitious, they don't care about other people seeing them in their underwear. Once they all look relatively ready, Pansy pats the top of the wall,

"Up you get."

They scramble up, wobbling and cursing under their breaths as they stand.

"Now this isn't a race, alright? You go at your own speed. Have fun! Go!"

They glance at each other nervously, they one by one, step or jump into the water, splashing and spluttering in the moonlight. They laugh at each other, a few talking to their friends, others working quickly, diving down into the depths.

In moments, the water is silent as if no student was ever in there at all. We watch with baited breath, waiting for some sign of life to return to the rippling black. I'm going to have to do that. Shit. I look out at the lake, ignoring my nerves and focusing instead on the setting sun. Just as I do, the small torches that line the walkway we stand on burst into flame, illuminating our faces as we wait with a warm, orange glow. The sky is a dark blue-grey, descending into night time, the black silhouette of the mountains in the distance stark against the soft evening sky. I breathe out, closing my eyes and feeling the soft, cool summer breeze against my face.